While reading numerous articles I can tell that the key issue that exists in 2010 around equality of boys and girls in schools are focused on discrimination. English law on discrimination was already fairly well evolved when the Directives were implemented. However, it has developed significantly since then to comply with European law and the European Court of Justice’s interpretation of certain key concepts. The Equality Act is another large step in the evolutionary process. It is effective as of October 1, 2010.

“The Act still applies to nine “protected characteristics”: age,
Disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership,
Pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual
Orientation. During consultation, it was suggested that
Characteristics such as language and genetic predisposition should
Also be protected, but the Government rejected those proposals.
The Act introduces a number of changes to victimization and
harassment. Victimisation occurs when an employee is subject to
detriment because he/she has (or is believed to have) made or
supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Act. A
complainant is no longer required to point to a hypothetical or actual
comparator who has not made or supported a complaint under the
Act.” (Stated by cov.com)

For Gender they had to say that “The Act has expanded the concept of indirect discrimination to cover gender reassignment. Indirect discrimination can now occur when a provision, criterion or practice that applies to everyone within an organization particularly disadvantages people who fall within the gender reassignment protected characteristic (unless it can be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim) The definition of gender reassignment has also been broadened. A person will be regarded as having the protected characteristic if he/she proposes to undergo, is undergoing or has actually undergone the process of reassigning sex. This means that a person will no longer be required to be under medical supervision to fall within the definition. To reassign gender, the employee may simply decide to live and dress as someone of the opposite sex. However, transvestites or those who choose temporarily to adopt the appearance of the opposite sex will not be covered.”

All that this all means is that there shouldn’t be any discrimination towards people that change their appearance because they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin. I have a story, one of my friends was straight her whole life, always loved guys and was completely loved by all for her beauty. When junior year came she “left” the school. We were all sad but it was okay because it always happened. That same year we had a new guy student come in that was funny, loved by all, and into the drama program.
Not till just last year did we find out that it was her that came back as a guy. Really odd huh, but long story short she moved out of her house into her grandparents because her parents wouldn’t accept her as a guy. Now the only reason we found this all out was because when she went to college she was complete antagonized by her roommate causing her to kill herself over Christmas break of 2009. I wish I knew her better but she was just one of those people that said hi to everyone and always started a conversation with you. We weren’t the best of friends but we weren’t the worst either.