Pride in primary school

I’d be pissed off, make my views known, ignore the “bigotry” comments (so cheap) and not attend.

Primary school children don’t need to know about adult sexuality. I agree that of course they need to know that “families come in all forms” (I think that’s a disingenuous argument in favour of Pride in schools, actually), but they can work that out for themselves from what they see around them.

Just let children be children. Stop thrusting your adult agenda on them. Please.

i can think of 100’s of nice things to do on a Saturday morning and a primary aged school pride event isn’t one of them. While it’s positive for people to be their authentic selves and i have taught my own kids to respect others, I’d feel my kids were too young for a pride event and would wonder if this event would place pressure on young kids to conform to social stereotypes? I’d rather my kids were running free and playing creatively and not focusing on

The T is for 'transgender'.

Whit

Up until a few years ago I would have been all in favour Pride celebrations in the interests of redressing the balance as far as same sex relationships are concerned. If children are old enough to read stories where heterosexual relationships happen (the prince and princess live happily ever after) they're old enough to read age appropriate stories with same sex relationships too. As above, in particular materials showing children with same sex parents as most primary school children are too young to be actually having romantic relationships of any kind.

However in recent years 'inclusive' materials seem to have become obsessed with trans ideology. Presenting it as fact that people can change sex, or promoting the idea that someone who doesn't conform to societal gender norms must have been 'born in the wrong body' is dangerous and damaging. I've seen a book in an infant school which is full of nonsense about pronouns and 'assigned at birth'.

These days any celebration of Pride, especially in an educational context, makes me very nervous indeed about the messages children are getting from it.

In my view LGB is entirely from T and should not be lumped together. If anything trans ideology is homophobic. Just one more reason it has no place in schools.

My kids have been taught since a young age that 2 men or 2 women can get married. The first wedding my daughter went to was our two male friends.

Schools already teach about same sex relationships and different family set ups in am age appropriate way.

But a primary school having a weekend pride event with pressure to attend seems weird and unnecessary. Cynic that I am, I would be suspicious that it was an attempt to foist some gender nonsense onto kids that they couldn't get away with in the classroom.

(Also I have barely had a free Saturday morning with kids not needing a lift to one club or another since they were toddlers, so I wouldn't be able to go anyway )

LGBTQ is not teaching about gender...

Cass reported on many children who were so confused by the teaching of gender that some of them have been coerced by adults into irreversible surgery and drug treatment. Do those children deserve inclusion, respect? Is it heteronormative to suggest that the school should make sure that ALL children are safe and included?

How old is your child, OP? I would feel quite comfortable not going along, and I would tell the school about my unease with indoctrination of children via rainbows, but I suppose if your child is old enough to want to go then it's a bit trickier.

Someone is "not speaking to" ie ostracising the OP for saying she didn't want to go along. That's an attempt to force her.
There is plenty school can do to make kids in diverse families feel accepted without making the summer fair about them.
OP did you say school fees? is that a private school?

Are we back in 1988?!

I don't know if you're aware of this but many children at both primary and secondary report not feeling included or represented feelings of confusion around their sexuality, ostracized etc.

It's so important to celebrate pride and not be too heteronormative. Sounds like the school are doing a great job. Nobody is forcing you to go along on a Saturday morning, you're making a big fuss over nothing

may help someone who is struggling with their sexuality,a member of staff

Why do you think children should be used as validation props for grown ass adults?

OP: don't worry too much about the people who are calling you a bigot and trying to shame you. They aren't the majority here but you posted after most sober sensible people had gone to bed.

If I were in your position I think I would tell the school that I am unsure about this post Cass and want to pause my DC education indoctrination on this matter until I believe they are old enough to understand and not be led to believe (wrongly) that they were born in the wrong body. Of course this in no way effects your support for others who are happy to go along. Cowards way out, adopt me for the week and tell them you're visiting your long lost aunt.

This is nonsense about girls and boys. From the ages of 7/8 it’s obvious that the majority of boys are faster and stronger.

Exactly you are so right !

I think a pride celebration is amazing,all.the children in same sex families,with same.sex siblings,aunts,uncles and cousins will be delighted to have a day to celebrate them and in a familiar and family setting.

Also may help someone who is struggling with their sexuality,a member of staff,a relative etc. To know you would be accepted and belong is great.

If the op is so homophobic probably better not going, not very nice on your children though who could potentially end up gay. And even If not sharing the outdated views.

Oh my gosh, you’re right. In a thread about pride, titled “Pride in primary schools” where most of us were focused on broader, and important conversations, you did focus unnecessarily on the one non-gender-critical comment in the whole thread.

I’ll save my bigot name calling for another thread.

Why don’t you think it is appropriate in schools? Or shops?

Did you know that gay people go to school. And shops. And are related to those that’s go to school. And that go to shops?

Why shouldn’t gay people (even if you are gender critical) have a time to make recognize their achievements. We have months to “celebrate” lots of minority groups. Do you have issues with them too?

I asked a specific question about something a PP had said. I didn’t mention pride.

What is bigoted about my question? Would you like to answer it?

Isn't there a danger of 5-year-olds believing that people can change sex if they are presented with a book about "how Uncle Joe was once Aunt Emily"? Teaching children that what sex they are is some sort of personal choice is inappropriate. Children that young are likely to believe that it's true if the teacher presents it as fact.

Thank you for your comment.

Primary schools are full of heterosexual materials for 5 year olds. Every book with a mummy and daddy, every prince and princess fairy tale, every family tree showing male/female couples, every time a teacher mentions her husband or his wife, every reference to Mrs Claus, every time the children learn about weddings with a bride and groom. And most materials in school do not show any trans people. So gay and trans materials for 5 year olds would be a reading book featuring a family with two mums, a story where the prince married a man, a mention of how Uncle Joe was once Aunt Emily, a pretend wedding with two brides or grooms.

To be clear, you think that same-sex relation ships should not be a part of primary school education?

From my experience, LGBT education in primary schools tends to be focused on parenting rather than children’s own sexual orientation. So, lots of “all families are different” stuff which includes single-parent families, blended families etc. I’ve never seen anything inappropriate in any of the schools I’ve taught in.
In terms of sports day, I’ve always thought it was best practice to mix boys and girls before puberty because boys don’t have an advantage until that point. Girls and boys are equally fast or strong until testosterone kicks in properly.
I’m not necessarily saying you’re wrong, but I think you need to be really specific with what your concerns are when you raise them with the school. Otherwise, you could be dismissed as a bigot and your concerns not taken seriously.