Furries.... Schools warned not to ridicule

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/26/girl-didnt-identified-as-a-cat-post-truth-politics-media-gender-identity

according to this article, it didn’t happen.

The article has that in the headline, but the substance of the article makes it clear that any questioning of the identity claim is supposedly ‘ridicule’. It’s not.

No one is arguing that teachers should make the cat identifying child sit on a dunce’s chair holding a sign saying ‘I’m an idiot’ while everyone points and laughs. But the article is about advice that equates just saying ‘no. You aren’t a cat’ with ridicule.

if a child cannot cope with just being told they are a human not a cat, they are probably far too unwell to be at school anyway.

You can just gently but firmly say "No Shaun, I'm not going to call you Whiskers. Now please get on with the exercise."

You don't have to laugh at them or make jokes.

It's really not hard.

identifying the behaviour as ridiculous isn’t necessarily ‘bullying’ though.

If a child is vulnerable (and it’s by no means a given that teenage girls in cat ears are all ‘vulnerable’ beyond the standard range of teenage girl vulnerability) then you can both identify the behaviour as ridiculous and inappropriate and provide sensible support and access to therapy.

Brushing the absurdity of the claim to be a cat under the rug isn’t helpful to anyone. Especially if they’re mentally unwell and vulnerable.

Then why is the OP outraged that people are "being told not to ridicule" these students? Their title, not mine.

I guess the cat identifies as a cat.

I can only imagine the sight of a 14 year old female presenting as a boy taking a cat for a walk as if it is a dog.

I was cancelled when the kitten arrived, so I don't know how it worked out.

Where does the 'being a twat' come from? Not treating them like a dog/ cat?
Doing the above and voicing how this is weird/funny?
Again do you expect others to engage with this fantasy and prioritise the 'furry' over truth and their own views?.

@Flickersy the advice is that 'students need to feel comfortable expressing themselves' - well to do that they might need a strong dose of reality to understand that they are not a cat/horse/ dinosaur/ moon.
I don't think anyone is saying they should be bullied, ridiculed or tormented.

Some things are actually ridiculous though. Ridicule does provide a social purpose.

That doesn’t make it ok to bully a child or anyone else. But it is ok to point out that a belief or a behaviour (not the person) is ridiculous.

‘you are not a cat. Stop being silly.’ isn’t bullying or ridicule. It’s just a response to a child being silly. And it’s milder than the rebuke you’d get for plenty of other ridiculous behaviour at school.

It I started turning up at work in cat ears and insisting people view me as a cat, my employers would tell me stop being ridiculous and that I can play at being a cat in my own time if I like but not to behave inappropriately at work. And they’d be absolutely right to.

Again, do you and all the other posters on here not realise that a) bullying or b) validation are not the only two options available to you.

You can refuse to validate them or engage in this fantasy without being a complete twat to a probably more vulnerable young person.

Shocking I know.

@Flickersy so do you think people should be compelled to engage in other people's fantasies?

Absolutely and surely they'll have to prove they've had jabs against parvo, kennel cough etc before they can come to school?.

Sure, but that doesn't make it acceptable for other students or teachers to bully someone who thinks that.

I can't believe this is even a thread. "OMG we're being told NOT to laugh at people who quite likely have SEN or mental health problems or are socially isolated or awkward!! How fucking dare they!"

pretending to be a cat/dog etc is fine especially for very young children and shouldn't be teased for it. Older kids actually identifying as an animal is quite different. Maybe they should be treated as if they are indeed the animal they claim to be - as someone said above cats don't go to school, they don't use the loo they have to go outside or use a litter tray and can't eat chocolate as it is poisonous to them ( as are lots of other things). Regular worming and flea treatments also mandatory. Most shops don't allow dogs unless assistance dogs ditto playgrounds etc etc. They can't expect to have the upsides without the downsides 😁

I don't expect schools to indulge this, any more than they should indulge an eating disorder.

However, ridicule is not acceptable.

The sooner this starts to be treated like the mental health issue that it is, and these young people can be supported to be happy with the bodies they were born with, the better. Teachers are trained to deliver the curriculum. This should not be in their remit beyong flagging a pastoral concern.

I knew a woman and the daughter thinks that she is a boy. The daughter got a cat and took it for walks with a harness as if it was a dog.

A tenner says they can't lick their own arses 😉

I'll get my coat

This is a great insight. thanks for that

Probably many of the transcats wear a dog costume, if your modern trans woman is anything to go by.

My thoughts exactly!

Send the children home and tell the parents they're not allowed back until they can behave properly.