In the letter he attempts to dismiss trans youth as tomboys and feminine boys, claims its a phase, and refers to how bad it is to “glamorise the transgender lifestyle”
Nick Fletcher has recently popped up a few times in discourse surrounding trans issues. Notably he appeared in the nonbinary legal recognition debate in which he helped derail the conversation entirely.
The note which can be read here via the BBC was sent and confirmed to have been received by numerous schools in Fletcher’s Don Valley constituency
Joe Brian, head teacher at Conisbrough Ivanhoe Primary Academy, said he had written back to Fletcher saying he would have preferred a letter addressing actual real problems the teaching profession is facing.
This comes not long after founder of Transgender Trend, Stephanie Davies-Arai, was given honours on the Queen’s birthday honours list. Specifically for her work with Transgender Trend in targeting transgender children, or as the honours put it “for services to children”.
It also comes after a debate in Parliament regarding the promised ban on conversion therapy. The Government’s initial u-turn on the ban entirely and then subsequent double u-turn in order to make it a ban for conversion therapy on the basis of sexual orientation alone has caused waves within queer communities. Over 100 organisations pulled out of the government’s Safe To Be Me conference with nothing to show for it but a bill of up to £600,000.
A key point made in the debate by those opposing a trans inclusive ban was to ‘protect children’ from ‘transgender ideology’. The same rhetoric we’ve seen in the nonbinary debate, from Transgender Trend and also in Nick Fletcher’s letter to schools.
We’ve also seen numerous comments from other MPs which take aim at transgender youth, such as comments from Nadhim Zahawi and Suella Braverman.
The evidence is clear, UK transphobia is ramping up its efforts in targeting trans youth in particular. I spoke with numerous children’s charities month ago who told me they were “not prepared” to give comment on these issues because its a sensitive area which they need to get it right on.
I hope that those organisations are ready now, trans youth needed them yesterday and can’t afford to wait any longer for them to oppose the horrific actions of this government.
