"逾500教育工作者与社工声援跨性别学生"
Translation & Original Text, Lianhe Zaobao, 1 February 2021

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.

Original Text

逾500教育工作者与社工声援跨性别学生吁政府制定与落实更清晰政策

黄伟曼 报道

ngwaimun@sph.com.sg

超过500名现职与前教师、社工与辅导员签署网络声明，希望声援跨性别学生。他们呼吁教育部制定与落实更明确的政策，确保跨性别学生在校园内不会面对更多歧视。

声明指出，教育部应为所有学生创造更安全的校园环境，包括确保学校教师与辅导员接受培训，以敏感地处理与性别焦虑或任何同性恋、双性恋与跨性别者（LGBTQ+）相关的议题，及制定更具包容的性教育课程与反校园霸凌宣导计划等。

这项联署声明上周五已发给教育部长黄循财等四名教育部政治职务担任者。

发起联署活动的非正式组织由教育工作者和社工组成，组织代表回应《联合早报》时证实，他们是因认为，早前跨性别学生投诉，被教育部阻止接受性别治疗一事处理不当，决定为年轻人发声。

“身为在教育和社会服务领域工作的专业人员，我们都曾见过或听过跨性别学生在本地学校面对相同处境。如果我们的任何举止或言语曾让跨性别学生或其他LGBTQ+的学生在校园里感到被排斥，我们也诚心道歉。”

近来有关跨性别者的议题引起广泛关注。教育部今天相信将在国会回应反对党工人党议员何廷儒的相关口头询问。

事缘一名就读于高中二年级，自认“男转女”并诊断患有性别焦虑症的跨性别学生Ashlee，上个月中在社交媒体平台撰文，指教育部介入阻止她接受荷尔蒙补充疗法。这种疗法能提高人体内的女性荷尔蒙，进而刺激女性生理特征。

教育部过后否认指控，表示医疗决定权最终落在医生和病患身上。不过，该部门在给媒体的答复中，一些表述与用词引起网民不满，尤其它在答复中提到学生时，使用男性性别称呼，更受到批评。

另有五名年轻男女则在上星期二于教育部总部外高举标语牌，抗议有关当局对LGBTQ+学生的歧视。他们目前正在接受警方调查。

社区工作者林敬洲（24岁）前天签署网络声明，以反对政府在这一系列事情上的处理。他指出，针对LGBTQ+，新加坡社会仍存在观点分歧，但Ashlee愿意勇敢分享经历，为大家进行对话并寻找共同空间提供了契机。

林敬洲所属的组织在冠病疫情期间负责为社区弱势群体提供援助，而他也曾与关注跨性别议题的组织合作。

跨性别者在社会上常遇到挑战

他说：“我认识到跨性别者在社会上常遇到挑战。例如，他们在申请经济援助时，有时必须回答有关自己性别的各种艰难问题。我认为这些都是因制度缺陷而存在的障碍。”

声明星期天（1月31日）中午前已有552个签名，当中有个人，也有九个组织。一些现职教师指出，虽担心加入联署会影响工作，但他们仍决定以非全名署名方式支持。

专门提供LGBTQ+辅导服务的公民组织Oogachaga也加入联署活动。执行董事廖洋发指出，他们担心教育部对这起事件的后续处理，会影响其他跨性别年轻人，因害怕被处罚或受到更多歧视，而不敢寻求专业援助。