Children should be excluded from gender-related rhetoric

Eduardo Alvarez/Contributing Writer

When we break new ground in terms of gender representation, children should be completely left out.

Not only because, as a general rule, children should not be used for political or social campaigning; but also because nurturing certain types of identities prematurely may bring unintended consequences in the long run.

Using young kids as cannon fodder for any movement has always been effective. They represent the best in us, the hope and purity we wish to see in ourselves and in our leaders.

When running for elected office, candidates will often pose with their groomed sons and daughters, and in some religious congregations, there are even child preachers.

It is a cheap use of pathosthe emotional pillar of rhetoricand the current gender movement seems to have begun falling into this vice.

I refer particularly to cases like that of Queen Lactatia, the stage name of a nine year old boy named Nemis Quinn Mélançon Golden, who has earned a large following for being a child drag queen.

This new trend of child-aged drag queensknown as “drag kids”are now being included alongside transgender children and teens.

While many have heralded this development as positive direction for transgender and LGBTQ+ groups, and for those who wish society to embrace gender fluidity, others have been less than thrilled, believing the idea of “drag kids” is a form of child abuse and exploitation.

Regardless of which stance one decides to take on the issue, the value of the transgender movement should not be a factor. Citing the dismissal of child-aged transgenderism as a dismissal of adult transgenderism would be deceptive.

However, although I understand why many support “drag kids,” the main principle here is the exploitation of children: innocent, prepubescent, and in need of protection and understandingall to further an agenda.

In other words, it is the imbuement of our adult complexes on those who should not yet be having them.

If we keep doing so, and worse, brandish moral self-righteousness when doing so, we may find that the transgender movement not only loses traction, but that depression, anxiety, and confusion may actually begin to rise in children, teens, and young adults.

The reason for this being that there is a difference between accepting a person’s sexual orientation and identity, and trying to design it.

Having respect for future generations means not presuming that our whims and tendencies will be theirs. The ones who will make the world a better place must be allowed to live and grow as free as possible from our overthinking.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo by pan xiaozhen on Unsplash.

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