New guidance for schools will allow young transgender people to socially transition at schools, which includes changing names, pronouns and uniforms. It had previously reported that some Tory ministers – including Kemi Badenoch – were attempting to ban social transitioning outright, which means this is welcome news. 

“I’m not surprised by this because kids have rights under the Equalities Act too; it’s not just for adults,” Steph Richards, founder of trans rights group Translucent, tells Dazed. To ban social transition, they would have to change the legislation to be able to do that and I don’t think there’s either the time or the political will to have a right about that. But there could be.”

The guidance – which is still at the draft stage – is not all good news. It is said to take a “presumption against” young people transitioning, and include a requirement that schools will be required to inform parents if a child tells a staff member that they want to change their gender – considering the high prevalence of familial transphobia, this measure could put vulnerable young people at the risk of harm. 

A 2022 poll by LGBTQ+ charity Galop found that 43 per cent of trans and nonbinary respondents had experienced abuse within the family home, including verbal abuse, physical violence, attempts at conversion and being made homeless. Forcing teachers to out trans kids to their parents would be a serious safeguarding risk.

The guidance is also expected to advise schools to maintain separate toilets, changing rooms and sports according to “biological sex”, which could make school a more difficult and less safe experience for transgender pupils. So this is not a victory for trans rights by any means but, on the plus side, it is kind of a defeat for the anti-trans movement, who have been campaigning hard to ban social transition altogether.

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