School going for ‘Stonewall Champion’ status

[Harrystylesismyjam]

I’m a governor at my daughters (Year 12) school. In a recent meeting it has been said the school is aiming for ‘gold’ stonewall champion status. Now I don’t know a lot about it, I’m very much on the periphery of the GC movement but I know how I feel and the message TWAW is not one I want pushed onto my children. Acceptance, inclusivity etc sure, but not at the expense of young women and children’s rights.

What are my starting points for questioning this?

Ooh now that’s a random crossing of worlds (and possibly outing) but I know excelpopes wife (forever jealous they got to go to JKR’s Halloween party a few years ago). I may approach them for advice also.

Exelpope would be a very good point of contact. He is very aware of the issues.

He is. By all accounts (from his wife so probably biased ) he’s a thoroughly decent sort as well.

There is another thread with an interview with David Bell on Channel 4 news. He is reasoned and articulate.

What I get from this interview is that ACCEPTING and affirming transgender might be DENYING girls the right to be a lesbian. If a 12 year old girl feels sexually attracted to another girl, in the current climate she might then assume she is really a boy and want to medicalise her body. However, if left alone, she could grow into a healthy woman without a damaged body.
Stonewall hates lesbians.

He is. By all accounts (from his wife so probably biased wink) he’s a thoroughly decent sort as well.

Its very nice to have impressions confirmed. How lovely a coincidence too. I've shared that piece many times and am grateful for how well he articulates the responsibility to Safeguard.

Well done for speaking up, @Harrystylesismyjam!

I don’t think that @R0wantrees scenario is a really good one, though. It makes a strong case for banning mobile phones in schools, but the easy counter argument is that girls could also film other girls in the changing rooms and post the video, nothing to do with transgender issues.

Its nothing to do with transgender issues. Its about male pattern behaviours including voyeurism.

For a Gold status:

Gender Diversity is celebrated & unnecessary gendered aspects of school life are removed

Isn't the above statement completely contradictory?

I suspect what it means by removing unnecessary 'gendered aspects' means things like single sex spaces and maybe even sports and so on.

Otherwise it is 'gender' all the way.......

Jeez!

I think one thing I would want to know is why is this a priority?

Who exactly is going to be impressed by them having this Stonewall award?

They already have one award. Why do they need the next level?

There are numerous other things parents would be concerned about: Autism awareness, SEN provision, safeguarding, bullying, protecting girls from the onslaught of misogynistic abuse and sexual assault in schools, how pupil premium money is spent, gifted and talented etc etc.

Do they really have every single one of these issues so totally nailed that they have time for the Stonewall thing?

That worst possible scenario happened, pretty much, in a school I know well.
The school was able to say that they had provided a third space for the child and that they had snuck into the girls toilets. They were caught by one of the girls at the school. I don’t know if it was the first time they had tried to film or not. I don’t think the recording was uploaded anywhere. I don’t really know what to do with the information I have, as it’s obviously confidential, but this absolutely does and did happen.

@BlowThatAnonymousWhistle

That worst possible scenario happened, pretty much, in a school I know well. The school was able to say that they had provided a third space for the child and that they had snuck into the girls toilets. They were caught by one of the girls at the school. I don’t know if it was the first time they had tried to film or not. I don’t think the recording was uploaded anywhere. I don’t really know what to do with the information I have, as it’s obviously confidential, but this absolutely does and did happen.

That's the problem isn't it Whistle? In a school, with vulnerable children at the centre of everything, naming and shaming is much more difficult. However, the incident must be dealt with as any other serious safeguarding incident. A safeguarding referral, including involving the police as filming girls on the toilet is a criminal offence. The child involved with clear sanctions, including a prompt exclusion followed by a risk assessment about what risks they pose to other children. The police must confiscate and search child's phones, computer etc for other illegal material, especially pictures of other students. It may well be concluded that the individual poses such a risk to girls in the school that exclusion or a managed move to a smaller unit with greater adult supervision is necessary. IF the individual returned to school it must be with a clear protocol about their access to toilets, changing rooms and phone use etc that ensures the safety of others.

If I thought that none of the above had happened I'd be contacting Ofsted about a serious safeguarding failure. And of course, the parents of the girls involved could go straight to the police.
Sorry about the length of this - but I've dealt with similar situations before and children with these behaviours pose major challenges to schools

The child was immediately permanently excluded, so I don’t think the school did anything wrong at all, but it annoys me to read all the “this never happens” nonsense. If it’s happened at a school I know well, how many more times has it happened?

That's good to know Whistle. (and makes my earlier post somewhat redundant )

@BlowThatAnonymousWhistle

That worst possible scenario happened, pretty much, in a school I know well. The school was able to say that they had provided a third space for the child and that they had snuck into the girls toilets. They were caught by one of the girls at the school. I don’t know if it was the first time they had tried to film or not. I don’t think the recording was uploaded anywhere. I don’t really know what to do with the information I have, as it’s obviously confidential, but this absolutely does and did happen.

It would be worthwhile ensuring Baroness Emma Nicholson and Safe Schools Alliance have details of this incident.

I did wonder about that - I have had a couple of emails drafted, but was unsure whether they would be interested in individual events, particularly when I’m so wary about giving specific details.

Just popping back to say @BlowThatAnonymousWhistle - I think I would still make them aware. After the result today with Ann Sinnott, I feel that any an every action needs to be taken to protect single sex spaces and the harm that gender ideology leads to.

N.B, this is NOT me saying that trans people are dangerous or harmful. This is me saying that if trans women are allowed in females spaces, how do we safeguard against males that ARE dangerous and harmful entering these spaces?

Also, @Harrystylesismyjam I hope you are able to have the courage to stand up to this - it would be amazing if you came back and updated when a decision is made.

I’ll put an email together over the weekend.

I do not think Schools and Colleges should be pushing any agenda related to this at all. Equality is one thing, respecting people whatever difference they have is absolutely important but I feel now the way some schools and Colleges act is to suggest that being heterosexual and having identifying as you were born is not now the normal way of behaviour. Recently I observed one institution with a drag type pride day, I have seem materials that really push this types of agenda - honestly students have lost valuable learning and teaching time - resources should in my view have been focusing upon their GCSE and A levels which they need for their career. I think that there is a not so hidden agenda which is not seeking equality but to demonise almost anyone who does not activity show they support this view..

@BlowThatAnonymousWhistle

I’ll put an email together over the weekend.

How does ofsted view the stonewall ‘badges’? Like any auditor they like being able to tick boxes and I wonder if stonewall is seen as a good thing.

You may find this from Legal Feminist OP.
Tied in with this (quite long but very comprehensive round up) is the campaign #Dontsubmittostonewall

FOI's have been submitted to multiple government organisations to get to the root of their involvement with Stonewall and I assume legal feminist is planning to make use of the results. I'll look for one or two more links.

legalfeminist.org.uk/2021/02/01/submission-and-compliance/

So there are about 787 FOI requests that can be found by searching the hashtag #DontSubmitToStonewall here.

www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/%23Dontsubmittostonewall/all

And if you are on Twitter you will find plenty more information by checking through the hashtag.

Your own school could be a subject of an FOI to disclose all the information related to their dealings with Stonewall if anyone decides they want to know more about this and how much money the school is spending on Stonewall initiatives.

twitter.com/msgivezerofox/status/1389465261351256071?s=21

Something I would question, is does this kind of behaviour from a school amount to an endorsement of Stonewall's position on various things?

So would it fall under the category of not being politically neutral?

So much information here, I’d really like to understand my position first but I think I could read about this forever and still not scratch the surface. Gut feeling, stonewall are the public face of equality and embracing everyone no matter size shape or sexuality, the known ‘brand’ if you will of LGBTQ+ and if you’re not visibly ‘with’ stonewall then you’re against them, so they dish out easy to achieve blue Peter badge type accolades to encourage membership, schools and the like love it as it’s an easy to recognise sign that they are inclusive and non judgmental . But, there is a murky undertone to everything they do, have they been infiltrated by radical trans folk or is this their natural position that just hasn’t been evident until recently?

I’m going to email the school within the next week. Or should I do it via the head of the governors?

I really hope that as and when this is pointed out to the school it will be taken on board, they’re a good school and I hope this comes from a place of ignorance and wanting to do better but missing the mark.