A group of parents and members of the General Synod have submitted a petition containing over 15,000 signatures to the Church of England, calling for the removal of guidelines promoting transgenderism in elementary schools, according to World Net Daily.
Currently, school policy states that students must accept and respect “their own gender identity or sexual orientation and that of others,” and that the curriculum should include exploration of “difference” and mention of “transgender issues” as a fact of life for some people.
The petition, organized by Christian Concern, argues that these guidelines, known as “Valuing All God’s Children” (VAGC), have no place in Church of England schools and have been used to justify silencing and dismissing those who disagree with transgender ideology on the grounds of their religious beliefs.
The petition specifically objects to the idea that children as young as five should be encouraged to accept their own gender identity.
Nigel Rowe and his wife Sally, who previously won a settlement and a promise for guideline changes from the Department of Education after taking their case to court, released a statement saying, “The Church of England must urgently recognize the significant concerns that so many parents have about the dangers of transgender ideology in our schools. Jesus strongly warned us to protect and teach the whole truth to children.”
Andrea Williams, the Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, added, “No matter how much the Church of England would like to spin it, its Valuing All God’s Children guidance says that children as young as five should be affirmed if they want to identify as the opposite gender.”
