Where to start with this?
The head of a primary school uses a woman as a positive example of masculinity for boys, to "encourage empathy, kindness, showing emotions.."
"Undoing the deeply ingrained gender stereotypes in our society takes time" she says.https://t.co/p8emzpYvbm
— TransgenderTrend (@Transgendertrd) July 20, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
From the article:
A primary school has held up a trans man as a positive example of masculinity in teaching materials for its pupils.
Streatham Wells School, in south-west London, said Elliott Page, the Canadian actor who medically transitioned with cross-sex hormones along with gender surgery and now identifies as a man, showed that masculinity “can mean softness and strength”.
However soft and caring Elliott Page may be, there is the problem that she's not a man – so perhaps not the best example. Anyway, is Elliott Page noted for her softness and kindness? Not that I'm aware of. Maybe it's the head teacher here who's guilty of a bit of the old gender stereotyping.
In an article for the online newsletter Teachwire, Sarah Wordlaw, the head teacher, wrote about her school’s efforts to tackle issues such as toxic masculinity and violence against women.
She wrote: “It is important to teach pupils about harmful stereotypes about masculinity. However, if the first time we teach and name masculinity is calling it toxic, that could do more damage than good to our boys.
“It is extremely important to teach about positive masculinities. We need to encourage empathy, kindness, showing emotions, listening to alternative points of view and developing emotional literacy.
“Undoing the deeply ingrained gender stereotypes in our society takes time. It’s certainly not a quick fix. We have seen a significant improvement in children’s awareness of key issues surrounding gender equality. They know how to use their voice to advocate for others.”…
However, some educational professionals have suggested that holding up a trans man as a positive example of masculinity might undermine the intended message that biological men can be gentle and caring.
Well quite.
Mick Hartley 
Leave a comment