Follow up on Z's Science Project

Remember my nephew's science project, which so many of you very kindly took part in? (Seriously, almost a thousand responses. Professional surveys with monetary rewards often can't get that kind of response, people. You are awesome, and I thank you.)

Tonight was the night the science project results were revealed, at my nephew's school's open house, and my sister was supposed to take a picture so I could show all of you.

Except she couldn't. Because my nephew's project, alone among all of them, was not displayed. After much back and forth with various people, my sister learned that apparently some people were uncomfortable with his conclusions. Specifically the part where he said that what he really learned from this project was that some people don't want to be called boys or girls, and that those people need an "other" option. (And also that they tend to prefer blue to green.)

(This really has been a learning experience, and not just for Z, either. At my younger nephew's birthday party, Z was wandering around showing off his survey, and many of the older kids asked why he had included an "other" option for gender. Now, okay, you have to understand - Z is the kind of kid who, if you tell him you don't want to be called a boy or a girl, he will just kind of accept it. So you are other? Fine. People are mysterious anyway, and obviously this is just another layer of mysteriousness to them. He doesn't need to understand it to be okay with it.

Most of the other kids, though, found this concept fascinating and absolutely bewildering - obviously everyone is either a boy or a girl! Obviously! - and wanted to ask many many questions. Which was the point when my sister turned to me and said, "They're your friends. You explain it." You have not lived until you've tried to explain being genderqueer to a group of suburban elementary school students hyped up on cake and candy and penguins.)

So tomorrow my sister has to write an irritated letter to the principal, emphasizing that she wants Z's project - which also apparently was the only one to get graded twice, or possibly not graded at all; the story isn't clear - back, and she wants it considered for the district competition like all the other projects. And also that it's sad that the school missed the opportunity to show some genderqueer student or sibling or parent that, hey, you can have a different gender identification and still be considered and counted and included.

Anyway. Whether they give back the project or not, you'll still be able to see the results, because my nephew is nobody's fool and has a copy saved. But I still hope to be able to offer a picture of the poster, which is reportedly very nice.

In the meantime, I will be thinking about this: a concept that could be absorbed without distress by my nephew and a birthday party's worth of kids was just too scary and weird for some school official somewhere. It's a hard row you hoe, genderqueer people. I salute you! (And, parents, I think the take-home lesson here is: teach 'em early, while they're malleable. Or they might grow up to be narrow-minded educators.)

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While I absolutely agree that his project should have been shown, I think the idea that children will accept this kind of thing without question because they're so much more open-minded pretty flawed.

Kids tend to think whatever's going on in their life is "normal". They accept because they really don't understand. Please don't put kids up on some sort of pedestal here...they'll mercilessly pick on their peers for not having the same clothes, toys, haircut, whatever.

Using the retarded 'kids accept' argument detracts from the important larger point here.

using "retarded" in a casually derogatory fashion detracts from your credibility here

Here via

phinnia. Nothing new to add that hasn't been said already, and better than I could say. Adding you to friends if you don't mind.

And I love your icon. :D

Here via phinnia and BoingBoing; does Z have any book reports where he gets to choose his own book coming up soon? I think National Geographic has a kids' biography of Galileo...

I salute your nephew! To have that kind of courage, and to be that open minded at such a young age is remarkable. If more kids were like him, I think it's safe to assume the world would be a much more peaceful place!!

That is absolute rubbish.

You had it in the last paragraph. It's the adults who have had their opinions already formed for them that have the most trouble accepting things outside their "comfort zone".

While I could comment on how cool your nephew is, or how shocked I am that the education system is full of morons, I find myself pondering the fact that the only portion of your post that struck me as odd was this:

You have not lived until you've tried to explain being genderqueer to a group of suburban elementary school students hyped up on cake and candy and penguins

How, pray tell, do you get elementary kids hyped up on Penguins?

Good for your nephew (how old is he?) for managing to find a science project in which he could actually discover something interesting! I hope he gets recognition and not discouragement.

My ex-husband was in math club in high school in the '60s in Pasadena CA. As a project, he did a statistical study of the test scores of students on a standardized math test all the schools in the LA area had taken. Some of the things he looked at were which schools the students attended and the race and gender of the students. His results (to his surprise) were so controversial that they got suppressed by the administration, and my ex's father had to go to the school board to force the school system to acknowledge his son's work.

I went to look at the link about the science project, but I'm not allowed. Anyway, I'm sad that he experienced censorship, and I hope that your sister comes down on those moral cowards with full sails of righteous wrath, and gets her way with all her desires on behalf of her young scientist.

I hate it when teacher/administrators are either too conservative for life, or too afraid of any controversy, or stupid.

Can't help but say; I went against my parents wishes and dared to explain when asked by my 8 year old brothers that I liked both girls AND bois. They're now 20 and have grown up open minded and accepting of all orientations.

I'm behind the teach them young that it's okai to decide who's special to them and they may be saved from a whole swath of angst when they hit puberty. Even if it's as simple as not being afraid of gay people their own age.

I couldn't be prouder of my brothers. They're both straight but have openly gay male friends and are proud to have a bi sister. Wish someone had taught my parents when they were young.

+1 LGBTQ friendly person in the world. :) good job

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metaquotes.

Kudos to Z!

Each generation really is more open-minded than the last, and that gives me hope. :)

And as for the school... FAAAAAAIL.

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Follow up on Z's Science Project

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Grrr!

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rock on little dude! :P

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