A book claiming the phrase “boys and girls” excludes children who are ‘gender diverse’ is being targeted at children as young as seven.
Can I Tell You About Gender Diversity? tells the fictional story of a twelve-year-old girl, Kit, who begins living as boy by using hormone-blocking drugs.
The guidebook will reportedly be sent to 120 ‘best practice’ schools which work with the Government-backed Educate & Celebrate group.
Harmful
Newspapers and other critics spoke out against the book saying it would harm children.
The Mail on Sunday reports that the book warns against the idea “that there are only two genders”. It also criticises the use of the phrases “boys and girls” and “ladies and gents”.
Such language is “exclusionary to trans-identified and gender variant young people”, the book says.
Confusion
It recommends terms including “cisgender”, “panromantic” and “genderqueer” and is described as “a helpful guide and discussion starter for children 7+” by the publishers.
Commenting on the book, the Bishop of Chester Dr Peter Forster said it is “likely to sow more confusion than clarity”, while Sir Anthony Seldon – a former Master at Wellington College – said parents with traditional views also needed to be respected.
Former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe said telling a seven year old that a boy is a girl is “trying to do away with one of the basic pieces of childhood understanding”.
In its editorial, The Mail on Sunday said: “It is hard enough being seven years old in 2016, without being instructed to believe that boys will be girls, and girls will be boys, or perhaps neither – and that it may be necessary to take drugs to decide. This is a step too far.”
Taxpayer funding
‘Trans advocate’ CJ Atkinson, who wrote the publication, also works for Educate & Celebrate as its Head of Administration.
The group has received £200,000 from the Department for Education to provide equality and diversity training to school staff.
Earlier this year, Ofsted described the Educate & Celebrate programme as “innovative and visionary”.
The Christian Institute’s Transsexualism briefing highlights Educate & Celebrate’s promotion of the Jamie book and film.
It reworks the Cinderella story and depicts a girl who has skills in engineering but later decides she is really a boy.