Chartered College (teaching) signed petition against 'anti-LGBTQ' materials in schools

[partystress]

This is the new professional body for teachers - wielding increasing influence on policy, career development paths. They have recent form for an ill-judged tweet, so could be that the intern is back on the Twitter rota, but they have asked people to sign the petition and retweet.

I assume the petition is prompted by the success of the TransgenderTrend crowdfunding and recent climb downs in Scotland. Can I ask any of you who are teachers, especially CC members ( I let mine lapse after first year) to let them know there is a valid alternative view and ask them to actually read the TransgenderTrend pack? Thank you.

Here's the link:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/226793

Ban Anti-LGBTQ+ material from schools.

There has been a recent influx of anti-LGBT+ material being sent to schools in England. We are asking that any and all material, that is first and foremost designed to give a negative view of the LGBT+ community, be removed from schools.
More details

Examples of how such material can be shown to be anti-LGBT+:
• they recommend conversion therapy.
• they scaremonger about conditions that are not legally recognised as clinical or medical conditions.
• they encourage school staff to break equality laws as stated in the EA2010.
• they give false information regarding the legally available treatment for transgender youth in the UK.
www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/homophobic-biphobic-and-transphobic-hate-crime-prosecution-guidance

Thank you - should have thought of linking, but I was a bit in shock I think at our professional body, guaranteed a minimum 20 year life, sitting at the table advising on teacher training, influencing teachers, who in turn are influencing children, seemingly having swallowed the TRA line.

petition here also:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/petitions_noticeboard/3333533-Stop-conversion-therapy-of-LGBT-students-Please-sign-and-share

Pink News, 'Petition calls on parliament to ban anti-LGBT material from schools'
(extract)
A new petition is asking parliament to ban anti-LGBT+ materials from schools after what they describe as an “influx” of such materials being sent to schools in England.

One of these “school resource packs” is being sent out by a group called Transgender Trend action group, whose aim is to “question the trans narrative,” reports the [Brighton] Argus.

On their website, Transgender Trend say they are a group of parents or carers who are “concerned about their teenager’s sudden identification as ‘transgender’ or worried about the new teaching of ideology as fact.”

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They go on to question the introduction of gender neutral bathrooms and changing rooms in schools, and say the movement is also for “feminists and allies” who worry about “the erosion of sex-based rights and protections for women and girls.”

The petition is asking parliament to ban all materials from schools that are designed to give a “negative view of the LGBT+ community.”

The petition says that anti-LGBT+ materials in schools can recommend conversion therapy, scaremonger and encourage school staff to break equality laws.

They also say that some of this information is giving “false information regarding legally available treatment for transgender youth in the UK.”

The petition currently has over 2,500 signatures. If it reaches 10,000, the government will respond to the petition, and if it reaches 100,000, it will be considered for parliamentary debate.

The group has now gained political support, with Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, saying there was “no place” for these kinds of materials in schools." (continues)

www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/08/14/petition-schools-ban-anti-lgbt-materials/

Does anyone have a link to the information put out by GIRES for Youth (youth being an age group not specifically determined by GIRES) where they nonchalantly list blow jobs, rimming, anal sex to name a few as sexual activities gender-non conforming kids should be considering as run of the mill.

Or something like that. It might be useful to let the Chartered College know what 'information' transgender lobby groups have been allowed to distribute in schools without parental knowledge or consent.

Yes, it would be really helpful to have some examples. I am working today but will be happy to forward links to the CC via DM saying that their support for this has cemented my decision not to renew membership and ask them to reconsider.

I'm confused, are we meant to sign this petition or not?

I would never sign the petition. The wording is crap but they are trying to imply that materials like the transgendertrend pack for schools is anti LGBTQ. It isn't but it does focus on keeping kids safe, watchful waiting rather than immediate affirmation. In this brand new transworld any of this is transphobic and hate speech.

OP maybe ask Mumsnet to retire your post as it is not totally clear whether you support this petition or not! As in, I think you want us not to sign and to share an alternative viewpoint, but maybe make this clearer? And who do we let know that we disagree with the petition?

Sorry, retitle not retire!

Maybe actually ask teachers over at The Staffroom forum on mumsnet.

Conversion therapy is rife in anti homosexual and lesbian countries where the death sentence may apply. It means, in essence, transgender to suit the sexuality of the nation which is strictly heterosexual.

It's plain and obvious that this petition is set up to confuse the issue. Interesting to see it has little traction so far.

Are they going to ban all biology text books too then?
Schools are not breaking equality laws by having and keeping SEX segregated toilets and changing rooms.

Are they going to ban all biology text books too then?

I think human and mammalian biology might be banned in the future. Obviously the life cycle of a butterfly is going to be kept.

Sorry if unclear. I think the petition is dire. My concern is that a professional body is encouraging its Twitter followers - almost exclusively teachers - to sign it. I didn't post in staffroom because if you don't know the background to this, it looks like a great thing to support. The number of retweets and likes on the College's tweet suggests this is the case. I thought catching teachers who follow this board might be more productive.

Will try and work out how to link the tweet.

twitter.com/charteredcoll/status/1030462174576226306?s=21.

Sorry, bit hopeless at this, but hope someone might be able to linkify it for me.

OP, this (once tweaked to make the message clear, really needs to go into the staffroom. Maybe with a link to Janice Turner's article in the Times today?

I don't know too much about the subject, but here are some more links to threads relevant to schools/GIRES/The Transgender Trend Schools pack controversy

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3322310-gires-school-resources
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3154752-Trans-extremism-schools
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3265524-Transgender-Trend-Crowdfunder-suspended?pg=1

And hopefully this fixes that link?
twitter.com/charteredcoll/status/1030462174576226306?s=21

I'd be interested to see how this fits with the new SRE guidance.

I have now posted on Staffroom too. I have tried to summarise key points without getting too far in or being too long. Please do go over there and add anything that might help make the seriousness of this clear to teachers who may not previously have engaged with this topic. Thank you.

twitter.com/justwoodall/status/1030869864179740672?s=20

That's the sly disingenuous way this petition is being framed.

This is Stephanie Davies-Arai founder of Transgender Trend, discussing the issues and context with nuance and at some length:

Biology textbooks are soooooooo transphobic. These anti LGBTQ+ materials should be banned from all schools with immediate effect.

May 2018 Guardian article which outlines some of the differences in approach between Allsorts / Mermaids affirmative approach and others including Transgender Trend:

'Schools pulled into row over helping transgender children
As more teens come out as trans, experts clash over how schools should help'
(extract)
"Davies-Arai says her broader concern is that by affirming students’ gender identity, schools may be nudging them down a route that can lead to cross-sex hormones and life-changing surgery without enough time to reflect. Teachers, she says, “are essentially being forced to collude in an experimental approach towards children with gender dysphoria”. She adds: “You can support children and accept them, without affirming their belief that their body is ‘wrong’.”

Adele Robinson (not her real name), a head of year at a secondary school, shares Davies-Arai’s worries. The school has had 12 children, all girls, come out as transgender in the past 18 months. The majority, she says, have autism, and some have experienced sexual abuse.

When they come out, she says, they have brought in information sourced from Tumblr blogs and YouTube videos. Although her team does its best to “support every child in a loving, kind and compassionate way”, she feels that staff are too frightened to challenge what she sees as harmful practices: “We have chest binders worn in school, which is horrible. If a child was cutting, they would be straight in with a counsellor. Yet damaging developing breast tissue goes unquestioned. It’s a gross failure in terms of child protection.”

Green disagrees, and argues for a biological underpinning to transgender identity: “If a child or young person consistently, insistently and persistently states their feelings, to ignore, punish or repress their gender identity would effectively be reparative therapy.” (continues)

www.theguardian.com/education/2018/may/15/transgender-row-teachers-afraid-challenge-breast-binding