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GLBT Children

GLBT Children. Policies of Elementary Schools and parental objections to teaching Gender Variance. By Tarah Tesmer. Thinking about “The Facts” Article. Sexual orientation is usually determined during early childhood. Many gay and lesbian youth self-identify at about age 16.

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GLBT Children

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  1. GLBT Children Policies of Elementary Schools and parental objections to teaching Gender Variance. By Tarah Tesmer

  2. Thinking about “The Facts” Article • Sexual orientation is usually determined during early childhood. • Many gay and lesbian youth self-identify at about age 16. • …so what about the kids who begin to question their sexuality in Elementary School?

  3. When is it okay for boys to be girls, and girls to be boys? • Many kids want to look and act like the other sex. For some, it’s a phase; for others, it’s not. • How can parents and schools adjust to this? Any ideas…?

  4. When is it okay for boys to be girls, and girls to be boys? • At a private Oakland, California, elementary school… • kids don’t line up according to sex • boys can play girls and girls can play boys in skits • girls can enroll as boys for kindergarten • unisex bathrooms

  5. 5-year-old Transgender Child • This child is the youngest transgendered child admitted to a South Florida school. • Mental health professionals have diagnosed the child with gender dysphoria • Gender dysphoria is a condition in which a person believes that he or she is the opposite gender (they are not simply going through a phase). • People with gender dysphoria have discomfort with their own external body parts because it doesn’t match their internal identity. • [commenter on the article states… ] “A five year old? This is outrageous on so many levels.”

  6. Boston Children’s Hospital • Opened the 1st clinic in the USA that would give out puberty-blocking drugs to young children identified as transgender (May 19, 2007). • These drugs are designed to prepare them for future sex-change operations. • 12-year-old boy = youngest • Clinic will allow kids as young as 7 to receive treatment.

  7. Objections to teaching about GLTB • http://www.massresistance.org/media/video/brainwashing.html • Massresistance.org is a website created by the pro-family action center in Massachusetts. • Believe that teaching about GLBT in elementary schools is the equivalent of homosexuals brainwashing the children. • They also comment on the Boston Clinic by stating “Is this the Nazi doctor era all over again?”

  8. About the video clip… • Was it right that the teacher put the student with two moms on the spot in front of a large class? What are the positives and negatives? • Would you expect questions/reactions from elementary students like the ones seen in the video? • “you stood up for your mother and father, I mean your moms” • “yeah but… did you win the contest?” • Was the teacher taking a risk by opening the floor up for questions? • Do you think these kids know enough about GLBT to have a discussion about gay marriage? Or does prior-knowledge not matter? • “one of them could have a disease…” • “but they love each other, how would you feel?” • “it’s like they want to be the boss of other people”

  9. Now we’re at a PTA meeting… or some kind of meeting… • You all are teachers from a school that promotes gender variance and teaching awareness about GLBT. • … And I’m an angry parent…! • Some of these may have no answer… but these are questions and statements that may be brought to your attention some day.

  10. #1 • You are sending out the wrong message to the other students by letting Johnny play Becky in your production of Tom Sawyer. This is not okay! Becky is a girl’s part and a girl should play Becky.

  11. #2 • A unisex bathroom!!!??? My daughter says she feels weird with boys in the same bathroom that she’s in. What if they show her their you-know-what!? This should not be allowed!

  12. #3 • Sarah says that you allow Johnny to wear a tutu to class. This is not clothing appropriate for a male student.

  13. #4 • Gender variance? How do you expect my child to understand what gender variance means when he can’t even come home with a gold star on his grammar work book? This is not age-appropriate and my child is not thinking about sex anyway.

  14. #5 • Tomorrow is Gay and Lesbian pride day!? You are brainwashing my child and he doesn’t have to support this.

  15. This is a young male student’s response to a book about a little girl who has two moms and her teacher tells her that having two moms is not possible… • Student: Well the teacher probably wasn’t very knowledgeable or open-minded or something. Maybe the teacher like knew that having 2 moms means lesbian but she didn’t like people like that. • Teacher: Can you describe more of what you mean by open-minded? • Student: Well like if you’re not very open-minded it’s like you don’t… well like let’s say there’s a new kind of vegetable or something and if you’re not very open-minded then you won’t try it ‘cause you don’t like to try new things and stuff, and if you are open minded then you would like to try it. So like if she was very open minded then she wouldn’t be prejudice.

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