UPDATED: Walt Disney Company facing internal pressure over Florida's "don't say gay" bill

That's interesting, and I think it reinforces that so many things that we consider gender norms are learned, and often arbitrary. I mean, why do women wear dresses and men don't? I mean, we're the ones with the dangly bits that would benefit from the fresh air. And don't even get me started about the trucks vs. dolls for kids.

I have zero problem with individuals wishing to be addressed a certain way and letting you know, and I would hope that those individuals would be understanding if mistakes are still made, as long as the people whom they've informed of their wishes are making an earnest effort to correct their speech. Regarding pronouns, I would prefer (not that non-binary people care what I think) that we invent a new word rather than repurpose an existing word, if only to avoid confusion. Last year I ran across this CNN headline:

Demi Lovato says they are nonbinary and are changing their pronouns

It took a bit of work to actually decipher what that headline was saying. I kept thinking, who is the "they" that Demi Lovato is referring to, and why is she speaking for them? Also, if "they" in this context is referring to the singular Demi Lovato, then isn't this grammatically incorrect? Shouldn't it be "they is"?

I learned basic English back in the early 60’s and we were taught that the masculine form was used as the default when the gender was unknown. In other words, a speaker could say “The student driver will always remember to buckle his seatbelt” if the statement was meant to include everyone. Now we just say their, which makes better sense.
I’m going to have to drop that FB page that reposts the complaints from unhappy Disney visitors. While outrageously amusing at first, the “magic is gone”, the “lack of gender specificity has ruined my kids”, and the rotisserie Walt comments are just causing me to experience more anxiety than it’s worth.

"They" has always been a singular and plural pronoun, one of those uniquely English quirks. I even recall in a college writing course the suggestion that it be used in reference to anonymous sources, as the context would allow you to understand if it's singular or plural. AP style didn't address this directly until 2017.

Mac brings up the part that seems to be the most nails-on-a-chalkboard part, the "for the kids" argument. That's the same argument made for school segregation. Kids only know what you tell them, so if you tell them that having two mommies is wrong or that feeling like you're not the gender you were born into is a choice, then that's what they'll know.

> why do women wear dresses and men don't?

This is the part where I point out that the "marching" "band" at Carnegie Mellon is "the Band Without Pants." The kilts they wear are in the Carnegie Modern tartan, as are the academic hoods. Whenever I wear my regalia, I'm nearly always asked if I got my degree in Scotland.

Also, graduation bagpipes! It's a weird school, but weird in a dorky fun way.

If you do some reading on the impetus for Florida taking up this bill in the first place...it's an interesting story. In short, a FL teen was dealing with gender identity issues which were troubling her and her family. The teen determined that she wanted to be referred to with gender neutral pronouns at school. The family emailed the school and said they were not going to use the child's new name and the neutral pronouns at home...but would not stop the child from doing so at school.

The family further sent emails to teachers stating that the situation was causing issues at home but that they were going to let the child make these determinations for the school environment...and then told the teacher to handle it, "whatever you think is best".

The school then developed a written plan for how it would be addressed...asking the student what names and pronouns they wished to go by, what restrooms they were more comfortable using, and what accommodations would need to be made for overnight school trips...among other things.

It was here that the family seemed to take objections...AFTER telling the teachers to handle it the way they thought best.

So, context matters....yet when DeSantis tells his version of the story he, of course, leaves out a lot of this critical information and now we have fake hysteria over a very real situation...which in my opinion appears to have been handled pretty well by the school in question. It is a little hypocritical to absolve yourself of parenting rights...and then demand to have those parenting rights back when you don't like the outcome.

That's all folks.

College of Wooster Marching Scot Band wears kilts too.

Showed up to a local high school band festival several years ago totally smashed. Don't think that band festival has had anything but high school bands since.

I ask my students their preferred pronouns at the beginning of the year through a "Getting to Know You" form. Many teachers in my school do the same. Not surprisingly some parents are upset about this. I don't see the big deal. Treat people the way they wish to be treated. Is it really that hard?

Being asked to call someone "they" really tripped me up at first, but then I recalled using the pronoun regularly, mentioning someone I liked or was attracted to, when I was elementary school age. I thought I was being clever and no one would notice, which was kind of stupid. Surly, no one would ever figure out I was talking about a boy.

"I have a crush on someone. They ride the same bus as me. I always sit next to them in the cafeteria."

After I remembered that, I found it really easy to refer to someone as "they."

eightdotthree:

This bill is gross. Disney's response is gross.

The bill prevents sexual orientation and gender identity from being taught in schools mainly K-3. It’s great news.

For you, maybe.

Well, he lasted less than 24 hours.

And that’s why all those threads disappeared…

Sigh.

It's probably for the best. I jumped on here earlier before I went to work on the yard and saw he had replied to about a dozen threads in the news section after Jeff suggested that he slow down. I rolled my eyes and figured I could read later.

I’m exhausted.
He’s super busy on FB that way, too. Lots of groups, lots of pages, lots of posts.

RRR > that guy

Jeff:

Well, he lasted less than 24 hours.

Am I the only one who quietly signs "ban-hammer" to the tune of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer when this happens?

(Surprising relevance: I'd forgotten this, but the song includes a Big Dipper reference plus mention of bumper cars.)

RCMAC:

I’m exhausted.
He’s super busy on FB that way, too. Lots of groups, lots of pages, lots of posts.

Why would you waste time looking him up?

Let's see...if I were talking to children ages 6-8 on a playground (or anywhere for that matter) of a sexual nature, you'd be ok with that and not concerned in the least?

And let’s say I’m a married gay teacher, do you think it’s ok to prohibit having any pictures of me and my partner on my desk, and not to allow me to mention anything about said partner, even though my heterosexual colleagues are allowed.

Also, imagine if a gay teen came out to their teacher because they weren’t ready to do so with their parent and said teacher or any other school official then had to rebuff that student and be prohibited from counseling them. Then due to this rejection said teen commits suicide.

wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a world where professionals could use their judgement to make these difficult decisions instead of being told on high to NEVER TALK about these things? Then again it’s still too much to realize in 2022 that sexuality is something you are born with and not you choose.

Signed heterosexual white male, for what that’s worth