Born in the wrong body

[jessmin]

My DS has used this phrase in relation to people who want to change gender identity. He has been taught at school as part of RSE that “it is possible for someone to change their gender identity if they really really believe they were born in the wrong body”. His words.

I've emailed the head teacher asking to discuss and am reviewing all the guidance from safe schools alliance.

My biggest concern is that I don't know what on earth he has been taught. Their online curriculum map and lesson plan did not mention gender identity or ideology at all. I didn't question the content because I naively thought they were not going there yet. It's Yr4. I now want to review all the material and teaching guidance notes.

I'm also concerned about him having the phrase 'born in the wrong body'. Can you help me explain why it's wrong to use that term? I'm not sure I'm articulate enough to get it across when challenged.

@sunkendreams

I've actually just changed my username and prepared to actually post in this forum (long term lurker) for the first time to ask advice on almost exactly the same issue. DS is also in Yr 4 and has come home from school telling me that he has learned about gender identity and biological sex today. He is hazy on the details so I have no idea what he's actually been taught but he said the teacher told him there are different genders and it's fine to change them. Stupidly, I didn't think they would introduce the subject so young. I was preparing for this to be a high school issue.

The curriculum overview sent out at the beginning of the year had a whole section on PHSRE and said we could withdraw our child if we were uncomfortable with any of the aspects mentioned. Gender identity was not one of them. Right now, I feel very much like I've given parental consent under false pretences, but have no idea how to broach this with the school or even other parents.

Is the Safe Schools Alliance stuff the best place to start?

This is interesting.

As part of RSE, parents only have the right to withdraw from the sex aspect (the lessons detailing the physical aspect of sex). No parent can ask for their child to be withdrawn from relationships education, which this issue is. I'm surprised they told you this. Most likely weren't meant to!

Artichokeleaves

Birdy Rose has it right

@Artichokeleaves thinking back to when I was a kid: I would have understood it as a transsexual was born in the wrong body and a disabled person was born in a "broken" body. For me they're different things. (Btw I'm not trying to be PC here, I'm trying to be honest, thinking as a kid back when kids weren't very woke....)

Also by what you said, a disabled person needs to accept they are disabled and therefore a person born male or female needs to accept their birth sex?... (wrong wants to change, broken wants to mend, understand what I mean? I've been told sometimes I don't explain myself too well.....sorry)

I think I know what you're trying to say @grey12 but I think it's flawed.
Again , referencing Birdy Rose, why would a higher power give someone a wrong body and another a broken one?!

Your body is your body. If someone's body is "broken" we will try to fix it or compensate for it But why would we want to alter a perfectly healthy body when it is the mind that is ill?
Do we tell anorexics, yes, your body is wrong, go ahead and try to get thinner & thinner? No. We try to treat their mind and help them be comfortable in their own skin.
Just as those with disabilities do, you/I have to work on your(my) mind to become at peace with that with which you(I) must live with.

@WipeYourFeet since I'm a religious person I would say God chooses the battles you face: he chooses whether you are born to a rich family or a poor one, whether you are born in a peaceful and prosperous country or one at war.

My point from my first post was that I don't see the "wrong" idea being applied to disability and body issues at all. And that was what the whole thread was jumping into instead of talking about transsexual/transgender issues

@WipeYourFeet actually I had posted asking WHY everyone was making that connection because I don't see it

If you think God decided I needed a body that is disintegrating on me, that causes more pain than I can deal with sometimes, that is costing me what it does, for some kind of noble lesson, and you think that's ok to say to me?

And you think that it's fine to say to me and to disabled kids that they must accept the 'lesson' of their body, their soul was born into the 'right' body, but that other kid is born into the wrong body? And you must learn to love the body you hate, but that other kid needs lots of sympathy for hating their body and suggesting that they learn to cope with it is wrong? Especially knowing that sends kids on the route towards surgery, pain, and quite possibly chronic illness that can never be reversed?

You do you.

Leaving this thread, I've found it really shockingly offensive and upsetting. Every time I think I've got used to the fact that everyone else is under the feet of this politics it gets pushed up my nose in a whole new way.

@Artichokeleaves

You have my sympathy.

I have chronic pain and cfs from eds.

I always find it really disturbing that so many kids are pushed to medical treatment that causes chronic pain as a solution for mental pain.

Do they not realise the damage that is done to mental health by chronic pain? I find that so disturbing and negligent. And I expect my levels of pain are no where near that some live with.

[quote KlaraSun]Sorry about that, here's the right link, it's brilliant: genspect.org/wp-content/uploads/Schools.pdf[/quote]
Well done OP. Sadly just yesterday I saw a group of PSHE teachers conferring on FB about Genspect and concluding they were transphobic and to be ignored (guilt by association, Transgender Trend and Graham Lineham support them ergo they are bad). As the kids say 'the struggle is real'.

Please everybody keep challenging and pestering schools. I've had a really good response from dds and my own school, but an awful lot of PSHE teachers and schools are totally in thrall to gender ideology. Parent power is the only thing that can change that.

@Artichokeleaves

#1: never said it was noble

#2: YOU mentioned God first

#3: I said NOTHING about a "right" body. I said a "broken" body (not a great word, just a kid word, check the post)

#4: yes, life/God/mother Earth/wtv gives us wtv body/genetics we have and there isn't too much we can do about it, is there?! Modern medicine isn't has terrible as a few centuries ago but there is a HUGE way to go still to be able to help everyone