3rd-graders asked to help classmate in gender change

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | May 10, 2008

[Man50D]

A Pennsylvania elementary school has angered parents by giving them one-day's notice of planned counseling sessions with 100 third-grade students to explain that one of their male classmates would soon begin wearing girls' clothing and taking a female name and to ask that they accept him as a girl and not make unkind remarks.

The exercise in "social transition" was initiated by the boy's parents who approached the administration at Chatham Park Elementary School in Haverford Township asking that the school help in having their child's female identity find acceptance among his peers. After consulting experts on transgender children, the Haverford School District sent letters to parents advising them the school guidance counselor would meet with their children, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer.

While some parents contacted the principal asking that their children be excused, others took their anger out online.

"Why is the school introducing this subject to 8- and 9-year-olds?" wrote an angry parent who started a discussion on the Haverford Township's blog site. "Why were we not notified sooner. We received the letter today, the discussion at school is tomorrow."

The Haverford Township blog is not currently viewable.

In the letter to parents, Chatham Park principal Daniel Marsella assured parents the counseling would use "developmentally appropriate language" to explain "how we need to help this student make a social transition in school."

[Psycho_Bunny]

You're confusing two different things: there are hyper-femme drag queens who march up and down "Gay Pride" parades in garter belts wish feather boas - those people are making a choice and those are the types of people you're talking about.

Personally, I have very little patience for those people. They're ridiculous, but I won't get in their face about it. I just want them to stay away from children. As well you probably do.

The other type - which you seem anxious-at-the-gate to condemn to hell - are people born with a brain that is the opposite gender of the body. These people exist and they have as much "choice" as babies who are born with heart defects...or no legs...or deaf...or blind. What happened to them, happened in the womb and there's no sexual deviation behind it. For all practical purposes, they have a birth defect and your implied demand that they get over it is as absurd as telling a child with no arms to "Just grow new arms!"

What you're confused about is not an artificial agenda being perpetuated by the gay community, but rather what your God did to these children in their mothers womb.

[WVKayaker]

...For all practical purposes, they have a birth defect...

We all suffer from the same malady. That does not excuse sin. I do not condemn anyone... I just recognize the root causes. Let's just call it a Biblical thing.

but rather what your God did to these children in their mothers womb.

I assume you recognize some other god? I am sorry I cannot fall into your lair. Nor, do I give much credence to your theory. I repeat, boys are boys, and girls are girls...

[A knight without armor]

That’s what I’m saying.

[Eagle Eye]

So?....Where is the line that you would not cross? Does one exist for you?

In all sincerity, I do not understand your question.

I don't eat liver.

I don't kiss men.

I have challenged books and teachings from school, have corrected teachers notes home, worksheets, and even text books.

I have even challenged the 'drop and do push' policy that one middle school had...they made the kids literally march between classes and if any kids got out of line (literally) the kid was dropped for pushups. I challenged this because I saw no reason for a math or social studies teacher to dole out pushups and after a couple calls to the school board they stopped.

So, no, I'm not going to let anyone march kids to concentration camps.

But at least I get involved as opposed to most complaining freepers.

[wintertime]

So?....Where is the line that you would not cross? Does one exist for you? ( wintertime)

“In all sincerity, I do not understand your question.” ( Eagle Eye )
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yes, you do.

At what point would the government schools be so toxic and so horrific that you would remove your child and work to see that your entire government school district was closed.

Where is the line in the sand for you? Does one exist for you?

[informavoracious]

Perhaps we should not announce our babies' sex at birth, but dress all children identically and ask them when they are 8 whether they want to be a boy or a girl.

The reason the parents did not do this over the summer or move the child to a different schools is obvious. It wouldn't fit with the agenda of forcing their relative truths on everyone else.

[Eagle Eye]

At what point would the government schools be so toxic and so horrific that you would remove your child and work to see that your entire government school district was closed.

Schools are a reflection of the local community so I will never have to face that problem. If the community goes to hell, I'll probably be gone already. At what point is that? Don't really know.

I spent 7 years and graduated 4 kids in a school district where the school colors were red white and blue, the hallways were named after founding fathers, the seniors had to pass the citizenship test and the school had two nationally ranked rifle teams. Not to mention very competitive sports teams, accmoplished bands, and kids very involved in community events. Oh, they even pray and have a Bible class!

Pretty horrific and toxic, eh?

Hard to find those elements even in private or home schools.

But I really thought you were talking about concentration camps!

[wintertime]

At what point is that? Don't really know.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Really? You don't know where you would draw the line?

Hm?...Would human sacrifice do it for you? Would the torture of animals be enough?

[JSteff]

“The issue here is not whether the kid and the parents want to try this”

That the parents even brought this up IS the issue. Shouldn't they have taken the child to work things out in private? Buy making a PUBLIC issue out of this aren't they putting some sort of burden on the child?

Now the kid will have to live up to what the school and parents tell the rest of the school the child “thinks he is”! Then they make an issue out of it by announcing it to the rest of the school. What a burden to put on a child especially if the child “decides” he is really a boy after all.

The other thing I would expect is that the parents are investigated and receive counseling for dealing with their own issues. What if the parents are the wack jobs (or worse) in this whole issue?

[JSteff]

“Also, since this obviously isn't an emergency situation, why could the surgery not be done during the summer recess, which is less than a month away?”

Uhmmm guys? Where in the article does it say he is getting an operation at all. The article specifically says:

“The Haverford boy has NOT received medical treatments to change his sex, but has TOLD others he sees himself a girl.”

I can see being understanding of a child with problems of whatever type but to start projecting ahead the sex change operation on the say so of the parents or the kid?

I think the child's parents need counseling or to at least be spoken to by counselors. What if this is a problem on the parents part? Even if this is a real case of “mistaken identity” why should the rest of the students and parents have to change anything?

This is an issue for the parents and student to deal with but to make other small children have to deal with all the associated complexities is real discrimination. Everyone else must bend to one families highly unusual circumstances?

Get real. In fact the school district should be required to deal with this. Move the child to another school, home tutoring, whatever... but not make this something for the other 100 families even have to deal with!

The school should be sued by the rest of the families for badly handling this whole thing. We are not talking about college age kids here. This is an elementary school student!

[JSteff]

“The Haverford boy has NOT received medical treatments to change his sex, but has TOLD others he sees himself a girl.”

So if you read the associated article, it specifically says what the issue is here. It is a non-issue at this point. At best it is an issue for the child and his parents to deal with.

[JSteff]

“The only thing worse than this kids problem, is the way that everyone in the article seems to be dealing with it. What a joke”

Exactly. Most ignored reading the article before commenting on it. No operation is planned, and this is just the way the child says he “feels”.

[mckenzie7]

I'm thankful that you are with us after going through such an ordeal!

As a child, I wanted to be a boy so badly because the boys had all the fun. I played boy games and always preferred to be outside with my dad, fishing and being his right hand, rather than with my mother doing girl things. I dressed like a girl for school and church and used the girls restroom. When I reached puberty, much of it changed and I was delighted to be a girl. I still am more of a tailored type but still a female.
I wonder if this boy was the opposite of how I was? And where do the girl clothes come from?
I'm grateful that my parents didn't give in to my childish wishes.
It appears that these parents have their own agenda and not their child's best interests at heart!