LISTEN: Local teen removed from school over gender fluidity
On Breakfast with Martin Bester, we spoke to a mother who described the judgement and ridicule her child has endured based on their gender identity.
Following a discussion on people's judgement of one another, Tanya, mom of 13-year-old Joshua, described the judgement and ridicule Joshua has faced for being gender fluid.
"He [Joshua] relates to being a girl. He dresses like a girl; he wears make-up, and he gets judged and ridiculed all the time."
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The emotional mom also spoke about an incident in which Joshua was asked to leave a school because the other parents threatened to take their children out of the school because of Joshua.
According to Tanya, the school asked Joshua to leave the school as it would affect their revenue if other students left.
"The sad part is, Martin, the parents are teaching their kids [to judge], and we really need to be more forgiving and understanding," Tanya said.
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The 13-year-old's mother recalls knowing who Joshua really was from a very young age, "about around the time he was one year old".
She added that the only thing she can do for Joshua is "instil confidence in him". Joshua identifies as gender fluid, although their gender expression is more female.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, gender fluidity often refers to changes in a person’s gender expression, gender identity or both.
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Gender fluidity fits under the transgender and non-binary umbrella term as it represents people whose gender identity (what they feel they are) doesn’t match the sex assigned at birth.
This discussion comes after a heated debate about parents' judgement of other parents. Many listeners agreed that parents should be less judgmental of one another, while others thought judgement is good to keep their children safe.
Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 - 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.