I’m bored of being a man

[Circleblue]

Today at work. 17 year old male on autistic spectrum: ‘I want to be a woman because I am bored of being a man’. And I have to support this idea. I’m not allowed to question or challenge his reasoning.

Why do you have to support it are you his doctor? Why would he be less bored as a woman? So much to unpack there!

Nightmare.

Don't share more than you're happy with why do you feel that you have to support it? I know it's not easy in captured workplaces but can you not kind or ignore it and just not really acknowledge it.

Is there no way you can question or challenge his thinking just a little bit?

In what way are you made to support it? It’s only a work colleague, just ignore whatever nonsense they make up as much as you can. We had woman in work in her 30’s decide she was a man a year or two ago, she’s changed her name to a man’s name. We all still treat him/her the same. We’ve gotten used to calling them by their new name now, but they still get referred to as her instead of him 🤷🏼‍♀️ It’s not done on purpose by most of us, but we’ve all worked with her for 8 plus years and to us she’s just a woman with a new haircut and a different name

It's at your work. Surely questioning or challenging a bored 17 year old is not worth the potential consequences? It warrants an equally bored "That's nice dear" response.

I would assume that this 17 year old is a service user and the OP works with service users in some capacity in their workplace. And that the workplace policy is unquestioning affirmation of gender identity as expressed by their service users.

Why should any adult indulge a 17 year old's fantasy or even give it a moment's thought

Presumably you're supposed to support men who identify as women. This boy doesn't identify as a woman, does he?

So the first thing you should do is ignore him - he's only a women after all so can't know her own mind

Tell him you're fed up with being a man as well. Flick your hair and swish your skirts at him. When he says but you're not a man, howl at him in outrage, and then ask him how he knows! Seriously, if they can play these silly bloody games, so can we.

'me too matey me too'.

But seriously, do not let him goad you.

He’s an ASD 17 year old student at an FE college.

He’s not playing a game - he’s copying others. There’s no malice in what he’s doing but it really highlights for me some of the issues posed by self ID and trans legislation/policies

3 out of 10 of the young people who I work with this year are ‘trans’. All are ASD. All have been subject to online trans grooming.

I think we have to understand the thought processes of those with autism before rushing to judgement.

They tend to follow everything in a very literal and linear fashion.

When you have the trans movement saying "if you like Barbie, you must be a girl", "if you are depressed, it is gender dysmorphia". An autistic person will take that literally, "I like Barbie, I am a girl", "I am depressed, that is gender dysmorphia".

That is why the trans ideology is very dangerous when it comes to autistic people.

Ignore it. I understand the impulse to intervene but you don't know him and you have no idea of his motivations for making this comment. It's a real possibility that he is on a mission to ferret out those who are GC.

@DontLikeCrumpets he’s not. He’s a confused young man who has been targeted online by trans activists.

as @BootsAndRoots has said, trans ideology is very dangerous when it comes to some people with ASD/learning difficulties

@Circleblue Its your call to do as you see fit.

OP, have you come across this group/info: teachersguidetosexandgender.org/

If you have some sort of specific pastoral responsibility towards him then I would seek support from someone above you and explain very politely why you are struggling with the situation. Your beliefs are protected in law as a result of Forstater v CGD.

If you don't have pastoral responsibility then give him a wide berth, don't use female pronouns and channel your time and energies into more positive things.

What a meaningless (and ignorant) comment.

@Leafstamp

thank you that’s really useful

No, it's a disability.

When you say you're not allowed to question or challenge his reasoning, how would that be policed? Would exploring his reasoning be allowed? The whole thing is so full of holes, surely you can plant the seeds of doubt even when someone has very rigid thinking?