Stephen Whittle (Press for Change) irresponsible use of 'likely' suicides follows Helen Belcher's (Trans Media Watch)

[R0wantrees]

In the Guardian today:
(extract)
"Prof Stephen Whittle, the founder of trans rights group Press for Change, warned that many trans people would “become depressed and dejected” if reform was delayed. He said: “I am sure there will be a flurry of attempts and suicides. But in the end we will pull ourselves together and continue the campaigning. We know we have Labour behind this one, so will simply do our best to get them elected.”

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/17/transgender-law-reform-has-overlooked-womens-rights-say-mps

Last week Helen Belcher (Trans Media Watch) ascribed causative link between suicide and suicide ideation to newspaper coverage with specific mention of the Times journalist Janice Turner:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3393577-Janice-Turner-accused-of-causing-trans-suicides

2013 Article describing formation of Press For Change and background to prominant trans-rights campaigners.
Christine Burns describes how Press For Change secured legislation:
(extract)
"Much of their campaigning remained on the quiet. The passage of the 2004 law to give trans people legal status was "remarkable," says Burns, because "the government was able to pass an entire act in parliament without anyone throwing a fit in the press"

www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jan/22/voices-from-trans-community-prejudice

Helen Belcher comment:
"In her Pressing Matters books, Christine Burns writes eloquently about all the work that a small group of trans campaigners did to achieve a legislative landmark. The Gender Recognition Act took at least 10 years of work as well as a series of court cases. It also took its toll. Most of the Press for Change team stepped back from front-line campaigning shortly after the Act was passed.

It’s been left to a new generation of campaigners to pick up the slack. I was one of a small number who formed the charity Trans Media Watch back in 2009, with the aim of improving the representation of trans and intersex people across the British media. What we found was largely ignorance. Senior executives would ask questions without any idea of their insensitivity. It took some thick skins to educate rather than retaliate."
challengingjourneys.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/free-speech-or-life-and-death/


Samaritans: www.samaritans.org/media-centre/media-guidelines-reporting-suicide/suicide-reporting-10-things-remember

[Redkeyboard]

Stephen Whittle was the special advisor for The Transgender Equality report. Special advisors are supposed to take a neutral role.

[OvaHere]

Also the ITV show Butterfly who consulted with Mermaids depicting attempted suicide going against the Samaritans advice about responsible messages in the media.

Three in one week.

[AngryAttackKittens]

Almost as if it's a coordinated strategy, eh?

[heresyandwitchcraft]

This is so bad. WTAF are they doing?
I feel like this is actually transphobia. This rhetoric is actively putting vulnerable trans people at risk - it paints trans people as some kind of fragile group that cannot handle it if people partake in political discussions.
I was taught that if someone is threatening to harm themselves because I won't comply with their demands, then this is emotional abuse and blackmail. That I should leave that person, and get out of that situation ASAP, because it is dangerous to me.
So...

[AngryAttackKittens]

I had a man I was breaking up with pull this shit on me once. I left. Best decision I ever made.

He did not kill himself. It was an abuser's attempt at control. Classic Duluth Wheel stuff.

[R0wantrees]

These are influential representatives of the transgender community. Vulnerable people & children especially have been /will be influenced.
This is so irresponsible.

Samaritans' well established principles on reporting after a death through suicide also apply:
"Young people are especially vulnerable to negative suicide coverage. Do not give undue prominence to photographs of a young person who has died and avoid repeated use of images such as galleries.
Try not to give a story undue prominence, for example with a front cover splash.
Don’t brush over the complex realities of suicide and its impact on those left behind. Remember that people bereaved by suicide are often vulnerable and are more likely to take their own lives than the general population.
Speculation about the ‘trigger’ for a suicide, even if provided by a close family member, should be avoided.
Use statistics with caution. Check with Samaritans or the relevant national statistical agency to make sure you have the most recent data and are comparing like with like."

[AngryAttackKittens]

Every time an article includes suicide baiting comments we should both complain to the paper/site that published it and inform the Samaritans.

[LangCleg]

As I keep saying, threats of suicide straight out of the abuse handbook. It's coercion and control. Someone needs to stop these dangerous idiots doing this. It's hurting their own as well as everybody else.

[AngryAttackKittens]

Given the current universality of this tactic among prominent TRAs I think we can conclude the following.

1. This is a coordinated effort. They are in touch with each other, they discuss strategy.
   
2. This is the strategy they have currently chosen in the hopes of forcing self-ID through.
   
3. The older people deploying this strategy do not care if it results in harm to the young people over whom they have an influence.

[R0wantrees]

Paris Lees (also Trans Media Watch etc)

[TimeLady]

My father took his own life. I understand why and I witnessed the absolute despair he was in at the time.

I'm disgusted that this is being used as a threat.

"I'll kill myself because they won't let me have a certificate"? Ffs.

[LangCleg]

The older people deploying this strategy do not care if it results in harm to the young people over whom they have an influence.

When you add to this the schools guidance that has multiple safeguarding loopholes making (non trans) abuser infiltration an increased risk to their own cohort of kids, a very worrying picture emerges, does it not?

[breastfeedingclownfish]

Shon Faye also accusing FPFW of 'incitement'.

Shon has removed the gloves I see.

[breastfeedingclownfish]

twitter.com/shonfaye/status/1052485670835548160

[Datun]

Again, this will only go one way. People who actually understand about suicide ideation, who are on the coalface, have written extensively about it. None of this is a secret.

The wheels are well and truly coming off.

If you don't do what I say, I'll kill myself.

[LangCleg]

Narc spin out is spreading, I see! Keep going m'dears: the more you spin out, the more people see you doing it.

Scales.
Eyes.
Falling.

[AngryAttackKittens]

When this threat doesn't work, where do they go from there?

[SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed]

If they stay true to the pattern of abusers, they'll probably directly attack, physically or verbally. It's a fact that a victim is in the most danger when she leaves and the abuser realises he is losing control. It's like that but on a much, much larger scale.

[OvaHere]

Shon 'enjoy you're erasure' Faye accusing the women fighting back against said erasure as 'fanatical'.

Perhaps if you had just kept your gob shut in the first place Shon these nasty women would never have realised the end game here.

[OvaHere]

*your not you're

[AngryAttackKittens]

Whittle has done a great deal of damage already behind the scenes.

[AngryAttackKittens]

Indeed.