Thread by @FierceMum

As a mum of a young trans child, I want to talk about the ‘meaningful discussions with parents’ that is being proposed to gain consensus on whether school educations should include LGBT people. Thread 1/ theguardian.com/education/2019…

If my school holds such a meaningful discussions with parents, what does that mean for my family? For my trans child? For parents who are LGBT?

Would I go to such a ‘discussion’? 2/

Would I be forced to listen to other parents expounding the ignorant, misinformed & prejudicial views that I know are out there?

Would the school be powerless to protect my child, from being forced to listen to bigoted views, in the interests of ‘meaningful discussions’? 3/

We know the bigots, those ill-informed and scared, those who have bought into scare stories of LGBT (particularly T) people being a threat, will speak the loudest

And who will be there to give the opposite view? Who will challenge the lies and distortions? 4/

Who will challenge every misleading statement?

Who will counter the inflammatory messages of fear? 5/

Do I need to as a parent of a trans child need to do that?

Do I need to out my child?

Do I feel safe to expose myself and my child publicly in an environment where bigotry has been validated? 6/

Do LGBT parents feel able to speak up in ‘meaningful discussions with parents’?

Do they feel safe to do so?

Consulting a poorly educated majority on whether a misunderstood minority should be treated with equality causes harm to that minority. 7/

Watch this video from Northumbria police of what happened when a UK primary school called a parent consultation meeting to hear all views on how a school should treat a young trans child. 8/

facebook.com/watch/?v=10154…

The consultation meeting quickly descended into fear-mongering hate, with ignorance, rumour, and prejudice swirling into mass hostility. Targeting a young child. 9/

The young child and family were threatened, harassed, treated terribly. They were not protected by the school, who had endorsed this ‘consultation’ with parents. 10/

We know parents have ignorant and prejudiced views about LGBT people. Because today’s generation of parents grew up under section 28, and were denied education. 11/

In 2019 not only are we risking a return to the dark days of section 28 when schools did not dare kids the impression that some people are LGBT.

Perhaps even worse, we are proposing consultation on a school by school basis on whether children should know about LGBT people. 12/

Kids growing up in less LGBT positive neighbourhoods, not only are denied LGBT positive education, but even worse, are forced to listen to bigoted parts of their communities speak their hate in school endorsed consultations. 13/

We’ve seen where this public consultation ends up in US schools, where individual trans kids plead for their right to be treated with dignity.

Where mums like me are forced to speak to angry crowds, stirred up with ignorance & hate, pleading for our child to be accepted 14/

Mums like me trying to persuade an inflamed group of ignorant parents why their young child is not a threat. 15/

Do you want to live in a country where every child can thrive? Where every child can be safe?

Or do you want to live in a UK where LGBT children feel threatened and hated even at school, where children with LGBT parents hear hateful attacks on their loved ones. 16/

Wake up

The time for sitting on the fence and silently wondering what all the trans hysteria in the UK is about is over.

Every single person reading this needs to stand up and speak up.

Especially if you are not LGBT 17/

LGBT positive education in schools needs to be a firm commitment at government level.

Encouraging ‘consultation with parents’ and ‘local consensus’ is cowardly, is harmful, and is failing all our kids. 18/

Protect Trans Kids.

Protect LGBT Kids.

Solidarity. Unity.

Sticking up for the most vulnerable.

Speak out now. Don't let section 28 creep back in.

In 2019 we must do better. 19/End