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A photo showing a double-page spread from a children’s book has circulated widely on social media in sub-Saharan Africa. Netizens claim that this is an excerpt from a “school textbook for German children” claiming that it is possible to “practice gender fluidity between the sexes [pour] explore gender before finding a more stable expression or gender identity”. This is false: if this book does exist, the educational authorities of the Länder contacted by AFP declared that the work was not part of any list of mandatory or recommended textbooks in schools, while recalling that in many states of the country, teachers are free to choose their teaching aids as long as they respect federal recommendations and German laws.
A double-page spread from a German children’s book showing several couples having intimate relationships is circulating on social media. “This is a textbook for German children“, accuse Internet users who share this image. According to them, this book would explain to German students “that practicing gender fluidity between the sexes can be a way to explore gender before finding a more stable gender expression or identity“.
Screenshot of a Facebook post, taken on June 19, 2023
Warning: if this children’s book does exist and is published by a German publishing house, it is in no way a textbook, as declared by this company as well as the educational authorities of 15 German Länder (federal states) requested by AFP. The state of Hamburg did not respond to questions from AFP, but the book is not mentioned in its sex education guidelines.
A picture book on “diversity”
Entitled “Too bad for thethe things of life!“, this work is “a non-fiction picture book recommended for children from 5 years old, which contains not only texts suitable for children, but also advice for parents and professionals“, detailed to AFP on June 2 Mareike Kreß, director of publications of Michael Fischer editions, the publishing house which publishes it. Released at the end of March 2021, the book is signed by the sex therapist Carsten Müller (archive) and illustrated by artist Emily Claire Völker.
His goal is to “show the diversity of our society and [de] raise awareness of treating everyone with openness, tolerance and respect – regardless of gender, skin color or traditional role models. It aims to give children self-confidence, body awareness and a positive self-image and to encourage them to decide for themselves how they like to dress, for example, or if and with whom they want distance or intimacy“, she continued. If the work evokes gender fluidity, it does not give “no clear instructionsto the kids about it.
Although the book is intended for parents and guardians who wish to discuss the topic of sex education with children, it is not used as a textbook by the German Länder, as confirmed by the educational authorities of the federated states of the country contacted by AFP.
In Germany, the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) has been commissioned by the state to develop and disseminate national measures for sex education and family planning (archive). Framework programs, laws and directives exist at the federal level, listed in particular by the site (archive) of the German Association of Gays and Lesbians (LSVD). Some Länder also have school laws setting out a legal framework for these courses.
Responsibility for sex education lies with the Ministries of Education of each federated state, some of which have drawn up lists of textbooks recommended or approved by their services, while others leave the freedom of this choice to teachers.
Contacted by AFP, fifteen German Länder (Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Niedesachsen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia) stated that this book was not on any list of required or approved materials for sex and family education, when states had them. The book does not appear either in the directives enacted by the State of Hamburg, which leaves the choice to the teachers as for the teaching materials used.
Rules specific to each Land
The states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Niedesachsen, North Rhine-Westphatlia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia have some form of approval or validation process for textbooks used in school, such as This list (archive) updated in January 2023 published by the Conference of Ministers of Education of the Länder (KMK) specifies this, whether for sex education or in other ways. All confirmed to AFP that Carsten Müller’s book was not among these works.
In the Länder of Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein, teachers were free to choose which textbooks they used as educational materials, which is also in the published list by the KMK (archive). When contacted, all the education authorities except those in Hamburg explained that the book “Too bad for the things of life!” was not taught on a compulsory basis.
They also recalled that the tools freely chosen by the establishments had to correspond to the legal requirements as well as to the educational and constitutional principles in force in Germany.
“Learning materials must respect constitutional law and other legal provisions, in particular the principles of the free democratic rule of law, the plural understanding of our society and the fulfillment of the educational mandate of the school“, for example, clarified to AFP on May 26 Ulrich Gerecke, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education of Rhineland-Palatinate.
These brackets”must avoid one-sided ideological commitments, maintain multiple perspectives, strive for a gender-egalitarian and partnership lifestyle, taking into account the diversity of gender and sex identities, must not contain any hidden elements or advertising for companies, must avoid influence and manipulation by companies and interest groups, as well as comply with educational standards and specifications specific to the type of school and grade level.“
In some Länder like Hesse, teachers can use “other textbooks” than those on the list of compulsory books, as a supplement or supplement. “So much the worse for the things of life!” is not among the compulsory textbooks in this Land, but “it cannot be excluded that the aforementioned book is used in this way“, declared to AFP on May 25 Philipp Bender, spokesperson for the Hesse Ministry of Education, specifying nevertheless that his cabinet “has not received any comments or complaints about this at this time“.
As for the nature of the sexual and family education provided to German pupils, all the federated states contacted by AFP explained that the diversity of sexual orientations and genders was an integral part of the lessons. “In class, the discussion of one’s own gender, encounters with the other and one’s own gender, as well as the relationship between genders must be addressed“, for example, explained to AFP on May 25 Andreas Tabbert, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Culture. “Last but not least, in the context of the constitutional meaning of marriage and family, the different lifestyles and sexual orientations (hetero-, homo-, bisexuality) must be addressed by the teacher without prejudice.“, he added.
“Sex education at school supports the development of one’s own sexual and gender identity, enables safe and careful management of one’s own sexuality and promotes respectful, non-discriminatory, critical and non-violent conviviality“, abounds the site of the Land of Berlin (archive).
Several officials also insisted that this education was provided in an age-appropriate manner: “The aim of sex education is to familiarize pupils with the facts and the biological, ethical, cultural and social relationships of human sexuality according to their age.“, recalled Simone Oldenburg, Minister of Education of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Concerns reflected by the federal line, as on the Loveline.de site (archive) to which the Federal Center for Health Education refers and where young people can send their questions. Some answers to these questions (archive) thus mention the existence of a “third kind“, legally recognized in Germany on birth certificates since 2018.
The adoption of this piece of legislation had made the country a forerunner in Europe in the recognition of intersex people – those whose physical or biological characteristics, such as sexual anatomy, genital organs, hormonal functioning or chromosomal pattern, do not correspond to the classic definitions of masculinity and femininity, according to the United Nations (archive).
Hate comments
“From the beginning, the book received a lot of positive comments“, says Mareike Kreß, director of publications of the Michael Fischer editions. “As a qualified expert, the author made sure to explain with sensitivity and not to overwhelm (with information, editor’s note). In the eyes of most readers, this works very well in combination with the child-friendly illustrations.“
She nevertheless admits to having beenappalled and shocked“by certain aggressive comments about the book – calling it, for example, “brainwashing“, of”rainbow nonsense“, even calling for it to be banned – , in particular published on the Amazon sales platform.
“It reminds of the dark times of Germany“, she lamented, while saying that”it is all the more important to send a signal of respect, freedom and tolerance and to take a clear stand against hatred” in the face of this violence.
