Thursday September 3rd, 1998

Woman teacher returns as a man

Martin Wainwright on pupils’ welcome for drama master with a new role

Drama teacher Mike Garside returned to school yesterday, and a warm welcome from pupils who last knew him as Lisa.

The miss who became a sir over the summer holidays was given cards, letters, and an email from the whole of his class, offering him “comfort, respect and the hope of a better life”.

Mr Garside made a brief appearance outside King James’s school, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.  “I’ve had great support from everyone here, I’m relaxed after the break and I just want to get on with teaching,” he said.  “There are new pupils here who are much more nervous than I am, and I want to help settle them in and see them enjoying the school.”

Mr Garside, who is 34, announced his planned gender change in July and started hormone therapy over the summer break.  The 1,500 pupil comprehensive, which prides itself on a commitment to equal opportunities as well high league table ranking, backed Lisa and said the issue was “a challenge to practise the tolerance we preach”.

The head teacher, David Hudson, who congratulated all 22 of Garside’s GCSE pupils on good passes, said the change “had really not been an issue among pupils or staff.” His cropped hair and mannish clothes have long been familiar in Knaresborough, where he joined King James’s staff 14 years ago.

“The pupils’ email sums up everything the staff and the governors feel,” said Dr Hudson, reading out the 15-year-olds’ references to the teacher’s high academic standards, commitment to out-of-school projects and care for education.  The message, signed by all 32 class members added: “We are all very proud of our teacher and will be supporting him all the way.  Every pupil hopes he will come back into a comfortable environment and that he will be respected for who he is, not what he is.”

Mr Garside, who appears in amateur plays with the local Black Dog theatre group, said he was only “at the first stage of a long process”.

The school, founded in 1616, has had only five letters from parents on the much-publicised affair, three in support of Mr Garside and two “not against, but wondering about the issue”, said Dr Hudson.

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