How Do I Explain "Gay" To My Ten Year Old?

My elder son is just about the age when he starts having an opinion on everything. Thankfully, he has not yet reached the age when he shuts himself out! Normally hubby and I discuss the day’s events and gossips with some amount of bitching. Of late my son has started participating. Not obtrusively of course. Just eavesdropping. Its when he doesn’t understand something and asks me the meaning that I get to know that he has been listening all along!

Like he asked me the meaning of "gay" two days back. I had to tell him Dumbledore was gay. He asked – who was he gay with. I had to say - Grindelwald. He explained to me Dumbledore and Grindelwald were just friends – how could they be gay? He further explained to me – I have a friend Kevin, we are very good friends, does that mean we are both gay? I hastened to add - of course not! Then, I am ashamed to admit – I retracted my statement that Dumbledore was gay.

So is it the time to tell a ten year old about birds and bees and human nature? I think he should learn about it in the natural course, He takes an interest in science. He watches animal planet and I am sure knows how the young uns are born. I encourage him to watch BBC and news. Am I being a coward? I have a feeling that if I try to explain about "human intimacy", I will end up looking very foolish! Children his age may know all about it, at least have an idea about it – like we did and pretended not to! So I will save myself the embarrassment, this time at least.

And something else – we have consciously stopped bitching about our friends, colleagues and neighbors in front of the kids ;-)