Dundee transgender identity in schools meeting has had two venue changes due to demo fears

Organisers of a Dundee meeting to air concerns about how schools affirm transgender children’s identities have been forced to switch venue twice.

Fears about disruption have led to two city venues pulling out of hosting the event for the Scottish Union for Education.

Dr Stuart Waiton, founder of the organisation, said the meeting of parents and teachers could face a demonstration by trans activists.

Last month security guards had to eject protestors from Portobello Library when it hosted a parents’ group meeting about the teaching of gender ideology in classrooms.

Scottish Union for Education meeting

The Gate Church International has allowed SUE to hold next Wednesday’s meeting questioning whether schools are harming children by affirming their transgender identity in its coffee bar.

Speakers will include former deputy SNP leader Jim Sillars, Evening Telegraph columnist Ewan Gurr, social worker Maggie Mellon and retired paediatrician Dr Jenny Cunningham.

But Dr Waiton, a sociology and criminology lecturer at Abertay University, said: “We have already had to change the venue, which doesn’t surprise me.”

He declined to name the previous venues, as he understood their concerns about the potential for disruption, but said: “I think it’s a problem that even trying to have this discussion is difficult.

“There seems to be pressure not to allow these discussions to take place, then when they do take place, as we saw at Portobello Library, events are destroyed by people demonstrating outside.”

He said he is keen to welcome people from both sides of the debate, but only if they want to engage in discussion not disruption.

Guidance on supporting transgender pupils from the Scottish Government recommends teachers do not deny the identity of young people who come out to them or overly question their understanding of gender identity.

It says they should also ask young people which pronoun or name they wish to use.

Schools are encouraged to simply affirm transitioning children.”

Dr Stuart Waiton

But Dr Waiton says many people worry that confused adolescents, children with mental health conditions and gay young people are being encouraged to believe that they were born in the wrong body.

He said: “Little more than a decade ago it was unheard of to find teenage girls wanting to transition.

“Today the number of children identifying as trans has grown at an exponential rate.

“Previously what was called gender dysphoria was understood to be a psychiatric disorder that needed treatment.

“Today schools are encouraged to simply affirm transitioning children.”

Free tickets for the event on April 12 are available from Eventbrite.