CBBC programme Just A Girl is shocking some parents with its frank portrayal of transgender issues to young children, as the online-only show caused outrage from the Mail on Sunday this weekend. Made in the form of a diary, Just A Girl tells the story of transgender child Amy, who openly shares her worries about moving school and being judged by her peers about her transgender status.
Her many friends are supportive of her decision to live as a girl, but she does encounter some bullying as other children aren’t as open-minded; the one-off programme follows her journey over half an hour.
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The CBBC website describes the programme like this: ‘Amy has a secret and she’s scared that it will come out at her new school. Follow her as she tries to make sense of the world and not lose her friends forever.’
The Mail on Sunday’s story argued that many parents were extremely concerned about the programme exposing younger children to ideas around gender transitioning – the CBBC website is for children between 6 and 14-years-old. It also included a quote from Tory MP Peter Bone, who told the paper he thought it was "completely inappropriate for such material to be on the CBBC website"
The BBC then responded by issuing a statement: “Just a Girl is about a fictional transgender character trying to make sense of the world, deal with bullying and work out how to keep her friends, which are universal themes, which children can relate to, and which has had a positive response from our audience.
“CBBC aims to reflect true life to our audience, providing content that mirrors the lives of as many UK children as possible - you only have to look at programmes such as The Dumping Ground or BAFTA-winning and ground-breaking transgender story I am Leo to see that is the case."
There are many comments on the CBBC page which have been left by children who already watched the show, and found it quite emotional!
SepiaSportyFerret commented: “This video is so true.
It's amazing how nervous you feel when you start at high school and I'm not even transgender. I hope that everyone even LGBT can be treated the same in the future. The prejudice is sooo unfair. This video made me want to cry!”
Parents have already been sharing their opinions – on both sides of the debate – online on a Mumnset thread which has been a hotbed of discussion on whether the show is a welcome addition to the debate on transgender issues, or too much for children who are still very little.
Daisygarden commented: "I wouldn't like it because I don't think transgenderism is so common that many children will relate to it. I also don't think that it's necessary to have the program in order to teach tolerance, you can teach tolerance in many ways and even if you don't have a TV!"
Shutthefridgeup commented: "I don't believe that there is such thing as 'too young' for stuff like this. The earlier you teach your children that everyone is different and that nobody is 'normal' the better. The more they are exposed to, the more accepting they become. Sheltering them will not stop it from happening outside of your home. This is the world we live in!"
Theask says: "My dd watched this. She is a girl who likes wearing 'boys' clothes and playing football. She actually asked me, anxiously, if that meant she was a boy. I told her the programme was about silly people who don't have the confidence just to be themselves and who like a lot of attention and fuss."
What do you think? Have your children watched the programme and if they have, are they enjoying it? Is it helping them to think about transgender issues or is it confusing them?
Do you think early teenage or younger children should be taught about being transgender or would it just encourage them? Perhaps it’s too young to labels before children even get to secondary school?
Share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter @CloserOnline
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