adjl posted...
I mean, I'm fine with saying that "be nice to people" is correct, and alternatives are incorrect.
Nobody is suggesting you should be an ass to people who you disagree with. You can in fact get along with people who don't share all the same views as you. That is in fact probably the better lesson to be teaching, that tribalism is bad and you shouldn't be an ass to people because they are different, in a different group, or have different views.
adjl posted...
For the time being, all they really need to know is that Billy's Britney now, and that they should respect and accept that, and that's really not a controversial concept (or shouldn't be, anyway).
This is exactly it though, what is "obviously not controversial" for some people is not "obviously not controversial" for other people. Telling the kids they should accept whatever gender people choose to be (with the alternative being told they are wrong and are either punished or shamed for that) is already pushing acceptance of one idea over the other.
It's like the religion in school thing, for religions people, "god is obviously real" and there is nothing wrong with teaching kids that, where as for non religious people, they don't want their kids being taught that "god is obviously real" or that they should base any of their beliefs around that. And you know what, atheist and religious people can get along without being asses to each other.