Catholic schools ask PR to veto gender identity measures in schools

The Portuguese Association of Catholic Schools (APEC) this Wednesday asked the President of the Republic to veto measures that should be taken by schools to guarantee the right of children and young people to self-determinate gender identity.

In a press release, APEC justifies the request by saying that the law in question, approved by parliament on December 15, “flagrantly and unacceptablely” violates the article of the Constitution, which determines that “the state cannot program education and culture according to any philosophical, aesthetic, political, ideological or religious guidelines.”

According to APEC, the legislation “comes from an ideology that destroys social foundations and is based on the deconstruction of ancient models of social coexistence.”

On 15 December, in a final global vote, Parliament approved measures to be taken by schools to guarantee the right of children and young people to self-determinate gender identity and protection of their sexual characteristics.

According to the text, schools must identify “channels of communication and identification” by identifying the person or people responsible for “the situation of children and young people exhibiting a gender identity or expression that does not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.” you can communicate. .

Upon becoming aware of the situation, the school must, together with parents, guardians or legal representatives, conduct an assessment of the situation “with a view to gathering all necessary information to provide support and supervision, and to identify organizational needs and possible forms of action to ensure the well-being and healthy development of the child.” or a young man.”

Schools will also have to ensure that “the child or young person, in exercising their rights and taking into account their expressed wishes, has access to bathrooms and changing rooms, ensuring the well-being of everyone by making any accommodations they consider necessary.”

APEC believes that this clause threatens the “privacy, intimacy, safety and protection of children and young people in school settings,” advocating that schools, and Catholic schools in particular, “treat emerging situations with care, respect and uniqueness ” they deserve, without the need for generalization, vulgarization and normalization.”

According to the association, the adopted law, by recommending the promotion of information and educational activities for children and young people, extending them to the rest of the school community, places the school “in the role of ideologically inculcating gender ideology” and “not in the role of teaching children and young people, helping to shape them an identity focused on active citizenship with the goal of building a better and more just society.”

The Portuguese Association of Catholic Schools also criticizes that the measures were approved by the government “in a climate of political instability” that resigned on December 8, “with excessive haste and without the necessary debate and clarification required for legislative changes of this kind.” with the ensuing social consequences.”

According to the diploma, children should be able to choose the option that they identify with “in cases where there is an obligation to wear a uniform or any other gender-differentiated clothing.”

In conjunction with school association training centres, training activities targeting teaching and non-teaching staff should also be encouraged “to promote practices that lead to effective respect for diversity of expression and gender identity, which enable us to overcome stereotyping and discriminatory behaviour”.

A law on self-determination of gender identity in schools was considered by parliament after the Constitutional Court ruled in 2021 that the government would regulate the topic.

The final text combines the PS, PAN and BE bills and was approved by the votes of these parties and the Livre, by the votes against the PSD, Chegi and IL and by the abstentions of the PCP.