NHS nurseries have been slammed for encouraging toddlers to believe they could be the opposite sex.
University Hospitals Sussex’s Equalities and Diversity policy for worplace nurseries states that some children experience “gender variance or gender non-conformity”, where their feelings did “not match their bodies in terms of expected dress and behaviour”.
The Department for Education’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ guidance emphasises caution in cases where children question their gender due to the “many unknowns” about the impact of ‘social transition’.
‘Safeguarding red flag’
The policy specifies that “Nursery staff and children will not be denied fair and equal treatment of their gender identity.”
The guidance instructs staff to avoid “gender specific language” and ensure that nurseries are ‘valuing and celebrating’ Identity and Diversity. In addition, the policy states that curriculums will be monitored to ensure they do not contain “transphobic material”.
The Trust claimed: “The policies for our nurseries are entirely in line with national guidance, and similar to those found across the country.”
But Stephanie Davies-Arai, the founder of Transgender Trend, said: “Any three-year-old who professes to be transgender has been taught this by an adult or a much older child, and it should be viewed as a safeguarding red flag. Who is telling the child their body is wrong and why?”
‘Disgraceful’
Fiona McAnena, Director of Campaigns at women’s group Sex Matters, added: “Children know their own sex and usually everyone else’s as well. Pretending otherwise is pointless and counter to safeguarding practices.”
The policy has been criticised across social media, with one user posting: “I’m all for not stereotyping gender roles and family roles but there are biological differences in male/female. This is indoctrination and is a step too far. No toddler thinks they are gender non confirming and transgender unless some adult puts it in their head. Disgraceful.”
One X post stated: “Trans and toddlers should not even be in the same sentence let alone this.”
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