Labour’s school guidance is Section 28 all over again for LGBTQ+ people

‘Schools should avoid materials that could encourage children to question their gender.’

That line comes straight from the government’s new Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance, due to come into force next year. 

While to most this might even seem like a reasonable quote, for trans people like me it reads like a common right-wing talking point – that young people in the UK are being indoctrinated into questioning their gender by woke teachers.

It is a grim echo of the sentiments of Section 28. It’s not just a red flag – it’s a blaring siren. 

For those who don’t remember or weren’t directly affected by it – Section 28 was a law introduced by the Thatcher government in 1988 that banned schools from ‘promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.’

In practice, it meant teachers were forbidden from talking about LGBTQ+ people, and many have spoken of feeling forced to remain in the closet.  Under Section 28, support for LGBTQ+ people in schools simply vanished, and silence and shame became policy.

I didn’t grow up in the UK, but my partner did. They lived under Section 28, they protested against it at the time, and they’re still living with the consequences like so many of their generation. 

The shame that was distilled into people because of Section 28 is impossible to put into words, and that generation still bears the scars from it – I see it in my partner.

And now, it seems to me that the Labour Government is dragging that same legacy into the present, this time targeting trans and non-binary youth.

It tells schools not to teach that everyone has a gender identity. 

It says teachers should stick to teaching about ‘facts’ about biological sex and be cautious with not endorsing ‘any particular view’. 

Take it from a trans person – these are common dogwhistles. This isn’t about safeguarding or protecting students. This is about painting transness as a politicised, contested issue, rather than a lived experience of countless people across the world. 

The idea that gender identity is too controversial to even mention in classrooms sends a devastating message to young LGBTQ+ people. 

It tells teachers to retreat into silence, for fear of saying the wrong thing.

Yes, there are some parts of the guidance that seem positive on paper: more comprehensive detail on consent, online harms, pornography, misogyny, incel culture, and deepfakes. 

These are important issues, and young people deserve clear, honest education about them. 

But you cannot promote healthy relationships and consent while denying a whole group of young people the right to self-understanding and visibility.

This seems to me to be about politics, not safety. Labour wants to appear ‘sensible’ and ‘balanced’ on these so-called culture war issues, as shown in their abandonment of trans people and their rights. 

Keir Starmer has U-turned on supporting self-ID for trans people altogether. 

Now, his party seems to want to embed that same lack of support and integrity into school policy.

But queer and trans people know what happens when silence is the policy. We’ve lived it. 

Now Labour is flirting with a new version of that same trauma – and we have to fight back. 

To parents, I encourage you to ask questions. Ask schools how they intend to support your trans children. Ask them how they intend to make sure they don’t feel shame about who they are. Ask them how they will protect them from bullying, as even this guidance points out is wrong 

For teachers – know that you are the ones who can make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable students. 

When I came out as trans at 17, my school counsellor was one of the first people I ever told. Her unquestioning support meant everything to me – she never made me feel ashamed for who I was. That was the first time I truly felt accepted by someone.

That’s I want the young people who will be affected by this to remember – that you are loved. You are supported. You are valid. You have every right to explore and define who you are. No one can tell you otherwise. 

Labour may think this guidance will earn them political points. And it might. But at what cost?

History will remember this time as a dark time for the UK. We already know how this story goes. We already know the harm it causes. And like before, we will fight for what’s right. We will fight for love, acceptance and compassion. 

Over 100,000 people showed up for Trans Pride London last weekend. That wasn’t a celebration – it was a protest that sent a strong message. We are here. We are not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever.

No guidance, legislation, or political posturing can change that. The trans community is proud and resilient – we’ve weathered worse, and we will weather this too.

Because this isn’t about whether we exist or not – we evidently do, proudly. The real question is: how will the Labour government choose to treat us?

And just like with Section 28, history will remember the answer.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.