03-Feb-2022, 08:31 PM
There are parents on the board who have dealt with this personally. I hope they will share what helped or didn't help.
I think these points are important, though I have not dealt with this personally:
1. Social transition (name and pronouns, using opposite sex restrooms, being placed in opposite sex PE and sports teams, etc.) is not harmless and makes it difficult for a child to walk back from the trans identity if they would later like to. Rather, social transition helps solidify the trans identitify, leaving less room for the child to change their mind.
2. As the parent, you have decided it is not in your child's best interest to be affirmed as the opposite sex or be socially transitioned and/or treated like the opposite sex.
3. Teachers are not medical professionals and therefore they have no qualifications to make decisions regarding the treatment of a child's medical or psycholooogical condition. As Genspect puts it, "Teachers should not be socially transitioning children- especially without their parents' knowledge and consent! Social transition is a serious intervention which puts a child on a medicalized pathway. It is not the right- or the role- of teachers to facilitate such interventions."
There are some organizations that will help. One is Genspect as mentioned above. They will advocate for you as described here: https://genspect.org/advocacy/
Genspect also has some information Guidance Notes booklets you can download and email to school officials and teachers, or print out and hand to them in person. https://childparentrights.org/school-resource-guide/
The Parent & Child Rights Campaign also has some similar handouts. https://childparentrights.org/school-resource-guide/
If your child has a doctor or therapist who does not recommend social transition for your child at this time, you may be able to have them write the school to instruct them to stay neutral with the child regarding the child's gender identity issues (make sure you are copied in on the letter and confirm district employees received the letter and all teachers were copied in on the letter. At least one school went against such a doctor's recommendation and went along with socially transitioning a child, despite the doctor stating it was not in the child's best interest, and I believe the school is now being sued with the help of the Parent & Child Rights campaign.
I think these points are important, though I have not dealt with this personally:
1. Social transition (name and pronouns, using opposite sex restrooms, being placed in opposite sex PE and sports teams, etc.) is not harmless and makes it difficult for a child to walk back from the trans identity if they would later like to. Rather, social transition helps solidify the trans identitify, leaving less room for the child to change their mind.
2. As the parent, you have decided it is not in your child's best interest to be affirmed as the opposite sex or be socially transitioned and/or treated like the opposite sex.
3. Teachers are not medical professionals and therefore they have no qualifications to make decisions regarding the treatment of a child's medical or psycholooogical condition. As Genspect puts it, "Teachers should not be socially transitioning children- especially without their parents' knowledge and consent! Social transition is a serious intervention which puts a child on a medicalized pathway. It is not the right- or the role- of teachers to facilitate such interventions."
There are some organizations that will help. One is Genspect as mentioned above. They will advocate for you as described here: https://genspect.org/advocacy/
Genspect also has some information Guidance Notes booklets you can download and email to school officials and teachers, or print out and hand to them in person. https://childparentrights.org/school-resource-guide/
The Parent & Child Rights Campaign also has some similar handouts. https://childparentrights.org/school-resource-guide/
If your child has a doctor or therapist who does not recommend social transition for your child at this time, you may be able to have them write the school to instruct them to stay neutral with the child regarding the child's gender identity issues (make sure you are copied in on the letter and confirm district employees received the letter and all teachers were copied in on the letter. At least one school went against such a doctor's recommendation and went along with socially transitioning a child, despite the doctor stating it was not in the child's best interest, and I believe the school is now being sued with the help of the Parent & Child Rights campaign.
