Two Sussex Conservative MPs backed a proposal to “out” transgender children to their parents and ban discussion of transgender issues in classrooms.
A bill, put forward by Reclaim Party MP Andrew Bridgen, sought to change the law to ban the “promotion” or discussion of gender transitioning in schools.
It would have also mandated councils, governing bodies or headteachers to “immediately” tell parents if their child comes out as transgender.
The proposal was likened by Labour MP Mick Whitley to Section 28, legislation which prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by councils and schools.
Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, was expelled from the Conservative Party after comparing vaccinations for the Covid-19 pandemic to the Holocaust.
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He said: “Under all our noses, members of society tasked with helping bring up our children have turned raising the next generation into a science experiment with consequences that break my heart.
“What is happening in our schools is unacceptable and there is a need for immediate action.”
While MPs voted by 40 votes to 34 to block the bill, Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell and Hastings and Rye MP Sally-Ann Hart both supported the proposal.
Ms Hart told The Argus she backed the bill to “allow the issues around the bill to be debated”.
She said: “It is important that we debate the issues that Andrew Bridgen’s bill raises, even if we do not necessarily agree with every detail of the bill.
“The issue of transgender teaching in school must be debated in a sensible and compassionate way.”
However, Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Eastbourne at the next election, said that the bill would have undermined work to protect young people from harm.
He said: “The bill would have forced schools to out children contemplating their gender identity. Coming out is hard and can lead to abuse and neglect because there are some who are not supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.
“The NSPCC is therefore very clear forcing schools to out children could compromise their safety, not enhance it.
“The bill also aimed to censor sex and relationships education. This is not the right approach.
“The best way to support children to navigate sex, sexuality and relationships is to provide quality education on these topics, not pretend they don’t exist.”
He urged MPs who backed the bill, including Ms Ansell, to “step up their engagement with the NSPCC and LGBTQ+ communities to hear more about how best to safeguard LGBTQ+ young people”.
Opposing the legislation in Parliament, veteran Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said he was “appalled” by the “despicable” bill.
He said: “This bill would turn the clock back to an age in which the very existence of trans and non-binary people - a tiny minority - was simply not acknowledged.
“This bill is not about the welfare of young people; it is about a cynical but completely transparent attempt to stoke the culture wards on the backs of our most vulnerable minority and their families.”
Even if the proposal had passed, such bills are unlikely to progress further due to a lack of time allocated to debate measures put forward by backbench MPs.
Caroline Ansell was approached for comment.
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