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Myths and Misconceptions 

For more information, please refer to Responding to Concerns: Teaching About Gender

"Children should not be learning about this at school. This is the responsibility of parents, something that should be taught at home. 

Teaching and learning about the complexity of gender is something everyone should learn about. While some parents are teaching their children to combat stereotypes, not all children are receiving the same messages. Gender inclusive classrooms level the playing field, affirming the identity of all students and building a foundation to prevent gender based bullying.

"Children should not be learning about this at school. This is the responsibility of parents, something that should be taught at home. 

"Elementary school children are too young to be learning about gender."

Children's knowledge of stereotypes increases until about the age of 7. Their ability to acquire stereotype flexibility, the ability to see the limitations of stereotypes, begins at age 6 and peaks at age 11. Elementary school is therefore the crucial time to teach about issues of gender, race and class. 

"Elementary school children are too young to be learning about gender."

"If you're teaching about gender and LGBTQ+ people, you're teaching about sex, which is inappropriate. 
Gender and sexuality are related." 

When children learn about straight cisgender people, they are not learning about sex. There is no reason that learning about people with different gender identities means learning about sex. The term LGBTQ+ is tricky, because it perpetuates the misconception that sexuality and gender are intimately linked.
The L,G, and B refer to sexual orientations. The T refers to gender identity. The Q can represent either. Learning about gender does not imply learning about sex.

"If you're teaching about gender and LGBTQ+ people, you're teaching about sex, which is inappropriate. 
Gender and sexuality are related." 

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