Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government is reportedly set to delay new guidance for schools on transgenderism after it was warned by the attorney general that it might contravene the Equalities Act passed under a Labour government.
The government’s much-touted attempt to combat schools enabling child transgenderism and keeping parents in the dark that was expected to be introduced this week will reportedly be shelved for the time being over concerns that it might violate the Equalities Act of 2010, passed by the left-wing Labour Party under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which makes “gender reassignment” a protected characteristic.
The planned guidance was set to prohibit schools from allowing children from “socially transitioning” their gender without parental consent. However, according to a report from The Times of London, Attorney General Victoria Prentis determined that such a move would breach the law and that the government would need to pass new legislation rather than just issuing guidance to schools.
A government source told the paper: “We have consistently said that this is about protecting children, empowering parents, and supporting teachers and school leaders by providing guidance for them to implement. It’s a complex and sensitive area and it’s right we get it right. More information is needed about the long-term implications of allowing a child to act as though they are the opposite sex and the impact that may have on other children too.”
A Whitehall source added: “The government wants to go further but the problem is that this is guidance. It is coming up against the Equalities Act which is the law. If the government wants to go further, it has to change the law.”
Left-wing opponents of the planned guidance have claimed that by requiring parental consent, the government would be forcing schools to “out” allegedly transgender children to their parents.
Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, who was a favourite of traditional conservatives to replace Boris Johnson in last year’s Tory leadership race, has urged for the government to go further, arguing that before allowing a child to “socially transition” — changing their pronouns and appearance to the opposite gender — a medical check should be conducted even if parents consent to the move.
Badenoch has also called for free speech protections for teachers who refuse to indulge in demands from children to use alternative pronouns if the teacher has a “good faith” objection.
However, not all are on the same side within the Conservative government, with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan saying that it would be “unreasonable” for schools to prevent a child from transitioning their gender if there is parental consent.
“It’s a tricky subject but I think parental consent is the key driver for this. Schools aren’t there as doctors or parents. They are there as educators. Parental consent is the most important thing. Parents are responsible for their child,” Keegan said last month.
Members of the Conservative Party also joined with the left-wing Labour Party to block a bill by Reclaim Party MP Andrew Bridgen from consideration last month which would have required schools to merely inform parents “if their child has indicated an intention to pursue or has commenced social transition” and to inform parents on what is being taught during sex education lessons.
The enabling of radical theories on identity by British schools has reached such a tipping point that some schools have even been allowing children to identify as cats, horses, dinosaurs, and even a moon.