Author: Debbie Hayton

Physics teacher and trade unionist.

Categories
Education

The Social Justice Dilemma in Schools

Social justice sounds like a good thing. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, it refers to the fair treatment and equitable status of all individuals and social groups within a state or society. Who could argue with that? I am a teacher, and I have seen social justice enter the education lexicon, but while the terminology is widely used, that does not necessarily mean that it is understood. And even when it is understood, does everyone share the same understanding?

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Categories
Sex and Gender

No laughing matter: accusations of transphobia wrecked Graham Linehan’s life

The comedian found himself out of work and out of his marriage when he challenged the transgender ideology that to be a man or women is about choosing an identity
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Categories
Sex and Gender

Academic dynamite

An important, if difficult, contribution to debates around sex and gender
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Categories
Conversion Therapy

Therapy is crucial. I’ve met far too many people who regret transitioning

Twelve years ago, I was a happily married, middle-aged man with a good job and three wonderful children. But something was wrong. I had convinced myself that I had been born into the wrong sex.

After years of crushing anxiety and even moments of physical self-harming caused by this understanding, I transitioned in 2012 and underwent gender reassignment surgery four years later.

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Categories
Transgender

Why I won’t be celebrating International Pronouns Day

This madness needs to stop
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Transsexual Apostate

Transsexual Apostate: My Journey Back to Reality

‘Transwomen are men: Get over it’ – a personal account of how one transsexual did get over it, and found satisfaction and contentment as a result.

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Categories
Trans Health

We need trans-only wards

The Health Secretary Steve Barclay is expected to announce plans to ban transwomen like me from female hospital wards today*. Let’s be clear, the privacy, dignity and safety of women in hospital have been overlooked for too long – but Barclay will also need to offer separate wards or rooms for transgender people. Yes, women should not be expected to budge up and make room for men who identify as transgender, but nor should the Health Secretary make the lives of those who transitioned – perhaps many years ago – more difficult than needs be.

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Categories
Conversion Therapy

Are the Tories still going to ban conversion therapy?

The clock is ticking on a bill to ban conversion therapy, at least for this year. Let’s hope that time runs out before it becomes law.

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Categories
Children

Tenderness and truth

What should parents do about gender-nonconforming kids?
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Categories
Children

When will the Tories clear up the transgender confusion?

Schools are back but teachers are still waiting for the government’s guidance on transgender pupils. Back in March, Rishi Sunak promised that it would be in our hands ‘for the summer term’. Well it’s now autumn and another round of teacher training days – and the summer holidays – have come and gone, and still we are no nearer to any answers.

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