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Original poster

Thoughts on this book for primary children?

34 replies

yellowpostitnote · 02/01/2017 14:46

I'm sorry, I wasn't sure where to post this!

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/02/book-explaining-gender-diversity-to-primary-school-children-sparks-furore?CMP=fb_gu

I obviously need to read it myself to judge.

I'm divided from the info given. I taught a child who had autism (only diagnosed later) in an sen school. He loved female stereotypical toys, dressing etc. It was confusing for him and school. His parents let him be himself, but he himself believed he was a girl because of his likes. He learnt about trans etc and started thinking he should have operations (when older but at the time he was age 8).

He was seen by specialist people and later as a teen decided he was gay and happy being male.

I would welcome an honest open discussion as, as a primary teacher, I feel I need to know all the POVs.

And I repeat, and take on board, fair opinion of the book is best done after reading it!

OP posts:
Original poster
yellowpostitnote · 02/01/2017 19:46

queen I understand and agree with your first post, I don't totally get your second!

Do you mean the way the children are raised is fundamentalist?

OP posts:
QueenOfTheSardines · 02/01/2017 19:28

That is something that a religious fundamentalist group would believe in.

And that if you don't fit your tiny fucking constraining box then you need correction.

QueenOfTheSardines · 02/01/2017 19:28

I read the bit pasted above and it's this bit: "doctors told my mum and dad that they had a baby girl, and so for the first few years of my life that’s how my parents raised me"

What we need is analysis as to why a baby boy and a baby girl would be treated differently bar considerations when changing nappies (boys can pee all over you very thoroughly, I hear Grin).

The acceptance that of course babies and infants of different sexes will be treated entirely differently, fundamentally differently, that's really worrying.

SuburbanRhonda · 02/01/2017 17:22

Sorry - was taking the Christmas decorations down!

You can buy the book in Amazon or direct from the publishers from 18th January.

Thanks for the PP link - I'll have a look and let you know what I think.

Original poster
yellowpostitnote · 02/01/2017 16:03

sub - This is a staff training power point on the site. I'd be interested in your views.

I wouldn't react to this if shown at school in training; I think it explains a lot, but I am still learning about a lot of the views around this that I know have been explored a lot on mn recently (e.g. Spartacus etc.)

http://www.educateandcelebrate.org/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2016/02/EC-Staff-Training-and-Assemblies.ppt

OP posts:
Original poster
yellowpostitnote · 02/01/2017 15:51

It's not published yet so I will be interested to read it. Imo such literature for schools should really go through a heavy and carefully considered editing process. I don't know if this has happened - maybe it has?

I was interested to read on a thread here that cis is considered out dated already and not the appropriate terminology to use in gender studies.

OP posts:
Original poster
yellowpostitnote · 02/01/2017 15:46

Thanks sub. Some of it seems very good and necessary - boys can play with pink things - but other parts had me slightly concerned.

I would be interested to know what specialist drs who support such children think. I think in our case Mermaids were involved - but clearly it was well dealt with as it allowed the child to find his own route and separate gender stereotyping from his sex.

What is to be noted is that the government are funding this organisation: www.educateandcelebrate.org/cj-2/ Brief things I've read where children are engaging in debate around gender stereotyping seems great; I guess it's other elements, such as you quoted, that perhaps need more careful consideration and debate over. But, I know very little about it at the moment. It could be very positive.

“If you identify as a girl, assigned female at birth, and you like the colour pink, you like wearing dresses and sparkly things, that’s awesome. But if you are a boy who likes pink sparkly things that’s also awesome." - my issue here is the "assigned female at birth".

OP posts:
MsUnderstanding · 02/01/2017 15:46

agree with Suburban this idea that you are assigned a gender at birth! the idea that you might be better off as a boy if you reject pink sparkly shit! No I have not read the book but the author isn't exactly selling it based on these ridiculous ideas! Hopefully people will see see through this but in these post truth times, who knows Confused

SuburbanRhonda · 02/01/2017 15:31

Thanks for that link, OP.

I've just read the article and wasn't suprised that my hackles were up by the first paragraph, in which the author of the book states:

When I was born, the doctors told my mum and dad that they had a baby girl, and so for the first few years of my life that’s how my parents raised me. This is called being assigned female at birth.

I'm not sure what it is about this "assigned female /male at birth" phrase that enrages me but I think it's the notion that the medical profession decides a baby's gender and thereafter it's a constant fight to be recognised as the"correct" gender.

I'm going to order the book because I work in a primary school in family support and I've already had a run-in with the county-level lead on this topic. I need to be ahead of the game if schools are not to be sucked into this obvious nonsense.

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