A suburban Atlanta school board has voted to terminate the contract of a teacher who read a book about gender identity to gifted fifth-graders – the latest salvo in a nationwide clash over how issues like gender and race are discussed in public school classrooms.
I’d like to go ahead and forestall the inevitable RAWR RAWR RAWR TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT GENDER SEXUALIZES THEM THIS IS FAR TOO EARLY.
I’m trans. I figured it out for myself around fifth grade. I had little context or support besides what I could find on a very young internet, and that has made my life harder and reduced the quality of it. While I’m glad I found what I did, it’s not a substitute for proper instruction on the matter, nor proper treatment assistance instead of “impromptu at-home surgery attempts”. Many people figure things out younger than I did. You aren’t doing kids any favors by hiding this knowledge from them, you’re only hurting trans kids. And if that’s what you want, well, I think that’s pretty fucked, but at least say it with your fuckin’ chest. Don’t hide behind lies about wanting to keep kids safe, because what you’re doing is the opposite of that.
I haven’t read the book in question, but I’m pretty confident the gist of the lesson is “it’s okay for people to be different”. What kind of broken person sees that message and says “no it’s not”?
Maybe you missed the story the other day about a poster with people of different races holding hands. The same kind of people who were pissed about that are pissed about this.
From hearing you describe it, I am pretty sure I saw the headlines. Something along the lines of “the GOP doesn’t think people of different races can be friends”.
That’s the one!
Someone whose entire life has been to bend, break, mutilate, and carve them into a particular shape, one that demands that it be reproduced in others, and I am sorrowful that that has been done to people, and I want them to heal, and I want to help them heal, but a good first step is you don’t get to inflict your damage on others.
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Republicand
Parent of a trans (FtM) kid here, and Jesus Christ I would hug you so damn hard if I could. In my household, he gets love, support, information, and medical care, and…
It’s so damn obvious those are the right things to do. It’s not even a question. There were no arguments or opposition when he came out, just his mom and I doing whatever is needed to help him in his transition.
And it absolutely rips me up inside to know that there are kids out there suffering because their parents - and their fucking school systems - are opposed to their existence.
They aren’t opposed to their existence per-se, they just want everyone back in the closet so they don’t have to admit that the lgbtq+ community exists.
The haters need to grow up and realize they aren’t always right.
And in the end it’s like… what’s too early? Fifth grade is entering puberty. Kids should learn about the world of gender, sex, and everything, ideally before they enter it. You can’t exactly delay puberty because it’s “inappropriate”. It’s always appropriate because that’s when that development happens.
Ive met a few parents over the years who believed no one should ever receive sex education, because religion and reasons. Regardless of age.