I'm not sure how you could normalize nontraditional "gender identities" without causing confusion.

There's a big difference between normalizing the abnormal- which is more and more what we're doing- and teaching acceptance of those who are different.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

The people who say conservatives are anti-science are the same people who men can be women.

Crazy.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

Don't worry about it. A parent's job is to screw up their children. How do you think we got drag queens?

I think we're, at the societal level anyway, doing both. I don't know that acceptance of difference can occur without some level of normalization, though the exceptionally small minority will always be in some ways viewed as abnormal. Mostly because by definition, they are.

I have seen a glamorization, to some degree, of transgenderism in the last half decade, which probably runs the risk of those untoward consequences.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

I don't know that acceptance of difference can occur without some level of normalization

Sincerely, that's a sad thought.



I have seen a glamorization, to some degree, of transgenderism in the last half decade, which probably runs the risk of those untoward consequences.

Undoubtedly, and it follows the same glamorization of homosexuality. And yes, I think both have caused and are still causing a good deal of unnecessary, undesirable confusion.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Confusion about what?

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"Go yell at an M&M"

By normalization, I mean familiarity and some degree of understanding. A ten year old seeing a transsexual for the first time can have generally one of two reactions. If they're familiar with it, it's not nearly as shocking or confusing. I think that's a desirable outcome for all parties, and I think this kind of program might be useful to that end.

A boy who was born a boy and has no confusion on that point isn't likely to be enticed to transgenderism or crossdressing because a drag queen read him The Pet Goat a decade or so ago. But not every child is entirely clear on these things, and I don't know that opening the door to that line of thought, at that age, is always beneficial.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Maybe this is dumb question. But are drag queens and transgender the same thing?

I suppose the answer could be something in between, but I never really thought of drag queens as men who necessarily felt like they were women. A drag queen usually doesn't strike me as a man trying to be a woman but more like someone craving attention and putting on a show, of sorts.

By normalization, I mean familiarity and some degree of understanding. A ten year old seeing a transsexual for the first time can have generally one of two reactions. If they're familiar with it, it's not nearly as shocking or confusing.

I'd put that under "acceptance," not normalization.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Different things.

One of my closest colleagues is a gay man, identifies as a gay man, but does drag for fun at parties, parades, etc. Transgender people identify with the opposite biological gender and dress according to their identity.

It's probably safe to say that most people who dress in drag are bi or homosexual, though, regardless of which gender they innately identify with.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Was that a dumb question? Confusion about what?

(by the way, when using "whether", the "or not" is redundant. You can just say "and whether there's a risk...")

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Sorry, I answered it in my response to vitus. I don't think it's paranoia to say that some kids might be influenced toward behavior that they wouldn't otherwise, absent exposure to it in an implicit endorsement context.

That's what I was referring to, whether you agree with the premise, or not ;)

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Confusion about what?

Kind of my thought as well. A young child has no more awareness about "Sexual identity" then a dog or a rat does about self awareness, it's peripheral at best. How is listening to a drag read a book any different then listening to a clown read a book at these ages. To think a child can somehow make the connection between "Hey that is a guy dressed up as a girl...they must be sexually confused...or think they are a different gender then they were born...or maybe dressing up makes them feel special"...is absurd at best.

However just as ignorant is the idea that this is somehow necessary and somehow teaches children "Acceptance". Same question, acceptance of what? All of this is little more then adults projecting adult preferences, thoughts, political stances etc onto children. It teaches them nothing and has no "Confusing effect". I'd guess on these issues children probably have far more clarity then most adults.

~Matt

My wife thinks its kind of creepy. So do I. Clowns are kind of creepy too.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot