After years of aggressive promotion of the trans ideology by influential organisations such as Stonewall and Mermaids, the Cass review marks a moment of victory for common sense.

The review makes clear that vulnerable children have been failed by clinicians who have followed an affirmative approach to treating children with gender dysphoria and prescribed powerful drugs which lack evidence to support their use in such ways. (Concerns about the existing professional ban on ‘conversion therapy’ and planned new legislation to outlaw ‘conversion practices’ are also raised in the review.)

Is it a decisive victory? That remains to be seen, and much depends on continued efforts, both by secular and Christian voices.

What are the remaining challenges?

A cult-like following

There is a welcome change in rhetoric in many circles. Some, like Education Minister Gillian Keegan, have recognised that they had failed to see the complexities of this subject and had been taught to go along with the supposedly ‘nice’ and ‘inclusive’ lines such as ‘transwomen are women’. They have since ‘woken up’ to the dangers, particularly to children, of this insidious ideology, and have apologised.

Others, like Labour leader, Keir Starmer, have sensed which way the wind was blowing, and have made the appropriate changes in how to address this politically sensitive topic (Labour have committed to implement the findings of the review in full). Even more will now feel empowered to say what they have felt all along, but have been too fearful to admit it.

Yet there still remains a significant minority who are captured by the trans creed – people such as Patrick Harvie, leader of the Scottish Green Party, who believes the report to be flawed and unscientific. It is those such as him who have not just allowed, but actually pushed the education system, particularly in Scotland, to openly promote and encourage children to think that they are born in the wrong body.

Just as in a cult, the deeper people have bought into the creed, the greater the challenge to help them see the immense damage it has brought.

Just as in a cult, the deeper people have bought into the creed, the greater the challenge to help them see the immense damage it has brought, particularly for vulnerable children.

Re-education of schools

Many schools have felt lost at sea when trying to address the huge numbers of children wishing to ‘transition’. Until the interim report and guidance last year, most have been trying to deal with this with only (government funded) propaganda from Stonewall, Mermaids and others. They have learnt to be ‘trans allies’ and ‘affirming’ – encouraging children to question their identity.

There are many damning stories coming out in the media, but even children for whom this issue had never crossed their mind have had to deal with the propaganda. The daughter of a friend of mine, a gentle, shy girl who dresses in black, with ripped jeans and short hair, found herself subject to questioning in school as to whether she was in fact a boy. Happily, she was able to resist such insidious thoughts, perhaps not least due to her Christian upbringing.

Schools are now having to completely rethink their approach to this issue – those run by people with good common sense will find this easier – others will remain captured by the trans lobby. All require our prayers, while some will need pressure to ensure that they turn away from the damaging principles they have espoused.

Undoing the damage

Across the country, there are many thousands of children receiving treatment for believing they are trans. A few of these will have had long-standing gender dysphoria – the reality is, there are and always have been tiny numbers of people for whom this is a deep-seated and real (mental health) issue. But they, and many others, have been put on drugs that have kept them on the pathway towards transition – and this treatment will continue for many. For all the Cass review has blocked the use of ‘puberty blockers’ except in carefully monitored clinical trials, those already receiving them can continue to do so.

Church and society will need to be particularly gentle (whilst truthful) to these young people who have been so badly harmed, physically and psychologically.

Many others have received irreversible surgery. Some of these will now be waking up to the realisation that they have been sold a lie, by friends, social media influencers, schools and the NHS. Others, will, quite understandably, push back against this. Realising that they have lived a lie, and drastically so, is going to be too painful for many young people to admit (and too humiliating for those pushing the agenda) – and so they will cling to this belief despite all evidence, for to do otherwise will shake them to the core. Church and society will need to be particularly gentle (whilst truthful) to these young people who have been so badly harmed, physically and psychologically.

Understanding

At the deepest level, we need to understand just why so many children in particular have been so affected by this social phenomenon – why they have been so susceptible to the ideology. There is, of course, an element that by nature of their age, inexperience, immaturity and what has long been known as ‘teenage angst’, children have always been more susceptible to the influence of others. A desire to fit in, or even to fit in by standing out, is part of teenage life.

Social contagions are, of course, common in schools, there has always been ‘the latest craze’, fashion, etc. Most of these are relatively harmless – I remember shell suits, vegetarianism and Kylie and Jason being the key fads in my teenage years (you may now be able to guess my approximate age!) But others are more harmful – self-harm, anorexia, etc. One key difference in the trans scandal is the way schools and organisations such as Childline have disgracefully promoted this harmful behaviour.

Change the atmosphere

But there is another issue that is unique to this generation of youngsters, one that most of us never had to face at such a crucial time of life – one that has come through the internet and social media. And this is the one where the Church needs to wake up, because it is the Church which is in the best position to help the government address it.

It is to do with the extreme pressure on sexual behaviour that has flourished through social media and peer pressure. Girls, who have formed the greatest increase in children wanting to transition, are put under more pressure than ever to conform to a certain stereotype – you can see it in the pouting, big-lipped social media pics of many teenage girls and young women.

This comes from the extreme pornography that the vast majority of teenagers have become exposed to through the internet, one which glorifies violence and ‘rough sex’.

And most disturbingly of all, this comes from the extreme pornography that the vast majority of teenagers have become exposed to through the internet, one which glorifies violence and ‘rough sex’. A great many girls have found themselves under pressure to conform to this image, and even take part in demeaning, painful sexual acts. According to journalist Eleanor Mills, “In a porn-warped culture, deciding not to be a young woman feels like a sensible and self-protective alternative”.

She tells of how in schools that she has visited to speak with sixth formers, most of them admit to having experienced violence during sex. Some of those who wish to resist such pressure, and who feel no connection with the glorified over-glamourous objectification of their bodies, find that it is safer to identify as non-binary – which can often lead to discovering about transitioning to male. Others find lesbianism a safer route to take.

Christian sexual ethics

We come to a point when the sexual revolution, begun in the ‘60s, is causing its highest level of damage yet. One where not only is sexual promiscuity promoted, but violent acts too. For all that the challenge of homosexuality has been dividing the Church, and causing such issues, we have failed to stand up to a much more widespread social ill – we have failed to promote monogamy and good Christian sexual ethics.

We need to focus on loudly promoting one important message, one that has transformed society in the past – that human beings, both male and female, are created by a loving God, and made in His image.

In addition to that, we need to focus on loudly promoting one important message, one that has transformed society in the past – that human beings, both male and female, are created by a loving God, and made in His image. That simple knowledge, one that most of us were taught as youngsters, is absolutely foundational. Yet most of the younger generation have never heard this message, indoctrinated with the theory of evolution, and with little or no exposure to Church.

Yet, whether or not someone is ready or willing to follow Christ as a disciple, just knowing this crucial fact can help confused teenagers to have a foundation from which to navigate the increasingly bewildering world. It can help them to feel that their bodies are valuable, not to be taken advantage of. Far from embarrassedly thinking that our attitude to sex is considered prudish, we should be shouting from the rooftops its liberating message.

Summing up

To sum up, then, what needs to be done to capitalise on this victory that forms the substance of the Cass review?

• Firstly, we need to support secular efforts to ensure that the review is fully implemented – that schools, the NHS, and other institutions follow through. We also need to support secular efforts to limit access for all, but for children in particular, to damaging internet content.
  
• Two, we need to pray for all in authority, that they will be strengthened and enabled to do this. Pray in particular for your local schools.
  
• And three, we need to play our unique part in declaring, in any way that we can, vital aspects of the Word of God and the Gospel – in particular, that we are all lovingly created in the image of God.