I am a science teacher teaching secondary sex education and genetics

[Clairetree1]

Ever single time. Every single time. Every single time.

I am being asked how men turn into women.

I say they can't. They turn into transwomen. These are men who change their bodies to be as much like women as possible, but are still men.

Every single time I teach pregnancy I am asked how men can do it.

Every single time we go through genetics I get a shocked response for saying "this is male, this is female"

Every single time I make any distinction between male and female I am asked "are you allowed to say that?

I equate being ordered to teach that men can become woman to previous generations of teachers being ordered to teach nazi race science.

I am quite sure I will be sacked one day

[UpstartCrow]

I equate being ordered to teach that men can become woman to previous generations of teachers being ordered to teach nazi race science

I've been equating it to the Scopes Trial;
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_Trial

[whathaveiforgottentoday]

I don't see the connection between section 28 an teaching what the difference between sex and gender is.
You can teach the that sex and gender are separate and still agree and be supportive that somebody can choose their gender and have a right to transition. They are not incompatible.

[Ineedacupofteadesperately]

Do these kids also believe you can change your height or any other physical attribute? How about changing a rubbish singing voice to a good one? It's not surprising there's so much mental illness among kids if they're being led to believe you can change any aspect of yourself. What happened to loving and accepting yourself as you are?

[lifeinthelastlane]

Telling a child you can’t change your biological sex isn’t remotely the same as telling a lesbian child they will grow out of it or go to hell.
The most I hear at school is someone saying “did you just presume my gender” in a very jokey way, but they must have learned something to lead to that.

[Pratchet]

Daim: stop comparing it to sAecyion 28. Transgenderism is homophobic.

[LangCleg]

OP were you teaching when Section 28 got repealed? Were you spitting feathers?

And once again, for the hard of reading, the OP is teaching genetics and human reproduction. This would have what exactly to do with Section 28?

daim - people have latched on by now. They know that accusations made by you guys are really admissions. They know who is practising conversion therapy on baby gays and lesbians. And it isn't the radical feminists or the science teachers. You need some new lines of attack. The old ones don't work any more.

[Pratchet]

The Section 28 narrative is already tired

[miri1985]

"I am quite sure I will be sacked one day"

Honestly I think we should well see someone like OP very soon get fired for telling the truth/teaching the syllabus. If there is a trans child in the classroom, these truths could be seen as bullying or harassment.

I am not a teacher, what would those who are teachers do, would you have to get the trans childs parents permission before teaching this part of the syllabus or would you suggest they be absent or just not teach it?

[daimbars]

Section 28 = legislation preventing local authorities promoting 'pretended' gay family relationships as normal.

The OP is refusing to teach her kids that being transgender is fine and normal.

OP here's how I suggest you reply to the kids in your class:

I am being asked how men turn into women.

• Generally a combination of counselling, hormones and sometimes surgery

I say they can't. They turn into transwomen. These are men who change their bodies to be as much like women as possible, but are still men.

• Apart from they can. If a person fully transitions the law recognises them as women. Of course there are biological differences between trans women and other women and trans women do not have the anatomy to be able to get pregnant.

Every single time I teach pregnancy I am asked how men can do it.

• Trans men get pregnant the same way as women get pregnant. Testosterone prevents a person getting pregnant as it stops ovulation so the trans man would have to get pregnant before taking T or stop taking it for the duration of his pregnancy

Hope that helps OP, it's pretty basic facts.

[LemonJello]

OP were you teaching when Section 28 got repealed? Were you spitting feathers?

You’re equating a oncern that children are being led to believe untruths about the concept of reproductive sex, to homophobia? Ok then

[NaturalBornWoman]

Of course there are biological differences between trans women and other women and trans women do not have the anatomy to be able to get pregnant

Fixed that for you.

[lifeinthelastlane]

She’s not teaching the law, which is different in different countries and at different times. She’s teaching biology, which is the same wherever you are and whenever. I’m not a scientist but I’d be so disappointed with any science teacher who actually spouted unscientific bollocks while teaching science

[AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth]

Pretty basic pish, more like.

We are not going to be forced to teach lies to schoolchildren to cater for the delusions in some people's heads. The answer is no. Fuck off with your cut price sophistry.

[SardineReturns]

On biology, upthread a poster says that they have never heard a suggestion that biology lessons need to change.

That's weird because I have,

I have seen multiple times a statement that words boy / girl / male / female should be decoupled from biology. When talking about specific functions, terms like "sperm producer", "non prostate haver", "menstruator" should be used, and these terms are making it into lots of healthcare and charity blurb. As such, you cannot say "a male human (or other mammal presumably) is one that has characteristics XYZ, which actually is going to be very confusing as there is no longer any entity binding the attritubtes together. Can a sperm producer also be a menstruator? Tricky.

I have also seen a suggestion that sex ed in schools should be gender inclusive, so no reference to boy / girl / male / female but again to body parts. So if a person with a penis puts it in a person with a vagina then they could get pregnant type stuff. Where this falls down is that some penis owners prefer to call them clitorises, and some vaginas are surgincally constructed and belong to people who were born male and so no amount of penis will result in a baby.

The "new" language serves to confuse and obfuscate. Children will be confused. Obviously.

[LemonJello]

Every single time I make any distinction between male and female I am asked "are you allowed to say that?

Interesting that kids are aware that this is now ‘not allowed’.

[daimbars]

We are not going to be forced to teach lies to schoolchildren to cater for the delusions in some people's heads.

Is exactly how some teachers protested when Section 28 was repealed. Many were uncomfortable about promoting the 'lie' of homosexuality to children,

[noblegiraffe]

I am being asked how men turn into women.

- Generally a combination of counselling, hormones and sometimes surgery

If I gave a female dog hormones, would turn it into a male dog? Does it apply to all animals? Given that this would be a biology lesson, how would you respond to pupils asking this?

[daimbars]

Sardine you say children will be confused. What's your solution? Pretending trans people don't exist and not teaching about them in school?

As I pointed out, it's pretty easy to explain.

[OldCrone]

The OP is refusing to teach her kids that being transgender is fine and normal.

daimbars
Gender dysphoria is characterised by a revulsion with one's sexed body. Is that really fine and normal?

Gender dysphoria is often treated by taking opposite sex hormones and having major surgery to one's reproductive organs. Is that really fine and normal?

[AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth]

You are a liar Daim. You seek to lie about a comparison to Section 28. We see your lies. We see you.

[sashh]

Late last year I had questions asked in a 16+ maths class. But I think there had been some thing on TV that hadn't been well understood.

The students said someone had said there were only two sexualities and what did that mean?

So I gave the basic, this is sex, this is gender, this is sexuality.

[LangCleg]

Many were uncomfortable about promoting the 'lie' of homosexuality to children

Are you calling the OP a homophobe or a transphobe? Or both?

Desperate tactics, daim, desperate tactics. Again: what has Clause 28 to do with teaching genetics and human sexual reproduction to children? What? Exactly what?

[daimbars]

OldCrone yes being transgender is fine and normal. Okay maybe 'normal' isn't the right word as it's pretty unusual but it isn't anything that should be demonised.

Assigned where have I lied?! I could probably find your exact quote from a teacher in relation to section 28.

[sanluca]

As was said above, Daim, she is teaching biology, not law. A biological man can never become a biological woman. End of.

How about teaching biological fact in biology and gender theory in sociology or some subject like that (not sure what is taught nowadays in the UK)? That way the difference between sex and gender can be made clear and kids can also learn about gender non conforming and stop confusing the two.

[smithsinarazz]

Nobody (so far as I know) says that being gay is a lie. If someone doubted another person's statement that they only fancied people of the same sex, that person could (if they chose) prove it, in theory, by getting someone to show them flash cards of naked ladies and buff men and seeing which made their pupils dilate.
Some people think that being gay is wrong. If asked to prove it, they will point to some obscure passage in Leviticus or something and then if someone says "So are you saying nobody should eat bacon, then? That's in there too" they say "Oh, but that's different". They can't explain why.
Some people think that men wearing dresses is wrong. They can't explain why, either.
Some people think that if a man wears a dress, it means he's transmogrified into a woman. They can't explain why or how, either.