The Tasmania Department for Education, Children and Young People is providing training to all primary and secondary teachers in collaboration with the political lobby group Working it Out.
We obtain some slides provided during the teachers training, here are our comments
Gender Dysphoria at Schools
The training promotes the social transition of children with gender dysphoria in schools, including that teachers should talk to children about breast binding and that teachers should be alert for the needs of children who may suffer health impacts of breast binding or from surgical interventions on reproductive and other organs. The training encourages students to enter the change rooms they feel more comfortable without regard to safeguarding young girls, who are usually more likely to be harassed and assaulted. The training fails to take into consideration respect for students from diverse cultural backgrounds and their needs or the views of girls.
Young person with a uterus who does not identify as female
The Student Voice slide indicates that students have the right to dictate what language teachers must use to comply with ‘diversity and inclusion’ policies rather than language based on scientific facts and biology. Political lobby groups and students should have no role in compelling the speech of teachers and requiring them to use language that is anti-science. Calling women ‘people with a uterus’ is dehumanizing to girls and young women and could cause mental health distress.
Issues resulting from surgical interventions to ‘normalise’ body
We can only assume by the outcome/impact of this surgery resulting in frequent toilet use and incontinence that this refers to genital surgery, for trans or intersex students.
Surgical interventions in minors are irreversible and harmful to the long term health for intersex or transgender children. Teachers should not be required to normalise this type of procedure or even talk to young people about it.
Gender Neutral change rooms
The change to gender neutral change rooms should not be at the expense of young girls’ opinions or their safety. The Department of Education is failing to acknowledge the need for single sex spaces but it also threatens students that any form of complaint is harassment.
WST in recent letters to Minister for Education Jo Palmer have stated we are NOT opposed to the building of gender neutral toilets and change rooms at schools as long as they are provided as a third option alongside male and female facilities which should remain in place.
We are concerned about the mental health toll on young girls who are being forced to share female only or gender neutral facilities with boys.
Binding can be important as a way to reduce dysphoria and improve mental health and wellbeing
The Safe Binding slide is not only misleading but factually incorrect.
There are no long term systemic studies on the effect of breast binding on the reduction of dysphoria, what we have is an array of health complications caused by binding.
There are short and long term health complications of breast binding.
Most young girls that practice breast binding will report at least one complication from this practice, the most common being back and chest pain
Short term complications can be back pain, overheating, shortness or breath, skin rashes. More serious complications can arise over time peaking after 5 years, these can be rib fractures, scarring or other neurological symptoms.
Fact check:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6298447