Fifth Grader’s speech on same sex marriage

Kameron Slade is just a fifth grader but he already has his own opinion about same sex marriage. When his school in Queens had a speech contest, Kameron came up to  his teacher and said he will be choosing same sex marriage as his topic. He wrote, “everybody should have equal rights to get married.”

Unfortunately, the principal of the school thought otherwise and did not allow that speech because if its “inappropriateness.”

“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?” he wrote, in part.

Kameron didn’t win the competition with that speech, but the media attention surrounding the principal’s decision forced the city’s Department of Education to take a second look. Thanks to NY1, which gave a young kid a chance, he now has a voice and can be heard nationwide.

“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,” Kameron told his classmates in the speech.

“…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.”