Ex-Tavistock medics: ‘Govt must stop schools spreading gender confusion’

Former Tavistock clinicians have urged the Government to halt the “skyrocketing numbers” of kids demanding puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones from gender clinics by stopping schools encouraging them to believe they are the opposite sex.

In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the clinicians, including its former governor Dr David Bell and former consultant psychotherapist Marcus Evans, called for “strong, unequivocal guidance” clarifying that schools “cannot lawfully accommodate ‘social transition’ by children”.

They warned that if this is not done, increasing numbers of pupils will develop gender-confusion and be referred to gender clinics where it is “too late to solve the problem”.

‘Complicit’

The clinicians stated: “The government has been complicit in creating this distress by allowing gender-identity ideology into schools and failing to provide schools with clear guidance on the law concerning sex and transgender identity.

listen to the devastation of parents who have seen their children funnelled from social transition to medical transition by their school

“As a result, many schools are encouraging children to feel disconnected from their bodies and to imagine that they can be the opposite sex. This is eroding girls’ rights and protections, as well as undermining safeguarding for all children.”

At the end of the letter, two parents urged the Prime Minister to “listen to the devastation of parents who have seen their children funnelled from social transition to medical transition by their school”.

Schools

Last week, Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch rejected claims that legislation is required to prevent schools encouraging children to ‘socially transition’ while at school.

It followed Attorney General Victoria Prentis’ suggestion in July that proposed guidance from the Department for Education would require changes to equality law.

The DfE guidance on how schools should address transgender issues has been expected to clarify that schools should not treat gender-confused children as if they are the opposite sex. It was due to be released before the new term, but it has been delayed amid reports of disagreement within cabinet.