FOR THE RECORD

The Pathways trial rests on the unexamined assumption that childhood “gender identity” is an innate, medicalisable entity. Child development science – from Piaget to Winnicott – demonstrates the opposite.

The Cass Review also recommended a follow up to the 2000 children already prescribed puberty blockers through GIDS in England since 2014: There was no long-term follow up of the health outcomes for these children who will now be young adults. We still don’t have this data and my view is that it would be unethical to give these drugs to more children when we have limited information about the long term affects of their use.

Social transitioning, changing a child’s name, pronouns, and social role to reflect a cross sex identity, is often presented as a neutral or reversible act. Developmental evidence suggests otherwise.

"in too many cases, the systems meant to safeguard them have been infiltrated by individuals and organisations projecting their own ideological views about gender and identity onto children, without adequate checks, evidence-based guidance, or the presence of strong and independent safeguarding voices."

The most vulnerable children in the country are being failed by the authorities entrusted with their care. Local authorities are outsourcing the development of guidance to activist groups or allowing a child to transition without consulting anyone.

faklj A history of ideological capture -the leadership of social work ... were consciously allowing and encouraging the adoption of unevidenced and harmful beliefs and practices that denied sex and promoted gender identity instead.