To think that inviting primary children to witness erect penises, gang rape references and spikes up mens arses isn't artistic, it's pedophilia?

[ShouldIStayOrShouldIRun]

This art exhibition is being pushed by Gendered Intelligence, a group that works in schools:

www.transgendertrend.com/gendered-intelligence-training-teachers-kiss-my-genders/

The event is not age restricted, in fact children are being actively encouraged to go.

I have been informed by a very 'woke' friend that this is art and I am homophobic, kink shaming, and transphobic (because apparently even linking to the above website on my FB is, no matter what it says) and that maybe I should go with my own primary aged dc to 'broaden my mind'.

My mind has been broadened. That friend obviously shouldn't be let anywhere near my dc again.

AIBU?

• Opening post edited at OP's request

I saw an absolutely disgusting video on Twitter the other day, through Graham Linehans account. I won't link it here, but it was of a young boy wearing tiny denim shorts and no top at a pride festival (presumably from what I could see) twerking in the most sexualised way, surrounded by adults all cheering him on.

It looked exactly like Desmond is Amazing but I looked on his Insta and his mum put up a story to say its 'obviously' not him, outraged that anyone would make the mere suggestion. Because he only dances at night at indoor adult night clubs, for money, apparently...

Which means there are other kids out there doing this in the name of 'LGBTQ Pride' and 'being yourself without judgement' and whatever other lines they put out in rainbow lettering.

I did actually feel something akin to physical nausea watching the video. How can this be happening?

It feels like there is new stuff coming out daily at the moment.

I think a lot of people still think that child abuse is just about the strange bloke who lures kids into his car with a bag of sweets, or the fat unattractive uncle who sneaks into the childs room whilst babysitting.

They have no idea about the complexities of grooming, the effort that is put in by certain people, the incredibly slow erosion of boundaries of children until they don't even understand that what is happening shouldn't be.

I'm not prudish but I wouldn't let any class of mine see that

Not on at all.
Absolutely wrong on all levels.
But goes with the idea that "minor attracted people" (aka paedophiles) are trying to legitimise their sexual preference.

They can all fuck off.

Good explanation from Dr Em about why this is exhibition amounts to non-contact CSA:

twitter.com/PankhurstEM/status/1139856324173488128

A pyramid scheme of sexual grooming

THIS - and enabled by a government funded charity and art gallery.

They have no idea about the complexities of grooming, the effort that is put in by certain people, the incredibly slow erosion of boundaries of children until they don't even understand that what is happening shouldn't be

Exactly this Outofinspiration

I knew a social worker in child protection. She told me about a case she had in the early days of her career. A lovely middle class family. 2 children both going to very good grammars. The parents were experts in hiding the abuse in everyday actions. Every action was kinky. How they used their knife and forks, how they ate their vegatables, how they dressed their children, how they read to their children, how they got the children to touch each other etc it was all kink and sexual innuendo.

She said it was an eye opener.

Now I wonder if subtle abuse like this would go unregistered these days? As tge bar is being raised quite high isn't it.

Some queer theorists also teach that what's wrong with rape, incest and even paedophilia is not so much the act, but society's reaction to it - the social stigma. There are some pretty strong connections between paedophile and queer theory

More here about the links between queer theory and paedophilia.

medium.com/@doctorEm/the-trojan-unicorn-queer-theory-and-paedophilia-part-i-a0cf30ef7bfa

Not sure if this is up to date but there are a number of laws relating to what can/can’t be shown to children when it comes to art:

As good practice, you should institute a child protection policy that sets out the way you will handle controversial exhibitions where child safety issues might arise. This could be drafted with the help of legal or other professionals with experience in freedom of expression and it can be helpful to consult the police/local authority on best practice in general terms. Make sure you look at the local authority child protection policies and consider contacting the appropriate person in the local authority.
Where possible, establish good relations with the appropriate police officer responsible for child protection in your area. Such contacts should be routine for any public premises where children are admitted for participatory activities. A good relationship could be invaluable at a later stage. This is particularly important where controversial works are to be exhibited in communities where exposure to challenging or controversial art is less routine, or where officers are unused to the consideration or application of Article 10 rights to issues of policing.

www.indexoncensorship.org/2015/07/art-and-the-law-child-protection/

I know that people don't want to see any link between being gay and being a paedophile. And there isn't intrinsically a link there, of course there isn't.

But can't these people open their tiny minds to the possibility that, given what we know about how predators operate, there are some people out there who will try to use the guise of LGBTQ in order to gain access to children with eroded boundaries? Who will try to make LGBTQ an 'untouchable' place umbrella where any questioning can be shut down with accusations of homophobia or transphobia?

Surely safeguarding is about exploring every risk, every possibility? Why is this possibility apparently not a legitimate one, when there seems to be more and more mounting evidence?

I can't seem to see much from the link. Can someone who is in London go this weekend maybe and take some pics? I'd like to see for myself.
I agree the whole lumping Kink in with LGBT inclusiveness is the thin end of the wedge.
I watched the new Tales of the City last week which was total fluff obviously, but it sort of clumsily tackled the idea of "Queer" versus Lesbian and Gay. In the end it was all very pro Queer, but a lot of the peripheral characters who were in the Queer gang seemed to just be half naked men and women in fetish/bondage gear. Which is, whatever, I'm not offended by naked breasts or what have you, but the idea that somehow Kinksters are an opressed group is dodgy as fuck.
It all seemed to start in the burlesque/steam punk scene back in the early 00s, the idea of "subverting" stripping or bondage for "empowerment ". And there was probably a window during which that felt true: I use to go to a gay friendly club in the 90s where fat girls could wear gold bikinis and boys could wear ball gowns and it was all accepted, and what was a bit pervy was very much adults only anyway.
Bringing kink into the mainstream and linking it with "gender" or LGBT is very very worrying. And actively marketing it to schools??

I don't see anything in original article saying anyone was expecting young children to come to the exhibition

This is the teachers' event.

Teachers’ Twilight: Talking to Pupils About Gender
Part of Kiss My Genders
Teachers of primary, secondary and higher education are invited to explore ways of talking about gender and identity, using Hayward Gallery’s Kiss My Genders exhibition as a discussion starter.

None of the gay and lesbian people I know would describe themselves as 'queer'. They are just 'normal' people with normal mundane jobs, some of them have kids, some of them are married.

Who knows, they might be into kinky shit, but guess what I don't know because they don't post it all over the fucking Internet.

deliberately targeting this at primary aged children (which they have done via their teacher's session)

I just want to echo that I don't think this exhibition is deliberately targeting primary-age children - indeed the TGT article from the teacher made it clear the rep from GI was visibly surprised how many primary teachers were there, suggesting that they'd anticipated more secondary teachers.

And the teacher's session was based on the art exhibition to "provoke discussion" about gender, not to promote the art exhibition as a school trip.

It is still pretty dodgy, I think - Gendered Intelligence rather cynically using this as a way to get their message across and into schools to influence, legitimised by a major art gallery. But that is their remit - to get into schools and influence.

So it's the whole idea of Gendered Intelligence which is dodgy, imo.

Personally I think it's a pile of crap. Aside the safeguarding issues.

Look at Cindy Sherman if you want to learn about gender.

Thanks for that link, Old Crone. Here's a screen shot.

It's absolutely clear they're marketing it to primary school teachers (among others) but not at all clear that the content is explicit and shows kink and extreme sex acts.

Here's an archive link:

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/save/www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/136873-teachers%E2%80%99-twilight-talking-pupils-about-gender-2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/save/www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/136873-teachers%E2%80%99-twilight-talking-pupils-about-gender-2019

I just want to echo that I don't think this exhibition is deliberately targeting primary-age children

Yes, it is. Please look at the link above.

Also, this information about school groups is listed on the Kiss My Genders exhibition page.

It's not targeting primary schools above other audiences, but it IS targeting them as an audience.

My background is marketing. Running an event inviting primary teachers and offering them discounts or even free entry IS marketing an event to them, how could it not be?

Please note that those discounts aren't from the general info page - they're specifically from the Kiss My Genders exhibition page.

For those who can't see the image easily, this is what the Kiss My Genders page says:

School Groups

Teachers can book discounted tickets (call our group ticket line for prices) for a group of up to 30 pupils to visit Hayward Gallery and experience the exhibition on weekdays during exhibition hours (closed Tuesdays).

Private Guided Tours

Looking for a VIP exhibition experience for your group? Private guided tours are available with our experienced Hayward Gallery tour guides. These one-hour tours are available for groups of up to 20 people anytime the gallery is open to the public, and are £100 per group in addition to group exhibition entry.

Group Bookings

Groups of ten people or more can get discounted entry prices for weekday visits when tickets are booked and paid for in advance.

Group Ticket Prices:
Adult groups: £12.00

Secondary School, College and University Groups: £5.00 per student (Free tutor tickets when bringing a group of 10+ students)
Primary schools ages 4 – 11: Free (Free tutor tickets when bringing a group)

Lambeth & Southwark Schools ages 4 –16: Free (Free tutor tickets when bringing a group)

The other contradiction I've noticed is that on the one hand we have a growing contingent who are encouraging kids to privately message them because their parents don't understand them, their parents don't have their best interests at heart etc but then on this, people are defending the lack of age restriction by saying its the parents responsibility to ensure its suitable, that parents do know what is best for their kids?

<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=instagram.com/jenkinvanzyl?igshid=13dfh0xmdo0b3" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/jenkinvanzyl?igshid=13dfh0xmdo0b3

I wouldn't be including the 'art work' of jenkin van zyl in primary art teaching nor even secondary.

Good to see the Hayward Gallery getting its arse handed to it on a plate on Twitter though!

I read the blurb for this a few weeks ago, before it opened. As soon as I read it, I knew (a) that the exhibition would be a Trojan horse for something other than the stated examination of gender and (b) that the Guardian would give it five stars.

I wouldn’t take my students to see this, and they are over 18. There is a power differential between them and me, and therefore - while I see it as part of my role to challenge them and raise uncomfortable ideas - I steer clear from expecting them to discuss sexually explicit material with me.

And what the fuck is with the queering and othering of blackness?! Being black isn't synonomous with gender identity, sexual preferences and definitely not kink. FFS!!

I find that racist and offensive. So I guess the agenda is you can't complain or you're racist. Fuck them and the horse they rode in on. I'm sick to death of every tom dick and harry using the black struggle to justify their crackpot woke ideals. Just fuck off!!