CitizenGO logo

Welby: Scrap CofE Trans Guidance Endangering 1 Million Children

Welby: Scrap CofE Trans Guidance Endangering 1 Million Children
petition author imageCitizenGO - started this petition to The Most Rev. and the Rt Hon. the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury GCVO, Justin Welby - 2024/09/02

Update: Follow-up letter sent (6 February, 2025)


A follow-up letter has been sent on behalf of the 22,894 people who have signed this petition, urging the Church of England's Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders CBE, to respond to us and uphold Biblical truth and biological reality.


--------


Update: Petition delivered (12 November, 2024)


This petition was delivered to Archbishop Justin Welby and Nigel Genders CBE, the Church of England's chief education officer, moments before Welby's resignation.


--------


Original text (2 September, 2024):


The Church of England has once again turned its back on Biblical truth.


Their latest anti-bullying guidance for schools, ironically titled Flourishing for All, is a dangerous document which will result in the promotion of harmful gender ideology to children as young as four.


Cloaked in the language of compassion and claiming to safeguard children's well-being, the draft guidance will instead sow seeds of confusion, leading children away from the truth of how God created them. This guidance is a wolf in sheep's clothing.


While Flourishing for All may strip away some of the blatant endorsements of transgender ideology found in its predecessor, Valuing All God’s Children, it still stands in direct conflict with the Biblical truth that God created us male and female.


Rather than upholding this core belief, the guidance embraces the contested language of gender ideology, using terms like "cisgender," which suggests that sex is a flexible, self-determined concept rather than a God-given reality.


Moreover, it acknowledges and even attempts to legitimise the term "non-binary," further straying from God’s good design and biological reality.


Even more alarming is the guidance's blatant encouragement of gender dysphoria in children.


By insisting that CofE schools create "supportive" environments where a child’s "preferred pronouns" and names are used–without question, it pushes children deeper into a state of identity confusion rather than guiding them towards truth and clarity.


Beyond promoting contested ideologies, Flourishing for All seeks to actively silence orthodox Christian beliefs.


It declares that CofE school communities must be free from "polarised debates" and explicitly states that "homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic language or viewpoints" are not acceptable within schools. This sweeping prohibition effectively bans Christians from expressing Bible-based beliefs on sexuality and gender.


Moreover, the guidance goes further by asserting that remaining silent or avoiding the topic could send a "hurtful message" to LGBT+ children and adults. This creates intense pressure on children, parents, and teachers to vocally endorse an ideology that directly conflicts with their faith.


This silencing has already led to severe consequences for Christians working within CofE schools!:

Flourishing for All will indoctrinate over 1,000,000 children across more than 4,800 Church of England primary schools–more than 1 in 4 of all UK primary schools.


Despite its name, this guidance will create an environment where orthodox-believing Christians cannot flourish but are instead persecuted for their Biblical views on gender.


Rather than championing God's good design, under which every man and woman, boy and girl, can truly flourish, it silences Christian beliefs, forcing children, parents, and teachers to endorse harmful gender ideology.


Ensure Every Child Can Flourish: Sign this petition to urge the Church of England not to implement the Flourishing for All guidance and create new policies that allow children to truly thrive by upholding God’s good design and Biblical truth.


--------


More information:

22,924 have signed.

Let's get to 50,000

Don't implement the CofE's trans-affirming guidance for schools

Dear Archbishop Justin Welby and Chief Education Officer Nigel Genders,


I am writing to express deep concern regarding the recently published draft "Flourishing for All" anti-bullying guidance for Church of England schools and to encourage you not to implement it. While I appreciate the intention behind this guidance, particularly in its effort to ensure that every child is treated with dignity and respect, I am troubled by certain aspects of the document, particularly its approach to issues of gender and sexuality.


As Christians, we believe that God created us male and female and that this understanding of gender is part of His good design. This truth is foundational to our faith, as it is written in Genesis 1:27: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” This understanding of our creation should be reflected in the education and guidance provided by our Church, especially in our schools, which play a crucial role in shaping the hearts and minds of our young people.


The current guidance appears to be heavily influenced by contemporary societal pressures challenging this biblical understanding of gender. The implicit endorsement of transgender ideology can be through the use of terms like "cisgender" and the acknowledgement of "non-binary" identities, which undermine biblical and biological realities. In addition, the guidance normalises gender dysphoria by advocating for the use of preferred pronouns and names for “gender-questioning” children. This affirmation-only approach risks placing vulnerable children on a path toward irreversible medical interventions, including hormone treatments and invasive, life-altering surgeries, at a time when the number of people detransitioning continues to grow.


Furthermore, the guidance silences traditional Christian beliefs by imposing broad prohibitions on any dissenting views, effectively coercing students, parents, and teachers into endorsing ideologies that contradict their faith. This risks marginalising Christian staff and students, compelling them to either suppress their convictions or face exclusion in an environment that should, by its very nature, uphold and respect their beliefs.


In summary, while the intention to protect children is commendable, this guidance risks leading our schools away from biblical truth and into a dangerous path that contradicts God's design for humanity. By aligning with contested gender ideologies, the guidance not only undermines the biblical understanding of male and female but also places vulnerable children at risk of confusion, harm, and irreversible decisions that could have profound consequences on their lives.I strongly urge you to withdraw this guidance and develop new guidance that protects children from bullying while remaining uncompromising on Biblical truth and affirming God's good design.


Thank you for your attention to this matter.


Yours in Christ,