When Stephen Callaghan's 12 year-old daughter came home from school in Wangorban, Australia, confused and upset, he wasted no time in asking her what was wrong.
The class was being divided for an outing, the boys were being brought to a construction warehouse.
The girls, on the other hand, were being sent to the library to get their hair and make up done.
The letter he wrote to the school about this gendering activities is simply fantastic:
I wrote a letter pic.twitter.com/oFJp7egVnf
— Grumplestiltskin (@2FBS) 6 December 2017
The sass is next level, it reads:
"When Ruby left for school yesterday it was 2017 but when she returned home in the afternoon she was from 1968."
He then addresses how the class will be divided for the afternoon. But it gets even better:
"Are you able to search the school for a rip in the space-time continuum? Perhaps there is a faulty flux capacitor hidden away in the girl's toilet block?"
"I look forward to this being rectified and my daughter and the other girls in the school being returned to this millennium where school activities are not sharply divided along gender lines."
For those who haven't met Ruby (and a surprising number of my online friends have met her) here is Ruby tonight on her way to Year 6 Graduation Dinner #RubysFluxCapacitor pic.twitter.com/fjSt8mza73
— Grumplestiltskin (@2FBS) 11 December 2017
Stephen further went on to say that despite the schools actions were not malicious, they were encouraging everyday sexism.
I reckon they just don't think. Not done maliciously.. just good ol' #everydaysexism
— Grumplestiltskin (@2FBS) 7 December 2017
While some have been questioning Stephen's tactic, others have been applauding his message:
Utterly perfect. I personally loved the time travel aspect. But srsly, i am a lady person and i love makeup to an unhealthy degree but I'd be pissed off AF if I'd been made to do that or if it had been my daughter
— Mince Pie-lie (@misskylie77) 8 December 2017
I missed out on being accepted as an apprentice mechanic when I was younger because I am not a boy. Still annoys me. #sexismSUCKS
— Imogen (@twtrrr) 8 December 2017
Thank you for this. My 3yo son was recently excluded from a doll’s picnic at daycare as it was for the girls. We need to stop gendering activities.
— Rachael Dean (@rachaelispoetry) 7 December 2017
Callaghan has since taken to Twitter to update how his letter was received. The school department claimed that children are allowed to choose school activities, but this has not been proven.
His daughter decided to stay with the girls after all, but one girl did decide to go on the boys trip:
On a positive note, one other girl (not Ruby) decided she would like to go to Bunnings...and she did... I hope she had a great day #RubysFluxCapacitor
— Grumplestiltskin (@2FBS) 11 December 2017
He continued to say that this was not about specifically targeting the school, or any teachers in particular, but rather making sure that his daughters are free to make choices and not be dictated to because of their gender:
Would I do the same if a similar situation cropped up? Hell yes. My daughters are not second rate citizens. neither is any other woman. All I want to see is that they get CHOICES.... Choices that are NOT limited because they are "girls" #RubysFluxCapacitor
— Grumplestiltskin (@2FBS) 11 December 2017
In response to the outpouring of support the story, Callaghan said that he and Ruby hope to see a change in gender attitudes.
Ruby and I would like to thank you for the great comments of support. At 12 years of age my daughter is starting to notice there are plenty of people prepared to tell her what she can & can't do based solely on the fact she is female.
— Grumplestiltskin (@2FBS) 7 December 2017
She would like this to change.
So would I.
What to do you think of the letter? Does our education system need a gender update?
