The number of children expressing confusion over their ‘gender identity’ has reached a record high in Scotland.
There were 222 children who were referred to specialist services in 2017, a 21 per cent increase on the previous year.
The figures were revealed as the Scottish Government backtracked over controversial guidance promoting transsexualism in schools.
As young as six
The official statistics were released in a report by the Scottish Public Health Network, which also revealed that children as young as six had been referred.
The average age of those seeking help was found to have fallen from 15 years old in 2014 to just under 14 in 2017.
The NHS has admitted that the overwhelming majority of children who question their gender grow out of it as they get older.
Yet the Scottish Government is already considering proposals to lower the minimum age to obtain a ‘sex change’ certificate from 18 to 16.
Legal action
The Christian Institute recently warned it would consider legal action against the Scottish Government for funding and endorsing misleading guidance on transsexualism for schools.
The guidance was also seemingly endorsed by 17 local authorities.
It advises that school children ‘should be supported to explore and express their identity regardless of their age’, and that parents should not be told if their children are sharing rooms overnight with pupils of the opposite sex.
The Scottish Government claimed it didn’t “formally endorse” the guidance and authors LGBT Youth Scotland said “the inclusion of their logo in the list of organisations endorsing the guidance was an error”.
No denial
Ciarán Kelly, a Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, responded: “The Scottish Government are either being disingenuous or are seriously confused. Either way, they’ve got themselves in a mess.
“This shocking guidance clearly states in black and white that it is endorsed by the Scottish Government. When it was launched in November last year, it was widely reported by the media the Scottish Government endorsed it.
“Surely if it had been done without permission, someone would have said so? They had every opportunity to deny it then but didn’t.”
Gender Recognition Act
Last week, Scotland’s First Minister announced that changing the law on transsexualism is the “next step” on the ‘progressive journey’ after same-sex marriage.
Nicola Sturgeon was speaking to homosexual news website PinkNews about her plans for LGBT issues following an event it hosted for politicians and activists.
“The next step on this journey is to ensure that we are doing more to make Scotland fairer for transgender people.
“This is why we have recently consulted on plans to reform the UK-wide 2004 Gender Recognition Act.”
