Way back some 30 years ago, when I learned that collegians taking part in Outward Bound’s multi-day open longboat rowing adventure off Hurricane Island had to relieve themselves by hanging their private parts over the gunwale in the not-so-private presence of mixed genders, I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty invasive and not private.”

But those were college students whose noggins were already in the process of being mushified. Perhaps they felt, “No big deal.”

Thirty years later, I wonder what some of those now adults with kids and grandkids would feel about having their 10-year-old Mary in the stall when a 14-year-old with gender-dysphoria walks in to the one place in the school where Mary thought she had unquestioned privacy, and proceeds to unveil her male parts.

And now it would be Mary who would be thought bigoted if she screamed and hurt the 14-year-old’s feelings. She certainly would not have the school’s support on her side.

How would you feel if it were your daughter or granddaughter? Would you be OK with it?

This train is rapidly leaving theory territory, where progressives get warm fuzzy feelings over poorly thought-through idealism about other people’s children, and we’re now entering Realville.

David Clinard

Oakland