Gender variant students face various health, safety, and educational concerns in schools today. These include harassment, verbal abuse, mental health issues, suicide, hormone therapy, and other health risks. Schools should recognize that some youth may feel limited in their ability to express their gender identity, and not assume that all students are equally. Policies and guidelines at state and school district levels give students the rights to use facilities and pronouns that fit their gender identity, but this does not guarantee equal support.
Many sexual and gender minority children and youth experience truancy, dropping out, or being pushed out of school. Sociological research shows that there is pressure in schools to conform to traditional gender identities, with boys often expected to display aspects of traditional masculinity. Conservatives argue that children are being taught inappropriate material in young grades. Curriculums about gender identity, sexuality, and anatomy are also important.
In 2007, 58 of homeschooled students were girls versus 42 boys, a statistic that needs further study. Homeschooling can reduce socialization opportunities and affect kids’ social skills and emotional development. However, it can also facilitate the process of identity formation.
Transgender teen David James Lazure decided to be home-schooled to avoid the stress and anxiety of being LGBTIQ+. Participants reported four main benefits of being LGBTQ and homeschooled: increased freedom and autonomy, escape from gender stereotypes, and increased autonomy.
In conclusion, gender variant students face various health, safety, and educational concerns in schools today. Schools should recognize that they are not equal and work towards supporting these students through policies and guidelines.
📹 Parents outraged after kindergarten teacher discusses gender identity
A California teacher is receiving backlash after reading books to her kindergarten class about gender identity. One of her students …
Why is it important to teach children about gender identity?
Gender identity is a complex issue for youth, and understanding how we perceive ourselves as male/female, female/female, transgender, intersex, or somewhere in between can help establish our own gender identity. Resources on sexual and gender diversity and gender identity and transgender issues can be helpful. Sexual orientation refers to the attraction or feelings of romance a person has for another person, and can include homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality, or neither.
HealthLink B. C. offers resources on sexual orientation, definitions, and support links. Sexuality is a term used to describe how people express themselves as a sexual being, encompassing various aspects of being human.
Can gender dysphoria come and go?
Gender dysphoria may manifest in childhood and persist into adolescence and adulthood, or it may remit during certain periods.
What is the root cause of gender identity?
Gender dysphoria is a condition where individuals desire to live in a way that matches their gender identity, with symptoms varying depending on age. Symptoms include insisting that one is the other gender, wanting to dress in clothes typically used by another gender, resisting wearing clothes associated with their biological gender, preferring conventional roles in play or fantasy, preferring toys and activities traditionally thought of as of the other gender, strongly preferring to play with children of the other gender, and feeling a strong dislike of their genitals.
What to do if your child is gender confused?
To support a child who is questioning their gender identity, it is essential to listen to their feelings, let them know you are there for them, encourage them to explore and express their identity at their pace, ask about pronouns and names, join a support group, reach out to friends and family, and seek support if they are being bullied. Some terms a young person or child might use to describe their gender identity include trans or transgender, non-binary, gender diverse, and genderqueer, and cisgender.
When a child is questioning their gender identity, it can be difficult for parents to understand how to help them, what to say, and how to relate to their feelings. They may also feel angry or upset, and may struggle to communicate with their child’s school or explain things to extended family who may not be supportive. It is crucial to provide support and understanding to help your child navigate this complex journey.
At what age does a child develop gender identity?
Most children between 18-24 months can recognize and label gender groups, such as girls, women, or masculine. They also label their own gender by age 3. However, society’s narrow view of gender can lead to some children acting in ways that don’t reflect their gender identity. At age 5 or 6, most children are rigid about gender and preferences, but these feelings become more flexible with age. Gender identity and gender expression are different concepts, and a child’s gender identity doesn’t always lead to a specific gender expression.
For example, a girl might stand up to urinate, a child might avoid wearing their birth-sex bathing suit, prefer underwear typically worn by a different sex, or play with toys typically assigned to a different sex.
At what age do kids know they are nonbinary?
Raising children with certain pronouns and gender identities can lead to some children fully embracing these concepts, while others may eventually express a desire for a different identity. The greater their gender-related vocabulary, the more likely they are to consider gender constructs and communicate this. Caregivers’ openness to discussing gender and sex characteristics and media exposure influences gender identity and expression. While it is impossible to determine one’s gender, educating children about differences without judgment can increase their honesty about their identity.
What influences gender identity?
Adolescence is a crucial period for identity formation, including gender identity and personal identity. Factors such as pubertal development, emerging personality traits, peer interaction, and sexuality play a significant role in gender development. While some children may have a fixed gender identity in early childhood, others may still develop and consolidate it during early, mid-, or late adolescence and early adulthood. Genetic or hormonal influences, such as changes in fetal development or chromosomal abnormalities, can also affect a child’s gender identity.
How to explain non-binary to a child?
Nonbinary is an identity distinct from male and female, with many genders, and a nonbinary individual would use they/them pronouns instead of he/him or she/her. The author explains that societal expectations have always emphasized the two genders, with each having its own clothing, colors, and toys. However, understanding this led to a desire to break away from these expectations, wearing leather jackets, short hair, button-up shirts, and avoiding activities like skateboarding and drumming that typically correspond to masculinity. The author’s journey highlights the importance of embracing one’s identity and not conforming to societal expectations.
How does gender identity affect students?
Transgender adults often realize they are “different” as early as elementary school, with 96 realizing they are transgender before adulthood. On average, gender diverse individuals are 15 years old before they have the vocabulary to understand and communicate their gender identity. Gender diverse students often feel unsafe at school, avoid gender-specific spaces, and experience harassment. They rarely report discriminatory incidents, and those who do feel unprotected.
Gender-related stressors at school can lead to higher levels of depression, substance use, risky behaviors, and suicide risk. Some students may live in their affirmed gender identity with peers at school but not at home. Schools should review policies for seeking student supports and contact school counselors, psychologists, and social workers.
What do I call my nonbinary daughter?
Non-binary individuals often use gender neutral pronouns instead of “he/him” or “she/her”. However, neopronouns are gaining popularity. It is important to be a child’s best advocate for their sexuality and identity exploration, setting aside societal beliefs and seeing them as sovereign individuals. Respecting someone’s gender identity doesn’t require understanding their identity, as some people may not be familiar with it. It is important to be a supportive and understanding parent, recognizing that understanding someone’s gender identity is not necessary for respect.
At what age can children start showing signs of gender dysphoria?
A study found that gender dysphoria typically begins between the ages of 4 and 6, with most participants experiencing symptoms by age 7. Symptoms can occur around puberty or later, as individuals reject or feel uncomfortable with body changes. The feelings of gender dysphoria can be continuous or fluctuate over time. However, there is debate about the diagnosis of “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” in adolescence, with some parents reporting their children experiencing symptoms “out of the blue” influenced by peer groups or social media. This topic remains controversial in mental health and LGBTQIA+ communities, and further research is needed.
📹 Pro-Choicer Defeated By Simple Logic | Kristan Hawkins | UTSA
It’s easy to stump a pro-choicer when the truth is on your side. Also, if you advocate for abortion, you should at least know whether …
I can destroy the entire trangender thing with just one question but I have many more angles on this. What exactly is the didactic value of teaching 5 year olds about gender identity? How will this improve their reasoning and problem solving capabilities? How does this translate into the more advanced curriculums? As far as I know, and I am certified in teaching kids from all ages, kids that age don’t do well with abstract concepts like gender and identity because, well, kids 5 years old are just babies, their brains are as underdeveloped as their bodies, the pre-frontal cortex is just starting to shape at that age. Kids that age need to learn through touch, play and interaction. Like you give them a set of blocks with animals, objects and people and you ask them to sort them by their kind. Notice how such an example is tailored to stimulate things like sorting, reasoning and touch and isn’t too abstract, you have physical blocks with actual pictures on them they can hold in their hand and is visual. And notice how it is extremely basic and very low resolution which allows for a nice transition into more complex stuff later on. It focusses on reasoning and sorting which are some of the most fundamental things you need to develop and translates into any skill, that way it is universal and benefits any child no matter their personal character. Can anybody see how gender identity would fit into such a curriculum? How does it focus on reasoning, spacial awareness, sorting, interaction, etc?
Fury would be a soft reaction from me. My 5 year old granddaughter was expecting a sibling and we were in the process of explaining, in appropriate age terms and resources, how contraception and birth works. She and a classmate got into an argument over whether boys could have babies. My granddaughter was reprimanded! She came home confused and humiliated.
This is something that needs to addressed by school districts all across the country. That teachers don’t need to be discussing this with their students. They are their students, “not their kids!” Being a parent myself I wouldn’t be very pleased if a teacher at my childs school brought up that subject in my childs class. If a teacher can’t tell you the difference between educating my child as opposed to raising them. Then that person need not be working as a teacher in educating anyone else’s child, period!
And now 4 years later it’s federal law to confuse your children and interrupt their lives with unnecessary questions. I can’t imagine how these children are going get through life especially the ones that have government backed hormone therapies and sex change surgeries just because they wanted to fit in. This isn’t about clothes and colors anymore and it’s horrifying
Having age appropriate material is not edging towards banned books. You can teach kids about kindness, acceptance, diversity, etc without introducing gender transition. These teachers are not experts in gender dysphoria so why introduce the topic?? It’s like someone untrained in psychology reading a watered down DSM and telling kids they might be depressed, bipolar, schizophrenic, or any other condition they want to be or feel they are.
This is not right what this teacher done she needs to be punished for her Negligence and she has no rights telling these kids about gender Preferences that’s up to children parents to educate there kids when needed government cant control our kids minds and make decisions for what’s right for them its a choice not be be mandatory for them to know this information about why and how someone choose to be transgender or gay especially giving that information to children which could damage their thinking and decisions at this young critical age
On the LAST DAY of the school year, problem one, a kindergarten class, problem two. For the child to bring those books to the teacher that’s fantastic, I support that, but what the teacher did was wrong. If it was the beginning of the school year and parents could be informed before any of that happened. I support that. The important thing is not to traumatize the child or ostracize the child while still respecting the other kids and fulfilling her responsibilities as a teacher. The teacher failed on many levels.
I think about my 6 year nephew running around playing with toys being a little kid, I’m sure he is able to decide if he would rather be a Girl, The parents are the ones responsible for this mess… IF YOU WANT A GIRL HAVE ANOTHER KID DON”T CHANGE THE ONE YOU ALREADY HAVE ON SECOND THOUGHT THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE THE ONE THEY HAVE……
Shocking that the teacher herself does not know right from wrong, and was trying to convince the parents that she was innocent. Since WHEN do teachers believe that their own (often twisted) ideologies belong in the classroom? Its not appropriate at any age, but especially in kindergarten. I could almost imagine that student that brought her the books being raised by some real fruitcakes, and that’s why the child is “confused” in the first place.
My buddy’s 12 year old daughter is on an all girls hockey team, there is a boy, who is presenting himself as a girl, HE is also on the team, and changes in the girls locker room, my buddy’s daughter always finds an empty locker room to change in. Very odd HE is allowed to do TT his, My buddy can’t look in to check on the girls because he would be considered a pervert. What can ya do?
I’m transgender. I believe children should be educated on this, but DEFINITELY not at such a young age. It should be discussed during mid-late puberty in a clear, yet simple way. Around middle school. I think kindergarten is way too early to talk about gender AT ALL. In kindergarten, I didn’t even know boys and girls had different parts. I believe it would be great to tell kids its ok if a boy wants to wear a dress, or if a girl wants to play football, but discussing transgenderism is far too much.
Look how far they’ve come in only 5 years. Look how crazy it has become in schools and kindergartens. Even crazier than we ever could have imagined. Parents need to speak up and fight this insanity. It was wrong to give those people the benefit of the doubt. Greetings from Europe (where the same insanity is spreading like wildfire)
None of that teachers business to be lying to children and pushing her mental illness and poor decisions on someone elses child. Keep your perverted sex issues at home. This is sex abuse! Keep your sex life at home. And no, gender cannot be chosen. Schools have no business interfering on such matters. Lying to children and taking advantage of such innocent of innocents.
It happened at kindergarten?!? I that age I didn’t even think about sex. Imagine being like 5 plying playing with Lego and then this lady decides to tell you that maybe you are a transgenders, questions if you like boys or girls and tells you that body mutilation is ok and if the parents won’t support you the center would. Wtf?!? And sorry but what wtf!!?! I hope she is fired and is not allowed near a young a child again. She isn’t even supposed to talk about sex to kindergarteners.
when i was in charter school and they were going to teach us about puberty in the 3rd grade they handed out permission slips to take home for parents to sign and approve. The parents taht didn’t approve of the school teaching their children about this sensitive topic were segregated for that day. Boys and girls were separated
A kindergarten student with gender issues? The only way that happens is coaching. Next it will be my newborn has gender issues. They can’t perceive the issues unless someone is coaching them. Damn it, let the kids be kids a stop trying to teach such issues to children that aren’t yours. You don’t have the right, your job is teach basics………………..
Kid went home crying because she was scared she would “turn into a boy”. My mother told me not to get married before I’m 30 because I won’t figure out “who I am” until my 20’s. These children have hardly developed object permanence and they’re being force-fed information they should not come to know until they reach maturity. People find these things on their own as they age and gain experience. This topic has no place in any elementary school, period.
6 years ago they’ve been doing this for the last 15 years possibly 20 years this is sick and they’ve been doing it underhandedly teachers have the right to go on strike couldn’t pay me any money out of the world to do that to a child they have no right that’s a right to go through their childhood this is lewd and lascivious an invasion of privacy and even worse unhealthy a health hazard they’re not even done growing and it’s not the teachers children let’s get that out in the open it’s not most of the parents that are doing this or the court-appointed parents after the children were stolen from their birth parents and if it was okay to do they wouldn’t accept it in the dark for so long or came out with after they had the surgery it’s insane and it is inappropriate these people need lock these sickos up and throw away the key
It borders on pedophilia and child abuse! Band books yes! This is not a topic for kindergarten or even primary school kids and it is not even based on science. The roll of the teacher is to teach and facilitate not get involved in a child’s sexuality! That is for them to sort out as they grow older and through discovery learning! They will understand who they are but this is disgusting! The teacher should have shut the topic down the minute the kid brought books to school and it should not be in a kindergarten with other kids but at home or going through some mental help. The parents of the child should be seriously looked into and how they raising their child. I have seen this before in schools in England but never in China the parents would not stand for this rubbish and the teacher and school would be shut down! That is why I like to teach here. 🙂
Teachers are being asked to be more and more like parents. They are also being asked to talk more and more about social issues instead putting the focus on academics. So you will see more and more of this. However, for this teacher that was poor judgment. Intresting how this happened on last day of school.
Ugh, that teacher at the end, smugly saying the parents are essentially trying to ban books. Nevermind that the parents have described how upset their kids are by this, including the mom who says her little girl became frightened about turning into a boy. Kids that age often don’t even know where babies come from; how do these teachers expect them to not just understand the issue but to react the way said teachers want them to?
Youth Services Librarian, here. I am not at all against teaching children about gender, race, sexuality, consent, mental health or anything else of the sorts that might be deemed controversial. In fact, I am pro-conversations. These are important and relevant topics that they are going to face in the world whether it is on a personal level or not and there are so many good books about these topics because it’s proven that early intervention is the best method of teaching particularly with these heavier topics. However, I think it is absolutely fair that the parents would want to be informed. These can be heavy topics in our current climate and, naturally, those inevitably are going to be brought home and be conversations there as well. The parents and teachers should be on the same page so things can be well communicated and so important topics can be handled with the correct approach and potential delicate touch that is required.
Teachers (and other adults) teach kids about gender identity every time they read a picture book to a child. Most of these parents are only mad that the depictions didnt fit their paradigm of stereotypical gender roles and expression. I have a feeling some parents throughout history had similar objections to depictions of women as citizens, owning land, voting, wearing jeans, or working in certain positions.
No teacher, can speak about that to kids. You are openin doors that they should oprn when the right moment come in a more natural way, 8 aged kids only should be thinking in friends and go out and play, non into his gender o sexuality… In 5 years from now, people will ask why kids are having relations when they are 10 years old…
Comical. The first identiers of gender are in the birthing team who look between the child’s legs to see either a vagina in which case the baby is declared a girl or a penis in which case the baby is declared a boy. Would parents like to have the baby declared an ‘it’ or ‘gender unspecified’. I am impressed with the drama of tears: just look at poor little me who informed my class that they have suspect vaginas and penises. These horribly twisted concepts of being liberal amount to interference and disrespect for family. Teacher needs to be disciplined. Parents must insist on their right being upheld.
Homeschool your child. You CAN do it. I did and now my daughter is a molecular scientist. And we wouldn’t trade anything for those wonderful years together. She is now happily married with many friends and very successful. My friend saw me home schooling but was afraid she couldn’t do it. I encouraged her and she taught her child from 2nd grade thru 8th. She went back to school for high school. And graduated as Valedictorian of her class and is also a concert pianist.
So a 4-5 year old STUDENT presents a book to the TEACHER, and the teacher feels the need to share a book with the class – odd. The student and teacher plan a “surprise” reveal for a future class session – stranger still. IMHO, proper etiquette would have the trans-student’s parents contacting the teacher to address any concerns. The teacher assures the parents that their daughter may present as she feels comfortable, and that she supports their daughter. SOME children may be curious and ask questions. The teacher informs those students to discuss the issue with their parents – done. No news-worthy drama. Its seems that the teacher craves attention. Also, it would be responsible for the teacher to consult the principal, before launching such a program. The teacher should be fred. p.s. The whole newscast seems phony. Many precocious 5 year-olds read @ a 6th grade level. Some prodigies ( home-schooled, with parental guidance ) digest classical literature. 101 DALMATIANS may be accessible to many students, but WAR AND PEACE, not so much.
Kindergarten is not the age to talk to a child about any kind of sexual subjects straight or LGBT TRANS etc . It should never ever be right to talk to any little child about any kind of sexual subjects . I know your proud LGBT TRANS COMMUNITY OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THRUGH THE YEARS BUT IF STRAIGHT PARENTS HAVE NEVER DECIDED TO TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT ANY KIND OF SEXUAL SUBJECTS THAN WHO ARE YOU ? TO BE ABLE TO DO SO . KEEP CHILDREN FREE FROM GROWN UP SUBJECTS PERIOD ! AS A TEACHER YOUR JOB SHOULD BE TO TEACH YOUR STUDENTS WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW IN ACADEMICS . SCHOOL SUBJECTS . ENGLISH, MATH, HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES ETC . NOT SEX STUDIES OF ANY KIND .
Hello all. I’ve had a couple of comments removed now for absolutely no reason. Censorship is alive and well, it seems. Here’s what I wrote (tell me if this is in any way incendiary, or if it violates any YT policy: ** Why do you steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the elephant in the proverbial room? Whether it is a social or medical transition is immaterial. I agree with you, though: the child is not “going through a gender transition”, even though those are the actual words used in the clip. This kid is five years old! FIVE! That’s right, the one that is less than six… The child is categorically not “going through” anything. Rather, the child is being made to go through it by some adult(s). And it is horrible and, I propose, criminal. There is no way this child is competent, at the age of FIVE (there’s that lovely magic number again) to make this call. Please note that I am not calling transgenderism horrible. If you want to identify as whatever, and decide to make a transition, then I wish you luck and I will back you all the way. Provided you are COMPETENT to make the judgement. What is horrible here is that this is being foisted upon a five year old child. By adults. There is no way a five year old can be competent to make such a life defining decision. None. Makes me wonder what sort of people would do this to a kid. Makes me wonder what sort of people would continually defend it… **
We don’t teach young children Chemistry. We don’t teach them Algebra. We don’t teach them Physics. And that is just a few of the things we don’t teach young children. Why? Because we realize they are not ready to learn them because they don’t have the background necessary to understand them, the maturity of focus to understand the subject, and more. Simply put, they are too young. Ask any teacher why we don’t have those subjects in grade school and these are the answers you would get. Yet it seems that teachers and school boards want to address biology and phycology to those same children. Who still really don’t have the ability to truly understand. That is why it is so obvious this is agenda biased indoctrination teaching, not what’s best for anyone
I don’t blame these parents one bit. What was this teacher thinking? Subjecting kids that young to discussing gender identity. What made her even think they would understand it. I really feel sorry for the kindergarten student going through the gender transition, that the kid’s parents would even allow it. This next generation is going to be so neurotic and messed up from all this nonsense. I am glad I won’t be alive to see the results.
My son grabbed a cute book from a library today ‘call me Max’ cute cover with a boy and a puppy, I scrolled through the book for pictures and prints..Came home. He wanted to read and to my surprise it was about transgender and transitioning. Really? In the little kids section books. I need to be more aware next time that they brainwash our children.
The teacher at the end of this article is wrong a bad direction for our society is where school boards get to dictate parental guidance. Are allowed to force mandatory teachings as fundamental facts against the parental permissions of a parent. And those parents who are wanting to stand against it are in the right and are on the right side of what to fight for we are not sheep for we are not catale why should a governing body be allowed to dictate what is condoned and what isn’t condoned against the parental figures say so school is for learning not indoctrination so what is our society saying to all average civilians when they are enforcing a narrative rather than teaching a narrative.
The teacher had no right to do this. While she may have thought she was helping a student, she could and may have cause harm, confusion and stress to the rest of the class. The decision of of whether or not to address this and how should have been made by school officials and only after consultation with a child psychologist and notification of the other parents. I am sorry but I have difficulty believing that a kindergartner knows that they identify as another gender and that a child physiologist epilepsy encourage them to address this in kindergarten.
Yep! Fire her! And these parents having their children change gender, shame on you! That’s not for the child, it’s for the parent. They’re so little and have so much to learn about themselves yet. My gosh these parents agreeing to do gender changes on their children are insane!! Quit bringing this into children’s lives! Get back to teaching math and the basics not all this garbage that their precious fragile minds don’t need to be subjected to.