The Current

Gay mom Sally Kohn says 'I wish for my daughter to be gay, too'

Sally Kohn unleashed a firestorm when she wrote that as a gay Mom she wanted her daughter to be gay. Today, three gay parents, including Ms. Kohn, share their expectation and exasperation on this taboo.

Breaking a new taboo: Gay parents who aren't afraid to say they hope their children will grow up to be gay

From left to right: Sarah Hansen, Willa Hansen-Kohn, and Sally Kohn. Sally Kohn hopes her daughter will be gay but will support her no matter what.

"I have this inherent wish for my kid to be gay... like wanting my kid to be a Democrat, like wanting my kid to be Jewish." - Sally Kohn, Gay Mom

By now the classic "coming out" story is a familiar part of our culture. It can be an exhilarating experience, or a terrifying one — heartwarming or heart rending — for a son or daughter who's come to terms with their own sexuality, to come out as gay to their mother and father.

But as the makeup of the modern family continues to evolve, so has what it means to come out.

And so come new stories, of what it means to be a son or daughter who comes out as straight, to their gay parents.

It's not always an easy thing for them to do. Just take the headline from an article written by Sally Kohn for the Washington Post. It read, "I'm Gay. And I Want My Kid to be Gay too." And her sentiment may not be so uncommon. It's struck quite a chord, and generated a lot of discussion online.

Sally Kohn writes for The Daily Beast and is a regular commentator on CNN. She joined us from New York City.

Jerry Mahoney was also in New York. He's the author of "Mommy Man: How I Went From Mild Mannered Geek To Gay Superdad." Jerry wrote this article responding to Sally Kohn.

Susan G. Cole is an author and senior entertainment editor of NOW magazine. She was in our Toronto studio. 


We'd love to hear from you on this topic if you're a gay parent: Would you rather see your own children grow up to be gay or straight? Do you feel strongly either way? Have your own kids come out straight or gay?

Write us at thecurrent@cbc.ca. Or tweet us @TheCurrentCBC. And as always grab a podcast for anything you miss on the program from our podcast page

This segment was produced by The Current's Marc Apollonio. 


RELATED LINKS

♦ "I'm Gay. And I Want My Kid to be Gay too." - By Sally Kohn, The Washington Post

♦ Dear Mom Who Wants Her Daughter to Be Gay, I want your daughter to be herself. - By Jerry Mahoney, Life Time Moms