A 12-year-old boy has allegedly been referred to counter-terrorism authorities after posting an online video saying "there's no such thing as non-binary".
The child, who remains unnamed, reportedly created the video to counter bullies who had mistakenly assumed he supported transgender rights. In the footage, he reportedly declares: "[I'm] gay not queer."
According to the boy's mother, school officials informed her that the video had prompted them to report her son to Prevent, the Home Office programme aimed at thwarting potential terrorists.
It is understood that authorities may have linked the boy's expressed views to right-wing ideology, leading to the controversial referral.
The incident has raised questions about the interpretation and application of anti-radicalisation measures in schools, particularly concerning young children expressing opinions on complex social issues.
Concerns were also reportedly raised that the boy, who is Jewish, said he wanted Hamas to be “wiped out” and told bullies he would “exterminate” them, according to the MailOnline.
The Standard could not verify the video.
Prevent and Northumbria Police have been contacted for comment.
The boy's mother told the Mail that both agencies had visited her in what felt like an “interrogation” after she uploaded the video on his behalf.
She said: 'We think that he was targeted as the children believe gay people agree with trans ideology.
“He made a video which I uploaded to YouTube where he said 'there are only two genders' and 'I'm gay not queer'.
“The school phoned up and were incensed by it. They said that they would refer him to Prevent for that video.
“They said that he was at risk of radicalisation - not that he had been, but was a risk when he gets to 13 and is entitled to his own social media accounts.
“There was a risk he would fall in with far right groups.”
She did not identify the far right groups that he is considered to be at risk of joining and the boy’s secondary school has not been made known.
The authorities were also said to be curious about a toy crossbow that had been bought from an English Heritage.
The mother added that bullies had attacked the boy’s Jewish heritage by making Nazi salutes and it was said that they forced him to drink another child’s urine.
“We sat down with the Prevent officers and there was an interrogation - they had an attitude of 'we'll ask the questions'.
“We were asked if we monitored his social media and what songs he listens to.
“They said there was a whole series of things he had been accused of.”
