So this came to the school I work in....

[ooherrmissus14]

I was expecting it to be promoting the transgender movement but was quite surprised it wasn't!! Interesting to see this perspective being shared with schools x

Have you watched the video? What is it like?

An absolutely barking Christian Creationist group. I wouldn’t be promoting their extreme views. (ex-Head of PSHE)

@DotBall

An absolutely barking Christian Creationist group. I wouldn’t be promoting their extreme views. (ex-Head of PSHE)

^This. But welcome to MN, OP.

I haven’t seen the DVD, but, the covering letter looks sane and moderate. I don’t know whether transitioning leads to “a significant increase in suicide“ or not. But everything else in the letter is correct, and can quite easily be checked.

The group has a web site. They are creationists and believe in intelligent design. So they are coming at it from a very very different (and barking angle).
It would be interesting to hear about what the video says, and how your school leadership responded.

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

I haven’t seen the DVD, but, the covering letter looks sane and moderate. I don’t know whether transitioning leads to “a significant increase in suicide“ or not. But everything else in the letter is correct, and can quite easily be checked.

The biggest cohort study, in Sweden, found a nine-fold increase in suicide.

I don't think there is good evidence at all that transitioning leads to an increase in suicide, which they state as a fact, but it also contradicts their earlier statement about there being no good knowledge about the long term effects.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3043071/

“Conclusions:
Persons with transsexualism, after sex reassignment, have considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behaviour, and psychiatric morbidity than the general population. Our findings suggest that sex reassignment, although alleviating gender dysphoria, may not suffice as treatment for transsexualism, and should inspire improved psychiatric and somatic care after sex reassignment for this patient group.”

Interesting but scary that people like the OP are just falling for this stuff because it claims to be critical of trans ideology. Wouldn’t you Google it first before proudly posting it as an interesting viewpoint? This group believes that science teachers need to teach that Darwin’s theory of evolution isn’t scientific truth. I mean it’s as batshit and unscientific as the ‘you can change sex through your feelings’ stuff.

Yes, I wouldn’t be interested in anything else this organisation offered. Certainly not in anything to do with origins of life, as they're creationists. But what they’re saying about transgenderism is correct. Aesopfable, thanks for the reference.

Welcome to FWR, OP. Does your school get letters like this a lot? Either re "concerning" issues in general or from Creationists?

It's alarming that this kind of thing is being sent to schools - I can only hope that these letters all end up in the recycling where they belong and the DVD's are used as bird-scarers (how appropriate!). I also can't help wondering whether any increase in suicide rates (if that is accurate) might have something to do with the sheer volume of vitriol and hate that is directed at those who are, or are considering, transitioning. To have to cope with that at such a vulnerable time in someone's life could be enough to push many people over the edge.

Creationism and genderism are equally unscientific, equally misogynist, and equally batshit. Neither should be promulgated in schools as factual.

Dia it is much more likely that transitioning does not deal with the issues they thought it would and a realisation that they can never be the sex they want to be. That much should be made clear before transitioning starts and no one should transition before they accept this. I believe that that always used to be the case. It also shows the importance of psychological therapy to address any issues before transitioning and why ‘better a live son than a dead daughter’ is a cruel lie. Even if the suicide statistics quoted for children were anywhere near the truth, transitioning makes this worse not better.

DiaDeLosMuertos, the psychiatrist who called a halt to genital surgery at the famous American John Hopkins hospital some years ago did so because the mental health of his patients deteriorated so badly a year or two later. This was not due to "vitriol and hate" but because the poor guys were so disappointed.

Immediately after surgery they were euphoric but sadly this didn't last. They had been certain that the surgery would make them the woman they'd dreamed about for so long. But once it had been achieved they were left with the reality that they were much as they were before, but with a lot of serious post op pain and a surgically created pouch they had to dilate to stop it closing up.

It appeared that despite a lot of pre up counselling they had seriously unrealistic expectations. Tragically some patients hadn't truly taken on board that their neo vagina would have no or limited sexual sensation and they mourned the loss of their penis. All very sad.

Creationism and genderism are equally unscientific, equally misogynist, and equally batshit.

Well said, wellbehavedwomen - and so concise. I do admire people who can be so brief and clear. I tend to waffle.

One study regularly quoted as supporting transitioning was forced to revisit their results recently after errors were pointed out in their statistical analysis. Once corrected there was found to be no benefit to transitioning.

Yowzers. Never heard of them.

'The Board of Directors and members of the Council of Reference are all Christians with traditional Biblical beliefs.'

The website is FASCINATING. Apart from that^^, in my quick skim, their beliefs or aims are obfuscated. The sections say we want children to be taught to question everything and not accept stuff at face value. The science sections are of the clownfish/ DSD/ etc school of thought ie science sounding with lots of long words, impenetrable to the average person. And saying well this doesn't sound right and there's questions about that without giving a hint as to what alternatives should be offered.

I had no idea groups like this were operating in the UK let alone spamming schools.

Seems like they are trying to use??? around gender stuff as an in? As people who adhere to the Bible in a traditional way though I'd put money on them a. Having a 'separate but equal' so called view and be red hot keen on men being men and women keeping their mouths shut and making the sandwiches. That's just a guess obviously.

No thanks and worrying that we have extreme religious sects using this as an 'in' to schools.

Thanks, TRAs! Excellent work.

Any comments OP?

I assume you'll be onto the school to say. These people are bonkers. File the letter in the bin. Next to the ones from that shoebox thingy.

In case people don’t believe the OP, we also received this at our school. I did a quick google of the sender and it seems as if they are targeting CE/Church schools (more likely to be creationist maybe?)

It was quite useful in a way, because it allowed me to have a good laugh with the Head and SLT about TRAs etc and ‘Thank God for TransgenderTrend” which cemented my suspicion that at least 2 of them are GC.

And the Board of Directors, Council of Reference and Scientific Panel are exclusively made up of men.... guessing women aren't allowed to have an 'expert' opinion

We received it too. And definitely not CE/Christian school....

Remember that these people also have a protected characteristic - religious belief. (Though as they are not children within the school I am not sure if anything needs to be done beyond not harassing them because of it)

In case people don’t believe the OP, we also received this at our school. I did a quick google of the sender and it seems as if they are targeting CE/Church schools (more likely to be creationist maybe?)

It’s not that I don’t believe the OP received this, it’s that I question their motives for posting it.