Is anyone else boycotting Tesco's for giving £80,000 to Mermaids?

[loveyouradvice]

Just that really... I was shocked, especially given all the news coverage there has been about the issues recently. I would have expected them to give it to an uncontroversial charity at the very least - and ideally one that most of their customers would like to support

It's not normal to spend so much of your energy hating trans and gender non-conforming people. There is nothing "feminist" - or, frankly, logical or humane - about the amount of time and energy you devote to hating a small group of people because of their gender!
It's perfectly normal to be concerned that my daughters (who at 2 and 3 already like football, mud, the colour blue and all those other "boy" things) may be encouraged to take puberty blockers to conform to stereotypes, which is what Mermaids encourages. If my female daughters expressed at age 7 that they felt like boys, I wouldn't want their teachers to go "yes you absolutely are a boy, let's see what we can do to help you transition".

Because I was that girl at 7 thinking I was a bit because I had brothers with the same interests as mine, and a few years later I had girlfriends, and another few years after that I married and had children I never thought I wanted. We don't let under 18s do a whole host of things for a reason, because they are not developmentally ready for them. We don't try 9 year olds as adults but we can suggest that they make life altering decisions. It's ridiculous.

OP, answer this, do you just not like transgender people? Or are you accepting of transgender people and it is the charity itself that has done something to offend you?

*boy not bit rather!

That's them off the list for sure.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/transgender-lobby-group-mermaids-urges-puberty-blockers-for-12-year-olds-b96zqbh2k

www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-nhs-has-quietly-changed-its-trans-guidance-to-reflect-reality

Of course this is not about hating trans people

Read Aesop's post above and tell me which of those statements are actually incorrect. I am also worried someone will convince my children they must be trans because they don't always conform to gender stereotypes. And that they must hide this from me and have discussions with unknown adults whose entire agenda is convincing children they are in wrong bodies.

Typical Mumsnet with the anti LGBTQ+/BLM boycott what you want if you're that type. Says alot more about you than it does about Tesco or the rest of the decent world.

It's not normal to spend so much of your energy hating trans and gender non-conforming people.

And in fact, you'll find most of us spend energy on this because we care deeply for the people you claim we hate.

Disliking Mermaids is nothing to do with being anti LGBT; many lesbians, gays and bisexuals (including me) disagree with their dangerous approach.

@Bluebooby

It's not normal to spend so much of your energy hating trans and gender non-conforming people.

And in fact, you'll find most of us spend energy on this because we care deeply for the people you claim we hate.

No you all make your side very clear. If it was America you'd be donning a certain flag.

My dh works for Tesco ,they support different charities every year ,however most of the money they donate is by pressuring their own staff into donating ,having various " fun" days to raise money bearing in mind most staff are low paid .

I am not against trans-women or trans-men.

Support for them and against prejudice- especially in school - is very important for all of us.

Children who feel that they may be trans are often alone and vulnerable and should be protected from bullying and pressures in our society. Learning to accept and understand difference is essential to our society. The work done by Mermaids and others on this is good.

However other things Mermaids does ie 'helping' children to irreversibly change their bodies, (affecting their fertility and their future sex lives), because of feelings experienced while they are teens (and so experimenting and changing and possibly self-hating anyway) should not be supported.

I cannot support the donation so it seems sensible for me to shop elsewhere.

As the parent of a non gender conforming autistic child I can honestly say that Mermaids terrifies me. I'm so grateful I'm not in the UK right now as I wouldn't want these people offering support to my child.

No I won't be boycotting Tescos for that reason. I am against surgery and medical intervention for trans people under the age of 18. But I still think families need support.

I'm pretty sure Tesco as a company are responsible for a lot more suffering than is caused by giving 80k to some dubious trans charity anyway. As Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, etc. likely all are too.

So I'd feel kind of hypocritical boycotting them over this and not the rest, or going to a competitor who is likely just as bad. All or nothing for me.

On every thread like this, you always get a handful of posters who turn up and say something along the lines of: "I disagree with you all, but I'm not going to say why."

If you arent going to defend your opinions, why give them?

Just because someone doesnt agree with mermaid it doesnt mean they are trans phobic or hate trans or non gender conforming people!
Mermaids is despicable, read about what they do!
I have a friend who's husband is going to transition and I couldnt support him more, he was an adult when he made the decision to so and he had been speaking to a counsellor for years before going ahead with it. He also thinks mermaids are abhorrent because he believes these decisions shouldn't be made at a young age.

@DrPatient

"I'd think the majority of their customers do support Mermaids - I think you're probably in the minority."
What makes you think this? I can't see how anyone can judge what the majority of a supermarket's customers views are on anything - except maybe their produce.

Me! I'm a bit pissed off though, I've got £20 of Tesco vouchers I've still not spent. We spend about £600 a month with Tesco.

I suppose I'll post the vouchers to the local food bank.

No more Tesco shopping for us, and it’s our nearest but I feel strong about it.

Just a little reminder that all anyone needs to do when they spot one of the many transphobic posts alluded to (but never quoted) is report it to @MNHQ and it will be removed.

Or just click away from the threads you don’t like.

No. I disapprove strongly of Mermaids but Tesco is the only supermarket near me so I won’t be boycotting them.

As the parent of a non gender conforming autistic child I can honestly say that Mermaids terrifies me.

Me too Mashed.