Children should not be taught their gender can be changed, says poll for Family First

A poll for Family First has found people do not want gender identity teaching in schools.

Children should not be taught that their gender can be changed, according to a poll commissioned by Family First.

The poll of 1000 people found 54 per cent did not believe that children should be taught that their gender can be changed through surgery and hormone treatment, compared with 35 per cent who thought they should be taught, and 11 per cent who were unsure.

The poll also found 46 per cent of people believe toilets and changing rooms should be based on biological sex, compared to 36 per cent who believe they should be based on gender identity. The other 18 per cent were unsure.

When it came to children playing in sports team based on biological sex or gender identity, people were evenly divided on 39 per cent and 22 per cent were unsure.

Males, people living in provincial and rural areas, and those aged 18 to 40 were more likely to want sport based on biological sex.

For all three questions, the highest support for biological sex over gender identity were NZ First and National party voters, and lowest was Green party supporters.

Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said policymakers should be concerned with how misguided school policies, including the school sex education curriculum, might encourage students to identify as girls when they are boys, and vice versa, and might result in prolonged difficulties.

"Schools are being pressured into accepting gender ideology by groups such as the Human Rights Commission, Rainbow Youth and the Ministry of Education who try and tell schools and families that the so-called right of an individual to use the toilet and changing room and bunkroom that conforms to his or her 'gender identity' takes precedence over modesty and safety.

"These indoctrination programmes are simply confusing and stressing our children, and it's starting to show," McCoskrie said.

He said it was time that the Education and Health Ministries placed priority on scientific evidence and sound medical practice, rather than bowing to ideology and special interest groups pushing a radical agenda.

"Biology is not bigotry," McCoskrie said.

The poll by Curia Market Research, was conducted last month and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent.