‘Trans children more likely to be white and privileged’ says head

[hholiday]

In The Times today. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/trans-children-white-privilege-katherine-birbalsingh-73d578v7q

There is no statistical evidence of the headteacher’s claim in the article (it’s anecdotal, based on the fact she teaches at an inner city London school and says it’s not really an issue there). And the Cass review and others have given other explanations for the transgender trend among young people, eg autism. But I thought it was really interesting it was being discussed at all - and so bluntly. It would be interesting if this view does get looked into a bit more, as I suspect if there’s one thing likely to bring the transgender movement skidding to a halt among kids, it would be the idea that it’s something for the rich and privileged.

Anecdotally, I have heard this quite a lot. The trans craze seems particularly prevalent at certain types of schools - mostly schools where the intake is largely white and middle-class. Private girls' schools in particular apparently have lots of trans-identifying pupils. I've certainly heard teachers who teach in inner-city state schools with ethnically mixed intake say that the trans madness has barely made a dent there.

But it also seems to be the case, as BettyFilous said, that there is a high proportion of looked-after children identifying as trans. (Julie Bindel has written about this.) The children going to the Tavistock GIDS clinic, as pointed out in Hannah Barnes's books, were often very vulnerable rather than posh and privileged.

So I don't know. But I think it's possible that you get two distinct cohorts - the posh kids identifying as trans because it's fashionable, and the kids in care who are confused and vulnerable and therefore prey to people who peddle this crap, and who end up in the hands of gender doctors who put them on puberty blockers.

Of course it is. Pretentious spoilt children whi have never been raised with discipline or respect for others but are desperate to feel oppressed. You'll never see a Black or Asian parent on the telly saying that their little boy is a girl. Maybe an American come to think of it but yeah, this is a white problem.

Also the standard and necessary reminder from@atoo:

Trans is not necessarily just one thing.

That also applies just within the children-who-identify-as-trans cohort.

The parents want to be the cool kids and seen as on-trend and/or the parents don’t say “no”, set boundaries or encourage critical thinking and/or the parents are very busy working in high powered /highly paid jobs and are out of touch with what their children are getting up to and/or the family spends very little time together and/or the parents have used iPads and mobile phones as babysitters for their kids so aforementioned parents can get on with high powered jobs and/or the kids are at schools with kids from similar home environments.

It’s social contagion.

I'm quoting this because everyone seems to be ignoring it.

If soz 80% of the population of the UK is white, 80% of trans people being white is statistically absolutely to be expected.

Yes.

Part of the problem with 'trans' affirming approaches has been to sweep aside the enormous differences within the cohort and create a category that is in truth incoherent.

It will not be helpful to just mirror that assertion and try to claim that all people with a 'trans' identity, or all children who are gender questioning or incongruent have the same motivations and background. Especially when it's clearly not the case.

White females are disproportionately represented in trans referral stats. Its mostly white women and girls who support trans movements and identify as trans themselves.

It was something they come up with to rival racism.

Tell me you don't know any trans teens without telling me you don't know any trans teens.

This is a cohort that is, by and large , neurodivergent, vulnerable, often with limited social currency in their secondary schools, often seeking a group they belong in. None of which means I think the teaching of gender identity is a good idea, or that "trans kids" need to be affirmed and sterilized. But your post is supremely ignorant and rather nasty.

I think its clearly the case and has been for years. When have you EVER seen a parent of any other ethnicity on the telly saying their kid is the opposite sex?

Ot the newspaper?

I’ve always assumed that part of the trans movement is about fighting back against white privilege. Look at the internet. The two biggest movements to come out of the internet are incels and trans.
People are questioning the privilege of white, British men, and why are they running the world? And so with one name change and some new clothes you can conveniently become part of a marginalised and oppressed group, ‘the most’ according to some.

David (and carrie) grant. He's black, she's white. All their children have been wheeled out as trans/nb.

You are entirely ignoring the fact that almost all trans teens are neurodivergent. The exception is the very small community of highly feminine male children who are the "traditional" trans children who often go on to be gay men. Someone like Jazz Jennings.

You are extremely judgemental of parents. How many parents whose teens have recently expressed a trans identity have you actually spoken to to form your opinion?

Anecdotal, but half the trans identified people I know are of "other ethnicity". Also your previous post blaming parents for their children's gender confusion is simplistic and judgemental. People have many influences on them, not just their parents. Parents can do their best to prepare their children for the big wide world and be completely outflanked by a social movement they didn't see coming.

You mean they have a white mother? privileged, celebrity kids with a white mother? Those kids? And this says what exactly? That kids raised in non-white families are equally likely to be trans?

I always think there seems to be a disproportionate number of celebrities' children who are transgender.

That’s relatively mild and sensible from KB, who would often put a box of frogs to shame in her utterances.

You are starting to sound a little bit racist tbh

This effect may be quite important.

I only have anecdotal evidence and am not a social scientist, but I suspect that it may often go something like this:

A privileged child with no significant disadvantages from race, disability or other great challenges in life, is introduced to concepts of equality and inclusion in a somewhat clumsy way, before they have the emotional maturity to think of other people's needs before their own. The immature child psyche perceives that unless they can claim a "difference" that requires special consideration, they are always going to be in the category of those who give that special consideration, and will never receive it, and they consider this "unfair" because they don't have the capacity to understand their privilege.

This is just annecdotal - I know of one particular child who at the age of 9/10 wanted to identify as "mixed race" (despite being very very white) because of having grandparents from a variety of (all caucasian) countries and who didn't like that this was inappropriate, and a few years later started identifying as nonbinary. I think my explanation fits for this particular child but have no way of knowing how widespread it is.

I was guessing it would be “ that” head clicked on the thread and indeed

she seems to be the Katie Hopkins of teachers

Isn't she the head with a certain reputation and a certain attitude which isn't necessarily a) proven b) good for all kids

She's definitely controversial.

And speaking from experience as a parent who's only motive was to protect my child, I was made to feel like the bad person who was abusing my child. Why? Because I refused to affirm and agree to chest binding and name changes. My dd was diagnosed with ASD and we went through hellish times but so thankful she's now 20 and no longer expresses a desire to transition although still firmly in the trans ally bubble. I know there is a belief that it was parents who pushed their children into transitioning and for some yes this is more than likely but for many parents they were also guilt tripped and bullied. The stonewall machine actively campaigned for parents wishes to be excluded and for those in authority to act against the parental rights. Such a horrible position and our situation could easily have taken a disastrous path.

Trans ideology is widely ridiculed by those from minority backgrounds. Speaking from a South Asian background, there is an understanding of transvestites and feminine men but the thought that men can be actual women, or you can change sex, isn’t tolerated.

No the trans kids I know aren't ND. They are just white and MC. The ones I do know all come from white, MC households. At 5, you'd see them in the midst of Winter in the park in a tutu because that's what they wanted to wear. Their parents were completely at their mercy from a young age. They were allowed to display shockingly poor social skills because nothing was insisted on, it's about what the kid feels or want in that moment. We have a guest and kid doesn't want to say hello to them? "You don't have to, its your body etc, you speak when you're ready little Penelope" . "No Penelope, you don't have to speak to your Granny if old people disgust you."

Penelope is now a boy called Philip because her momma always told her she can be anything she wants to be and deserves it too. This is something you guys brought on yourselves.

Hmmm. I wonder if a child displaying "shockingly poor social skills" and social and communication anxiety from childhood, might as an alternative explanation possibly be autistic?

You are definitely sounding quite racist now.