Duolingo is trying to queer us again.

[PollyHutchen]

Not content with describing JK Rowling as 'gemein' mean, Duoling's German course is busy normalising BDSM/kink to users of all ages. Here - image attached - we learn that single Dad Eddy has a leather suit and a whip in the cupboard. Duolingo encourages users to sign up via its family plan. But I wouldn't really fancy explaining this one to younger members of my own family.

Not my problem if you don’t know what non-binary means.

This story has been in Duolingo for at least 4 years, no idea why it is causing a fuss now. Have seen several threads about it.

The story opens with Eddy asking how Junior's day at school was and Junior telling him it was great because they talked about careers. He says he wants to be a lion tamer like his dad. Eddy asks why he thinks he is a lion tamer. Junior found his leather suit and whip in the wardrobe. Eddy says er. End of story. It really isn't some sordid BDSM story, just a bit silly.

If a child asked questions, I would say it was fancy dress. Although, from memory, I think an child having got far enough through the course to find this story is likely to be secondary age anyway.

I've had the story pop up a few times during the Duolingo Spanish course and have to confess that I just saw it as a joke that would go completely over the head of a child but might amuse an adult.

What is a non-queer person?

I only know "straight" as heterosexual, seems like you think it means something else - can you elaborate?

If a straight monogamous person who enjoys BDSM sees themself as queer, are they wrong?

I think it means challenging/breaking boundaries around sex (in the sense of sexual fantasies or activity) now, whether or not that was its original intention. That’s why Pride now seems to be about transgenderism and sex fetishes, and excludes lesbians who aren’t prepared to become bisexual.

I think when Planet says "non-queer" they mean what used to be called "square".

It's just my observation, but people heavily into the "kink" scene are a bit like the old joke about vegans, you don't need to ask because they'll tell you. But it's only the "kinks" that might seem chic and exciting, like leather and whips. It's never... let's say the adult baby nappy wearing community.

Reminds me of Joan Rivers' old gag that when celebrities confess to eating disorders, it's always the thin ones.

The correct answer to this is, as long as you're not impinging on anyone else's boundaries, nobody cares about your banal sex life.

But then, for people who self-identify as "queer", it's inevitably other people's boundaries that they refuse to respect.

Do you see the problem of having a sexual context to a story being used by children?

Even if they are older it is normalising the idea of involving children in the sex life of adults.

The story is grooming adults too, as users seeing it have not been writing to ask WTF are the company thinking.

Best you never watch any kids films then. They are all stuffed full of innuendo. If someone doesn't know something has a potential sexual interpretation, they are not going to see it.

As a non binary person myself I am very aware of what being non binary means. I love being non binary. I hope you’re not going to be transphobic and tell me I’m not?

I do watch chidrens films.
And am aware that some have gotten into trouble with bad publicity or expanding out into new markers Eg Disney distroyed their child brand etc. for $$$

A movie scene is a little different to the app is it not?

One is relying a multi level multi method of communication ( visual aural and oral) to convey a second meaning the other is direct conversation of a child asking a adult about sex items.

One relies in the language being understood and a pre-existing foundation of cultural knolwdge the other is teaching new words based in a specific context.

Kink falls under the "queer" umbrella which is larger than just gay and lesbian people.

And you are sadly misinformed if you don't think breaking down barriers around childhood sexuality isn't a major part of queer theory activism, it has been since it was first developed and many advocates were explicitly agitating their governments for removal of things like age of consent.

If you can tell me what specifically the word "queer" means I'll answer your question.

It has a broader meaning, of smashing boundaries around sexuality, but maybe you weren’t aware of that, Janette. It’s not an accident that many “queer theorists” are fans of BDSM.

Thank you. @PlanetJanette IMO your understanding is out of date. Please be specific in why the term “queering” doesn’t apply to BDSM.

I still fondly remember my primary school Latin book which included the scene “O mea Cara! Da mihi osculum!”. That was about as explicit as it got though.

The post you quote literally gives an example of someone who might be heterosexual and queer.

I use 'straight' to refer to someone who is not queer.

And yet you can not define queer or to queer or straight in a way which facilitates effective communication

Did someone dare you to wedge as many logical (and actual) fallacies into one sentence?

It now turns out that the context of this is some sort of (I'd say) ill judged innuendo based joke about a parent who claims to be a lion tamer, and a child taking that explanation at face value.

Of course that sort of comedic trope - child stumbling innocently across some aspect of their parents sex life to the mortification of the parent - is a pretty age old and hackneyed feature of e.g. movies aimed at both adults and children. You can like it or not. I don't.

But unless you think a large number of family movies over the last number of decades are all about 'queering', the OP's claim remains absolute nonsense, and a desperate effort to get the concept of queerness mashed together with nefarious intentions towards child sexualisation.

Edited to add - in case wondering about those fallacies. Hundreds/thousands of lesbians marched in London Pride. I guarantee you not one of them was asked for their openness to trans women as sexual partners in order to do so. There is also no new focus on fetishism in Pride - kink/fetish has been a very small part of pride for a long time and this year was no different.

Queer means spicy straight.

No it doesn't.

Let's all play Queer Theory Jeopardy!

%3D

I tend to agree that as content for adults, it is no differernt than hundreds of perfectly fine films, televisions and books, using that exact same joke set up.

Where Duolingo have gone wrong I think is because a lot of their users are underage, and schools etc will recommend it for kids. And it's a bit weird as a joke in a language learning program. For the same reason it would have been a weird joke to see in your french textbook at age 15.

I expect it is because the AI doesn't understand that kind of social nuance.

So does it mean anyone who says they’re queer?

There is also no new focus on fetishism in Pride - kink/fetish has been a very small part of pride for a long time and this year was no different.

Hi Planet, you've said the same thing on previous occasions. In fact, when challenged, you've gone out of your way to deny that there is indecent exposure at Pride and those of us who have seen it shouldn't believe our lying eyes.

Either you haven't been to Pride in a long time or you're making shit up. Which is it?