There is a lot of discussion happening right now about gender identity and how it should be taught in schools. On one side, there are those who believe that children should be taught about gender fluidity at a young age, so they can understand and accept people for who they think they are. On the other side, there are those who believe that this type of education is nothing more than a liberal agenda filled with lies, and that teachers should stick to teaching the basics like math, science, and reading.
One teacher in Boston shares her own story of how she was born and the doctor had "guessed" her gender wrong. She shares to her classroom of young 4 and 5 year old's her transgender story.
“So something that’s really cool and unique about who I am is that I am transgender,” Skyler, who is a female identifying as a male, said. [Emphasis added] “So when babies are born, the doctor looks at them and they make a guess about whether the baby is a boy or girl based on what they look like. Most of the time that guess is 100% correct; there are no issues whatsoever, but sometimes the doctor is wrong; the doctor makes an incorrect guess.”
“So I’m a man, but when I was a baby the doctors told my parents I was a girl,” Skyler explained to the young children. “And so my parents gave me a name that girls typically have; they bought me clothes that girls typically wear, and until I was eighteen years old everyone thought I was a girl.”
“And this was super, super uncomfortable for me because I knew that wasn’t right,” she said. “So when I was eighteen I told my family and my friends that I’m really a boy and it was like this huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders and I had the freedom to be who I truly am.”
Teachers should not be allowed to push their own personal agendas on children in the classroom. The sad part is that they truly believe what they are doing is truthful and right. Its false truths like these that spread extreme harm; sharing gender fluidity as if it were a fact. This is not only untrue, but it can also be very damaging to children's development.
Skyler continues saying, “many conversations with many young children … about what being transgender is, and never once have I been met with any fear or confusion. I’ve even been the recipient of a group hug! Children just get it, it’s as simple as that.”
Gender identity is a hot-button issue that will continue to be debated for years to come. But as protectors be-it parent, grandparent, or guardian, it is our responsibility to be watchful to what is being taught. We must take responsibility and action if these influences harm our future generations. There are two types of gender- male and female. Everything else is a social construct, a choice. It is not something that should be taught in schools as it confuses children. They are too young to understand these concepts and it does nothing but harm them in the long run.