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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

My shadow is purple - what is this nonsense?

19 replies

Chasetherainblownfearsaway · 12/06/2023 13:26

https://gayprideshop.co.uk/products/my-shadow-is-purple-book

I was in a museum shop with my daughter and she picked up this book. I was pretty appalled by the message, which seems to be rife with stereotypes. Apparently if you like girls' and boys' toys, you're non-binary - rather than just 'an extremely ordinary child'.
I don't really care what people want to call themselves/wear/etc but this is such a confusing and troubling message to give young kids. How do you navigate this stuff with young children?

My Shadow is Purple Book

A buoyant and heartwarming celebration of individuality, identity, and dressing to suit yourself! It’s almost Frankie’s birthday and everything is ready ― except for something to wear. All of her party dresses feel wrong. Her family tries to help, but...

https://gayprideshop.co.uk/products/my-shadow-is-purple-book

OP posts:
OP posts:
Myalternate · 12/06/2023 13:37

‘It’s a book for children who aren’t a girl but aren’t a boy. They’re nonbinary’
Age group 4-8

One to avoid for my children.

HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow · 12/06/2023 13:41

It would have been a lovely opportunity to push back against stereotypes and explain that you can be a girl and like 'boy things' and vs versa but instead encourages labelling kids as different and non binary or gender fluid.

What a shame to miss the opportunity to help kids see that they don't need a label and do t have to opt into another box, they can just choose to be who they are, do what they enjoy and ignore stereotypes

HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow · 12/06/2023 13:44

Myalternate · 12/06/2023 13:37

‘It’s a book for children who aren’t a girl but aren’t a boy. They’re nonbinary’
Age group 4-8

One to avoid for my children.

Worth reading to point out how silly and old fashioned some people can be about labels and how they don't need one
Take the opportunity to point out all of the ways you enjoy doing things that do and don't align with stereotypes of sex do they k ow it's not unusual at all
That approach might arm them better when schools introduce this type of subject and push labels at them

WarriorN · 12/06/2023 15:30

Wow #supersexist.

Pink and blue mixed together makes purple.

🙄

zanahoria · 12/06/2023 17:39

My new book

"My farts smell like lavender"

is now available from all good bookshops for anyone who wants their kid to feel extra special

Tanith · 12/06/2023 17:53

This author has also written a book called "My Shadow Is Pink". Again, it's full of stereotypes and the father is a frightening figure.

Another author, with no idea how to write responsibly for children, spewing his agenda all over the bookshop.

nepeta · 12/06/2023 18:07

Tanith · 12/06/2023 17:53

This author has also written a book called "My Shadow Is Pink". Again, it's full of stereotypes and the father is a frightening figure.

Another author, with no idea how to write responsibly for children, spewing his agenda all over the bookshop.

Watch all the old sexist stereotypes make a roaring comeback, this time with support from both the right and the left in politics!

It would be interesting if we could go back in time and ask some second wave feminists if this is the world they were fighting to create...

AnneWhittle · 12/06/2023 21:59

you don't have to go back in time! we walk amongst you! and no this was definitely not what we had in mnd

nepeta · 13/06/2023 05:08

AnneWhittle · 12/06/2023 21:59

you don't have to go back in time! we walk amongst you! and no this was definitely not what we had in mnd

Thank you for your service.

tiktok · 13/06/2023 15:56

Awful. There's no reason at all for the kid in the book to be unhappy....he or she just needs to know that 'boy things' and 'girl things' are for everyone, and he or she can celebrate and enjoy being whatever he or she is without limitations. The idea of a non-binary 4-8 year old is preposterous. The school doesn't need to have pink and blue divisions at the dance. In any case the symbolism of the different coloured shadows makes no sense at all, either literally or metaphorically.

SoftCoeur · 13/06/2023 16:20

HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow · 12/06/2023 13:41

It would have been a lovely opportunity to push back against stereotypes and explain that you can be a girl and like 'boy things' and vs versa but instead encourages labelling kids as different and non binary or gender fluid.

What a shame to miss the opportunity to help kids see that they don't need a label and do t have to opt into another box, they can just choose to be who they are, do what they enjoy and ignore stereotypes

There's a lovely episode of Bob's Burgers with exactly this message. Your comment made me think of it.

ParadiseLaundry · 13/06/2023 17:43

Cath Hakanson has a Facebook page for parents dedicated to sex education for their children. It's honestly chilling.

There are so many people claiming to have trans toddlers/pansexual 8 year olds/furry 12 year olds etc. I believe a lot of posts are actually written by paedophiles.

Whenever any discussion arises on why perhaps it might not be a good idea to jump straight to puberty blockers ext arises anything with the slightest whiff of caution is described as transphobic and deleted.

ErrolTheDragon · 13/06/2023 17:50

Just because it's a museum shop, it doesn't mean it has to stock books full of regressive tripe (even if the stereotypes are dressed up in all the colours of the rainbow plus pastels)Hmm

Caturday · 13/06/2023 18:03

Off-topic, but ParadiseLaundry's post about possible bad actors on forums triggered a memory of teenage boys and young men on 4Chan pushing the 'free bleeding' idea for the lolz a few years back

www.dailydot.com/unclick/free-bleeding-is-a-4chan-hoax/

Qilin · 13/06/2023 18:19

You can listen to it here:

It doesn't actually use the word non-binary or refer to sex or gender really.
It is a child who likes playing with girl things and boy things, and wearing a mixture of clothes, etc.
it ends with all the children at the dance having a different coloured shadow, not just pink or blue.

I haven't heard the other books in the series, but just to note that this particular one does not refer to sex, gender or words like non-binary.

Riapia · 13/06/2023 18:25

If girls could like boy things and boys could like girl things they wouldn’t be speshul.
Being non-bio they have their very own culture. They are members of their own community.
😉😁😁

Delphinium20 · 13/06/2023 19:10

Ahhhh...purple like the Indigo Children of the 90s?

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