Isle of Man halts sex ed lessons after ‘drag queen told kids there are 73 genders’

Sex education lessons have been halted in Isle of Man schools, following reports a drag queen told children as young as eleven there are 73 genders.

Parents of pupils at Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel claimed that when a child in Year Seven told the performer “there’s only two” genders, he said “you’ve upset me” and instructed the pupil to leave the class.

The Isle of Man’s Department of Education, Sport and Culture has launched an independent review into the Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) curriculum it introduced in September, to “gain an independent understanding of what has taken place”.

‘Graphic and indecent’

According to reports, eleven-year-olds at the school were also taught about ‘sex-swap’ surgery and given a “graphic, disproportionate, indecent presentation” of sexual acts, including oral and anal sex.

Eliza Cox, Vice Chairman of the Marown Commissioners, told Energy FM that a local teacher had informed her that she had to teach children in Years Seven and Eight how to masturbate.

Conservative MP Miriam Cates commented: “When parents raise serious safeguarding concerns about inappropriate and sexualising materials being used in sex education lessons in schools, the right response is to pause these lessons whilst the matter can be investigated.

“I applaud the authorities in the Isle of Man for making this decision. But similar – and worse – materials are being used in schools across the UK and the Department for Education has persistently ignored whistleblowers who raise concerns. The UK Government needs to take its lead from the Isle of Man.”

‘Age-appropriate’

A Department for Education spokesperson responded: “Schools must make sure all content they use is factual and age-appropriate, and engage with parents so they are aware of what their children are being taught.

“We will write to all schools this term to emphasise the rights of parents to see teaching materials being taught to their children in schools.”

Last month, a senior Minister told The Mail on Sunday that teachers who “want to do more to push the stop button when they see children questioning their gender”, feel that they are “being abandoned”.

Teaching staff have complained that schools prevent them from following the Government’s legal advice in the absence of clear guidance from the Department for Education.