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A Nebraska school district has instructed its teachers to stop referring to students by “gendered expressions” such as “boys and girls,” and use “gender inclusive” ones such as “purple penguins” instead.

“Don’t use phrases such as ‘boys and girls,’ ‘you guys,’ ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ and similarly gendered expressions to get kids’ attention,” instructs a training document given to middle-school teachers at the Lincoln Public Schools.

“Create classroom names and then ask all of the ‘purple penguins’ to meet on the rug,” it advises.
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The document also warns against asking students to “line up as boys or girls,” and suggests asking them to line up by whether they prefer “skateboards or bikes/milk or juice/dogs or cats/summer or winter/talking or listening.”

“Always ask yourself . . . ‘Will this configuration create a gendered space?’” the document says.

The instructions were part of a list called “12 steps on the way to gender inclusiveness” developed by Gender Spectrum, an organization that “provides education, training and support to help create a gender sensitive and inclusive environment for children of all ages.”

Other items on the list include asking all students about their preferred pronouns and decorating the classroom with “all genders welcome” door hangers.

If teachers still find it “necessary” to mention that genders exist at all, the document states, they must list them as “boy, girl, both or neither.”

Furthermore, it instructs teachers to interfere and interrupt if they ever hear a student talking about gender in terms of “boys and girls” so the student can learn that this is wrong.

“Point out and inquire when you hear others referencing gender in a binary manner,” it states. “Ask things like . . . ‘What makes you say that? I think of it a little differently.’ Provide counter-narratives that challenge students to think more expansively about their notions of gender.”

The teachers were also given a handout created by the Center for Gender Sanity, which explains to them that “Gender identity . . . can’t be observed or measured, only reported by the individual,” and an infographic called “The Genderbred Person,” which was produced by www.ItsPronouncedMetroSexual.com.

Despite controversy, Lincoln Superintendent Steve Joel has declared that he is “happy” and “pleased” with the training documents.

“We don’t get involved with politics,” he told KLIN Radio’s Drive Time Lincoln radio show.

“We don’t get involved with gender preferences. We’re educating all kids . . . and we can’t be judgmental,” he said.

In the race to become the most politically correct bastion of liberal education in the U.S., Nebraska’s Lincoln Public School district seems to be making a push for the lead. Instead of referring to the young students in the school system as boys and girls, educators are being forced to use nonsensical terms to avoid offending any kids confused about their gender
Read more at http://www.westernjournalism.com/gender ... bt2tvqu.99

Nebraska Watchdog has uncovered training documents given to middle school teachers in Lincoln, Neb., telling them not to use “gendered expressions” and to call out “binary models of gender” when they see them.

“Avoid asking kids to line up as boys or girls or separating them by gender,” begins a document called “12 easy steps on the way to gender inclusiveness.”

“Instead, use things like ‘odd and even birth date,’ or ‘Which would you choose: skateboards or bikes/milk or juice/dogs or cats/summer or winter/talking or listening.’ … Always ask yourself, ’Will this configuration create a gendered space?’”

“Don’t use phrases such as ‘boys & girls,’ ‘you guys,’ ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ and similarly gendered expressions to get kids’ attention,” it continues. “Provide an opportunity for every student to identify a preferred name or pronoun. … When you find it necessary to reference gender, say ‘Boy, girl, both or neither.’ When asked why, use this as a teachable moment. Emphasize to students that your classroom recognizes and celebrates the gender diversity of all students.”

Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel defended the materials last week, and told local radio host Kevin Thomas that “our position, ours is inclusiveness. … We know that there’s a correlation between bullying and gender, as well as sexual preference, and so you know, as a school district, we’re just trying to provide information for our folks to understand that a little bit better, and I think that’s what they’ve done, and I think they’re doing a great job with it.”

“Be intolerant of openly hostile attitudes or references towards others EVERY TIME you hear or observe them, but also use these as teachable moments,” the training sheet advises. “Take the opportunity to push the individual on their statements about gender. Being punitive may stop the behavior, at least in your presence. Being instructive may stop it entirely.”

Spekio wrote:Also, is it just me or "Purple Penguin" is really fucking creepy?

Eternal_Freedom wrote:AH, more absurdity from public education.

Also, I'm not even a teacher and I already hate the term "teachable moment."

Simon_Jester wrote:If the school mascot is a penguin or something, not so much.

My school mascot is an animal, and all our sports teams are named for that animal, and sometimes the term is used as a kenning for "students at this school."

Huffington Post wrote:Students' union member Camille Trombetti says the changing room is not only "for transsexual" students but any student who wants privacy when changing for school activities.

Sidewinder wrote:I must emphasize that this is at a high school, meaning most students are not yet physically mature, and thus, below the legal age of consent. How and why would a 16-year-old kid get a sex-change operation? Shouldn't this kid wait until he or she is at least 18?

Zixinus wrote:A question for actual transgenders or so: is it really a desire for you (rational or gut-feeling) people to abolish the idea of gender as a whole?

Because that seems like a bit of a silly goal. Biological gender is not a fixed binary thing, but the two ends are quite definable and real. Wouldn't it make more sense for schools to push the idea that falling somewhere in-between happen and are just not a big deal?

HMS Sophia wrote:

Sidewinder wrote:I must emphasize that this is at a high school, meaning most students are not yet physically mature, and thus, below the legal age of consent. How and why would a 16-year-old kid get a sex-change operation? Shouldn't this kid wait until he or she is at least 18?

I'm... avoiding the rest of this thread carefully, but this...
There is a significant difference between transitioning and receiving GRS/SRS (Gender/Sex reassignment surgery). Transitioning is very much a social endeavour in which a person identifies and appears in society as a member of a gender they were not assigned at birth. Many young people under the age of 18 will begin transitioning. Just because someone is transitioning does not mean they have recieved, or even will look to receive GRS.
It can be very helpful for someone beginning to explore transitioning or who is less confident in their transition to have a space in which they can change/use the bathroom which they consider a safe space. A gender neutral bathroom or changing room is a very easy way of achieving this.

Sidewinder wrote: Shouldn't a person delay the "transition" until he or she is at least 18, legally considered an adult, more likely to be financially independent (and less likely to be affected if a parent considers his or her behavior to be "freakish," and takes measures to "discipline" them), and outside of the downright TOXIC environment a high school is? Adolescence can be an extremely confusing and conflicting period for people, as I know from personal experience.

Sidewinder wrote:When seeking links to articles affirming what I read, I came across a description of gender-neutral changing rooms at a high school.

Huffington Post wrote:Students' union member Camille Trombetti says the changing room is not only "for transsexual" students but any student who wants privacy when changing for school activities.

The handouts, provided by a staff member on a district equity team, were meant only for teachers, not for students or parents, she said.

And they were not meant as rules staff had to follow, but as suggestions for how teachers can make students feel comfortable. It also stresses the impact words can have on others, Leggiardo said.

“If there’s a staff member that’s uninformed and unsupportive, that can be pretty scary for a family maybe struggling to understand transgender issues themselves,” she said.

madd0ct0r wrote:'ladyboys'*

*I don't even know if this is still insulting or has been reclaimed or is just what works for this particular group,