Girls schools call in American transgender specialist to advise on how to help students transitioning to become boys
- Girls' schools have called in a specialist to advise students on transgender issues
- Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia will host transgender expert Julie Mencher
- She was enlisted to help students better understand changing gender landscape
- Ms Mencher will hold workshops in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland
Australian girls' schools have called in an American specialist to help them advise pupils on how to support transgender students.
The Alliance of Girls’ Schools of Australasia announced this week it will be hosting international psychotherapist and transgender specialist Julie Mencher next week.
The not-for-profit organisation, which represents 175 schools, enlisted Ms Mencher to help their female students better understand the changing gender landscape.
The Alliance of Girls’ Schools of Australasia announced this week it will be hosting international psychotherapist and transgender specialist Julie Mencher (pictured) next week
Ms Mencher is regarded as pioneer for LGBT issues and was also commissioned to conduct Australian and New Zealand research, which will be available later this year.
Alliance executive officer Loren Bridge told The Daily Telegraph the study came about because it is a topical issue and of concern to all schools.
She will be presenting her 'Single-sex schools in a multi-gender world: How can girls’ schools be better equipped?' class in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland.
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Transgender Victoria executive director Sally Goldner has welcomed the alliances' decision to enlist the help of the international expert.
Ms Goldener told Daily Mail Australia: 'Anything that promotes respect is a good thing.'
She said promoting healthy conversations and education about gender diversity has the ability to not only change lives but also save lives.
Ms Mencher has worked with students at 100 girls' schools in several countries and in 2017 published a study of 33 girls' schools in the US and Canada.
Alliance executive officer Loren Bridge (pictured) told The Daily Telegraph the study came about because it is a topical issue and of concern to all schools
Ms Goldner said open and frank conversations about gender diversity can lead to happier and healthier students, who will perform better at school
The workshops are pitched at students and school staff and will focus on current gender diversity vocabulary and concepts, and identify challenges of inclusion.
According to the last Australian Bureau of Statistics census, 1,260 people identified as being a sex or gender other than male or female - but this is unlikely to be an accurate number of all people.
Ms Goldner said open and frank conversations about gender diversity can lead to happier and healthier students, who will perform better at school.
For those doubtful parents, she said young people are generally relaxed around the issue and are more often thoughtful around dealing with transgender friends.
'Some adults need to stop dumping their ideas on kids because it's patronising to suggest they won't know about transgender issues,' she said.
Ms Goldner said it's time to stop underestimating kids and start understanding and working towards a sense of fairness.
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