Trans propaganda in The Week Junior

[Sunkisses]

Is anyone else in here a subscriber to The Week Junior? Well in the issue that plopped on our doormat yesterday there’s some trans propaganda right on page 3. They’ve described trans people as being “a different gender to the one they were given when they were born”! This of course makes absolutely no sense (who the flip has a "gender" that they are "given" when they are born?), is complete ideological brainwashing and is scientifically illiterate. I’m really cross (especially as we've loved subscribing and get really excited when it turns up). My very sensible daughters highlighted it to me: "Mum, there's some of that transgender nonsense in The Week Junior". It's made even more bizarre as they correctly identify homosexuality as being attracted to the same sex. If anyone also subscribes you might want to 1) have a discussion with your kids to let them know this is absolute rubbish and no one is "given a gender", 2) speak to the editor at The Week Junior to let them know you don't want to see this ideological nonsense in this magazine.

Thanks for the heads up OP. And well done on raising such sensible daughters!

Is gender assigned at birth? I know sex isn't, but I am genuinely unsure about whether gender is. I think it might be, if it means something like "societal sex stereotypes". Can someone more informed and eloquent than me explain? I would probably use "imposed" rather than "assigned", but that feels like nitpicking. Sorry, being genuine here, rather than goady, and very open to being educated.

Mind you, even if gender was assigned at birth, and gender was sexual stereotypes, that doesn't fit with the definition of it being "how you feel". Can gender mean both societal expectations and how you feel? Is one definition exclusive of the other? Sorry, I'm derailing a bit here.

@nellodee I think you're a bit confused! No one is "given" a "gender" when they are born. Sex is determined at fertilisation, often observed in utero and then recorded at birth. It is encoded in every single cell in our bodies, and of course cannot be changed. 'Gender' are just the sexist stereotypes that each society associates with the two sexes. The sentence in The Week Junior literally makes no sense.

• Gender IS, not 'are'. Wish you could edit on MN!

I've long thought that nellodee, that some parents will see that their baby is male or female and from that point on will push onto them the expectation that they will be masculine or feminine in presentation and behaviour. For such a child, one can say that their gender has been assigned at birth.

Obviously though this discussion will end up as a dead end if anyone involved is going to conflate sex and gender. Like is being done in the article in The Week Junior.

Thanks OP. We haven’t opened our copy yet but I’ll read the article carefully and write to the editor if appropriate. I won’t be paying for a subscription to dangerous nonsense when there are plenty of alternatives available.

My DD has this sent to her Dad's house. Can someone send a photo of the article please?

Thanks for the heads up

It is a very poor definition and misleading. I wouldn't be happy with my kids reading that without some discussion. We stopped getting The Week Junior a while back as my kids had stopped reading it, but I'm glad now. Sloppy reporting.

Thanks, Nauticant, I didn't explain myself very well, but you understood what I meant. I hadn't realised that not only do people conflate sex and gender, but gender is itself more than one concept conflated. So when people say gender they really could mean just about anything.

Hopefully this attaches

That's fine nellodee, in this issue I think having a grasp on what people might be meaning by "gender" is useful although as you say gender does tend to "mean just about anything" according to whatever bonkers argument people are making.

Oh my daughter gets TWJ. I'll have a look. And may well send them an email.

“People who are bisexual are attracted to more than one sex” Isn’t great either - there’s only two sexes & the clue is right there bisexual

Oh crap DS 1 gets this. Will have a look. :( I've noticed there's a lot of rainbowy editions, but never seen anything before I was worried about.

He's not actually read it yet as it's still sitting with the mail. Maybe as an experiment I should see if he notices. 🤔

@nellodee

I get what you're saying. I think gendered expectations can be imposed from birth, but this is not 'a gender' being assigned.
Besides, if the definition of trans is not identifying with the gender assigned to you at birth it would be a rare person who was happy with all aspects of the gendered expectations imposed on them. It would also be impossible as that person is likely to interact with more than one person and everyone external will have different expectations they impose.
I'd argue no one fits their 'gender assigned at birth' as no one can completely embody all gendered expectations put on them from birth.
Even if we stick with just female and male genders, the vast majority would not identify with all the aspects of whichever one was 'assigned'. Are they trans? No they're just individuals who don't embody pure masculinity or pure feminity. It would be the norm to 'not identify with the gender assigned to you'. Am I waffling? I hope I've got my point of view across in a sensible way.

Here's a good article on the subject that aligns with my thinking
aeon.co/essays/the-idea-that-gender-is-a-spectrum-is-a-new-gender-prison

I received a survey request for The Week Junior a few days ago. Lots of free text boxes if anyone else received it and wants to feedback on coverage of this topic.

Yes, it should say that bisexuals are attracted to both sexes. And I don't think the "T" featured in the original movement did it?