Anger as gender neutral toilets introduced at primary school without parents knowing

Just skimmed that Rowantree. Stonewall breaches the safeguarding on so many levels.

Stonewall; Charity Number 1101255

Charity Commission

'There's no room for doubt around safeguarding: protecting people is too important'
Posted by: Jane Hobson, Head of Guidance and Practice, Posted on: 25 October 2018 - Categories: Guidance, Safeguarding
People turn to charities for lots of different reasons. Sometimes for advice, a sense of community, support, or, in the case of the many vital refuges or care homes that house vulnerable adults and children, for safety or security.

Charities are a lifeline to many across the country. But that lifeline should never become a cause for distress or harm.

That’s a very reasonable expectation - so there can be no excuses or barriers to keeping people safe. We want to ensure that all charities and trustees know and understand their safeguarding responsibilities in crystal clear terms.

That includes recognising that safeguarding and protecting people from harm goes beyond simply implementing policies and processes. As a fundamental responsibility for trustees, safeguarding and protecting people must go to the heart of a charity’s culture. By building up knowledge across organisations, charities can develop and strengthen organisational cultures that prioritise people’s safety.

That’s why we’ve published updated safeguarding guidance to help charities and trustees better understand their legal duties around protecting people." (continues)

charitycommission.blog.gov.uk/2018/10/25/theres-no-room-for-doubt-around-safeguarding-protecting-people-is-too-important/

The 2012 guidance says all that's needed is a door lockable from the inside. Christ knows what was acceptable before that!

I thought that meant that everything (toilet, sink, hand towels, dryers etc )had to be self contained and lovable from the inside not just the toilet itself.

We sort of have gender neutral toilets at work in so much as when we moved into new offices the female toilets were conveniently located on the same floor as the office but the Male toilets located downstairs in a cold workshop area not used by office staff so it was agreed the men could use the upstairs toilets

Hoevever one of the directors objected to this so we stuck a Male sign on one cubicle and a female sign on the other & a lock was also put onto the external door to the toilets meaning we can lock the entire room if we want to.

Can anyone clarify if the 2018 non statutory guidance definitely cancels out the 2012 statutory legislation? How do We know a school can't follow either/or? The 2012 guidance says all that's needed is a door lockable from the inside. Christ knows what was acceptable before that! 😬😮

"The boys have predators on their clothes, the girls have prey."

Yes I read that article.

Once you realise that it's all over the place. The message that gives is (obvo=iously) appalling and is endorsed by society..

All the blue baby clothing had spaceships and dinosaurs on them, all the pink clothes had hearts, lips, and kittens

interesting article about girls' & boys' clothes and predators & prey:
'Animals, aggression and entitlement: Boys' clothes on the High Street'
(extract)
"The animals for boys were much more likely to be wild, and to be predators - the girls’ animals were conversely likely to be domesticated and prey animals.

Just process that for a moment.

The boys have predators on their clothes, the girls have prey.

Children of all genders are trying to work out the world around them, and fighting and physical expressions of feelings are a part of childhood. Many kids go through a phase of growling or roaring to express their frustrations - when your vocabulary is limited, it’s perhaps understandable that a bit of roaring and teeth baring might come into play.

The subtle and not so subtle messages given here however, are that the boys can express anger and aggression without control and that the girls never can. And deeper, perhaps the boys are entitled to chase, harrass, overpower the girls - that’s just nature." (cont)

sonshinemagazine.com/magazine/animals-aggression-and-entitlement

Gosh. 14-17 years ago I dressed both my two in lovely shades of lemon, mint green, pale blue and lilac along with deeper colours like red and navy blue (dd really suited red and blue).

WPUK article:
womansplaceuk.org/gender-neutral-toilets-dont-work-for-women-2/

It’s just a bad idea full stop.

This ^^

Stupid thing is when it all happened school told him to avoid being in private spaces (such as the music practice room) for his own protection.

I only found out about the new trans policy last week. He’s bi.

Don't be silly Romany.

Aleaxnder, agree very much with your last posts.

Have you talked to the school (preumably yes) he has protected characterositc of disabbility so they need to accomodate his needs.

There are at least 3 other protected characteristics that are being trampled on / cast aside by one.

It would be fascinating to see if it wasn't so awful.

I blame it all on encouraging little boys to play fairies, dollies and dress up.
Nobody knows where they are, we are all the same now, so we can pee in the same toilet.

I’d better stop as I’m not supposed to talk about it.

And his school just updated their transgender policy to state that trans kids are allowed to use whichever facilities they identify with.

My son is autistic too Alexander. He has never liked school toilets though. He was happy to go with me into the women's toilets up to the age of 10, but then I always asked if it was okay if my son came in because he was with me. No one minded. And he was happy with that arrangement too. It happened twice.

I raised the point to show that both boys and girls are not happy about mixed sex toilets for their own reasons.

Boys have penises therefore are by default the only sex that can do certain things. It makes girls more vulnerable to assault and boys more vulnerable to accusations. Girls can do less serious things of course but could never rape or be accused of rape.

Girls have periods and most would not want to be in the vicinity of boys whilst dealing with them.

It’s just a bad idea full stop.

And it happened at home.

I'm sorry for what happened to your son but I don't understand what it has to do with the thread TBH.

So you are saying that boys at school are commonly not using toilets for fear of false accusations of sex offences, and give an example where a boy falsely accused another boy at a secondary school.

This seems to be unlrealted to the issue at hand.

The issue at hand is OPPOSITE sex students in a primary school having to share facilities.

I am not sure why false accusations of sex offences are being raised on this thread at all TBH. Seems like there's nowhere concern about malicious girls can't creep in though eh.

My autistic son was falsely accused of something by another child. It happened at home not school though and it was actually the other child did something to him not the other way around.

It’s unlikely he will ever trust anyone to be in any kind of relationship ever again.

He now actively avoids any situation where he could be vulnerable.

"But it does happen and boys can also falsely accuse too. "

Are boys not using same sex toilets at school as well then?

This is really bad.

Who is telling young boys (8-13 middle school you say) boys that they are likely to be falsely accused of sex crimes if they are alone in a toilet with another srudent? False accustions are very rare. Who is feeding such young boys these ideas?

I have never said that all girls are likely to be making it up. But it does happen and boys can also falsely accuse too.

Until someone you are close to has been maliciously accused of something then you have no knowledge. And yes it was fully investigated and the accuser was warned by the police and social services involved. (Not a girl actually but could have been)

No system is perfect but my son and daughter would not be happy with mixed sex facilities.

I'd be furious and would probably move school.

Depends where the sinks are

The RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) Government consultation gives everyone the chance to air their views on what is taught to primary and secondary age children on the subject of sex and relationships

Deadline is Nov 7th

www.transgendertrend.com/rse-government-consultation/