Brighton and Hove Schools Trans Toolkit

[Version4needsabitofwork]

I live in Brighton and Hove and we've been asked for feedback on a 59 page Trans Toolkit that the council are planning to send out to schools.

I sat down to fill in the form but became quickly overwhelmed. Can someone help me whittle down what I need to say, so I can object in a way that follows the form?

Basically my objections are as follows:

I/ Sex is observed, not "assigned"
2/ Sex is binary and can't be changed
3/ Gender stereotypes are outdated old nonsense and children are quite right to reject them in any way they see fit
4/ Schools need to practice good safeguarding as they do so (and this is the bit I want to get right - post the Kiera Bell case, what is the guidance here? The toolkit talks about children who are transitioning, but I think they shouldn't be medically transitioning until they are 18. I'm not up to date with legislation at all on this and is it likely to change?)
5/ I want schools to do proper impact assessments for things like toilets. I believe that children need the choice of sex-segregated and gender-neutral toilets. Is that confused thinking though? I want to be clear.

Link here: files.smartsurvey.io

Here is the text of the letter to parents:

Dear Parents and Carers

Re: Invitation to respond to a consultation on the Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit
Brighton & Hove City Council provides a range of guidance and training for schools to help them tackle bullying issues and promote equality.

Since 2014 the council has produced something called the ‘Trans Toolkit’. This give guidance for schools on how to support trans and gender exploring children.

Each school makes its own decision about whether or not to use the Toolkit. They are under no obligation to do so.
‘Transgender’ or ‘trans’ is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth. A person’s sex assigned at birth is based on physical characteristics. It is acknowledged nationally that trans children are a group that has particular problems with being bullied. We want all our children to feel safe at school.
The Trans Toolkit asks schools to consider the needs of individual children and young people on a case by case basis in partnership with parents and carers. It advises schools to make sure they have in place processes to prevent and respond to gender stereotypes and bullying. The Toolkit recognises that a tiny minority of trans young people may require medical interventions under strict medical supervision. However, it does not offer advice or guidance about this. The Toolkit’s focus is simply on helping schools maintain a safe and supportive environment for the whole school community.
This is a complex area that Brighton & Hove schools have been managing positively for several years. Our Toolkit has received positive feedback from others in education nationally and internationally.

We have reviewed the Toolkit on a regular basis since it was introduced. This is to make sure it remains useful and relevant for our schools.
We have carried out an extensive review and consultation on version 4 of the Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit. This has taken into account a range of views. As part of this review we are inviting our parents and carers to give us their views on the Toolkit

This consultation is open to parents, carers, staff, governors and year 10 students in Brighton & Hove schools and will close on the 9th April.
The Toolkit is written for educational professionals. We recognise that some of it is quite complex. But if you would like to participate in our consultation then you will of course need to read it first.

Your feedback will be anonymous and will be read and taken into account taken into account in the final draft which will be submitted to the Children and Young People’s Committee for their consideration later this year. We will publish a brief summary of changes made.

There's lots of these small looking phrases but which are significant, I think.

Some cynics might say this is done on purpose.

Personally I like to pick apart every last sentence or phrase and ask lots of direct questions to get clear definitions of words and terms from the person or group circulating the material.

Consultation deadlines can also be extended.

Your feedback will be anonymous and will be read and taken into account taken into account in the final draft which will be submitted to the Children and Young People’s Committee for their consideration later this year.

Please tell me this committee is staffed by adults who know what safeguarding means?

There is so much wrong in that letter alone.

OhholyJesus Personally I like to pick apart every last sentence or phrase and ask lots of direct questions to get clear definitions of words and terms from the person or group circulating the material.
Me too.

If the year 10 are being consulted, but the consultation is anon will they be able to separate the adult and child responses?
How much weight will be placed on individual consultations from adults and children?
Let's face it all the year 10 kids in Brighton and Hove have had this stuff pushed on them virtually all their education, they are hardly objective!
The letter says the document doesn't have to be used so I would say no don't use it and I wish you to use Transgender Trend's document "Supporting gender diverse and trans identified pupils" www.transgendertrend.com/product/school-resource-pack-3rd-edition-printed-version/
Free download.

NatalieShortman

Yes sorry I am struggling to find appropriate words here as I don't think transgirl is an appropriate term, as I think we shouldn't put these kind of labels on young children who are going to go/are going through puberty.

Agreed. Based on the studies so far on childhood dysphoria, I think "trans girl/boy/child" would be better reworded as "child who is 80+% likely NOT to identify as trans by end of puberty (unless stuck on medication first)", wherever it comes up.

I did this when I met with our school, and pointed out that the hypothetical "transgirl" desperate to be allowed to use the girls' toilets/changing rooms was over 80% likely to be comfortable with being a boy again by the time they finished sixth form, if not sooner, and the same for any children considering puberty blockers etc. Statistically, every "trans child" is much more likely than not to end up "non trans", unless stuck on blockers before they get the chance to outgrow their dysphoria.

That's great @ahagwearsapointybonnet. What did they reply with?

That's a good point on anonymity Female, there could be some GDPR issues around this if IP addresses are recorded via survey monkey. Schools can't just ask questions of children for data purposes they have to have a really good reason, especially if it's something intrusive like about sexual orientation and 'gender identity'.

I tend to say "child with body dysmorphia" or "gender dysmorphic child" if pushed. I don't like to support gender ideology and use the word 'trans' if I can find another way of saying it.

Buried in here somewhere is the confirmation from government that RSE can be delayed until Sept. updated guidance (mostly covid related) released 16th March, thought it might be helpful if push comes to shove and deadlines are argued for in relation to the summer term.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance

This is the committee that will be reviewing the feedback

present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=883

For those that would like access to guidelines and links for responding to the consultation please email [email protected]

or contact Trangender Trend or Safe Schools Alliance who can also provide you with the notes x x

Thank you to everyone who's posted.

A PP asked earier if I know any other parents I could talk to about this... no. It's a subject I don't feel I can ask anyone else about, becuase I think most people would feel as I did years ago, that it was great that the schools are being progressive and championing diversity. Now, I'm raging and could go off on one if the subject was broached. I wish they could make a 59 page toolkit to help ASD pupils, or for kids from families who are seeking asylum and who's first language isn't English for example. In the school my children go to, those kids are far more disadvantaged than the gender dysphoric children who are fully supported to identify how they wish already. That said, the dysphoric kids I'm thinking of are all girls, and I fear for them when they get to secondary. I see no protection for them in this toolkit and can't imagine what they're going to go through when they find themselves in the boys toilets in a year or two's time .

DD says transboys use the gender neutral loos at their school, not the boys’ facilities, Version. That’s also been the case at sports events that I’ve seen.

This rebuttal chrome://external-file/Consultation%20on%20BHCC%20Trans%20Inclusion%20Toolkit%20-%20suggestions%20for%20feminist%20responses%20(1).pdf has been posted on a local Facebook page (HCNB, in case I have any neighbours here!) All the comments are deriding it as transphobic, of course, but it might provide some help in responding.

Hmm, I just can’t get the link to work. It’s a pdf attached to a Facebook post. I can click on it and open it in a browser but the link fails when posted somehow.

unfortunately I can't open that link either donkey86

Oh, I think it’s been taken down. The person who put in on Facebook probably deleted it because they got called transphobic ten times in as many minutes.
(Sorry for posting three times in a row!)

Here's what I have found on various threads I am in contact with (I received this consultation via my primary school. Primary school? I ask you..)
docs.google.com/document/d/1ZQlE5jC1p-ghmCxVFj-p7ZzCVboagmeHJ_C7GRra7S8/edit?fbclid=IwAR3aJuqiPmlb3zkH76GAiyPb9yWsGgzhXWsDUF4cJIX-3730c0NFcXQaq54#heading=h.sujfar1jj418 . I hope you can copy and paste. It is suggestions for feminist responses to this consultation

Oh, I see someone has already posted this. It is very thorough and long but extremely useful for a robust response to this consultation.

That's the one I think donkey86 was trying to post...

Yep, that’s the one! Thanks. I had assumed the person who posted it in the local Facebook group deleted the copy they posted to save themselves the hassle, but turns out it was removed by admins as they considered it transphobic. Dissent isn’t allowed in Brighton, it seems...

If you don't have time to respond thoroughly to the consultation I would urge everyone to at least make these two points:

1. The Equality Act is being misrepresented. The single-sex exceptions give girls a right to their own spaces and facilities and sports. Children who are labelled trans still have a sex, which biologically and legally is the one they were born with. Nobody can legally change sex under the age of 18. 'Trans' children have to abide by the same rules as everyone else.

1. The new DofE guidance cautions against using outside agencies with extreme views or a one-sided political position. Allsorts spouts extreme gender ideology entirely un-based in evidence (eg a boy is a girl if he says he is). It is politically biased to conceal the rights of girls from the girls themselves in order to accomodate the wishes of political groups lobbying for 'trans rights'.

Looking at the changes in this version of the toolkit, I sense that they are aware of changing guidance and are worried about some of the more extreme stuff in the earlier versions. I think these two points will scare them the most. Any girl who might be either assaulted in a single-sex space or injured whilst playing sport could have a good case against the council for this advice which ignores the legislation designed to protect her.

Go on! Scare the shit out of them!

Does anyone have a link to the corresponding survey for school governors by any chance? I'm in B&H but am not a parent/carer so can't respond to that one, but it says there is a separate one for governors. (And another for year 10s and another for staff, by the way - so that's how they will be able to tell what context replies are made it, I noticed someone asked this upthread)

@donkey86 that was me, I got deleted within the hour. I just wanted to make it available and was ready for the kicking! I got several messages of support.

Oh good! It’s nice to know that group isn’t quite as singular of thought as it appears. I’m glad you were brave enough to post on there - I clicked ‘like’ on your post but was way too chicken to comment in support.

@pidl - I saw that too. 'The force is strong' in the area! However, I too am strong and see my forthright responses to this (possibly illegal, and certainly legally challengable) consultation as essential to the safeguarding of my daughter and other young women. I have been a safeguarding lead for a school and I really know a) what we are dealing with here and b) that the EA2010 needs to be upheld where it relates to the 'single-sex exemptions'. I am sure all this has already been said..

@donkey86 did you see the follow up post for those who wanted to give me a kicking and were despondent to find my post gone? Apparently they felt they had 'disinfected my views with sunlight' even though noone engaged on any point whatsoever. I read that resource when it was sent to me by a friend and just thought it deserved a wider audience - if some people read it that's all I wanted.

and @modernherbal, your expertise is invaluable in this. My before and after moment came when I heard Michelle Moore's speech on child safeguarding.