I'm in Scotland, I can't keep quiet any longer

[LadyNotGivingaF]

Just that really. I'm tired of the wronthink. I'm an immigrant woman from a
former communist country. The reeducation and denial of truth do not sit right with me.
I have a DC at a primary school in Scotland. It's astounding to me that parents know so little
of the transgender guidance for schools. After informal chats with other parents, they agree with me
but everyone is too polite/nice and no one wants to be "that parent", well I don't really understand this...this is our kids' education, we entrust our kids in the hands of these people.

So little do they know about blockers, surgeries, and what that entails.

If they call me names, so what? My great-grandad was sent to the Gulag, my grandparents and parents refused to toe the party line and faced the consequences.

I will ask the head to meet after school break. No emails, no possibility
of bureaucratic speak, no escaping this issue, I want her to look me in the eye and tell me what she thinks of this.

Good luck. Please keep us updated with what the HT says (I suspect that she will read the room and blame government policy).

Good luck! I too am in Scotland and have DC in Primary. It’s important to find out what’s going on; there can sometimes be reassuring glimmers of hope.

I go along to the Parent Council (virtually on Zoom at the moment). The boys’ toilets have just been refurbished. The headteacher told us that the council decided to go for cubicles (I’m guessing there were some urinals in there before). She said “The council did this just in case there are any plans to make these toilets … [almost imperceptible pause] … mixed sex in the future. I don’t think there’s any chance that will happen any time soon”.

And in that moment I knew this was a woman to be trusted.

A suggestion LadyNotGivingaF. Go into the meeting with a skeleton outline of possible points of discussion. Some examples:
Do they see a distinction between sex and gender?
Stonewall's broad definition of trans lumping together transsexuals intending to undergo gender reassignment surgery with crossdressers.
Do they think a 10 year old child can consent to puberty blockers, bearing in mind this will almost inevitably mean cross-sex hormones leading sterility and probable zero sexual function?

If they try to avoid heresy by denying negative outcomes of puberty blockers you can tell them they're behind the times, this is the latest thinking from one of the leading trans health practitioners:

bariweiss.substack.com/p/top-trans-doctors-blow-the-whistle

Ask to see their teaching materials and consult Safe School Alliance website before you go, so you know how reputable or not some of the groups providing material are.

Solidarity @LadyNotGivingaF, I'm in a similar position and getting a little braver day by day. My industry and union are captured though. It's weirdly terrifying speaking out loud my thoughts, but I could weep with relief whenever I discover a like-minded person at work. The trans activist mob have silenced thousands and thousands of otherwise confident people. Good luck!

I'm currently listening to the Nolan Report, have read Helen Joyce's book, Trans, listened to a couple of episodes from a Wider Lens on Spotify, have read Angus Fox's articles on Quilette, I follow a couple of detransitioners' on Twitter, I'm aware of Sonia Appleby's case against the Tavi, etc.
I will go in prepared, I have read that Sweden moved away from affirmative care.
I would even consider legal action.

I'm an immigrant woman from a former communist country

Do you find that background helps to sniff out the bureaucratic bullshit?

I’m in Scotland. I have young children and I’m in the process of trying to move. This shite is 100% a factor in my decision.

Good for you, I applaud your bravery. Stick to facts, they will always trump ideology.

@Sexnotgender

I’m in Scotland. I have young children and I’m in the process of trying to move. This shite is 100% a factor in my decision.

Completely understandable, this is also Plan B for us. We have family in the North of England from my husband's side.

I'm in Scotland too - good luck @LadyNotGivingaF. Sounds like you are well prepared.

Thank you @LadyNotGivingaF. The more of us that speak out against this utter bullshit the better

So little do they know about blockers, surgeries, and what that entails.

If people knew what they were supporting, I wouldn't understand, but at least I could be confident that they have made some form of risk benefit assessment for individuals and society as a whole. If they are still willing to embrace the consequences of their social and political support for such interventions then I'd work hard to see why this was true for them.

If they call me names, so what? My great-grandad was sent to the Gulag, my grandparents and parents refused to toe the party line and faced the consequences.

Konstantin Kisin of Triggernometry has made some comments that are grounded in a similar family history as to why he is so fundamentally opposed to being deceived by government or gaslighted by unaccountable bodies.

@zanahoria

I'm an immigrant woman from a former communist country

Do you find that background helps to sniff out the bureaucratic bullshit?

In a way. It's what the communists did, don't believe your eyes we're not starving or freezing to death, it's all in your head, our country is flourishing and you're a western sympathizer and a terrorist. My parents have always told me to trust my instincts. A healthy mistrust of authority has always been encouraged in our household.

Good for you, let us know how you get on. I'm in Scotland too so I'm pretty worried. Mine are both at high school now, been checking out school's policies etc and so far nothing that looks too concerning but maybe I just don't know what's going behind the scenes.

I see myself in Stella O'Malley's story as a kid, very gender non conforming, short hair until my late teens, hated anything girly because the boys had all the fun, binding my breasts with surgical tape because I hated the male attention (It did not help that girls with breasts were being chased around the classroom and called Pamela - Anderson). I don't believe teenage boys have changed much, why are adults ok with forcing them on girls?

Explain everything you’ve said in this post and you’ll be more than just ‘that parent’. You’ve got experience and you can see the parallels. Good luck. 🙏

We're in Scotland too, though my children are home educated already for other reasons, if they weren't I would be considering it now. I don't want my sons to be told they are or might be less male if they don't conform to male gender stereotypes.

Affirming self ID for kids without parental knowledge or consent, and presumably without professional support as if social transitioning is nothing. The people proposing this presumably have bought into the idea that trans kids are particularly vulnerable and potentially suicidal, but they are just going to socially transition them with no support from home or mental health services?

Who is going to look after these kids' welfare? The teachers trying to to remember which pronouns their gender fluid students are using on Tuesdays?

Also, what is a trans kid? What is the difference between a trans boy and a gender non-conforming girl? Was I a trans kid because I fell under the category of extreme gender non-conformity? If not, why not? Only because I grew up outwardly content with the idea of being a woman (I still have body dysmorphia but because I'm not vocal about it no one can tell)?
Why are adults ok with taking away children's future possibility of changing their minds? Why is kindness considered lying to them and affirming only? Don't we as adults expect honesty as well from our closest relationships? Why not with our children?
Where does the idea "girl brain in boy body" come from? Why do we separate the brain from the body when the brain is part of the body. Why do we need medication, lifelong hormones to alter the body? Where does body positivity come into this? Why born in the wrong body when we're supposed to love and accept our amazing bodies for what they are.

Good luck, OP. Please do report back.

Right with you, OP. Appalling stuff going on in Scotland. Luckily, the women of Scotland are rising up and challenging it. ForWomen Scotland are great, as are Murray Blackburn Mackenzie and Women Speak Scotland. We won't let this pass.

Wow OP you are brave! Good for you - following in support and with interest

@MidsomerMurmurs

Good luck! I too am in Scotland and have DC in Primary. It’s important to find out what’s going on; there can sometimes be reassuring glimmers of hope.

I go along to the Parent Council (virtually on Zoom at the moment). The boys’ toilets have just been refurbished. The headteacher told us that the council decided to go for cubicles (I’m guessing there were some urinals in there before). She said “The council did this just in case there are any plans to make these toilets … [almost imperceptible pause] … mixed sex in the future. I don’t think there’s any chance that will happen any time soon”.

And in that moment I knew this was a woman to be trusted.

Hey @MidsomerMurmurs slightly off topic but please explain your "Parent Council" to me? How does it work? Who's in it/runs it?

I'm standing for Parent Governor at my Son's secondary school, he's in Y8. I changed the school single handedly about their Stonewall membership and felt so alone. I didn't know how to raise it or bring in other parents as there doesn't seem to be any parent groups as such, only the Facebook year groups and that didn't feel like the right place.

If I get elected I'm going to set something up. But not sure what or how! Thanks.

Well done OP and all the women in Scotland taking this on. There's a massive army of women standing with you getting increasingly loud and more powerful every day.