4 ms·

> My daughter’s trans identity started when the school taught a module on ‘identity’ during which they told a group of 11-year-olds that, if you feel uncomforta

> My daughter’s trans identity started when the school taught a module on ‘identity’ during which they told a group of 11-year-olds that, if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender. Yeah, I don't believe that happened. Sex ed books explicitly say things like (quoting https://www.google.com/search?q=puberty+%22uncomfortable+with+your+body%22&tbm=bks&ei=a_zGYoWfDuGHxc8P4eiBiA0&ved=0ahUKEwjFgO3IjOf4AhXhQ_EDHWF0ANEQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=puberty+%22uncomfortable+with+your+body%22&gs_lcp=Cg1nd3Mtd2l6LWJvb2tzEANQ2QJYkCBgpyFoBnAAeACAAWiIAcoQkgEEMjAuNJgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-books https://www.google.com/search?q=puberty+%22uncomfortable+wit... ) "As you go through puberty, you may feel uncomfortable with your body as certain parts are growing and changing shape.", "So the next time you have a “fat day” or feel uncomfortable with your body please remember that both men and women ... ", "Puberty causes a lot of changes to happen in a short amount of time. If you're uncomfortable with your body, you're not alone.", "On top of all that—maybe even more important, from a teen's point of view—it's just not fun to feel uncomfortable with your body." Why isn't this parent complaining about the lousy quality of the sex education in the kid's school? Or covered this possibility long ago when teaching her about what might happen with puberty? > Their official policy seems to be to just go with whatever the kids say without informing the parents. Okay, and so? We had a kid in school who went by the nickname "Moose". Does anyone seriously think the teachers informed the parents of that? > we are trying to protect our kids ... from having radical surgery on their developing bodies. Just how many minors are getting 'radical surgery' without their parents consent? Who then is paying for it?

CivBase 4y ago
> Yeah, I don't believe that happened. It's not hard to believe that an 11-year-old being taught about transgenderism might come away with "if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender" as the message - even if it wasn't intended by the teacher. Humans of all ages love to believe they have more control than they do and it's easy to imagine how a kid might decide to pursue transgender treatments to try and escape puberty. > Why isn't this parent complaining about the lousy quality of the sex education in the kid's school? I'm pretty sure the main point of this blog post was complaining about how her child's school handles sex education, particularly in regards to sexual identity. > Does anyone seriously think the teachers informed the parents of that? A nickname with seemingly no derogatory implications is not comparable to the sexual identity of a child. > Just how many minors are getting 'radical surgery' without their parents consent? Who then is paying for it? I don't think the implication was that their child would attempt to get surgery on their own. Rather, that they are finding it tough to balance the immediate desires of their child with their own concerns about their child's long-term well being - particularly while the school promotes messages which conflict with their own.
- eesmith 4y ago
  The article states: > My daughter’s trans identity started when the school taught a module on ‘identity’ during which they told a group of 11-year-olds that, if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender. Not that the daughter came away from school misunderstanding the lesson. Sex ed shouldn't start after puberty has started.
  - CivBase 4y ago
    > The article states: [...] Not that the daughter came away from school misunderstanding the lesson. How is a parent supposed to know exactly what was taught in a particular lesson other than by hearing about it second-hand through their child? From the parent's point of view, it may appear like that is exactly what was taught even if it wasn't. It would be best for them to verify with the school before writing about it, but this is a rant in a substack blog post. Details like that are not specified. > Sex ed shouldn't start after puberty has started. I never said it should.
    - eesmith 4y ago
      It sounds like you are agreeing with me that the school did NOT teach that "if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender." > I never said it should. The daughter "had just had her first period two months prior to this class." She's definitely hit puberty. If this was her first sex ed class, and it was about being transgender, then it something is seriously wrong in the pedagogy. Why didn't sex ed start earlier? Why didn't the parent teach the daughter about puberty already?
      - pwinnski 4y ago
        Hi! Parent of a 12-year-old here. This summer I received an email about the intention of my local public school district to teach a unit on sex education in the fall, in SEVENTH GRADE. Meanwhile, my daughter has had her period more than a year, as have most or all of her friends. She has multiple friends in her class who express either transgender or gender fluid identities. In fifth and sixth grade, boys and girls were already hugging in the hallways, "dating," and talking about things at a level that would shock most people. Seriously, even her siblings, ten years older, are shocked at how young some of this stuff is talked about, or the details of what is shared. This isn't just "old fogey" expressing shock, my 21-year-old is shocked. The reason for the delayed instruction is simple: it's the result of a long legal battle that has seen conservative parents in my state trying to eliminate it entirely, and settling (for now) with gender-segregated opt-out instruction several years too late to do much good. Fortunately, my daughter received good instructions from her parents beginning when she was eight, and professes to understand that whatever sexuality or gender identity one express when she is 12 may or may not be a sexuality or gender expression that they stick with as an adult.

CivBase 4y ago

> Yeah, I don't believe that happened. It's not hard to believe that an 11-year-old being taught about transgenderism might come away with "if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender" as the message - even if it wasn't intended by the teacher. Humans of all ages love to believe they have more control than they do and it's easy to imagine how a kid might decide to pursue transgender treatments to try and escape puberty. > Why isn't this parent complaining about the lousy quality of the sex education in the kid's school? I'm pretty sure the main point of this blog post was complaining about how her child's school handles sex education, particularly in regards to sexual identity. > Does anyone seriously think the teachers informed the parents of that? A nickname with seemingly no derogatory implications is not comparable to the sexual identity of a child. > Just how many minors are getting 'radical surgery' without their parents consent? Who then is paying for it? I don't think the implication was that their child would attempt to get surgery on their own. Rather, that they are finding it tough to balance the immediate desires of their child with their own concerns about their child's long-term well being - particularly while the school promotes messages which conflict with their own.

eesmith 4y ago
The article states: > My daughter’s trans identity started when the school taught a module on ‘identity’ during which they told a group of 11-year-olds that, if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender. Not that the daughter came away from school misunderstanding the lesson. Sex ed shouldn't start after puberty has started.
- CivBase 4y ago
  > The article states: [...] Not that the daughter came away from school misunderstanding the lesson. How is a parent supposed to know exactly what was taught in a particular lesson other than by hearing about it second-hand through their child? From the parent's point of view, it may appear like that is exactly what was taught even if it wasn't. It would be best for them to verify with the school before writing about it, but this is a rant in a substack blog post. Details like that are not specified. > Sex ed shouldn't start after puberty has started. I never said it should.
  - eesmith 4y ago
    It sounds like you are agreeing with me that the school did NOT teach that "if you feel uncomfortable in your body, it means you are transgender." > I never said it should. The daughter "had just had her first period two months prior to this class." She's definitely hit puberty. If this was her first sex ed class, and it was about being transgender, then it something is seriously wrong in the pedagogy. Why didn't sex ed start earlier? Why didn't the parent teach the daughter about puberty already?
    - pwinnski 4y ago
      Hi! Parent of a 12-year-old here. This summer I received an email about the intention of my local public school district to teach a unit on sex education in the fall, in SEVENTH GRADE. Meanwhile, my daughter has had her period more than a year, as have most or all of her friends. She has multiple friends in her class who express either transgender or gender fluid identities. In fifth and sixth grade, boys and girls were already hugging in the hallways, "dating," and talking about things at a level that would shock most people. Seriously, even her siblings, ten years older, are shocked at how young some of this stuff is talked about, or the details of what is shared. This isn't just "old fogey" expressing shock, my 21-year-old is shocked. The reason for the delayed instruction is simple: it's the result of a long legal battle that has seen conservative parents in my state trying to eliminate it entirely, and settling (for now) with gender-segregated opt-out instruction several years too late to do much good. Fortunately, my daughter received good instructions from her parents beginning when she was eight, and professes to understand that whatever sexuality or gender identity one express when she is 12 may or may not be a sexuality or gender expression that they stick with as an adult.