On the 3rd of January 2022 the GDST (Girls Day School Trust) confirmed that transgender women cannot attend schools in the GDST because it undermines the idea of a single-sex school. This rule is utterly unfair as transgender women ARE women, regardless of their assigned gender at birth. GDST girls are creating this petition to stand with our transgender sisters in absolute unity - they should be welcome at girls’ schools because they are girls. We do not want a single sex school based on how a person was born - we want a single gender school based on who they are now.

The GDST also has a problematic approach to preferred pronouns and names - under the status quo, the school must inform a parent or guardian if a student chooses to change their name or pronouns. This causes obvious issues for students who have not come out to their parents yet, or, more worrying, for students with transphobic parents who may be put at risk by being outed by the school which ought really to be looking out for their wellbeing. This rule, however, demonstrates a total lack of concern for and interest in supporting transgender students by forcing them to choose between being misgendered or being outed.

The GDST has to review these policies because they do not reflect the welcoming and progressive environment the GDST should be and are not fit for purpose for the wellbeing of existing students.