Teenager 'sent home from school after he turned up dressed in women's clothing'

Govan High School denies the pupil was thrown out because of his decision to dress as a girl

Transvestite: Jamie Love claims he was asked to leave Govan High School because he came in dressed as a girl

A teenage boy claims he was thrown out from a notoriously rough high school after turning up to class dressed as a girl.

Jamie Love, 17, arrived at Govan High School wearing tights, mini-shorts, a high-waisted belt, hair extensions and make-up - shortly before he was ordered to leave.

Jamie, a dancer, who asked schoolmates to call him Keirny, claims he was speaking to teachers for months about how he felt trapped in a boy’s body.

He plucked up the courage to face his classmates as a girl on Monday - despite being taunted by some pupils for his outward feminity.

The sixth-former, who is ‘known by everybody in Govan’ and has predominately female friends, was last night described as a very ‘brave’ boy.

Jamie said: ‘It took me years to finally open up to someone about my sexuality and now I feel betrayed by the people I trusted.

‘I have always felt different but I have never been able to talk about it.

‘I left the school in tears feeling totally humiliated and embarrassed.’

The schoolboy, who is from Govan, in Glasgow, said he told the school in advance of his plans to attend class as a girl - a claim the school denies.

But on the first day he turned up dressed like all of his female friends, he was allegedly told to pack up his things and leave.

Jamie - who likes to wear blonde, brown and blue long hair extensions - said the school knew about his need to express himself as a woman.

He added: ‘I was very nervous about going to school as a girl but I thought I had the support of the school.’

Yet during the first period at school a teacher came into the class and escorted him to the head teacher’s office.

‘The two deputy heads asked me, "What are you trying to do to this school?" They told me to get my stuff and not come back.’

But the school strenuously denies all claims that Jamie was asked to leave school because of his clothing.

Glasgow City Council said Jamie was told to move on because of his lack of commitment to education.

While Jamie admits he has behavioural problems and has been disruptive in the past because of his confusion over his sexuality, both he and his mother Alison, 45, insist his cross-dressing was the focus of their discussions with the school.

He was in the middle of a hairdressing course in the sixth-form at the school and had hoped to gain enough qualifications for a place at Central College in Glasgow.

His mother said: ‘Jamie has done nothing wrong here. He has every right to express himself the way he wants and I will stand by him.’

Make up: Jamie says he has battled with his gender identity for years and the confusion it has caused him led to disruptive behaviour at school

Jamie broke the news to his mother only six weeks ago that he wanted to start dressing as a woman.

She said: ‘At first I was horrified and shocked that my only son would want to be a girl but once we had a long talk, I realised that it was something he had to do. He has been bottling it up for years.

‘But I have accepted him for who he is. Why can’t the school?’

His sister Michaela, 19, said: ‘People turn up to school wearing trackies, trainers and polos and they don’t get told to leave.’

Support: Jamie with his mother, Alison, left, and sister, Michaela, right. He broke the news to his mother only six weeks ago that he wanted to start dressing as a woman

As he was: Jamie's school denies that he was asked to leave because of his decision to dress as a girl

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: ‘Jamie was not expelled and is still on the school roll.



'The suggestion the pupil was told he was not welcome at the school because of his clothing is completely untrue.

‘He did not speak to us about the way he wanted to dress, however, his choice of clothing is not an issue and he was not told it was inappropriate.

‘He was advised on Monday that school was no longer meeting his needs and he should move on, and that staff would continue to support him.

‘However, he appears to want to continue at school.

