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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 28, 2023

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Ahhh the Schrödinger parents - always knows what's best for their child if they decide to transition it, have absolutely no clue what's best for their child if there is any chance to oppose transition ...

Are you aware that psychologists and doctors are involved in this process?

The #1 institution in the world for convincing people not to transition is gender care clinics. Only a tiny fraction of people who come in for an initial consultation end up medically transitioning; most are dissuaded after talking to psychologists and doctors about whether it's actually the best path for them.

  • -26

The parents can only bring the kid to the gender care clinic if they know what is going on; the school conspiring to keep this all a secret from them means they don't know.

Right, and the kid should certainly tell their parents if they think it's reasonably safe to do so.

Teachers should certainly talk to kids about telling their parents and help them determine whether it's safe and encourage them to do so if it is.

But having the state step in front of that individual judgement and make a blanket policy for everyone will cause a lot of problems. As per usual for state overreach into personal lives.

Then again, teaching kids postmodernist theories of identity in compulsory schools is an even bigger overreach into personal lives. Arguably compulsory schooling itself is. Given that we already live in a world where both of these things happen as a matter of course, what is the argument for stopping the overreach at informing the parents about their children's behavior in school?

Then again, teaching kids postmodernist theories of identity in compulsory schools is an even bigger overreach into personal lives.

First of all, no, teaching ideas is not a hostile act. If it is then we would need to have a serious conversation about teaching religion, and everything else.

Second, what exactly is it that you imagine is happening in schools? I'm sure schools in California have library books that talk about gender, and maybe as many as some kids have ever read them, but it's not going to be in the curriculum or on a test or anything.

what is the argument for stopping the overreach at informing the parents about their children's behavior in school?

Two wrongs don't make a right, I guess?

Doing a bad thing doesn't become good just because you're also doing a second bad thing. I'm not sure what argument you're really trying to make here.

  • -16

If it is then we would need to have a serious conversation about teaching religion, and everything else.

I, too, remember the popular political refrain of "it's like ramming your dick down my kid's throat" of 2010.

Of course, the same thing applies to other newly-protected characteristics like, well, sexuality; said dick-ramming happens to be a bit more literal these days.

A government that protects characteristics is, by the reasoning behind protective characteristics, not to then start "affirming" some characteristics over others. The Progress flag and the Christian cross belong in equal measure in government: completely absent.

Oh being cis and straight is absolutely affirmed by schools every minute of every day.

Like a fish in water, it's so common that you don't notice it until it's absent for a moment.

  • -14

This comment got enough reports that I feel it is important to respond to it with my moderator hat on.

This is certainly an unpopular opinion around here, but we don't moderate on unpopular opinions. I partly wish people would stop reporting things just because they are unpopular opinions. This clogs the mod queue for other uses.

At most I'd just say that you could elaborate on something like this:

Oh being cis and straight is absolutely affirmed by schools every minute of every day.

Which is a claim that might get accepted uncritically in some circles, but not around here.

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