The premiere of the film lightyear agitated the public long before its premiere. And not necessarily because of the actor who gives him his voice, the unmistakable Chris Evansbest remembered as the first avenger, the Captain America. The release of the film about the origin of the beloved guardian special toy buzz lightyear has given a lot to talk about due to the incorporation of a brief scene from a lesbian couple sharing a kissin a succession of slides that at the same time shows her as a homoparental family, along with a child.
The comments in social media they range from “Was it really necessary to include a lesbian kiss?”; “Childhood destroyed for the fans”; to “This deeply touches the psychology of children.” Of the production, Evans has been the first to defend the tape. “There will always be people who have fear… I think the goal is to ignore them, move forward and embrace the growth that makes us human.”
This is how ‘Lightyear’ was made, the film that brings back the character from ‘Toy Story’ in the voice of Chris Evans
The truth is that Many parents around the world are concerned the repercussion that this fragment of the film may have on their children. In fact, in our country, the group Ecuadorian family, an “international network at the service of citizens and pro-life and pro-family groups”, as described on social networks, is requesting a pronunciation from the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Creation (ICCNA), within the framework of the prohibition promoted by 14 countries to the screening of the film. At the close of this note, the entity had not yet made a statement.
The title has been rated PG. The PG classification indicates, according to the Motion Picture Associationthat parents may consider some material inappropriate for their children.
How to talk to children about homosexuality?
It seems that parents wait for an appropriate moment to talk about sexuality with their children. for the psychologist Toyi Espín de Jácome, educational psychologistthis theme begins to develop intrinsically from birth, when the little one begins to be aware of his body and, as he grows, he learns about his care and respect for the body of others.
For this reason, when talking about sexuality, he believes, one should talk with the children about a healthy sex education, “giving correct information about the sexual identity with which we were constituted from the moment of maternal conception. By affirming this reality, the children know themselves and know who they are”.
And if concerns arise about the homosexuality“Parents must be prepared and educated to discuss this issue with their children, using the language indicated for each age, being honest and transparent, without fear or shame, to deal with this and other issues related to sexuality.”
The approach, according to age, includes resources for each group. For example, says Espín, for the preschool kids Y school children there are Videos for kids appropriate, that contain a coherent message to the type of educational objective that is taught at home. there is also children’s texts that handle simple language, using at the same time the scientific terms to refer to the body of man and woman.
With the teenagersthe use of language that takes into account their critical thinking it’s crucial. “Don’t judge or criticize their thoughts, talk and investigate more about what their feelings and thoughts are. That is to say, don’t use the sermonbut active listeningto elaborate the construction of conclusions as a result of the questions or concerns that adolescents have”.
In his experience, Tina Zerega, teacher and researcher on Communication and Education issues, does not see the need to start this type of conversation with the children if it does not arise spontaneously. “What adults see in the media is not always seen by children, and they do not interpret or record it in the same way,” warns the communicator. “I would not force the conversations until they are demanded by the children, then there I would raise the issue with open questions, ‘what do you think, what do you think, what do you think’. That allows you to explore the understandings they are having.”
In this sense, Espín, who is also counselor and family therapistremember the parents respond to questions without criticism or judgement, as open as possible for reliable communication to take place, in a environment of love and security. “At the moment, the child does not want to know more, although it is possible that the answer given will raise new questions. It is not convenient to anticipate other topics if they do not ask for it. Children will ask only what they are ready to understand, and they will ask in a certain order, which corresponds to the way in which they investigate the world.
Homosexuality in the media
The educator Zerega believes that the emphasis we give to the sexual orientation of the characters in the media should rather turn to the stories they are telling us. “The conversation about a media product goes much further. You have to see the story as a whole. For example, regarding the character, How do you get what you want? What factors intervene in it, what is your profession, your values?”. For the researcher, the questioning also goes through the narratives presented on screen, if unique stories are being reproduced, of certain social groups, of certain success values or stereotypes. “It is what you have to try to also discuss with the boys.”
The World Bank defines social inclusion as “the process of improving the abilitythe chance and the dignity of people who are disadvantaged because of their identityso that they can participate in society.
“The media are picking up the society changessome have been given abruptly and others have been legitimizedAs the equality marriageminority rights that are becoming visible, such as the first time an actor from black race in an interracial couple in the cinema, which at the time was a scandal… The media begin to represent thembecause they are part of processes that are being assimilated”, illustrates Zerega, researcher of critical media studies.
“What is worrying is thinking that the media can induce behaviour. All the theories that supported this have been denied since the 70s. Sexual orientation is a very complex process, where cultural and family factors, life histories, subjectivities intervene. The media could reinforce a belief or an emotion that one already has”.
parental authority
In any case, if considered necessary, Espín recommends, if possible, Supervise, analyze Y process “all external information that children receive, before they do, so that parents have clear elements that will help them assess whether these materials need to be seen or heard.”
is that the parents are first mediators of the content that their children consume in the media, traditional Y digitalbecause since the pandemic, minors are more connected to the world than ever.
“If this issue (homosexuality in the media) really worries parents, they first have to think that a medium is not as powerful as it seems. What makes it powerful? when the means they do not have mediationsthat is to say, when there are no people who talk about what is happening in them. That means parents need to talk to their children about what they are watching or hearing, in the way they feel comfortablein an argumentative exchange of opinions, where they express what they think as parents and as children”, reflects Zerega, who also manages programs of critical analysis of media with young people.
“Parents and children have their own thoughts, which they are always shaping. for minors the opinion of their parents is very influential, but also what their friends think and what they suddenly see in an important person on social networks. But neither of them should be disrespectful in these processes”.
Finally, parents are the authority of their families and they have the power to determine what contents are allowed in their home, which are not, as part of that exercise of authority. In this way, each family can find a little of its formula to deal with media products, advises the teacher.
“Avoiding the story on the screen does not mean that you will be able to avoid exposing children to these stories in real life, where these diversities already exist. but it is respectable that a family decides that it cannot handle these issues at the moment and prefers to address them when their children are older”, points out Tina Zerega.
That is why the specialist Toyi Espín adds: “In a healthy family context, where confidence reigns to deal with these issues in a natural way, these videos, films or series where these issues are exposed should be used, in order to continue talking about a healthy sexuality The entertainment industries do not have the last word in the formation of the integral education of our children, we are the parents who must educate and strengthen this education, which includes sexual education. When there is a defined parental leadership, with the educational objectives that we as parents have in common, that will be transcendent in the lives of the children”.
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
