Stonewall forced to clarify tweet which said two-year-olds could be transgender
Stonewall has been forced to issue a clarification over a tweet which said children as young as two could be transgender.
The LGBT charity faced criticism from Conservative MPs on Saturday over the tweet, which suggested many nurseries were not doing enough to help children “recognise their trans identity”.
Ministers are preparing to block Sheldon Mills, the chairman of Stonewall, from becoming the new head of the competition watchdog following a long-running row over the regulator’s affiliation with the charity.
Stonewall’s tweet on Saturday said: “Research suggests that children as young as 2 recognise their trans identity. Yet, many nurseries and schools teach a binary understanding of pre-assigned gender.
“LGBTQ-inclusive and affirming education is crucial for the wellbeing of all young people!”
Backlash from MPs and campaigners
The tweet provoked a backlash from MPs and campaigners who claimed children so young should not be forced to question their gender.
On Monday night Stonewall published a statement clarifying its tweet, which it said “was unclear”.
The statement said: “We were commenting on an article written by a parent reflecting on how their child was being cared for at nursery. The parent was worried that their child was being pressured to fit in with stereotypes about boys and girls.
“While we don’t actively work on nursery education, we believe that young children should be able to play, explore and learn about who they are, and the world around them, without having adults’ ideas imposed upon them.
“We support existing provisions to ensure primary and secondary school pupils learn about LGBTQ+ identities in an age-appropriate and timely manner.”
Pressure to quit scheme
The charity is at the centre of a row in Whitehall as Mr Mills is front-runner to become chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which until recently, insisted on continuing its membership of Stonewall’s “diversity champions” programme despite political pressure to quit the scheme over its value for money.
A government source told The Telegraph on the weekend that ministers would refuse to sign off on the appointment of Mr Mills to the ￡195,000-a-year job.
Ministers have been battling with the CMA over its refusal to join a growing number of government bodies quitting Stonewall’s diversity scheme, despite admitting that some staff were “concerned” by comments made by the charity’s chief executive.
The CMA, Mr Mills and Stonewall all declined to comment on The Telegraph’s story.