School probe into sex lesson where drag queen told pupils there are 73 genders

A SCHOOL has suspended sex education lessons after a drag queen who appeared as a guest speaker reportedly told pupils there are 73 genders – and made a child who argued that there are ‘only two’ leave the classroom.

An independent review has been launched after Year 7 children as young as 11 were left ‘traumatised’ following a lesson about sex-change operations and sexual acts.

Parents had raised concerns in a petition, particularly about the ‘graphic, disproportionate, indecent presentation’ of sexual acts and gender identities being taught to their children.

The petition called on the head teacher for an ‘immediate investigation’, asking how ‘an inexperienced and untrained adult’ was ‘permitted to discuss gender issues to an inappropriate child audience’.

It read: ‘We consider the attendance of a “drag queen” in class and alienating students clearly confused about the information discussed during this session wholly inappropriate.’ A local councillor – Eliza Cox, vice- chairman of Marown Parish Commissioners – said: ‘ A lot of children are just too traumatised to even talk to their parents. As a parent, you don’t know what children are being taught.’

The Isle of Man government has said it has launched an independent review into the personal, social, health and economic curriculum at the Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel to gain an understanding of what has taken place.

It comes after the island introduced a new relationships and sex education curriculum in September.

Charlotte Clarke, the school’s head , told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Given the concerns being raised, and in order to be open and transparent, we requested an independent review into the situation.’

A spokesperson for the Department for Education added: ‘Schools must make sure all content they use is factual and age-appropriate, and engage with parents so they are aware of what their children are being taught.’