To take it from some media reports, the new consciousness of gender fluidity has broadened to embrace the animal kingdom. Children are now flocking to identify as animals.
To take it from other reports, this is largely an alt-right hoax intended to panic kindly liberals, and the world's schools are not, in fact, putting out litter trays and nosebags to cater for their self-proclaimed cat, dog and horse students.
To take it from the children themselves, longing to be a favourite animal is a normal part of being a kid, but if some adults suddenly want to indulge this fun fantasy, then woof, woof: let's see how far we can take this.
The writer knows of one canny three-year-old who identifies as a fox, because foxes are nocturnal and he takes strenuous issue with his ordained bedtime hours.
There is a potentially serious side to this, which is why a British school is in crisis after a staffer was taped defending a little girl's right to "be" a cat. The teacher assistant told other children who didn't believe she was a cat that they were being meanly unsympathetic.
Denne historien er fra July 8 - 14, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra July 8 - 14, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A hint of mermaids
Erin Palmisano's latest novel once again has food and romance at the heart of its well-plotted story.
Execution over innovation
Big and bold ideas are fine, but being the best beats being first.
Something's wrong with all of them
Engaging dissection of the 20th-century novel likely to send the reader in search for the book under discussion.
Cell warfare
A NZ trial using immunotherapy to beat a form of blood cancer is expanding after promising results – and it's hoped the 'gold standard' treatment will soon be widely available.
The virus that stole all the smells
In this edited extract from The Forgotten Sense, Jonas Olofsson traces the rise in anosmia as a result of Covid-19 infections.
When caring is ‘woke'
Some years ago, I sat in a small plane circling over Punta del Este in Uruguay. There was a delay and we sat in tense silence until we began our descent. Outside the tiny airport, a taxi ferried us past private Lear jets; these had been the cause of the hold-up. The driver pointed to two planes side by side. \"This one is a Trump plane.\"
Getting along swimmingly
The presenters of Endangered Species Aotearoa spend a fair bit of time on and in the water in the second season.
That clingy feeling
Our pets display the same types of attachment behaviours as we do, or so it seems.
The famous furred
A peaceful little spot in LA is the final resting place for the pets of some of Hollywood's biggest names.
Gone girl
She wandered in on Thursday morning looking very wan, and climbed into her bed. I sat on the edge and stroked her back.
