AIBU that I'm annoyed the college makes my dd wear rainbow lanyard?

[thehusbandswife]

My dd started at sixth form last September and despite there being no uniform as such,the students have to wear their id badges on a rainbow lanyard.I am all for inclusion and diversity but feel angry that the college enforce such political opinions on their students and wondered what had happened to freedom of choice.Then last month during tutorial they devoted a whole hour teaching the students what it meant to be lbgqt as well as what pan sexual,asexual gender neutral is. AIBU to feel that there are far more pressing things to teach the students rather than these issues.On top of this certain teachers feel obliged to air their own political opinions,deeming anyone who disagreed with them re Brexit,general election as "uneducated"
It has been 20 years or so since I was at college when the focus was on education and political opinion/persuasions were not mentioned.Is this the norm these days in Sixth form education?

Wouldn't cross my mind a rainbow lanyard has any other message other than it's pretty. I wish work would introduce passes with lanyards because I've seen one with flashing lights and a pink glittery one and they are just so meeeeee

Eena where do I get a Darth Vader lanyard??????

My DS has a huge rainbow on his wall above his bed, he's not a 3yo LBGQT activist, he just really likes rainbows.

I have some sympathy for the view that political views shouldn't be taught as fact, ie, "people who voted for Brexit are stupid", rather, "I believe people who voted for Brexit are stupid because..."
There also has to be space in the LGBTQ discussion about different views on the role and impact of gender for example.
A good college will address social and political issues but will not treat ideology as fact.

What makes you think that the lanyards are a political statement?

I think you are being ridiculous.

LGBT persons don't own the fucking rainbow you know...

You can be straight and wear a rainbow lanyard

^ After posting that I realise it comes across in the wrong way. I simply mean a rainbow lanyard is a rainbow lanyard... I don't think it matters at all.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks

www.colthat.com/funko-lanyard-star-wars-darth-vader

We have orange lanyards. Hope Essex people don't take offence.

"deeming anyone who disagreed with them re Brexit,general electionas "uneducated""

But that's likely to be true. People voting Brexit were likely to be less educated.

Do you hate the gays? Lesbians? Bisexuals? no need to ask any MN'er's opinion on the trans-folk! I have a strange feeling you voted to leave the EU.

YABU
It’s very important young people are taught about what it means to be gay. Many of your DD’s friends will be gay themselves.
Were you expecting to find a load of homophobes on mumsnet OP?

Oh dear! So your child, who is no longer a child, is being introduced to the larger world by FE/college staff - who probably have better things to be doing with their time but do that hour because they are forced to in order to be seen as 'team players - who are given a list of stuff to cover in tutorial that is ling enough go round the world twice, and you are moaning about it?

OK! But have you thought about home schooling?

[for the sake if clarity, yes I used to be an FE lecturer and yes, had to discuss such things as they were an expected part of the wider 16 - 19 syllabus]

pisses me off that something as straightforward as colour is used to politicise anything tbh

my DS bought rainbow headphones because he liked them, but of course there is a cause to it all.

I get the concept, but it's not helpful to politicise everything

@RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime pan is a sexual orientation, not a gender. Perhaps you would benefit from attending the same classes as OP's daughter.

Slightly off-topic but ...

There's a real correlation between anti-pc posts and lack of punctuation, isn't there? I guess it's to convey the sense of hurried innocence: 'I'm surprised and upset about this. I've never thought about this before - because I'm just an ordinary person, going about my ordinary business. I have to post in a stream-of-consciousness fashion because these entirely new thoughts are just crowding in on me and the novelty of them impels me to communicate them immediately.'

I kind of like it, in a way. It's like the techniques of Modernism going head to head with realism.

It's a bloody lanyard ffs

Thanks geekone, I've ordered one! 😆

Interestingly enough the NHS are pushing us ( staff) to wear rainbow lanyards at our Trust. And they are to promote LGBT positivity etc

Ohhh, I want one too! I wear a purple unison one because my Trust gives out white "My Name Is..." ones and they get FILTHY! Peoole think im a unison rep, but never mind. I would SO wear a rainbow one if they offered them.

Also OP, the gays don't own the rainbow, just FYI.

I have a Mr Men lanyard for work. I wonder what political agenda I am pushing? Free tickles for all? Bandages only available to those that are blue. Or.....gasp the monster-raving-flower-pot-on-head Support party.

She can have my NHS landyard if she wants

For those that would like to support Tickles for all (TFA) this is where you can buy your uniform

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/253473499/mr-men-white-handmade-ribbon-lanyard?ref=shop_home_active_60

Is she in some way offended by having to wear it?

Why not just buy another in a different colour? My DD won't wear the school lanyard either so bought her own. Nobody cares.

Then last month during tutorial they devoted a whole hour teaching the students what it meant to be lbgqt as well as what pan sexual,asexual gender neutral is. AIBU to feel that there are far more pressing things to teach the students rather than these issues

I had a 45 minute discussion about this when I went to college in 2006 not pan sexual though. Seems pretty normal and stops students being ignorant which I think is an excellent idea.

Lanyards also can’t get worked up over.

well this thread is not what I was expecting. Admittedly I miss up lanyard with tabard and thought of the lovely green one I wore many moons ago when I was a rainbow. Have recently found out they don't wear them anymore

It's not 'politicising' FFS- it's LIFE. Sex education isn't political, neither is teaching them to cross the road. They are simply telling the students there are people who are gay- some of them might even be your daughter's fellow students.

it won't make your daughter a lesbian- unless she already is one. And what fun that would be with such an understanding parent!

The rainbow has long been a symbol of the LGBT community, as anyone who's ever strolled down e.g. Canal Street in Manchester will know.
And before that it was an awesome sky sign pointing the way to a pot of gold. And not to mention a cool programme with a bear and a hippo (and something with a big mouth). It's also a way of not restricting yourself to just one colour.
I'm amazed that I turned out gay given that I never had a rainbow anything (well, except for the Rainbow kids puzzle pack as a child - come to think of it I was very excited by it....)
But hey, that whole hour of education will definitely have brainwashed her into turning to the dark side soon (no, not a Friend of Darth Vader, the other dark side!)