Teaching gender identity as fact/'gender is how you identify'

[ValancyRedfern]

I've been looking at some pshe resources for Upper primary, all of which teach gender identity as a fact. The definition of gender identity was given as 'how a person identifies as male, female or neither'. I've also had a fruitless conversation with a teacher colleague who was adamant that the definition of gender was 'how you identify'; that this was literally what the word meant.

I'm terrified as to how to counter this. If a generation of children are taught that gender identity is a fact and we all have one, how can we ever counter that?

I am planning on arranging a meeting with dds primary and with my own pshe lead (I'm a secondary teacher) to discuss this, but I'm scared now I'll just be told my definition of gender (the stereotypes and expectations attached to either sex) is incorrect.

I will do my own research but if anyone has handy links to statuary guidance on gender identity I'd be very grateful. (I am working my way through the Transgender trend stuff, but I worry that the name of the organisation will be read as 'anti-trans' and close down discussions before they've even begun).

People blow a gasket when their kids are taught religion - why aren’t they up in arms about this?

Even my partner, who agrees with me in the main, is too scared to nail his colours to the mast and say anything about it because 'all the arguments sound a bit like the arguments against homosexuality in the 80s'. Although he can provide no actual examples of how they are the same. I genuinely think people are scared to engage their brains because they want to do the right thing.

Are you friendly with other parents who might be on the same page? It’s really only going to be challenged when people have the courage to stand up.

Thank god my son is too old for this and his school seems to (mostly) have its head screwed in. Otherwise I would take him out of the classes. What can they realistically do?

I've checked this out and I can't see any mention of gender identity at all. In fact it all looks very reasonable.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary

So the pshe teachers teaching gender identity at ks2 are not doing so because of the statutory guidance.

OP - the statutory guidance is deliberately vague - and that's why all the lobby groups and 'unsuitable adults' are desperately offering schools all their 'queer theory', porn advocating, gender bending materials.
They're using the SRE curriculum as a Trojan horse to get their ideologies into schools.
Look at Transgender Trend's Stonewall guidance and their SRE critical review - with some horrifying examples of what is being pushed at schools. I'd give their SRE guidance to the school as all the inappropriate materials are clearly evidenced

I think schools buy in packs don’t they? They aren’t all the same.

I am an English teacher. I am in a world of intersectionality. I have very supportive relationships with trans students I teach. But I am gender critical and always trying to educate myself and campaign where I can.

But I can't voice any of this at work.

I did an entire sociology degree recently where it was very clear and constantly studied and referenced that gender is the socially constructed stereotypes attached to our sex. I don't believe in gender identity either. Frustrates and baffles me that we’re now teaching that sex stereotypes are biologically based. It’s backwards talk.

Perhaps a book like Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine would be an easy-ish resource to start with, but that’s more gender in general that gender identity.

I studied sociology as part of my degree (1989s) and we never touched in gender.

@SerenityNowwwww really? What DID you study then? Feminist theory including gender is a pretty key touch point in many areas of sociology. Were you on just in early sociological theory land - Marx, Durkheim etc?

The resources I'm looking at are ones created by teachers and shared on social media, they aren't created by lobby groups. This is what I mean by the meaning of the word gender being assumed to be 'how you identify' - these aren't people with an agenda, they are jobbing teachers sharing resources. It feels like the meaning of the word has changed in mainstream educations and it makes it harder to fight.

Lorks it was such a long time ago I can’t remember what we did study (our lecturer was an artist and we seemed to talk a lot a about his exhibitions) - most of the feminism we learned from another (economics) lecturer who was the most amazing feminist and our psychology lecturer who was also an amazing feminist.

We dossed around in the SU mostly...

I think there are 3 different meanings of gender held by different people, and this leads to endless confusion and talking at cross purposes:

1. 'Normal people' = synonym for sex
2. Feminists = sex role stereotypes
3. 'Woke' people = how you identify

If most teachers think the 3rd and are teaching most children the third, then within a generation that will be what the word means. This is what scares me.

It scares me too. A lot. I only hope I can teach my own children differently, or there’s some sort of sensical wake up call before they become teenagers

I choose a roman catholic school for my girls, I would rather untangle the idea of holy communion than gender theory. (Its a very good school as well not my only reason)

@MrsPeacockInTheLibrary

I am an English teacher. I am in a world of intersectionality. I have very supportive relationships with trans students I teach. But I am gender critical and always trying to educate myself and campaign where I can.

But I can't voice any of this at work.

I am this exact position. It’s so difficult, isn’t it?

The problem is schools do not have to go above and beyond what the DfE are suggesting, but many are and paying for it, why? Where do they get their money from?
Safe Schools Alliance have loads of good resources to, templates etc to write to your school. My primary school is not going above and beyond and state that in their policy for September 2020. I was part of the consultation at the school and convinced them to use sex not gender by sharing Transgender Trend's resources and the Safe Schools Alliance red flags document.
safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/

People blow a gasket when their kids are taught religion - why aren’t they up in arms about this?

The notion of structural gender oppression never took hold in mainstream society because of....structural gender oppression.

@LonginesPrime

People blow a gasket when their kids are taught religion - why aren’t they up in arms about this?

The notion of structural gender oppression never took hold in mainstream society because of....structural gender oppression.

Ah what miserable truth