Poll: Father in rural Germany finds his young son likes to wear dresses; does the same to show solidarity.

[Uncreation]

I have lost all faith in the human race now.

Funny, i think i've gained back a good amount of faith in the human species back.

 

[ElPatron]

Now, please do not reply further as I have had enough of you telling me how to raise a child that I don't have, it's silly, and to be perfectly honest I don't care what you have to say further on this matter.
Have a nice day.

First, you can't tell me what to do and therefore I won't do what you're telling me. I'll eat chips if I want, mom. That also applies to you, nobody forced you to read, m'kay?

Second, I'm not trying to tell you how to raise a child. You might not be forced to read, but it's kinda nice to not build Strawmen arguments. Whoa, you took down a straw representation of me. Good job. But that wasn't me. I simply questioned your logic, not your methods.

I never meant to be disrespectful so you didn't have to give me shit for a meaningless discussion. I sincerely hope that if you ever have kids they don't get your temper.

 

[Spartan Altego]

It's the bullies who may make fun of him that need to be shunned, not this kid.

That's rather disturbing sounding. I mean, if you're shunning these (uneducated, outdated, completely stupid) people for having differing values of gender roles, aren't you essentially doing to them what they'd do to the kid?

OT: Honestly? I'm going to assume that him wearing a dress is not going to really affect me in any way, socially or otherwise. (Because who gives a fuck what total strangers think of you?) Therefore, I'd probably let him have at it for a bit. See if the trend keeps up. If not, problem solved. No social suicide happening here, no trauma therapy.

If it does, things become a little more complicated. Because people are assholes and letting my kid wear something he likely just prefers over pants to be "World's Greatest Dad," is fucking stupid. Because a 5 year old boy has no concept of what wearing a dress in these times will result in. And fuck anybody who says I should let my young, vulnerable son be ostracized over what likely amounts to a fashion choice on my watch. The hilarious amount of homophobia in American schools is all the reason I need. Because he's not making some bold, revolutionary statement. He's wearing something he likes. It's like arguing I should let him have milk instead of orange juice because even if he's lactose-intolerant, hey, he LIKES it.

If he was older (assume 14) then this would be, again, different. With a vastly expanded world view (Compared to a five year old) and understanding of the effects of his choices...fuck, let him do it. At least then I'll be able to rationalize he made his own informed choice when he shows up with bruises and/or has been bullied. I'll support the shit out of him, then.

Asking a probably stupid question but since the school thing is a big factor apparently, I have to ask: Would most schools even allow your child to cross-dress? Because I remember this incident with a (lesbian?) girl wearing a tuxedo to a dance or something and getting suspended or some shit.

 

[Something Amyss]

You make it sound like you grew up in a prison.

You'd be surprised how often the same rules apply. Inside the heart of a convict beats the heart of an eight year old boy. And vice versa.

Most people at 5 are arguing about who's turn it is on the go cart and what colour crayon is the best.

Well, if you say so then it MUST be true.

Oi.

 

[Something Amyss]

Asking a probably stupid question but since the school thing is a big factor apparently, I have to ask: Would most schools even allow your child to cross-dress? Because I remember this incident with a (lesbian?) girl wearing a tuxedo to a dance or something and getting suspended or some shit.

In America. When she took her GIRLFRIEND to the prom.

I put the most important part in caps.

 

[Something Amyss]

[

Nobody is supporting the ridicule. We're saying that kids suck and trying to reason with 5 year olds is like banging your head against a brick wall. Things like this are done as adults because then you're actually making a statement. At such a young age like this all you're doing is setting yourself up for ridicule.

Like you do with just about everything from your hair to your choice of T-shirts.

So...I'll ask again: what's different?

Edit: Also, making a statement? Really? You can't be serious. You can't mean what it looks like you mean.

 

[DugMachine]

[

Nobody is supporting the ridicule. We're saying that kids suck and trying to reason with 5 year olds is like banging your head against a brick wall. Things like this are done as adults because then you're actually making a statement. At such a young age like this all you're doing is setting yourself up for ridicule.

Like you do with just about everything from your hair to your choice of T-shirts.

So...I'll ask again: what's different?

Edit: Also, making a statement? Really? You can't be serious. You can't mean what it looks like you mean.

Oh I had forgotten about this... Le sigh why must you quote me ._.

Look I don't know, I just don't want the kid to be hurt is all. If you can't understand where i'm coming from then there is nothing to discuss here. I understand that kids will be made fun of for anything but people get the shit kicked out of them and left to die for being 'faggots'. You don't hear much about teens being left in a bloody pulp for having a funny hair style or a silly shirt.

 

[Something Amyss]

Look I don't know, I just don't want the kid to be hurt is all. If you can't understand where i'm coming from then there is nothing to discuss here. I understand that kids will be made fun of for anything but people get the shit kicked out of them and left to die for being 'faggots'. You don't hear much about teens being left in a bloody pulp for having a funny hair style or a silly shirt.

I don't know where you live that gay bashing is so prevalent but these other forms of violence are not, but most commonly people get the shit kicked out of them for their hairstyle being funny because "they're a ******," whether they're gay or not--exactly the same as the argument for wearing a dress.

You don't want the kid to get hurt--that's admirable. It doesn't mean, however, that dissuading him from wearing a dress will do that. Recoiling in fear is no way to live.

However, despite the notion that there's nothing to discuss, do you believe it best for women to wear burkas and not go out without a male escort? I mean, women are raped and left to die simply for the "crime" of being women, and it's justified by "showing too much skin" or "asking for it."

Shouldn't the solution lie more with attacking the people who do the wrong, rather than asking everyone else to retract?

And what if the kid really is gay, or trans, or even merely a crossdresser? Suicide rates among these groups are drastically higher than the rest of the population. Instead of dealing with the problem (hate), you've simply bottled it up and made the world safer for intolerance.

When kids kill themselves because of bullying, they get called out as weak, and nobody does anything about the bullying itself. What about this culture is better for dissuading him and tacitly accepting the bullies?

Except we're not talking about 8 year old. We're talking about 5 year olds.

It's a Simpsons reference, but okay. You like pedantry. I can respect that.

Well I was myself an infant at one point. And my mother's been a teacher in infant schools for going on 20 years now. So yea, I'd probably argue that I know more than most on this.

Well, what a coincidence! I've worked in child education, too! My mom also did daycare work, and I grew up with multiple educators as family friends. It was especially awkward getting sent to see the principal, knowing that he was a friend of my parents.

You may know more than some, but I wouldn't try and pull your experience or pool of knowledge as more relevant than mine.

Christ, we've got programs targeted at five year olds based around the sort of intolerance and social awareness you claim doesn't exist at five.

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

This literally made me cry.

I see so much in the world I disagree with the point of despair and hatred that it can lead me to temporary feelings of misanthropic.

And things like this give me hope for the world. Things like this make me happy to be alive.

 

[DugMachine]

Look I don't know, I just don't want the kid to be hurt is all. If you can't understand where i'm coming from then there is nothing to discuss here. I understand that kids will be made fun of for anything but people get the shit kicked out of them and left to die for being 'faggots'. You don't hear much about teens being left in a bloody pulp for having a funny hair style or a silly shirt.

I don't know where you live that gay bashing is so prevalent but these other forms of violence are not, but most commonly people get the shit kicked out of them for their hairstyle being funny because "they're a ******," whether they're gay or not--exactly the same as the argument for wearing a dress.

You don't want the kid to get hurt--that's admirable. It doesn't mean, however, that dissuading him from wearing a dress will do that. Recoiling in fear is no way to live.

However, despite the notion that there's nothing to discuss, do you believe it best for women to wear burkas and not go out without a male escort? I mean, women are raped and left to die simply for the "crime" of being women, and it's justified by "showing too much skin" or "asking for it."

Shouldn't the solution lie more with attacking the people who do the wrong, rather than asking everyone else to retract?

And what if the kid really is gay, or trans, or even merely a crossdresser? Suicide rates among these groups are drastically higher than the rest of the population. Instead of dealing with the problem (hate), you've simply bottled it up and made the world safer for intolerance.

When kids kill themselves because of bullying, they get called out as weak, and nobody does anything about the bullying itself. What about this culture is better for dissuading him and tacitly accepting the bullies?

I live in the south so gay bashing and just plain bigotry are not that uncommon. I just feel one shouldn't make themselves a target, granted it's not their own fault and whoever chooses to perform acts of prejudice are pieces of crap who must be held accountable no questions asked. Your point about it not being a real solution to the actual problem of bullying is correct but I personally don't know how to combat it. I don't feel that standing up for yourself or just doing it because fuck what they think is a safe and will eventually hurt yourself in the long run. But so will bottling it up. It's like a lesser of two evils things with me.