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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

When I got a phone call from Mermaids!

29 replies

starfishsunrise · 13/10/2022 11:48

Mermaids in the news again has given me a flashback to about 6 years ago.
When all this trans stuff was new to me and I got a note from my son to say he was actually a girl (it's in LGBT children section if anyone want to dig)
Mermaids was the first organisation I approached. I must have emailed them a question or joined a chat board to express my shock.Can't remember which exactly.

But I got an unsolicited phone call from them.
The founder( ?) asked if I needed help. It was about as pro trans as you can imagine
I basically said I hoped it was a phase. ( social contagion! ) but I asked where they had found my number. They had used my email address and found me and my job and told me I was easy to find(!) It was all rather disturbing because I wanted to keep my sons situation anonymous.
I haven't heard from them since but I suppose I'm still in their database somewhere.

I found it weird then and I wish I had taken more notice of what was said but at that time I had no idea about them.

Not a great deal of point to my post but I wanted to get it off my chest.
My son is still my son. He's 21 now. Still some gender dysphoria there but that's a post for another day.

OP posts:
bellinisurge · 13/10/2022 12:13

Wonder if they are tracking down minors to peddle their shit

GeriSignfeld · 13/10/2022 12:09

That sounds sketchy & unethical.

They should have contacted you via email but searching your phone number is creepy.

Suspect other people are thinking back to their experiences with this Charity & lodging historical complaints now.

bellinisurge · 13/10/2022 12:09

Against data protection law then and now to do that. They've already been in trouble with the Information Commissioner for shitty data handling practices.

ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2021/07/ico-fines-transgender-charity-for-data-protection-breach-exposing-sensitive-personal-data/

Probably the least of their governance issues.

dolorsit · 13/10/2022 12:07

Hmm - that would not be regarded as good practice and could potentially be a breach of data usage rules. Eg you probably didn't give them permission to use your email that way.

Is anyone surprised?