Snark aside, you do make a reasonable point about using one's children as blog source material, but this parent hardly invented the "mommyblogging" phenomenon. I do think there is value at this time in being willing to publicly put forth the idea of not challenging a child's self-identification at such an early age. If he grows up straight, there's a cute story about his "gay phase" to tell his prom date. If he grows up gay, he's spared the agonizing over how to come out to his parents -- thanks, seven-year-old self! If this essay inspires other parents to say "Okay, dear," instead of, "No, you're not old enough to understand that, don't say that," I think it's worthwhile. Telling a child not to identify in a particular way sends the message that to do so would be bad and warrant a parent's disapproval.

My best friend knew he was gay at 10, but his mother suspected since his toddlerhood and never said anything. When he finally came out to her at 16, after months of soul-wrenching thought about whether or not to tell her, she said, "Oh, I knew," and he was relieved, but also really upset that she hadn't openly discussed it with him before even so far as to say, "I'd be fine with it if you were gay." She thought that living in an open and accepting household in general already sent that message, but to a kid dealing with figuring out his own identity as an adolescent, there was a big difference between "My parents are okay with gays" and "My parents wouldn't mind if I were gay."