Bit miffed by school...

[CactusMactus]

Received this email from school at 4pm yesterday:

"Dear Parents/Guardians,
We want to inform you that we will be hosting a guest speaker tomorrow to talk about building empathy for others and the importance of being yourself. This speaker is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and will share their experiences to help foster understanding and respect among our pupils.

Please note that this session is not a compulsory part of the national curriculum. If you prefer to withdraw your child from this 30-minute session, kindly let us know by the end of today, and we will make the necessary arrangements.
Thank you for your support."

So I emailed the school asking for a bit more information, I am totally cool with them learning about LGBTQ+ rights, experience and empathy for others... but there is zero information about who this person is and what their agenda is.

Full disclosure I am gender critical. And would object to my daughter being told she could be a man.

The school has not replied to me. So I am past the point of being able to choose whether my 8 year old listens to this talk or not!

Why would the school not share this information earlier? Surely this "person from the LGBTQ+ community" has had to be DBS checked prior to yesterday afternoon? Surely the school knows what the talk is about?

Any advice?

Your empathy shines from you @Heucherarowan 👍

No is a complete sentence.

Never be pressured to explain your decision

When I was a kid I knew my mum and dad and entire extended family of grandparents and uncles aunts would always back me up and my Mum and Dad used to emphasise if ever I felt uncomfortable about anything at school I told them and I would have their support. I can still hear my mum standing her ground over things with the line ' I'm her mother and that's my right as a parent ". Was incredibly reassuring as a child to know my parents had my back . I wasn't spoilt as if I was out of line or rude or misbehaved I would get mums other line ' because I said so and as a mother I have power. But kids need parents to parent and be that parent at the school if necessary

i can’t believe someone is ad hom-ing and trying to shame OP for wanting to protect their child from possible unqualified people with unknown agendas wanting to discuss sexuality with them.

Men who want to access children should not be provided access to children.

Schools are for learning, not facilitating the wishes of men.

The issue is that the only info on this person and the possible nature and content of the talk is that they're LGBTQ+ .
I would need more info so I knew whether they were a gay man, a gay woman, a bisexual woman, a person who's trans etc etc.
The school sending this email with limited info, with only a school day for parents to get in touch about it, at the end of term, sounds very much to me like they were trying to sneak it in.
OP, I get that the phone makes you nervous, but this is one of those times when you could really do with girding your loins and doing it.

Well, that would be great if the talker was a sensible lesbian or gay man. But if it’s someone who wants to talk a lot of nonsense about gender identity & tell the kids about the Barbie - GI Joe spectrum, that could be actively harmful to impressionable kids who don’t conform to the gender stereotypes associated with their sexes. And the OP has no way of knowing which it’s going to be.

Agreed. But this isn't what this is.

Withdraw. 8 year olds have no need to be told to 'be kind'. My ASD child has been sucked into all the trans nonsense and if I had my time again I would have withdrawn them from every RSHE lesson, assembly. talk about all this nonsense. I am so angry at how our children are being lied to and taken down paths they don't understand.

And sending an email at 4pm the day before? Disgraceful.

You had the chance to withdraw your child and you have. End of surely?

I think that whatever the issue is, an email from the school at 4pm saying that parents need to let them know by the end of the day isn't enough notice. Not everyone will see that email.

That's not an LGBT specific point, just a general communication one.

As a gc woman I would let her attend. As a pp said, it could be a perfectly sensible lesbian. She is going to be exposed to lots of different opinions, lifestyles and bonkersness through her life so let the man with blue hair and a dress talk to her, and teach her yourself that her rights as an actual human female are just as important and hard fought for as his.

It could also be Peter Tatchell.

There’s no knowing who they are or what agenda they are following with the scant information provided.

Also, how much better and safer would the world be if we went back to LGB and dropped all the XYZs. A message from school just saying someone from the LGB community is coming to chat would be much more sensible.

You only need a DBS if you are left alone with children.

Surely this "person from the LGBTQ+ community" has had to be DBS checked prior to yesterday afternoon?

No, visitors do not need to be DBS checked as long as they are accompanied at all time by the member of school staff responsible for the visit.

100% withdraw.

And say you want a written transcript of what their person says.

Agreed. But this isn't what this is.

A man accessing children for no reason is though, exactly what you described @Heucherarowan.

So a man with no reason to access children is what happened in your post. Good to confirm that.

OP listen to your gut instinct. And like others say, follow up with a call. Protect your 8year old.

Children with baby teeth, old enough to believe in Father Christmas should not be being accessed by men as per your post. Schools should never facilitate that.

You need to reflect, and understand what safeguarding is and what obligations schools are under, and why.

HTH.