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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think that this has gone way too far?

271 replies

dorade · 19/01/2016 20:35

The Alberta Government in Canada has issued guidelines to schools that essentially allows kids to 'identify' however they want, use whichever toilet/changing room they want and play on whichever sport team they want.

I can't help feeling this is bad for girls.

(PS I'm a long time mumsnetter (2004), just have not posted for ages)

OP posts:
Pain1 · 19/01/2016 21:03

Absolutely ridiculous and dangerous for the girls

dorade · 19/01/2016 21:04

Ewbank
No more ridiculous than this person , a father of 7 who now identifies as a 6 year old girl (and wants to play with real six year old girls).

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 19/01/2016 21:06

'With regard to everything else (sports, classes etc) schools shouldn't be separating children according to their sex anyway, yet I see it a lot.'

They shouldn't? Physiologically, males past puberty have a big advantage over females past puberty in a number of sports, such as how they dissipate heat and the percentage of muscle mass they have and even the angle of their femur from their pelvis.

'if any child who identifies as transgender wants to use the toilet/changing room for the gender they identify as the separate room/toilet can be used by those uncomfortable with sharing.'

So the 12-year-old biological female having her period or who doesn't want to show her body to a 12-year-old biological male is the one who has to hide herself and isolate herself because she doesn't feel safe or comfortable? The problem is hers that she doesn't want to share her private space with biological males and she is made to be singled out for that? Fuck that.

ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 19/01/2016 21:07

I disagree, boys and girls have the same amount to 'lose' if you look at it that way.

I wouldn't want my son sharing a toilet or changing room with someone biologically female, nor would I want my daughter sharing with a biological male.

I wouldn't want my child who is currently identifying as the opposite gender,and has been, quietly, without a drama, for many years to be in the position of being forced into one room/toilet or the other, and my child has been using separate facilities for all that time.

My child could be in any one of your childrens schools and you would never know. There is a lot of scare stories in the press, the reality is very different.

Maryz · 19/01/2016 21:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

biscuitz72 · 19/01/2016 21:07

YANBU. It's ridiculous.

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 19/01/2016 21:10

A 46 year old father now identifies as a 6yr old girl Confused Now I've heard everything. I didn't realise trans* now applied to one's age now too. The world is officially mad.

MidniteScribbler · 19/01/2016 21:11

It goes on to say: "Some individuals may not feel included in the use of the pronouns 'he' or 'she' and may prefer alternate pronouns, such as 'ze,' 'zir,' 'hir,' 'they' or 'them,'

There is no fucking chance in hell I'm standing in front of a class and calling a child 'zir'. So teachers are now supposed to remember all thirty kids and whether they want to be him, her, zir, hir, or Princess Snarkpants from the planet Zortron? This is getting stupid.

CandOdad · 19/01/2016 21:12

We have a gender neutral toilet at Uni. I only know since I accidently used it my first day there. Felt like I got a few odd looks from the group I was with. It wasn't until a few weeks later when we all felt more comfortable with each other one of my new mates asked if I knew.

Bit odd really but I suppose it avoids issues of safeguarding etc. in other environments.

Maryz · 19/01/2016 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dorade · 19/01/2016 21:13

Greenwood,
Well we had 'transracial' with rachel Dolezal although the transgender community distanced themselves from it. But identifying as a different race does not take the same leap of imagination (and abandonment of science) that transgender does.

OP posts:
cdtaylornats · 19/01/2016 21:17

Given the option at about 14 my entire class at school would have identified as 9-foot tall green penguins if that's what it took to get in the girls shower.

ewbank · 19/01/2016 21:19

So I can identify as a burly Native American chief in his 50s called Rosemary?

Oh I like this game Grin

AndYourBirdCanSing · 19/01/2016 21:20

As a woman and a feminist my main concern are womens rights, not transgender. And rightly bloody so.

I was outraged by some of the purely delusional comments I read on twitter regarding female prisions.

As someone mentioned up thread, why is it always our rights and needs that get thrown under the bus?

whatdoIget · 19/01/2016 21:22

cdtaylornats, this is often raised as a concern by women, only to be told that no teenage boy or man would bother going to the trouble of identifying as the opposite gender for that reason. Thanks for being honest Smile

TheMouseThatRoared · 19/01/2016 21:24

I wonder how this will impact girls who's religion /culture forbids mixed sport and being in any kind of state of undress near males? It's going to be terrible for them Sad

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 19/01/2016 21:24

It's like a carte blanche for every perv going to get into the women's/girl's changing rooms isn't it? I'm not suggesting that trans* people are pervs BTW - merely that pervs exist.

God, I remember the swimming lessons at Primary school - boys were obsessed with getting into the girl's changing rooms.

dorade · 19/01/2016 21:25

Quite, cdtaylornats.

Which is why girls stand to lose more by this. On this whole gender identity fashion the internet has a lot to answer for.
Youtube videos by are an antidote.

OP posts:
UnderCrackers5 · 19/01/2016 21:34

I can just imagine the bust up in the Alberta netball team changing room.
'Mary, you are off the team'
Mary sobs. - 'But why miss'
'You are way too hairy'
'My top lip miss ?'
'Well, that's bad, but mostly your balls'

ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 19/01/2016 21:35

Maryz as far as I am aware transgender people can compete in the Olympics so that can of worms is already open.

I don't think mixed sports teams is a bad thing, I also think if our children are judged on talent that can only be a good thing for girls. There are some really talented sportswomen out there who are totally overlooked because they are female. If we take biological sex out of the equation then we will start seeing more equality, not less.

TheMouseThatRoared · 19/01/2016 21:42

How is a 5ft3" 14year old girl going to be able to show how good a rugby player she is if she is playing against a load of 6ft boys? She is going to have to work 3x harder and put herself at greater risk of injury than she normally would have.

Tamponlady · 19/01/2016 21:43

Yes introduce this here I sure my 16 year old son would be opting to undress with the girls Hmm fucking well stupid if you ask me

Crazypetlady · 19/01/2016 21:45

I am completely accepting of trans rights and this in theory sounds fantastic. I do however see how women could suffer from it. With younger children it would be less of an issue imo. I do think that if they have lived in the gender they feel they belong to for a certain amount of time they shou'd be able to use the changing facilities. We could be sharing withtrans people at any time and be unaware anyway.

Tamponlady · 19/01/2016 21:47

I can also tell you my lad plays rugby he's 6ft 3 with size 12 and a half feel he's massive he's a prop any girl who comes in with him would likely to get seriously hurt and personally I don't much like the idea of encouraging my son to physically hurt girls in any way to be honest he would likely give up rugby if it was mixed teams as he would not want to hurt any girl it would mortify him

ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 19/01/2016 21:48

It already is happening here though, and has been for a long time.