In 2005, "And Tango Makes Three", a picture book based on the true story of two male penguins raising an abandoned baby penguin, was published. Apparently, some people are upset by what have been described as the 'homosexual undertones' of the book.
First, a quick look at the true story, from Wikipedia:
Roy and Silo, two penguins from a New York zoo who are a couple... they tried to procreate unsuccessfully so they then tried to hatch a rock that resembled an egg. When zookeepers realized that they were two boys and that they were trying to hatch a rock they remembered that one of the opposite-sex penguin couples had had an extra egg and abandoned it. The zookeepers then made the switch of egg and rock, and the penguin husbands raised the healthy young chick, 'Tango' together as a family.
I can see why people who are against homosexuality, and especially those who are against same-gender-loving families, would have trouble with a book based on this. I can even see why those who are for gay rights would have trouble if they were reading this book to their children but didn't know what it was about before hand (although, really, know the books you read your children before you read them). But this story, really, gives us all a wonderful opportunity to discuss two things: altruism and history.
Here, though, I'll just talk about altruism.
It's difficult to find figures for exactly how many children around the world are not being cared for by adults. Estimates of how many children live on the street range from 100 million to 150 million, and the numbers only rise if one takes into account the number of children being raised in facilities (rather than by, for example, foster families). The reasons that kids end up in 'the system', or completely outside the system include parental abuse of alcohol and drugs, family violence, extreme poverty, and, of course, the child being kicked out for being lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Many of these children, unfortunately, do not find families again, but are left to fend for themselves.
So what's wrong with a little penguin-style love? The Bible says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:27) Regardless of their relationship status (and I have no idea how penguin relationships work), Roy and Silo cared for an orphan, they had pure religion. This is a teaching moment for us: how can we care for one another? How can we teach our children that there are other children who don't have the same opportunities and support systems that they do? How can we teach our children and ourselves to care for those who have nothing, even if that care means raising someone else's child (no small feat)?
Those who are upset about this book are upset because they're worried that it might teach their children that, um, same-gender-penguin-love is okay. I think we all ought to be more concerned about what we and our children aren't learning when we skip out on stories about love and support.
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