Transgender Toolkit criticism & scrutiny

[R0wantrees]

In depth article re Vale of Glamorgan's reponse to the guide (worth reading in its entirety):
"MUSLIM PARENTS – AND OTHERS – OBJECT TO VALE COUNCIL’S CONTROVERSIAL “TRANSGENDER TOOLKIT”
(extract)

On April 30th the ruling cabinet of the Vale Council had authorised the formal adoption of the contentious document for implementation in all primary and secondary schools in the Vale. However some critics say the “transgender” issue has no basis in science or fact and is just a trendy fad being pushed and promoted a minority of left-wing “progressives”.

Before it was authorised, the Toolkit was the subject of a “call in” by Cllr Dr Ian Johnson (Plaid Cymru Buttrills, Barry) at the Vale’s Council’s Scrutiny Committee for Learning and Culture. It’s now emerged that at this meeting several letters from concerned local residents were considered – some extracts of which are as follows:- .
(headings only are included below)
OBJECTOR ONE: ‘ MY SON WOULD AVOID P.E. IF HE HAD TO GET UNDRESSED WITH SOMEONE WITH A GIRL’S BODY

OBJECTOR 2: THE ALLSORTS ALLIANCE : ‘THE VALE TOOLKIT ASSUMES PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO “TRANSGENDER” PUPILS – RATHER THAN ORDINARY PUPILS’

OBJECTOR 3: ‘IF THIS GOES AHEAD – HOW DO WE SAFEGUARD OUR CHILDREN?

OBJECTOR 4: ‘CHILDREN CANNOT CHANGE SEX’: ‘BOYS AND GIRLS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SINGLE-SEX ACCOMMODATION TO PROTECT THEIR DIGNITY’

OBJECTOR 4: CLLR SIVARUBY SIVAGNANAM: ‘IN A GIRLS’ CHANGING ROOM – IF A GIRL IS UNCOMFORTABLE CHANGING NEXT TO A TRANS BOY – IT’S THE GIRL WHO’LL BE REMOVED- NOT THE BOY.’

concludes:
"The Vale of Glamorgan’s “Safeguarding Officer” has confirmed that a “second edition” of the Vale Transgender Tookit is currently being developed

Now the Trangender Toolkit is on the agenda for the next Vale Council cabinet meeting on Monday next week (June 18th 2018)."

penarthnews.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/muslim-parents-and-others-object-to-vale-councils-controversial-transgender-toolkit/amp/

capitals from article- I'm not shouting!

I can't see how they could justify ignoring those objections from parents and others. They have also said the schools pack is only guidance.

A very interesting read - thanks for the link.

However some critics say the “transgender” issue has no basis in science or fact and is just a trendy fad being pushed and promoted a minority of left-wing “progressives”

I would change that to

However some critics say the “transgender” issue has no basis in science or fact and is just a trendy fad being pushed and promoted a minority of left-wing people who don't think very deeply, believe they are woke and “progressives” when in fact they are regressive.

Recent Guardian Article:
'Schools pulled into row over helping transgender children
As more teens come out as trans, experts clash over how schools should help'

(extract)
"Now a fierce national debate over gender self-identification is spilling over into guidance for schools. On one side are those who think women and girls should be entitled to safe spaces that aren’t automatically accessible to trans girls. On the other are those who believe all who identify as female should have full access to female toilets and changing rooms. Recently, Girlguiding leaders have protested about a policy that allows boys identifying as girls to share tents with girls on overnight trips.

Profound disagreement has arisen about what schools should do. Should they, in the words of a widely used toolkit from the Allsorts Youth Project in Brighton, “make visible and celebrate trans people”? Or take the “watchful waiting” approach advocated by the Transgender Trend pack, which warns schools to be “aware of the risk of ‘social contagion’ from celebrity trans internet vloggers who glamorise medical transition”?

Stephanie Davies-Arai, a parenting adviser, launched the Transgender Trend resource pack in February half-term, thinking it would barely get noticed. Instead, she says: “It just blew up”. The LGBT lobby group Stonewall accused Transgender Trend, the organisation Davies-Arai set up two-and-a-half years ago, of spreading “damaging myths, panic and confusion”, and advised local authorities not to use the pack. On Twitter, people piled in, with one describing the pack (which had been checked by lawyers) as a “modern edition of Mein Kampf”. (continues)

see also:
Transgender Trend's resource pack for schools:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3166853-Transgender-Trends-new-resource-pack-for-schools

(recent unsuccesful attempt to prevent fundraising)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3265524-Transgender-Trend-Crowdfunder-suspended

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3271219-Transgender-Trend-crowdfunder-to-be-reinstated

Very interesting - Thanks for sharing. The full minutes of the meeting are here, although I've not had chance to read them yet:

www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/our_council/Council-Structure/minutes,_agendas_and_reports/minutes/Scrutiny-LC/2018/18-05-22.aspx

It's worth noting that a lot of Councils (Vale of Glamorgan included) allow members of the public who live in the area to suggest topics for the scrutiny committees to look at.

It doesn't need to relate to a new policy that the Council has just brought in. If you are concerned about the policies of schools in the area on this issue - or have any other concerns, for example, on the use (or lack of use) of single sex exemptions for example in refuges or leisure centre changing rooms, or if your Council is one of the many that has removed 'sex' from all its equality documents, you can suggest that the local scrutiny committees look into it.