Transgenderism in Northern Ireland: Campaigner warns against 'indoctrination' of children after report criticises schools for defending pupils' right to hold different views

Instead the commission urges “affirmative” attitudes towards what it calls gender diversity – prompting campaigner Helen Joyce to warn against children being “indoctrinated”.

Dr Joyce said that “children should not be taught contested, politicised constructs as if they are fact”, whilst fellow activist Shelly Charlesworth suggested its authors need to scrap the report and go back to the drawing board, because it presents political ideas as if they were science.

The commission responded that the report reflects “international human rights standards”.

– 58% OF SCHOOLS NOW MAKE MENTION OF ‘GENDER IDENTITY’ –

The report in question was published by the NI Human Rights Commission this week, and was hailed by publicly-funded trans pressure group The Rainbow Project and the SDLP.

Titled ‘Relationships and Sexuality Education in Post Primary Schools in Northern Ireland: A Compelling Case for Reform’ and running to 81 pages, among its findings are that many schools are too willing to allow differences of opinion on the subject.

The report relies on what it describes as “independently-contracted experts” (whom it does not identify).

These “independently-contracted experts” asked all post-primary schools about their RSE policies (relationships and sex education).

They found that 99% of schools which responded “included a reference to sexual orientation, and related terms (LGBT, queer, lesbian, asexuality, homophobia) in their RSE policies”.

Some 58% “made reference to gender identity, and related terms such as: non-binary, gender expression, transgender, transphobia, etc”.

81.5% said they support “inclusivity” and “diversity” in their RSE policies.

And “schools overwhelmingly condemned discrimination from school staff and pupils against LGBTQ+ youth and youth with LGBTQ+ parents”.

The report then says more needs to be done by schools to promote an “affirmative and positive approach to sexual and gender diversity”.

– WARNING OVER ‘PROTECTING RIGHT TO DIFFERENT OPINIONS’ –

The NI Human Rights Commission’s report says that “despite claiming to uphold [the] notions of inclusivity and diversity, we found that schools often contradicted these values in various ways”.

It said: “First, many schools promoted and protected pupils' rights to holding 'diverging opinions' and used the notion of 'tolerance' rather than rights.

"These statements often came directly after schools' statements about remaining inclusive to different sexual orientations, gender identities and family structures – implying that young people are permitted to hold prejudiced opinions towards people of different sexual orientations and gender identities, so long as they are held in a 'peaceful manner'.

"For example, one [school] writes: ‘Respect of all people regardless of sexual orientation will be promoted, along with the right of all members of the school community being allowed to have different views from others without aggression or antagonism’.

“Second, most schools either explicitly or implicitly promoted heteronormativity in their RSE policies.

"Approximately one third of schools explicitly stated that their school would teach pupils that heterosexual relationships was the ‘main’ or ‘ideal’ context for sexual intimacy, with one school stating that it was ‘the most desirable option for a person’s psychological development’.

"Some schools even outline their beliefs that ‘homosexuality’ is wrong. For example, one [school] writes that ‘the belief that homosexual acts are against the nature and purpose of human relationships will be presented to pupils’.”

– CRITIC REJECTS IDEA ‘TOLERANCE’ IS BYWORD FOR HATE –

Dr Helen Joyce is a Dublin-born mathematician and critic of transgender ideology.

She is the director of advocacy at the non-profit outfit Sex Matters, a lobby group which is guided by this principle: “There are two sexes, female and male; people shouldn’t be afraid to say this.”

She told the News Letter: “It tells you a lot that this report puts scare quotes around ‘diverging opinions’ and ‘tolerance’ like these are dog-whistles for hate, rather than the bedrock of a democratic, liberal, pluralistic society in which freedom of belief and freedom of speech are truly valued.

"Moreover, what is ‘gender identity’? I know what sexual orientation is – it concerns which people constitute your dating pool: male, female, or both.

"Gender identity is an entirely subjective belief about oneself, a belief that many people do not have.

"Children should not be taught contested, politicised constructs as if they are fact. That's indoctrination.”

– ‘PUPILS MUST BE ALLOWED TO VOICE VIEWS FREELY’ –

Shelley Charlesworth is a researcher with the UK organisation Transgender Trend, which describes itself as “an organisation of parents, professionals and academics based in the UK who are concerned about the current trend to diagnose children as transgender”.

She said: “If the NI Human Rights Commission wants to base RSE on scientifically-accurate information it needs to rewrite the whole report, because every time it references ‘gender identity’ it is talking about a political not scientific concept.

"It ought to know that there is no scientific evidence for gender identity. It’s a new political idea derived from queer theory in universities and has no place in schools.

"Schools must uphold freedom of belief and expression and ensure that pupils who don’t subscribe to the creed of gender ideology are allowed to express these views freely.

"Suggesting as the NI Human Rights Commission does, that knowledge that sex is binary and immutable is a ‘prejudiced opinion’ is deeply concerning.

"Children should not be taught inaccurate facts about their bodies or be told that it’s possible to change sex.

“Parents must make sure that their children are not being taught gender politics in their RSE lessons."

– WHO ARE THE REPORT’S EXPERTS? –

The NI Human Rights Commission was asked who the “independent experts” were that helped compile the report.

It replied: “The independent experts were from University College London.”

Pressed further, it said: “The Commission contracted UCL for independent research.

"The Commission published the report, and its contents represent the views of the Commission.”

It was also asked how many genders there are, to which it replied: “The Commission does not define gender identity in the report.

"As part of the investigation, we examined how a wide range of regional and international human rights bodies define sexual and reproductive health education, which many include gender identity as an aspect of comprehensive sexuality education.”

When it comes to Ms Charlesworth and Dr Joyce’s criticism, it said: “The Commission's role is to uphold international human rights standards.

"The reports’ content and recommendations reflect these standards.”

The NI Human Rights Commission has an annual budget of some £1.7m, and is headed by barrister Alison Kilpatrick, a former director of homeless charity the Simon Community.

She has previously described differences of opinion within the NI Human Rights Commission on LGBTQ+ matters as “problematic”.

• WATCH: Differing opinions on ‘transphobia’ and ‘conversion therapy’ are ‘problematic’ in NI Human Rights Commission says chief Alyson Kilpatrick at pride 2022 event

More from this reporter:

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• Campaigners object to elevation of biological man to management role in Women's Institute while Northern Irish wing refuses to comment