The non-inquiry session looked at the current #RSHE curriculum in schools, what parents and young people want in this subject area and how the curriculum is being delivered, as well as this the committee also looked at how the government’s review of RSHE is being carried out and stakeholders’ “confidence” in it. A private session began at 2pm which was followed by two public segments at 2.30pm and 3.30pm. During the first session, the committee heard from a panel of three witnesses representing #BiologyMatters at #PolicyExchange, #SafeSchoolsAllianceUK and the #FamilyEducationTrust; organisations which have expressed anti-trans and anti-drag views. #Labour MP #KateOsborne, who headed up the committee, questioned if reviewing RSHE lessons and how gender issues are taught would “repeat the failings of #Section28”. “My campaigning life started around the 80s, pushing back on Section 28 and the damage that it done and to me it feels like we’re just going backwards a little bit. So do you think there’s a risk there?,” the Jarrow MP asked the panel. In response, #TanyaCarter – a spokesperson for Safe Schools Alliance UK – went on to claim schools are encouraging gay and lesbian pupils to change genders. The claim is not new and is one which is often pushed on social media as an anti-trans conspiracy theory, akin to the “groomer” conspiracy theory that all #LGBTQ+ people are out to harm children. She told the committee her daughter is a lesbian who came out and had a girlfriend in #secondaryschool. While she said there were issues initially, these were dealt with and her child was able to be comfortably out. However, she said when her daughter joined #sixthform there was a pride group which was “stonewalled” and taught “lies about the #EqualityAct”, which she claimed caused her daughter to go back in the closet. “What people have said to me, which I find really sad, is I’ve had lesbians say to me, that they think that young lesbians in school today are now in a worse situation than they were when they went to their convent school and nothing was mentioned at all,” she told the committee. #transrightsarehumanrights #translivesmatter🏳️⚧️ #queernews #uknews