A Person-first Approach to the ‘Transgender Debate:’ Why Our Education System Can Go Further
As debates over single-sex spaces, toilet access, school uniforms, pronouns and names continue across the UK, it can be difficult to step back and assess ‘the Transgender issue’ fairly. At the Collective Futures Project, we advocate a person-first approach to conversations around transgender identities and people. This article outlines how trans issues are often homogenised at the expense of the people and experience behind the label ‘trans,’ ‘genderqueer,’ or ‘non-binary.’
School Policy
Guidance for schools on how to treat transgender and non-binary pupils, as well as their legal obligations vis-a-vis safeguarding is ambiguous at best.
In a recent speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, Attorney General Suella Braverman claimed that it would “not constitute unlawful direct discrimination” to refuse to admit a trans girl or boy to a single-sex school if their registered sex did not match.[1] Dan Squires, a leading expert in education and discrimination law, said it would, however, be unlawful to exclude a pupil from a single-sex school because they identified with the opposite gender.[2] Braverman went on to declare that schools did not have a legal obligation to ‘address children by their preferred pronouns, names, or admit them to opposite sex toilets, sport teams or dormitories.’[3]
What this advice amounts to is:
● If trans students are already at a school, they cannot be expelled on the basis of their identity (even if that school is single-sex).
● If trans students want to join a single-sex school, schools have a right to deny them entry if their gender at birth does not match the gender of students at the school. I.e a trans girl who was assigned male at birth could be legally denied entry to a girls’ school.
● Trans students’ needs and identities are homogenised under the category of ‘trans,’ overlooking the different challenges that arise depending on your identity as a trans man, woman and/or non-binary person - as well as your choices around transitioning.
Braverman’s quote that groups the issue of pronouns and names alongside questions regarding access to single-space spaces like toilets exemplifies the lack of understanding our current policymakers have. The challenges of single-sex spaces are very real and require sensitive approaches that not all schools have the capabilities to roll out. The act of using a student’s preferred pronouns, however, has very few barriers. It requires an addendum on school registers and a staff meeting at most in order to implement such a change. To treat such different needs with a binary approach that is either ‘all-in’ for trans rights or entirely exclusionary seems limited.
Our education system is submitting to simplified, uniform categories rather than seeing trans and non-binary students as young people with a specific set of needs to address. These needs might be as simple as recognising name changes to as complex as supporting them as they navigate parental disapproval or seek gender affirming healthcare. Understanding the wide variety of experiences that come under the trans umbrella can help inform these approaches – at a single sex school, for instance, the question of toilets might be less relevant. Alternatively, school uniform rules might be affected or changing rooms might require a few private cubicles.
Safeguarding: Understanding the needs of Transgender students
There is a fear around transgender identity that has been blown out of proportion to the extent that transgender students appear to represent a threat to social spaces and education. This is apparent in attitudes to these students that treat them as being self-threatening. Conservative MP Miriam Cates expressed fear that parents were being cut out from ‘a decision that’s really important about children’s life,’[4] whilst Nadhim Zahawi has called for parents to be ‘front and centre’ whilst navigating trans issues at school. It feels almost funny to imagine a similar conversation being had about a student declaring that they were gay.
We have a lot to learn from LGBTQ+ communities about the fluidity of identity. It is now commonly accepted that sexuality, for instance, is a spectrum. Elsewhere in education, SEND provision is also increasingly understanding neurodivergence as operating along a spectrum. As we allow students to label themselves ‘gay’ and decide two years later that they’re actually bisexual, should we not also offer that space of exploration to transgender and gender non-conforming students?
The reluctance we have towards accepting gender fluidity stems from the understanding that gender is intrinsically linked to biological sex. It can also stem from understandings of gender that have been forged through interactions with feminism; if you’re a cisgender woman it can be difficult to imagine someone wanting to ‘pick’ to be a gender that undeniably faces more marginalization.
Learning Checkpoint Number One: Sex ≠ Gender
Scientific Approach: The Body, Brain and Hormones[5]
o Understanding sex as produced by XX or XY chromosomes is too simplistic. Genes like SRY, DMRT1 or FOXL2 play roles in sex differentiation. The gene SRY also doesn’t act like an on/off switch producing binary male/female characteristics, it’s a precisely timed signal that can produce male gonads, female ovaries or something in between.
o There’s no scientific evidence for a binary ‘female’ or ‘male’ brain even though there is observable sexual dimorphism (differences between the sexes). The sdnPOA is the area of the brain related to sexual activity and is generally larger in male brains. However, it’s unclear if this difference is a result of distinctly different wiring in males and females or if it’s a spectrum of experience. The sdnPOA in gay men, for instance, is much more similar to straight women than straight men!
o Sex differences in hormones (i.e oestrogen, testosterone) are not as pronounced as we once thought. Genetics also only account for around 56% of an individual’s testosterone, suggesting other influences. While we can find the averages of different sexes’ hormones, individual hormonal levels can vary hugely. Hormones[5]
2. Social Approach: Gender as Identity
o Across history and culture, there are examples of different understandings of gender. This could be as simple as men usually wearing dresses, or as diverse as a third gender. Examples include the Igbo people of precolonial Nigeria, the Sekrata gender amongst the Sakalava people in Madagascar, ‘Sworn virgins’ in Albania and the Hijras in South Asia. It’s worth noting that different understandings of gender don’t always translate easily cross-culturally.
o Gender theorists, particularly from the LGBTQ+ communities, have understood gender as a social construct. This doesn’t mean gender doesn’t exist, rather it is a concept that we give significance to in particular ways. When we’re born, we don’t have a concept of gender. As we grow up, we are taught what it means to be a boy or a girl, which one our parents understand us to be, and often, how that relates to our bodies.
If we can accept that gender is an expression of selfhood; whether it’s central to who you are or an extra detail, then it makes sense to understand transgender experiences through the same nuanced lens we give sexuality.
Safeguarding: Transgender Medical Treatment
The key distinction for transgender students is of course, the medicalisation of gender identity.
Learning Checkpoint Number Two: Gender Affirmation
1. Examples of Gender Affirmation Practices
o Non-surgical: laser hair removal, hormone replacement therapy, voice care/speech therapy[6]
o Surgical: chest surgery, breast augmentation, vaginoplasty, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, facial feminisation, hysterectomy[7]
2. How Common is Gender-Affirming Treatment?
o A 2016 study estimated that only 3% of the transgender community undergo any form of gender-affirming treatment.[8]
o It’s worth noting there’s only 10 surgeons in the UK that can perform genitoplasty and access to this sort of healthcare (both through the NHS and privately) is very limited.
o It’s unclear if this statistic represents how trans people feel about surgery or how limited access to gender-affirming healthcare is.
3. Gender Dysphoria and Euphoria
o Gender dysphoria is a feeling of discomfort that a person may have when their sex and gender identity do not match up. This can also be understand as a feeling of discomfort when aspects of a person’s body feel at odds with their gender identity.
o Gender euphoria is the feeling of your body being aligned with your gender identity. Everyone can experience gender euphoria.
o Some trans people feel that gender affirmation treatment is the best way to combat gender dysphoria, feel more aligned with their body and avoid transphobia. Because society only understands men as having no breasts, facial hair and a penis, for instance, trans men may feel pressure to adhere to these standards.
Choosing to undergo medical treatment and/or surgery is a big decision and there are instances where minors may try and obtain medication illegally. These sorts of situations naturally merit safeguarding practices that may involve parents.
Safeguarding: Single-Sex Spaces
Similarly, addressing single-sex spaces requires a student-first approach that understands the nuances involved. Women’s toilets have cubicles and do not present the same challenges that urinals do. It is likely that accommodating a trans girl (assigned male at birth) into a women’s toilet will be considerably easier given that everyone has complete privacy whilst using the facilities. Offering spaces that can be designated gender neutral is also a potential solution.
Learning Checkpoint Number Three: The Toilet Debate
1. Why Women’s Spaces:
o The discussion over transgender access to single-sex spaces and transgender people focuses on women’s spaces because of the historical lack of safety women face in society.
o Women fear that men will pretend to be trans women in order to enter safe spaces and commit acts of violence.
2. Addressing Concerns[9]
o Some cisgender people have stated that sharing toilet spaces with trans people would embarrass them. But legally, it seems misplaced to deny the access of one group of people to a space simply based on the feelings and anxieties of another – however valid they might be.
o The fear that allowing trans people into toilets will open up vulnerabilities to violence – specifically sexual violence - is twofold. The first implication is that trans women themselves will commit this violence – there is simply no data evidence to back this up. Furthermore, as Jones writes, ‘Cis women have assaulted cis women in restrooms, yet nobody takes this as a reason to ban all cis women from women’s restrooms.’[10]
o The second implication is that allowing trans women into bathrooms will increase the chances for men to enter these spaces pretending to be women. Yet again, there is no data to support this claim and there is already the possibility that perpetrators could choose to do something like this. Butch lesbian women have also spoken out about being misgendered and told not to use the women’s bathroom; it is near impossible to verify gender in an effective, everyday manner.[11]
3. The Trans Perspective
o The debate over toilet spaces re-inscribes toilets as only for cisgender use. This can be very damaging for trans people’s mental health and automatically signals trans-exclusion.
o Many trans people experience what has been termed ‘trans bladder,’ where they go the whole day without using the toilet for fear of being shamed, kicked out or abused.
Curriculums
School curriculums are facing pressure to respond to the question of trans identity - whether it be embedding trans inclusivity or taking a stand against ‘activist teaching.’ At the end of the day, your stance should be simple:
Trans students exist - Trans students deserve support and equal access to education - Schools should include trans experiences in their teaching
Teaching students about trans identity not only validates the experience of any gender non-conforming students, it has the chance to provoke deeper conversations about biology, introduce different cultural approaches to gender in history and promote genuine social inclusion.
Fears that transgender experiences are age-inappropriate or confusing are not new to wider LGBTQ+ communities. Let’s not forget that Section 28 (which forbade educators discussing ‘homosexual’ relationships) used the phrase ‘shall not intentionally promote homosexuality…’[12] The concern that discussing transgender identity will somehow speak it into existence is only correct in that more young people will feel comfortable and safe enough to come out as who they really are. Although cases of copycat behaviour can be observed amongst young people experimenting with gender and sexuality, ignoring the existence of transgender identities is an educational disservice. The fact that some trans young people are exploring their gender as a result of exposure to themes of trans inclusion (and some of these young people will not identify as trans in the longer term) should not be used to undermine the identities of all trans youth. Similarly, experiences of ‘copycat behaviour’ – otherwise understood as social contagion – are likely an expression of subversive behaviour. A similar phenomenon is apparent amongst young women who are increasingly identifying as bisexual, most often in the form of openness to sexual experience with women whilst remaining focused on romantic relationships with men. This increase in young women identifying as bisexual does not dismiss the authenticity of their queerness, it points to greater engagement with sexuality as a spectrum. Teaching openly about different expressions of gender and sexuality is likely to bring these conversations back into the norm, freeing them from the social power dynamics they currently face and reducing copycat expressions of rebellion.
Education offers a chance to mould young minds. Denying them access to information about transgender people only further alienates trans youth and feeds transphobia. We have a chance to answer some of the questions plaguing policy-makers, online chatrooms and parents today.
To highlight the value of trans [1] inclusion, we asked some members of the trans and non-binary communities to share how a trans-inclusive education would have impacted them:
Tyler (he/him) is a 20-year-old transgender man:
“Being taught trans and non-binary identities would've made me feel so much more comfortable not only in society but in myself. From first identifying as transgender to finding the right label of trans man, it took me almost 5 years. I believe that this is because I had to educate myself - doing that on top of schoolwork and typical teenage stresses was exhausting. If I was taught that not only do trans people exist but there is a wide spectrum of identities and expressions, I wouldn't have exhausted myself searching for all those years. This was during the time I hit puberty (which isn't easy for the best of us) so I had those struggles on top. It has been installed in me from a young age that it's okay to hate yourself for the way you look. Your weight, your hair, your skin; it's okay to not like those aspects of yourself according to society. But when I started feeling body dysphoria with my chest and my voice, I felt like a freak and it ruined my mental health. For there to be education, especially from a young age, that it's okay to feel this way about your body and there are ways to improve it, in my opinion, would save a lot of lives as it almost cost mine.”
Taylor (they/them) is an 18-year-old non-binary person:
“I’m non-binary and I think I would have realised I was trans a lot sooner if schools had educated us on what it means to be trans/ been given role models. And realising sooner would have saved a lot of heartache and confusion.”
Aeon (they/them) is a 20-year-old non-binary person:
“I think being taught about identities would've helped so much with regards to my mental health and also my sense of being as a student. I was in an all-boys, super transphobic/homophobic environment so for all of my teen years I had to mask my identity - any signs of queerness led to bullying. If we had that education and idea that there's more than a binary and that there's nothing wrong with being queer then holy hell it would've helped my mental health! I also think it would've created a more integrated and accepting environment, or at least remove that fear of loneliness or isolation if you showed your true colours. Also, if the science of gender is taught from a young age then I think it'd really help, especially in the environment I was in. There were a lot of "duh it's science, penis & vagina, that’s it", whereas at uni I've learned that there's so much more biology and psychology that goes into gender. For me, that would help me with being genderqueer - knowing that it's not all in my head.”
Anonymous (they/them) is a 19-year-old agender person:
“Other people being taught correctly that the pronoun ‘they’ could be and is a singular pronoun even when used in relation to cisgender people would make a massive difference. My mum in particular, despite having a job as a speech and language therapist and having to help people with language, still insists that she can't use my correct pronouns because 'it doesn't make sense grammatically for they to be singular'. This lack of acceptance at home had a massive impact on my mental well-being and relationship with my family. My dad tries to be more supportive but even he has admitted that he's not entirely sure what it all means and has had to teach himself more.
I had teachers insisting that they was not a singular pronoun during high school. There was also a general lack of mention of queer identities in general. In biology, we were only taught about sex and not about gender and how this can be different. In PSHE we never got any mention of queer identities or even sexualities so I had no basis to start properly exploring my gender when I started questioning it. I had a hard time accepting myself because I never had any positive information or experience so I had to try and find some for myself and the internet always leads to some less than brilliant places, making me feel even worse about my identity. If I had been taught about trans identities earlier I wouldn't have felt so broken when I realised I had no connection to binary identities. I have drinking issues that got worse during the few years it took for me to find out and accept I was agender and that that was okay. I feel like with at least an idea of where to start learning and discovering about trans identities and the acknowledgement that they exist and that they are okay I would have had a much better journey and a lot more confidence in my identity. I would have been in a lot better place mentally.”
Loz (they/he) is a 19-year-old non-binary person.
“In terms of general approach to teaching about trans and non-binary identities, I think that teaching about them in any capacity would've helped normalise them and therefore removed a lot of the stigma around them. I really feel like if I had been taught about them from a younger age I would've been able to find myself a lot sooner and eliminated so much identity struggle. Even basics like the spectrum of gender, rather than a black and white approach, would've massively helped me feel more comfortable whilst growing up. I believe there's definitely so much more potential to teach about people using a range of pronouns within lessons such as English. It creates a more accepting environment, but also normalizes the idea that pronouns, such as 'they' can be used in what wouldn't be such a typical context for them. It is such a subtle way to introduce and normalise trans and non-binary identities to those that grow up in predominantly cisgender and heteronormative environments. I also wish that trans identities had been taught within the curriculum rather than on designated PSHE days and sessions. I feel like if it was part of education that was incorporated into the wider curriculum (e.g. differentiating sex and gender within biology lessons or teaching about acceptance through practical PSHE in drama) it wouldn't feel so isolating. An inclusive curriculum would have helped me discover so much about myself. I feel lucky that the resources to educate myself were available to me when I took my own initiative, but this might not be the case for others, so there definitely needs to be a wider incorporation and encouragement of trans and non-binary education within schools.”
Jess (they/them) is a 21 year old non-binary person. Jess has just started their teacher training:
“Initially, being taught about trans and non-binary individuals and issues in school would’ve meant I actually knew what they were. My early exposure to cisgender feminism morphed me into a heavily cis feminist. It would take years, and absorbing the work of many activists, some who I’ve been lucky enough to know personally, for my feminism to fully include and consider those who work to dismantle and live beyond constructed gender binaries.
Most forms of what is considered ‘good teaching’ nowadays encourage students to challenge ideas and think for themselves (and quite rightly so). This gives students a certain agency, an ability to question the state of the world, which unfortunately, is full of transphobic hate. Since it’s impossible to separate hate and violence from ignorance, effective education across multiple subjects needs to be implemented to help young people understand trans identities. The reality is, there’ll be trans children in class, or they’ll have trans friends or family, or have trans celebrities as role models. Since gender is *everywhere*, it’s unrealistic to believe that students aren’t already being affected negatively by gender roles or questioning their own gender themselves.
The education can be simple – it’s not hard to use gender neutral pronouns in conversation, especially when you consider that students regularly take English classes where they endlessly deconstruct and discuss the meanings behind choices of language. I found myself thinking about this when reading ‘The Transgender Issue’ by Shon Faye recently. I’ve been around trans activism for a while now, and being trans myself, a lot of the points Faye was making seemed like common sense, and things that were always considered a given in circles I’ve been in. However, I got thinking about how this would’ve been completely new to me if I’d had this book when I was in school. How much it would have made me think, how it would have kickstarted my journey questioning my own gender and how gender is built into every aspect of our society.
On a more personal level, knowing about trans identities would’ve helped me with, and likely accelerated, my own coming out. I can recall rejecting traditional femininity from a very early age, but it’s only now I’ve seen, known, spoken to, and become friends with trans people that I’ve gained the confidence, language and knowledge that led me to coming out as non-binary. I’d argue that it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t relate to that horrible feeling of sticking out in school, and I was not immune from this either. What makes this worse is that trans kids are very rarely afforded a space free from discrimination, and educational systems and curriculums tend to actively exclude anything relevant or helpful to someone dealing with internal questions and conversations about their own identity.
Effective trans education needs to become the standard in schools, for the safety and welfare of trans kids, and to give any child, trans, non-binary, cis, the morality and agency to challenge and fight anti-trans hate and rhetoric that continues to dominate mainstream media. Children have been patronised and ignored for far too long, we cannot deny them the tools to develop their self-esteem, expression and identity.”
Conclusion
This article has touched broadly on the different challenges that trans and non-binary people face today. Whilst there is no easy answer to adapting safe-guarding measures, societal norms or school infrastructure, it’s clear that the humanity of these young people needs to be centred in these conversations. Every contributor to this article was keen to share their testimony and offer solutions to the questions educators are asking themselves today. Amongst the struggles they’ve faced, there is a message of hope; working together we can ensure that every child is treated with dignity and respect.
Written by Amber Barrow
Edited by Tallulah Guard
[1] Attorney General Suella Braverman, ‘Equalities and Rights: Conflict and the Need for Clarity,’ https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/equalities-and-rights-conflict-and-the-need-for-clarity
[2] Dan Squires, ‘Trans Children in Schools,’ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YmoyjcNQtr0V2yPSZjbXQy1GcGYiAKbB/view
[3] Attorney General Suella Braverman.
[4] Miriam Cates in Pink News, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/04/21/nadhim-zahawi-education-minister-trans-students-parents/
Nadhim Zahawi in Pink News, https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/04/21/nadhim-zahawi-education-minister-trans-students-parents/
[5] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
[6] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gender-affirmation-nonsurgical-services#:~:text=Gender%20affirmation%20can%20include%20various,psychiatric%20services%20and%20primary%20care.
[7] https://transcare.ucsf.edu/guidelines/overview
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27045261/
[9] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2021.652777/full
[10] Jones, Z. (2015). Bathroom Bills: Dehumanization and Control (Gender Analysis 06). Gender Analysis. Available online at: https://genderanalysis.net/2015/05/bathroom-bills-dehumanization-and-control-gender-analysis-06/
[11] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-rowling-explainer-trfn-idUSKBN23I3AI
[12] https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/cacc0b40-c3a4-473b-86cc-11863c0b3f30