‘I identify as a cat’. The animalisation of humans and the humanisation of animals

If you erode the distinction between the biological sexes, sooner or later, the boundary between humans and animals is also called into question.

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Who would have imagined that the issue of school pupils identifying as a cat would suddenly capture the attention of the British media and sections of the political class? Suddenly everyone from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, was forced to express a view on this subject.

It all began when a student secretly recorded a class discussion involving year eight pupils at Rye College in East Sussex. In the excerpt posted to TikTok, a pupil describes the idea of another pupil identifying as an animal as ‘crazy’. The pupil is heard in the recording telling the teacher that if someone wants ‘to identify as a cat or something, then they are genuinely unwell’. The pupil develops her argument and commits what her teacher perceives as a heretical comment, describing biological sex and gender as binary. Another pupil backs her up.

The teacher responds to the pupil by exploding with rage and denounces her for daring to question the child’s identity. She asks, ‘Where did you get this idea from that there are only two genders?’ She tells them this is ‘not an opinion you can have’. When the pupils respond and declare that they should be allowed to hold opinions different from others, the teacher gets on her high horse and lays into the pupils. The teacher accuses the pupils of saying that unless you ‘identify with the gender of the sexual organ you were born with… you’re weird. That’s basically what you’re saying, which is really despicable.’

After branding the pupil's comments as despicable, the teacher lashes out and suggests that the girls should find another school: ‘I’m not having that [view] expressed in my classroom’, she concludes.

That the incidents at Rye College in East Sussex catalysed a national discussion is not surprising. During the past year, more parents and concerned individuals have become worried about the institutionalisation of gender ideology in British schools.  Most of the time, parents and others have kept their concerns to themselves. It took a classroom discussion where a teacher is seen to denounce her 13 year old pupils as despicable to provoke a public debate finally. A teacher sticking up for a child's right to a cat identity is a step too far for most reasonable adults.

The publicity surrounding this story has led many teachers and commentators to point to numerous other cases where schools tolerate pupils identifying as cats, rabbits, and other animals. In response, supporters of trans ideology claim that the story about children identifying as animals is a media invention designed to undermine the advance of trans-identity. They insist that the whole issue of children identifying as animals is driven by the ‘anti-trans media machine’, and stories about the animalisation of children represent the ‘weaponization of bigotry’. Others claim that furries – children identifying as animals – are a mythical creation of the right wing media.

So what is going on? It is difficult to know how far the trend towards identifying as an animal has gone in our schools. That there is a problem is not in doubt. After a lengthy discussion with two 16-year-old pupils sporting rabbit ears and identifying as animals, I have concluded that their behaviour is the consequence of society addiction to identity. These youngsters are simply acting out the logic of gender identity politics. It mat well be that as the saying goes, they are ‘going through a phase’. However, the fact that they have opted to embrace an animal identity temporarily represents an important statement about society.

What is truly concerning about this development is not the behaviour of young furry community members but the conduct and attitude of their teachers, parents, and adult society. The two lads who wear rabbit ears can freely pursue their fantasy in school, knowing that their teacher will defend them if anyone makes fun of their behaviour. Their teachers will likely denounce their critics as despicable. Some parents are also likely to acquiesce to the identity play of the furry children.

The issue of children wishing to be identified as animals is mainly the outcome of the reluctance of adult society to act authoritatively. Adults are reluctant to set young people boundaries, and those working in education and culture have forgotten how to say no to a child demanding recognition as an animal. Indeed, in some instances, parents and teachers are all too ready to validate the latest version of an identity adopted by a child. All this follows on from the rapid growth the phenomenon of trans-kids.

The phenomenal speed with which trans-ideology has spread amongst young people is the direct consequence of its encouragement by sections of adult society. Numerous schools are complicit in indoctrinating young people with trans-genderist ideology. Many have created an environment encouraging young people’s social transition from their biological sex to another gender.

Once children learn that the boundary between male and female is porous and that gender fluidity is the norm, it is inevitable that other long-established boundaries will be called into question. Recently, the moral distinction between humans and animals has become a subject of debate. Those of us who uphold the unique moral status of human beings are often denounced as specieist.  The belief that animal species is inferior to humans is attacked as a cultural crime akin to racism or transphobia. The erosion of the boundary between humans and animals has led some to question the moral distinction between the two. Some go so far as to claim that animals can give consent to have sex with humans. The defence of bestiality is still, fortunately, very rare. Still, once the boundary between humans and animals is breached, the animalisation of humans and the humanisation of animals will inevitably ensue.

The politicisation of identity has unleashed a never-ending invention of new identities. Today we have become accustomed to ‘pretendians’, people who pretend to be who they are not. Given the cultural valuation attached to the identity of a victim, it is not surprising that in the United States, there have been numerous examples of white people embracing a black or Native American identity. During her campaign for nomination to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in 2019, Senator Elizabeth Warren faced criticism for her assertion that her DNA allowed her to claim Native American heritage. If a high-profile American politician can pretend to be what she is not, is it surprising that many children have followed suit?

Transgenderism provides the cultural terrain on which the animalisation of humans can flourish. But the main driver of transgenderism and the animalisation of humanity is the erosion of civilisational boundaries. The symbolic boundaries that emerged through the centuries – between children and adults, men and women, humans and animals - are now called into question. And that’s a big problem. Society becomes seriously disoriented when it becomes confused about where to draw a line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour

 As I argue in my book, Why Borders Matter, our future depends on re-appropriating our civilisational boundaries  and take them seriously.

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