Plan to let children change gender at school a 'political disaster' - row has broken out within the Government

[IwantToRetire]

So many speculative articles about this which have become threads so thought I would add this one.

Do you think they are re-writing it each day as further revelations appear in news papers?

Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, is facing a backlash from Conservative MPs and figures in Downing Street and the Equalities Office over plans to allow pupils to choose their own pronouns if their parents give consent.

Mrs Keegan pledges to make the considerations of parents central to the proposals.
She said: “At its heart will be parents, ensuring their voices are central to decisions being made about their child in school.”

“Department for Education officials have attended too many Stonewall meetings and think social transition is acceptable. It isn’t. These are children dealing with serious changes and doctors should be involved. The guidance will reflect that.” Another source said it would be a “political disaster” if the guidance was not strengthened.

It is understood that the guidance will say that schools must consider the needs of other children in the school and must be convinced it is in the child’s best interest before affirming a new gender identity. It will also say that nobody should be compelled to use a pupil’s preferred pronouns if they don’t want to.

DfE is expected to meet with Downing Street officials next week to review the planned guidance.

Mark Lehain, head of education at the Centre for Policy Studies, said: “Confirming that parents must give permission for social transitioning in school would be a helpful clarification, as it most definitely should not happen without this.

“However, it’s essential that the guidance also makes it clear that schools should not do this if they do not feel it’s in the best interests of the child, or that other underlying issues need exploring first.”

It's another Telegraph article (just how many have they written?) which you can read in full at https://uk.style.yahoo.com/tory-backlash-children-set-gain-150444837.html

Yes, we don't support the Muslim parents up in Batley declaring war on the teacher and school where Charlie Hebdo cartoons were being discussed in Citizenship class.

Not where there's a conflict with British values, no.

Agree it’s authoritarian and being co opted by centre left, not just here either

And it will help teachers if the Family Court catches up and does its job more transparently, so that social workers start safeguarding again.

Tucked away in the Guardian law section:

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/jun/25/new-guidance-aims-to-restrict-use-of-unregulated-psychologists-as-expert-witnesses-in-court

Schools and those working in them, are part of society. And like it or not the trans narrative has taken hold in the UK, from being an advertising hook, to virtue signalling, online convertions as well as out right campaigning.

And what is happeing now is that a glimmer of this virtually universal capture and how it is being implemented in schools is coming to light.

Nobody had yet been able to explain how something as nonsensical as saying you can change sex just by adopting an identity has taken hold in what is meant to be an educated country.

But yes, teachers are on the front line of this because they put in place rules that reflect social values that some may agree with and some wont.

So like the arguement why in this day and age are children in many schools still required to wear gendered (ie sex stereotype) uniforms. Not forgetting that although many parents may happily accept it some wont.

What happens when a child starts to realise that they are gay or lesbian. Their school may be the only place that they can talk about this (not saying they wont be bullied).

So for those parents who have swallowed the trans narrative they probably expect schools to facilitate this - at least for their child.

Its not just that schools haven't been open about what they are doing but we still have a huge split in how the issue is reported.

Most news in the UK is still tribal, so there are those on the liberal left who only know what the Guardian and man of the people Billy Bragg tells them. So just the fact that many of these stories are from the Daily Telegraph means some people will not read, and in fact will assume that it is "fake" news or a reactionary response to children exploring their identities (look at the problem of trying to get people to understnad that in banning conversion therapies, which might protect those who are lesbian or gay, it could put those thinking about "identities" at risk.)

Does anyone know school policies on children who say they are lesbian or gay.

And as I said on another thread you have to wonder why the Telegraph is posting to many articles about this issue. I know its seen as a Tory mouth piece but wonder what they are hoping to achieve.

re articles behind a paywall always worth going to the web site https://archive.ph and pasting in the article link to see if it has been archived (share tokens run out unfortunatley).

So these articles have been archived:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/24/no-child-forced-affirm-cat-identity-school/
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-pupils-our-daughter-school-furries-transgender-treatment-c09lqffzb

But strangely I cant find online another article in the Sunday Telegraph:
Time to reject the extreme trans lobby harming our society - facts matter and the value of a view in not determined by the strength with which it is held by Liam Fox

Sorry there was another one in the Sunday Telegraph:

Our mission is to bring common sense, not cats, into the classroom
Gillian Keegan

Off topic (a bit)

Have started buying the Sunday Telegraph as the Sunday Times has had another price rise, and it was really to show support for their coverage on trans issues.

But apart from the fact that I do feel queasy buying the paper I am astonished at the amoung of actual news it has. Its quite intimidating seeing pages of news print ie actual reporting, and no silly glossy magazines or travel / home segments that just get thrown away. So cant understand why the Times is so expensive when most of what it publishes are ads for glossying holidays and new kitchens.

Which also makes me wonder, if none of us are prepare to subscribe to papers and use various methods to read articles we haven't paid for, where will be get news stories if the only ones still publishing are owned by liberal trusts. With the Telegraph due to be sold, it may mean one less outlet of public news are how trans ideology has become ingrained.

Absolutely awesome too the way they kept their cool in the face of abuse and anger from someone in authority.

Sadly I read somewhere that they have since experienced bullying and abuse at school, presumably by other kids following the example of the senior teacher. I hope they are ok.

Where did you read it? out of interest

Sad if so

Keegan is fully on board with TWAW. She can't even define "girl". She needs to go.

Sunak is aware of this. Why do you think he put her there instead of Kemi? Because he has zero interest in gender and wanted a rival for the leadership running off to the four corners of the globe on trade missions, not close to the action.

And no way does he put a devout Christian like Cates in this post.

As I'm starting to say more and more, on gender and everything else, the Tories are not our allies.

And Labour are?

Because realistically that’s going to be who’s in if / when Tories are out.

I’d look at Labour and Lib Dems a bit more if you’re GC

Somewhere on social media, so may not be reliable.

It would fit the pattern of previous incidents - but I do hope it's not true.

Given the institutional bullying, I also hope they haven't been suspended or expelled.

Wholeheartedly agree. Labour and LimpDumbs are lost to me. I'm just relating what lots of others do, that the Conservatives, even now, have to be dragged to this fight.

Ironic, one of the few areas where the Tory brand could delineate itself from the left, and Sunak is slow or reluctant to grab it.

Is that what we're left with as an option? Voting for a party because they're at least lukewarm on gender rather than totally lost as per Starmer, Davey. Knowing that a vote for them gives them a free pass if elected to again go slow on this, while happy to trash our national fabric?

I know it’s not good. I don’t think Labour will have answers in this climate anyway so I have lower expectations on that front. All I can do is try to push the little wedge of hope before the little island submerged completely under gender ID nonsense. Which may well happen after GE. So writing, thanking and positive reinforcement for the reality staters.

I don’t think it’s totally out that Cons will get some changes through. Kemi is working with Keegan and right now she’s a good bet.

Direct, knows her stuff and I reckon the guidelines are delayed due to the brilliant girls’ recording and subsequent Kemi Ofsted letter.

If gender ideology does keep going I expect more push back from girls, I doubt captured unions can try to stop that. Or maybe they will try under Labour.

You can’t silence young people though. The dinosaur claim doesn’t work.

I really hope that pp on bullying is just rumour and also not scare tactics for other girls who might want to speak out.

Sunny, in the crazy world of politics, in a crazier world, I could see Keegan scuppering Kemi's direction/help.

So that in the post-GE shelled out landscape when the Tories have slumped to 100 seats, she's the standard bearer for a TWAW direction for the party, alongside Penny Mordor, versus the GC wing of Kemi and Cates.

I believe I read a puff piece recently where Keegan put herself up as Thatcher 2.0...her undermining or muddying the waters here will get her brownie points from the TWAW wing of the party, that I suspect is bigger than we think.

Ha a bit like Truss tried. Not sure it’ll stick

Keegan makes me nervous, I don’t like her take on this much.

I’ll guess we’ll find out what the mash up is between the two and others involved in a couple of weeks

I hope there are more 13 and 14 year old girls ready to stand out

Kemi impresses me more and more everytime I see her. Not a one note shrill like Braverman, and lacking the evangelical Christian intensity that Cates has. The closest thing the Tories have to a spiritual successor to Thatcher. Which is why it's laughable that Keegan even suggests she is.

In a fight for policy supremacy between these two, I think the tiger has the edge of the fluff ball on paws.

has the edge on the fluff ball.
God damn typos!

The Liam Fox article I mentioned up thread is now online:

Time to reject the extreme trans lobby harming our society
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/26/time-to-reject-the-extreme-trans-lobby-harming-our-society/

And as with others can be read by going to https://archive.ph and pasting in the Telegraph URL above.