It Takes A Village To Bully A Transgender Kindergartner

Zack Ford
April 22, 2016

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/04/22/3771366/dave-hannah-edwards-transgender-kindergartner/

When Dave and Hannah Edwards were lucky enough to win the lottery to enroll their child at Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota, they were excited about the charter school's small classrooms, the kind teacher they'd met, and the special attention their kid would receive. What they didn't anticipate was an entire community rising up against their family as they became the latest victims of an anti-transgender backlash sweeping the country.

That's a depressing read :/

"gender identity "is too complicated for kindergartners to grasp." " They can't grasp, 'okay you can try seeing what being a girl is like for you', but they can grasp, 'No you're a boy you'll always be a boy because i say so'?? Do they want the school to also teach 'the sky is blue because it is'? Is school not for learning?

I liked this part though: ""If I didn't support who my child is now," Hannah reasoned, "that could be very hurtful and damaging. You parent the child you have today. My child is here today; this is what she needs now. If that changes three years from, I parent her at that time at that day and give her what she needs at that point." They will continue to follow her lead."

I will never understand how adults, parents at that, can behave so cruelly towards children. I know it happens but I don't understand.
I remember being bullied by the kids (boys and girls) in my school (because I didn't fit with either gender) and teachers not doing anything about it, but at least the other parents weren't involved.

I really want to think that things are changing. My 4 year old daughter's best school friend is AMAB but wears dresses and is very feminine. At this point it is unclear weather the child identifies as male, female or neither... and it doesn't matter to my daughter or her school. What matters is that my daughter's friend is kind, funny and just as strong willed as my daughter. I do worry what will happen when her friend enters the larger public school community, especially since the child has lesbian parents and might also be targeted for that.

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I find it disheartening that despite the findings of the science behind the etiology of this condition consistently indicating a biological genesis, many ignorant people remain steadfast in their conviction that this as a mental disorder; a delusion if you will. Throw religion into the mix and you've got the perfect environment for transphobia to flourish.

I feel sorry for the trans child, but also for the parents who would be seen by many as perpetuating their child's delusion, or worse, being seen as child abusers.

Quote from: Violets on April 22, 2016, 07:30:58 PM
I find it disheartening that despite the findings of the science behind the etiology of this condition consistently indicating a biological genesis, many ignorant people remain steadfast in their conviction that this as a mental disorder; a delusion if you will.

This is to be expected.  At least in the USA, about half the population rejects modern science outright and instead relies on medieval dogmas to understand the world.

It's a situation straight out of some 1970s apocalyptic thriller.  What it brings to mind for me is"The Omega Man." 

It's worth noting that several anti-LGBT hate groups, notably the MN Family Council and the Minnesota Child Protection League, were instrumental in stirring this particular pot. The MNFC actually rented the Nova gymnasium for the "presentation" mentioned in the article. The school administration could, and should, have said NO to this and done more to educate parents about the facts.

Trans (and LGBT) communities need to be better organized around tactics to oppose this sort of thing. One problem is that they have a lot more money than we do, thanks to support from well-funded national hate groups like Liberty Counsel.

Quote from: Tysilio on April 23, 2016, 05:45:46 PM
It's worth noting that several anti-LGBT hate groups, notably the MN Family Council and the Minnesota Child Protection League, were instrumental in stirring this particular pot. The MNFC actually rented the Nova gymnasium for the "presentation" mentioned in the article. The school administration could, and should, have said NO to this and done more to educate parents about the facts.

And then in the article one of the parents complained about an LGBT protest at the school:

""This was obviously orchestrated," one anonymous father said of a pro-LGBT demonstration at the school with a we-love-our-transgender-kids message. "Their only purpose was to try to be intimidating. And my eighth-grade daughter was intimidated.""

the hypocrisy is too darn high

From the schools fact sheet, and it says everything you need to know:


"Nova Classical Academy was founded by and for parents."

Ugh, the comments on that article are pure cancer.

Quote from: Queen B on April 26, 2016, 06:58:32 AM
Ugh, the comments on that article are pure cancer.

I can imagine there's the usual ignorant, bigoted, and vitriolic responses, such as:

- It's a mental illness;
- Why should we be forced play along with your delusion?
- Men are XY and women are XX, end of story;
- You can undergo all the surgery you like, but you will still be a man; and
- You wouldn't let someone cut their arm off because they wanted to be disabled, so why do we take people wanting to change their whole gender seriously?

And that's not including the religious based hatred.

Whilst things are improving, we are still among the most persecuted minority groups in the world.

Well,

That is very wrong.  What they did is inexcusable. 

Here is where I need assistance regarding this area....

I was just asked to volunteer as a judge for the "Science & Engineering Fair" at one of the middle schools very close to this school.....

I don't want to stir things up to much but it is an opportunity....

Still thinking.

Jennifer

Quote from: JLT1 on April 26, 2016, 01:07:13 PM
Well,

That is very wrong.  What they did is inexcusable. 

Here is where I need assistance regarding this area....

I was just asked to volunteer as a judge for the "Science & Engineering Fair" at one of the middle schools very close to this school.....

I don't want to stir things up to much but it is an opportunity....

Still thinking.

Jennifer

Oh, please don't let the bullies scare you away.

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on April 25, 2016, 11:12:40 AM
From the schools fact sheet, and it says everything you need to know:


"Nova Classical Academy was founded by and for parents."

Excellent point Devlyn.  When we as parents, teachers and school officials miss the needs of students and fail to be student centric we have a specious agenda. 

Quote from: Tysilio on April 23, 2016, 05:45:46 PM
It's worth noting that several anti-LGBT hate groups, notably the MN Family Council and the Minnesota Child Protection League, were instrumental in stirring this particular pot. The MNFC actually rented the Nova gymnasium for the "presentation" mentioned in the article. The school administration could, and should, have said NO to this and done more to educate parents about the facts.

Trans (and LGBT) communities need to be better organized around tactics to oppose this sort of thing. One problem is that they have a lot more money than we do, thanks to support from well-funded national hate groups like Liberty Counsel.

Thank you for keeping track of the local troll groups.   Yes we really do need to be prepared to counter the nonsense and be proactive with education.