Britain's strictest headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh has claimed that children identifying as transgender are more likely to be "white and privileged" and "caught up in fads."
Speaking to GB News, the founder of Michaela Community School suggested that while genuine transgender adults exist across all races, children's gender identity issues often represent temporary "fads" influenced by social pressure and media.
Birbalsingh, known for her outspoken views on education, said that her opinion is based on her experience leading a predominantly ethnic minority school in inner London, where she says transgender identification is not a significant issue.
She told GB News: "We are talking about children who are different to adults. The reason why, with children, it's different is that many children get caught up in fads.
Katharine Birbalsingh said that it can be a "fad"
GB NEWS
"While there will be some genuinely trans children out there, when I said 'trans' to the journalist, I was using quotation marks. Of course, you don't see that in the writing when it ends up in the newspaper.
"There are lots of children who get caught up in fads, as we've seen. Some think they are dogs or snow leopards."
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"I've got a little year seven boy at the moment who thinks he's a detective, goes on the trains, encounters the police, and does all sorts of things because he thinks he's a detective.
"Children do these sorts of things and can get caught up because they are socially pressured or influenced by the media. They're online, they see certain discussions, and they're vulnerable to that sort of thing."
Birbalsingh suggested that certain demographics may be more drawn to transgender identification as a form of social currency.
"We need to ask ourselves which children are most vulnerable to the idea of transitioning," she said.
"The children I think are most vulnerable to this are those who don't necessarily have a claim to victimhood.
"I do feel we have a society nowadays that admires victimhood. People can climb the social ladder when they are seen as the bigger victim."
According to Birbalsingh, this social dynamic creates a particular pressure on privileged children.
The headteacher's views have sparked discussion online, with some commenters on Mumsnet challenging her perspective.
The headteacher's views have sparked discussion online, with some commenters on Mumsnet challenging her perspective.
PAOne user noted: "There is a significant cohort of looked after children in the adolescent trans population.
"This headteacher may not be seeing them at her school. It doesn't mean they don't exist."
The Cass Review and other studies have suggested alternative
