HMC (Independent Schools Heads Conference)- Showcasing Bobbi Pickard in “Gift of Trans” Talk

[rogdmum]

Just in case anyone was under the incorrect impression that the independent school sector isn’t just as captured as the state sector, here’s one of the main independent bodies running what appears to be a trans themed conference this week, showcasing Bobbi Pickard:

https://twitter.com/honordelagardie/status/1652580061046878211?s=61&t=8CxL28ZCFDq66yuIWhY6_Q

Completely inappropriate.

Hopefully the useful idiots running the conference will get sight of this case where finally a group of courageous parents are suing the government for failing to ensure that schools follow the law and transitioning their children in secret:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12029321/Parents-trans-pupils-plan-sue-government.html

Unlikely. The current Chair, Melvyn Roffe, is a big LGBT Youth Scotland supporter and under his watch, Watson’s ensured their LGBT club were able to attend an LGBT Youth Scotland TEACHER training session at the school where teachers were told to switch back to legal name/sex based pronouns during parent teacher conferences where the parent was unaware:

https://forwomen.scot/13/12/2020/george-watsons-college-staff-transgender-training/

Unlikely to have an impact, that should say!

Bobbi Pickard's twitter, particularly where Bobbi celebrates the silencing of women at Bristol university would suggest that Bobbi is not an appropriate role model for children living in a democratic society - but would go down very well in an oppressive anti women regime. Surprising to see an Independent Schools organisation enabling a speaker with such views 🙄

https://twitter.com/BobbityP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Looking at the agenda I'd be worried it's a 1-2 punch scenario. 1) Pickford softens 'em up 2) Dan Squires KC knocks 'em down. It depends how much of an activist he might be. Hopefully, he's neutral.

He seems very well respected (by his chambers) and was involved in this case. I read the judgment, then went to the Legal Feminist's analysis

https://www.legalfeminist.org.uk/2021/05/10/aea-v-ehrc-an-explanation/

I'm ashamed to say I have such a low tolerance for legalese that even this taxed me. Make of it, and him, what you will.

I would suggest anyone with children in these schools, or planning to enrol, to contact the Head, the Governers (or equivalent) with their concerns, put it on their twitter, alert other parent and, perhaps, start a new thread on another appropriate Mumsnet board, although that might just get moved to the naughty corner.

Would that be the LGBT Youth Scotland that should be nowhere near schools?

What an astonishing amount of time devoted to less that 0.2% of the population.

This conference should be focusing on the real issues children face. Here are a few ideas off the top of my head.

1. The problems of of using social media and the impact on mental health and wellbeing
2. Many children have experience grief and how can schools help children through this.
3. Disabled people are utterly ignored in Diversity and Inclusion lessons. Why don’t the heads figure out ways to bring in people with disabilities into schools to bust some myths around living and working with a disability.

I’m really sick of the amount of time energy and money thrown at Trans ideology in schools. There are so many more important issues that are being ignored.

Grift more appropriate than gift.

That's a good list tinkerella1.
Worth noting that children with mental health problems and bereaved children are significantly over represented amongst children believing they're in the wrong body. How can an education organisation allow an activist like this to inform education policy for children? Really grim.

Telegraph has picked it up:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/04/mermaids-trans-advice-private-school-headteachers-uk/

And it’s archived in the usual place.

”Headteachers of prestigious private schools have been given advice on how to support pupils with gender dysphoria from a trans activist and former trustee of Mermaids.
The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, which is a leading body of headteachers of elite UK private schools, held a closed event for its spring conference including a speech from Bobbi Pickard, chief executive of Trans in the City and a former trustee of trans charity Mermaids, titled “The Gift of Trans”.

“A group of parents of trans-identifying children, many of whom attend HMC private schools, have now raised concerns over the talk by Bobbi Pickard, which they say will present a “simplistic and glamorised perspective” instead of “offering school leaders an understanding of the complexity and vulnerability of their trans-identified students”.
The letter, from parents of the Bayswater Support Group, representing 600 families of trans-identifying children, goes on to state that a “significant number” of their members have children at HMC schools and that they are “wary of medical solutions to gender dysphoria”.

The one currently under police investigation after allegations of abuse and impropriety from its staff? That one?

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/minister-accused-heartbreaking-betrayal-sex-28948168

600 families of which a "significant number" are at HMC schools 😲

600. I can't get my head round it. These are just the numbers known, who've found Bayswater for help.

Covered at the end of this article:

Sex lesson provider urges children to become ‘activists’

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/26be6c2e-eab0-11ed-8b19-8262c49fff39?shareToken=c9eb1fd982a13d4826e0b4082abee468

"Head teachers of prestigious schools held a conference to discuss trans children in schools and their legal obligations, as part of a wider discussion on diversity.

HMC, whose 250 members include Eton, Harrow and Roedean, were addressed by Bobbi Pickard, chief executive of Trans in the City. She told them about the “gifts that trans people bring to society” and told schools how they could “celebrate trans diversity without prejudice or fear” to make schools places where everyone can flourish.

She urged heads to be more supportive, denied that children were being pressured into taking puberty-blocking drugs and said that in the tiny minority of cases when children were given drugs, it gave them space and time to think. Pickard, a trans woman, said she had experienced menopause, misogyny, mansplaining and harassment.

Heads were also given advice by a leading barrister, Dan Squires KC, about the legal framework governing trans children in schools, whether schools were legally required to treat children as the gender in which they identified and the law around the exclusion and admissions of trans children from single-sex schools."

This from another independent school this week. The use of the enticing language, joy and euphoria, is particularly questionable, especially when being used in front of young, impressionable kids who are going through puberty which is a notoriously tough time. Who wouldn't be tempted to identify as something else when you're sold it like this. Disgraceful.

Pickard, a trans woman, said she had experienced menopause, misogyny, mansplaining and harassment.
I don't think that's physically possible, so either deliberately doesn't tell the truth or is delusional.