News commentary on the Cass Report

I'm having flashbacks to the whole MMR/autism/Wakefield stramash.

Worried parents, heart wrenching stories, and Science wheeling out eminent people, talking about data and evidence.

As a species, we've a tendency to go for stories.

https://www.badscience.net/2008/08/the-medias-mmr-hoax/

There are many books about MMR. There will be many more about this and today will be a seminal example of the preference for worried parents and moving stories over evidence.

Interesting piece on Dr. Alan Kelly (BTW he is not a medical Dr. - he is a psychologist. I am a psychologist and I would not encourage people to use experimental drugs( or any drugs. In Ireland, where he initially qualified, a psychologist cannot be a clinical lead and cannot prescribe drugs, just FYI. It seems as if he is clinical lead in a new clinic, which prescribes puberty blockers and hormones. In his C4 interview he presents more as a medical Dr, even an endocrinologist, although that was my personal take on the interview).

gendercriticalwoman.blog/2024/02/14/gender-plus/

I heard Dr David Bell on R4 and thought he gave a fair summary of where things had gone wrong. I wonder if CAMHS had had the resources it really needed, how many of those young girls would have been directed to The Tavistock ? Would they have been able to explore the real issues at the heart of these children's distress ?

It's so frustrating feeling like the pieces are just
( intentionally? ) missing the point. And SICK of hearing about the ' toxicity ' of the debate. That's only come from one side...

ITV News was the same. Spinning lack of evidence as lack of interest in caring for trans individuals. Interview with a mtf moaning about long waiting list.

I was impressed with that interview. I had thought MC had a tendency to be kind and not take too much notice of issues that matter to women.

What a surprise. New mermaids ceo got a proper, grumpy savaging.

Now interviewing Dr DavidbBell. Finally speaking sense!
Damage caused by this treatment
GIDS was a gateway to puberty blockers
Rethink of child psychological services
can't open up clinics that give the wrong services
look at other issues

Just a thought here, but as Transactivists become increasingly discredited as pushers of quackology, the media 'rent-a-quote' gravy train and media opportunities are liable to dry up slowly but surely.

Interview with Aidan Kelly now
Will prescribe hormones to teens
Talks about 5 year wait for treatment
Says they're not doing anything outside what NHS wd do
Lack of trained staff
Don't agree ideology has any place in healthcare but doesn't think it's been lead by ideology

C4 Isn't this Dr telling lies? They DO offer drugs NHS no longer offers.

C4 initial emphasis on the long waiting list
Children badly let down by the amount of time they have to wait
Poor quality of evidence
Ideology ON ALL SIDES has directed care ( really??)
Increase in numbers and increase in girls
Hannah Barnes on now. Again talking of lack of evidence
Back to interview with gender questioning child ( girl )

C4 very much focusing on long waiting lists.

C4 a bit like the Guardian on this.

Top story on C4 now

all the trans people I've heard interviewed today have been male

Much like the last God knows how many years. I think that for many people in the media, that’s their only frame of reference.

I was struck by that.

Now talking about how 70% are teenage girls, pressure on them. HC talking about online porn
now Eva Echo, a TRA!!
Felt v superficial, no idea what someone who didn't know much about this issue would make of it tbh.

It wasn't coverage exactly but when I was in the dentist's waiting room this morning they had the radio on - first item on the news and a soundbite from "human rights activist" Helen Joyce! I thought it was BBC Radio 2, but it might not have been - but I was impressed that a) they let her speak at all, b) described her in those terms and c) let her be the only voice...

Wow top story on BBC news at 6!
( they shd hang their heads in shame tbh )
Evidence severely lacking
Toxic debate
Professional s afraid
Keira Bell!
Keira Ball's lawyer
We'd Streeting, weak evidence
Oh no now a sad ' transwoman' , ' Sonya '...

I wonder if BBC NEWS and C4 will cover it tonight? Will watch both to check...

I heard PM too and thought FFS about the Pink News person. The 6pm news now on R4 is a bit better I think - talking to the mum of the 13 year old girl. I wish the news would feature on the young girls more - all the trans people I've heard interviewed today have been male.

I want to know what is going to change for teenage girls - I have a vulnerable 11 year old girl is who probably autistic and who is questioning her sexuality and gender. She did get one CAMHS appointment (where the probable autism was identified), but isnt' deemed sufficiently urgent to have more appointments. It's just terrifying.

Not telly but YouTube - the BMJ channel interview with Dr Cass

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qj2mtwa9kjw

Now this is really weird. For some reason there's now a, completely unrelated, segment on about young people's brain development and the ages at which young people are mature enough to do things, like driving and consenting to puberty blockers, with one contributor talking about preventing young people from recognising themselves as "queer".

I got interrupted when listening but Fleming seemed to be trying to use the availability of private clinics, and the report turning distressed families towards them as a kind of gotcha (look what you made them do.) As if the BBC haven't been acting as a free advertising service for one of those clinics in all its major news programmes and bulletins all day

Yes. He gave David Bell a smiliar amount of time and let him speak which is balanced. But the separation of the 2 interviews rather distorted the contrast between the transactivist approach - personal anecdotes and adultifying issues so that it seems as if we're talking about adults. In stark contrast to a professional analysis that centres children, ethical healthcare and problems with resources.