Mermaids - sinister photo

Thank you for sharing this. It really is undeniable that there's something very creepy about this charity and what they're doing. Not just the fact that they've done this, but they don't even see the very obvious problem with the photo. It's so messed up.

Apart from the fact that Starbucks in general is as grimly dated as McDonalds, and this kind of carry-on is more reminiscent of Madonna's "I'm still cooooooolllll!" than anything else, do these vulnerable kids know they are in an ad campaign, and were they paid? Because I bet they don't and weren't.

WarriorN thanks for that link, I've just watched the whole video. She's brilliant, so clear, so caring, so honest. And addresses just about every issue we complain about.

Those costumes are utterly disturbing. There is a kink of men who like to be dominated/forced to dress up in female clothing and these are the types of costumes they tend to wear. Who are the parents who looked at that and thought ‘what a nice photo of my child.’

Wtaf. I actually feel a bit queasy.

All those sugary and fatty drinks, they do.

Do 11 year olds buy and drink coffee in Starbucks now?

I would like to know how "In plain sight" violates the guidelines.

Is that supposed to be a nappy?

Scardy Kat is a "bedroom queen."

Scaredy considers herself a "bedroom queen"—a queen who only does drag in privacy rather than a live performer

This man also has a girlfriend.

Actually just started watching this film by Watson and she nails the issues with this mermaid page within the first 5 mins (it's much longer)

Dear lord, what kind of world are we living in?

rupaulsdragrace.fandom.com/wiki/Scaredy_Kat

This is completely normalising, for children, a particular style within drag that taps into some pretty awful online stuff.

And why is Jennys friend much older than Jenny?
If its a stagged event, why is the photo op on a bed?

This is very distressing. The bedroom and costumes are akin to photos taken by the “adult baby” porn community. Photographing a child in this manner should be a police matter.

Agree Whatwouldscullydo. It’s tied into the general culture of self-obsession and kids being told they can be and have whatever they want. I also think the “celebrating” of kids being trans is done to show allegiance to “being kind” and not being a bigot, without any thought about what it does to the child. Makes it almost impossible for them to back out, and gives them a powerful sense of value linked to going further and further down the trans route.

Is that one of the contestants from s1 of drag race uk?

Regardless, this is innappropriate. You don't picture am unrelated adult snuggling on a bed with a vulnerable child. Bad vibes. Weird, adult, sissy-porn vibes. Not OK.

Now, I have no problem with drag, I don't really buy into the 'woma -face' argument because I think it's much more artistic and complex than that. However, drag is very firmly an ADULT form of entertainment, with a lot of highly sexual, subversive humour. Children should be nowhere near this.

Starbucks have clearly paid lots of money to Mermaids.

Starbucks also has plenty of outlets in Dubai.

This is what you find if you follow links under social impact on the Arab Emirates page.

www.starbucks.ae/en/social-impact-sustainability

This is what you find on Starbucks.co.uk

www.starbucks.co.uk/responsibility

Spot the difference?

Ironically I was reading a post on trans Reddit by a transwoman who wasn't being given enough hours in their Starbucks job to support themselves so was also having to drive an Uber to try and make up their income to a living wage.

That's how much Starbucks value trans people is no more than they do anyone else. They are a massive company listed on Nasdaq. They are only interested in profit

Make an 11yo feel like what they’re doing is cool and exciting and makes them special and admirable and gets loads of attention from equally special cool adults and of course they will be keen and believe it. How anyone can defend this as being their true self is beyond me, when we KNOW many will desist

I dont even think it has to he thought of as far as even desisting. Kids are special to their friends and family that's it. The last thing we should ne teaching Kids is that they are the centre if the universe. That everything and everyone has a role to play in their lives and in making them.feel.special. we do children a massive disservice to indulge these levels of self absorption and neediness. I know that sounds harsh but the sooner they realise that Starbucks couldn't give a shit what name they say. Most people give fake names anyway. No one cares what you buy or think about what that purchase means to you ir if its a statement about yourself. They literally just want your money. Staff are told to make eye contact smile and say thank you/have a good weekend etc. They actually barely notice who you are. You simply aren't important past paying up .

Why are we encouraging such dependence on others

I thought the little girl was a doll when I first saw it!

Well they were selling literal woke cookies.

That whole article is chilling, not just that awful photo. Young kids are being told that by becoming trans they are finding their “true self” and you hear these phrases over and over, like “not having to pretend any more” (even though what they are getting into involves a whole lot of surgery- and drug-assisted pretending to be the opposite sex) because they are fed these lines or copy them from online role models.

But you do not understand or know your true self at 11. The whole point of teenage years and going through puberty is to mature, experiment with identity and allegiances, and learn from experience. In no other context would kids so young be expected to make permanent choices like this.

As for the Starbucks marketing, could they be any more obviously bandwagonning for profit and cool points? This thing about names on cups is nonsense. I have had friends since forever who’ve had names or nicknames that don’t normally go with their sex - a male friend nn Alice, a female Fred. It means nothing in particular and any Starbucks staff will use the name you say unless it’s obscene or something. That has nothing to do with whether you’re trans.

Make an 11yo feel like what they’re doing is cool and exciting and makes them special and admirable and gets loads of attention from equally special cool adults and of course they will be keen and believe it. How anyone can defend this as being their true self is beyond me, when we KNOW many will desist.