Disney Disingenuous?

[bsmcneil]

What about the rights for the parents of the other twenty kids in the class who are too young to have sexual identity instruction at age 5-8? That’s not the teacher’s job - he or she is to teach educational subjects and let morality to the parents and the church. If there is such an issue as you described, a note can go home to the parents and they discuss it with their child how they see fit.

Schools are meant to educate. Parents can educate their family in a particular way if they'd like, at home, but it doesn't make sense to deprive kids of information because a family has their own ... beliefs ... is the kindest word I can use. Why limit information? What good does that do the world or the people who live in it? Have your ... beliefs ... and communicate with your kids about them at home - that's part of what education is about. They're not babysitters for you (schools/teachers) meant to deliver your views to a whole community. If you want that, perhaps a private education or homeschooling would be best (but it definitely doesn't seem appropriate to limit what people can have or hear, or to harm other people, because of your ... perspective).

ETA - I, of course, educate my kids on our values as they learn things at school. School isn't there for me to advance my own values or beliefs - but for them to get an education and be knowledgable/not ignorant about the world. So, I'm not suggesting that I should get what I want at your expense - but that information is information and we don't need to limit access to resources because we disagree with something.

 

[Colleen27]

Can children as young as this really know whether they are trans or not? I’m not saying they can’t but I was pretty clueless when I was little so it’s fascinating to me.

There are three young trans individuals in my close circle, one of them like a child to me and another that my DD has been best friends with since preschool. Middle school was the time of figuring it out for all three of them. I think when kids are very young, the differences between the sexes aren't as pronounced and aren't as rigid so questions of identity don't come into play in a serious way. If a 5 year old girl wants to dress and play like a boy, most people don't even think twice (often because of an unstated assumption that they'll grow out of it); it is when that "growing out of it" doesn't happen that the young people I know started really grappling with questions of gender identity and how to be more comfortable in their own skin. But that's a very small sample and all people who were born female but identify as male. I'd imagine the knowing might come earlier for a boy for whom male gender roles don't fit because even at a young age boys are allowed less room to "try on" elements of feminine identity.

 

[bcla]

For what it's worth, Bob Chapek is speaking up on this and Disney will be making a big donation.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/b...-florida-bill-shareholder-meeting-1235107783/​

Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek says that he will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss the state’s controversial so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and acknowledged that while the company was “opposed to the bill from the outset,” its original approach to fighting it “didn’t get the job done.”​

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Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, he also said that Disney would donate $5 million to organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, working to protect LGTBQ+ rights.​

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With regard to the bill, Chapek said that “while we have been strong supporters of the community for decades, I understand that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill. We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.”​

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“We were hopeful that our longstanding relationships with those lawmakers could lead to a better outcome. Ultimately, we were unsuccessful,” he added. “I called Gov. DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be unfairly used to target gay, lesbian, nonbinary and transgender kids and families. The governor heard our concerns, and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address them.”​

 

[Redart59]

Yes, as gender (and sex) are things taught and coded into society pretty early (similar to how kids need to learn about race and racism because those lessons make it in even before kindergarten). I don't think the idea is that every person who is trans (or non-binary) will know that as a kid - things unfold in different ways. Meanwhile, if I can be bullied and physically harmed for being gay in 3rd grade (which is when it began), certainly we can give kids resources and information to know more about that (fyi, I'm not gay - though I'm bi - and my 3rd grade teacher said, "Well, gay is my first name - so that's what they mean" which made absolutely NO sense since I was literally beaten up while being called "her first name").

Thank you for answering this sincere question, I was wondering this too.
Many of us have zero experience with this topic.
I’m so sorry you had to deal with such an ignorant teacher when you were so young. It obviously stayed with you all this time.