What kindergarteners taught me about gender | Batya Greenwald | TEDxCU

Children begin to form a sense of gender identity between the ages of two and three. Cultural indoctrination or self-expression? With surprising and touching stories about children and the continuum of gender, kindergarten teacher Batya Greenwald straightens you out about all the ways you never knew you were bent. Her stories from 15 years of observing children might help you be a better guide to all children--even the one inside yourself--allowing you to be fuller in expression and more uniquely who you are meant to be.
Batya Greenwald is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with more than 15 years of experience teaching elementary school and kindergarten. She is a lead faculty member for the PassageWorks Institute, a nonprofit organization which teaches educators to integrate social, emotional and academic learning, mindfulness, and cultural responsiveness (passageworks.org). Batya also facilitates courses for Girls Leadership Institute, teaching girls and their parents how express who they are and what they believe, and empowering them to create change in their world (girlsleadership.org).
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@SchoolofPositiveTransformation]

Batya was our kids' teacher. If all teachers were like Batya we would have world peace within a generation. She is simply the best. Endless love and wisdom with all children. We love and appreciate you Batya

[@AmbiCahira]

When I grew up I always saw children be allowed to be curious and try different things. Makeup, nail polish, skirts, playing with trucks, dolls, the mothers heels and purses, and so on. Kids were just playing, trying and exploring and I'm so happy it was allowed in my town.

[@monterey.harris9126]

Oh yeah like I'm a girl but I played cowboys and Indians. I didn't care for dolls much and I would cut off their hair, but I did like to play with Barbie dolls.

[@conorbrassil2990]

This woman is incredible i am training as a primary school teacher next year and she is giving me such insight into something I pride myself in knowing quite a lot about. INCREDIBLE

[@fujoshipeanut5074]

I was shocked when my brother starting saying "This is for girls, this is for boys." at the age of 3.

[@fujoshipeanut5074]

Ghast the Otaku because was picking random objects and insisting certain one's were for boys and for girls. where would he get that from? what's the logic behind it?

[@fujoshipeanut5074]

Ghast the Otaku no, he just picked random things from my room

[@fujoshipeanut5074]

Ghast the Otaku not that I could see

[@error.418]

he's exploring and testing the world like any child

[@error.418]

Mentalidade Logica No reputable organization is teaching "one gender." And spectrum of genders is misleading. Gender identity is a combination of masculine and feminine traits manifested both physically and psychologically. It's not the same as sex. And that wouldn't be brainwashing.

[@s.leslie7230]

Children definitely need to be having this conversation in school as early as possible so they can start embracing who they are as well as their peers because gender can be a beautiful thing.

[@teresapham776]

I like to think of it as laying out all the options and having kids pick what they like. If 5 boys like the color blue and 1 boy likes the color pink, then the teacher teaches them that all of the colors are okay to like. This teaches the boys that just because others are different from them, it doesn't mean that their differences are a bad thing.

[@error.418]

In 1927, Time magazine printed a chart highlighting gender-appropriate colors for girls and boys according to leading U.S. retailers. Filene’s (in Boston), Best & Co. (in New York City), Halle’s (in Cleveland), and Marshall Field (in Chicago) all advised parents to dress boys in pink and girls in blue. Color preferences are cultural, not something inherent to your sex.

[@rajaclear967]

bad propaganda. gender is not social contruction

[@califtom]

People like you need to be kept as far away from children as possible

[@edwisandahlarn]

Did you even watch the video? Or are you just leaving hateful comments? Because she clearly states that it is not about putting something into peoples mind, but rather to open their minds

[@rodneymaher7024]

This is incredibly interesting discussion, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've taken note that current research indicates that gender preferences - whether biological or not - begin to surface as young as two to three years in humans. My niece started showing definite preferences for play as early as two years. Her brother, at four and five years, is more open minded about his choices. I think we live in an intriguing world today, and it is a great responsibility to help open young minds. A very helpful TedX talk :)

[@bntagkas]

as always, again the solution is education but...someone needs to educate the educators...and even more importantly the parents aswell

[@caseykilpatrick5472]

Great work, Batya! My daughter is eight, and I am constantly confronted with the first myth you discuss. The best example is McDonald's and Happy Meal toys. Whenever I use the drive-thru (not very often), they always ask "Is that for a boy or girl?" as if it really matters. It never made sense to me why McDonald's can't offer gender neutral toys that promote tolerance and acceptance rather than proliferate gender separation. Thanks for challenging our beliefs and thoughts, Batya! You're amazing and I can't wait to work with you more often.

[@alinegarcia1926]

jjsjsjJskz snndzndns

[@alexwilliams2276]

right. I mean they just did last year where I live but not all toys

[@alexwilliams2276]

DarthYuYevon There is no such thing as girls toys and boy toys

[@alexwilliams2276]

DarthYuYevon​ Again there is no such thing as boys and girls. Toys are sterotyped

[@alexwilliams2276]

DarthYuYevon What are you not understanding out of the comment toys are stereotyped

[@elizasmith4846]

Grateful that this woman was my teacher. Now I am going for a gender studies minor

[@error.418]

Gender studies is fine as a minor.

[@error.418]

***** Being afraid of a potential employer says you're probably on a shitty career path. Gender studies as a minor just means you're interested in a particular segment of psychology. It's not your major, it's your interest. Get over it.

[@error.418]

***** Hardly. If you haven't met a guy who has feminine characteristics or a girl who has masculine characteristics or every combination in between you're lying to yourself and everyone around you. Of course humans are arrogant, our brains are significantly more complex than anything else we've studied. We've found other compellingly complex behaviors and brains structures, but nothing at the same level. And it should come as no surprise that a complex system produces complex results. Don't be afraid of complexity.

[@Mentallogic15]

Know that the American College of Pediatrics just recently concluded that there are high rates of suicide in Gender Dysphoria, aka gender confusion.

[@sai-codes]

haha nice joke

[@donnazerner2242]

Wonderfully crafted and beautifully delivered talk, on an important and timely matter. We're all affected by gender identity issues, whether or not we're conscious of them. Those children are lucky to have Batya as their teacher, and we're all fortunate to have her in our world!

[@lucyspencer8748]

I am a trans women on the brink of a social transition and about 2 months ago while I was at my job at a child care center I was playing kitchen with a 4 year old girl and she told me she could have one type of doughnut because she was a girl and that I could have another type of doughnut because I was a boy. I was very offended by this but it would have been completely unreasonable for me to scold a 4-year-old for this, so instead I went along with her game by acting sad about not getting what she called a "girl doughnut". A few minutes before her parents picked her up she gave me a "girl doughnut"! I was so happy that I got through to her without having to shame her.

[@omercicjusuf50]

wow true story not funny

[@ameliasohambenjah734]

@A M. said unprovable near ancient religious propaganda impersonating original human experience and observation.

[@alonelybatinisolation2746]

@A M. The kid just assumed and got corrected to the right answer.

[@lunathelegacy]

@A M. Ok bigot

[@woooo7670]

That's absolutely adorable.

[@willowbruce1923]

A very interesting talk which must finally come to the forefront. I was labelled a “troubled” child and was constantly educated that boys don’t act that way. Many years later, after a much welcomed diagnoses, I accepted the fact that the package didn’t reflect the contents and I began transitioning. There must be somewhat of a genetic link as there are two of us sisters who transition Ed.

[@jude8067]

I'm a transman about a year away from college and the only times when I was little that my gender occured to me before puberty was when my mom and dad wanted to put me in dresses or I had to wear a shirt or the teachers would call those lines... I was always jokingly called a boy anyway and I had friends of both sexes. It was evidently only a shock to me because when I started coming out and asking to be called male pronouns in my first year of highschool everyone I told said something along the lines of 'So you finally figured it out' which was a major relief. I'm glad things weren't so stressed for me when I was younger.

[@michaelasuorsa]

God bless her soul, I really loved listening to this. I really wish the whole world understood her.

[@michaelasuorsa]

Mentalidade Logica this helps people to realize their own identity and the suicide rates are due to people like you who don't accept them so they feel alone.

[@Mentallogic15]

Michaela Suorsa Tell that to the ACP experts. You know, what happens to a young one if you let them do what they want in a forest, a beach, by the road, etc? Well, they are bound to get hurt, seriously hurt. You see kids *need* freedom within boundaries and that is how they develop confidence for bigger boundaries as they grow. Sex is no difference. Anyway, vent to the experts -not me.

[@michaelasuorsa]

Mentalidade Logica you're the one who vented to me lmao. And you're telling me if a straight people sees a gay person, they will get all confused and hurt themselves. False. They will continues to be straight if that's how they feel. It's great that we're living in a world where gay people are not burned at the stake and everyone is able to be themselves.

[@Mentallogic15]

Michaela Suorsa Don't kill the messenger, aka me. And in this case, you should not kill the message neither. "...and everyone is able to be themselves." > according to experts, those people who as kids are allowed to be quote, unquote themselves, are killing themselves in great numbers (% wise), later in life - and you support that. "...It's great that we're living in a world where gay people are not burned at the stake..." > If that happened, I would be one of the first to defend their right to exist. Look, it is once thing for one to accept gays but it is another thing for schools to openly push for Gender Dysphoria, because this *WILL* destroy society as a whole. For governments to pass Hate Crime laws (Canada's Bill C16) against people who refuse to use recent constructed imagery terms like 'ze'.

[@michaelasuorsa]

Mentalidade Logica it's NOT pushing for gender dysphoria. It's pushing for the acceptance of all genders because gender is NOT just a man or a women, it's much more complex than that.

[@wayokayday]

My little brothers school does a running event where they all run around the school for half an hour, this year the shirt color they chose was hot pink and I've seen almost every kid wear those shirts again. I also consider myself very lucky since my parents let us choose our genders and what we played with or dressed in.

[@awesomebawss918]

Ghast the Otaku I mean seriously your parents are brainwashing you from such a young age...

[@tanyalangille1278]

Now you're allowed to hang out for a few years after birth and choose your gender? What do they call you during those years? Most people are born one-or-the-other. It seems strange to just let your child wait a few years to choose on the off chance you are in the middle. And believe me, I am all for people who are torn. It just seems odd to allow a child who fits a bill to spend years not knowing what gender they are.

[@meadowrae1491]

I understand what you're saying, but I think that the OP might be saying that his parents aren't enforcing stereotypes when it comes to dress or play. For example, if your daughter isn't into dresses or tea parties, don't force her to wear dresses and buy the matchbox cars she really wants. Don't call your son a sissy if he cries or wants to play dress up. Things like that. I'm not saying we have to go around calling every child "they," but we don't need to make them feel bad when they act outside the norm; it isn't hurting anyone.

[@premanadi]

@@tanyalangille1278 Saying "choose your gender" isn't really right; nobody actually chooses. It's more like "discover your gender." It's really just up until the age of 3 at most. Parents usually name their children something gender neutral and then they call their child that name. And it's not just for the children who are "in the middle," every child can benefit from not having gender norms forced on them. Children get brainwashed from the moment of birth that they have to be a certain way based on what genitals they have. Boys are like this; girls are like that. And other people treat children differently based on their perceived gender. Giving kids a couple of years head start without all the brainwashing is a great idea. You don't have to tell your child what gender they are; they will naturally find out on their own.

[@erinprather3793]

When and where I grew up, being Transgendered was not an option. There was only two choices, Conform or suffer the consequences. No, the desire to be another Gender did not go away, and it ate at me every day, but once again there was no choice! No one would have given a damn how I felt or if it was changeable. They would look at me and say, "I'm sure you will change your mind once you have been beaten to a pulp enough times!" That was how they saw things. If you were a square peg, they believed they could beat you into the square hole come hell or high water. So I kept it to myself in a deep dark place. I was unable to form friendships cause people though I was hiding something and it scared the hell out of them, but I knew they could not handle the truth so I kept it shut. I came out only in my mid thirties. I felt better about myself finally getting it off my chest and they made my life miserable for it ever since. Miserable conforming, but miserable going against the grain when everyone you love turns on you. It is hell either way. Trust me all the bible reading and conversion therapy changes nothing!

[@dynamicworlds1]

*hugs*

[@lonacarter8152]

Absolutely a beautiful message so that we all become more understanding and tolerant to those we might find different than ourselves.

[@jlbeeen]

That confused me, because I fit in more with the boys as a kid, especially where boys clothes were made stronger for outdoor use and I liked playing with toy tractors. I hid a lot of myself in high school to fit in, but having unisex uniforms helped a lot (we all had the same shirts, and you could wear any style of bottoms that was the right colour and not too short), but I still fit in more with boys. One of my cousins a few years younger came out to me as not really a girl, and we actually felt the same, but they weren't afraid to wear a suit, or have shorter hair, and even used makeup in a more gender neutral way. That really opened my eyes, and while I'm still discovering myself and how to feel more comfortable, it's so reassuring when people say you don't have to fit one of two boxes. Hey, even my body doesn't fit either box, my shoulders are too wide for women's shirts, but often times my thighs are too thick for men's pants. I'm glad I can sew and design my own stuff that fits my body and the expression I want to show.

[@verenavermas5850]

Thank you so much for this explanation. I as a Transgender went through many problems during childhood, puberty and adult until I finally decided to live what I really am. This woman speaks to my feelings within a gender-binary society.

[@miriamhernandez3407]

We do not know @consecuenses yet, for this kind of life,so confusing

[@RespectableRick]

This was so beautiful! The world needs more teachers like her!

[@harryh628]

Yep. Haha. That's funny because it just goes to show how fragile and see through so many of our cultural customs are that all it takes is a few questions here and there and they can be broken down as easily as they were put up...

[@johnwang9914]

One of the few memories that I have of kindergarten was being told that I shouldn't be making friends with the girls. What had happened was that I brought one girl home with me and my parents had to figure out how to contact her parents so they could come over to pick her up after which I was firmly told not to play with the girls and not to make friends with them.

[@guineapigarms]

what about boys or girls that over compensate to prove they are what is expected of there asigned gender, then later on in life, 20, 30, 40, or older, they come out to family and loved ones, but all they know is to act macho or feminine. this is my case inside i feel female out side is totally and obviously male. and its killing me, im 45 and risk losing everything.

[@incognitoescargot7464]

I struggle with this too and what helped me was slowly changing my gender expression, more and more until it made me most comfortable, and going to the gym :) eventually I started to relax and act like myself when I was more comfortable in my expression. Some people remind me of who I was before, trying to be something I’m not. But when I come back to my accepting friends I get reminded.

[@kaejade9184]

Okay first, I am ftm transgender. I found out when i was 9. Secondly, my little brother started asking my to be a girl. This happened for a month. On Christmas he got power puff girls toys. He looked at them for 10 seconds and threw them where the rest of the toys were and he looked to embarrassed and he hasnt touched them since. Not even once did he look at them after. My parents asked him if he wanted them or to trade them for something else. He kept them. Lastly, he has been physically bullied by this 3rd grader, he is in kinder. I wanted to kill the girl the first day he came home with a gash on his head. The second time he came home, he said she bashed his head up against the window. A vein had popped in his ear. I am starting to think it was because he was a little more feminine then the other boys.

[@awesomebawss918]

Finding Lukas so what? tell that boy he can play with those powerpuff girls! It might be considered a bit gay by the other boys but so what?

[@Kibitserr]

@@awesomebawss918 Powerpuff Girls might honestly be one of the most brutal children cartoon shows during the early 2000's. It honestly surprises me that people would think of it as a "girly" cartoon.

[@osmanbey3281]

How horrible! People like that bully you mentioned are just low! Of course he could play with anything he wants!

[@SportsFan95]

Very well spoken! God Bless Her! This World needs to be more understanding and accepting and loving and caring for others! Too much hatred and discrimination out there.

[@oakbellUK]

You say that anything outside the gender norm boxes is seen as breaking the rules - and the consequences can be dire. Not so. Girls and women can act and dress more in the 'centre ground' as tomboys and society accepts them and even praises their achievement. It is boys/men who are most under the straightjacket of gender-norms.

[@cheese1792]

true true

[@Quote-Unquote.]

@Mike Bell Women tend to look inward to find the answers to what and who they should be. Males tend to allow eachother and society at large to define what and who they can be. After inflicting strict gender based "norms" on eachother, these same males rail against the very people to whom they gave "authority of identity". Speaking in terms of "we are not allowed to did this or act this way.." is a confession that you *chose to allow others to define you* . Only you can change that.

[@osmanbey3281]

@@Quote-Unquote. In my opinion, though, people should dress in a good way. the way some women dress these days is crazy.

[@bowtiesarecool7062]

My little sister is almost five and since she was three I've been asking her what she thinks is for boys and what she thinks is for girls and I remember first when I asked her things like if girls can have short hair or if boys can wear dresses she answered yes but now she responds by giggling and saying that it's funny/weird. This is why I want to become a teacher so that I can teach kids that they can wear and do whatever they please unless if it's hurting someone else of course

[@eilidhsmyth1802]

The boys section has all the cool clothes which is annoying because I as a female would try to wear them and they don't fit properly and with clothing even from babies girls clothes are pink and boys clothes are blue but my favourite colour is blue

[@error.418]

Pink used to be for boys and blue for girls. In 1927, Time magazine printed a chart highlighting gender-appropriate colors for girls and boys according to leading U.S. retailers. Filene’s (in Boston), Best & Co. (in New York City), Halle’s (in Cleveland), and Marshall Field (in Chicago) all advised parents to dress boys in pink and girls in blue.

[@Mentallogic15]

Ware whatever you want and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[@Mentallogic15]

What you say is correct as far as clothes colours. However, that is not true when it comes to toys, books, etc. Companies would save millions by making uni-sex toys, they tried but did not succeed. Yes some of it is nurture but a lot of it is also nature (Proven with newborns) and Vive La Difference. The danger is that feminists are trying to brainwash kids at a very young age with a dangerous ideology. In Australia little boys are being taught that they are quote, unquote "privileged", especial if they are white. N American big 'kids' are being taught the same and have to state it outloud. They also need "save spaces", how about a big diaper and a big soother to go with your safe space - imagine that!

[@error.418]

Mentalidade Logica You sound very confused. They showed toy selection to be purely nurture for newborns. They'll play with whatever you hand them. And a "safe space" (not "save space") means there is someone there to help with personal issues. Nothing more. You're freaking out over people receiving help, that's pretty fucked up.

[@error.418]

***** It's not a liberal statement. Unless you consider science liberal... in which case you're powerfully confused. This isn't some agenda.

[@potatoofmixolydian5716]

At 8:41 I said to myself, "Just imagine if you didn't have to wear a bra?"😞

[@ShelsaNdemanou]

you don't have to my dear.

[@llm8268]

Well done. Thank you for sharing this beautiful talk. Yes. Start them out young with an open mind. This talk is very encouraging.

[@osmanbey3281]

But shouldn't be follow the Law of God, rather than follwoing laws made by humans? because only then can people be truly guided.

[@maliciouslyvain9838]

god I wish we had more people like her in the world

[@stumoja69]

Great video! And threatening too in a time when many men and women are not clear in their own sense of masculine or feminine, which is why we would reject a transgender person, trying to defend our own sense of gender that we already struggle with. So many men I work with as a men's life coach struggle to assert their own masculinity and are baffled when their women fill that role. The guys feel feminized, women masculinized, and conflict ensues. Gender confusion is very alive in the traditional gender society as well.

[@catherines6670]

+Stuart Motola Not threatening. Eye opening. Some people -- a very, very few in American society seem to want to put us all into their tiny little pigeon holes, categorized and standardized. But, life is bigger than that... The world is changing...change with it...or you'll be left behind...

[@LuxPsy]

@DarthYuYevon Being attracted to what you are attracted to is because of biology. Telling a 3 y/o boy he can't wear pink because it's a "girl's colour" is definitely because of gender rules and social conditioning. Note the difference. The woman in the video is talking about the latter.

[@premanadi]

@DarthYuYevon Straight guys mostly build muscle to show off in front of other guys and feel more powerful.

[@spacedcactoid]

In preschool there was a constant debate on whether there were boy and girl colors

[@nupursharma4351]

This is commendable , even children agree about these stereotypes being irrelevant . We should open up our minds and stop judging a person on their gender identities

[@bdasloth212]

When she brings up the kids in Kindergarten and how exposing them early to the issue of gender perception makes it easier, it made me think of how a study should try and be done to analyze that process if only for a school through the end of elementary and seeing how the kids interact and develop over that time.

[@osmanbey3281]

But I don't think people should be told about these things early, especially not that young!

[@bdasloth212]

@@osmanbey3281 why? I feel that if you are going to do anything to change society for the better, like more inclusion and less gender stereotypes, then you have to start with both education and teaching as soon as possible. there is no harm in it and from what Greenwald says, it seems to be something they can do.

[@osmanbey3281]

@@bdasloth212 First, thank you for being polite in your reply. And i agree, gender sterotypes are bad, but confusing young people about their gender is worse.

[@lazdahuman]

@@osmanbey3281 I partially agree. I think this information should be taught in schools, but perhaps around the time of 9th or 10th grade, where teens can grasp complex ideas a little better. However, droplets of these concepts could also be added slightly earlier.

[@maximusmidnight2591]

The story about kindergarteners and the gender rules is so touching.... beautiful.

[@cathyfinkjohnson]

Way to break down these issues into really simple, straightforward examples and suggestions. Such important work. Thank you Batya!

[@suegiddinge424]

So true. Let's learn early to accept each other as we are. We are all human and gender is only a part of the total package. Kids are Awesome. Thank you Batya for opening your own mind and then sharing and discussing it your classroom in a way that is natural. You never know whose life you may have saved.

[@johncolquitt3086]

This lady is delusional and is set on assisting others with thier pretending. When we don't help children to adapt and gain courage we cripple them for difficulties that always come in life. Twenty years from now we are going to see how our systems have led to the detriment of our young people. Sad!

[@arlinegeorge6967]

Beautiful impressive amazing soul . Thank you, bless you. All your dreams come true.

[@erikprestonTV]

There are no gender boxes. I have long hair, I can't grow a beard, I've worn pink shirts. But I'm still a dude. Those are not "masculine" or "feminine" exclusive traits that will alter your gender.

[@osmanbey3281]

You have a point!

[@moniqueurdialez4148]

She a strong and understanding person!!!❤️😎👍🏼

[@bodhibozhenko]

10:50 Oh? this adorable moment made me smile, soo cute

[@JanetDax]

When I was very young, my mother would take me shopping with her. I loved this one department store. On the second floor there were beautiful formal dresses. I wanted one. I sometimes would climb up in the attic and dress in my mother's old clothes. Perfectly normal for a young girl. No, I didn't know at the time what boys and girls were about, but dressing as a girl seemed right for some reason. Genitals just didn't factor into it at that point. What I was doing was part of growing up, just like any other girl.

[@ameliasohambenjah734]

She is an awesome teacher🙏💛

[@clairehiggins7120]

Good Job. Wish I had a teacher like you. 👍

[@QueerCripple]

I adore this talk and shared it to my Facebook group, which is dedicated to transgender and non-binary individuals. I reject the gender binary and spend most of my days wearing a pair of men's boxer shorts under a cute skirt. I will very happily state that my sex, my birth assignment, is female. I tend to present female for the very simple fact of wanting to wear clothes that fit and are comfortable. My gender, however, does not fit, and I find myself unable to sufficiently explain the feeling to others. Also, I have fertility issues and have had two miscarriages late enough for my children to have developed genitals... one child was XXX (so female) and had a penis, while the other had ambiguous genitalia. If I wasn't involved in the transgender rights movement already, I would have become involved at that point. I've now found myself extremely interested in genetics and epigenetic's regarding transgender individuals. If I could ever actually afford to go to school, I would love to pursue medical and scientific research avenues in order to look for a possible genetic factors that could contribute to a person being born with ambiguous genitalia or the internal transgender identity. For some reason my brain connects my fertility issues which gave me intersex children, with my own identity. I'd love a chance to look for that possible correlation.

[@deborahjordan-buriel]

I'm so curious if there was blow-back from parents after the kids went home to tell what they learned in school. Most of children's assignments come from the parents. Love this presentation.

[@unitymomentum]

This is amazing, we need to be more understanding and kind to all people.

[@awesomebawss918]

Anony X you are cancer to the earth

[@unitymomentum]

Awesomebawss nah, but your profile picture is. Get help.

[@Junoxbeen]

I really wish she was my teacher

[@annabellemper132]

I went to the school she worked at! She wasn’t my main teacher but she did take me out of class to help me with my reading! One of the best teachers ever!

[@r-platt]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing!

[@babyjake25]

why do u really want to know? because most boys and most girls - i said most not all - will pose different challenges. thats all. i think its a harmless question but this video did help me better understand the issue and be more open minded. i just think the question of whether its a boy or girl is pretty harmless. Why do we ask people "whats up?" or how they are doing? it's just what we do. we dont really want to know always know how they are doing lol. it's like we ask people is their dog a boy or girl. its just fun to know.

[@Irene-gq4jr]

Born and raised as a girl, feel like a girl and mostly dress like one by choice. But I have a 'boy brain' and I'm a professional tech. However I wonder if my boy brain is a result of my amazing (single) late mother, who tackled everything and taught me how to do so as well. She did my hair and dressed my body as the cute little girl she always wanted, but banned Barbie dolls in favour of Lego and didn't train my brain to be anything other than a critical thinker. Thanks mum, you were the best xx

[@alexthompson8977]

Irene you don't have a boy brain you are a girl that acts girly. As stated by you.

[@vicovic3537]

@@alexthompson8977 Maybe was exposed to high levels of testosterone during pregnancy thus the "maculine side" ?

[@shl9560]

"I decided to get curious." !

[@elianemacdonald8601]

You are an inspiration! Thank you!

[@ianchambers400]

I think it during the Edwardian era that pink was for boys

[@bennijohnson942]

This teacher is amazing!!

[@mrmucro2704]

The story of the poor little boy is so sad. It is so sad that he could not love it being a boy. Poor little boy. What happens to the children? They need to be saved. We live in a mad world.

[@kikicomonofern]

I wish you were my kindergarten teacher...

[@rimameryam5278]

Can anyone help to with the main ideas presented in this video please

[@user-hk3eu7bg5y]

That was a thoughtful Ted Talk.

[@nitefox4411]

"Then I reached out and hugged her." That human component is what makes us HUMAN BEINGS..

[@annabellemper132]

I went to school where she taught! She’s amazing

[@Teckno72]

Good talk!

[@boduholm8463]

It is seven years later what is the result?

[@jalapenocheesecake9060]

this is really good.

[@nico4670]

That was pretty amazing.

[@dusktheowlgryphon]

My family: what do you want for Christmas? Me: for LGBT+ people to have rights

[@bilbobaggins5815]

I've done the research

[@emilian7052]

3:44

[@Sophie-gc4we]

That. Was. AMAZING.

[@aparnaaggarwal3701]

ty.

[@user-er5co7fe7f]

I IDENTIFY as a turtle and i require 10,000,000 dollars of tax money to buy my turtle shell . so i can feel more like a turtle!!!!!!!

[@manudassault3547]

Beautiful

[@TH-eb5ro]

If a teacher in the US were to speak out like this they would likely lose their job. What a sad situation.

[@lucybenton7341]

As a transwoman, this makes my heart sing xx

[@jamesgarzillo7669]

Love this

[@calvinthestormfreak]

Let's take one confused boy, embrace that and say little kids know everything.

[@barbralucohen9251]

Brilliant!!! as always....

[@davefisher1840]

Excellent!!!

[@pjaypender1009]

I'm not terribly comfortable feeling sad for a guy who set a teen on fire. I don't care what happens to him. It's not sad. It's horrific and he should never, ever be allowed in society *ever* again. E V E R I have a right to be protected from people who think it's okay to set me on fire.

[@eleanorbertuch135]

Wonderful and insightful 👏👏👏

[@aliiaimashova8238]

Well I hope next question people will ask themselves is why some people have their gender lined up and some don't.

[@premanadi]

Prenatal hormones and brain development.

[@michaelrichards1966]

Yep...I’d like to see gender bias addressed in the legal system

[@renehenriksen1735]

The World in general never will get ready for this. Unless before in a 1000 years maybe......

[@babyjake25]

hahahhahaahha the boy who made the comment was in princess clothes lol - i wonder if that's true.

[@idontgiveaduck2834]

Queen

[@themythicalwage]

I had to watch this in child psych today. I bet everyone clapped when her class "dismantled" gender norms.

[@vesica.piscis]

❤️

[@EMuro-wu7uy]

I liked other dolls, barbie ugh the blond hair. My fave female superhero wonder woman, I have dark hair. I loved being indians in cowboys and Indians. Didn't like princess much, I was happier playing pirate.

[@miriamhernandez3407]

Address violence and the root

[@littlegreenbowtie]

I don't think that I've ever heard anyone explain this better.

[@asamahoesaegi543]

Those children make me cry. (In a good way)

[@kleinaapje2947]

Loved this!

[@jamie8266]

I love finding stuff like this it makes me so happy ~ Nonbinary kiddo

[@califtom]

There are only two genders. Biology and facts don't care about your feelings

[@happypiano4810]

@@califtom Did you even watch this talk?

[@sonomacalendar9949]

Dr Göbbels and Reichführer Himmler would be proud of her if they were still around

[@bilbobaggins5815]

I feel I am deadpool.

[@alexwilliams2276]

All of this true

[@awesomebawss918]

Laniya Williams in what world?

[@IndigoF0X]

Awesomebawss this one 😎👉🏼👉🏼

[@bigfoot5092]

Awesomebawss in all worlds

[@awesomebawss918]

Big Foot then I'm going to a different world because in this one, idiots are respected and followed and thinkers are shunned for stating the truth.

[@peytonnico1402]

Awesomebawss I know right all these idiots thinking that gender is the same a sex.

[@josefinelaschinski3749]

Does someone have a refrence for the fact that 1 in 2000 babies are born with genitals that don't conform to classical sexes? I 'd need it for a presentation....

[@trekadouble757]

First objection. Yes gender is based on biology. Because men brains et females brain aren't built the same, you can pass test and see if a person has a brain that works more like one of a female or one of a male. Gender is in the brain, so gender is biological. So is gender a spectrum? I would be really happy to know if the brain of a non-binary person tends to have a mix of masculine and feminine reactions, But in the video she talked about someone that was biologically in their brain a girl, so it's still a binary. For the intersex: I'm sorry but it's a birth defect, it's not a third category it's a baby with a part of their body that hasn't well developped. I don't say we shouldn't help or care for intersex people, we totally should protect them and find the best solution for them. If I can make an analogy we should say that the number of arms a person can have is a spectrum too, since you can be born with none, one, one and a non-completely-developped arm, two... we don't say that because it's sounds silly. Well developped baby have two arms, like well developped babies have either a normal penis and a normal vagina. And i still think that because there is only a tiny percent of people that are transexual people, we should make arrangements for them and trying to make their life easier but we should'nt build a society that is meant for them at the first place, like we don't build the society for blind people since they are still rare, we shouldn't make a society that focus entirely around trans-people. Yes we need to protect them, accept them, help them. But some of them want so much that it's not reasonnable.

[@goosedotjpg]

Okay, if gender is based on biology, and it’s in the brain, explain how men’s and women’s brains are shaped differently, and trans people often have brains that are shaped like differently from what their biological gender

[@premanadi]

No one has studied the brains of non-binary people yet, but they have studied trans brains and actually, they are a mix of masculine and feminine structures. In fact, we ALL have a mix of masculine and feminine structures, so it probably comes down to what is the majority in your brain, or how they are distributed/interconnected. It's a binary for lots of people, but not everyone. The brain is one of the most complex things in the universe and it's not that surprising that there would be these mixed outcomes possible. What are talking about with trans people? All they want is to be treated with dignity. They aren't asking for society to be "completely focused around them." Also, what this women is talking about isn't just for trans or non-binary people. It's actually primarily for everyone else. All children should be able to grow up without being forced into behavioral boxes based on what genitals they have. We cut our children off from so much of their potential, especially boys. Half their emotional capabilities are usually stunted because boys are allowed to have emotions.

[@happypiano4810]

I mean, there’s braille signage in almost every public building. Train stations have bumps for those with canes. All IPhones has voice-over. There’s loads of accommodation for blind people, at least in comparison to trans people. What do trans people have that is enforced in a widespread way, other than the bare minimum (Not being fired for being trans, basic human rights). There is VERY LITTLE accommodation for non-binary people especially.

[@jkmakeupmaster1438]

Yes I hate being told act like a lady

[@asaabrahamagulnik574]

Ask if the baby is healthy.