A BBC programme aimed at nine- to 12-year-olds includes the claims that there are ‘over 100 gender identities’.
The film, ‘Identity – Understanding Sexual and Gender Identities’, is being offered on the corporation’s website as part of its relationships and sex education package.
The news of this film comes despite the fact Government guidance published last year advised schools to exercise caution when teaching children about gender issues.
The programme features children asking adults about sexuality and gender on behalf of their peers, suggests the different identities include ‘bi-gender’, ‘gender-queer’ and ‘pansexual’.
One section of the film includes a pupil asking: ‘How many gender identities are there?’ It is answered by ‘Kate’, described as a Relationships and Sex Education teacher, tells two children: ‘There are so many gender identities. So we know we have got male and female, but there are over 100 if not more gender identities now.
‘Some people might feel that they are two different genders, people might think they are bi-gender. You have got some people who might call themselves ‘gender-queer’ – just like, I don’t want to be anything in particular, I just want to be me.’
A spokesperson said ‘Kate’ had not claimed there were ‘hundreds of genders’, but that she had ‘come across more than a hundred different terms people use to describe their gender identity’.
The spokesperson said: ‘The film is not part of our Lockdown Learning offer. It is available on the BBC Teach website, our service for teachers to use for curriculum support.
‘More than 50 independent experts contributed to this film, which was made to help teachers when discussing health and relationships… the film comes with supporting notes and other films to provide further context.’
Tory MP Jackie Doyle-Price said: ‘Telling children there are more then 100 genders is nonsense, and potentially harmful as it risks normalising something which is extremely rare.’
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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