‘Woman’ missing in Southampton

Police have also released an image of a woman who was sitting next to Samantha on the train

Does no one see the problem here?
The woman sitting next to the missing person on the train will probably have thought she was sitting next to a bloke.
So she may not realise the police want to speak to her.

In the last Hampshire & Isle of Wight police appeal, two hours ago, it doesn't say woman or she.

This is crazy. No one looking for a woman is going to take a glance at this person. Just call him what he is - either a man or a transwoman.

He's still not found. Latest police appeal has left off the person's sex, blocked comments (again) and added a new, probably more accurate, photo.

Obviously inaccurate language affects trust in the police and likelihood to follow police instructions.

To paraphrase Sal Grover, if you lie about obvious things, I'm not going to trust anything you say..

It affects whether or not people believe the police are doing their job and will act in everyone's best interests. And therefore whether people will cooperate with police or even engage with them at all.

It's clearly not in the interests of any missing person for the police to make things confusing about who they are and who 'members of the public' should be looking for.

If they're 'asking for help' gaslighting the people who might or might not help doesn't seem the best approach.

It does matter, because it shows this police force prioritises men's feelings and pronouns over reality and clear communication.
Their decision to refer to what is clearly a man as a woman suggests they probably do the same when it comes to reporting the sex of victims and perpetrators of crime. And that's why we have supposedly seen a rise in 'women' rapists.

This isn’t a woman do might be a bit safer…..

Have they found her yet? I hope she's OK, women really aren't safe to walk the streets these days its horrible.

Is it really necessary to comment on this person not necessarily looking their age? Im sure we all have times where we look older than we actually are

I know trans people aren't liked here, but the age comments are just dickish and completely not needed.

Which seems a bit transphobic of that poster. I mean, the appeal was for a missing woman. What gave TPA the idea that the person was actually a TIM not a woman? Hopefully not because they were using gender conforming standards to judge someone’s appearance?

Very good point.

Interesting though that @TransParentlyAnnoyed had no doubt that Samantha is a transwoman

This individual is clearly a man. Absolutely nobody will mistake this individual for a woman. Surely accurate information is more important than whether someone is mis-gendered at this point.

‘38’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting here …

but yeah, of course I hope this missing man is found safe and well

Where a missing person has severe MH issues eg may harm themselves or is a danger to others anyone who spots them are told to ring 999 . So that may be the case here.

It helps no one, including the missing person to call him a woman. 'Person' is too vague, man or 'man who Ids as a woman, wearing....'- is more accurate and helpful. They need to find him, not virtue signal. His safety is more important. And yes, descriptions need to work on radio too.

Where's the missing woman's pictures? 😆

Most missing person news I hear about is on my local radio station as I am driving to and from work. If the description of a missing person doesn’t work for radio, it doesn’t work at all.

The appeal has changed to missing adult on Facebook. I can see why they have used woman, but it really isn't helpful. I hope Samantha is found safe and well.

Internalised transphobia. It’s rife.

Two things.

What is wrong with calling yourself a transwoman if that is how you identify? What is wrong with owning that fact instead of the pretence that you are a woman?

Then we get this ridiculous situation describing an obvious male as a woman when the use of the word transwoman would say it all.

The whole appeal is odd. 3 days isn't a long time for an adult to go off by themselves, and the police appeals don't seem to say anything about vulnerability, though that obviously may be the case. Also no mention of family or friends worried for them, or very much information about where they may be/what they may be doing.

I agree that it is unhelpful and counterproductive to call a man a woman, when the pictures leave no doubt at all. It just seems very odd to make a police appeal that offers little clarity, and potentially makes the person missing vulnerable to even more distress caused by all the online discussion that it prompts.

Translation - I don't have a good comeback, it must be exhausting to deflect this hard when you disagree with someone.