MAFS - first transgender bride.

The first match was with someone who is attracted to both men and women. The bride has since been matched again with a straight partner (both volunteered to do so).

But what I'm going on about is the narrative being promoted by the media (off the back of MAFS and BB) that heterosexual men and homosexual women should date trans women and refusal to do so is bigoted.

I've read an article over the displeasure an activist had that the MAFS wasn't originally paired with a heterosexual man.

Why are you all on about the trans woman being matched with a straight man. The groom isn't straight, he uses the term pansexual for himself and asked to be matched with a man. I would have thought you'd consider a trans woman to be a good match for someone who wanted a man.

My view of labels changed when I realised that in the 1950s and before there was no concept of a homosexual identity or heterosexual identity (as far as I'm aware), people had homosexual relationships etc. The formation of an identity assisted with the rights movement.

I may be completely wrong on it, but a historian referenced it and it made sense (to me at least).

Regardless, there are a lot of straight men who are interested in sex with trans women, but not so keen on long-term relationships. So the concept of a straight man marrying a trans woman is quite rare. I've heard many trans women complain that they're someone's dirty secret and struggle to find love.

Also there seems to be this constant pressure from trans women (both former straight and gay men) that people should be in relationships with them and that they're transphobic if they don't want that.

Propaganda, innit.

Seen this narrative pushed on Big Brother too, and the media jumping on it.

Whilst people can debate labels and what it means for a man to have sex with a trans woman, I don't like this media narrative that it is completely normal for straight men to date trans women and almost pressurize heterosexual men into it (much like trans women pressurizing lesbians).

In reality I imagine it is hard for trans women to date straight men (or to at least form long relationships), and it misleads young gay men into transition.

Does anybody else recognise Ella’s Mum? Is she an actress. Or just look very like an actress. I’m trying to think what she was in - she played a posh character. Could have been period - maybe house of Elliott?

I've never watch shows like this, not remotely interested but was scrolling the DM yesterday. It's started putting little moving clips in its front screen. There was a clip of Ella talking. Obviously hot or a bad angle so the make up was shiny, might have smeared. Looked like a man who'd had a lot of work done. The face did not move like a face should. Or it did, but there were bits that were doing their own thing! I hope I never see any more of the show. I hope Ella is mentally strong enough for whatever the future holds.

From what I gather (don’t watch it myself), yer man acted all surprised at the reveal in the edit, but in fact had been told beforehand that his match would be a trans woman so the shock was fake.

Just found this thread. I'm so confused! They said in the episode the groom knew. But Ella told him & he acted surprised. She asked if he was ok with it and he said yes as he is pansexual.

So which bit is the truth?

No def not! I just haven’t seen it anywhere.

Is anybody going to watch it now?

Honest?

Don't waste your life.

when does MaFS start?

How low can TV go?

There is a fascinatingly prescient 1968 TV play called Year Of The Sex Olympics which basically predicts pretty much all of the current tawdry, dumbed down, pornified, fake reality shitshows.
https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/5-ways-year-sex-olympics-predicted-way-we-live-now

I never heard anything to indicate one way or the other.

Cynical as it might sound, I would think this is the kind of issue that is solved by people self-excluding. If you have already realised that you are attracted to people on the basis of their sex, not their professed gender identity, then you probably have also realised that the Guardian doesn't support you.

Wow! Just read that whole thread and can hardly believe it happened 4 years ago - I missed the whole thing and was on Twitter at the time.

I’ve only become aware of (“peaked” to use the parlance) trans issues and gender criticalness in the last year, and you women of MN have been up on this for years, having the same arguments over and over again. And it’s worked, on me for one. I’ve learnt so much!

What happened in the case of the Guardian’s Blind Date? The thread fizzles out after three days. I wonder if the Guardian introduced specific trans questions to its questionnaire/selection process?

The Guardian pulled a stunt like this in its Blind Date feature in 2019.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3753214-The-Guardian-Blind-Date-23-November

I don't think much reality tv was ever really unscripted. Some of it allowed the people to come up with their own words, but it has still been very contrived situations where the outcomes were pre-ordained or managed.

We all saw how shows like Big Brother changes over the years from fairly humble beginnings with reasonably normal contestants into a car crash full of desperate fame hungry wannabes prepared to do anything for the chance of a media presence.

The irony is that we all much preferred the original formats with genuine contestants and viewing figures would undoubtedly have stayed high. In fact, people keep asking for 'back to basics' reality shows that aren't all scripted and edited for 'drama' which is actually quite predictable and boring now.

All these people who have so much work done that they look plastic are going to look very dated in years to come. Fashions and trends change. When the simple, clean cut look is back in, they will look permanently over cooked. Totally off topic but I predict the next fashion trend is going to be AI

Back to MAFS, the groom is supposedly pansexual so is probably fine dating tw anyway and really, it's only the fact that Channel 4 lied about him not knowing that is the problem. I think they should have filmed producers telling him in advance and him saying, 'yeah that's cool' so that everyone can see he was informed and consented. Instead, they've got him to act and pretend he has been totally blindsided which makes Channel 4 look, um, well, like wankers really.

He'll have agreed to this in advance and then people will swoon over his open mindedness and submit it as evidence that tw truly are w.