Periods for Boys – Analysis of Gender Identity in Schools

Periods for Boys – Analysis of Gender Identity in Schools

by Bob Branco

News says that at schools in a particular city in UK, children will be taught that all genders can have periods as part of new sex education lessons—a victory for transgender rights campaigners. The Brighton & Hove city Council is opening the door for 8-year-olds to fully understand the menstruation process, no matter what gender they are. There will even be menstruation kits in boys’ as well as girls’ rest rooms.

gender identity drawing

I don’t understand why someone thinks it’s so important to force the subject of gender identity on impressionable young children. Most of these children understand who they are, yet society wants to attempt to make all sizes fit one.

First, I know that there are transgender people. Most of them are full-grown adults who waited until they were old enough to pursue this course of action. Second graders are too young to know if they should change genders, so why force them to understand gender identity prematurely.

There is more to this new trend, but I will assume you get the idea. While it’s important for adolescents to know about periods and menstruation as a physical characteristic, I don’t feel that school systems or any other organizations should attempt to force this on very young children until they are ready to ask about it. When I was 8, I didn’t need to see a menstruation kit near my urinal in order to learn what it was, whether I was curious or not. If I really wanted to know, I’d ask someone. Boys knew their role, and girls knew theirs.

If we encountered people from the LBGT community, we learned to understand their beliefs and respect them for who they were. If I had the desire to be gay, lesbian or transgender, I’d make my own decision when it felt appropriate for me, and only me. Furthermore, if young children are too ashamed to ask what menstruation is or the type of products associated with it, their parents can discuss it with them privately. Why should private issues in the home always be brought into the school systems? Don’t teachers have enough to do already?

As society evolves, teachers are assuming the roles of social worker, counselor, baby sitter, and referee, which take away more time from the actual job of educating.

The school system I referred to also wants to establish the use of non-gender uniforms because they would make all children inclusive. I don’t know about you, but when I was a boy in school, I felt very much inclusive. Can’t we stop coming up with all of this analysis of gender identity and just focus on traditional education? Leave the personal issues where they belong, in the home.

About the Author

Robert T. Branco resides in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is the author of five self-published books. He is a community organizer, tutors persons with visual impairments, has written columns for local and international organizations, and publishes a monthly online newsletter, The Consumer Vision. Bob’s website, with full information about his books, is http://www.dldbooks.com/robertbranco/.

Related: Gender Concerns: UK School Bans Skirts for Girls

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