Mom Sues School for ‘Victimizing’ Her Son with LGBTQ Views

A British mom is suing her son’s school for indoctrinating students with pro-LGBTQ ideology without parental permission.
 
Izoduwa “Izzy” Montague, 35, accuses Heavers Farm Primary School in London of “the systematic proselytization of its young and vulnerable pupils” after children were forced to participate in the school’s LGBTQ “Proud to Me” event last summer. 

Montague is seeking a “five-figure sum” from the school. She has also filed a formal complaint to Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary for England and Wales. 

According to The Sunday Times, Montague and other parents were treated “dismissively” for opposing the pride celebration.

“We have to make sure parents are back in control of what happens to their children in the school system,” Montague told The Sunday Times. “I don’t think we wave them goodbye at the school gates and say ‘do what you like with them’.”

LGBTQ views being taught in schools

Montague’s legal representation, the UK’s Christian Legal Centre (CLC), informed LifeSiteNews that when she met with Susan Papas, the head teacher, she was confronted by Papas’ own daughter, who also teaches at the school, who was wearing an aggressively pro-LGBTQ t-shirt.

The t-shirt asked, “‘Why be racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic, when you can just be quiet?'”  

Days later, Montague received a letter from the school dismissing her complaint. The letter argued corporate pride events are acceptable so they are acceptable in school as well. 

On the same day, Montague’s five-year-old son was “for the first time in his life” given a detention for three hours, and he was punished again with another hour the following day. 

When Montague came to the school to discuss her son’s treatment, she was barred from the building.

“They (staff) deemed her to be uncooperative and hostile,” CLC’s Robert Kiska told LifeSiteNews.

“After I complained about my young child being forced to take place in an event that goes against our Christian beliefs, the school’s attitude towards me changed completely,” stated Montague. “I know other parents who are afraid to speak up because of how the school has treated me.”

“It was like being bullied,” she continued. “They stopped treating me like any other parent but were antagonistic towards me. I believe that they retaliated against me unreasonably by excluding me from the premises, victimizing my child and not taking my safeguarding concerns seriously.”

“I wasn’t even trying to stop the Pride event. I just wanted my child to receive an education, rather than indoctrination,” she added. 

 Children are read to by a cross dresser in an American library 

CLC states Heavers Farm Primary School is “forcing a very aggressive LGBT agenda onto children under 12 years of age in a manner which abuses parental rights and victimizes parents.”

The organization states many parents are scared to speak out because of the fear their children will be “further victimized and/or expelled.”

Since the incident, Montague and her husband, Shane, have removed their child from the school. 

Illinois Senate Passes Bill that Requires LGBT History in Public Schools and California Wants in

The Illinois Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would require public schools in the state to teach lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history, as well as use inclusive and “non-discriminatory” textbooks.  

The bill, which passed with a 34-18 vote, would require “all elementary and high schools to teach a unit studying ‘the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State,’ Fox News reported.

Supporters of the legislation, such as Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, who sponsored the measure, told Fox News that teaching LGBT history in schools is important to “increase compassion and understanding as well as to provide historical role models for LGBT students.”

“This measure is consistent with how Illinois public schools teach children about other marginalized communities and ethnicities, and it is one more step toward offering students a complete and accurate historical perspective,” she added.

The measure is not unlike the state’s school code, which “already ensures inclusion in history curriculum of the contributions and experiences of other historically marginalized communities, including of people of color, women, immigrant communities and people with disabilities,” LGBT advocacy group Equality Illinois said in a statement.

Video

Historians wrestle with how to teach LGBT history to schools

However, how much time is spent on the subject would be left up to school districts to decide. 

Opponents argue that the bill contradicts Judeo-Christian beliefs and have raised concerns regarding religious freedom.

“Schools should teach that we should be respectful of each student and each person. This is what we all agree on. However, schools should not be used to advocate for lifestyles that are against the religious values of the students and parents,” Illinois Family Institute lobbyist Ralph Rivera told legislators in a memo, according to The State Journal Register.

But Steans said she has “worked with opponents and have addressed their concerns about whether it is appropriate for children to learn about LGBT history and the implications for religious freedom.”

“This bill is about historical facts,” she added.

The measure will now head to the House, where Steans said she is “hopeful” it will pass. If enacted, Illinois would become the second state to approve an LGBT inclusive curriculum.

Gay history may soon become a mandatory part of history class in California as well. The history books in public schools today include figures from all walks of life that have made significant contributions to the development of this country. In California, some legislators do not believe the curriculum has gone far enough to include all Americans that have played a role in our nation’s history. To rectify the problem, lawmakers have introduced a bill that requires the teaching of gay history in schools. According to an Associated Pressreport, the California Senate approved the measure, but it still must pass the Assembly and Governor Jerry Brown’s desk before it becomes an official law of the state. The California legislation would require schools to add LGBT figures to the list of social and ethnic groups that must already be included in current history lessons. It would also require the California Board of Education and local school districts within the state to adopt textbooks that cover the historical contributions of sexual minorities in this country. Material that reflects adversely on gays or particular religions would be banned from classroom teaching as well. Each school district would be able to determine what material to use and at what age the material would be taught. 

Proponents of the bill say this addition to history books is no different than those made during the Civil Rights movement, when African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, women and other minority groups began to be recognized for their contributions to this country. Supporters add that this legislation would fill an obvious gap in the state’s current social studies curriculum and possibly curb anti-gay sentiment and attitudes that often lead to bullying of gay children in schools.

 

“It’s fine to imagine we would have these expert educators deciding what history education should look like, but that’s counter-historical in and of itself,” New York University history and education professor Jonathan Zimmerman told the Associated Press. “Its citizens’ groups who want to see themselves in the curriculum and see the curriculum as a rich, symbolic battlefield, which it is.”

Opponents of the bill say legislation is unnecessary, and it may lead to teachers providing instruction on sexual orientation, rather than history. Tucker Carlson, host of Daily Caller, said on TPM Muckraker, “At any age, teaching propaganda is wrong. No one is suggesting, and no one, as far as I know in the modern age, has ever suggested that people who are gay not be included in history. I mean, that’s ludicrous. But this bill would teach kids politically charged facts that are not the whole story. It would lie to kids; it would prevent schools from teaching things that somehow reflected poorly on a group that has political power.”

 

Others opposed to the bill say they are concerned about indoctrination of children by adding this material to the history lessons. They do not believe public school teachers should be called to make a value judgment on the gay lifestyle if they are uncomfortable doing so. During one tense hearing before the Senate Education Committee, Robert Evans, a pastor from a California church, wanted to know how the schools would be able to balance a twin mandate that eliminates a bias against gay people while fairly representing religions that do not embrace homosexuality.

 

One of the opponents of the bill, Sen. Doug La Malfa of Butte, told PrideSource, “I’m deeply troubled kids would have to contemplate at a very, very early age, when many of us are teaching abstinence…what is sexuality.”

 America is morally bankrupt, and is now a country of low/no standards- almost anything that’s perverted is allowable and protected! Prayer has been taken out of the schools and replaced with abominable acceptation. The church has been commercialized, compromised to worldly standards to maintain relevance, is ineffective in the local government and no longer a respected voice in our society. Values which were once regarded as the pride of this country are now mocked such as foot-soldiers being men and brides being women. One day, after the new generations of this country have been thoroughly indoctrinated into filthy behaviors and confusing lifestyles, the history books will be re-written once again to teach about a time when the church couldn’t be bought, a man married a woman and a woman was indeed a woman – all of which will be laughable to that generation as if it were fiction. – Mrs. Catherine C. Sutton/Winston Salem,NC

Babylon Today edited/contributed to this post originally posted by NBC NEWS.

 

Florida Female Student Who Identifies as Male Sues to Use Boys’ Restroom/Locker Room at School

ORLANDO, Fla. — A female student in Florida who identifies as a male has filed a lawsuit along with her parents in an effort to obtain access to the boys’ restroom and locker room facilities.

The 15-year-old, who is only being identified as John Doe in the legal challenge, has suffered from gender dysphoria since she was in the second grade. According to the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a “gender dysphoria diagnosis involves a difference between one’s experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender, and significant distress or problems functioning.”

The youth’s parents had her named changed to a boy’s name during the third grade, and she began presenting herself as male. She also underwent hormone replacement therapy in middle school and had chest reconstruction surgery last year. Throughout her schooling in Volusia County, the student has requested to use the boys’ restroom and locker room, and has been directed to use the single occupancy restrooms as a compromise. However, her parents state that this has upset the child at times because she feels segregated from others due to her condition. 

“Behind these unlawful and discriminatory practices is a child who is suffering. VCSB’s conduct, which ostracizes John from the other boys in [her] class simply because [she] is transgender, causes John overwhelming distress and anxiety,” the lawsuit reads. “The distress and anxiety has gone so far as to manifest itself in a condition called trichotillomania, which causes John to pull out [her] own eyelashes.”

“John loves sports and wants to try out for [her] high school boys’ basketball team,” it also outlines. “However, each time the stigma and humiliation of not being able to change in the boys’ locker room with his teammates keeps John from trying out for the team.”

The teen’s parents and attorney are therefore seeking an injunction against the Volusia County School Board to obtain access to the boys’ restroom and locker room and to “otherwise treat [the student] as a boy in all respects.” They argue that the board’s policies and practices violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on a person’s sex, as well as the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

As previously reported by Heather Clark, the Trump administration disagrees with the Obama administration’s interpretation of Title IX, and overturned a directive last March that mandated public schools to allow male students that identify as female to use the girls’ facilities, and vice versa.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor also issued an injunction against the directives in October 2016, stating, “It cannot be disputed that the plain meaning of the term sex … following passage of Title IX meant the biological and anatomical differences between male and female students as determined at their birth.”

“Without question, permitting educational institutions to provide separate housing to male and female students, and separate educational instruction concerning human sexuality, was to protect students’ personal privacy, or discussion of their personal privacy, while in the presence of members of the opposite biological sex,” he explained.

Read the student’s lawsuit in full here.

Nancy Wait, director of community information for Volusia County Schools, told the Daytona Beach News Journal that the district bases communal restroom use on biological sex, and that the requirement is in step with both federal and state law.

“Group restroom and locker room usages at district schools are based on biological sex. Our schools offer single-use restroom and changing area alternatives while respecting the privacy of all students,” she outlined. “[Our practice of] maintaining gender-specific group restrooms and locker rooms is fully compliant with state and federal law and the norm in the workplace and schools.”

Wait also noted that the district prohibits bullying and/or harassment of students with gender dysphoria, and that disciplinary action may be taken against those who mistreat others. She likewise stated that Volusia County Schools does accommodate students in regard to preferred pronouns or name changes.

Originally written by Heather Clark/ Edited by Babylon Today

Christian School Punished Over Biblical Teaching on Homosexuality Files Lawsuit Against School District

According to CP Reporter, Samuel Smith, 

A Christian society in Canada has filed a lawsuit claiming it was punished by a school district for refusing to censor certain biblical references.

The Cornerstone Christian Society of Camrose and three parents of the Cornerstone Christian Academy are suing the Battle River School Division No. 31 after the school’s agreement with the public school district was unilaterally terminated earlier this year.

The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, claims that the Society, which has had held a master agreement with the BRSD to serve as a Christian alternative program since 2009, lost its agreement in June after it initially refused to remove 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 from a revised academy “vision and purpose” document and scrub religious teachings that could be deemed offensive.

Although the school and BRSD had instituted a five-year agreement in 2015, when Cornerstone submitted its vision and purpose document in January 2017, the school was told by division officials that they must remove the biblical passage.

“Based on the position of the Minister of Education and Alberta Education, we do not support leaving this reference in the document,” the lawsuit quotes Imogene Walsh, BRSD assistant superintendent of business, as writing in an email to the school district on Jan. 30.

The Corinthians passage states: “Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

“The Verses reflect Evangelical religious beliefs that BRSD was well aware are foundational to Cornerstone’s religious character,” the lawsuit explains. “BRSD’s request to remove the Verses was a profound interference with the religious character and religious freedoms of the Applicants, as well as the contractual agreement between the parties evidenced by the Master Agreement.” 

According to lawsuit, the master agreement states that BRSD recognizes that Cornerstone is “an educational setting which operates in accordance with the religious beliefs, core values.”

The lawsuit also claims that Laurie Skori, then chair of BRSD Board of Trustees, told the school in an email in May that the concern is about “any actions, teachings or scripture that results in any student, staff member, parent or other stakeholder from being discriminated against based on any protected grounds.”

“For example, any teachings that denigrate or vilify someone’s sexual orientation, since that appears to be the focus, would not permit the school board to meet with its legal obligation,” Skori wrote.

Although Cornerstone eventually agreed to remove the verse from the document in early June, the agreement was official terminated on June 29 and will be effective in June 2018.

“BRSD was not satisfied with the removal of the Verses. Ms. Skori wrote the same day in response to require Cornerstone to make a further concession: that it would not use any Scripture that ‘could be considered inappropriate,'” the lawsuit explains.

In a statement, Justice Centre President John Carpay stated that the school district “acted out of anti-religious prejudice and ideological discrimination” and further argued that the district “lost sight of the best interests of the children.”

According to the court application, the case will be heard on April 17 at a court in Wetaskiwin. The school is seeking a stay of the school district’s decision.

“In attempting to censor the teaching of Biblical sexuality, and in attempting to prevent the Society from communication with staff and parents, BRSD breached its obligations under the Master Agreement, the School Act, the Alberta Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Carpay added.

In June, Skori explained that the school district was “disappointed” with how Cornerstone went public with the school’s request that offensive verses be removed, saying that the situation was turned into a “public spectacle.”

“We are now at the center of a firestorm as a result of information distributed without our knowledge, by the Cornerstone Christian School Society board and their partner in this process, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms,” Lori was quoted by CBC News as saying. “Hate mail is flowing, misinformation and fear-mongering are widespread. The Cornerstone society has compromised our reputation, risked our safety and broken our trust.”

Skori also denied that the school district was trying to restrict religious teachings.

“The board does not want to get involved in things like that. I think it’s up to the school to decide what things are appropriate or not,” Skori stated.

 

Disney animated series introduces a Male Princess

Disney made a bold statement to its Disney XD audience suggesting that boys can be princesses, like girls! 

On a recent episode of Star vs. The Forces of Evil, the character of Marco Diaz (voiced by Adam McArthur) disguised himself as Princess Turdina to help save the students at St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses from Ms. Heinous, the wicked headmistress.

Marco is about to reveal his truth to the students when Ms. Heinous storms in and outs him herself, pulling down his shirt to reveal a strand of chest hair. But the other princesses stand by Marco’s side.

“That doesn’t prove anything. Princesses can be hairy,” one princess shouts.

“Why does it matter if he’s a boy? Nothing he said was wrong,” another exclaims.

Others join the chorus by saying, “Yeah, we believe in you, Turdina,” “Turdina is a state of mind,” and, “He can be a princess if he wants to!”

Star vs. The Forces of Evil was created by executive producer Daron Nefcy, only the second woman to spearhead her own Disney animated show. The cartoon previously broke ground by featuring the first same-sex kiss for a Disney property on an episode that aired in February.

 Copied from a You Tube clip “If men were male princesses” 

Drag Queens to Visit Nursery Schools to Teach About LGBT in United Kingdom

Drag queens are being brought into taxpayer-funded nursery schools to teach children about sexual diversity.

The Drag Queen Story Time organisation, based in Bristol, was formed ‘to teach children about LGBT tolerance’.

Nursery bosses say the sessions will help children to ‘see people who defy rigid gender restrictions’ and grow up to combat hate crime.  

Donna La Mode is one of the drag queens who will be sent in to read stories to children at nursery

 

They want to target two and three-year-olds to influence them early. The drag queens, including Donna La Mode, will read stories to the children.

The sessions are being held at seven London Early Years Foundation nurseries over the winter – and if they are successful they will be rolled out across all the LEYF’s 37 sites. 

But leading child psychotherapist Dilys Daws, feared they could sow the seeds of confusion in young children about their own sexual identity.

 

Let Little Boys Wear Tiaras, ‘Church of England’ Tells Anglican Schools in New Guidance

(Daily Mail) — Boys as young as five should be able to wear tiaras at school without criticism, teachers in Church of England schools are to be told.

Male pupils should also be free to dress up in a tutu or high heels without attracting any comment or observation, according to anti-bullying rules sent out by the Church yesterday.

The instructions for the CofE’s 4,700 schools said they should not require children to wear uniforms that “create difficulty for trans pupils.” This appears to give official backing to schools that ban skirts to avoid discrimination against transgender children.  

Schools are also told they cannot use the Christian faith or Bible teachings to justify behavior that is considered to amount to bullying – for example, identifying a transgender pupil by a sex other than the one they have chosen. The advice contains instructions on how to report bullying, including sample forms on which teachers are encouraged to name the alleged bully and their target, and use tick boxes to describe what happened.

Examples include name-calling, social media trolling, or insulting gestures.

The rules to ‘challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying’ follow initial guidelines published by the Church three years ago which said being gay can be good and pupils should ‘revere and respect all members of the diverse community’.

The official teaching of the CofE, however, remains that gay sex is sinful and that members of the clergy should not be in an active sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. The Church also says marriage must continue to be between a man and a woman. 

Conservative Christian activists condemned the new rules yesterday.

Andrea Minichiello Williams of Christian Concern – an evangelical member of the CofE’s parliament, the General Synod – said: ‘These rules are unkind, unloving and lacking in compassion. We are all against bullying, but the Church is using these guidelines to pursue an agenda that runs counter to the Church’s teaching.’  

She added: ‘We are getting to the point where if you are not careful the slightest slip from the correct agenda in a Church of England school will get you punished. The anti-bullying agenda is aimed against people who step out of line – the anti-bullies are becoming the bullies.’

The new guidance came as a Christian teacher was suspended from a school in Oxfordshire after accidentally calling a transgender pupil ‘girl’ instead of ‘boy’. Joshua Sutcliffe, 27, faces a disciplinary hearing this week in which he could lose his job, after the parents complained.  

Justin Welby said: ‘This guidance helps schools to offer the Christian message of love, joy and celebration of our humanity without exception or exclusion.

The CofE rules say children in nurseries and the primaries that make up the majority of Church schools should be free to follow their own inclinations when they dress. They state: ‘In the early years context and throughout primary school, play should be a hallmark of creative exploration.  

‘Pupils need to be able to play with the many cloaks of identity … Children should be at liberty to explore the possibilities of who they might be without judgment or derision. For example, a child may choose the tutu, princess’s tiara and heels and/or the fireman’s helmet, tool belt and superhero cloak without expectation or comment.’  

The guidance adds that there can be ‘no justification for this negative behaviour based on the Christian faith or the Bible’. It states that ‘the Church of England’s teaching on human sexuality and a range of Christian views should be taught, as well as a range of perspectives from other faiths and world views’.

The Most Rev Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: ‘Central to Christian theology is the truth that every single one of us is made in the image of God. Every one of us is loved unconditionally by God. This guidance helps schools to offer the Christian message of love, joy and celebration of our humanity without exception or exclusion.’

Roman Catholic schools are to cut the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from admissions forms to avoid offending step-parents and same-sex couples.

It follows a complaint by a parent against Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Primary School in Wandsworth, south London, after it used ‘mother/guardian’ and ‘father/guardian’ on a form.

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator upheld the complaint, saying the wording might ‘be taken to imply that the school is restricting its definition [of parent]’.

The Catholic Education Service is understood to be preparing a form using ‘the family’ instead.

 

First openly transgender state legislator elected in Virginia

Virginia House of Delegates candidate Danica Roem (D) has defeated longtime Del. Robert Marshall (R), becoming Virginia’s first openly transgender elected official, according to The Washington Post.

Roem’s win in Virginia’s 13th District also means she is poised to become the first openly transgender person to be elected and seated in a state legislature, advocates say.

Her win comes alongside Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) victory in the governor’s race Tuesday, the first major victory for Democrats since President Trump took office earlier this year.

Roem, 33, was up over Marshall, 73, by more than 10 points with roughly 90 percent of votes counted in preliminary estimates. Hillary Clinton won the district by 14 points, 54 to 40 percent, over President Trump last year.  

Before venturing into politics, Roem was a reporter for the Gainesville Times and the Prince William Times. She defeated Marshall, a social conservative who has been in office since 1992.

“Danica will bring a reporter’s eye to Richmond, and we eagerly anticipate her results-oriented approach to deliver for her constituents in the 13th,” Virginia House Democratic Caucus Leader David J. Toscano and Caucus Chairwoman Charniele Herring said in a statement. 

“As a journalist, Danica Roem has covered the issues critical to Virginians and listened to a wide range of perspectives. During her campaign, Danica expanded this approach by listening to area residents’ concerns and making them integral to her own policy platform,” they added.

Marshall thanked his supporters in a statement posted to Facebook.

“For 26 years I’ve been proud to fight for you, and fight for our future. Though we all wish tonight would have turned out differently, I am deeply grateful for your support and effort over the years,” he said. “I’m committed to continue the fight for you, but in a different role going forward.”

Marshall previously authored the “Physical Privacy Act,” a bill that would require people to use the restroom that corresponded with the sex on their birth certificate.

The GOP delegate said the bill, which failed in a silent committee vote, was mainly aimed at protecting young girls from changing in locker rooms alongside men who identified as transgender.

Marshall, who referred to himself as Virginia’s “chief homophobe,” refused to publicly debate Roem. Ads by Marshall’s campaign also referred to Roem by her birth gender.

LGBTQ advocates hailed Roem’s victory on Tuesday evening, with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) calling it “a clear warning to anti-equality lawmakers across the country.”

“HRC was proud to mobilize voters to support Danica Roem’s trailblazing candidacy, and we look forward to working with her to help continue moving equality forward in Virginia,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. 

 

Children Fast-tracked into Gender Transition

Parents, doctors, and pro-family groups in Britain this week sounded the alarm about the skyrocketing rate of children with complex psychological issues being streamlined into gender transition by the country’s National Health Service (NHS).

Britain’s The Daily Mail on Sunday ran a story about a rash of concerned parents joining an online community called Transgender Trend, self-described as “parents questioning the trans narrative.” The group said parents contact it because schools and clinics are blindly accepting their children’s assertions that they are transgender and pushing them into treatment without cautious evaluation.

The number of children being treated at the NHS Tavistock Clinic, which specializes in treating gender identity issues, has jumped from just under 100 in 2009 to over 2,000 in 2016, according to The Telegraph.

Parents say young celebrities—like American reality TV star Jazz Jennings or British YouTube sensation Alex Bertie—play into the craze by making transgenderism trendy and sex-change treatments seem cool, not scary.

One mother of a 15-year-old girl told The Daily Mail her daughter’s school referred her to an NHS therapist because she told teachers she was “stuck in the wrong body.” After a 40-minute therapy session, the girl was referred to the transgender clinic. The mom believes her daughter was groomed by a gay friend who told her she was ugly as a female and encouraged her transition. The girl, now 17, is undergoing testosterone treatments against her mother’s wishes.

Therapists willing to dig into the complexity of gender dysphoria and help children affirm their biological gender may now face legal trouble.

The U.K. Council for Psychotherapy this month issued a memorandum of understanding on conversion therapy that included “gender identity” alongside “sexual orientation.” Bans on so-called conversion therapy have previously been limited to sexual orientation. The new memorandum expands the limit to any counselors, therapists, and other clinical professionals who might do anything other than affirm individuals’ expression of their gender identity.

Despite language that the document does not intend to discourage those who have uncertain feelings around their gender identity from seeking professional help, critics argue the memorandum threatens the livelihood of professionals who may want to explore why a child or adult is claiming to be transgender.

“Some people may experience gender confusion for a host of complex reasons, but you have to ask yourself if the media’s fixation with these issues is causing some children to question their gender identity who may not otherwise have done so,” said Simon Calvert, deputy director of public affairs for the U.K.-based, pro-family group The Christian Institute, noting the movement is being led by politics and fashion, not medicine, science, or the best interests of children.

“Right now it seems a child who in any way questions their gender is put on a one-way conveyor belt to gender reassignment, and that is incredibly dangerous and damaging,” Calvert said. “We are already seeing the stories starting to emerge from children who were encouraged to transition by parents and doctors and who are now regretting it.”

Some in the medical community agree.

“What I’ve been seeing in a fertility clinic are the long-term results of often very unhappy people who now feel quite badly damaged,” Robert Winston, an emeritus professor of fertility studies at Imperial College London, told the Today program on BBC Radio 4. He said the “results are horrendous in such a big proportion of cases,” noting 40 percent of people who undergo vaginal surgery have complications, and 23 percent of people who have their breasts removed “feel uncomfortable with what they’ve done.” He said the fundamentals of why people say they are transgender need to be better understood.

Other critics say taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for expensive transgender treatments. In September, The Daily Mail ran a story on the NHS helping transgender children as young as 12 freeze their eggs and sperm before beginning hormone treatment so they can use them later if they want to have children. Earlier this summer, an NHS doctor advocated for publicly funded womb transplants for men who identify as women. Experts have said the controversial surgery—implanting a donor womb into a person born with male organs—could be available within the next decade.

Christian Couple to Sue Church of England School After 6 Y/O Boy Allowed to Wear Dress to Class

By LEAH MARIEANN KLETT ( news@gospelherald.com )

A Christian couple is suing a Church of England elementary school and said there is an “agenda” overriding their religious beliefs after their six-year-old son’s classmate was allowed to wear a dress to school.