Under new guidance, children will be able to choose pronouns and wear opposite-sex uniforms, the newspaper has said
UK school pupils should be able to wear uniforms of the opposite sex and choose another pronoun or name, according to upcoming official guidance, the Times reported on Monday.
The newspaper said the document is expected to be released by the British government next week.
It will reportedly recommend that children be permitted to “socially transition with the consent of their parents” but only “in limited circumstances.” There will be an effective “presumption against” doing so, the Times said, citing a government source.
The guidance will clearly state that teachers should not be “compelled” to refer to children by their chosen pronoun if they have a “good faith” objection, the article said.
Kemi Badenoch, UK minister for women and equalities, has proposed that children should consult doctors before being allowed to socially transition. However, her idea was rejected after the Department of Health said it could not provide enough medical personnel to advise on whether children should be allowed to do so, the media reported.
In addition, the article noted that the new recommendation had been due to be published by the end of the summer semester and was delayed due to the opposing views of ministers. The ruling Conservative Party has reportedly insisted that anything less than a blanket ban on social transition will lead to confusion among teachers and children.
Last month, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that “we shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be – they can’t.” He added that “a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. That’s just common sense.” Sunak’s speech came shortly after Health Secretary Steve Barclay proposed a plan to ban transgender women from being treated in female hospital wards.
The prime minister’s statement sparked outrage from activists who gathered at the gates of Downing Street a few days later to “protest the anti-trans comments,” Conor Clark, a journalist for LGBTQ+ magazine, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), sharing photo from the scene.
Petra De Sutter, Belgium’s deputy prime minister and one of Europe’s highest-ranking transgender politicians, condemned Sunak, saying his remarks were fueling “transphobia and endangering the lives of many people around the world.”
