- Conference
- 2024 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 18 July 2024
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference is saddened by the publication of the Department for Education’s guidance for teachers on how best to support pupils in school questioning their gender in December 2023.
Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary at the time, said, “This guidance puts the best interests of all children first, removing any confusion about the protections that must be in place for biological sex and single-sex spaces, and making clear that safety and safeguarding for all children must always be schools’ primary concern. Parents’ views must also be at the heart of all decisions made about their children – and nowhere is that more important than with decisions that can have significant effects on a child’s life for years to come.”
The then Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch said, “This guidance is intended to give teachers and school leaders greater confidence when dealing with an issue that has been hijacked by activists misrepresenting the law. We are also clear how vital it is that parents are informed and involved in the decisions that impact their children’s lives.”
Conference is aware that the impact of parental rejection of trans children can have lasting consequences, sometimes even fatal consequences. Research on trans children supported and affirmed in early childhood has demonstrated good levels of well-being amongst socially transitioned trans children, in stark contrast to the high levels of depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation commonly seen in trans young people (Olson et al., 2016). For children questioning their gender identity facing parental hostility, school may be the only safe place available.
The new current guidance has proven controversial, with some claiming it is discriminatory and possibly dangerous to trans youth. The guidance states there is no general duty for schools to allow a student to socially transition and that it is not a “neutral act”, with later impacts on children not fully understood. However, the Attorney General advised the previous government that an outright ban on social transitioning in schools would be a breach of the Equality Act.
Young people whose views were sought on the current situation have voiced their frustration over their autonomy being taken away from them due to both their youth and gender, long waits to be able to get gender affirming care and being reduced to debates – rather than seen as people.
Educational participants want more to be done to keep trans youth safe in schools. “No abhorrent guidance that is a violation of safeguarding. Outing trans students doesn’t make them less trans, just less safe.”
Conference calls on the national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender plus (LGBT+) committee, working with the trans, non-binary, and gender diverse caucus, to:
1)Work with Labour Link to work with the Labour government to review the current guidance with a view to revoking it.
2)Work with the local government and higher education service groups to support workers in education settings around trans inclusion and trans ally training.