Thanks. As an East Lothian resident, I do find this encouraging. Sadly, the only trans child I know personally was unable to continue schooling locally due to harassment from other pupils. This was just a few years ago.
The improvements in guidance are welcome, but lets be clear, even gender neutral toilets alone are not good enough. Transgender pupils should be allowed to use the toilets which align with the gender they identify with. Anything less sends the child the message they are not viewed as their gender by the school, with the added implication that they are the "problem" or, even worse, viewed as predatory. I have 12 year old who was effectively forced out of school due to gender neutral policies around changing rooms and toilets, as they created severe anxiety. I have seen first hand how schools trying to force a trans girl into a "gender neutral" box harms their mental health. A blanket policy where all trans kids are assigned to gender neutral bathrooms is not a solution, and it does not make binary trans kids feel safe. It others them.
Thanks. As an East Lothian resident, I do find this encouraging. Sadly, the only trans child I know personally was unable to continue schooling locally due to harassment from other pupils. This was just a few years ago.
Ken, that is so sad. So many trans children suffer in education due to bullying that is fuelled by this ‘accepted’ transphobia.
The improvements in guidance are welcome, but lets be clear, even gender neutral toilets alone are not good enough. Transgender pupils should be allowed to use the toilets which align with the gender they identify with. Anything less sends the child the message they are not viewed as their gender by the school, with the added implication that they are the "problem" or, even worse, viewed as predatory. I have 12 year old who was effectively forced out of school due to gender neutral policies around changing rooms and toilets, as they created severe anxiety. I have seen first hand how schools trying to force a trans girl into a "gender neutral" box harms their mental health. A blanket policy where all trans kids are assigned to gender neutral bathrooms is not a solution, and it does not make binary trans kids feel safe. It others them.