Church of England responds to pressure to scrap schools’ guidance
from Christian Concern:
The Church of England recently put out a press release defending its controversial guidance for schools on LGBT issues.
The CofE release responds to statements made by Christian Concern that the Church of England’s Valuing All God’s Children (VAGC) guidance states that “children as young as five should be affirmed if they want to identify as the opposite gender.” The CofE states “this is simply false.”
The latest version of VAGC can be found online and readily examined to test this claim.
‘Supported to accept their own gender identity’
On page 20 of VAGC, the guidance states:
“In creating a school environment that promotes dignity for all and a call to live fulfilled lives as uniquely gifted individuals, pupils will be equipped to accept difference of all varieties and be supported to accept their own gender identity or sexual orientation and that of others. In order to do this it will be essential to provide curriculum opportunities where difference is explored, same-sex relationships, same-sex parenting and transgender issues may be mentioned as a fact in some people’s lives.”
This statement is on a page specifically addressing issues for CofE primary schools, and therefore the treatment of pupils as young as five years old.
The paragraph states that children as young as five “should be supported to accept their own gender identity.” It also states that transgender issues “may be mentioned as a fact in some people’s lives.” The next paragraph goes on to make this even clearer by saying “Children should be at liberty to explore the possibilities of who they might be without judgement or derision.” This section cannot be read as anything other than advocating for affirming children as young as five if they wish to identify as the opposite gender.
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