A charity representing LGBT youth said it was “very disappointed” by calls not to teach children about transgender issues.
BeLonG To said during this morning’s breakfast briefing that children as young as six and seven may know they are LGBT.
The Catholic Primary School Management Association has written to the government advising that children should not be taught what it means to be transgender.
Ms Griffith said she was “very disappointed” by the move.
“We know from research that 12 is the most common age for a young person to know they are LGBT, but I know from talking to teachers and parents all over the country that there are young people as young as six and seven who know they are LGBT – mostly maybe trans,” she said, reports Newstalk.
Inclusion
She added that BeLonG To is already working with “brilliant teachers all over the country already who are trying to make sure that students feel included. I think that is really important,” she said, reports Newstalk.
“I am very disappointed to hear about [the letter] but just to say that we are working with post-primary catholic schools are over the country who are doing amazing work to ensure that all their students including LGBT students feel safe and supported in school,” she said, reports Newstalk.
The CPSMA sent the letter after Children’s Minister Roderick O’Gorman said children should have an “understanding” of diversity and be educated about what it means to be transgender.
He said that there should be education in both primary and secondary schools.
The CPSMA, which represents around 90 per cent of primary schools, said trans education could fuel “a growing psychological contagion” among children.
It also warned that children should not be prematurely introduced to “complex” subjects, which he said had no “medical consensus”.
Speaking this morning, Acting Justice Minister Simon Harris said decisions about transgender education should be based on science and facts, not religious advocacy.
The survey also found that only 21% of youth reporting abuse or harmful content have seen actions taken by social media platforms
In those cases only 12% had the content removed, and only 4% resulted in a temporary suspension of the violating user.
Ms Griffith said social media platforms must act to reduce online hate and harassment.
“What we are calling on platforms to do is to really take this seriously,” she said, reports Newstalk.
She believes that anti-trans comments online are especially common.
“For such a tiny population of the country, you wonder why people are so upset with just such a small population just being allowed be themselves, you know?” she said, reports Newstalk.
Ms Griffith said BeLonG to remind users that social media is driven by people and can be changed and shaped for the better by those who use it.
She said the organisation is calling on users to “feed the good and block the bad and share more positive content and block and report toxic and hateful content”, reports Newstalk.
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