Joan Jett - Androgynous

I first heard about Joan Jett when I was a teenager.  I was about 12 or 13 and taking the morning bus to school and I saw a girl - she must have been a couple of years older who waited on the other side of the street.  She would get her coffee and walk around impatiently for her bus.  She had the most amazing jacket I ever saw - dungaree with a picture on the back - the cover of "Bad Reputation."

I think I probably had a crush on her although at the time, I did not let my curiosity get the better of me.  I was just enamored with her jacket.  I had to know more about it.  And know more about it I did.  I became an avid fan.

I can honestly say that Joan Jett helped me become the woman I am today even though I never met her.  Her music was always a constant in my teen and early adult years.  Her songs helped me through some tough times, helped me get to better know myself, and helped me find the courage to be the rebel that is me.

Today, I saw a video of "Androgynous" and it prompted an entire conversation in my mind.  Watch:



I was reminded of my rant about "Stand for Marriage Maine" and how they claimed homosexuals were after your children.  There was Joan Jett - sitting in front of a classroom full of children, singing about a boy in a skirt and a girl with chains.  Happy androgynous people who love each other.

Wow.  I realized how right she is.  How important it is to teach our children that there are all sorts of people in this world and we all want the same thing - to be happy.  We want love in our lives, to express ourselves, to love someone and to give our love.  Teaching children about people that are different is crucial to illuminating the fact that under our skin, in our hearts - we are all the same. 

As parents, we are entitled to teach our children what we will.  We instill our values, our code of morality, our world view.  Recognizing our differences gives children a wide array for analysis to determine where they fit in the continuum. 

As a forty-something year old gay woman, I have yet to meet another gay person whose parents were not heterosexual.  And I've met a lot of gay people.  Having parents of a particular orientation does not guarantee your child will or will not be gay.  What I think Joan Jett is saying here is, "Who cares as long as they are happy?"  I wholeheartedly agree!