Kameron Slade became our hero when he submitted a speech supporting same-sex marriage to a schoolwide competition at PS 195 in Queens. But when his principal declared the topic “inappropriate” and told him to chose another one or drop out of the contest, our heart broke.
The story has a happy ending, though: Recently wed Council Speaker Christine Quinn invited Slade, 10, to give his speech to the council on Wednesday.
“I think adults must realize that as children get older, they become aware of these mature issues that are going on in the world,” he told the assembled politicos. “If children read or watch the news, they can also learn about things like same-gender marriage, so what’s the point in trying to hide it?”
From the mouths of babes.
Colin
Exploiting children to further a political agenda is pathetic and crass, no matter what they’re supporting.
Triple S
Very articulate for a boy his age. He knows a great deal about the subject matter as well! I quite enjoyed watching this 🙂
Ceephant
@Colin: @Colin: Agreed. The school principal is guilty as charged.
Colin
@Ceephant: The school principal had enough sense to understand the stupidity and poor taste of this and responded appropriately. Quinn, on the other hand, ought to be ashamed of herself.
Daez
@Colin: Yes, because he was forced to write the speech that he gave as part of the contest. His parents, or his teachers or his older brother or younger sister or whoever held a gun to his head and demanded that he write the speech.
Seriously, you need to get over yourself. Although, I can understand your view since you constantly profane your own ignorance as some sort of exploitation.
erasure25
@Colin: @Colin: Hyperbole is such a crass means in which to defend one’s position. By your argument, having a 5th grader serve as a ring bearer in a straight (or same sex) wedding is exploitative.
RLS
You’d think people would know enough by now not to feed that troll. Ignore it, people.
Anyways, that kid is too cute, and it’s great that he’s getting a chance to do this! Speaker Quinn is a class act.
Colin
@Daez: So just because he apparently wasn’t forced, that makes it OK? So I guess if he wanted to give a speech against gay marriage at the city council meeting, you’d be all for that, too? Hell, let’s round up all the 10 y/o across the country who are against marriage equality and have them sound off at the city council meetings, starting with the Westboro Baptist kids. Because apparently it’s OK for kids to say what they want to say and drag them into politics as long as they’re not being forced to do it.
Seriously, come up with something better than the self-serving b/s you and others like you try to pass off as critical thought.
Colin
@erasure25: That’s a huge leap and has no relevance at all to this topic, starting with the fact that what you described a child participating in is a private ceremony and has absolutely nothing to do with public, controversial political issues.
Thanks, though, for showing me your (lack of) logic. I really appreciate it.
Chuck
This kid is a good speech writer. =] He should look up more often however.
GreatGatsby2011
Rock on, little man.
Ruhlmann
@erasure25: It’s what he does when he’s not masterbating to homosexual sado masochistic pornography.
Red Meat
@Colin: You don’t see the good coming from this for the boy so what do you know? Nothing.
Bee
Do y’all not know Collin’s fucking agenda like seriously y’all do this every time IGNORE HIM that’s what he wants geez i swear y’all are oblvious and just as guilty as him what part of, “don’t feed the trolls” do y’all not understand geez
JohnD
@Colin: And if it were a right-wing nutso kid speaking about the evils of homosexuality you’d be here saying how proud you are to be an American. I’m tired of you, troll.
Colin
@Red Meat: So the end justifies the means? I do see the good, but I don’t believe in using children this way. Sorry. I think it’s immoral and unethical.
@JohnD: Bullshit.
JohnD
@Colin: Spoken like a true troll.
Colin
@JohnD: Stop trolling *me* and actually have something serious and on-topic to say and maybe I’ll take your posts seriously. Your call.
JohnD
@Colin: What makes you think I want you to take my posts seriously? I’m just tired of reading your right-wing reactionary gibberish.
Colin
@JohnD: I’m just stating what you and the others here deep down probably know to be true but can’t admit, because admitting it would be agreeing with me and I know that just drives you crazy.
JohnD
@Colin: Lol ok. That comment was the sign of a crazy person. You think you know a truth that everyone is too stupid or scared of admitting. In other words, you think you’re the only sane person in a sea of insane people.
Yeah, you’re a lunatic.
cj
This should TOTALLY go viral. I actually applauded when he finished. These issues SHOULD be discussed, with children, and without shame. It’s not about complicated adult “sex” things, it’s about two people, whatever their genders, loving each other and having or starting families. Which is supposedly what straight people think everyone should all do anyway – get married and have children.
sheena
@Colin: go wank on grandma porn tahst what u are good at……what an ugly idiot u are hiding behind those comment lol
MK Ultra
The fact that it angers the anti-gays means it’s the right thing to do.
Hey homophobe, get used to it.
Daez
@Colin: Yes, regretably, if he wanted to give a speech against gay marriage then I would support his right to do that as well. That is what freedom of speech is about. He has a right to state his opinion. I have a right to disagree with it. If it is a child talking I’m less likely to disagree with him than I am with his viewpoint, however. When it is an adult, I disagree with them in general when they speek discrimination.
Daez
@Colin: Weddings are not really private ceremonies (in most cases) however because breeders love to show off their ability to get hitched. Most of the time that they bother to do it anymore though they are either highly religious or the chick is knocked up.
Daez
@Bee: Yes, it is obvious that he is a troll; however, it has always been my view that giving a troll a platform normally pisses everyone off, and the most powerful motivator in the world is anger. In fact, anger has been a driving force behind all of the human’s rights movements.
nineinchnail
America. Free speech. Rubbish.
KARUADAM
@JohnD: The America, free speech is for bloody white Christian republican only. But as I say you to will be exterminated in concentration camps like was done before..
KARUADAM
PS, Bloody white republican Christian, get out of the Americas, it`s not your country and will never be!!!.
Adonis007
Beautiful!
Colin
@Daez: Then you are not someone who has a sense of ethics at all. There’s no point in taking it further than that, so I won’t. But I am not surprised that you would have the beliefs that you do. Most people here are pretty much insane when it comes to the gay agenda.
@Daez: Pure nonsense.
Marjorie 0120
@Colin:
When a child talks about God, about keeping his tenants and commandments, this blog goes nuts. He is brain washed, how could adults fill his head with such dribble and on the rant goes. But it appears that a child who has been equally brain washed to support the gay movement is just fine, what an astute child, he’s a genius.
Both children are merely projecting the values taught at home, neither have the emotional or intellectual capacity to understand what they are saying on an adult level. What they say and think five years down the road may be an 180° difference. I would suggest allowing them to grow up before putting too much energy into what they mouth now.
AaronT
@Marjorie 0120: This child is 10, not 4. At 10 years old I was reading Watership Down, questioning the existence of God, and wondering what it meant that I was attracted to other boys, despite growing up in a deeply Christian family. Many intelligent and perceptive children are already thinking about “adult” topics with no coaching by their parents. Don’t judge all children from your own specific experience.