The Guardian on Mermaids

Ah, wee Darren and his plethora of penises. And breasts, iirc. A veritable buffet of bits. A kaleidoscope of cocks. A gallimaufry of goolies. A smorgasboard of sausages.

To add to the things that weren't mentioned, Susie Green has put her name to the latest WPATH standards, which includes removing age restrictions for surgeries and hormones, and also includes a large chapter on eunuchs.
I'd very much like to see the Guardian cover that. Or anyone really.

I successfully turned a neighbour to the "dark side" by showing her the delightful Darren Mews penis montage this morning. Her face was a picture. Her response contained many expletives. I

They do our work for us!

Does it just mean - growing up into the adult versions of the body we were born with??

Exactly. And more, a "cisgender outcome" presumably means finding ways to feel comfortable growing up into the adult version of the body you were born into.

So why would anyone not prefer that?

Except perhaps for someone who chose "a transgender outcome" for her own child at a very early age and needs the comfort of dragging others with her.

Also worth remembering:

”It is the overall responsibility of the CEO, Susie Green, on behalf of the Safeguarding Lead to ensure that all necessary measures are in place to safeguard children.”

If Green admits procedures weren't/aren't up to scratch she could be the one liable. So she will never say differently. That can only be discredited in a court of law at this point I think.

One of the issues with Breslow was his appointment was not made public properly.

His name was hidden away and only appeared on the Charity Commission Website.

Breslow's name was only there for people who actively went looking. So this limited the ability for public accountability. Remember there are anonymous Trustees for Mermaids. Being open about who is responsible and who has a vested interest into a children's charity should be a basic minimum, precisely for public accountability.

I've been trying to find it, with no joy, but I swear there was a thread on MN about Breslow's paper BEFORE his appointment to Mermaids. It was short with only a couple of posts, and it largely went unnoticed at the time, but it got pointed out after the fact. It was quite startling which is why I remember it. May have been Jan or Feb.

Someone was paying attention to what was happening in the gender academic world even if Mermaids weren't.

(The 'we weren't aware' exuse is piss poor because its the same as 'we can't be arsed to read the Cass Review' - afterall ignorance isn't a valid defence).

On that note, its worth keeping in mind that Breslow is on sabbactical until Jan 2023. I am curious about what plans are for Breslow to return to work after Christmas. I hope someone is paying attention to that one, and remembers to check.

This is absolutely right, and I think one of the unfortunate things about our historic tendency to be nice and kind and politically correct is that we haven't fought enough against having this mangled language imposed on us. So we've used "trans woman" to refer to a male person, and we've accepted using incorrectly-sexed pronouns. And then we've gone along with "gender reassignment surgery" or "top surgery" when what we mean is teenage boys having their penis and testicles cut off and teenage girls having double mastectomies. When you use accurate language, people can see how grotesque it all is.

So years ago my grandmother would be beaming with pride at her young adult grandchildren and remarking what a great “cis-gender outcome” they all were??

😂

You couldn't make this shit up

Oh.

So is the use of this phrase the usual attempt to bamboozle everyone with complex-sounding words that actually mean something we already understand very well?

So years ago my grandmother would be beaming with pride at her young adult grandchildren and remarking what a great “cis-gender outcome” they all were??

Yes

Please can someone use laywoman’s language to explain “cisgender outcome”?

Does it just mean - growing up into the adult versions of the body we were born with??

it’s just this assumption that a cisgender outcome is better than a trans outcome

Well it's certainly better than a trans outcome for large numbers of children who we know would otherwise have worked through their discomfort about their bodies as they went through the natural body and brain maturation of puberty. Having gone down the puberty blockers and social transition route they can then become unwell or unhappy "trans" people, who have high surgical complication and mental ill health rates, or deeply regretful detransitioners. We know that's happening, that's exactly why a "trans outcome" is not something to unquestioningly promote at all costs, but to explore and delay to make sure it really is the best outcome for that person.

It's not that a "cisgender outcome" is automatically better. It's just that it is likely to be better for the individual in a significant number of cases.

Right 🤷🏿‍♀️

it’s just this assumption that a cisgender outcome is better than a trans outcome

It's funny what language does to people. When you say "trans outcome" then "cisgender outcome" sounds exactly the same. Harmless and neutral and vague. When you say "double mastectomy / orchidectomy" then of course everyone assumes the "cisgender outcome" is better because when wouldn't it be? So of course she didn't say that. And the interviewer didn't ask.

That's the power of euphemism.

Interesting that she mentioned chest ironing. There's no functional difference, the difference is who does it (racial) and why (to protect girls from sexual exploitation). Chest ironing is abuse while there are a million excuses for (white) adults who promote breast binding.

www.sussex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/breast-ironing-flattening/ "In most cases, the abuser incorrectly thinks they're behaving in the best interests of the child. They believe flattening the breasts will make the child less 'womanly'." Spot the difference, eh?

That was as far as the guardian could get to a puff piece given the current shit show mermaids have inflicted on themselves

and as for this from Susie Green

it’s just this assumption that a cisgender outcome is better than a trans outcome

what, accepting your body as it is, not undergoing radical surgery, lifelong medication and spending all your time wondering if you’re successfully fooling people that you’re a member of the opposite sex? I’d say that is better Susie, yes

The list of things the article doesn't mention is longer than the list of things it does. Another notable absence is any mention of Green taking her child to Thailand on their 16th birthday to have their penis removed. Surely this would be of interest to Guardian readers? Particularly as the reason she went to Thailand was because the operation was illegal in the UK, and was subsequently made illegal in Thailand.

IDK but this is certainly not something the Graun would have written ten years ago. It’s absolutely disgraceful.

It's like 'don't think of an elephant' makes you think of an elephant.

The guardian should be hauled over the coals for suggesting that girls put duct tape on their breasts. What the fuck are they thinking?

It's extraordinary that they've somehow positioned themselves as an expert body in peoples minds, without having any genuine expertise at all.

Unless you count 'Susie's adventures in Thailand' or 'Queer theory and children, an introduction'.

Well well well. Is the c-word also better than duct tape, Sooze??

Yes. In the LGBA review/tribunal Mermaids repeatedly and emphatically said they weren't medically qualified, hadn't read the Cass Report, and couldn't give medical advice.

So how can they criticise the NHS approach as 'inappropriate'?

Another event the article doesn't mention:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4960080/Transgender-charity-banned-contacting-family.html

The farticle also fails to mention the inexplicable sudden departure of Darren Mew, formerly MM's Digital Engagement Manager.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4652666-mermaids-charity-paedophile-porn-photos-scandal-in-the-press?reply=120685158
www.spiked-online.com/2022/10/13/why-the-trans-lobby-loves-censorship/