Translation - By a volunteer

"More than 500 educators and social workers rally transgender students’ call on the Government to formulate and implement clearer policies"

Ng Wai Mun, Lianhe Zaobao, 1 February 2021

More than 500 practising and former teachers, social workers and counsellors have signed an online statement expressing solidarity with transgender students. They called on the Ministry of Education to set and implement clearer policies to ensure that transgender students will not have to face further discrimination on campus.

The statement says that the Ministry of Education is obliged to create a safer schooling environment for all students, including ensuring that teachers and counsellors are trained to handle any issues related to gender dysphoria or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) with sensitivity, and to develop more inclusive sex education programmes and anti-bullying campaigns.

The joint statement was sent last Friday to four political office holders in the Ministry of Education, including Education Minister Lawrence Wong.

Representatives of the informal group that launched the joint campaign, made up of educators and social workers, confirmed with Lianhe Zaobao that they had decided to voice out in support of young people because they felt that grievances raised by a transgender student earlier about being prevented from receiving gender transition therapy by the Ministry of Education had been poorly handled.

"As education and social service professionals, we have witnessed and heard about similar situations faced by transgender students in Singapore schools. We apologise for any way in which we may have made transgender and other LGBTQ+ students feel unsafe or unwelcome at school."

Issues concerning transgender people have attracted widespread attention recently. The Ministry of Education is expected to provide a reply today in Parliament to oral questions from opposition Workers' Party MP He Tingru.

Ashlee, a second-year junior college student, who identifies as a “male-to-female” transgender person and has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, posted on the social media in the middle of last month that the Ministry of Education had intervened to prevent her from receiving hormone replacement therapy. Such treatment boosts female hormones in the body, which in turn activates female secondary physical characteristics.

The Ministry of Education had subsequently denied the allegations, saying that any decision on therapy ultimately falls on doctors and patients themselves. However, netizens were irked by certain expressions and terms used in the ministry’s replies to the media, and in particular, its use of male pronouns to refer to the student was lambasted.

Last Tuesday, five young men and women protested with placards outside the headquarters of the Ministry of Education condemning the ministry’s discrimination against LGBTQ+ students. The group is currently under police investigation.

Community social worker Lim Jingzhou, 24, signed the online statement two days ago objecting to the way the government handled this series of affairs. He noted that while the Singapore society still has divided views about LGBTQ+ people, Ashlee's willingness to share her experience provides a window of opportunity for dialogue and seeking a common ground.

The organisation that Lim is serving in has been responsible for providing assistance to vulnerable groups in the community during the Covid19 pandemic outbreak, and he has also worked with organisations concerned with transgender issues.

Transgender people often face challenges in society

“I recognize that transgender people often face challenges in society,” he said. “For example, when they apply for financial assistance, they sometimes have to answer difficult questions about their gender. I think these are all obstacles due to institutional deficiencies.”

The statement has garnered 552 signatures by noon on Sunday (31 January), including individuals and nine organisations. Some practising teachers said that while they are concerned that being a signatory may adversely affect their career, they have decided to support the cause but without indicating their full names.

Oogachaga, a civic group providing counselling services to LGBTQ+ people, is also a signatory to the joint statement. Executive Director Leow Yangfa says they are concerned that the Ministry of Education's follow-up action to the incident will affect other transgender youths who will shun from seeking professional help for fear of persecution or further discrimination.