CHILDREN as young as four have been asked by the council which gender they most identify with before starting school.

Brighton and Hove City Council wrote to parents urging them to support their child’s choice of gender identity in a letter confirming primary school places this week.

The letter asked them to leave the gender section of a form blank if their child considered itself neither male or female and instead had another gender identity altogether.

The letter was sent to thousands of parents preparing to send kids to new schools later this year.

The Argus:

Brighton and Hove City Council wrote: “We recognise that not all children and young people identify with the gender they were assigned at birth or may identify as a gender other than male or female, however the current systems (set nationally) only record gender as male or female.

“Please support your child to choose the gender they most identify with.

“Or if they have another gender identity please leave this blank and discuss with your child’s school.”

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen described the letter as utterly ridiculous.

He told a national paper: “Schools should be teaching kids to read and write, not prompting them to consider gender swaps.”

The council’s move came just months after it sent pupils at Blatchington Mill School in Hove a gender survey with 25 options to choose from.

Councillor Emma Daniel, head of the council’s equalities committee, said the council was merely following its legal obligation and that the form was nothing to get excited about.

In an interview with a national paper she said: “We have inserted the additional text about gender identity in response to calls from families, young people and schools to show an inclusive approach.

“There are increasing numbers of children and young people nationally identifying as trans.”