School LGBTQ+ staff survey

[BlackAlys]

The secondary school I work in has had a huge drive towards LGBTQ+ matters for about 2 years now. We have rainbows and flags everywhere, our PSE lessons are heavily weighed towards trans issues and now, a staff survey has arrived asking us how comfortable we are with challenging homophobic and transphobic behaviour.

It also asks whether we understand what deadnaming is and whether we feel confident to address the issue with pupils, would we quietly deal with it or would we report pupils officially on the school system.

Its final 2 questions are about our awareness of the term cisgender and assesses our confidence to discuss these terms with pupils.

I'm really unhappy with the heavy emphasis on this whole issue. I'd have no problem tackling homophobic/transphobic behaviour but I see cis and cisgender as offensive, made up terms that are slowly being shoe-horned into normality. There isn't a space to comment neither so my only option is to not fill it in.

I am anticipating the large (and growing) group of LGBTQ+pupils to want more PSE lessons on trans issues. Id like to be able to say my piece succinctly and to the point but I'm lost for words.

What would a woman whose gender "matches" female actually look, feel and behave like to meet that definition, in your view?

What characteristics are female?

Please be specific.

Exactly. GC people largely believe that a woman is a female, with any personality/ appearance/ level of femininity.

Trans ideology says that a woman is a certain type of appearance/ personality etc (not sure exactly what, as they refuse to specify) of any sex.

I find the latter far more restrictive and gatekeeping than the former.

This, yes.

Hi OP, I'm sure you know this; the interim Cass review, and now the new NHS Guidance, has made it clear the social transitioning is not a 'neutral act', and that it can be actively harmful.

Single Sex spaces are allowed under the Equality Act. Apparently Sunak is tightening this up.

The recent Mermaids scandal and the Tavistock being closed down; both show the safeguarding issues for children.

All of the above should make it easier to raise these issues with SMT, and for them to actually listen to you.

I agree that many other discriminated against groups are being neglected, with the focus being so much on T, and I think this would also be a good point to raise.