Safeguarding. Male cadets may be allowed to dress in female uniform, but they cannot stay in female rooms or use female ablutions. Worse that can happen is a cadet has hurt feelings. Worse that can happen if male cadet allowed in female rooms…
1 Like
… is the same as what could happen with a male cadet in male rooms. Or female on female…
10 Likes
As anyone who bothers to do any research or have more than a cursory, TERF and Daily Mail look in to the subject knows, trans people are substantially more likely to be the victim of any abuse than the cause.
It is complete scaremongering to assuming that a trans female person’s primary motivation to go through the frankly ludicrously long and difficult process of changing their gender just to gain access to a different toilet.
And as Baldrick said above, why aren’t we also focusing on trans males having that same access to accommodation or ablutions?
9 Likes
Tell me you aren’t up to date on the policy, without telling me you aren’t up to date on the policy.
12 Likes
This argument from transphobes has always dumbfounded me. There is nothing stopping anyone from doing the exact same thing they accuse trans folk of doing. If you’re being a peeping tom you’re going to get the exact same treatment regardless of gender or what bathroom you’re in.
If letting people use bathrooms in peace is too much for you then don’t use public bathrooms.
It’s always very heartening to see people in our community standing up against this kind of rhetoric.
7 Likes
New issue of ACP 15 just released with Mermaids specifically removed
5 Likes
They should have asked about ACP 50 too 
Feeling like I should weigh in here with regards to informing parents of transitioning - social transitioning (changing pronouns/name/uniform) is not a medical issue, does not need to be relayed to parents and probably shouldn’t be. Coming out is absolutely terrifying, especially to parents when there is the risk that they will reject you. This is not to say that all parents are abusive, but a huge part of flourishing as a trans person is coming out and being accepted for who you are, if a cadet is not ready to make that choice on their own terms it is not a good idea to out them. It is hugely detrimental to a persons mental health to lose control over such an intrinsic part of themselves. It’s probably also a good idea to re-iterate that as you are not a medical professional or the cadet’s GP it is not within your capabilities to make decisions about the safety vs side effects of puberty blockers or binders.
As for the trans cadets are a safeguarding issue (it has already been said somewhere here but it’s escaping me right now) they are much more likely to be victims of abuse than perpetrators, and, frankly, its all but impossible to get a diagnosis anyway, and the notion of getting one just to enter a bathroom is absurd. I’ve seen a lot of solutions to the theoretical issue on camps but the best solution is always ask the cadet with what they are comfortable with and discuss possible alternatives. Uniform wise, and I think many people here will agree, all of our cadets have a mix purely because we have no kit so it’s take what you can get, but again, discuss with the cadet.
Alright that was a monster paragraph g’day folks.
8 Likes
The school MIS is being updated and will include the following update do information recorded;
Previous Pronoun
New Pronoun
When the Pronoun was changed
Who changed the Pronoun
Does the RAFAC need to do the same?
No. Plus words.
3 Likes
Data changes should be logged as part of the information audit system so I imagine this is already done.
Do we need access to that data log information?
Nope we don’t as due to our volunteer nature we’re not best placed to manage or deal with issues that would require access.
2 Likes
Pretty much this, yes. Also, a school may have many many different staff that could/would make such a change. Head of year, tutor group teacher, welfare lead etc. For us it will only really ever be one person, the Unit OC. And if it isn’t them, they surely should know what’s going on. Every unit I’ve been to the OC knows all their cadets.
Interestingly, the DfE DON’T require this information - the school MIS changes are all reflective of local systems information - not a central government change. DFE took advice from the “Inclusion Data Team” around this very subject and it’s been decided NOT to pursue the recording on pronouns at a National Level through NPD, LRS or other DFE sponsored systems. “Gender” has also been relabelled “sex” to avoid confusion.
1 Like