Identifying as a.....

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nobspeople
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Identifying as a.....

Post #1

Post by nobspeople »

A friend of mine is currently dealing with the school district of her kids (like many in the USA seem to be as of late). The school board is debating the issue with what to call the kids that identify as the opposite sex at birth.
My friend's kids have a friend that is on suicide watch, another that has attempted suicide once (maybe twice I can't remember) and other kids that are identifying as (what we'd call - I'm unsure of how these kids identify themselves on a personal level) trans, gay or bi.
The issue that some parents have brought to the school board is, basically, what to 'call' these kids. Some parents demand the school call these kids to be called 'boy' or 'girl' based on their birth, while other parents say they should be identified by how they see themselves.
I remember growing up, one particular boy (Tyler) was clearly 'different' than the other boys. He didn't play sports or hang out with the other boys. He played with dolls and hung out with the girls. Being in a small rural town of <10K people and in 3rd grade with no internet, I thought it strange. But I didn't say or do anything to him that would be seen as wrong or bad. The memory of him sitting with two other girls playing with dolls at recess seems burned into my brain.
I say this, to say that many kids know they're 'different' from what they see and experience around them, even if they don't know the proper terminology. That is a fact.
This thread is NOT to be intended on arguing about rather allowing a boy to grow up a girl or vice versa is OK or not, but to discuss the below topic for discussion:

What harm does it do to you or your child, if another boy wants to be called a girl, or vice versa?
What harm does it do to you or your child, if said boy wants you or your child to address them as a girl, or vice versa?

In an every increasingly connected world with millions of different people, personality types, beliefs, likes/dislikes, etc, unless you find a remote cave somewhere, you will be interacting with many of these people. No one is forcing you to change how you identify, so what's the problem (other than you simply don't like it)?
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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benchwarmer
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Re: Identifying as a.....

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Post by benchwarmer »

[Replying to nobspeople in post #1]

My view is that we should simply call people by their name (or as they otherwise wish to be called by after introduction. i.e. a nickname).

Beyond that, it is only in the context of medicine where doctors will have to deal with the actual, biological reality of the person involved.

When it comes to schools, the only issue I can see arising is in the context of shared bathrooms and/or change rooms. Perhaps we should simply do away with these and have the ability to change and go to the washroom with more privacy. i.e. have a common bathroom or changeroom, but the actual toilets and change spaces are fully walled with a full length door. Essentially private rooms. Will this cost money to update? Yes. Should it be done? Yes. We already have the same issue anyways. If a male enjoys watching other males change then it doesn't matter that the school labels these individuals as males. The point is we should provide privacy for situations where privacy is warranted because the world is not black and white.

nobspeople
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Re: Identifying as a.....

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Post by nobspeople »

benchwarmer wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 10:52 am [Replying to nobspeople in post #1]

My view is that we should simply call people by their name (or as they otherwise wish to be called by after introduction. i.e. a nickname).

Beyond that, it is only in the context of medicine where doctors will have to deal with the actual, biological reality of the person involved.

When it comes to schools, the only issue I can see arising is in the context of shared bathrooms and/or change rooms. Perhaps we should simply do away with these and have the ability to change and go to the washroom with more privacy. i.e. have a common bathroom or changeroom, but the actual toilets and change spaces are fully walled with a full length door. Essentially private rooms. Will this cost money to update? Yes. Should it be done? Yes. We already have the same issue anyways. If a male enjoys watching other males change then it doesn't matter that the school labels these individuals as males. The point is we should provide privacy for situations where privacy is warranted because the world is not black and white.
I tend to use names whenever possible. Even if someone isn't identifying as a different gender, sometimes it's hard to tell if one is a boy or girl based on a myriad of things.
The whole 'bathroom' thing is something to discuss. But, as far as I know, the scenario I presented here either hasn't yet happened or isn't something to which I'm privy.
This issue presented is strictly on if person X is a boy and wants to be seen/addressed as a girl (maybe even a 'girl name'), some parents don't want to do that - not only for themselves - they're also insisting the school treat person X as a boy in all aspects.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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