What happens to children who gender transition in single sex schools?

[Mewmin]

I was on the thread on BBC pronouns and started wondering about this. Where I live most secondary schools are single sex. They have strict uniform requirements i.e. the girls have to wear skirts, no trousers allowed.

What would happen if e.g. a girl transitioned? Surely she wouldn't be allowed to move to the boys' school as her sex hasn't changed, but would she be expected to continue living as a boy in a girls' school? Would she be expected to use the girls' toilets and wear skirts?

Same for boys. If a boy transitioned would they be allowed into a girls' school and allowed to wear skirts and use the female toilets, for example?

@00100001 the OP asked what it is like for transgender students in single sex schools. I’m just sharing the experience I had at school. But yes it would be very different if there was a biological cis man.

@ListeningQuietly they are F2M so were legally female whilst attending the school, nothing illegal going on I can assure you.

It lovely to hear other schools had a similar ethos to ours and we’re accepting and created safe spaces for all students.

But yes it would be very different if there was a biological cis man

There is no need for the the word 'cis' in that sentence. No males should be in any female only facilities, sports or schools, regardless of any identity.

@FelicityPike

I’m going to get SLAUGHTERED I just know I am but once they’ve transitioned then they’re they’re chosen gender. Of course a trans girl should be allowed to move to an all girls school if she wants to and vice versa.

A trans girl may have decided that her gender has changed but she is still biologically male, with a penis and XY chromosomes.

I work in a pretty strict all girls school.

We would use whatever name/pronouns they wish to adopt (with parental input), have allowed trousers in the past and would provide any pastoral support they might need individually and as a family.

We have a case a while back where the parents of the student concerned were very unsupportive which was really sad.

@Mewmin

I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to move. But what happens to areas protected by single sex legislation like toilets and changing rooms? They would have to build/allocate a separate area for transgirls.

Just to clarify: There is no legislation that protects single sex spaces. The equality act is to stop discrimination and has no bearing on single sex spaces.

Anyone can use which ever changing room or toilet they want. You can't be arrested or charged for an offense relating to this.
How will you know what sex/gender someone is? Do you have to scan IDs to enter toilets?

What if they don't change gender from one to another but identify as one of the hundreds of others? Will they be OK where they are? Do we need gender specific schools and how on earth would that work?

@follygirl

At my dd's single sex school a pupil who had previously identified as female, wanted to be identified as male and he was allowed to stay at the school. I'm proud of the fact that the school accept their pupils in this way. There is a strong LBTQ community as well.

I can guarantee that they wouldn't have allowed a make to attend the school. The child was still female. And was never male. They just identified as a boy.

At my sister's school, one child came out as a trans boy. I think this would've been at age 15/16. He stayed on in the school. Name and pronouns were respected. This was actually the catalyst for trousers becoming a uniform option instead of just skirts, which was good for all.

There is no legislation that protects single sex spaces. The equality act is to stop discrimination and has no bearing on single sex spaces

Schools have the right, and should, use the exemptions outlined in the equality act, allowing them to keep certain spaces single sex. They can legally discriminate against all males to protect female pupils. Basic safeguarding that is being ignored.

Stonewall tell them that the feelings of a male pupil somehow override their female pupil's right to privacy and dignity.

Some people seem to think female's should not be allowed space away from males or that it's up to females to accommodate and pander to males at their own expense. Yet another bullshit stereotypical gender role.

Just to clarify:
There is no legislation that protects single sex spaces. The equality act is to stop discrimination and has no bearing on single sex spaces

Sigh. There is a single sex exemption in the equality act specifically to protect single sex spaces and services where they are required. But you know that. Nice try though. As for the rest of it not relevant as the OPs question was about single sex secondary schools, and as no one in the UK can have a GRC under 18, it’s moot.

OP, to answer your question, in my DDs experience, both at a girls school and both with trans friends there, there seems to be no issues. The uniform already included trousers anyway and the sports uniform has a choice of trackies or skort. The teachers and pupils are happy to address pupils by their chosen name or nickname (even if that isn’t the name they’re registered under) and pronoun. Toilets and changing rooms not such an issue at their school as they’re all single cubicle with floor to ceiling doors. There’s a significant number of girls who are lesbian or bi and, unlike some other MNs experience that it’s ‘social suicide’ to be straight, that doesn’t seem to be the case at their school - everybody’s just who they are and completely accepted for it. I’ve no experience of the associated boys school so couldn’t say if that is true there too. Of the trans pupils my DDs know closely, only one has left the school to join a mixed sex school and that wasn’t because they were made to feel unwelcome or unsupported by either the pupils or the staff, it was because - at the end of the day - it’s a ‘girls’ school and they felt that no longer fitted with their identity. One of the other trans pupils is not trans at home and does not have a supportive family (for complicated reasons I won’t go in to, it isn’t their only problem at home) so I am very glad for them they can be themselves and feel supported by their friends and school or else life would likely be intolerable for them.

How will you know what sex/gender someone is? Do you have to scan IDs to enter toilets?
If they are at an all girls school they will be female

If they are at an all boys school they will be male

No matter how they dress