Concerns have been expressed over proposed Government guidance that would require schools to inform parents that their children are questioning their gender identity. 

The Government plans to bring in a legislation that would require all schools (state and independent) to tell parents if their child is questioning their gender. According to The Guardian, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to be especially concerned about parental knowledge and consent in decisions around supporting their child’s gender identity. Additionally, teachers would not be allowed to use the child’s preferred name and pronouns until permission is granted by the parents.

In a statement to The Observer, the Department of Education have argued that such measures are ‘based on the overriding principle of safeguarding children.’ However, many teachers reporting anonymously to the same article have expressed their fears over the new guidance, citing concerns about student safety at home, as well as the trouble teachers could be in if gender-questioning children were harmed as a result of parents being informed. One teacher even stated that the new guidance itself would cause a ‘safeguarding issue.’

Evidence suggests that the concerns expressed by these teachers are not unfounded. For example, trans youth charity Mermaids explains on their website that ‘[t]eenagers are often afraid that divulging information about their gender will result in their parents not supporting them or disowning them. Unfortunately we are aware that a number of teens are in this situation.’

The Albert Kennedy Trust (a charity supporting homeless LGBTQ+ youth) states in their 2021-2022 report that ‘[o]ver 24% of the young people experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+. It is so distressing that in 2022 young queer and trans people are still facing rejection, abuse and homelessness just for being brave enough to come out to their families.’ Furthermore, according to the report, 48% of those helped by the charity were trans, non-binary, or questioning their gender identity. These statistics show that not only are LGBTQ+ youth in general at greater risk of homelessness than their peers, but that trans youth are particularly vulnerable to that risk.

A transgender first-year English Literature student at the University of Birmingham said: ‘Forcing schools to disclose whether a child is questioning their gender identity to a parent or guardian is dangerous. Children deserve a chance to explore their identity in a safe space, which might not necessarily be their own home; outing children to parents/guardians has the potential to put them at huge risk of harm and trauma. Treating being transgender as something that parents need to be informed of immediately also perpetuates the disgustingly transphobic idea that being transgender is something adult, ‘wrong’, and worthy of outrage or concern, which is not the case.’

Read more news here: