Archbishop of Canterbury Refuses to Scrap Schools Guidance That Affirms ‘Transgender’ Five Year-Olds and Brands Dissenters ‘Transphobic’
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has rejected calls to scrap the Church of England’s (CofE) transgender guidance which affirms children as young as five in gender confusion.
In an open letter to the Archbishop, Nigel and Sally Rowe had called on the CofE to scrap its “Valuing All God’s Children” (VAGC) guidance, which covers 4,700 CofE primary schools.
The letter was sent following the Rowes’ legal victory against the Department for Education (DfE) in September, which led to a £22,000 settlement for legal costs and a commitment from the Government to reform its transgender policies.
As part of the case, the parents presented international expert evidence to the DfE which revealed how transgender affirming policies lead to “catastrophic outcomes” for gender confused children.
The Rowes had taken legal action against the DfE after they and their six-year-old son were labelled “transphobic” by a CofE primary school on the Isle of Wight for refusing to “believe” in transgender affirming policies.
The Rowes made clear in their letter to Justin Welby that when they raised concern with the CofE’s Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Education in 2017, the VAGC guidance was used to dismiss and shut down their complaints.
The Rowes raised alarm that the CofE was continuing to endorse the VAGC guidance which they said says that children as young as five years old should be affirmed by Church of England schools if they wish to identify as the opposite sex.
This year, then Attorney General, Suella Braverman, stated that such a transgender affirming approach taken by the school and the Church of England, is not supported by law.
A petition calling for the guidance to be scrapped has since been signed by over 15,000 people.
In response to the Rowes’ open letter and subsequent national media attention, last month the CofE’s Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders, published a contradictory statement on the CofE’s website claiming that VAGC in no way affirms primary school children in gender confusion.
However, 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 affirming children as young as five if they wish to identify as the opposite gender.
The VAGC guidance also states (on page 14):
Schools must not discriminate (either directly or indirectly) against gender variant pupils, pupils who are perceived to be gender variant or pupils with trans parents. In the context of a school, indirect discrimination could include an inflexible uniform policy that creates a particular difficulty for trans pupils.
Mr. Genders also claimed in his statement that VAGC has been in no way influenced by transgender charity, Mermaids, who are now under investigation by the Charity Commission, following links to the endorsement of ‘chest binders’ and links to paedophilia.
However, in 2019, Mermaids was providing extreme training in the CofE primary school where the Revd John Parker was governor in Essex.
The CofE Director of Education in the Chelmsford diocese refused to back Mr. Parker after he raised serious concerns about Mermaids’ involvement in the school, saying: “Our schools must comply with the legal requirements of the Equalities Act 2010. Additionally, the Church of England, through its policy Valuing All God’s Children, gives guidance for Church of England schools.”
Without any support from the CofE, Mr. Parker faced no alternative but to resign.
In response to his resignation, Mermaids said to the Mail on Sunday: “We are surprised to see that a Church of England rector is complaining about our training when we are included in the CofE guidance on support for transgender people.”
Mr. Genders has since said that the updated version of VAGC published in 2019 removed Mermaids from the guidance.
Despite the wealth of evidence that CofE schools guidance affirms young children in gender confusion and is being used against those who object, responding to the Rowes’ letter, Justin Welby has refused to meet to discuss the Rowes’ concerns and said that he is “in full agreement with Nigel’s recent statement”. He added that:
The policy document ‘Valuing All God’s Children’ is integral to our vision for education and the wisdom, hope and integrity it aspires to. The prevention of any form of bullying is essential to the dignity and respect we encourage in schools. I recognise that this can be quite complicated to live out in a school community where parents, staff and children may all have different views.
He concluded the letter by saying that: “We will continue to review our policies in light of updated legislation and Government guidance.”
Responding to the letter, the Rowes said:
We are very disappointed by the response. The Church of England has 4,700 primary schools under its care, which it is exposing to an ideology that promotes chest binders and affirming children as young as five in the opposite gender. The Church of England is repeatedly abandoning bible-believing Christians and their children on the altar of transgender affirmation. Referrals to gender identity clinics have gone through the roof in the past decade. In 2012 there were 250 referrals, compared to last year when there were 5,000 – this cannot be allowed to continue. As adults, we have a responsibility to look after children and protect them. Children don’t have the same capacity to think through the consequences of something like adults do. The CofE is manifestly failing in its duty of care.
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, who backed the Rowes’ case, said:
It is simply not plausible for the Church of England to claim that this guidance does not support the affirmation of children as young as five in a transgender identity. Not only do passages of VAGC clearly support it, but its citation against Christians who do not support transgender ideology demonstrate with undeniable clarity how it is received. If the Church of England wishes to make clear that it does not believe young children should be affirmed in a transgender identity it can do so simply – by withdrawing Valuing All God’s Children.
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Why is anyone surprised? The religionists have a long history of child abuse.
You’re right, but Christians who truly follow and serve God will remember that in the time of Ezekiel, God told us just what He thinks about spiritual leaders who parade around taking His name in vain i.e. misrepresenting Him.
“Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. “
I don’t think you’ll find any better behaviour from the non-religious community either. Richard Dawkins, Stephen Fry and Phillip Pullman are all vocally backing the trans insanity.
Who was it that said “Women are mothers and Fathers are men”. Oh yes, it was President Putin. How odd that I find myself more closely aligned to his values than those of Justin Welby.
Yes, reject the AoC’s stupidity on this issue (and others). But portraying Putin as some kind of good guy we can respect? Utter madness in my view. It’s like intentionally jumping out of a frying pan on a medium heat into a white-hot raging fire!
Not sure BB is necessarily saying Putin is a “good guy we can respect” – just that his stated views on this topic are apparently a bit saner than Dustbin Jellybaby’s. I don’t think I would want to live in Russia, for various reasons, and I don’t really know enough about Putin to be sure what I think about him, but most of his stated values are what were mainstream before the cultural revolution we have undergone happened. Where he falls down a bit is possibly in his enthusiasm for ruthlessly destroying his political enemies.
Thanks for your reply. But the notion that Putin’s stated values are like those of the recent West before the current craziness is for the birds!
Depends what we mean by “recent”. I was more thinking of a period like the 1950s.
Thanks for clarifying, but any parallels I see between Putin and UK in the 50s are negative.
Indeed. The 1950s was hardly a golden age on either side of the pond.
‘Where he falls down a bit is possibly in his enthusiasm for ruthlessly destroying his political enemies’
A candidate for understatement of the year, and only Jan 05.
“You’re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded,” Gen Milley said. “Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side.”
‘”There has been a tremendous amount of suffering, human suffering,” said Gen Milley.
He also also noted that between 15 and 30 million refugees have been created since Russia launched its invasion on 24 February.
The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63580372
General Mark Milley, your having a laugh, right?
Who might conceivably be better briefed: the principal military advisor to the U.S. President or some random poster on a website?
Hmmm….tricky…..not really……
But let’s just check anyway……
‘Over 90,000 Russian soldiers have died, cannot be accounted for, or have suffered such serious injuries that they are unable to return to service, independent Russian media project iStories citing sources close to the kremlin’
Moscow Times 12 Oct 22
‘As of September 30, 2022, 7,536,433 refugees have been registered outside of Ukraine.
CSIS
Seems the old General might know a thing or two after all….
Hello……hello……whistling wind……tumbleweed……..
Oh hang on, its bortsch and beers time in St Petersburg….
Just a quote. Your response says everything we need to know about you.
Not just a quote, but a quote followed by your own words stating “I find myself more closely aligned to his values”.
My response merely show that I can tell the difference between something that’s bad (Welby) and something that very very bad (Putin). Kind of like I hate the Tories but I can still see that the BNP would clearly be even worse (even if, despite themselves, they occasionally said something sensible on rubbish collection or whatever). Or similarly, I hate Labour but the SWP would obviously be even more destructive (despite the odd comment that made sense).
That some commentators on this site, presumably appalled like me by what we’ve been through in the UK these past 3 yrs, can so easily now just give a free pass to Putin (or, when challenged, tone it down to half a free pass) is totally twilight zone – not to mention f*cking depressing.
Your perverted subjectivity is hilarious
OK, but explain why please.
Do you know what Welby would do if he was in Putin’s position?
Someone like Welby would never end up in Putin’s position; he’d be bumped off long before he got anywhere near.
That’s a tangential point. A British statesmen of the early 20th century reportedly once said Power doesn’t corrupt characters but merely exposes them. Considering this, Welby’s character is a lot less exposed than Putin’s.
Not in the context of their respective organisations.
Putin has to balance any number of different factions just in the same way that Welby does.
There are at least four Russian military and para military organisations active in Ukraine and only one of those is under Putin’s direct control.
What would Welby do if he was in Putin’s position?
What a profoundly silly question.
“ I can tell the difference between something that’s bad (Welby) and something that very very bad (Putin).”
I don’t know enough about either of them to be certain how bad/good they really are, but in his own way Welby seems to be making a major contribution to the destruction of our civilisation.
Your point about Welby may well be true.
But my point is simply to say that some things in the world are even worse – and one of them is surely Putin and his regime.
Those on this site who express sympathy/respect for Putin, while excoriating the West and only the West, remind me of all those people 80 or 90 yrs ago who wrongly looked to the Soviet Union as a beacon of hope in contrast to what they believed was the evil capitalist West. Utterly delusional.
I’m not sure anyone is expressing sympathy or respect for Putin. Certainly I wouldn’t go that far. But I would put this question to anyone interested – to what extent does he have the best interests of the average Russian at heart, and how does that compare with our own political leaders in the UK? And in what respect are his actions abroad worse than the actions of our leaders, now and in the last few decades?
How many civilians did Bomber Command murder during WW2?
I was thinking more of Iraq etc, but yes, indeed.
If you have to ask those questions, you have moved off to a place where many of us cannot follow.
A million emigrants from Russia, 7.5 million refugees from Ukraine. 200,000 military casualties as a minimum.
Putin quite clearly has no genuine interest in the wellbeing of his own people.
Listen to what his soldiers are saying.
‘…the ‘elitist’ who screwed up the external war will start an internal war with anyone for their survival’
Strelkov 04 Jan 23
Who could the ‘elitist’ be…….
“If you have to ask those questions,” It was a genuine question designed to elicit people’s views and their reasons for them.
How many “allied” personnel died in Iraq, Afghanistan? Fewer than the figures you quote, but maybe that’s because our military is stronger. How many US conscripts died in Vietnam. I don’t see black and white here, just shades of grey.
I have never understood how anyone can believe ‘whataboutery’ to be a sensible line of argument. I would be most grateful if you would very kindly explain it to me.
The first invasion of Iraq liberated Kuwait, authorised by a U.N. Security Council resolution 678, 12 votes for with two opposing (Cuba, Yemen) and one abstention (China)
The intervention in Afghanistan removed the international terror threat of Al Qaeda.
The second invasion of Iraq was based on faulty intelligence on WMD, the mission creep in Afghanistan incomprehensible.
However none of this has the slightest connection to Putin’s barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia having guaranteed Ukraine’s territorial integrity in writing in 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003.
We were discussing the relative goodness and level of caring for one’s own citizens and those of other countries between various political leaders.
To what extent does he have the best interests of Russians at heart? He doesn’t and they know it. That is why one million Russians, who can, have emigrated since March 2022. Russian forces have, in that period, incurred over 100,000 casualties. In what respect are his actions worse than our own leaders? They are worse in respect of murdering Russian journalists, poisoning Russian opponents at home and abroad, using chemical agents in contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention, abrogating serial international agreements, specifically targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in breach of the Geneva Convention and so on. None of this is justified by the incompetence and inhumanity of our own leaders. The difference is that our leaders are accountable and we can and do kick them out. The difference is, also, that some of our overseas interventions: Oman, Falklands, Kuwait, Sierra Leone have guaranteed self determination for those populations. That is also why we now support Ukraine, 90% of whose voters voted for independence, majorities in all regions including Crimea; whose territorial integrity we, the U.S. (and Russia) guaranteed in 1994 P.S. The only Russian I even vaguely know is now safe in Germany and had this to say:… Read more »
Thanks for your reply.
I’m not saying anything justifies anything else, just that it seems to me like shades of grey.
In terms of kicking them out, yes that’s true up to a point but it seems to hard to kick out left-leaning, interventionist governments – we get one whoever we vote for.
Democracy: the least worst system of government.
Indeed. To work well, it requires effort. An effort many of our fellow citizens seem unwilling or unable to put in.
The essential difference between the 2, if you’re English, is that, as far as I’m aware, Putin has never done anything to harm us.
And someone who opposes paedophilia is hardly morally inferior to someone who supports it.
And can you be jailed in Russia for refusing to refer to a man as “she” ?
Those working for him have certainly killed British nationals.
Who?
The UK state has killed tens of thousands of us during the scamdemic, either through denial of treatment or injection with poison.
Yes but that has nothing to do with your proposition: ‘Putin has never done anything to harm us’
‘The death of Dawn Sturgess, one of two British civilians poisoned with Novichok, marks the first domestic murder of a British civilian with a chemical weapon, and presents a wake-up call to the British government and its allies to the grave realities of chemical weapons use’
‘Novichok compounds were specifically created by the Soviets to be highly lethal, difficult to detect.’
Russia has form in this regard
‘…..trace radiation was detected at sites across London following the Russian assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006’
RUSI July 2018
Indeed. Making Putin look like the “good guy” is really a load of khuy.
(Those who don’t understand Russian are free to Google what that means, lol.)
Wow, to see women as nothing more than sprog-bearing walking uteruses, as if the sole worth of a female is comprised of her fertility and reproduction value ( like a brood mare ) is just insulting in the extreme. I think women can offer more in their role within society than just having babies. Where are we, in the Dark Ages or Saudi Arabia here?? Jeez..sexist, much?
That’s satire, right? Nice one.
What is more important than bearing and raising children? That women have been so convinced that working in dead end jobs is marvellous, and being coerced by the contraceptive pill in to sex virtually as children is actually remarkable. Yet women still celebrate what is basically their enslavement as cheap labour and sex objects rather than mothers.
It has absolutely nothing to do with ”importance” and everything to do with free will and nowadays women have options open to them. I mean ( shock, horror! ) there are actually women who do not aspire to be mothers and have no maternal instinct, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. To say that a female’s destiny and sole function on this earth is to pop out sprogs is archaic, sexist, unrealistic and that attitude belongs in a museum along with other relics from the past.
P.S Oh and to assume women only have ”dead end jobs” as an option open to them just speaks volumes to me about you as a person.
I didn’t say women only had dead end jobs, it’s simply a fact most ppl have dead end jobs with a handful grabbing the cream. Nor did I say women’s only purpose was to have kids, it’s simply a fact animals exist to reproduce, both men and women. All feminism achieved for most women is a worse situation not a better one. I see you’ve been sold on rampant consumerism avd doing a pointless job for pieces of paper, however there is more to life I think.
Your abject disdain for women is coming through loud and clear in your posts so I really need add nothing further to this pointless discussion. To try and wangle out of what you’ve stated loud and clear already just makes you look even more pathetic. I’d stop right there if I were you. Please tell me you’re single!🙈
What drivel, Ur sad inability to realise you’ve been turned in to a factor of economic production is really tiresome. And yr telling off for not mealy mouth agreeing with your off the shelf feminism is really boring, surprised yr here at the sceptic, BBC would suit you better.
Shows what an out of touch misogynist you are. Keep preaching like the limp-dicked woman-hater you so evidently are though! Or maybe find a couch and tell a sympathetic shrink all about your mother! You obviously have deep-seated issues that need addressing.🤣
You sound like a man hater, and yr use of emojis is really tiresome. 🤣 My wife an ex under wear model knows yr sort.
Haha, just because you jack off to the Kay’s catalogue lingerie section doesn’t make them your wife. Sorry to burst your fantasy!😂🤣😅 Kind of unsurprising that this is all you can aim for..🤷♀️
Do you think I care, plus given the votes looks like I’m winning. Going for some tea with my beautiful wife. ❤️
“Winning”?😆 Oh it’s a competition now is it? What a shame for you and your ilk that I couldn’t give a flying chuff and the Hamster Penis Brigade will have to try harder than that if you want to shut me down. Bummer eh? But have fun with your mags.👋
Zing!
That comment is bang out of order.
Zing!
Well-said once again, Mogwai.
Well-said, Mogwai. The idea that women are nothing but brood mares is ridiculously outmoded and sexist. And dehumanizing as well. And by that same logic, it implies men are nothing but work horses. Hey, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, lol. How about we just say NEIGH to rigid gender roles.
100%👍 I’m a hit with the resident Misogynist Society as always!😁
But who knew that in 2023 people like me and you would still be a minority? Go figure. I guess expecting equal rights and not to be viewed as sexual objects/brood mares makes us such oddball mavericks eh?🤭
I know, right? It reminds me of ten years ago on Disqus, even on presumably progressive sites like Alternet. The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems. Misogyny, patriarchy, patronizing paternalism, and anti-feminism always seems to rear its ugly head. And on that note, given how this is The Daily Sceptic, formerly Lockdown Sceptics, I am quite surprised that so few people have been making the genuine feminist case against these lockdowns, jabs, and mandates. Women really got the brief end of the stick from all of this, even more so than men, while the fauxgressive pro-lockdown, pro-jab, and pro-mandate folks just gaslighted them all the way as usual. When they say “women’s rights are human rights” and “my body my choice”, which are of course true, and then turn around and support such mandates, they reveal themselves as flaming hypocrites and worse than Pharisees. And the Justin Castreau (Trudeau) types are the very worst wolves in sheep’s clothing in that regard. (And before anyone reading this asks, yes I am a man, and thus feel free to call me a “white knight” or whatever you want, lol. Including far less printable things as well, of… Read more »
Great Post. So isn’t that the biggest irony of all then? Whenever these exchanges occur it’s always me vs a gazillion needle-dicked so-called “men” ( seriously, what kind of actual man is threatened by strong women asserting their basic rights to equality? ) and zero women. Like, seriously, where are all the women on here? Pathetic. The only person that has my back is a bloke! Lol 🤦♀️ Obviously the 21st century is still not ready for radicals like me!😉 Thanks for your support though.🙂
Thank you, and you’re very welcome 🙂
Indeed, what a sad parade….
Good picture of the bizarre creature.
It is not a bizarre creature….it is a monster!
That story photo. Two masks with the stupid hat. Just brilliant. Though by not wearing three masks I question if he cares enough.
It proclaims to the world his faith in his god.
The masks are the ultimate false idols. And the god that they really worship is….the virus itself, it seems. Or perhaps the Davos Gang. Or ultimately neoliberalism, aka the religion of the world, the flesh, and here comes the devil.
When Jesus said “Suffer the little children and let them come unto me“, I dont think he meant for this abomination within the English Church to interpret that line and allow the mutilation Gods Children.
BINGO
The CofE shouldn’t be getting involved in such matters — they should remain neutral.
Frankly, I think they’ve got bigger things to worry about. That said, I suspect that they might get more people turning up to church in the near future…
Someone who wants to go to a primary school in order to talk about same-sex relationships to seriously underage children is a paedophile. That simple. And that’s a bad word because it means children-lover. Would-be child rapist would describe this much better.
Everybody’s ready to condemn the (apparently pretty moronic) Prince Andrew for allegedly breaking no UK law at all. But when organizations already infamous for sexual abuse of minors target them in everyone’s sight, that must be fine. They’re just doing this because of the love of God and that their very holy book condemns such practices is … ehh … an unfortunate, historical accident which is being worked on.
I don’t have any children (and will likely never have any) but I work for the church and want to talk about gay sex to your five year old boy! wouldn’t exactly earn an invitation from me.
If you hadn’t worked it out already Welby is a devil worshipper.
Do you think Mr Genders had a calling?
That seriously cannot be his name? Since 2019 I don’t do coincidences.
That seriously is his name, and if he ever chooses to self-identify as a woman, he would very confusingly be Miss Genders!
A man of the cloth: the face cloth
Stand in the Park
Sundays 10.30am to 11.30am
Make friends & keep sane
Elms Field
Wokingham RG40 2FE
(near Everyman Cinema and play area)
Welby really is the epitome of evil. He drags up and then seeks to re-interpret the Scriptures to suit the Satanic code he is actually following. This is disgusting and disgustingly evil.
I hope the bastard enjoys hell.
https://newspunch.com/world-economic-forum-declares-pedophiles-will-save-humanity/
And look at Welby’s true religion!
I am sadly not surprised that the Davos Gang would support pedophilia. They and their elite predecessors basically always have, and many are pedos themselves. Only difference is now they are saying the quiet part out loud.
One thing they do get factually wrong: there is really no hard evidence that pedophilia leads to significantly lower birthrates per se at a population level. Maybe at an individual level for those who are fixated more or less exclusively on prepubescent children, but looking at certain religious groups that are both famous for high birthrates AND infamous for high levels of pedophilia/ephebophilia, it kinda puts the lie to that claim. More likely, the Davos Gang’s motivation is simply to attempt to legitimize their own twisted perversions.
I am frequently amazed at the words today’s bishops can find in the scriptures which were never mentioned in earlier times.
That photo of him double masked in his hat sums the n-nce up ! Not my Bishop !!..
Every single part of the British establishment is out of touch with the people they are supposed serve.
Is the C of E’s Chief Education Officer seriously called Nigel Genders? Hysterical
I’m in two minds about Welby. Is he simply an idiot, or actually an agent of Satan? As time goes on I become more and more inclined to the latter view.
Thank God there are other forms of Christianity not guided by this unpleasant fool, which one can belong to. It is no wonder membership of organised (or in this twits case disorganised) Christian religion is falling.