Boys can enter girls' dormitories at state boarding school

[pisacake]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/transgender-boys-to-board-withgirls-at-gordons-school-qrllwztm3

"Gordon’s School in Woking, Surrey, is drawing up guidance for pupils saying they can ask to wear the uniform of the opposite sex, be addressed by a different name and/or pronouns, use gender-neutral ­lavatories, grow their hair long if they are boys, change their accommodation and wear make-up and jewellery."

Note that the uniform policy says:

www.gordons.surrey.sch.uk/uniform

"Make-up and nail varnish are both not allowed. This includes all make-up.
Girls are only allowed one earring in the lobe of each ear – no other piercings are allowed. With the exception of the above rule, jewellery is not allowed."

So it appears they are allowing make-up in order to cater for boys who want to dress up as girls. Line edited by MNHQ

"The school said it had acted because it had “become aware of students who would ‘come out’ after leaving the school”. It wanted pupils to feel safe to do so while still in their care."

Being safe obviously means allowing boys to sleep in the girls dormitories which are supposed to be safe spaces for girls who may be thousands of miles from their parents (most boarders are army children).

"The Boarding Schools’ Association has issued guidance to schools saying that if a boy intends to change gender he should be offered the chance to sleep in the girls’ dormitory and vice versa."

"Not all parents are happy about such changes. On Friday, parents at Highgate, a coeducational London private day school, received a letter from the head teacher, Adam Pettitt, apologising for the introduction of gender-neutral lavatories. Some younger pupils, he admitted, had felt “less comfortable and happy at school” as a result.

Highgate brought in the lavatories “to support gender-fluid pupils”, only for parents to ask if the change was “proportionate” given how few such students were at the school."

So are the boys only allowed long hair if they identify as girls? Why aren't they allowed long hair anyway?

I've been a women/female for years and years, but I don't think I could demonstrate that I have been living as one. (Should i have been keeping receipts) I'd love to know how a boy can demonstrate it. Its probably something dull like a name change.

It's almost as if by saying you're female and putting a skirt on then magically you become one, with all that it entails. It's just an extension of male privilege now it seems.

Exactly Bob - DP and I dress pretty much the same bar size (t-shirt/jeans/trainers - oh, well, and I wear a bra I suppose). Hell, he even pees sitting down - I'm otherwise at a loss to suggest anything about his day to day existence that is different in fact. Perhaps his behaviour in situations like walking home after going to the pub? There's the fact that after bumping uglies, I'm the one that got pregnant twice? I would hope neither of those would be happening at a boarding school though.

The fact is, no child has a god given right to attend boarding school, even state boarding school. If the child cannot be accommodated in a way which respects both the trans child and the other students in the school, their application (I suspect) will be declined.

I was asked to leave a feminist group a few years back because I'm gender critical and because I once said I had never felt like a woman and asked what exactly it was that made me a woman.

The transwoman who went on to speak all stood up and listed their favourite things about being women, they included:

Red lipstick (empowering!)
Manicures
Beyoncé
Reality TV
Burlesque
Knitting
Rose gold watches
Turning heads in the street
Changing name
Baking
Owning small mammals
Cardigans
Peonies
Rom coms
Chocolate
Jane Austen

I am not joking.

We haven’t as yet had any trans students applying to schoo. However if they did I susoect there would be outside involvement as “proof”, if you like. I’d expect social services, an ed psych, other outside agencies. Same as if we get a student with previous mental health issues or a disability. They usually come with documentation and a trans child would probably be no different.

It’s not a case of rocking up to school and demanding to be put with the “opposite” sex

Pressed send too soon, on above.

What about the born girls who don't identify with this? When do they start to feel pushed to be a certain kind of woman because they are forced to live in a tight environment with them.

Poppl, I would be interested if you school does draw up guidelines for trans admission what they would be.
I know since I stopped work in the NHS the go to diagnosis of gender dysphoria has become less and less relied on or even required as "proof" for anything in this line.

Its on its way, there's a trans child in our sister school, although a day pupil.

I suspect management are putting off drawing up guidelines as long as possible. It's a minefield and really difficult, maybe even impossible, to get right.

Oh to have the beautifully black and white views of some posters on this board!

I find these are the moments when people believe they can be totally inclusive suddenly become NIMBYs. All for it while their teenage daughters are not impacted then suddenly when it’s their child they will find ways to remove their child usually making an excuse so their liberal open view remain intact.

Boul I hardly think it is NIMBY to ask about safeguarding for the cohabiting of minors of the opposite sex (not gender) in an educational institution.

Well I doubt they would cohabit so you're all safe there.

You can stop frothing

Oh to have the beautifully black and white views of some posters on this board!

Well yes, you are either one sex or the other. Except in very rare cases of intersex people. I agree that thats a black and white view

I don't see how any other view can make any sense when sorting same sex schools, without referring to stereotypes and such.

It is neither kind nor respectful to encourage children to believe lies. It isn't possible to change sex.

It's because we have a duty to safeguard children. ALL children.

That was to Horny

Poppl at the boarding school my DS was due to attend this summer (he didn't go in the end) they don't have single study rooms until year 11.

Neither do we. We'd have to create one. It's perfectly doable if the will is there.

I'm not sure why this causes such panic to be honest. Most of the hysteria I've read on this is not based on any experience of how it actually works in schools in practice.

As I said, we safeguard all children. If a child can't be accommodated in a safe way, they aren't admitted. If minor alterations can be made to make it safe, they are admitted.

I'd like to hope a child in these circumstances could be accommodated in a suitable manner. I can see why many of us a protective though, we are seeing this happen in various other formal areas of society (hospitals, prisons) the next logical step seems schools.

poppl
The irony for many of the women on this board is that after many years of being inclusive feminists we're suddenly faced with a group who are appropriating being a woman by using all of the stereotypes of femininity that we have rejected over many decades.
I have many decades of experience of schools, both training and leading in pastoral care and safeguarding. I know what should trigger safeguarding referrals and know what should trigger intensive discussions in schools about the safety of children in all manner of situations. Looking after children / young people is what teachers do. But suddenly there is this group of children displaying similar 'symptoms' of mental distress, low self esteem, self harming behaviour, depression in a variety of ways and in a small number of cases, clear evidence of inappropriate adult influence. But because these young people are defined as transgender, teachers and adults are told to 'leave them alone', to point them in the direction of activist organisations without a child psychology or education qualification in sight.
This is NOT right, it is NOT safe and it does not ensure that the welfare of the child is paramount.
That is one (or two) reasons why so many of us are so worried about the welfare of children / young people.

Of course. But it is hysteria, nothing more, and hysteria is dangerous.

If a trans child comes to me I see exactly that. A child. A child who is asking to be educated. I don't give a fuck if they identify as male, female or as a purple flying unicorn. I will look at the person and try to do my compassionate best.

I have to balance that against the needs of the other 50 children, who I have a legal duty to keep safe, to educate and to respect.

No more, no less.

The most at risk child here is the trans child, in terms of mental health, in terms of abuse, in terms of educational outcome. A child. All too easily brushed aside by some on this thread.

To Brie, sorry. Typing too slow on my phone.

theend I agree with you. What you are describing is not in the best interests of any child.