Nadhim Zahawi in the Times today

[mcduffy]

Wasn't sure about how positive this interview, he's putting a fair bit of work on teachers to allow separate access to changing rooms and toilets but at least he recognises the safeguarding aspects and can define a woman. Also isn't it the case that gender reassignment can't be official until someone is an adult?

Nadhim Zahawi: ‘Trans pupils should wear uniform they want — but sport is different’

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2748f9a6-d2f7-11ec-84ba-2054de44b21e?shareToken=adb4b55cec72f43ee0ee47b55e80ed17

At least it seems he is listening to variety of opinions and making his own mind up.

I know that is what elected officials should do but rare these days.

I do like Zahawi.

That was my first thought as well. It’s infuriating.

I read the article overall as a puff piece to tell the nation that he is a safe pair of hands.

With regard to trans issues, he’s trying to be reassuring to an audience who for the most part don’t want to think about them too deeply. Nothing to see here, we’ll protect sport and pupils can choose their own uniform.

It’s OK as a start but it’s not safeguarding.

Apart from the obvious, girls having to wait till the boy has changed, it seems pretty sensible. I can see now that it ties up with trans not being included in the conversion therapy bill. It makes sense to ensure the child has had proper talking therapy, with a proper therapist, before decision are made about transing them.

A potential solution, he says, is to allow them to change in the girls’ changing room before others do so. He proposes the same solution for lavatories, suggesting teachers could ensure they are empty before allowing in trans pupils. “The teacher can allow a trans person to use the toilets but not put at risk the safeguarding,” he says.

How does he think this is going to work? Either girls are going to be prevented from using their own toilets when they need them because the trans child is in there, or the trans child has to wait until all the girls have left, perhaps when the break has ended, and then use the toilet during lesson time (with a teacher having to supervise to check that the girls have all left).

I guess he is saying potential solution. And at least acknowledging that girls matter.

A solution this inconvenient to schools may discourage a bit of the 'transing without parental knowledge', too.

Promising, at least.

I thought it was a reasonable article. He's recognising that guidelines are needed and is striking an initial balance between things that are low stakes - like uniform and other matters which are more important like changing facilities and sports.
I got the undercurrent of taking some autonomy away from schools about how they individually decide on these issues.

The whole 'trans children' (and no I don't agree either) 'use the opposite sex changing rooms but at a different time to the children of that sex' is ridiculous.

a) there is no reason whatsoever for male children to use the female changing room; there is no equipment or set up in there that they need access to. They do not need to be in that space.

b) female children should not be waiting around for male children to finish making their use of the female space for female children before female children are permitted to use it, wtaf is that insanity about?

c) if we're agreeing that it is not appropriate for mixed sex spaces and being sensitive to some children not wishing to undress around children of their own sex due to dysphoria/identity then there's the requirement for a third space.