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Original poster

Winchester Science Centre asks DD if she is non-binary

33 replies

Ingenieur · 18/02/2023 10:06

I took my two DDs to Winchester Science Centre yesterday. One of the exhibitions was a psychology research quiz involving empathy expressed towards real pets vs robot pets and was run alongside the University of Portsmouth. During the quiz, one of the researchers asked my (young) DD if she is non-binary. Other kids were there, ranging in age from 3 to 12 or so, so all basically primary school age.

I moved the conversation quickly on at the time, but it really left me shocked as it seemed like a total non-sequitur. It really isn't the place to be discussing gender ideology and undermines the credibility of the Centre to offer scientific education to young kids. It's disappointing to see the capture of so many institutions and the fact that we can't escape the indoctrination in completely unrelated spaces you'd expect to be safe from unscientific ideas.

Sorry if it's been a bit of a rant!

OP posts:
MrsOvertonsWindow · 18/02/2023 10:22

I'd write and complain. If the exhibition was good then say so but point out that working with children is not an opportunity for university graduates to use it as an opportunity to ask children age inappropriate questions?
I expect they were unthinkingly trying to engage with DD but they need to learn that suggesting to young children they might not have a biological sex is plain wrong - and gaslighting.

ThighMistress · 18/02/2023 10:19

I’d have been furious. Plenty of people assumed dd was a boy when she was small (and ds a girl!) but directly questioning someone is beyond rude.

Would you ask, “Are you a transwoman?” I think not.

Original poster
Ingenieur · 18/02/2023 10:18

Moopsi · 18/02/2023 10:13

Another option in the future is to ask them innocently what non-binary means and then when answers get more and more tautological and illogical you have non-agressively made your point and perhaps made the other person actually apply some critical thinking.

That would have been a great response, but it all happened so quickly it caught me off guard.

It just felt so random at the time.

OP posts:
PeekAtYou · 18/02/2023 10:15

Leaving the age aspect aside, I'm surprised that it's not considered bad manners to say that to someone in the first place. People don't ask someone they've just met about their sexuality or if they are neurodiverse.

I'm going to assume that your dd has short hair or something like that. I wonder if this idiot would say that to all the elderly women who favour short hair?

UWhatNow · 18/02/2023 10:14

Moopsi · 18/02/2023 10:13

Another option in the future is to ask them innocently what non-binary means and then when answers get more and more tautological and illogical you have non-agressively made your point and perhaps made the other person actually apply some critical thinking.

I thought that too.

”why are you asking her that question?”

Moopsi · 18/02/2023 10:13

Another option in the future is to ask them innocently what non-binary means and then when answers get more and more tautological and illogical you have non-agressively made your point and perhaps made the other person actually apply some critical thinking.

Moopsi · 18/02/2023 10:10

Yes I understand that it can be difficult but it would be really valuable for your DC to hear you speak up in public to challenge these regressive stereotypes.

Perhaps you could write a complaint to the centre and set out your thoughts?

Charliebrow · 18/02/2023 10:08

I would have said “no she isn’t, have you never seen a girl wear a pair of trousers before or something”