A student attending Rye College in East Sussex, England, was told her beliefs are “despicable” after refusing to accept her classmate identifying as a cat.
“How can you identify as a cat when you’re a girl,” the student asked, prompting the teacher to say, “How dare you? You just really upset someone, saying things like [you] should be in an asylum.”
The student noted that she “didn’t say that,” but said “if they want to identify as a cat or something, then they are genuinely unwell. … They’re crazy.”
The student then asked why her opinion cannot be respected.
“You are talking about the fact that cisgender is the norm, that you identify with the sexual organ you were born with or you’re weird, that’s basically what you’re saying, which is really despicable,” the teacher stated, noting that the student’s ideas contribute to “homophobia.”
“That’s not homophobia, that’s transgender. I’m fine with lesbians and gay people. I’ve got nothing against them,” the student replied.
According to the educator, the student needs to have a “proper educational conversation about equality, diversity, and inclusion.”
Reporting from The Blaze:
A spokesman for the the school said, "We are committed to offering our pupils an inclusive education. Teachers endeavour to ensure that pupils’ views are listened to, and encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion. Teachers also aim to answer questions sensitively and honestly," adding, "We will be reviewing our processes and working with the relevant individuals to ensure such events do not take place in the future."
