Hull trans people hit out at government transgender guidance for schools
Schools are advised to take a "very cautious approach" if pupils want to change their gender identity.
Two trans people from Hull have spoken out against government guidance for schools which tells teachers in England they do not have to address pupils in their chosen pronouns.
The document is non-statutory and will be subject to a 12-week consultation before it is finalised.
Rhianna Cooper is a trans woman from Hull, who was one of the youngest people to transition when she was 15. She said: "Even when I go to bingo people still say 'he' and it bothers me, so for these young children who want to be male or female and not be called by the sex they were born with, it's just going to be so bad for their mental health."
"I knew from a very young age - four or five - that I was different, and now I'm 29 and still living as a female, so it shows it doesn't matter what age you are, you do know."
The guidance recommends teachers inform parents if their child wants to change their gender identity at school. Teachers will be able to withhold that information if there is a "significant" risk to the child.
Charlie Overfield from Hull, who is non-binary, said being addressed by pronouns you do not identify with would be "soul-destroying."
They said: "you're there sharing something very important about yourself and there is a person of authority telling you they're not going to go with that.
"It's pushing schools into a corner where they can either negatively impact the mental health and safety of kids or they can support them but with the caveat that if they do they'll also have to out them to their parents."
The draft documents states that single-sex schools should be able to refuse admission to pupils of the opposite sex, even if they questioning their gender - something which Charlie said could send the wrong message to those children.
They said: "From a very young age, they're being taught that they're worth less than others, and there's something wrong with them to the degree they're not allowed to mix with the people they identify with."
The guidance also says primary school aged children should not have different pronouns to their biological sex, and schools must provide sex-separated toilets for students aged eight and over.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the advice puts the "best interests of all children first" and "parent's views must also be at heart of all decisions made about their children."