Museums should be places where children can explore gender identity, according to new guidance advising cultural institutions on transgender inclusion.
Academics at the University of Leicester have devised guidance to help museum and gallery bosses deal with “confusing” new legal protections for <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/qIWop/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/11/feminists-want-trans-women-to-show-passport-to-use-lavatory/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gender-critical beliefs and “awkward” conversations about women’s rights.
Cultural attractions should be “places not just where trans kids can go, but where they want to go”, according to the 44-page guide, which has been endorsed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the largest provider of grant funding for the UK heritage sector.
It adds that signs and flags allow children to feel museums are places “they can explore self-expression without fear of reprisal”, and advises that they “should be provided with access to the toilets and changing rooms of their choice”.
Balancing the push for trans inclusion with legal protections for gender-critical thinkers - those who believe humans cannot change sex - can be “confusing” for museum bosses, according to the guide.
It warns of a “climate of fear” as sceptical voices in the gender debate have “become increasingly bold”, and claims that “outspoken objections to trans content frequently intersect with homophobia, misogyny and racism”.
A section on dealing with hypothetical scenarios within museum management offers advice on what to do if someone refuses to use preferred pronouns or if “a member of staff at the museum has been expressing gender critical beliefs in the staff room”.
The guide is supported by a raft of cultural sector organisations representing “thousands” of museums, gallery and archives, including the International Council of Museums UK, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and the Museums Association.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/12/museums-trans-guidance-gender-identity-university-leicester/
Quite a long article, so have picked out few bits, but worth reading all of it. Behind a paywall, but can be read by going to https://archive.ph and pasting in the Telegraph link above in the box provided.