The Richelieu teacher, who wants to be called Mx and not “sir” or “madam,” is neither surprising nor “extraordinary” to full professor at the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Social Work, Annie Pullen Sansfaçon.
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In an interview on the show “Le Bilan” she explains that in her opinion the use of “Mx” or “Mix” is simply a matter of respect.
“Madam or sir, it doesn’t spark a debate and ‘mix’ is meant to represent more non-binary people, so it’s just a polite expression,” she said. People may be less used to it, but it’s actually a fair way to respect the person in front of us.”
“The pronoun iel, which can be linked to mix, was added to the Robert dictionary in 2021, so it is a social change that we are experiencing, it is nothing exceptional,” continues Ms. Pullen Sansfaçon.
According to the full professor, the topic of gender identity will remain in the public space.
“Different gender identities, whether non-binary or transgender people, have always existed throughout the centuries, we have evidence of this in all cultures, so it is not a fashion,” she says.
“What we’re seeing is that the more young people we have talking about it, the more young people we have who are actually finding answers to their questions and are able to put into words what they’re experiencing. That’s maybe why we are like this.” “There is an increase in young people who may assert themselves differently than the gender assigned at birth,” she adds.
The sexologist Laurence Desjardins, who was also invited to the “Bilan”, suspects that the outcry caused by the Richelieu teacher’s request was due more to the preconceptions of the parents than to the fact that they were children.
“The question is often not so much how we talk to the child about it, but the adult who has prejudices and ideas,” she mentions. The child risks asking the question naively and openly, we will answer him and the child will say “OK, okay” and just integrate it.”
“We need to do more education on this topic to normalize it and show that it is actually not dangerous,” she continues. This will have enormous benefits for society. If you are confident about your gender or identity, that’s okay, it’s none of your business. The word will fall in the ear of one whom it concerns, and it will perhaps save him, and that is not the aim of human life?”
Watch the full interview in the video above