After Cass, let’s kick trans ideology out of the classroom

Do you remember Murray Allan from a few years ago? He was a 17-year-old student from Scotland who got in trouble at school for stating that there are only two genders. When he recorded a conversation with his teacher about it, the teacher told him to keep his opinions to himself because not believing in more than two genders is not inclusive. As a result, Murray was suspended from school for two weeks, and then for another two weeks after the video of his conversation went viral. He wasn't allowed to go back to school after the holidays, which really messed up his education and delayed his plans for university.

Let's talk about the story of a young girl from East Sussex who, only last year, faced consequences for expressing doubt about whether an individual can identify as the opposite gender. During a recorded conversation, her teacher became visibly angry and scolded her for suggesting there are only two genders. They argued that there are many genders, including transgender and agender, which refers to people who do not identify with any gender. The teacher even went so far as to threaten to escalate the situation and report the girl to those higher up in the school administration.

Dr. Hilary Cass recently reviewed England's gender-identity services for children and emphasized that arguments and suppressing discussions do not benefit the young people who are caught in the middle of societal turmoil. Unfortunately, many teachers have been doing just that for a considerable amount of time. They have been penalizing students for expressing scientific truths and using their authoritative role as educators to endorse a controversial belief system.

Even worse, teachers who are activists are prompting vulnerable children to question their gender. The NHS commissioned the Cass Review because they were worried about the growing number of teenage girls who want to change their gender. The review suggests several reasons for this trend, including social media, peer pressure, bullying, access to pornography, and a lack of proper diagnosis and treatment for mental health issues like autism. However, schools are likely the main culprit. They have given credibility to and spread harmful ideas about sex and gender to their impressionable students more than any other institution.

The impact that schools have had in leading children towards identifying as transgender cannot be emphasized enough. Do you recall the time when Brighton and Hove Council sent letters to parents of 4-year-olds, prompting them to make a decision and pick whether their child was a male or female on school forms? Or when young students discovered that their classmate they believed to be a girl was actually a boy and the teacher had kept this hidden? Do you also remember when girls as young as 11 were given guidance in a school newsletter on how to compress their chests? Or how schools taught children using a graphic of a 'gender unicorn' that showed a sliding scale of male, female, and other identities, accompanied by various spectrums such as 'gender expression' and 'sex assigned at birth'?

The administration attempted to decrease the power of people promoting specific beliefs about the roles of males and females in schools. Recently, the administration released an early version of instructions for schools on how to handle students who are questioning their gender. However, it has not really made a difference yet. Lots of kids have already received this kind of teaching, and many more are still getting it currently. There is plenty of proof to show that some teachers are doing more than just assisting children who are having a hard time with their gender. These teachers are prompting children to question their own gender identity.

Sex-and-relationships classes are being used to promote gender ideology. Some schools are instructing students that their gender identity may not align with their biological sex, while others are using resources such as the animated video produced by AMAZE for younger audiences. This video explains concepts such as gender expression, gender roles, sex versus gender identity, and terms like cisgender, transgender, and genderfluid. The video's message is that individuals can express their gender in any way they choose, and everyone should be respected and supported.

Numerous schools are currently employing a ‘gender toolkit’ that was introduced by Brighton and Hove Council last year. However, this approach has garnered criticism from legal professionals who argue that it contravenes both equality and human-rights legislation. In essence, the toolkit advises educators to accede to a young student's request to alter their name and pronoun as a crucial factor in supporting their identity. This toolkit also creates provisions for other gender transformations, such as wearing attire meant for the opposite gender and utilizing toilets or changing rooms meant for that gender. To put it simply, schools that have adopted this method have allowed for children to socially transition. This move is at odds with the recommendations outlined in the Cass Review, which makes it clear that such transitions are often a precursor to medical interventions. Despite this, many schools continue to allow children to make these changes without first informing their parents.

The Cass Review and the government’s new guidance for schools are positive moves towards safeguarding children. However, it is important to acknowledge the negative impact that activists in the education sector have had and continue to have. If we want to reduce the number of children who are confused about their gender, we need to eliminate trans ideology from the classroom completely. Teachers should not punish students for believing in a binary gender system and should prioritize the wishes of parents. It is important to close any loopholes in current safeguarding laws to ensure that all children are protected and safe.

Joanna Williams is a writer for a publication called Spiked and she wrote a book called How Woke Won. She is currently a guest fellow at MCC Budapest.

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