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.

so that’s another phrase you do t know the meaning of. It’s ok. Honestly. We can’t all know everything. I mean, you accused me, a NB of not knowing what non binary meant instead of politely asking.

Sure, but the media I'm referring to is not adult specific. It is often stuff in the 'family friendly' genre that needs to be accessible for kids while still entertaining adults.

Your post is a good demonstration on why OP is nonsense though.

AI constructing a weird means of language learning using the same trope as many family movies is not queering anything. OP is just determined to wedge queerness and child sexualisation together and to hell with facts.

Yes it does. The L, G and B cover literally anyone who is same sex attracted. So the Q can only mean heterosexual.

This is not an innocent stumbling this is a language app listed company including a child user in an adults sex life.

If a person was to open that type of conversation with a child via the internet it would be recognised as grooming behaviour and this for profit company is allowing that interaction to take place on its platform.

Ok, I'll try to follow your logic but I will need to unpack it a bit so please bear with me.

What do you mean by a non-binary heterosexual person? Do you mean they are only attracted to other non-binary people?

What is the definition of "straight" and how does that differ from "heterosexual"? The two were always synonymous when I was growing up.

Indeed, what in your understanding is the difference between "straight" and "queer", since you think they are mutally exclusive terms?

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

(I will re-iterate my inital point that you do seem to be using a different definition for queer than I thought was common usage these days.)

Here you are literally admitting that it means spicy straight.

The idea of gay and straight non binary people is fucking hilarious.

So you believe you're neither male nor female but you also know you are attracted to people of the same/the opposite sex to yourself.

Righty-oh.

Not based on the previous poster's account, where it is exactly depicted as an innocent stumbling on items that are explained away as the parent being a lion tamer.

Oh good, not just me then.

Given how many genders there are supposed to be, even the idea of being attracted to a specific gender doesn’t really work. If you identified as an obscure gender or multiple genders, you might be a bit stuck.

Afraid not.

Perhaps if you actually listened to trans and non-binary people, to the very many gay and lesbian people who either also identify as queer or are comfortable sitting within the queer umbrella, you may get things wrong a bit less.

So queer is just something people identify as?

In some circles, queer=everyone else but me and thee. And I’m not that sure about thee.

Or you know, if you actually said what you think these things are, instead of playing "no, not that, no not that, ugh no not that", maybe people wouldn't have to guess what you mean and end up getting it wrong?

You are a lesbian person I believe? Would you not be the ideal person to explain properly? Because this whole "you have to guess and I'll tell you that you are wrong and insinuate you should know better but I'll never actually give a straight (no pun intended) answer" is really not doing anything to address the issues you seem to have with people getting things wrong.

I have spent far too much time listening to people talking utter nonsense. Hours of my life I'll never get back.

Special shout out to Laurie Penny, who identifies as queer, pansexual, non binary and all the other pointless labels (because she demonstrably does not qualify as L, G, B or T) and wrote at length about her "unexpected heterosexual" wedding.

Mate, what is unexpected about a heterosexual woman marrying a heterosexual man?

I've got nothing against privileged, middle-class, straight, white, married women in their 30s. I am one myself. But pretending that you are one of the rainbow people and as such are oppressed and marginalised is absolute fucking nonsense.

You are missing the point the company is selling a product which is opening up a conversation about sex with children.

The company are choosing to include this conversation along side other learning points eg asking directions for a how to find a train station..

The companys product is in direct communication with a child with reasonable expectation of adult supervision.

If a teacher started the same conversation as a German language learning point in a class room the school would investigate it as a safeguarding incident.

Can you explain how it would be acceptable for a German language teacher in a class room full of students to use the idea of a child finding items his parents use during sexual activities as a way to lean German?

Eg what age would the children need to be for it be acceptable?

There is no age at which it is acceptable.

If I (an almost 40 year old woman) decided to take German classes and the teacher came out with stuff like this, I would find it deeply weird and inappropriate.

Apparently it's rated as suitable for children of 3 years and up. Though children would need to be able to read and write in their first language to get the benefit of it.

Home schooling parents may use Duolingo and some teachers recommend it for additional language practice.

I'm about a year into learning German. It's not improbable that some KS2 children will encounter this material.

Most of the Duolingo content is quite wholesome and - U certificate - small talk about going to the zoo, shopping, travels, household matters.

Which makes the BDSM 'joke' all the creepier. A bit like the friendly, fresh-faced scout leader who suddenly shows your child dodgy photos.

Duolingo has the same story in the French version
I found Jumpspeak was was better App anyway but then just came upon a section demonising someone called Karen
Both surely deliberately used.

Well, quite!

What's the story called? I kind of recognise the lion tamer bit, but took it at face value.

Agreed to a point.
( in theory the company could sell a specific product for pickup lines or dating in other languages or understanding porn etc. etc.)

But the point in question if a product sold to children, a direct conversational learning of language tool where active participation is needed is the same as a movie which has examined by the State for aged rating and which is designed as passive entertainmentt activity.

Ich will so sein wie du

If you do the whole story, unless you are old enough to be familiar with the concept of BDSM already, you are not going to read it in a sexual context. This is adults putting their interpretation and spin on it. If a child already knows what 'lederanzug' and 'peitsch' means and that their can be a sexual context, that is because that child has already been exposed to something inappropriate, not because they read in Duolingo that their dad had them in his wardrobe.

I dont have that story so maybe I don't recognise it.

You didn’t understand the context the OP was using “queering” in. Whether or not you personally agree that some people use it that way (they do), you completely got the wrong end of the stick.

This is basic grooming of a child.

The product is sold to be interactive with children

Normalising the idea that it is ok to have a conversation directly like that with child.

Can you explain how it would be acceptable for a German language teacher in a class room full of students to use the idea of a child finding items his parents use during sexual activities as a way to lean German?

Eg what age would the children need to be for it be acceptable?