Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman has failed to respond to Gript’s request for comment on a State-funded NGO encouraging teachers to lie to parents about their child’s gender issues.
Last week Gript’s Fatima Gunning and Gary Kavanagh reported that the LGBT+ NGO BeLongTo produced a handbook for teachers and youth workers, specifically instructing them to lie to parents or guardians about their children in certain circumstances. Where a child has disclosed that they are queer or transgender to such professionals, and a parent asks directly about their children’s sexuality or gender, the teacher or youth worker is encouraged to lie and say they “don’t know.”
To date, BeLongTo has not responded to Gript’s request for comment about the appropriateness of this advice.
Notably, in the document in question, BeLongTo thanks Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s Department of Children and Youth Affairs for funding their work.
On foot of this story, earlier this week, Gript asked Minister O’Gorman whether he was aware that his Department was funding this sort of material, and if he stands over it.
“I didn’t see the report, so I’m not really able to comment in much detail on its content,” he replied.
Irish Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman refuses to say whether he supports State-funded NGOs encouraging teachers to lie to parents. Question by @Ben_Scallan #gript pic.twitter.com/kaXYZRBm7g
— gript (@griptmedia) September 26, 2023
Asked if, in principle, he thought it was right for State-funded groups to encourage teachers to lie to parents, he declined to answer.
“I’d really like to see the report to understand the context before I made any comment, even in a theoretical way,” he said.
Following this, Gript emailed O’Gorman’s office with a link to the report, asking if he was aware of this advice from BelongTo, and if he thinks it’s right for NGOs to encourage teachers to lie to parents. However, no reply was received.
On Wednesday Gript revealed that the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) has been aware of material instructing teachers to lie to parents about their child’s gender and sexuality since at least February of this year.
Gript Investigates: The Ombudsman for Children has said it sees no issue with state funded NGO BeLongTo instructing teachers and youth workers to lie to parents about their children.#gripthttps://t.co/mXGtCo1FnQ
— gript (@griptmedia) September 27, 2023