A Canadian couple have shared how their autistic daughter’s school encouraged her to ‘transition’ without their knowledge.
The pressure caused the vulnerable girl such confusion it led her to threaten suicide.
The parents said their twelve-year-old daughter was encouraged to pursue an identity as a male after joining the school’s ‘Gay-Straight-Alliance.’
No knowledge
The school subsequently contacted the girl’s parents and recommended that they take her to a gender clinic.
It was only at this point they discovered that she was being called a boy’s name and addressed with male pronouns while at school.
The parents say the school was “facilitating and going out of their way to transition her into becoming a boy” without their knowledge.
“To live a double life, where she’s keeping this huge secret from her family, including her siblings, is exceedingly stressful, especially for someone with autism and body dysmorphia,” they said.
‘LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP’
With the help of mental health professionals, it was decided that the girl should only be referred to as a girl. Her mother said she was “adamant that she did not want to be a boy”.
In Alberta, it is now illegal for educators to tell parents if their child has joined a Gay-Straight-Alliance club.
Earlier this year, a school board in the province of Ontario hosted training to share ‘best practice’ on LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP issues.
The acronym stands for Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Demisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Twospirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Asexual, Allies, Pansexual and Polyamorous.