Gendered Intelligence

[PetraDelphiki]

So we had an email today telling us about the new RSE curriculum etc. I have asked the school who will be giving talks etc on transgender issues and it’s Gendered Intelligence (which I thought it would be)
I need to reply to express my concerns about GI:

Misrepresenting the equality act
Telling the girls they can change sex (girls school)
Pushing secrecy/safeguarding
Pushing the gingerbread person and make/female brains idea

I’ll do some digging on their website but any help would be much appreciated

Draft 2:

Thank you for confirming who will be providing training on gender identity. I have a few further questions about this and the other contents of the RSE policy.
As regards the policy in general:
• What measures are taken to ensure that the teaching of gender identity in RSE does not conflict with the rights of those with the protected characteristics of sex and sexual orientation? How will you ensure that the girls are correctly advised of their rights to single sex (not gender) spaces and activities under the Equality Act 2010?
• What measures are taken to ensure that the teaching of gender identity does not reinforce harmful gender stereotypes or otherwise suggest that boys and girls have innate personality differences? How will you ensure that the girls are not given any indication that a liking for STEM, or choosing to wear trousers, means that they “really have boy brains”.
• What measures are taken to ensure that the teaching of gender identity does not conflict with factual, scientific teaching of reproductive biology and anatomy?
• What measures are taken to ensure that pupils are aware that sexual violence (such as is routinely displayed in pornography or otherwise normalised as ‘fetish’) is not part of a healthy sexual relationship?
As regards the external organisation involved:
• By what process was Gendered Intelligence chosen to provide this content? What scientific, legal, medical, educational or other qualifications does the planned speaker have that makes them competent to Influence the girls’ social, psychological and sexual development? Are you aware that GI are currently campaigning against emerging government policy designed to protect under 18’s from making medically unnecessary irreversible bodily changes? Against policy specifically designed for the safety, dignity, privacy and equity of opportunity for girls - which are founding principles of girls-only schools such as *?
• By what process do you guarantee that their training and guidance meet the school's own safeguarding policy? In particular in regards to suggestions that students should be guaranteed complete confidentiality when disclosing gender identity issues – something which is never part of good safeguarding practice.

Thoughts appreciated!

You

I like your letter but I think it might be more effective if it were shorter.

aesop you might be right...just not quite sure what to cut and still make my point...suggestions gratefully received!

Need to find a place where GI suggest that promising confidentiality is good...I’ll look but if anyone finds one please pass it on!!

Hi Petra i think your letter was good as is.

I don’t know you and your daughter(s). If this is a single sex school you could decide to focus on that alone.
The school is currently relying on the usual definition of sex and is preventing boys attending. This is permitted under the current Equalities Act. “Proportional means to a reasonable outcome”, something like that.
Gendered intelligence is a campaign organisation. One of their campaigns is as against those exceptions. 21 August 2015 in a submission to the women and equalities select committee. You might be able to find a direct source, I saw on Women’s place UK site.
If a child through their education could disclose different gender identities (so “afab”, then come out as non-binary, then come out as a transman, how would that child’s education be impacted if they had to leave a school segregated by gender identity? Maybe another option. Sorry.

@PetraDelphiki
hi, how did you get on with this? I am just starting on a letter to my DDs school, they have been Stonewalled so I am searching for more info.
(Have name changed for this as have already briefly emailed school and they are not happy with me questioning them on their RSE content!)

I've PM'd you.

As a general update we got quite a positive response and have been invited in to talk about this further next term...so that's good.

@PetraDelphiki reading now, thank you

@PetraDelphiki thank you for your PM. I replied twice via PM but it doesn't look like it sent. Sorry I'm not used to PMs. Thank you it was very useful x

Place marking for updates!