UK: Starmer Opposes Gender Ideology Teaching in Schools
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said on Monday that he is against the teaching of gender ideology to children and young people in schools across England....
Facts
- Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said on Monday that he is against the teaching of gender ideology to children and young people in schools across England.1
- During a visit to a school in Kettering, Starmer said he supports 'age-appropriate' teaching on transgender issues, while his spokesman added, 'Labour's priority is the safety and well-being of every child.'2
- Starmer's comments come a day after shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson avoided directly answering whether Labour would back a proposed ban on schools teaching students about gender identity.3
- In an interview with the BBC, she said some aspects of the draft gender-questioning guidance veered too much into 'partisan and unnecessary language.'4
- The Department for Education's draft guidance states that pupils must be taught the law on gender reassignment, but schools should 'teach the facts about biological sex' if asked about gender identity.5
- In an interview with Holyrood magazine last week, Starmer backtracked from previous statements supporting self-identification on gender, praising former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair for stressing the importance of biological sex.6
Sources: 1Daily Mail, 2The Times, 3BBC News, 4The Telegraph, 5Independent (a) and 6Independent (b).
Narratives
- Conservative narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. Starmer may have claimed to be against gender ideology in schools, but Britain can hardly take his word for it, given that Labour can't even define the term. If he becomes prime minister next week, his government will likely scrap proposals to ban gender identity from being taught in schools.
- Progressive narrative, as provided by Schools Week. Even lawyers for the Tory government have acknowledged that several passages in the draft guidance are very likely to fail to stand up to a legal challenge. So, whether or not you agree that schools must support transgender pupils, it's a matter of fact that the imminent Labour government must review this ban.
