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Irish politician raising baby gender neutral with 'they' pronouns

90 replies

Jumpersaurus · 14/03/2023 21:26

This guy loves publicity but this is just beyond farcical.

"The role that they will perceive for themselves, the type of play that they will perceive for themselves by saying ‘you’re a boy or you’re a girl’. Just let them decide for themselves.
“You want to dress in pink? Fire ahead. You want to dress in blue? Fire ahead. You want to play football? Brilliant. You want to go dancing? Amazing... it’s just not to limit."

He's so close to catching on how ridiculous gender stereotypes are, so so close.

"Obviously, the vast majority of parents do gender their child and I’ve no criticism of that whatsoever, no judgment. But it is true that if you put the label, boy or girl on your child, you definitely increase the chances of them going down one road or another.”

Glad he isn't criticising the rest of us who are 'gendering' our children, whatever that means! Who knew the words we use to denote young humans were just labels 🤷‍♀️

www.independent.ie/news/td-paul-murphy-on-raising-new-baby-gender-neutral-were-describing-juniper-as-a-baby-but-it-is-male-42385502.html

OP posts:
nilsmousehammer · 14/03/2023 22:13

When you see your child as an extension of your identity and a tool on which to act out your personal hobby horse regardless of what confusion you may inflict? Concerns about fitness to parent, right there.

DumDeeDoh · 14/03/2023 22:12

So if the child likes soccer they are a boy? Or dancing a girl? Even though both boys and girls can play soccer and dance. Such sexist bullshit, masquerading as Liberal and progressive

Lottapianos · 14/03/2023 22:10

'I find it very uncomfortable reading him refer to his newborn baby as 'it' quite a few times, and 'the baby', 'the child', it comes across like he's very disassociated from his son.'

Yes, good point

Lottapianos · 14/03/2023 22:08

No idea what he's on about really. They accept that the baby is a boy, and have no problem with male pronouns, and say that they want their child to play with whatever toys they are interested in. So....ok? 🤷🏻 I guess that just wasn't 'special' enough

AmuseBish · 14/03/2023 22:07

But if it's transitioning, and you are trans, to go from e.g. girl to non-binary, or from boy to agender, surely it's the same the other way around?

PonyPatter44 · 14/03/2023 22:03

What an utter silly bollocks this man is. It would be much more "gender neutral " to allow his son to explore whatever the boy likes, whether that's rugby or sewing (or both).

Original poster
Jumpersaurus · 14/03/2023 22:01

AmuseBish · 14/03/2023 21:56

So if they want to be seen as a boy (or girl) when they grow up, that'll require a gender transition?

Murphy says if Juniper decides at the age of three that they are a boy “then we’ll say he and we’ll just say, ‘oh yeah cool, you’re a boy, excellent. And you’re free to change your opinion and you’re free to change your gender identity in the future if you want. We’ll respect that and we’ll change the pronouns that we use. If you say you’re a boy, then great you’re a boy. Or if you say you’re a girl, then great you’re a girl.’ But we don’t want to make that choice for Juniper. That’s for Juniper to discover their own gender identity as opposed to us to assume based on their sex.”

www.irishtimes.com/health/your-family/2023/03/14/paul-murphy-we-dont-want-to-limit-them-by-saying-youre-a-boy-or-youre-a-girl-let-them-decide/

OP posts:
Original poster
Jumpersaurus · 14/03/2023 21:59

I find it very uncomfortable reading him refer to his newborn baby as 'it' quite a few times, and 'the baby', 'the child', it comes across like he's very disassociated from his son.

Quote from The Irish Times -
"It’s an interesting thing, when you get the cert in the hospital, which says the sex of the baby, it says gender as male or female – when it means sex. It’s wrong. It’s the wrong word. What they mean is sex. They’re talking about their biological characteristics.”

So if he acknowledges sex and gender are separate entities what the hell is he doing referring to his son as 'they' (or 'it'!). I just don't get him at all, is he too thick to understand what he's saying or does he assume his supporters are the thick ones?? I've always found him disingenuous but this is another level.

www.irishtimes.com/health/your-family/2023/03/14/paul-murphy-we-dont-want-to-limit-them-by-saying-youre-a-boy-or-youre-a-girl-let-them-decide/

OP posts:
Squamata · 14/03/2023 21:58

Two days in nursery and little Juniper will be identifying with the male paw patrol characters and refusing anything pink

AmuseBish · 14/03/2023 21:56

So if they want to be seen as a boy (or girl) when they grow up, that'll require a gender transition?

bellinisurge · 14/03/2023 21:50

Imagine how much shit that poor child is going to get from HIS peers when he gets to school.

Circumferences · 14/03/2023 21:43

Oh my god that poor child.

miri1985 · 14/03/2023 21:42

Juniper is not what I would consider a gender neutral name. Good luck to the poor child, PM lives in Tallaght IIRC

Its so revealing when people say nonsense like this, personally I don't feel limited or put in a box by being a woman. Its much better to teach children similar to what was done when I was a child that there is no limits on what you can do regardless of your sex a woman can be a car mechanic, a man can wear pink

Original poster
Jumpersaurus · 14/03/2023 21:33

viques · 14/03/2023 21:31

Well the good news is that the parents have accepted the fact that the baby has a sex, and is male. It remains to be seen how Juniper will refer to themselves when they are able to articulate their feelingz.

Exactly!! He's bending over backwards to please the TRAs but failing miserably!

OP posts:
viques · 14/03/2023 21:31

Well the good news is that the parents have accepted the fact that the baby has a sex, and is male. It remains to be seen how Juniper will refer to themselves when they are able to articulate their feelingz.

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