Is being bi-gender a "thing" at your kid's school?

[Anonymous]

A number of parents have told me that at their kids' high schools they've noticed a (for lack of better word) trend of kids declaring themselves as bi-gender, gender queer, or gender flexible. Apparently this is not the same thing as being transgender because they do not really wish to be the opposite sex and are not taking hormones. It's more that they feel like they are both genders and don't feel comfortable calling themselves either a male or female. One woman told me that a boy in her son's class sometimes dresses as a male and goes by Robert and other times goes female and goes by Roberta. I will fully admit that this is weird as shit to me, but I'm wondering if this is really a common thing in high schools now?

[Anonymous]

You sound really ignorant, fyi.

Yes, there is a broader recognition these days of gender fluidity or nonconforming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound really ignorant, fyi.

Yes, there is a broader recognition these days of gender fluidity or nonconforming.

you sound really judgmental

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound really ignorant, fyi.

Yes, there is a broader recognition these days of gender fluidity or nonconforming.

But declaring yourself to not be male or female at all, or both???

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is definitely a thing at my kid's school.

[Anonymous]

This is pretty trendy right now.

Ten years ago it was being bi sexual ( as a teen) that was edgy - now its being bi gendered or non gendered.

A very, very small percentage of teens will go on to identify as neither male nor female into adulthood. For 99% of these kids, they are just being edgy and cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty trendy right now.

Ten years ago it was being bi sexual ( as a teen) that was edgy - now its being bi gendered or non gendered.

A very, very small percentage of teens will go on to identify as neither male nor female into adulthood. For 99% of these kids, they are just being edgy and cool.

Where are all these kids?

Maybe I misunderstand what trendy means. To me, if less than 30% of adolescents are doing it or claim to do it, it isn't a trend.

For over 20 years, I've been a parent, a secondary school teacher, and a leader in groups like GS, GOTR, etc. By my estimation, less than 5% of the kids I've encountered have been out as bisexual or gender queer. Met more kids who were gay/lesbian or trans.

I saw the same panic among parents about being pagan. Only met two Wiccan kids during that entire period.

[Anonymous]

yeah, these things go in waves. Couple of years ago so many of my daughter's friends were gay that it defied statistical probability. Now they are all straight. Its just a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is pretty trendy right now.

Ten years ago it was being bi sexual ( as a teen) that was edgy - now its being bi gendered or non gendered.

A very, very small percentage of teens will go on to identify as neither male nor female into adulthood. For 99% of these kids, they are just being edgy and cool.

Where are all these kids?

Maybe I misunderstand what trendy means. To me, if less than 30% of adolescents are doing it or claim to do it, it isn't a trend.

For over 20 years, I've been a parent, a secondary school teacher, and a leader in groups like GS, GOTR, etc. By my estimation, less than 5% of the kids I've encountered have been out as bisexual or gender queer. Met more kids who were gay/lesbian or trans.

I saw the same panic among parents about being pagan. Only met two Wiccan kids during that entire period.

And before that it was emo and before that punk. Trendy in the sense it is what the kids who are trying to be edgy and unique and stand out as different are doing - there is always a trend. I used to work at a large youth center that seemed to attract the kids into the trends and we would see each trend roll through - some quite quickly, others would take a few years. For a couple years, probably 50% were experimenting with sexual orientation then that faded out and it was only the rare kid, same thing with all the other trends.

[Anonymous]

Everything gender is big now. Being trans or pan or cis or something gendered or non gendered. The list of options for gender grows all the time.

Now there are two more orientations being talked about...who you are attracted to and who you can fall in love with.

So you can be asexual, transgender bi-romantic teen

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I am horrified by this. Where are these kids' parents, and why are schools allowing this?

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is definitely a thing. I teach at a county high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I am horrified by this. Where are these kids' parents, and why are schools allowing this?

Again, ignorance abounds. If gender nonconforming youth or transgender youth are not affirmed and supported by their parents and schools, they have sky-high rates of depression and suicide.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everything gender is big now. Being trans or pan or cis or something gendered or non gendered. The list of options for gender grows all the time.

Now there are two more orientations being talked about...who you are attracted to and who you can fall in love with.

So you can be asexual, transgender bi-romantic teen

So, if your 15 year old comes out as a genderqueer pansexual is a parent's only option to keep their mouth shut and not tell the kid how loony this is?