Pregnant Men, Pronouns & Play
Oh Scottish Government
This week UK Courts will decide how ‘woman’ is defined in law.
The case, initiated by women's rights campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS), centres on whether a person who has gone through the medical and psychological process of gender reassignment and obtained a gender recognition certificate (GRC), can qualify as a woman under equality laws.
(Qualify as a woman - I mean seriously - qualify as a woman? For those who cannot decipher the above it means if a dude wears some dresses and lippy, and successfully play acts stereotypes of womanhood for a concerted amount of time then he will be graced a certificate giving him access to female only spaces and for legal purposes ‘be treated like a woman’. It’s patently absurd and should never have even been considered but here we are.)
Back in 2010 UK Legislators thought it was a good idea to add ‘gender reassignment’ to protected characteristics for the purposes of equality law. It was this single lie that allowed the host of nonsense to infiltrate into the public and commercial sector.
But it’s a lie. No man can become a woman, no woman can become a man.
As a theatre maker (I went to the Royal Conservatoire daaaahlinks) I have known many ‘eccentrics’ in my time. Within theatre circles one would get used to the many expressions of individuality ‘played’ out in certain persons lives. But it was just that, play. The nature of performance is (or should be) play. Whilst we might have ‘gone along’ with it, there was never any genuine belief that the individual in question had *become* their current theatrical manifestation. It was costumes and affectations, it went with the territory. And it was, mostly, fun.
But the current manifestation of ‘trans’, which includes a whole host of identities and costumes (I dare you to try to come to terms with Stonewalls own definition of the word ‘trans’ which up until very recently included cross dressers) is anything but fun. It certainly is not play.
“Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois.” (Stonewall)
SERIOUSLY.
On the theme of play, the Scottish Government ‘Trans Guidance in Scottish Schools’ guidance which is distributed to all schools nationally only presents (a very flawed) ‘affirmation’ approach. So if a child *seems to indicate* (and depending on the teacher this bandwidth of ‘indicate’ could also include a host of behaviours to interpret) they ‘are trans’, in fact it’s the teacher’s duty to affirm. Even the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS - the largest teachers union in Scotland) voted on a motion for self-id in schools. (as per Stonewall, see above)
Putting aside the Cass Review for the minute (which provides a whole host of medical/socio/psychological reasons why affirmation of ‘trans identities’ is wrong for children) I cannot get my head around how a teacher can square the space between a child’s natural proclivity to *play* and ‘trans’. It makes something that in the past might have been considered whimsical, curious and fluid into something political, serious and immovable. (and of course ignores the potential red flags the expressions might also indicate, such as abuse).
The development of humour in our society is vitally important for socialisation and community cohesion. This starts in childhood. In order for children to develop a sense of humour they must first establish a good relationship with another person whom they can share these experiences. An individual who can ‘spar’ with. The psychologist Lev Vygotsky developed a whole theory that placed great weight on these interactions for a child’s healthy cognitive development. The key skills involved include imagination and the ability to extend one’s perspective beyond personal experience. Play. (curiously that places ‘child centred’ outside of the child, in direct contrast to the narcissism massaging model we now find ourselves with…)
Schools have lost a lot of this playful shine as they become veritable hot houses for very serious activist messaging. (Become a Global citizen! Know you rights! etc) What’s more even the vital aspects of play have become locked down into straitjackets of identity. A male child likes to dress up in gowns and frocks? Obviously a girl trapped in a boy body.
Where is the play?
And I have to wonder where these ‘trans identities’ really sits legally (if one was to push it legally or even philosophically) as when delivering evidence in a UK court of law (as all Western courts as is propagated on many court room dramas and films) one has to swear the oath:
"I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
So already we have a real problem before we get out of the gate. I mean the current court case should just end right there, shouldn’t it???
The truth is men cannot become women. Women cannot become men. Why the hell are we even entertaining this notion? Yet somehow we have convinced people from the small nursery classroom to the highest court of the land that this is worth debating. It’s BONKERS.
There are reasons why there are literally hundreds of references cautioning people against lying in the Bible.
No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.
ECTERA
Even if you are not a ‘believer’ the fact that this was deemed so important to be recorded again and again in an ancient text speaks to an understanding of human nature…. which continues to this day.
In fact, lying has been seen to cause so many problems that archetypal fables such a ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’, ‘Pinnochio’, and ‘The Emperors New Clothes’ continue to be used in common parlance now as when they were written hundreds of years ago. That Sir Walter Scott wrote “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive” is immediately familiar because it’s TRUE.
Lies are like the Hydra, chop off one head and you get another. Lies leads to more lies lead to more lies.
No where is this more obvious than in the Kafkaesque mental gymnastics played out in the Supreme Court this week. (see Wing Over Scotland synopsis here)
Perhaps the two most compelling interactions involve… pregnant men…
and flowcharts…
Because in order to bring ‘sense’ (and I use that word so very loosely) to the idea of ‘changing sex’, ‘being born in the wrong body’, ‘having a gendered soul’ etc. one has to engage in the most ludicrous mind bending exercises imaginable. And ultimately it will fail. It might not fail in that moment - but eventually truth will out. The old granny who doesn’t know the lingo, the autistic child who can’t understand the very complex social rules, or a middle aged woman like myself who has no more f**** to give. TRUTH WILL OUT. It’s not kind, or sensible or morally right to LIE.
In recent weeks I have gotten messages from parents who are concerned their (primary school) children are being asked to use ‘preferred pronouns’ for their teachers. I am asked ‘what should I do’?
If it was my kid?
Don’t get my kid to lie. End. It’s really no more complicated than that. It’s not personal. It’s not even worth discussing. Don’t teach my kid that lying is ok.
And bring back play. This identity stuff is WAY too serious. Get the politics out of the classroom. It is harming children. It is denying them the freedom to find stuff out. It is denying them the space to learn. It is inhibiting their growth and development.
And the inimitable Dostoevsky…..
Let’s stop lying and get back to play, imagination and fun. Really it’s the only way. And it certainly will be more fun. And golly gee I think we ALL need a bit of that.
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Beautifully written and RIGHT!
Great article Kate. Totally agree.