AS I SEE IT
MARIANNE HERON
We don’t know what gifts Enoch Burke received in his now familiar surroundings of Mountjoy prison but one metaphorical present arrived in Christmas week.
It was news about the UK’s advice to schools on how to handle pupils questioning their gender identity. The document, described as calm and moderate by the London Times, says, among other clear guidelines, that schools “should not proactively initiate social transitioning” and cautioned against allowing children to change their pronouns. Crucially, from Evangelical Christian Burke’s point of view, it states that no teacher should be sacked for “misgendering” a pupil.
Burke in currently in prison for refusing to purge his contempt of court and to stay away from Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath where he was previously employed as a German and history teacher. But the origins of the Burke saga began over Burke’s refusal to address a ‘trans’ pupil with a new pronoun and name, on the grounds that trans ideology was against his religious beliefs. If we had had similar guidelines s the UK proposes, Burke’s original position, subsequent behaviour aside, would be vindicated and the whole Burke saga could have been avoided
The UK document to guide schools and safeguard gender-questioning children will be the subject of debate and consultation over coming months before it is adopted. Meantime, the gender issue continues to cause waves here, currently over doctors’ fears that promised conversion therapy ban legislation will undermine the treatment of gender-questioning patients and prevent the development of a children’s gender service, warning of medical social and educational harm to children.
“Currently, huge numbers of children, many autistic, are self- identifying as ‘trans’ (mostly through social contagion). Most of these children are not transgender.” Studies have found that the majority of children with gender dysphoria desist later and generally become gay.
While there have always been individuals who felt that they were born into the wrong sex, recent trans ideology’s claim is that those who self-declare to be of another gender must be accepted as the opposite sex, so that say, a trans woman (born biologically male) is a woman.
Debate can turn toxic: people who say that there are only two biological sexes or are concerned for the fate of gender questioning children who are treated with cross-sex hormones and sterilising surgery who may subsequently regret the decision, are vilified as transphobic or homophobic by trans activists.
Here, all schools are managed by the school board of management for which school principals have a responsibility for the setting of school policies. a spokesperson for the Department of Education points out.
The department is fully committed to creating safe, supportive and inclusive environments and The Wellbeing Policy Framework provides an overarching framework for schools to support the wellbeing of all members of the school community. The Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying 2022 is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racism, gender identity bullying or sexual harassment, in schools.
Last year the Social, Personal and Health Education programme (SPHE) in primary schools, which includes gender teaching, provoked opposition from the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association.
A guide like the UK’s could pour oil on troubled waters. It advocates that schools should not proactively initiate social transitioning with changes of name or pronoun and should only allow this if the benefits to the child outweigh the impact on the school community.
If a child asks to change gender, parents should be informed. Schools should consider if children are influenced by social media or feel pressured to change gender because they don’t conform with stereotypes or sexual orientation is an issue. There is unequivocal advice on protecting single sex spaces and biological boys will not be allowed to compete against girls in sport if it poses a safety risk. The guidelines also state that biological sex exists materially and legally and that schools have obligations to uphold this.
It seems to me to be the kind of sensible advice that should apply beyond the school gates and would avoid cases like Burke’s or Maya Forstater’s in the UK who lost her job with the Centre for Global Development for stating that the sexes are immutable, a fact essential to protect women’s rights. In her appeal it was ruled that her views were protected under the UK’s 2010 Equality Act and she was awarded damages.
It should be possible to give trans people safeguards without attacking women’s rights or denying the reality of biological sex.
