what age do you think is most ideal to begin teaching about LGBT issues

[stephaniec]

I'm just sitting here in Starbucks realizing how good I feel being on Estrogen. Estrogen to me is a miracle. I remember deeply craving it at puberty and beyond , but never was shown the path for whatever the multitude of reasons were. I know if I had been able to transition at puberty so much pain could of been avoided. I think if there was an educational initiative early on in grade school I definitely would of been able to see much clearer who I was and could of sought out help. When do you  think would be the proper time to formally educate about issues such as LGBT.

[ImagineKate]

As early as kids learn about gender which I am finding out is 4 years old. We can teach tolerance at an early age. The sexuality bit of it can wait until they're older.

[IAmDariaQuinn]

is it just me, or are we talking about all of this as if a gender binary was the default setting?  Because when we approach it like that, doesn't that tell kids the same thing?

How effective is teaching kids about LGBTQIA if we're still subconsciously sorting them into a binary of boys and girls?  How much sexual harassment would we avoid if we had kids using gender neutral bathrooms from the start?  Wouldn't we learn to separate sexuality from nudity or activities that even remotely relate to nudity, such as going to the bathroom or showering, if we never had it linked in the first place?  Maybe I'm completely off base here, but if we want kids to be able to accept that there's a whole range of gender and eventually, sexuality (as that part doesn't really need to be brought up until kids are starting to experience sexual thoughts and feelings and the onset of puberty), why are we sorting into exclusively "boys" and "girls", and teaching them traditionally heteronormative gender roles? 

I guess what I'm asking is why we're asking about an appropriate age to teach a variance on a norm that's only a norm because people say it is.  This just empowers the structure that's in place that made (and in some ways, still makes) our lives so difficult. 

[Jo-is-amazing]

I think LGB issues should be taught as part of sex-ed in highschool (or whenever it is first taught). Mainly due to the fact that they are sexualites and therefore best taught to children who are approaching the point that they really need to know. Although more visibility of gay couples could not hurt either.

As for the T, that should be taught as early as is possible.  Kids need to be able to grow up feeling happy and  that they are normal and ununderstood, and for far too many trans kids this morphs into feeling like they are 'broken' or there is something wrong with them. If we teach kids from the youngest possible age, that it is ok to  be trans, and that there are paths they can take to help them, I think we will have a generation of happy healthy trans kids and peers that are much more receptive and accepting of there trans classmates.

Intersex issues should also be taught from as early as possible

[RosieD]

From birth, because then they don't become issues. Which, at least in the tiny little brain of a Rosie, is the entire point.

Rosie

[Ptero]

Interesting question.

I think DariaQuinn is right. The ideal thing to do would be to stop "teaching" them stupid norms.
But of course it can't happen suddenly, because the all society should change at once. (does not mean we shouldn't try !)

I often think that I have a role to play as a teacher (not a school teacher so they only see me 1h/week, but still). And I always pay attention at not let stereotypes or prejudices enter my classroom.
But I absolutely can't imagine being out at work. Though I know it would have been great for me as a kid and a teenager to know a trans* person. I think I would have feel less isolated, weird, unique, lost and desperately alone. But I still can't imagine being strong enough to be that person and even less what my directors would say if I tried...

[stephaniec]

what I'm trying to get at for myself is that I had severe problems before I started school at 4 years old . No matter how you want to see the issue as societies condition or brain development or what pseudo box your trying to or trying not to conform to , there should be help at an early age to shine a light on possible paths to explore life. There's no need for any categorizing rules to where one fits in order to be helped . It just seems from my own hideous experience growing up without any guidance what so ever , not at all the fault of my parents or teachers at the time because no one understood these issues very well if at all. I was in incredible pain because I had no Idea why I did belong in society, I knew I was wrong ,but I had absolutely no one to turn to for guidance. I'm just saying if a hand can be offered at an early age to stop the pain no matter how many colors of the handkerchief are involved, wouldn't it be better to try to stop the pain in even a blind attempt then no attempt at all .

[AbbyKat]

With our daughter, we just honestly answer her questions as she asks them and corrects her if she parrots an assumption she's heard elsewhere if it is incorrect.

Children are incredibly inquisitive and will bring it up for you before they are very old.  We've covered "boys who dress like girls" and "girls who marry other girls" and a few others simply because she's asked.  I'd say if it hasn't been covered by about eight or nine, there are several clever ways to bring it up without sounding like you are giving a speech.

Children aren't as poisoned by hate as adults and won't think twice when you tell them how the world really works and about all the varieties of people who may not be just like the ones they go to school with.  It's a heck of a lot easier than teaching these sorts of things to adults.

[Rudy King]

I think around fifth or sixth grade, or about the time they first start teaching sex ed.  I never even learned about Transsexuals until I was a freshmen in high school.  Of course we never really got into Intersex stuff ether at all.  I mean we all have heard the term "Hermaphrodite", but who really learns about Intersex stuff in k-12 anyways?

I only learned about "gays" from the church we went to.  And the kind of hatred they teach of it.  In fact that was one of the things that really bugged me growing up.

[stephaniec]

I learned about it when I was around 19 because I needed to try to find out what the hell was going on with me and I tried going through books at the library which helped a little ,but I really needed professional help /