Canada: Schools officially allow students to use alternate pronouns
95 replies, posted
[quote]
Some schools in Vancouver are reported to be doing away with the old-fashioned pronouns "he" and "she" [highlight]for their transgender pupils[/highlight] in favour of a new gender-neutral word, "xe".
The school board in the Canadian city has approved a new policy which [highlight]allows[/highlight] pupils to be referred to as "xe, xem and xyr" instead of "he or she", "him or her", and "his or hers". "We're standing up for kids and making our schools safer and more inclusive," board member Mike Lombardi told the Vancouver Sun. Another change will allow children to choose to use any toilet facilities they prefer, including a mandatory unisex option.
Opponents of the policy shouted "dictator" and "liar" at school trustees when it was passed after only a brief debate at a rowdy public meeting which had to be guarded by police. Parents who question the changes argue that six-year-olds aren't qualified to understand identity issues and that as some of them can't even use the toilet yet, much less decide which washroom to do it in, National Post commentator Kelly McParland said.
[/quote]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-27904621[/url]
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("misleading title" - dai))[/highlight]
Forcibly changing the language we use, instead of letting it evolve naturally over time, is quite stupid.
Yeah no, not gonna fly up here. Its been he and she for AGES, and its gonna be he and she everywhere else in the world.
yes, making up an imaginary set of pronouns for them rather than just using the set they want to be referred to by is a good idea
why not just identify the transgender people with what they want instead?
I don't see how they're going to enforce that. A kid's not going to think to use those pronouns, and even if they do I can't imagine it'll be for more than a day or two.
I imagine the effort would be better used for some sort of gender-awareness day/week where the children are educated on the subject of transgenderism, etc.
Bottom line, the school has the right idea wanting to make this happen, but perhaps is not going about it the best possible way.
[quote]Opponents of the policy shouted "dictator" and "liar" at school trustees when it was passed after only a brief debate at a rowdy public meeting which had to be guarded by police. Parents who question the changes argue that six-year-olds aren't qualified to understand identity issues and that as some of them can't even use the toilet yet, much less decide which washroom to do it in, National Post commentator Kelly McParland said.[/quote]
This response is even stupider than the decision.
While we're at it, we should change the word heterosexual to "not-yet-homosexual". Just to make sure that group doesn't feel strange for being different.
[QUOTE=MasterFen006;45157755]'They'[/QUOTE]
Here in Sweden people have started to use "Hen", it is supposedly more neutral than saying "Han/Honom" (He) or "Hon/Henne" (She).
xe was ok but xem and xyr are just clashing with the english language
Why do we need he and she, When we call them, Shlee?
[sp]futurama[/sp]
How do you even say those, only way I can think of is like "she" but with a cough at the start :v:
im sorry but this is offensive
my pronouns are Motherfucker/Mothafucka/Mother Fucker and i want it to be respected too
[QUOTE=supersnail11;45157807]This response is even stupider than the decision.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it's honestly just blatant discrimination toward non-traditional genders. I don't understand it and even if they did explain it I still probably wouldn't get the fuss.
In my language there is no he or she, just word hän which doesn't specify anything other than it is a person.
But xe? Sounds so weird that it shouldn't even be english.
[QUOTE=Crimor;45157845]How do you even say those, only way I can think of is like "she" but with a cough at the start :v:[/QUOTE]
"zee"
[QUOTE=Crimor;45157845]How do you even say those, only way I can think of is like "she" but with a cough at the start :v:[/QUOTE]
I read them like Z's. Zee, zer, zem.
Damned ninjas.
Newsflash:
Nobody legitimately uses these. What the fuck.
[quote]The school board in the Canadian city has approved a new policy which allows pupils to be referred to as "xe, xem and xyr" instead of "he or she", "him or her", and "his or hers".[/quote]
I'm not seeing anything about forcing them to use xe, just that they can if they want to.
a link to the [URL="http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Vancouver+school+board+approves+policy+addressing+transgender/9945194/story.html"]original article[/URL] (from this article) even says it's just an alternative
[quote]The pronouns are touted as alternatives to he/she, him/her, and his/hers, and come as last-minute amendments to the board’s new policy aimed at better accommodating transgender students in schools.[/quote]
super sensationalist
[QUOTE=onebit;45157849]But how does one guess the correct pronoun? Anyway, it's nice to have a word that isn't gender-specific.[/QUOTE]
Why should anyone have to guess? It's up to the individual to let people know what they want to be called.
[QUOTE=JoonazL;45157819]xe was ok but xem and xyr are just clashing with the english language[/QUOTE]
They all are, besides that it's already perfectly acceptable to use the plural terms (they and whatnot) as nongendered singulars, and it's not hard to just [B]ask them what they want to be called,[/B] at my school's GSA we always started off every meeting by just asking that, it's a short question and a four word answer.
I'm trans and I'd honestly be more pissed off by someone calling me some made-up alien words than just assuming I'm a guy because I look like one.
[QUOTE=Yumyumbublegum;45157880]I'm not seeing anything about forcing them to use xe, just that they can if they want to.
a link to the [URL="http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Vancouver+school+board+approves+policy+addressing+transgender/9945194/story.html"]original article[/URL] (from this article) even says it's just an alternative
super sensationalist[/QUOTE]
Even so I don't see what it really helps. Like I said above, it would probably lead to a more positive outcome if the children were educated on the subject rather than given additional pronouns to know.
lol even this part of the article is misleading
[quote]After another meeting in May, an angry parent told the CBC that parents, psychologists and medical experts were not being listened to. [/quote]
from the original article
[quote]Board approval came close on the heels of the final public hearing on the issue, held last week, when doctors and other experts from Vancouver Coastal Health added their voices to others supporting the plan.[/quote]
this article is terrible
So we're using those pronouns...you know...the one's everyone was joking about for years..
My pronouns are Butt, Butte and Butteself.
[sp]Shitself is also an option[/sp]
are you shitting me
Zee is trans? Sounds like german accent to me. Enforcing such stuff, what is this, nazi Germany?
The 'x' makes it sound cool :v:
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