Winchester Science Centre asks DD if she is non-binary

[Ingenieur]

I took my two DDs to Winchester Science Centre yesterday. One of the exhibitions was a psychology research quiz involving empathy expressed towards real pets vs robot pets and was run alongside the University of Portsmouth. During the quiz, one of the researchers asked my (young) DD if she is non-binary. Other kids were there, ranging in age from 3 to 12 or so, so all basically primary school age.

I moved the conversation quickly on at the time, but it really left me shocked as it seemed like a total non-sequitur. It really isn't the place to be discussing gender ideology and undermines the credibility of the Centre to offer scientific education to young kids. It's disappointing to see the capture of so many institutions and the fact that we can't escape the indoctrination in completely unrelated spaces you'd expect to be safe from unscientific ideas.

Sorry if it's been a bit of a rant!

I would have said “no she isn’t, have you never seen a girl wear a pair of trousers before or something”

Yes I understand that it can be difficult but it would be really valuable for your DC to hear you speak up in public to challenge these regressive stereotypes.

Perhaps you could write a complaint to the centre and set out your thoughts?

Another option in the future is to ask them innocently what non-binary means and then when answers get more and more tautological and illogical you have non-agressively made your point and perhaps made the other person actually apply some critical thinking.

I thought that too.

”why are you asking her that question?”

Leaving the age aspect aside, I'm surprised that it's not considered bad manners to say that to someone in the first place. People don't ask someone they've just met about their sexuality or if they are neurodiverse.

I'm going to assume that your dd has short hair or something like that. I wonder if this idiot would say that to all the elderly women who favour short hair?

That would have been a great response, but it all happened so quickly it caught me off guard.

It just felt so random at the time.

I’d have been furious. Plenty of people assumed dd was a boy when she was small (and ds a girl!) but directly questioning someone is beyond rude.

Would you ask, “Are you a transwoman?” I think not.

I'd write and complain. If the exhibition was good then say so but point out that working with children is not an opportunity for university graduates to use it as an opportunity to ask children age inappropriate questions?
I expect they were unthinkingly trying to engage with DD but they need to learn that suggesting to young children they might not have a biological sex is plain wrong - and gaslighting.

I'll definitely consider writing a complaint, perhaps the Centre aren't aware themselves what questions the researchers are asking (even though they should be!)

I think if they were students, they will have no idea how to speak to young children, and will speak to them as they would anyone else they meet. Was it part of the research or chit chat? If it was an actual research question, then I would definitely bring it up with the centre quite forcefully. The questions should have been approved by someone with more sense/ training in dealing with children. If it was misplaced small talk, I would still alert the centre and suggest that may be there is a training session on how to speak to children and what is appropriate/ not.

Yeah, I can understand a student's lack of experience and self awareness could have been part of it, but yes it was a research question on the question script.

I have, in a previous life, worked quite closely with the WSC. There are some incredibly woke people there, this does not surprise me.

"Why would you assume that?"

Maybe a straightforward - "Non binary doesn't actually exist. She's a girl."

Progressives are harassing women & girls who have short hair or wear trousers, publicly describing them as un-feminine enough to be considered female; while at the same time claiming its feminists who harass non gender conforming people.
The hypocrisy is breath taking.

Hmm, that's disappointing but I suppose unsurprising these days

I would complain. It's everywhere these days, this 'woke' idea that inappropriate questions are ok.

Absolutely this!

There is a real drive to indoctrinate children with this.

maybe a decent response to that would be, ‘in all my life, I’ve never met a binary person. Have you?’

If they were students, they will have no idea how to speak to young children, and will speak to them as they would anyone else they meet.

Eh? Student's aren't grown in petri dishes. They're people, who ought therefore to have a basic grasp of how to appropriately engage with other humans. They may not have a lot of experience of judging exact ages or knowing how to actually engage young children without being patronising, but the general principles - don't discuss sex, don't ask them what car they drive, avoid extreme gore - should be familiar to them.

Please ignore the rogue apostrophe. My autocorrect will be sent for re-eduction. Again.

I don't think they were discussing sex! I'm sure they thought it was an entirely appropriate question for a child, evidenced by the fact they asked it!

I just have a standard response - 'She's a child, not a binary And why exactly do you need to know?'

My response would be

"Non binary? Sorry we are non bullshit"

It's dangerous as it's normalising this both as an adoption and part of everyday experience....