Parliament told to make ‘new Section 28’ to prevent kids learning about trans people
A Christian group has submitted evidence to Parliament’s trans inquiry – claiming that children should be protected from learning about trans people.
The Evangelical Alliance submitted evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s transgender inquiry, claiming that trans people should not be given treatment because “a person cannot change their sex”.
The group’s 1500 word written submission, which was filed in August but published by Parliament yesterday, makes a number of attacks on trans rights.
Reminiscent of Section 28 – which banned the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools – the evangelical group has called for ‘protections’ for children in schools, which could restrict discussion of trans issues “before they reach an appropriate age”.
It says: “While issues of sex and gender identity are psychologically, morally and politically controversial, all should agree that children should be protected from having to sort through such questions before they reach an appropriate age.
“Inappropriate legislation could prevent schools, parents and employers from protecting children from what are best maintained as adult debates about sex and gender identity by trying to force accommodation of the desires of people with gender dysphoria in ways that in fact put them in an unfavourable spotlight.”
Adding that protections should apply to both non-religious and religious schools, it continues: “Children would be prematurely exposed to questions about sex and gender if, for example, a male teacher returned to school self-identifying as a woman.”
The group later claims that faith-based bullying is far more widespread than transphobic bullying, writing: “We would find it difficult to understand why special measures might be being considered by this very committee of inquiry in preference to faith-based bullying.”
They go on to claim that any further revisions to the Gender Recognition Act “would have serious unintended consequences” , putting small businesses at risk of legal action for denying transgender people access to gendered facilities.
It says: “Without appropriate qualification, it may threaten small business owners with liability for alleged ‘discrimination’ based not on objective traits but on subjective and unverifiable identities. Critically, it would endanger religious liberty and freedom of speech. And it may mandate employment policies that, with regard to many normal workplace conditions, violate common sense.”
The Evangelical Alliance has a history of campaigning against transgender rights alongside LGB rights, starting in 2000 when they published an 102 page report (titled Transsexuality: A Report by the Evangelical Alliance Policy Commission) arguing against various transgender legal protections.
