An LGBT charity has deemed the guide, created by parents concerned about an increase in children being consider transgender, as dangerous
An education pack that claims to provide support for trans pupils has been branded as "dangerous" by LGBT campaigners.
Transgender Trend has released a guide for parents and teachers who may be concerned about what their children are being taught or the way they are being treated.
However the charity Stonewall has said that the report – entitled Supporting Gender Non-Conforming and Trans Identified Students in Schools – is dangerous and packed with factually inaccurate content.
The publication has been created by a group of UK parents who say they are concerned about a trend in diagnosing "gender non-conforming children as transgender".
It aims to protect vulnerable teenagers from "political ideology" and says that children are likely to accept the sex they were assigned at birth, accusing transgender activists of glamorising transitioning on social media.
“We felt there was an urgent need for clear factual information for schools seeking advice on a very recent and unprecedented phenomenon, guidance which is based on protecting the welfare and rights of all children,” said Transgender Trend.
“We have developed a comprehensive schools resource pack, in consultation with teachers, child protection and welfare professionals and lawyers. Our aim is to arm schools with all the relevant facts so that teachers feel more informed and confident in creating a safe school for all pupils, including non-conforming children and those who identify as transgender.”
However Hannah Kibirige, director or education and youth at Stonewall, said that creating a school environment that is happy and healthy is the most important way of supporting youngsters, and urged schools to stay away from the deeply damaging publication.
She said: “The schools resource pack produced by Transgender Trend this week is so dangerous. Masquerading as professional, evidence-based advice for schools on how to support trans and gender nonconforming young people, the pack in fact provides the reverse. It is a deeply damaging document, packed with factually inaccurate content.
“Not only does it fail to reflect the real experiences of trans young people, it actively encourages schools to take steps that risk them falling foul of their legal duties and duty of care to pupils. The idea that listening to young people and taking steps to make them feel included might encourage them to be trans is quite simply a myth.”
Transgender Trend has defended the report and said it has been welcomed by parents and education professionals.
“The Transgender Trend schools resource pack provides evidence-backed information to support the welfare of all gender nonconforming children, including LGBT children,” said the group’s spokesperson and founder, Stephanie Davies-Arai.
