Mermaids - need help

It's all fine, it's not like the number of trans identifying kids is soaring or anything.....

Oh

No

Wait

Interesting that they basically restarted the charity in 2016. Fee income has gone through the roof

The dramatic shift from support group to lobbying seems to have happened after Susie Green became a trustee... 🤔🤔🤔

Well, whoda thunkit, Kat?

No it's clear as day that they have a problem with Mermaids.

Interestingly trans activists do try and engage with us from time to time, but their lack of evidence to back up their arguments makes it a bit tricky.

Now once more. Show me the evidence to explain the shift in mermaids approach to trans kids?

Bananas are fine, but cucumbers are most certainly not.

Well when it's fairly obvious...

Negative generalisations are against posting rules. I also really object to the bit in the OP where she stated that bananas should never be allowed in a fruit salad.

I wish as much effort and money was out into ensuring those with physical and mental needs could have access to transport, businesses and facilities.

But no. This hobby horse has legs for some reason.

It’s bait and switch tactics. Because the aim is always to distract from the central, important issue and drag the conversation into an endless feedback loop of manufactured outrage. There has been a 3200 per cent increase in girls presenting for transition in five years. Why? Why should an powerful lobby group influence policies without public debate and media scrutiny? There is an existential threat to freedom of speech and freedom of thought which is being waged by this lobby’s proponents. Why? Anyone who doesn’t submit to this authoritarian agenda is subject to vitriolic abuse. Why is there such a fanatical desire to forcibly silence people? The bait switch tactic isn’t working anymore. And the supine media seems to have woken from its long slumber...

Oh yes Kids Company. So many people did see them as 'the naked Emperor' but were shouted down.

Robert Webb was subjected to this when he tweeted (very) critically of Mermaids. ("Mermaids suck" - yes, they do!) Because the culture of Mermaids in reinforcing gender stereotypes is completely at odds with his philosophy, and he has written extensively about boys, and how gender stereotyping affects them.

He was accused of "wanting kids to kill themselves" and "attacking a children's charity" and other, even worse, stuff. Until he deleted his tweet - which is a shame, I would have liked to see him stick to his guns, but never mind.

Being a "children's charity" isn't a golden ticket to do whatever you want - Kids Company should demonstrate that. Mermaids are promoting some very serious, life changing, treatments for children, without any evidence at all that it produces the best outcomes long-term.

Snowblight - "You just hate transwomen!!'

Well when it's fairly obvious...

Anyway that's enough discussion for me of three words in the OP.
@GoodCheer do you know any more about your friend's existing views on this? If she's a Times reader I'd be surprised if she hadn't come across a fair bit of it already; it's been something of a focus for a while.

Snowblight's posts are like the whole TRA argument in a microcosm.

People - voice valid concerns about a charity heavily invested in medicalising children, based on zero evidenced-base scientific studies.

Snowblight - "You just hate transwomen!!'

It's a ludicrous, silencing tactic, and TRAs are not getting away with it anymore. The cat's out of the bag now - this stuff has hit newsnight, and other mainstream media.

pushing Mermaids as her saviour and an organisation everyone should be praising and following

try looking at it in the context of that bit of the sentence and think about why the OP may be slightly ticked off about this particular TW.

Expecting women to be polite, sensitive and enthusiastic about this stuff really is expecting too much.

That really isn't what the OP says at all.

You are honestly saying that the OP's opening line where she sarcastically describes the person as a 'stunning and brave TW' doesn't indicate an issue with the fact that the person is trans?

You don't get it that no trans person or supporter is going to engage with discussing issues when the overriding message they get is that, whatever those issues, the OP also has a major problem with the fact that someone is trans.

This discussion is about Mermaids, who, as zebra said, are a group which attempts to set every gender confused child on a medical pathway.

What is your opinion of the diagnostic criteria for deciding a child is 'trans'? I've seen the NHS page about this and it's all about stereotypes.

How do you feel about children being set on a path to being lifelong medical patients because they like the 'wrong' toys for their sex?

Do you think children are capable of giving consent to be sterilised? How do you feel about the future for these children who will never be able to experience a normal sexual relationship as adults?

That really isn't what the OP says at all. Or what any of the thread says. Because words mean things. But whatever.

you're borrowing historical issues totally out of context to try and validate your agenda

Rubbish, it's clear as daylight that the OP has an issue just with the fact that their friend's colleague is trans.

If you want to make stretch comparisons its less like asking a 'black person to engage with the BNP' than asking a parent where there are possible concerns to engage with social services. Because however offended or threatened or upset or criticised that person may personally feel, there may be issues that can't be left alone to do harm, and wider responsibilities involved than to just protect that one person's feelings.

Utter bollocks. The very major issues are staring everyone in the face, they are very serious issues for women, for children, for society as a whole. Nothing to do with random moral disgust, you're borrowing historical issues totally out of context to try and validate your agenda.

They're not interested zebra
Anyone who could come to this thread, see all this evidence (I doubt they've even looked, they certainly haven't countered) and pick on a phrase, is just derailing, in a brave and stunning way.

You don't get it that no trans person or supporter is going to engage with discussing issues when the overriding message they get is that, whatever those issues, the OP also has a major problem with the fact that someone is trans. It would be the equivalent of a black or Muslim person being asked to engage with the BNP. It's basically sending out the message 'even if there were no issues we disagree on, I'd still have a problem with you as a person'.

They're not interested zebra
Anyone who could come to this thread, see all this evidence (I doubt they've even looked, they certainly haven't countered) and pick on a phrase, is just derailing, in a brave and stunning way.

There has been a terrible EVIL perceived slight, that must be re-educated. Forgiveness, of cause is impossible, but the OP could thank snow for their emotional labour, whilst on their knees, chanting:
TWAW
TMAM
and NBP are valid etc etc

So I'm still asking where's the scientific evidence for the shift in mermaid policy 2009 to 2011 ?

Thanks x

Do you think that the CEO of Mermaids should have taken her child for GRS in Thailand for their 16th birthday? Surgery that is illegal in the UK.

And then decide that her decision for her child is probably right for every other gender confused child - endorsing puberty blockers for minors, and endorsing a US surgeon at a conference for recommending GRS in young people? Minors? When there is an 80% desistance rate for gender confused children who are allowed the "watchful waiting' approach?

Why are Mermaids so set on the medical pathway? Why have they branded therapy that is anything other than affirming "conversion therapy"? WHY can GIDS and Mermaids not provide any evidence based studies to support their insistence that gender confused children must be put on the medicalised pathway? They admitted as much on Newsnight. Don't call us "prejudiced" for pointing this shit out.

for a large number of you the issue is just trans people... whatever 'concerns' you may try to cover up your prejudice with.

It's not 'prejudice' to have concerns about a 'charity' which encourages children to believe there is something wrong with their bodies.

Do you think Mermaids should have referred people to Helen Webberley when she had a conviction for running an illegal clinic in the UK?