Disabled Child Excluded from Camp Over Pronoun Dispute

A disabled child was barred from attending a charity summer camp due to his mother’s refusal to specify his pronouns on a registration form. The eight-year-old was scheduled to participate in the Over the Wall (OTW) camp for children facing health challenges and disabilities from July 6 to July 8, 2023, at Strathallan School in Perthshire.

The situation escalated when camp organizers contacted the mother after she expressed her discomfort with the pronoun request by responding, “Seriously?” During a subsequent phone conversation, the mother asserted that individuals cannot change their sex, leading to a heated exchange. Following this interaction, the boy was informed that he could not attend the camp due to the mother’s “aggressive” behavior and the presence of a transgender child.

After the incident, the mother filed a Subject Access Request to uncover the reasons behind the camp’s decision. Internal documents revealed that the true motivation for denying the child’s admission was related to the mother’s views on gender. One document stated, “We will be making the family unsuccessful for this year’s camp due to the lack of alignment with our inclusive environment.”

According to the report, the mother was defensive, claiming that her child should refer to individuals based on their biological sex. She firmly stated, “There are only two genders (male and female) and that biology cannot be changed.” The camp’s leadership attempted to explain their commitment to diversity and inclusion, emphasizing the importance of a supportive environment for all children, regardless of their gender identity. The mother responded by expressing her shock at the camp’s policies and alleging discrimination against her views.

The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her outrage, saying, “The treatment that I received from Over The Wall has been absolutely disgusting.” The Free Speech Union Scotland assisted her in obtaining the internal documents and condemned the camp’s actions as “scandalous.”

In response to the backlash, an OTW spokesperson clarified that the decision to exclude the child was based on the mother’s conduct during the phone call rather than her views articulated on the form. The spokesperson stated, “The decision was not based on the views expressed on a form, but on conduct during a phone call with our Clinical Director, where she was verbally aggressive and ended the call abruptly.”

This incident highlights the ongoing debates surrounding gender identity and inclusion, particularly in environments designed to support vulnerable children. It raises questions about the balance between upholding individual beliefs and fostering an inclusive atmosphere for all participants.