Mermaids and the evolving understanding of gender identity.

Interesting to watch what feels like the wheels finally coming off and wonder how many vacuous slebs, (I’m looking at you Hermoine et al), will start to distance themselves.

Shon 'enjoy ur erasure' Faye has tweeted 'The pathological obsession some people have with Mermaids is bizarre.'

Thank Christ the rest of the world is starting to wake up to the safeguarding nightmare behind the mythical creatures and rainbow glitter.

• bloody hell - if i were a mermaids trustee Id be telling everyone to step away from social media right now

and yes Mermaids has a massive SG problem. she's unable to be objective about any of it because she's too emotionally invested. You see it all the time in the voluntary sector. The type of people who take on one person crusades are rarely the sort of people who are then good at running organisations. It's a completely different skill set.*

Slightly (very slightly, CBA to look) curious as to whether the one with lots of m's in her twitter handle has made any response.

What littlebrowndog said.

If it's not about gender stereotypes, why is the word non binary required? I don't view myself as very feminine, but I also feel no real need to describe myself as non binary, mainly because I'm 42..its depressing that a 16 year old who likes sport, climbing, maths and jeans and t shirts (like I did) would probably nowadays describe herself as non binary. When did everything become so gendered??

I am wondering how they can justify using the phrase "gender assigned at birth" now that they are saying that they have always said children are not born in the wrong bodies.

I know "sex assigned at birth" is a phrase used for people with very rare DSDs but claiming that people have a gender assigned at birth, based on their sex characteristics, which does not align with the gender they are, is saying that they have the wrong body, particularly when this results in alteration of that body.

and yes Mermaids has a massive SG problem. she's unable to be objective about any of it because she's too emotionally invested. You see it all the time in the voluntary sector. The type of people who take on one person crusades are rarely the sort of people who are then good at running organisations. It's a completely different skill set.

As an aside to all the jaw-dropping backpedalling and gaslighting, I'm shocked that the CEO of such a high-profile charity, which counts Children in Need, Starbucks, Tesco etc amongst its donors, uses her professional twitter account to say 'You need to fuck off, you really do.'

Too much personal emotional investment. Not enough impartial, evidence-based expertise.

"A reluctance to do games appropriate to the birth gender"

I'm sorry, what would that be? Football? (Soccer is traditionally seen as a girls' game in the US and a boys' game in Europe)

Lacrosse? I always associate lacrosse with girls' boarding schools á la Enid Blyton, but I understand that quite beefy guys play it in the States...

And now Mermaids are denying this was ever about gender stereotypes.

Floral
That is a great point about the counsellor. Why should anyone rely upon its author's ability to be objective?

That is a key point. It's shocking that so much of the establishment rushed to embrace these unsubstantiated claims about children without any critical examination or considering the serious threats to safeguarding and privacy. It seems to be driven by a desire to be seen as at the vanguard of social justice. This is compounded by the 'lessons learned' paradigm where those responsible for appalling lack of judgement and dereliction of due diligence face zero consequences. This is a recurrent theme.

I have friends who have shared Mermaids fundraisers on Facebook. One is a mother of a child identifying as trans. It has been very difficult to maintain an attitude of compassion when the charlatan nature of the organisation has been so bloody obvious. I hope eyes will open now, but I suspect not for some time given the commitments made.

who wants to admit that they've allowed themselves to be believe in the face of all reputable research that children can be born in the wrong body on the back of a one woman crusade?

Its been obvious a very long time. Anyone still going along with it, well not sure there's any helping them any more tbh,

All I care about now is whether or not they are going to at least do one sensible responsibile thing and tell all the families they advised that they were wrong and they no longer need to medicate their personalities.

They also pushed the govt to fast track physical interventions for adolescents.

data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/women-and-equalities-committee/transgender-equality/written/19540.html

The Big Lottery Fund should hang their heads in shame for this. Ive known far better organistaions than Mermaids turned down repeatedly on the tiniest technicality while Mermaids were given time to rewrite policies and procedures. It was clear they got money because BLF wanted to support the 'cause' and were prepared to overlook the alarm bells.

of course lots of people will go along with Mermaids latest version of the truth at least initially because honestly they've got so much emotional energy invested in them as an organiation. It was the same with Kids Company - for a good year afterwards, people were popping up to say that it was all a misunderstanding/smear/lies, I mean how couold they not?

who wants to admit that they've allowed themselves to be believe in the face of all reputable research that children can be born in the wrong body on the back of a one woman crusade?

I wonder if the national lottery are regretting the £500000 grant to mermaids?
This is payable over 5 years so presumably there is still a large chuck to be paid while mermaids are changing positions like a weather vane in a storm.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/19/national-lottery-to-give-grant-to-transgender-childrens-group

That transcript is shocking. I agree with RoyalCorgi what kind of counsellor recommends that? The poor child being prevented from playing with toys because of the parents' desire to enforce regressive gender stereotypes. I can't say what I think about SG. It's just incredible that this organisation has been able to wield influence over vulnerable children. It's appalling.

I find it incredibly disturbing as I have one son (out of three) who was exactly like Green's son from a young age, loved Princess dress up and Barbies. He grew out of it to some extent and is now an artsy, fashion conscious teen. He might be gay (he currently identifies as Bi) but so what.

evolving understanding in 2016

article 2016 Charities including Mermaids calling for medical age limits to be lowered for children and/or teenagers.

Dr Helen Webberley gave a child puberty blockers at 9 years old and sex hormones at 12 years old “He had been on puberty blockers since the age of nine. He would have to now wait until 16 to get testosterone. This child has always been a boy, never worn a dress, always played with boys"

Mermaids Susie Green “The mother was absolutely desperate because her daughter is 14, her daughter’s voice has started to break, facial changes and hair are around the corner, her Adam’s apple will become more pronounced. These are changes that will affect her for the rest of her life.”

Jay Stewart Gendered Intelligence wanted a lower age for surgery “Some people will be looking to get access to surgery at 16, especially chest surgery. You’ve got people who have been binding [their breasts] since they were 11, so I think there might be health reasons to offer that,”

Urging caution
Polly Carmichael Tavistock clinic “The reality is we still don’t have the long-term outcome data,” . What’s happening is our society is moving faster than the evidence base.”

Disagreeing with the charities
Dr James Barrett, a consultant psychiatrist, Charing Cross clinic
“If you wait until puberty has got a little way along, a fair proportion of the children change the clinical presentation and feel more like straightforward lesbian and gay kids. They don’t seek social role change any more and will end up with no need for lifelong medical intervention, surgery and with no loss of natural fertility should they want children.”

When you are born, it’s decided whether you’re a boy or a girl, based on the way your body looks. But for some people, looks can be deceiving and they’re given the wrong gender.

They just won't give up will they? So, so much wrong with that statement, what is this gift of gender, who gives it and does it come in colour coded boxes?