Shropshire County Council has withdrawn the toolkit

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

Tweet from ShropshireReSisters at 14.47: Shropshire County Council have withdrawn the transgender tool kit. It took a little pressure and a lot of help from some wonderful people (I'd tag but they may not wish me to). Anyone else wanting to do the same in their area...do it!

WOOHOO!!!!

twitter.com/SResisters/status/1260567309623726080?s=19

Females who identify as men, I meant.

It always surprises me that people buy the term gender identity as anything that could be put into law. Because it basically means you could be a woman one day, and a man the next, neither on the third or a fetishistic cross dresser on Saturday afternoons, and a perfectly recognisable man the rest of the time.

It's a massive cover all for absolutely anything. And as a legal term should therefore either be held to account, or binned.

Nicelegs

Write to your MP and also write to the Director of Children's Services and copy in the MP to this.
It doesn't matter if your feelings show, this is emotive stuff and you care.
Use the facts - EA2010 Lists Gender reassignment (not identity) and also Sex as protected characteristics. It's the sex that is being ignored. Point out that girls are entititled BY LAW to single sex toilets, changing rooms and dorms. It is unlawful to force girls to share with boys in their changing rooms.
Check your own CC toolkits, they do vary and some are worse than others. Reference the part you are concerned - copy & paste and point out why it is unlawful
Remind them that Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire have withdrawn before Court action and ask that yours does the same as a matter of urgency.

It took the threat of a letter before action for Shropshire to act.

Best of luck. No scrub that. You don't need luck, Law is on your side.

Go for it!

Spot on Datun

NiceLegs

I'd start by writing to the education department at your city council, referencing the now withdrawn toolkits in Oxfordshire and Shropshire. They probably won't do anything, but as more of these documents are withdrawn, they might see the writing on the wall and just quietly remove it.

If that fails, I'd contact the third parties others have suggested, but I would start by giving the council a chance to do the right thing of their own accord. You can then pass any correspondence you have had with them to your councillor/MP/anyone else you decide to contact if the council fails to take action.

Not read the whole thread but if people want help challenging their LAs, get in touch with safe schools alliance. We want to help and we want to keep a record!

Thanks.

Thank you all so very much. I'm going to start by downloading the Toolkit and familiarising myself with it. I'd assumed that they would all be using a standard template but seems like there are variations across local authorities.

I agree that the next step is to write to the City Council and give them the opportunity to take stock, in the light of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Shropshire.

Let's see if we can get another one to fall

Thanks you again to all of you. I will be revisiting this thread to update and to reread your guidance, in the likely event that I need to go further. I really appreciate your help

Message from Barnsley this morning;

Thank you for your email dated 15 May 2020 where you have raised concerns regarding the Trans Toolkit for Schools.

In Barnsley a small number of schools contributed to its development, however, no schools have formally adopted it. We are aware that there have been legal challenges to aspects of the toolkit and, in light of the lack of adoption in Barnsley, we are taking the opportunity to further consider our guidance in this area and will be removing the current toolkit from the website.

Kind regards

**

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

PO Box 609

Fishdoggy

Well done!

Excellent

That's brilliant! Well done

Fantastic work.

I just saw this on twitter. Great news.

So schools are actually not reading this stuff without their rose tinted glasses on? Actually this lockdown may be doing some good - giving the people who green flagged all this time away from the kids and some time & perspective...

Re the link between trans issues and support within the SEND community

Joe Butler at SEND Support (Special Educational Needs and Disability Consultancy and Training).
Special thanks go to Brighton and Hove City Council and Allsorts Youth Project for allowing some of the content of this toolkit to be based on their ‘Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit’, and to Gendered Intelligence for commentary on the final draft.

An influential voice in the SEND world is SN Jungle. Huge social media reach, and they are often asked by govt to give views on policy. They are one of the top 'go to' places for SEND parents.

One of their main organisers has the initials TT. She is a fierce and brilliant advocate for parents and young people. She also has a young person who is trans (with either ASC/ADHD), and is also autistic herself.

She appears to be firmly of the affirmation approach, although superbly rational and deploys critical thinking in every other area. I suspect this one thing is largely responsible for a lot of SEND support for trans positivity. The community are so grateful for TT's work and influence, they would not challenge her on this. Her power goes a long, long way.

Plus of course, parents of children with SEND are very used to their children's needs not being met and their views being ignored. Therefore more pressure to affirm a child who says they are trans (often with ASC).

Very dangerous set of circumstances.

That is interesting Clunchee. I have noticed a few more ‘off’ posts from SN Jungle recently - lacking a critical assessment. They seem to be getting more common. Then there was there post about how children with SEN are happy with all and sundry providing intimate care as they don’t consider it private and it is ok for me to do it as women might be lesbians and get aroused by it. They pulled it after getting roundly condemned.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3640104-Intimate-Care-for-children-in-school-not-safe

*Ok for men to do it

Thanks for raising those points Clunchee and Aesopfable.
Would it be ok if I copied and pasted your posts on another thread (about autism) for future reference?

www.specialneedsjungle.com/trans-daughter-unexpected-gift/

Link here to a recent article on SNJ. Long intro by TT and then link to guest article.

I agree Aesop that in recent months the judgement from SNJ has appeared to be a bit off at times. I wonder if there are particular stresses coming in to play (more than usual in the SEND world, I mean).

Yes of course nonny. Can you link to the thread here please?

This is the author of the book recommended by TT to parents of SEND children

www.grattonpsychotherapy.com/
They are (of course! ) a member of WPATH.

This is the thread, Clunchee. It's more of a general discussion, but did flag up that a lot of charities and organisations for children on the autistic spectrum are pushing this ideology and referring them on to trans stuff whenever a child expresses discomfort or confusion around gendered stereotypes.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3909717-Autism-providing-healthy-and-positive-alternatives-to-Gender-Identity-ideology

Is Kent the next domino to fall?
(found via the Glinner thread posted elsewhere. Yes, I'm back on Twitter!)

twitter.com/STILLTish/status/1262821512928735233

Safe schools have resources to help you challenge your own LA. Here: twitter.com/SafeSchools_UK/status/1263449405090344960

Please use them and let us know how you get on.

News in from Doncaster

Thank you for your enquiry dated 15th May 2020 and 21st May 2020 seeking a decision from Doncaster in relation to the transgender toolkit.

After much consideration, I am writing to confirm Doncaster has agreed to remove the transgender toolkit. We will be communicating this decision to all our partners, schools/academies and professionals in due course.

I trust this answers your enquiry.

Yours Sincerely