New Communications Assistant at Mermaids

[Sheyher]

Just noticed that they’ve given the position to non-binary Jake Edwards who is a very popular YouTuber - once the other half of Alex Bertie (famous trans man who wrote a book about their own transition)

The following is a link to a recent one of their vids. Interesting opinions on Kink presence at Pride Marches at about 5 minutes in (and other frank discussions so don’t watch in presence of children or those that might not want to hear discussions of a sexual nature) Generally flagging it up because they’re extremely popular amongst the younger trans community and particularly young trans men or young women who are investigating. Some interesting videos in the past on their own dysphoria and how having ‘top surgery’ actually exacerbated their ‘bottom’ dysphoria. Has also documented their own double mastectomy.

If you have a child who is immersing themselves in this world then this person is a high profile figure. Loads of very young kids watching their videos/following them on Twitter; lots of kids desperate for top surgery looking up to them.

Interesting choice for Mermaids. I hope they support them well in this role because I don’t think they have a huge amount of life/work experience outside of their trans/YouTube ‘celebrity’. Quite articulate but it actually makes me sad when I look back at their videos from about 6 years ago (on their YouTube channel) before their beard growth.
[[
m.youtube.com/watch?v=mdpgT1I0B9A]]

[HandsOffMyRights]

Not aware of this individual but I will take a look.

I wonder if they have any journalism/PR or Communications training/qualifications?
The press statements issued by Mermaids to date have been dreadful.

[Whatisthisfuckery]

Lost me at ‘what’s the biggest toy you’ve fitted in your ass?’ Honestly, what’s that got to do with anything?

[Goosefoot]

Maybe slightly OT but something I've been wondering about and this video made me think of it - when was it that any kind of feeling bad about your body began to be called "dysphoria"? Isn't there meant to be something different about them? I feel like a lot of times now young people are calling every instance of being uncomfortable with their physicality dysphoria.

Anyway, the whole video is completely banal.

[Sittinonthefloor]

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 wtaf this is not ok!

[ArnoldWhatshisknickers]

I feel like a lot of times now young people are calling every instance of being uncomfortable with their physicality dysphoria.

That is perhaps part of the wider pathologising of normal human emotion.

Lisa Marchiano, who is a psychologist of the Jungian school, is interesting on the topic.

[OhHolyJesus]

@Goosefoot Body dysmorphic disorder was a term I heard in the late 90s for the description of behaviour I displayed as a teenager around 90/92 so it could have been around that time that it entered medical language/diagnosis.

[SunsetBeetch]

Wow. This is like if an American charity for young trans people hired Zinnia Jones. Totally inappropriate. Another safeguarding fail.

[Goosefoot]

OhHolyJesus

I guess what I am wondering is, I think most teen girls go through periods of being intensely uncomfortable with their body, and a fair number of teen boys do as well. And adults maybe less intensely but many do feel similar things at various points in their lives.

When I was growing up - late 80s to mid 90s - everyone seemed to know this, teens especially were told to expect that sort of thing, but it was never described in that language. But what some of these girls describe sounds to me like just the same kind of thing, not something that would require some sort of special treatment or word.

[Goosefoot]

I guess what i am thinking is the word itself seems to push into the direction of a medical issue.

[Sheyher]

I remember the phrase body dysmorphia back in early 90s possibly late 80s. It was bandied about in relation to looking in the mirror and not ‘seeing’ your true reflection. So an anorexic with a skeletal frame would see huge thighs and fat that wasn’t there. It was all tied in with a general self-loathing and often accompanied with self-harm. I know dysphoria is something different but it is so closely related. And yet we are allowed to offer therapy and intervention to the anorexic but if we approach dysphoria in the same way it’s called transphobic or attempted ‘conversion therapy’. This is my frustration. Hormones and surgery are seen as the only ‘solution’. Nothing else is allowed to be on the table. I suppose with the state of our mental health services there’s not enough help to go around anyway. We are failing so many children.

[OhHolyJesus]

I get you Goose, I guess it became a broad term for that feeling of being unhappy with your body, something which we all experience at some point in life.

Whoever coined the term would probably never expect is to end up here.

[MoleSmokes]

That will teach me not to visit Mumsnet often enough! The offending video by Jake Edwards is now restricted to "by invitation" viewers.