I applaud all parents who have done so much to bring the concerns and needs of our children – our quirky, unusual, brilliant, awkward children – to light. These are strange times we are living in, and I think it's much harder to grow up in the weird online garden of social media and virtual communication than it was back in the days of playing in the streets and woods with one's friends. Teachers and schools are reacting to this difficulty, and though I know it always comes from a good place, sometimes the solutions create problems of their own.
Thank you for the exceptional essay! You cut through the mire and make excellent points, which is no simple task with this topic.
I’d like to point out that the stereotypes that your mother and many others over the last 70+ years fought to free us all from are the exact stereotypes being forced on victims of unbridled transgenderism. The Trans Movement is typically held to be a liberal phenomenal, but the stereotypical pigeonholes of the movement are from the alt-right, and the bully tactics of the movement are fascist in nature.
The disruption of loving families is more so the effect of rampant gender transitioning than any benefit to all but the few actual trans people.
Exactly right on all of this. Why are we asking children - or anyone - to broadcast their inner feelings about themselves - assuming kids (or anyone) can even understand what those feelings are? If society really wants to eliminate the "problem" (to the extent this is not a problem created by the advertisement of the problem) of some people feeling uncomfortable highlighting their biological maleness or femaleness by using gendered pronouns, I have the perfect solution. Find a neutral pronoun and apply it to everyone all the time. Forget about he/him and she/her. Everyone without exception should just be X (whatever new name we create as a human pronoun - assuming everyone is okay being reminded that they are human). This can start out in schools as an experiment. At the very least, it won't call anyone out, won't imply that a tomboy or effeminate boy are not really the sex of their biological body, and won't cause bullying, etc.
Yes! Why force children (or anyone really) to box themselves into an ‘identity’ and broadcast? How about some personal privacy and allowing people to explore in their own space without the judgement?
New phrase: pronouns are rohypnol. I believe it. Invalid pronouns lower our resistance to biological/material truth and lead us away from reality into someone's fantasy. Beware. Be aware.
Wonderful tone in this essay. You do a great job of explaining how the question (what are your pronouns?) is too loaded a statement for school aged children.
excellent essay! Thank you!
Thank you for the exceptional essay! You cut through the mire and make excellent points, which is no simple task with this topic.
I’d like to point out that the stereotypes that your mother and many others over the last 70+ years fought to free us all from are the exact stereotypes being forced on victims of unbridled transgenderism. The Trans Movement is typically held to be a liberal phenomenal, but the stereotypical pigeonholes of the movement are from the alt-right, and the bully tactics of the movement are fascist in nature.
The disruption of loving families is more so the effect of rampant gender transitioning than any benefit to all but the few actual trans people.
Exactly right on all of this. Why are we asking children - or anyone - to broadcast their inner feelings about themselves - assuming kids (or anyone) can even understand what those feelings are? If society really wants to eliminate the "problem" (to the extent this is not a problem created by the advertisement of the problem) of some people feeling uncomfortable highlighting their biological maleness or femaleness by using gendered pronouns, I have the perfect solution. Find a neutral pronoun and apply it to everyone all the time. Forget about he/him and she/her. Everyone without exception should just be X (whatever new name we create as a human pronoun - assuming everyone is okay being reminded that they are human). This can start out in schools as an experiment. At the very least, it won't call anyone out, won't imply that a tomboy or effeminate boy are not really the sex of their biological body, and won't cause bullying, etc.
Yes! Why force children (or anyone really) to box themselves into an ‘identity’ and broadcast? How about some personal privacy and allowing people to explore in their own space without the judgement?
This essay should be required reading for every teacher and administrator in every school everywhere. Thank you so much!
New phrase: pronouns are rohypnol. I believe it. Invalid pronouns lower our resistance to biological/material truth and lead us away from reality into someone's fantasy. Beware. Be aware.
Wonderful tone in this essay. You do a great job of explaining how the question (what are your pronouns?) is too loaded a statement for school aged children.