To want to know exactly what LGBT teaching in schools will entail?

[Toorahtoorahaye]

There has been lots of attention around the push to teach LGBT issues in schools - Birmingham being the flash point with many parents protesting. AIBU to have doubts about what is going to be taught and to want to know which orgs will be providing the material and exactly what this material teaches?

The problem occurs when pressure groups offer to do the lessons in schools and some of them are a bit free and easy with terminology of the Equality Act. Young ‘right on’ / indoctrinated teachers don’t challenge these subtle things and children come home with worrying misconceptions.

Agree with this but have added an extra word!

We had Stonewall into our school

Ffs LGBT efucation in my school is just one lesson in a whole year's PSHCE curriculum.
Certainly we cover it in a wider inclusivity approach, alongside religious/cultural/disability/ageist/whatever discrimination. But it's not taught like a maths lesson, there is no test at the end, no marks for getting it right. People are different that's all.

The genderist lobby has been very clever in aligning itself so strongly with LGB. In doing so, it casts anyone who criticises the genderist dogma as a "homophobe" and a '"bigot". In reality, teaching that male/male and female/female relationships are normal and natural is a very different thing from teaching that a female body can change into a male body.

While it's true that a child won't "become gay" from hearing about gay relationships, impressionable (often non-neurotypical or sufferers of abuse) children may see "transitioning" as appealing if it's explained to . them in the fairytale glittery language peddled by some lobby groups, like Mermaids.

So it's ok for schoold to be inclusive for gay kids but not for trans kids? Ok then.

@bezalelle that sounds so paranoid. And is just categorically not what's happening.

Also, to my knowledge, charities that support trans people do not say that 'biologically' people can change gender, but yes people can have surgery so their presentation matches. Transgender people have been around for an extremely long time, this isn't new.

Telling a young child that if he's gender non conforming he may be a girl is an appalling, irresponsible thing to do. And that's how hamfisted some of the lobby groups are.

Please just ask the school. You’re not going to get a conclusive answer here.

Homeschooling is looking more and more appealing to me.

@Yeahnahyeah

Thanks for the Magdalen Berns vid. She's marvellous!

Right to be concerned - no.
Right to be interested - yes.
To be about as interested in what books they are reading in English is OK.

I’ve taught some aspects of this to secondary pupils, my daughter is to teach parts of a program to y6 pupils.

I’ve never had worries about this and nor does my daughter.

Sex education, health, relationships etc all needs to be taught as some parents are crap at this.

It’s age appropriate - ie no one is going to show 6 YOs condoms, sex positions etc etc.

It’s to do with acceptance. It’s about preventing children becoming bigots - whether it’s yours or others picking on your children - either now or in adult life.

Some LGBT organisations do offer training to staff and some may come in to talk to pupils ( although I suspect they are secondary only) Stonewall are a reputable and mature group and have been at the forefront of training etc. www.stonewall.org.uk/training-courses-and-opportunities

I’m not aware of other types of groups offering training - although I’m sure some ‘Christian ‘ groups may offer advice. If I were a head I’d not touch those groups with a barge pole.

In terms of indoctrination, or turning your child, I think you’ve little to worry about. There’s probably more to worry about Christian indoctrination in some Church schools.

How will you cope if your child/children come out. They often know way before they actually come out and some of the programme gives quiet support to those children, that small but significant minority. Those children who have serious inner worries about themselves and their normality.
I’m sure your rather some work was done in school rather than come home to a child who has taken their own life?

I can understand some concerns but the press have blown a lot of this all out of proportion. Stop reading the Daily Mail?

Please just ask the school. You’re not going to get a conclusive answer here.

I think the OP knew exactly what kind of answers she would get here and they are what she wants to hear. Talking to the school might spoil the fun!

YANBU op and don’t let others imply you are some sort of bigot for questioning it. The accepted rhetoric is that some people are trans and get over it and Mermaids are heavily involved. Sigh.

Believe me she will get the brush off from school.

I have concerns with Stonewall, I don’t want Stonewall anywhere near my kids. How did this org get so much power it gets to dictate policy in schools.

Teaching boy brain / girl brain is massively sexist. You can be a feminine boy or a masculine girl. That is absolutely fine. It does not mean you are the opposite sex and need life long hormone treatment and surgery to fix yourself into a gender stereotype. I wouldn't let Stonewall or Mermaids near any child. FFS Stonewall don't even believe in same sex attraction (check their definition on their website if you don't believe me). I can't think of a more homophobic organisation.

I wouldn't let Stonewall or Mermaids near any child.

Me neither.

FFS Stonewall don't even believe in same sex attraction (check their definition on their website if you don't believe me). I can't think of a more homophobic organisation.

Yes, it's so disappointing. Stonewall has completely lost its way.

Having sat in a meeting where very pro-Trans people mentioned the large number of girls with autism wanting to transition, I must admit I do have concerns but I suspect that has less to do with schools and more to do with social media.

I also fail to see how gender, in its current sense, can be anything but strongly associated with stereotypes of how men and women are 'supposed' to behave. I'd prefer to see more effort put into changing that and children being brought up to believe that boys liking pink sparkly things is fine and girls liking blue, football and cars is also fine.

Interesting article about Stonewall, written by a gay man.

medium.com/@JonnnyBest/whats-gone-wrong-with-stonewall-1be30cffba9f

Stonewall state on their website that a toolkit written by Transgendertrend, a gender-critical support groups of parents and school that advocate “watchful waiting” for gender-questioning children, is “dangerous” and any school using the toolkit “risks falling foul of the law”. They are unable to say which sections of this toolkit are dangerous and which law could be broken.

www.transgendertrend.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Transgender-Trend-Resource-Pack-for-Schools3.pdf

Stonewall give schools incorrect information about the Equality Act 2010 and say that it is the law that children who say they are the opposite sex can use services and facilities for that sex. They ignore safeguarding protocols by encouraging school staff to promise confidentiality to gender-questioning children and for that reason alone, they should not be allowed to deliver training to schools.

Some LGBT organisations do offer training to staff and some may come in to talk to pupils

The new DfE guidelines for SRE specifically say that LGBT issues should be taught as part of the overall topic, and not separated out as a stand-alone lesson.

I liked the video and its message. But why do so many videos use hundreds of jump cuts? The weird jerkiness actually makes me nauseous.

I think the OP knew exactly what kind of answers she would get here and they are what she wants to hear. Talking to the school might spoil the fun!

Yep ! There was a big jump in the language used between the OPs first and second post. This is clearly someone very well 'informed', not a clueless parent. I've mentioned twice just contacting the school but it's been ignored. OP has worded it like they have to put it in AIBU because it's usually on feminism boards where many people, including myself don't/won't get involved.

OP - HAVE YOU TRIED SPEAKING TO THE SCHOOL AND ADKING TO LOOK AT THE MATERIAL THEY USE ?

Um ... queer theory isn't what you think it is.

I work with queer theory quite a lot (not always uncritically at all, either).

It’s completely different depending on the school, so if you’re concerned, you need to contact the school directly.

I teach Year 6 and the school follows the Jigsaw scheme for PSHE. We don’t just do a lesson, we do a whole term on RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) which includes transgender and same sex relationships.

Some of the books I’ve used within my lessons: Dad David, Baba Chris and Me, I am Jazz, 10,000 Dresses.

We have a meeting with parents prior to teaching the unit and all materials are available for them to look at!