Professor says career ‘effectively ended’ by union’s transphobia claims

Were you not a child once? Did you not find certain other children in your class pretty or good looking? I did. I knew that boys were my friends and girls were pretty. I didn't know why but I did know that was how I felt. As you put it, in retrospect, I was exhibiting the feelings of a heterosexual cis man.

I have quite a few gay friends. All have spoken about the same thing but for them, they were attracted to people of the same sex. Except they were really confused because every message they received in school told them that to be normal they should be attracted to people of a different sex.

I have yet to meet someone who was either trans or gay who didn't know how they felt at primary school.

Today I work in a secondary school. You would be amazed how many kids come out at the age of around 14 - 16. And good for them. When I was at school no one came out. But thinking about it, there were still gay and trans kids there. They were just too afraid to come out.

Well those are very disturbing images, I take back what I said. These fools could benefit from some "baton treatment" and a free stay in the cells

Yeah good point. Did you ever question how you felt at the age of 5? I didn't. I found girls pretty and wanted to kiss them just as all of the gay people I know wanted to kiss people of the same sex when they were 5. But hey - sexuality and trans-gender is a social construct if you are cis right and entirely the result of peer pressure. I reckon I was only attracted to my wife because my parents made it absolutely clear that I had to fancy girls. It must be awful for all these confused children who know what their feelings are but are told it is just a phase!

I genuinely don't understand why non-cis people get such a hard time. Those who feel they need to judge speak more about the insecurity of their own identity or sexuality than those they choose to judge. Judging others causes harm. Letting people choose their own identity without judgement harms no one. I don't condone any harm against this lecturer but you do make your own bed to an extent. Trans people have been protected by law now for 11 years and still people are seeking to make their points.

Were you not a child once? Did you not find certain other children in your class pretty or good looking? I did. I knew that boys were my friends and girls were pretty. I didn't know why but I did know that was how I felt. As you put it, in retrospect, I was exhibiting the feelings of a heterosexual cis man.

I have quite a few gay friends. All have spoken about the same thing but for them, they were attracted to people of the same sex. Except they were really confused because every message they received in school told them that to be normal they should be attracted to people of a different sex.

I have yet to meet someone who was either trans or gay who didn't know how they felt at school

"I have yet to meet someone who was either trans or gay who didn't know how they felt at primary school"

Really?! So you are saying that all kids were aware of their sexuality or sexual orientation in primary school. And where is th evidence for this?! Your observation?!

The above is not a valid argument as you may guess.

You are confused.
Children don’t understand adult sexuality because they are children.

So you don’t believe that there is a difference between a pubescent child and prepubescent child?

Out of interest do school employees have to have a knowledge of child development?

Not to be able to describe it, but yes, to know what it was. I knew where I was pointing when I was at primary school. Sexuality and gender expression are not selected from a menu when you become an adult.

Do you not remember how you felt about other kids around you when you were at school? Was there a year where you sat down with yourself, looked at the options and then decided to be straight or gay based on a list of criteria?

I know you don't want to talk about trans but my dad is trans. She has spoken about knowing she was different before reaching secondary school. Again - is she wrong?

Who did you fancy when you were at primary school. Same sex or different sex? And was that because that was how you felt or because someone told you that is what you should do? Or did you sit down, look at the options and make a conscious decision having weighed up the options?

I am not confused because I am describing how I felt when I was a child. And I think we don't give children enough credit or respect when it comes to their feelings. Children experience feelings and for that matter, sexual feelings just like adults do. The only difference is that children don't have the vocabulary or experience to be able to express those feelings in a manner that is easy for people like you to understand so you dismiss them as being irrelevant because they are children.

A number of my gay friends have spoken about knowing they were different from a very early age. Are you saying they are wrong?

Children are not aware of their sexuality or sexual orientation because they are children. Hence what you are saying above isn't correct.

What you want to do is your business when you are an adult and if you decide to become a transgender then that's your own choice of course.

I also think you are clearly confusing matters here. There is a huge difference between children having feelings and between being aware in relation to their sexuality and sexual orientation.

Ok. So how do you account for the fact that I was very aware of my sexuality when I was around 7 or 8 years old? Perhaps even younger. I had a person I called my girlfriend when I was 5. I was devastated when she moved away a year later. Or how do you account for the fact that many of my gay friends knew they were gay in primary school? You seem to be trying to project your own view of how people should be feeling onto them. Why?

Is it not one and the same thing? Think about who you are attracted to to. How does it feel? Now think about someone you aren't attracted to. How does it feel?

For me - they are totally different feelings. Nothing to do with genetics. It is all up in my mind. Same when I was a kid.

What you are describing isn't a fact first of all. Children can have feelings however they are not aware of what sexuality or sexual orientation are. There is a huge difference between the matters described here.

The great irony of this thread is that if your father had grown up in a non-transphobic society as you’d likely envisage it, you probably wouldn’t be contributing to it.
I will say what I’ve already said, it’s very easy to look back retrospectively and pick out things that foreshadowed your sexual orientation or perhaps gender identity. This however doesn’t mean that all children who behave (or feel) in a certain way will grow up to be gay or to live as trans or to be straight and so on. And actually that is the core of the issue.

This however doesn’t mean that all children who behave (or feel) in a certain way will grow up to be gay or to live as trans or to be straight and so on. And actually that is the core of the issue.

Ok - so the feelings I remember from my childhood - I have made that up have I?

BTW - my kids (aged 7 and 11) know their sexuality. They know what it is and they understand about different types of relationships. But hey, they are wrong too I guess?

Is this your opinion or is it based on some form of verifiable evidence?

Is this your opinion or is it based on some form of verifiable evidence?

Everything you have given so far is anecdotal stories. So to ask verifiable evidence from others is a little strange I am afraid.