This 72-year-old trans woman perfectly explains why LGBT education is not ‘confusing’ to children
Calls for LGBT+ inclusive education at Birmingham Pride. (Jim Wood/Barcroft Media/Getty)
A 72-year-old trans woman called in to radio station LBC to perfectly explain LGBT+ education will not “confuse” children.
Speaking to host Maajid Nawaz, Kerry began her call by stating “I am trans, I exist”, and then added that she had had gender-affirmation surgery last month, three days before her 72nd birthday.
Schools across England have faced pressure over their teachings on LGBT+ issues, after protests were sparked at Parkfield School in Birmingham in early 2019.
From September, 2020, all primary schools in England will legally have to teach children about different kinds of families, including LGBT+ ones.
But while parents continue to push back against their children learning that LGBT+ people exist, Kerry made the point that there are lots of things children see and learn at school that might be a little “confusing”.
She said: “I mean, when kids look at Teletubbies, are they looking at something which is male or female? Maybe that’s a bit confusing to them.
“Do we teach children that dinosaurs existed 65 million years ago?
“Should we not be teaching something else, because maybe that would confuse them that dinosaurs aren’t real things?
“But yes, they did exist and they are there.”
Kerry made it clear that children could not become LGBT+ because they learn about LGBT+ people.
“People who are gay are born gay, they don’t acquire it during their lifetime,” she said.
“People who are trans are born trans, they might not know until a later age, but to be taught it a young age, there is nothing wrong.”
She said of her own experience: “I’ve always been this way, but I’d been hiding it for years… I knew it was there, built in me, I couldn’t stop it.”
Nawaz agreed with her, and said: “This is why I think it is a bit primitive in the brain for anyone to think you can catch this.
“These aren’t viruses. These are internal traits that somebody feels inside themselves.
“By talking to you, Kerry, I’m not going to suddenly go home and scratch myself and wonder if I am trans.”
The 72-year-old concluded by pointing out the very real consequences of erasing LGBT+ people from children’s education.
She said: “So what is happening in the world right now – not only in this country, religious zealots state side – there is a great erosion in the LGBT rights right across the world, especially in the United States and we don’t want to see that in this country.
“People have to get real. We exist.”
