Scottish schoolkids to be taught to ‘choose their own gender’ in class

[Tinycitrus]

According to The Sun: It says that children need to “learn about what we mean by gender, that this is different from the sex we are assigned at birth”, and that “gender is about how we see and present ourselves in the world”.

Here

I’ haven’t seen the new guidance but it will
Become part of the Curriculum for Excellence and is aimed at children between five and nine.

It doesn’t make sense to me. Apparently it starts off explaining to children that girls and boys can all play football and cry etc (hurrah!)

But later will talk
About how we aren’t necessarily the gender we are assigned at birth.

But that doesn’t make sense. If we start out saying that gender stereotypes don’t matter because girls and boys can play football then what is the point of telling children they can choose a gender?

Surely the point is that there IS NO SUCH THING AS GENDER rather than reiterating the stereotypes but tell little kids that they can choose?

"When a baby is born parents are told what sex their baby is. A doctor looks at the baby’s body and decides - if the baby has a vulva, they say the baby is a female/girl baby or if the baby has a penis and testicles, they say it is a male/boy baby. Mostly this is easy for the doctor to decide, but for some babies it isn’t so clear, and the doctor might decide the baby is intersex."

"After we are born people start to see us and think about us as a boy or a girl even if they don’t know whether we have a vulva or a penis. This is when being a boy or a girl is called our gender. We have been learning that each of us is special and unique, and so each of us will be able to say who we are. Some of us will feel very much like we are a boy, some of us will feel very much like we are a girl, some of us will not be so sure if we are a boy or a girl. It is important that we are happy, no matter what gender we feel we are. When people grow up, sometimes they decide to change their gender so that they are happier with who they are, this is called being transgender."

And there you have it.

The sleight of hand that makes gender equal sex, within one paragraph.

I don't think for single second this is the result of confusion, it's deliberate. Pretending that stepping outside the gender boxes is being encouraged, when in actual fact it's been clamped down so hard it takes your breath away.

I think it's pretty clear that it's a sop to interest groups. They could have gone with: your sex is whether you are a boy or girl (and not because a doctor "decided" it!) but that doesn't stop you being whoever you want etc. But someone was determined to shoehorn gender in and confuse the hell out of kids (and teachers!). Of course, transgender gets a mention which I'm not sure a 5 year old can process! I don't think a young child can understand that a physical change of sex is not possible and this encourages them to think it may be.

It's telling them thats it's absolutely fine to like stuff associated with the opposite sex. If fact it's encouraging it. The disgraceful damage is done when it then tells them it makes them transgender.

Datun absolutely!

I would worry that it stops or reverses progress that is being made in reducing misogeny or homophobia within some minority or religious communities. And issues such as forced marriages, FGM etc.

As in "Western culture is clearly barking, so best stick to our own culture and traditions."

I had a chat with my grandson last week - three years + two weeks.

Are you a boy or a girl? Boy

Is (also just 3) a boy or a girl? Boy

Is (5) a boy or girl? Girl

Is Daddy a boy or a girl? He's DADDY!

Is Mummy a boy or a girl? Girl

Am I a boy or a girl? You're Grandma

Is Grandad a boy or a girl? Boy

Does that makes my son and I GNC? Maybe I should wear a skirt and grow my hair.

But seriously, even toddlers can tell the difference.

When people grow up, sometimes they decide to change their gender so that they are happier with who they are, this is called being transgender.

These are the weasel words.

No they are not transgender. They are individuals.

So my daughter who
Does not play with dolls, wear dresses, I show any interest in fashion, homemaking, and doesn’t give a shit what boys think of her - she will learn that she is ‘transgender’ and actually a boy?

The school will teach her that? Am I overthinking this?

The school will teach her that? Am I overthinking this?

No you're not. That is exactly what they are saying.

That gender non conformity is something that needs to be addressed with the possibility that someone is trans.

Almost all children will display gender nonconformity at some point. Because most toy preferences are made up by retailers.

A doll isn't a doll if it's called action man. A blue bike isn't for a girl. Play kitchens? For girls. Not only is it ludicrously sexist, it's dismissing male chefs everywhere!

Yes - our society is set up to ask small children to choose gender all the time.

So when we are choosing clothes and dd3 wants some loose, long shorts in a primary colour, or a t shirt with a shark on it we find ourselves in the ‘boys’ section. She knows she isn’t a boy. But she also wants to be comfortable because she is nine and very active.

But the whole time she is choosing ‘boys’ things. So is she a boy? Does she have a boy brain?

These are the questions small children will ask themselves

These are the questions small children will ask themselves

And the answers is what is being pushed as an ideology that children must be taught.

I can't follow that paragraph.
*people start to see us and think about us as a boy or a girl even if they don’t know whether we have a vulva or a penis. This is when being a boy or a girl is called our gender. Some of us will feel very much like we are a boy, some of us will feel very much like we are a girl...'

It says that 'our gender' is how others see us.
Then it says that our gender is how we see ourselves.

Which is it, from the point of view of the writer?

Presumably they mean the first, given they go on to say 'change our gender' - if something is actually innate, it won't change. So I guess what they mean can be changed is the outer clues and signals given to others to convince them of our sex, or at least indicate that a polite enquiry is in order.

I think when my DDs school goes back in September I will be asking to chat with the Principal about all of this.

I have great concerns for children with SEN (DD included and attends Special School) and how they might be be at real risk if this is what is going on.

Personally I worry greatly for DD, she's non verbal, physically disabled but mentally advanced. She has a pixie cut as it's easier to maintain her hair that way, she wears t shirts, leggings and shorts (from the boys section as girls short are way too short!). Her voice output device even says that she doesn't like princesses or pink! If someone were to come into her school (from the mythical sea person charity maybe) would they say that she is transgender? I'd argue that that is her personality! Personality seems to have disappeared as word and been replaced by gender!

My brain hurts.....but I am grateful to all of you lovely people (don't want to misgender anyone!) for all of the hard work you put in presenting logical, evidence based responses.

Yes and the child’s decision on gender must be unquestioned and wholly supported by the adults in that child’s life.

But it’s entirely made up. So much could be improved by just tackling gender stereotypes associated with biological sex. And leave it at that.

It just really bothers me when adults impose their shite on small children.

It’s the same with religion.

I've been worried since I had my first about the logical outcome of the very binary way "girls" and "boys" clothes and toys have been presented in the last few years (I really don't recall this when I was younger). not to mention the disturbing sexualized way teenage girls are being encouraged to dress and behave.

Children are being asked to pick a side. You're correct - the only logical way to read this isn't that either sex can do anything, it's that choosing dolls, dinosaurs, or a watering can, magically means you are respectively girl, boy, or gender neutral.

Of added concern is that the children's commissioner has advocated transitioning for children of 12 or younger and councils are threatening parents with named person powers if they withhold consent.