Recently, a Reddit post uploaded under r/SGExams made by a transgender girl in JC has gone viral on social media. In the post, she talks about how she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria by a licensed doctor and was to undergo hormonal therapy to combat her gender dysphoria until MOE supposedly reprimanded her doctor for letting patients who are students go through hormonal therapy without their permission and told the doctor not to do that again. In addition, the student’s principal also told her to cut her hair short to fit the boys’ hairstyle and to wear the boys’ school uniform. The principal also said that if she could not fit into the boys’ school uniform anymore due to physiological changes from hormonal therapy, she would be expelled from school. The principal’s explanation for that is “due to your presentation, you would be disruptive to the school environment as a student with severe autism”. 

Since then, MOE has responded on Facebook, denying her claims and saying that they are in no position to interfere with any medical treatment, while also misgendering the student and telling students to report any “unkind behavior from peers” to teachers or school leaders, despite the transphobia coming from her school leaders and not her peers. There are also people claiming to be her friends or schoolmates who have come forward and said that her story is true. MOE has also failed to mention if there are any policies in place to support trans students as they continue their education while transitioning.

The student, whom we now know wants to be referred to as “Ashlee”, has now gone to The Straits Times and Today to share further details of her story. She is also planning to drop out of JC and go to a polytechnic instead as the rules on gender-based attire are more relaxed there.

This is not the first reported case of MOE interfering with a student’s hormonal treatment. This is a violation of human rights. Students should be able to get treatment for their gender dysphoria without interference from MOE, who should have no right to do so in the first place.

I am calling for MOE to not only apologize for discriminating Ashlee and misgendering her, but also to properly train school leaders and teachers to support transgender students and to implement policies that protect transgender students from bullying and discrimination in schools.