Kameron Slade is undoubtedly a smart and talented 10 year old. The 5th grader of PS 195 in Queens, New York, won a class competition that enabled him to deliver a speech on a topic of his choice in a school-wide competition. But when Slade settled on the controversial subject of same-sex marriage, the school’s Principal said Slade’s topic was inappropriate. The principal threatened to remove Slade from the contest if he didn’t choose another topic.
According to Think Progress, a number of parents supported the principal’s position. The parents felt the topic was limited to adults and should remain out of the school setting. Slade chose to speak about animal cruelty during the contest. He lost. According to NY1, the Department of Education will give Slade an opportunity to speak before a special Assembly. He’s also been invited to give his speech before the city council and several pride events. Here’s an excerpt of Kameron Slade’s speech:
Some people are for same-gender marriage, while others are against it. Like President Obama, I believe that all people should have the right to marry whoever they want. Marriage is about love, support, and commitment. So who are we to judge? If we judge people like this, this is a form of prejudice. We must learn to accept all differences.
My mom is very open to me about same-gender marriage. However, some adults may feel uncomfortable and think it’s inappropriate to talk about this to children. I think adults must realize that as children get older, they become aware of these mature issues that are going on in the world. If children read or watch the news, they can learn about things like same-gender marriage, so what’s the point in trying to hide it?
In conclusion, I hope that everyone understands how important it is to respect everyone for who they are. Same-gender marriage is becoming more popular. I believe that same-gender marriage should be accepted worldwide and that parents and teachers should start to discuss these issues without shame to their children.
