My friend’s grandchild has just gone in to Year 4 (so aged 8-9) and her teacher is a man, who identifies as a Mr, but who chooses to wear a skirt to work. I’m all for informed sexual education but at the appropriate time (ie secondary school) - Should his personal sexuality choices be given free rein at primary school age? I think young children should be allowed to be ‘children’, and not have adults flaunting their sexual choices on them. Did we, at primary school, ever have to know or worry about our teachers’ private lives? There’s a time and a place … what he does outside of his working hours is entirely up to him but surely this is not appropriate in a primary school setting?
Glorianny, I’ve read all your posts and you are nothing if not consistent in that it seems to me you are missing the point throughout, which is all about the context in which this teacher decided to wear a skirt, and nothing to do with unequal treatment, priviledge, etc.
You comments are sincere and knowledgeable on a complex issue (much too complex for me) I think that’s obvious, but I think you are answering the wrong questions in this case.
If it doesn't apply to you Dickens but you want to make it apply to you so that you can be offended, you have to reconcile that with yourself
I am addressing everyone it applies too
Really? Well maybe it doesn't apply to anyone because we don't actually need to be schooled in the meaning of equality?
And no, I'm not looking for a reason to be offended - I have quite an insight into what constitutes inequality and the power structure that creates and fosters it.
But I am amazed at your arrogance in assuming that you need to give a public explanation of what equality means addressed to those to whom it applies! It's not a sacred doctrine - we've all studied it at some point or other... good grief!
You arent explaining you are saying you understand it better than others. I am afraid that may not be true. You understand and interpret privilege in a particular way, that may not be a position that either I or others agree with. It's quite a complex issue.
Well, I'm bored with this now, but will point out that there seems to be an inequality on this very thread - one person seems to have the advantage of knowing what she is on about, but the rest of us are disadvantaged by not having a clue.
Well, I'm bored with this now, but will point out that there seems to be an inequality on this very thread - one person seems to have the advantage of knowing what she is on about, but the rest of us are disadvantaged by not having a clue.
Glorianny, I’ve read all your posts and you are nothing if not consistent in that it seems to me you are missing the point throughout, which is all about the context in which this teacher decided to wear a skirt, and nothing to do with unequal treatment, priviledge, etc.
You comments are sincere and knowledgeable on a complex issue (much too complex for me) I think that’s obvious, but I think you are answering the wrong questions in this case.
I fully understand the concept about context I simply disagree with it. Any steps in establishing equality have been challenged with a similar idea. The vote was only granted to some women in 1918 one of the reasons given for this was that if women had the vote on the same basis as men more women than men would be voting.
The Southern states of the US opposed freedom for slaves because they said without them the economy would collapse.
Women were banned from taking part in marathons until the 1960s because they were considered to lack the physical ability to run so far.
People who want to deny others equality always have an excuse for it.
Glorianny, I’m sure most of us are aware of all that, but I don’t see it’s relevance to the scenario under discussion.
Are you suggesting that objections to the teacher wearing a skirt in a class of young children, for reasons given, will curtail the freedom of men in general to choose how to dress, and thus render them unequal to women?
I think men’s position in society is more robust than that.
Glorianny, I’m sure most of us are aware of all that, but I don’t see its relevance to the scenario under discussion.
. Well no. We often get treated to lectures on the Civil Rights movement, the suffragettes and 1970s homophobia on these threads. It's become par for the course. Sometimes it diverts the whole conversation for a while, but not quite as much as it used to, as we are wiser now - you live and learn.