Pride and Gender Studies are about clarifying reality

As queer festivals and pride events grow around the world, including in South Korea, fierce opposition grows in parallel concerning "confusing messages" to young minds. These opinions matter, just like everyone else's.

But here's the crux: if children are "too impressionable" to learn about diverse identities, then by that same logic, shouldn't we be even more concerned about the gender stereotypes, sexism, misogyny, homophobia and the toxic versions of masculinity they're already exposed to every single day, all of which are at odds with the fair, open and respectful society we promote?

The truth is that children are already surrounded by those messages from TV, YouTube, ads and playground talk long before they ever hear words like "nonbinary" and "sexuality." They already learn what boys are "supposed" to wear, how girls are "supposed" to act, and what love "should" look like and see the judgement aimed at families and people that look different.

Confusion doesn't come from Pride marches. It comes from a society that bombards children with regressive and rigid social norms without offering them tools to question or make sense of it all.

The same often-repeated opposition resurfaced over the introduction of gender studies into public elementary schools in some U.S. states, with some arguing that teaching children about gender fluidity or LGBTQ+ identities will "confuse" them and go against "traditional" family values. What one family believes might be different from what their neighbors believe. Those differences, based on religion, culture or personal experience, are all valid. But public education isn't meant to echo majority values; rather, it teaches human values that hold up regardless of where you live or how you were raised, offering every child the same foundation to understand the world they're growing into, not just their own corner of it.

The real goal of gender education is to prepare them to think critically and act empathetically in a world full of differences, contradictions, nuance and complexity, not to push an ideology or encourage children to ponder their own identity. Asking “why is this considered normal?” instead of “am I normal?”, it's about helping children recognize stereotypes and question assumptions before those ideas become cemented. It gives them the language to understand themselves and others.

In South Korea, where gender studies is still largely absent from the school curriculum, Pride parades and queer festivals often fill that educational vacuum by creating spaces for visibility, solidarity and reclaiming public joy in the face of discrimination. But it shouldn't fall solely on the shoulders of marginalized communities to carry the burden of educating the public once a year through celebration. Schools have the responsibility to offer a collective response, both as a mirror to help children see themselves with acceptance and a window to understand others with empathy.

I remember a moment on a bus with my 6-year-old child in a Spanish city where the city hall proudly displays the rainbow flag. Two young men were sitting in front of us, holding hands and sharing a kiss. I glanced at my son. He looked unfazed and not at all confused. He didn't see anything strange or wrong, just another expression of love, seen and accepted. I thought: this is what I hope gender studies can do — raise a generation that doesn't flinch at difference, that doesn't bat an eye when they meet a friend with two dads instead of a mom and dad or feel threatened by someone living openly and authentically.

That’s not confusion. That’s clarity.

Children grow. Their sense of self, of identity, doesn't break just because they're introduced to the idea that not everyone is the same. Learning about different kinds of people doesn't make them confused. It makes them capable — able to choose how to walk in the world with confidence, empathy and kindness.

Let's stop asking whether children are ready for these conversations.

The better question is, are we ready to give them the tools to make sense of the world and navigate it with clarity?

Yuri Yu (klarayuriyu@gmail.com) is the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led initiative (www.hanokers.org). She lives in Barcelona and works at the intersection of art, cultural inclusion, and social justice.