What is it about new Wiggles that people are so afraid of?

The iconic children’s group has sparked a furious debate among adults after adding four new members. But don’t worry, the kids are all right, writes Ann Wason Moore.

Talk about a hot potato.

When The Wiggles announced four new members would soon don the skivvy - with a focus on gender equality, diversity and inclusivity, you didn’t need to know your ABC’s to see this would spell controversy for the iconic children’s group.

Coming from ethnically diverse backgrounds, including of Filipino, Chinese, Ethiopian and indigenous descent, and including three more women, the wider Wiggles cast will also include three new non-binary characters: Officer Beaples, a dancing police officer, Shirley Shawn the Unicorn, and Bok the shy hand puppet with big emotions.

While the new line-up is the brainchild of founding Blue Wiggle Anth­ony Field, the 58-year-old was bracing for online vitriol as soon as the cast was announced.

“I do worry for our wonderful brand new members that they might get negative stuff on the internet,” said Anthony.

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The Wiggles have announced four new members with a focus of diversity and equality.

“I hope they’re all right with that stuff because we get so much positive, but we do worry about those terrible people who write terrible things.”

And, sadly, it seems Anthony can read trolls like a picture book.

Here are some samples from commenters after the Bulletin posted the story online:

“Won’t be the same with mostly females, such a shame.”

“Far out there’s only 2 genders aren’t there? All the other ones are genetic problems or created artificially.”

“NOW IT’S JUST SEXUALISATION OF CHILDREN.”

By the way, trolls, you’re welcome for fixing your spelling and grammar.

But it does make me wonder just what people are so afraid of?

Women? Well, probably. But do these people not have daughters or grand-daughters? Or sisters or mums or even just female friends? Do they not want women to have equal representation - even if it’s just in the freaking Wiggles?

And then there’s the whole non-binary issue. Honestly, the inability for these people to understand the difference between gender and sexuality really says a lot about their headspace (and apparently there is a LOT of space in their heads).

Members of the iconic children’s show: Lachy, Emma, Simon, John, Evie.

For the record: sexuality is who you are attracted to; sex is the genitals we are born with; gender is how we identify ourselves - masculine, feminine or somewhere in between.

For a lot of people, gender matches sex. But for a lot of people, it doesn’t. And all the Wiggles are doing is reflecting that. It has nothing to do with sexual attraction.

As Anthony himself said of the representation the Wiggles are offering: “People say ‘you affirmed me’, that’s just fantastic and that’s what we are doing – trying to ­empower children.”

Now, I’m not LGBT+, nor are any of my family members (that I know of), but anyone with a moral compass must surely understand that this is a move designed to make every child feel okay with who they are. And isn’t that what every parent wants?

This is not about influencing the sexuality of children. And what weirds me out is how many people think that is even possible.

Why do some people think our children are just one glitter highlighter away from coming out? And, more importantly, why do they care?

It’s this ridiculous fear that saw the Safe Schools program killed in Queensland. Parents and teachers alike were up in arms that their children could be convinced to switch genders or sexuality.

What an absolute load.

I’m a parent and I’m a person and I’m absolutely positive that you could teach both me and my kids from sunup to sunset why we should change genders or declare ourselves gay and it would not work.

If it was as simple as that, wouldn’t previous LGBT+ generations have used that technique to switch to straight for an easier life?

But no, not only is gay conversion therapy horrifically damaging - it also doesn’t work.

Just ask McKrae Game, a man from South Carolina who founded his own gay conversion camp in 1999 … only to finally admit just a few years ago that he is, in fact, gay.

When kids are shown that there is a spectrum of sexuality and gender, it does not change who they are - it just helps them name it.

My kids know all about drag queens, homosexuals, lesbians and more … not the ins and outs of it, so to speak, but what it means. Just as they know the basic information about heterosexual relationships.

They’re interested because it is interesting, but it does not change who they are.

The truth is that cancelling Safe Schools and bullying the Wiggles does not affect kids like mine, nor the majority of kids in any classroom.

No, the ones who really need that information are those who aren’t quite sure where they fit, who are wondering if they are ‘normal’.

Make no mistake, every time we bully the LGBT+ or cancel inclusive education programs, we are stepping on a child’s identity. We are telling them they are wrong on the inside.

So if the Wiggles can take this simple step to help make them feel safe and secure from such an early age, I’m giving them a standing ovation.

August 17: School students innocent victims of border nightmare

We are not all in this together.

As Sydney’s Covid outbreak continues to spread into the regions of New South Wales, our Tweed neighbours have been forced into a shock total lockdown.

Billed as a seven-day snap shutdown and shut-out, it’s not hard to remember that Sydney is now entering its eighth week of what was to be a two-week lockdown.

Not that I’m calling for a lifting of restrictions … if anything, Sydney should have shut down far earlier.

But now the Tweed, our own twin town, has been sucked into the consequences of this Covid outbreak – despite not having one case – and residents must live by the rules of their NSW state, even though, in practice, they live the life of a Queenslander.

As a result, despite our lack of a lockdown, we’re seeing our schools operating on a skeleton staff, with one losing 28 NSW-based teachers alone.

Barriers on Miles St in Coolangatta. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

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That’s bad - but it gets worse.

What about the NSW-based students who now cannot attend their GC schools?

While losing dozens of teachers is an administrative nightmare, at least it’s a situation at which every resource will be thrown.

Is it ideal? Hardly. And mid-term 3 is possibly the worst of all times to lose consistency in the classroom.

But the ones I really feel for are the Tweed kids now locked out of their own Coast classrooms while it’s business as usual for the rest of their Queensland cohort.

Schooling from home is bad enough when we’re all in lockdown, but it’s the group experience that makes it tolerable. Teachers are understanding of tech issues (as are students for that matter), there is extra time given for completion of tasks, while assessments, lessons and homework are adapted to suit the at-home environment.

The ability to work in little cyber study groups with their mates has actually made some of their lockdown lessons the most effective.

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More than 240 teachers have been affected by the NSW and Queensland hard border closure.

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But that’s not the homeschool situation for our Tweed students this time around.

Instead, they’re the odd ones out.

I’m sure our schools and our teachers will do absolutely everything within their power to keep our locked down students in the loop - because they’re amazing like that - but it all just ends up as more work for them. And at a time when they are already under-staffed due to the very same lockdown.

Meanwhile, both socially and academically, our cross-border students can’t help but suffer.

So what do we do?

The obvious answer is for schools to have a constant online component for all classes. And by “obvious”, I also mean inefficient and laborious. It’s essentially asking our teachers to do their jobs twice.

But we have to figure something out because this situation is not going away anytime soon. Unlike it or loathe it (because nobody actually likes it), lockdowns are not going away anytime soon.

The key to making it as painless as possible is, in the words of that wonderful Covid cliche, ensuring we are all in this together.

The time has come for the Tweed Coast to become part of the GC.

When we lock down, they lock down. When we are free to move, they are too. Our restrictions and our freedoms should be shared beyond that border.

Because we just cannot keep doing this.

Ann Wason Moore says it's time for Tweed Heads to be a part of the Gold Coast.

It was bad enough last year when border restrictions first came into play, forcing interstate commuters into gridlock traffic, but at least our teachers and students could still continue their school work.

Sure it’s recently been floated that the Tweed River should become the new state border, but that doesn’t go quite far enough – because just south of the river is the huge cross-border commuter base of Kingscliff.

By all means, NSW can keep the Tweed Shire in theory, but its residents and businesses need to be Queenslanders in practice.

Of course, a border move was proposed last year and knocked back by the NSW Premier, but if Gladys Berejiklian truly cares about the wellbeing of her constituents, she would let the people of the Tweed join the GC party.

They are the ones being punished daily by that arbitrary border.

Gladys, if you love the Tweed … set them free.