Being trans in cadets can bring with it a lot of worries regarding staff reaction when it comes to activities such as sports and camps.
What are the guidelines, and your general views, when it comes to transgender cadets?
Questions are welcome! 
Can pose difficulties when it comes to camps with accommodation and ablutions etc. It’s important that trans cadets can be the gender they want to be, but trying to find the right solution can be an issue.
Also had a case on a camp where 1 trans cadet started off on the camp, and by the end of camp, 3 cadets where identifying as varying genders.
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I suppose seeing another trans cadet helped them see it was okay to come out in that space!
My thoughts are that an open, honest and supportive discussion with the cadet and their family is view to ensuring all parties can get the most out of cadet time. With that in the background, it is possible to then use the corps systems and roles to support the cadet to enjoy and get the same experience from their time. They will indeed be bumps on that road but the open dialogue should help smooth them out.
Most cadets won’t think twice about a transgender cadet, they live in a different world to when we were growing up; assuming most people on here are over 25. The individual cadet can be dealt with by the staff, but might also find they are also spoken to by the cadets themselves.
This also links in to a more open and accepting corps. When I was a cadet, being gay wasn’t acceptable in public, let alone the corps.
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As the transgender cadet, I do think that that is the best way of going about it.
I’m glad that I’m in the process of coming out at cadets now rather than 10 or 20 years ago, though there are still those odd people who will be resistant.
Today is very different, as you say, and my experience is that most people these days have a more open and welcoming outlook. I know of several cadets which identify as LGBTQ+ and fellow cadets and staff don’t even care. The cadet corps is welcoming and supportive for all and I find it massively different to my time as a cadet.
I hope your experience as a cadet is similar to what I see from the staff side.
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There is some actually useful guidance (I suspect it came from an external agency) in one of the ACPs. Maybe 4? Or 20?
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This seems widely true, especially with the other cadets that I actually enjoy being around. Some of the ones I’ve met have just been awful, though I suppose that’s sadly to be expected within any group of people.
Why is it sad?
It’s the same as anything where you pole up as being different and saying you are, some will be OK with it and others not. It’s called society and the thing to do is accept it. Although I think it has gone too far now and we have to accept things because we are told to, which is unhealthy and creates more problems than it solves.
I used to get it for going to church when I was growing up and a bit later when I joined the ATC, name calling was common among some, but you just crack on as you learn people are allowed to have other opinions.
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Agreed about opinions but as a world we are better at being supportive of each other and we recognise our differences and accept them. That surely has to be a positive. There are some very nasty people out there. Back when I was at school, anything but heterosexuals was barred and it made life very difficult as people were banned from being themselves on life.
People weren’t allowed to be themselves, I know if several folks from school who suffered mental health difficulties for being told they couldn’t be themselves and then had to pretend to be something else.
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It’s ACP 20, PI 104 – Equality and Diversity, but I can’t access sharepoint at the moment
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I agree that you do have to expect that there will be people who react negatively, but I do want to say that it doesn’t mean it should be allowed to go unaddressed.
I’ve come across an awful lot of homophobic abuse in public, and unfortunately there isn’t much that you can do there other than reporting the incident as a hate crime. More often than not, nothing much comes from this.
In cadets, or any other organisation or workplace, there are disciplinary procedures in place that can remove the problem. It’s very important for people to know that staff can and will back you, and if not there are LGBTQ reps at wing level that you can turn to.
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