Just Like Us - school assembly

Any more recent experiences of this charity, please? I will be encountering them next week.

Horrible group.

I listened to one of their ambassadors at an event, a young woman with a Muslim background. She talked about her parents not allowing her to dress as she chose or run around outside with her brothers because girls didn’t do that kind of thing. Then she realised she was attracted to girls & knew that would be completely unacceptable.

Then Just Like Us came to her school. I was hoping against hope that this would be the part where she realised she could be a happy, confident lesbian girl who didn’t need to match her parents’ inflicted gender stereotypes.

No. This was the bit where she realised she, or rather they, was nonbinary. Because obviously they couldn’t be a girl if they didn’t do what girls were supposed to do. And they was now an ambassador sharing this regressive, misogynist message in schools.

Well done @listsandbudgets

As others have said, let us know what they say.

Sounds like a perfect way to approach it.
I'm emotionally invested now in what happens next!
🤞🤞

Do let us know the outcome. Again - it's so important that parents speak out about all this as it makes senior staff in schools start looking more closely at what's happening (unless of course they're the Stonewall reps).

Following on from my first comment above, this is the MN thread that I was thinking about:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4992220-non-binary-teachers?page=1

It's indirectly related to the schools' guidance (the thread does include conversation about it), so a slight correction to how I positioned it. There is lots of really useful discussion about the impact of gender identity belief and its language on children. Particularly on children who have SEN/autism, where there is an increased likelihood of a child being confused.

Aside from all the other obvious dodgy issues, Just Like Us is a shit name isn’t it. What are they saying - who’s “us”? It sounds like they’re saying “us” is normal people and to be nice to all the people who aren’t normal. Hardly inclusive.

if they really are actively encouraging kids in general to pursue a trans identity and suggesting they might be happier - that’s appalling and massively irresponsible.

To quickly add: I've found it beneficial to start conversations with sharing officially recognised information e.g. the government draft guidance or the NHS-commissioned Cass Review.
Unfortunately schools get so bombarded with LGBT lobby group materials that there is a strong risk that they would see Safe Schools Alliance, Transgender Trend etc as "hate groups". I have shared their materials with my daughters' school but only when I'm much further down the line in the conversation. I wanted to keep the dialogue open, not be shut down/out as a "bigot".

Lots of great advice on this thread. Particularly from the ever brilliant (I'm yet to see proof otherwise!) Mrs O.

From my own experience, talking to my daughters' school, coming from a neutral angle has paid dividends for positive conversations. My neutral approach is centred around the recognition that some people do believe that we all have a gender identity. This is also recognised in the Gender Questioning Children guidance on the link above. More importantly, it is recognised that not everyone holds this belief.
Unfortunately the impact of this belief being taught as a truth isn't covered in the draft guidance clearly enough. It's a good start though and if you need inspiration for further conversations after your email opener, there are some good threads on this. I'm about to head out but I'll have a dig around and send some links on here for you OP. So that it's all in one place for future reference.

If gender dysphoria is rare (which I believe it is) it's frightening how many children, young people and even older adults are suddenly claiming it. Even more terrifying is that due to it's rarity, some people will be getting a sex change thinking that is the solution when it's really not.

Questions to ask:
Content of the assembly
How it was followed up by pastoral support?
Was it evidence based?
Did it comply with government guidance?

Specifically:
My son shared that many boys would be happier as girls?
This is not factual or evidence based.. humans cannot change sex.
Preferences and behaviours should not be used to predict sex or gender, stereotypes are harmful, restrictive and regressive.

Gender idiology is a belief that is not universally held and should not be presented as facts.

Inclusivity and diversity should leave space for gender non conforming people to be accepted without questioning their identies.
It sounds like this assembly was promoting as fact that gender non confirming people are always trans. This is a belief, unsupported by evidence and is not supported by the Cass report.

Promoting trans ideologies (or any other ideologies) is not part of the schools remit.

Promoting positive attitudes and acceptance of all individuals without assiging labels or stereotypes is more likely to be better for mental health.

Also ask when the Gender Critical “side” is being presented? After all a balanced approach is required in schools - isn’t it?

I’m glad I’m not a teacher. I don’t think I could stay seated in an assembly and passively allow this kind of confusing BS to be presented to kids I’ve any responsibility for.

Sensible to go in with a non-confrontational email with questions.

However, I would be prepare to escalate it quickly via the formal complaints process if you are dissatisfied with their response.

Do come back to this thread when you hear back to let us know how you get on or for further advice.

Meanwhile you could also do a general check of school policies and info on website etc. Pointers here:

https://sex-matters.org/take-action/school-check/

Here's one of the trustees.
https://www.chrispaouros.com/about

Trustees
https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5067730/trustees

Here's the entry at the Charity Commission.
Just Like Us sends recent LGBT school leavers into schools to give talks and workshops that champion LGBT equality and challenge prejudice. Our national initiative, School Diversity Week, empowers pupils to run events that tackle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. We also train teachers to support students in establishing Pride Groups, student-led clubs for LGBT students and allies
https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1165194&subId=0

he […] actually used hte words "mum the assembly was illogical"

You’re perhaps fortunate that your son is too logical to accept the inconsistent faith-based beliefs they were telling him. Other children will have taken it all in without questioning it.

Please do contact the school. Maybe start with open questions about what the children were taught, can you see the materials please, as your son was confused when he came home.

Once you know what was taught, then you can address it.

Good luck.

. Lots of good advice on this thread. I'm a teacher and parents really do have more power than us on this. Please do challenge the school.

Sounds like they’re trying to create gender dysphoria, not cure it.

I think this lot did a zoom presentation in the school where i work. I remember bei g told we absolutely could not photograph or video the session for the safety of the speakers who were taking part - as if they were russian spies or sonething!

There was a load of neopronoun nonsense - the single sex boys class i was supervising were very clear that they thought it was a load of bollocks

I also find it interesting when you click on "who we are" on the website, the bard of trustees gives no information other than names (and pronouns obvs). Nothing about qualifications, background, education. So nothing to suggest any experience or expertise in this area. When someone comes to do a talk on drugs or personal safety or whatever, we are told of their training/qualifications. It just seems like anyone can set up as an LGBTQ+ expert

To be honest I’d play them at their own game.

The NHS website suggests that gender dysphoria (a mismatch between sex and GI) is rare but can be very distressing for a child. It also suggests a child struggling should visit their GP to be able to access further support.

Is this what this organisation were suggesting? It seems that’s not what your son nor the other children have picked up.

And I wish the school luck explaining gender identity nonsense to your DS. But do ask them to do it. That should be enough to stop them ever running that assembly again!

Can you just go in with a plain factual report of what your DS has told you
about the assembly and what the other boys said afterwards, and how he
feels now? He is distressed and confused by what he was told, he believes he
was told he would be happier as a girl, and he heard the other boys say they are using it as an excuse to misbehave. You can tell the school so.

An assembly about sexuality or gender or whatever should be age appropriate and leave children informed and reassured. So if the assembly has confused and distressed your son then it was pretty clearly inappropriate and now the school needs to put that right, they need to explain things properly to your son and reassure him.

And if the assembly was presented by someone from outside them maybe the school should reconsider whether to use that organisation in future - but I would leave that for a future meeting.