The idea that gender is just a social construct, extrinsic, unimportant, malleable thing we must endure is a culturally mainstream attitude I have addressed on this blog before. We've talked about the Canadian couple who is raising their third child, Storm, "genderless" -- not revealing to anyone whether they have a son or a daughter. We've mentioned the Swedish pre-school that forbids the words, "him" and "her" and arranges toys in such a way to encourage gender diversity.
And perhaps more fundamentally, we have analyzed our culture that drains the meaning out of our bodies, ignores the differences of masculinity and femininity, and tells us there is no order to life.
I suppose it shouldn't be such a great shock, then, that the Toronto School District Board in Canada is providing these posters (among others) to their schools:
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| http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=10471&menuid=34019&pageid=28961 |
And, note that the second poster includes "couples" of three within their cartoon hearts. So, apparently, love has no gender and no number.
In other words -- "Kids, if that which has the most intrinsic meaning, revealing that you were created from Someone and for Someone, is irrelevant and a social construct, then how can we tell you that you should do anything? Why do we need laws, a social sense of morality, respect for authority when it's all up for definition?"
Really, I'm not sure why one should have to go to school at all, if one feels that school isn't "for me."
Unless, of course, going to school is necessary to see the posters ...
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