Telegraph - Scottish school transitions child behind parent back

[polyglotter]

And lies to parents.

You may know this story, or bits of it from Twitter and here. But now it’s in the Telegraph.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/01/scotland-private-school-george-watson-college-trans-row/

Archive version here. https://archive.ph/QB0M9

This is brilliant, and all kudos to the Edinburgh mum who fought so hard.
while we’re at it here’s another disturbing telegraph piece, East Lothian in Scotland, next to Edinburgh this time.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/19/my-daughter-was-radicalised-by-scottish-lgbt-club-in-school/ link helps!

Archive of the second article. https://archive.ph/nO5r7

Thanks for sharing OP. Placemarking to come back to this.

Am sending the 2nd to my local MPs, State and Federal (Aus). Scary stuff.
Thanks for sharing @Anothe

It would be outrageous of any school but I find it incredible that a private school should go against the parent's wishes in the way and worse, bring in social services.
I hope the parents sued.
I'd have removed my child and encouraged other parents to do likewise.

This is definitely happening in my DC school - in fact there are 2 LGTB ETCclubs and welcome videos online - scary stuff

That’s me. (Obviously to many Mumsnetters, I would imagine 😁)

I found it interesting that Watson’s say they have let their LGBT Youth Scotland charter award lapse. They were SO proud of it. Even cited it in their submission to the Registrar of Independent Schools during his investigation.

They used to use it as a selling point on their website (along with their “jewel in our rainbow crown” LGBT club):

<a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/2020.12.13-195331/www.gwc.org.uk/join-us/why-watsons/whats-it-like-to-be-lgbt-at-watsons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://archive.ph/2020.12.13-195331/www.gwc.org.uk/join-us/why-watsons/whats-it-like-to-be-lgbt-at-watsons/

How odd that they’ve dumped it.

How very strange...!

You've been fighting a long fight @rogdmum, there are no words to express how immensely in awe I am of you.

I read your Twitter threads in disbelief

Unfortunately for the school, I have many many years left in me to talk about what they did.

I’m determined to get it fully documented so that we don’t lose sight of what parents were put through as inevitably schools will eventually row back from this and try to sweep it all under the carpet.

This story was in the Guardian too recently or am I imagining that?

I didn't realise that was you, absolutely second WarriorN's comment.

(Obvious indeed 😁 I was hoping that you would spot the thread)

What the school put you through is hideous. I'm still floored by how they undermined both the psychologist's recommendations and you as parents.
To anyone reading this, it's a safeguarding fail, a terrible injustice and a dangerous situation for your child to be in 💔

Thank you for continuing to speak out on this. It's incredible that you're doing so 💪❤️

Re England: whilst politicians in Westminster are waking up to the medical scandal, following the Cass Report, we're not yet truly seeing the dots being joined up regarding the role of schools. The Gender Questioning Children draft guidance allows for "exceptional cases" - a good example of where a child may slip in to this category is that even if a psychologist recommends a watchful waiting approach, if anyone (in a professional capacity) within the wider EHCP or safeguarding network that supports that child recommends a different approach, there is a risk that they will become an exceptional case. The arbiter on that decision is the school senior leadership. If the guidance remains non-statutory, schools have no obligation to involve parents in their decision.

In Scotland: Cass is largely being ignored (Wings over Scotland suggested this will remain the case this morning on X), so joined up thinking with schools is even further away.

Your story highlights that parents who advocate for their child's mental and physical health, following the decision by a school, can be inexplicably framed as "dangerous". Once that label is in place, parents' ability to protect their child diminishes even further 💔

This quote from LGBT Youth Scotland says a lot:

He added: “When it comes to advising on supporting trans pupils in schools we always refer to Scottish government guidance.”

... when you couple it with this (my bold):

[Jenny Gilruth] said last week that she was looking at implications of the Cass review into Scottish government’s guidance for schools, which LGBTYS helped write.

This sounds remarkably like how Stonewall reacted in legal cases that failed because organisations had not followed the law correctly, when companies had followed Stonewall's recommendations on implementing policies related to the Equality Act: we're not lawyers.

Lauren Stoner from Mermaids was recently on Sky News saying that Mermaids weren't medical experts. This, despite Susie Green actively making referrals to GIDS and questioning them (GIDS) as to why she shouldn't be seen as a professional in this capacity.

The hypocrisy would be funny if the implications weren't so serious and awful.

Organisations that behave in this way have no place in advising any government, organisation, family or child.

This is awful @rogdmum and I'm glad you are still fighting it. I'd started a thread about LGBT Youth Scotland as I was worried at how many schools had signed up to them in Scotland, funded by the government. Particularly after the child abuse scandal involving one of their leaders and how they were influencing school policy.

I'd hoped that now the Cass review has come out the Scot government would accept the findings and be more cautious but it appears they are just ignoring it. I'm so angry and worried about my own DC, starting primary this August with asn.

I do feel like Cass has had an impact even if our government are merrily trying to ignore it. All my friends IRL I've spoken to are horrified.

They brought in a drag act using the name Auntie Climax?!

If I turned up at a school calling myself that and dressed like an Ann Summers reject I'd be arrested.

Man it's annoying to be angry before I even get up.

Thank god some affected parents have brought the fight to schools @rogdmum 👏

Gosh I've seen your posts before but didn't realise many of the details. Absolutely shocking. I do hope you had support from other parents shocked at the school's behaviour? Although I can understand if constraints around protecting your child's privacy limited your ability to speak to other parents about what was going on.

@rogdmum you are a warrior.

Another good article in the Telegraph. - A shame that the Guardian and BBC don't cover this stuff as it enables all the "fake news" "never happens" posters who descend on here to rubbish so many threads.

@rogdmum I've such a lot of admiration for you

@rogdmum th@nk you so much for fighting. How’s your daughter now?

Thank you @rogdmum. The more sunlight the better.

There is going to be a huge scandal. We had similar - although with only a tiny proportion of the shite that @rogdmum had. But a private school transitioned DD behind our backs and it took me a lot of reports and persuasion to get them to reverse it. I will be asking for an apology and a review when my daughter (ND, incidentally) has left.

Indeed the circular nature is exactly what the Dentons report recommended with their getting people in place to influence and then implement policy to roll out to other groups and vice versa. And WPATH does the same.

Thank you @rogdmum for not letting this go. I'd heard rumbles about George Watsons and seen your threads but not put two and two together. Glad they've realised at last that LGBTYS are not the word of God. I hope your DD is doing well.

It's so circular. LGBTYS appeal to the government and the government appeals to them. It's like "international best practice" that everyone defers to - well who decided it's good practice in the first place, and why?