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“Facts, Not Ideology”? The Quiet Erasure of Trans Lives in Schools
- Ami Foxx, Amelia's Angels
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Behind polite phrasing is a sharp shift in direction; one that puts young trans people and inclusive education at real risk.
Earlier this month, the Department for Education released its long-awaited draft Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance. On the surface, it talks about respect and legal clarity. But behind the polite phrasing is a sharp shift in direction; one that puts young trans people and inclusive education at real risk.
Let’s look at what’s actually being said.
Clause 69 states: “Pupils should also be taught the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment. This should recognise that people have legal rights by virtue of their biological sex which are different from the rights of those of the opposite sex with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment.”
This is a clear nod to the recent Supreme Court ruling and the ideological framing advanced by groups like Sex Matters – a suggestion that rights may be in conflict, and that trans people’s legal protections are somehow lesser or secondary to those based on sex.
While it claims to offer “clarity,” what it’s really doing is pushing a selective legal narrative; one that chips away at trans people’s protections under the Equality Act.
Clause 70 then doubles down: “Schools should not teach as fact that all people have a gender identity.”
This line is scary. It positions the existence of trans and nonbinary people as a “viewpoint” rather than a reality supported by decades of medical and psychological evidence.
Imagine how this will feel to a trans child sitting in that classroom… hearing their identity treated as optional, controversial, or even harmful.
The guidance continues:
“Schools should be mindful to avoid any suggestion that social transition is a simple solution to feelings of distress…”
This language is dangerous. It casts doubt on one of the few lifelines available to trans young people – social transition – as if it’s something frivolously undertaken, or even pointless.
We know from research and real-world experience that being supported in using the right name, pronouns, and clothing can be life-saving. It’s not a “solution,” it’s a right.
Clause 72 adds: “Schools should avoid materials… that encourage pupils to question their gender.”
This is a direct attack on inclusive materials: videos, cartoons, or books that introduce kids to the idea that there’s more than one way to be a boy or a girl, or that you don’t have to fit into those boxes at all. It’s a green light for censorship, and it’s extremely worrying.
So what's really happening?
This isn’t about protecting children. It’s about narrowing what’s permissible to say and teach about gender and identity. It’s about laying the groundwork for a chilling kind of silence… one where trans lives are sidelined, then erased, under the guise of “balance” or “neutrality.”
This follows a pattern: the EHRC’s reinterpretation of the Equality Act. The Supreme Court’s ruling. The framing of gender identity as “ideology.” These moves aren’t isolated. They’re coordinated.
And children – especially trans and questioning kids – are being caught in the crossfire.
What now?
We can’t let this pass unnoticed. If you’re a parent, carer, educator, or just someone who believes in inclusive education, now is the time to speak up.
This isn’t to start until 1st September. Until then, make your voice heard. Write to your MP. Parents, speak to school boards.
Let them know that trans kids deserve more than tolerance – they deserve dignity, safety, and the right to exist without being treated as a debate.
And if you’re a trans person reading this – especially if you’re young – I want you to know this:
You are real. You are valid. And you’re not a political problem to be solved. You’re a person.
We’re fighting for you.
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