Non Footy Chat Thread II

[Suitman]

What are people thoughts on gender and kids? I hear of parents having girls who want to play with boys toys and get a boys haircut. My cousin was like this when young but when become a teen she changed. Never did her mum dress her in boys clothes. Just was a bit of a tom boy.
I even enjoyed playing with my sisters barbie dolls and doll house. But I never wanted to be a female. I also rode bike and played with toy cars.

Is it me or is the world going mad with gender role play and all?

That's a really good question hindy.
I have a close mate who has a 15 yo son who believes he is trans gender. He wants to leave his all boys school and go to an all girls school. He is demanding medical treatment to help him through the change.
It's a terribly difficult time that the family is going through.
The big fear for them is that the way social media is these days for kids, if this information ever got into the public domain, the bullying on social media amongst his peers could be devastating for the kid. Even life threatening. He's too young to understand the consequences of making the change and the parents are reluctant to allow him to do so, but at the same time, are sympathetic to the way he is thinking and feels.
It's a terribly sad situation for them as they are such a lovely family.
I've been no help whatsoever as I wouldn't have a clue what to do in a similar situation.

 

[hindy111]

I suggest that you don't concern yourself with the 0.001% of the population that gender fluidity impacts and stop worrying like it's 25%.

I assumed that 0.001% is why schools are changing everything ?
That is just my guess.

 

[hindy111]

That's a really good question hindy.
I have a close mate who has a 15 yo son who believes he is trans gender. He wants to leave his all boys school and go to an all girls school. He is demanding medical treatment to help him through the change.
It's a terribly difficult time that the family is going through.
The big fear for them is that the way social media is these days for kids, if this information ever got into the public domain, the bullying on social media amongst his peers could be devastating for the kid. Even life threatening. He's too young to understand the consequences of making the change and the parents are reluctant to allow him to do so, but at the same time, are sympathetic to the way he is thinking and feels.
It's a terribly sad situation for them as they are such a lovely family.
I've been no help whatsoever as I wouldn't have a clue what to do in a similar situation.

Yes at 15 I guess it is different. I hear stories of kids at ages of 5 wanting to change sex cause they prefer girls or boys toys and clothes.
My point is as a kid i liked both and other kids also did. We where known as sissys or tomboys. And as we where older we all grew out of it. Now its been made such a big deal if a child does this while before it was not even seen as an issue.

 

[Gronk]

I assumed that 0.001% is why schools are changing everything ?
That is just my guess.

What is "everything" that the schools are changing ?

There was a huge kerfuffle about the "Safe Schools" project (SS) last election. The far right in both politics and the media are fundamentally against the "PC brigade" and don't like change - conservatism. There was a lot of misinformation about role playing which made hetero boys wear dresses, and bullshit rumours the the syllabus taught girls about sex toys etc etc and outrage followed.

Facts are that the SS came about because of the high youth suicide rate and the disproportionately high suicide rate among the LGBT kids. The SS project was an attempt to lessen school bullying which was a catalyst to many suicides amount the LGBT kids and much of the discussion was centred around "walk a mile in another person's shoes" mantra, so kids could try and understand what someone in the LGBT school community may have been going through.

If "changing everything" at schools makes them a better place for the marginalised, then how is that a bad thing ?

 

[Gronk]

Yes at 15 I guess it is different. I hear stories of kids at ages of 5 wanting to change sex cause they prefer girls or boys toys and clothes.
My point is as a kid i liked both and other kids also did. We where known as sissys or tomboys. And as we where older we all grew out of it. Now its been made such a big deal if a child does this while before it was not even seen as an issue.

Sexual experimentation is not the same as homosexuality or gender dysmorphia and is not something that kids "grow out of".

 

[hindy111]

Sexual experimentation is not the same as homosexuality or gender dysmorphia and is not something that kids "grow out of".

Sorry I do not know about the subject and why i am asking the question. I just heard on radio about role play with kids in kindergarten etc and changing things. What exactly is just a guess to me. But parents rang up deeply concerned when there 5yld was playing with girls toys and wanted to grow long hair. When I grew up heaps of friends did this and wasnt seen as an issue at all.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I assumed that 0.001% is why schools are changing everything ?
That is just my guess.

It is indeed. That's the problem with trying to normalise the abnormal - there is a significant social cost, despite the good intentions. These people should be pitied, not celebrated.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What is "everything" that the schools are changing ?

There was a huge kerfuffle about the "Safe Schools" project (SS) last election. The far right in both politics and the media are fundamentally against the "PC brigade" and don't like change - conservatism. There was a lot of misinformation about role playing which made hetero boys wear dresses, and bullshit rumours the the syllabus taught girls about sex toys etc etc and outrage followed.

Facts are that the SS came about because of the high youth suicide rate and the disproportionately high suicide rate among the LGBT kids. The SS project was an attempt to lessen school bullying which was a catalyst to many suicides amount the LGBT kids and much of the discussion was centred around "walk a mile in another person's shoes" mantra, so kids could try and understand what someone in the LGBT school community may have been going through.

If "changing everything" at schools makes them a better place for the marginalised, then how is that a bad thing ?

Because it replaces all useful virtues with tolerance.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Sexual experimentation is not the same as homosexuality or gender dysmorphia and is not something that kids "grow out of".

Gender dysmorphia is absolutely something that people have been known to change their minds about: http://www.newsweek.com/transgender-women-transgender-men-sex-change-sex-reassignment-surgery-676777

 

[Gronk]

It is indeed. That's the problem with trying to normalise the abnormal - there is a significant social cost, despite the good intentions. These people should be pitied, not celebrated.

Abnormal? Yes not mainstream certainly.

But we are not talking about mutants from Wolverine here. We are talking about real people. Our sons and daughters.

 

[Gronk]

Gender dysmorphia is absolutely something that people have been known to change their minds about: http://www.newsweek.com/transgender-women-transgender-men-sex-change-sex-reassignment-surgery-676777

George Burns smoked and he lived until he was 135.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

George Burns smoked and he lived until he was 135.

Sounds like a good reason to encourage smoking then hey?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Abnormal? Yes not mainstream certainly.

But we are not talking about mutants from Wolverine here. We are talking about real people. Our sons and daughters.

They deserve compassion but maybe not a pedestal.

 

[Suitman]

They deserve compassion but maybe not a pedestal.

I'm not sure that Gronk is putting anyone on a pedestal.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

What percentage of people are disabled? I don't see too many people up in arms about places becoming wheelchair accessible.

 

[Bazal]

What percentage of people are disabled? I don't see too many people up in arms about places becoming wheelchair accessible.

Nah mate they shouldn't have chosen to be f**ken disabled!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I'm not sure that Gronk is putting anyone on a pedestal.

No but the wider society is heading that way. It is causing some impressionable children to request treatment they might later regret.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What percentage of people are disabled? I don't see too many people up in arms about places becoming wheelchair accessible.

Physical disabilities have pretty clear cut causes, as well as effects. Mental illness has always been a massive bag of worms, and the bag is growing at an exponential rate.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Nah mate they shouldn't have chosen to be f**ken disabled!

You see the argument against as that f**king simple do you?

 

[hindy111]

No but the wider society is heading that way. It is causing some impressionable children to request treatment they might later regret.

My parents didnt really go to school. Come here on a boat. Are people to smart now or have not enough other things to worry about? Dad would just call me a little twinkie and laughed when Id bake a cake. Little did he know I got to lick the spoon and had the last laugh.