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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

LGBT Talks in School

185 replies

GerbilHeaven · 15/11/2016 17:44

I've posted this here because I'm aware that many MN'ers are fed-up of the Trans threads popping up everywhere, and frankly, I need someone to put some sense into the way I feel. I've NC - I've been on MN a few years. I am not goading nor trolling.

DD(11) returned from school earlier and announced that they'd had a group of people into an hour long assembly to discuss anti-bullying. She then announced that the biggest thing they spoke about was "Trans- something" (DD's words - please remember she's 11) and that they'd told her that men can have vaginas. One of the speakers said that they were now a man despite being born as a woman and that she encouraged the children to encourage trans and not discourage trans. I asked DD what she'd learnt and she said that she'd found the whole event to be less on anti-bullying and more on "Trans". The speaker also told them that they (the children) should now educate their parents and teachers and challenge anything that they said.

I have to admit I'm a bit baffled and pissed off about the whole thing. I don't consider Year 7 to be ready for anything like this and considering that they send home sex-ed permission slips, I'm wondering where the hell they didn't warn parents about this in advance. I would have like the chance to discuss this issue with my daughter before she's met with a large powerpoint proclaiming that Men also have vaginas.

I'm not expressing myself correctly here, and there's no doubt I'd cause an almighty shit storm if I posted this elsewhere, but I truly, truly don't feel comfortable with this aspect of education.

OP posts:
JustWoman · 15/11/2016 22:25

Dd had a similar anti bullying talk, hers was a full day, she's also y7, she was only told the day before, I rang school but nobody got back to me she was expecting to be told one of the male pupils will be now presenting as female and using the female facilities with the her girls. The day before they'd split PE into girls and boys and shed heard one the boys saying he should be with the girls for PE as he's trans.

She said that the day was more focus on racism, it's something that's been a big issue with other y7 tutor groups, and trans was briefly mentioned, more in the context of things that people may get teased for and what they should if they are bullied themselves or know someone who is.

CeeBeeBee · 15/11/2016 22:55

I'd just finished reading the op and was about to post "brainwashing" as my first reaction.

What a very strange assembly. Are you going to write to the head then Gerbil?

Marvellous, so sorry about your dd. It's insane.

marvelousdcomics · 16/11/2016 06:22

Ageing, yes, it's in the UK. She's moving schools soon, which ds1 attends, so she'll be away from that hopefully.

Original poster
GerbilHeaven · 16/11/2016 06:48

I've been asking around and I have the name of the organisation. It's a local group with a Christian background (don't think I should mention them) and I've had a look at them on Twitter. Lots of pics of the group taking youth groups to Eco centres to learn building skills, making good in their kitchens, enjoying Christmas displays etc. I've asked them for a copy of the PowerPoint.

OP posts:
Original poster
GerbilHeaven · 16/11/2016 06:49

I've no idea what to say to the school. I get really tongue tied in front of teachers and never seem as eloquent as them.

OP posts:
marvelousdcomics · 16/11/2016 07:01

Just tell them how you feel about your daughter being brainwashed into believing dangerous things that quite simply go against human biology. Tell them what we all think of this ridiculous Trans movement. You don't need to be eloquent to get a point across, you just need to be confident with the idea of what you're saying.

CoteDAzur · 16/11/2016 07:14

Take a 6th form biology textbook with you. Tell them you will raise hell if they continue to fill your child's head with false information that can make her miss GCSE questions in the future.

Then give them hell about 11-year-olds being told to go educate their parents. How dare they! Angry

ghostlyghoulie · 16/11/2016 10:49

Would it be easier to communicate in the first instance via email? That way you can choose your words carefully.

WankingMonkey · 16/11/2016 11:47

This is ridiculous. Especially denying biology to impressionable kids. DH is going to talk to DSD this weekend as she is y7 so could be the next lined up for this brainwashing.

LGB talks are great. T..not so much.

marvelousdcomics · 16/11/2016 17:09

Today a student in dd's year came out as non binary 😒 dd was again shouted down in biology and this student flipped a table because dd and her were arguing. I'm pulling her out. There is no way she is going to be subjected to this bullshit any longer.

ChocChocPorridge · 16/11/2016 17:21

my 6 year old was lecturing his little brother about Big Problems (tell a teacher) and Little Problems and the strategies you can diffuse little problems which he'd learned in PSHE. That was an anti-bullying lesson. Lecturing on trans, telling kids that sex isn't real is flat dangerous for girls - no amount of wanting to be a boy is going to stop a pregnancy.

Kennington · 16/11/2016 17:44

Interesting that one of the latest words to enter the dictionary is post -truth.
I am all for anti bullying but the anti science but is what bugs me the most.
By all means be trans but don't give children incorrect information.
Is the earth flat now too?

CeeBeeBee · 16/11/2016 18:31

What did the teacher do, marvellous?

marvelousdcomics · 16/11/2016 18:33

Nothing. The teachers do nothing. There are so many people that would shout them down if they opposed these kids. DD has made a few new friends who agree with her, but everyone 'hates them'. It's really sad, they cant even learn anymore.

MaisyPops · 16/11/2016 18:42

How it was done sounds shocking.
But discussing lgbt issues doesn't have to be brainwashing. E.g. in secondary we do some pshe that covers using the word gay, acting like a girl, or man up as insults and we ask students to think about how somebody who thought they might be gay might feel hearing it as an insult.
When we discuss relationships education it doesn't take much to say when two people get into a relationship... rather than just exclusively act like we can't say anything that isn't straight.
I've had children ask about transfer issues and have explained that sometimes somebody might have the body of a boy but have the personality and mind of a girl (and other way round). Then we empathise and discuss how they might feel if they hear tranny used as an insult.
I've never needed to go into the kind of unnecessary details that the OP situation had (which feels totally inappropriate!)

If handled with sensitivit & in an age-appropriate way, I've always found children to be quite caring.

MaisyPops · 16/11/2016 18:43

Transfer issues?! Auto correct. Sorry trans issues.

IAmAmy · 16/11/2016 18:47

have explained that sometimes somebody might have the body of a boy but have the personality and mind of a girl (and other way round).

This really gets to me. Why can they not just be who they are, girl or boy, with their mind, not a boy "have the mind of a girl" just because he likes things stereotypically "feminine"?

I wish Cordelia Fine's Delusions of Gender was given to them instead.

BratFarrarsPony · 16/11/2016 18:54

" have explained that sometimes somebody might have the body of a boy but have the personality and mind of a girl (and other way round)."

I would not be very impressed if you "explained" that twaddle to my child.
It is absolute rubbish.

CeeBeeBee · 16/11/2016 19:12

Quite.

So sorry to hear the teachers are useless marvellous. Very sad state of affairs.Sad

CoteDAzur · 16/11/2016 19:17

"I've had children ask about transfer issues and have explained that sometimes somebody might have the body of a boy but have the personality and mind of a girl"

What on Earth is "personality of a girl"? Confused

And "mind of a girl"??? What, like, feeble? Hmm

Do try to explain what you mean by the above. I can't think of a way it can be done without being hugely offensive and/or completely unscientific.

Thank your lucky stars you are not my DC's teacher. I would have your head on a plate for that sexist nonsense.

Mrskeats · 16/11/2016 19:28

I would absolutely furious about this.
The trans issue is out of control.
A man cannot have a vagina/a woman does not have a penis. Simple biology really.
Brainwashing as others have said.

SomeDyke · 16/11/2016 19:45

".....and have explained that sometimes somebody might have the body of a boy but have the personality and mind of a girl"

This is potentially dangerous homophobic nonsense! Why? Because it doesn't take umpteen degrees to figure out that an effeminate gay lad might very easily, based on this and their own inclinations, conclude that 'liking' boys and wanting to be pink and sparkly means they have the personality and mind of a girl! Hence are trans (rather than just plain ole gay!).

As would any potential lesbians who liked science and maths, such as myself, who were told constantly that science and maths were boys subjects (and might have worked out for themselves that liking girls in that special ways was something that seemingly only boys were allowed to do..........).

I know that this was (probably) said and thought in all innocence and with the best of intentions, but the result on gay youngsters (and anyone else who just doesn't quite fit in with the usual stuff for their sex) is going to be think that their personality or mind doesn't fit their body, hence they might be trans.............

marvelousdcomics · 16/11/2016 19:49

Totally agree SomeDyke

galaxygirl45 · 16/11/2016 19:55

I know it's not directly relevant, but when I was 16 and in 6th form at school, we were given a "talk" by a Pro Life group, that showed slides of abortions and were very graphic. It literally haunted me for months after, it was really upsetting and disturbing. I think even at 16, I was vulnerable and impressionable and it makes me really mad that in the pretense of educating kids, they are preached at - at the very least make it an honest debate and have both sides of the coin there, with parents knowledge! Honestly, wtf is going on in the world.

SomeDyke · 16/11/2016 20:05

..........and of course that doesn't include all those gender-nonconforming girls who might think that their own special personality isn't girl-like enough, so they need to change it.

Why come out with this sexist nonsense? Would you talk about a black personality? No, because that would be racist, but somehow sexism is okay, 'cos biology...........(except when biology and reminding people about chromosomes isn't okay cos of trans, then our brains melt..............).