Gillian Keegan: guidance does not need to legally “define what a girl is”.

[TheNoWord]

Interview in Sunday Times tomorrow

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e4e7f968-8eb2-11ed-a303-61858d68dcd6?shareToken=98e0e41c946c1aeea295dc21965f41e6

“Keegan supports the idea of “safe spaces” for biological women but says the guidance does not need to legally “define what a girl is”. Rather it should set out how individuals can be supported.”

“I’m very clear what a woman is . . . and that includes me . . . but it doesn’t include anybody that has a penis,” she says. “But I think the most important thing that we need to do is to make sure that we sensitively support children and families and that we accommodate them in the best way we can.”

“sensitively support” and “accommodate” sounds an awful lot like the guidance is going to push affirming.

She also said the purpose of guidance was to have have a conversation:

Education Secretary: trans guidance for schools is "meant to try and have that conversation" www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4702625-education-secretary-trans-guidance-for-schools-is-meant-to-try-and-have-that-conversation

In that Times article, it sounds like she's moved a bit. But not much.

There will have to be some moving of Ministers when Michelle Donelan goes on maternity leave at some point next year. There is yet hope that Kemi could be shuffled in to education...

Well she’s entirely wrong on that! If terms aren’t properly legally defined then we end up with the shit show we’re currently on atm

Keegan is ambitious and will do and say what she feels is advantageous to her career. She’ll sit on the fence and see which way the wind is blowing.

Was quite amusing when her Twitter was hacked recently though.

She's TWAW. Dept of Education have suggested a good old British fudge that seem to work so well like real girls waiting for transgirls to change, before they get ready for PE.

At least the Tories know what a woman is: a member of the biological sex that has to roll over and give way to men and their doings.

Bastards.

If she's TWAW why does she say "but it doesn’t include anybody that has a penis,”?

Its called a lie @caterpillar1485. This Tory government do it a lot

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.spiked-online.com/2022/12/14/meet-the-secretary-of-state-for-trans-indoctrination/amp/

We are not impressed with this at all guidance needs to take a safeguarding approach. That concept does not appear to be a priority for the education Secretary. SSA comment here:

twitter.com/safeschools_uk/status/1611804405829079041?s=46&t=NwDfCnq0j9Nx3y1Cmf6w8g

And a review of her appearance before the select committee last month.

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2022/12/22/is-education-secretary-gillian-keegan-frightened-to-have-an-opinion/

James Esses is right. Her appearance at that sub committee was embarrassing - she'd evidently not got a clue and what was worse was that she doesn't care. At one stage it looked as if the tories were waking up to the chaos that's been inflicted on children by the trans lobby. Not so sure now.

The 'be kind' guidance has been manipulated.

Males with penises thinks it means they can access female spaces.

Up until a few years ago, there was still a bit of respect for woman. That has gone now. So we can no longer rely on common decency.

I have seen a TW on twitter today claiming that they will use the communal female changing room the next time they go swimming (they have also made it clear that there are cubicles available).

When questioned if he would respect woman who objected he said 'No'.

I don't give a monkey's what the average trans on the street says.

The sitting Minister for Education? That's dangerous for girls and women.

I think the problem here is the Civil Service. When departments get a new minister a briefing is put together of all the main points and lines to take. The Civil Service is completely captured and pushes gender ideology at all times. A new staff network has been set up to support those who believe that sex matters, and the daily vitriol and complaints they are getting that the network is allowed to exist is frightening.

We know you hate the Tories TooBig, but I'm not convinced somehow that bringing it up on every thread is necessary, given the Labour position on this issue? As it is, we will likely get your wish in less than 2 years time and will likely have Labour government suggesting full self-ID a la Scotland, what will you be writing then?

Going back to the subject of the thread I agree with @Tallisker that the main problem is the captured Civil Service (for the lurkers we're both current Civil Servants, so speaking from experience), along with captured teachers' unions and educational academia.

@TooBigForMyBoots I read that as "men and their dongs.."

In this instance TooBig is right to bring up her ineptitude. We had a short period when it seemed that some senior politicians did understand the issues about Cass and social contagion in schools. And yes, it's correct that the civil service is completely in the pockets of the dodgy trans lobby - especially in its desire to transition children. BUT it's right to hold Keegan to account for putting the safeguarding of children at the centre of everything she does - not the adults desperate to trample over the wellbeing and safeguarding of children.

Happy to agree with holding her to account, but at least SOME of the Tories are aware of the issue and have the courage to say something against the gender ideology that have captured our institutions.

Apart from the relentlessly attacked Rosie Duffield I can't think of anyone else on the other side who has listened to their constituents's concerns on this subject.

So I guess my point is it doesn't really make sense to attack ALL Tories for this likely shitshow of a guidance when the alternative is dire.

I'm gonna go "both sides".

The civil servants will be dragging things out, hoping for a Labour government, hoping that if the consultation is timed right, they can kick the can down the road until it clashes with the GE, and is consigned to the dustbin of history.

But Keegan cannot not know. She and her SPADs should be all over this like a rash. They should be pressuring the civil servants to pull their finger out. Instead we're getting these woeful performances from her, sprinkled with confused fence-sitting.

Both sides are to blame.

This is a thread about the Tory minister for education, of course I'm going to talk about her and her lies.

I'm not a Labour supporter. The way the Tories are going, we won't have any rights left for whoever comes next.

Agreed LK1972. I still find it hard to believe that we're looking at this tory government to protect children and women's rights because labour are so captured by this toxic lobby. But here we are - so many of us politically homeless and watching the social contagion of thousands of children now believing they're born in the wrong body.

I find it ridiculous that anyone still thinks this government will protect women and children when they are responsible for it. The appointment of Gillian Keegan to Minister of Health, along with other appointments and statements shows that they have no intention of fixing the damage they've done.

Anyone who supports them on the basis of at least the Tories know what a woman is is believing a lie.

Having properly read the article I feel that GK has a massive fight on her hands with the unions planning to go on strikes and deprive children of even more education, as if the COVID school closures haven't done enough damage to their attainment and mental health, so does not feel she can go completely against them on this issue at this moment in time.

And I understand where the unions are coming from too - it's crap for everyone to have pathetic wage rises in rampant inflation environment, my Civil Service department got 2%, not even the 5% offered to the teachers!

Perhaps what we'll get is a fudge, perhaps this fudge will be satisfactory enough to all sides, perhaps not, we will see when it comes out. I don't think GK is necessarily in a position to be able to legally define 'what is a girl', it's just not in her remit.

The Tories have bigger issues right now, sadly, what with half a public sector on strike and the other half threatening to go on one.

It will be worse under Labour though, as they are ideologically captured on this issue, unlike the Tories.

I don't think GK is necessarily in a position to be able to legally define 'what is a girl', it's just not in her remit.

I think the same. But the EHRC has issued guidance quite some time ago, and this has continually been kicked into the long grass. In the meantime, we've seen an explosion in trans-identifying girls, and some schools forcing "gender neutral" toilets on children.

Safeguarding is in her remit. This can and should get sorted.

Perhaps what we'll get is a fudge, perhaps this fudge will be satisfactory enough to all sides, perhaps not, we will see when it comes out.

There is no fudge that can be "satisfactory enough to all sides". If there is any vagueness the zealots will continue to push their nonsense onto children.

I think a fudge is what we will get though.

The guidance being referred to (trans guidance for schools that the government have been promising since 2017?) must be legally compliant with statutory guidance (safeguarding, curriculum, health & safety, criminal law etc) Along with being in line with anti bullying, sexual harassment etc guidelines).
It's not in Keegan's power to undermine all that but as she's evidently not on top of her brief and with the civil service happy to abandon anything if the trans lobby demand it (see their undermining of the DBS system), it's quite possible that she'll not give a stuff about safeguarding children, education & criminal law if trans groups demand she's in "be kind to us and give us what we want" mode.