The British attorney general says schools do not have to accommodate students who want to change gender identification, and are under no legal obligation to use certain pronouns or allow children to wear uniform of another sex.
Attorney General Suella Braverman—the top government adviser on law in England and Wales—has become the latest of a number of senior government figures to challenge the ethos of some public institutions which affirm children’s adoption of another gender identity.
Her comments to the Times of London, published on Saturday, come as the government draws up formal guidance for schools on transgenderism.
Braverman said that schools have a right to treat them as such under the law.
“They don’t have to say ‘OK, we’re going to let you change your pronoun or let you wear a skirt or call yourself a girl’s name,’” she said.
He also, however, suggested that schools should “accommodate” pupils with gender dysphoria, for example allowing them to use the lavatories with a gender of their preference.
She said young people’s wish to change gender appears to be influenced by their peers.
“Some parts of the country there are very low rates of children presenting as transgender, in some parts of the country it’s quite worryingly high. That must be to do with the way teachers and local education authorities are approaching this subject.”
“Medical professionals, teachers should be taking a much firmer line. They shouldn’t take an unquestioning approach, they shouldn’t just take what the child says.”
“It is already clear to me from her interim findings and the other evidence I have seen that NHS services in this area are too narrow; they are overly affirmative and in fact are bordering on ideological.”
Javid wrote on Twitter: “Facts matter. Respectful debate matters.”
“Biological sex matters—ask any doctor or nurse. Facts matter. Respectful debate matters. This growing culture of shutting people down is deeply disturbing and must be challenged,” he added.