Parents withdraw four-year-old son from Church of England school’s World Book Day in row over ‘confusing and harmful gender identity lessons in text selected for his class’
- Stephen and Joanne Evans removed their son, aged 4, from St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Essex for day over the text used for World Book Day
- The couple claim My Shadow is Pink promotes the idea of inner gender identity
- They have written to Church of England’s Chief Education Officer over concerns
- School has defended using the book, stating book is about gender stereotyping
Concerned parents have withdrawn their four-year-old son from his school’s World Book Day, claiming the text students were reading could be ‘confusing and harmful’ in terms of gender identity.
Stephen and Joanne Evans claim the book, My Shadow is Pink, promotes the idea of an inner gender identity and believe it might lead children to think they or others have been born into the wrong body.
When the couple heard their child’s class would be using the book, written by Scott Stuart, for World Book Day last week, they asked to withdraw him from St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, for the day.
They claim that other parents also had concerns about the book being used. They say they and others raised their concerns but that ‘the head teacher has ignored it’.
They told the Telegraph that they were ‘shocked’ and ‘knew something was not right’.
‘Parents who believe we are born male and female and who do not want their children exposed to harmful ideology are losing their voice and their rights,’ they said.
The couple claim My Shadow is Pink, written by Scott Stuart (pictured) promotes the idea of an inner gender identity and believe it might lead children to think they or others have been born into the wrong body
‘We want the [Church of England] hierarchy to step in and do more to protect the rights and beliefs of, not just Christian parents, but all parents who do not want their children exposed to transgender propaganda.’
With the support of advocacy group Christian Concern, they have written to the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders, to raise their concerns.
In a letter to Mr and Mrs Evans, Headteacher Aleishia Lewis defended using the book in the classroom.
‘The primary focus of the story is not gender identity,’ she wrote. ‘The boy in the story doesn’t change his gender, nor is there any reference to him wanting to.
‘The main theme of the book, as referenced by the author himself, is one of gender stereotyping and the book was written when his own son came home upset after being told by another child that he couldn’t wear an Elsa dress at nursery because he was a boy.’
‘The very fact that the shadows are pink and blue are a stereotype in itself and reinforces a concept that is present within even our youngest children in Reception.
‘The Dad in ‘My Shadow is Pink’ demonstrates that acceptance comes from a place of love and we want every child in our school to recognise that they should show love to others in the same way.’
Published in 2020, the book delves into the world of a boy who feels uncomfortable with male stereotypes
Published in 2020, the book delves into the world of a boy who feels uncomfortable with male stereotypes.
In the story, which is sold as appropriate for age three and up, the father tells his son: ‘Your shadow is pink, I see now it’s true, it’s not just your shadow, it’s your innermost you.’
The text has been criticised by policy group Transgender Trend as a book which promotes the ‘idea that changing appearance through opposite sex clothes and hair length changes natal sex.’
However, some argue the book is about challenging stereotypes.
The author of the book, Mr Stuart, has previously revealed that he wrote it for his young son after he was told by his classmates that his favourite toy and character, Elsa from Disney’s hit film Frozen, was ‘for girls’.
He has since followed up with another book titled My Shadow is Purple, which explores moving beyond gender binary.
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