Parents concerned about school promotion of gender confusion

“Many parents have told us they are deeply concerned about the $8 million Safe Schools Coalition program now being rolled out nationally,” FamilyVoice research officer Ros Phillips said today.

Under the Safe Schools Coalition Australia, schools would be encouraged to stop dividing students into boys’ and girls’ groups in order to help gender-diverse students. Transgender and intersex students will be able to use either boys’ or girls’ toilets and change rooms under a national anti-discrimination strategy.

The voluntary initiative, already running in 132 Victorian schools, will see schools establish diversity groups and review library materials. Posters about same-sex relationships, transgenderism, bisexuality and intersexuality will also be displayed.

“This teaches kids that the sex they were born with is meaningless. It’s like telling an anorexic student it’s OK to starve,” Ros Phillips said.

“When a young boy says he wants to be a girl, parents need to know that there are options other than buying him dolls, skirts and cosmetics. No amount of hormones or surgery will turn him into a real woman, and may lead to further problems.

“Why do some boys feel like girls and vice versa? Family and sibling dynamics, chance encounters and personality factors may all play a part – and change is possible. A case history in a peer-reviewed journal* tells the story of a boy who exhibited ‘female’ behaviour from the age of two. His mother sought advice when her son was five. A therapist then taught her how to gently encourage ‘male’ and discourage ‘female’ behaviours, using rewards and social reinforcement. Three years later, the boy’s gender dysphoria had disappeared.*

“It is very important to provide safety and support to all children in school. That is not the same as affirming and accepting all choices,” Ros Phillips said. “Many parents feel uncomfortable with the confusing ideas promoted by Safe Schools and do not want it for their children.”

* Rekers, G A and Lovaas, O I (1974), “Behavioral treatment of deviant sex-role behaviors in a male child”, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 7, pp 173-190.

Mrs Roslyn Phillips, BSc DipEd National research officer FamilyVoice Australia: a Christian voice for family, faith and freedom