Last week, it was reported that two California teachers allegedly coached a 12-year-old girl into a “trans fluid” identity, calling the girl by a new name and using male pronouns without her parents’ knowledge or consent. After alerting the mother to the child’s new identity, the school called Child Protective Services on her because she referred to her daughter as “she.”
In a viral video, the mother confronted staff at a school board meeting, saying, “You took away my ability to parent my child. Even before I had any knowledge. I didn’t even get to show support. You ask for support, I didn’t get a chance. You planted seeds.”
There is zero science supporting the concept of gender fluidity. Science does, however, support the existence of rapid-onset gender dysphoria, an epidemic of adolescent girls and young women who suddenly announce their desire to live as male or “nonbinary” despite having no previous history of gender dysphoria. In most cases, their decision stems from issues unrelated to gender identity, including sexual trauma, having an eating disorder, discomfort with their sexual orientation as a lesbian, or being on the autism spectrum. The idea that educators should “affirm” a child’s gender not only oversteps parental boundaries but is unscientific.
During the meeting, one father spoke of the “predatory tactics” being used to push teachers’ political activism, including seeking out children who are different and don’t fit in, giving them extra attention, and allowing them to “do things […] their parents weren’t particularly supportive of.” As someone who has worked with sexual offenders, these types of tactics sound eerily similar to grooming behaviors.
Teachers will go as far as targeting vulnerable students by reviewing their internet searches and eavesdropping on their conversations, as revealed in a recent investigation by Abigail Shrier (a colleague and friend of mine). Policies that allow teachers to swoop in and “protect” children from parental rejection may have, at one point in time, been grounded in good intentions. But in today’s climate, they reflect a disturbing desire to pry children from their families so that they will further an insidious agenda.
This is not an isolated incident but a typical scenario for children who fall prey to gender activism. Parents must be vigilant about what is being taught in the classroom and by whom. As for educators, they should be focused on brightening a child’s future, not recruiting them into an activist cult.
Dr. Debra Soh is a sex neuroscientist, the host of The Dr. Debra Soh Podcast, and the author of The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society.
