For balance, Mermaids ' response...
Mermaids was recently approached by a journalist looking to run an article on the charity, which was clear from the questions posed, was to be a ‘smear campaign’, looking for another sensational headline about transgender children.
The ‘news’ article which was published today (8/10/17) in the Sunday Times, references Mermaids financial accounts, a story from over a year ago, and one of numerous documents on the Mermaids website.
The ‘news’ story headline references a court case from over a year ago, where a young trans girl was tragically removed from her mother and was covered extensively in the national media at the time. Several months prior to the judgement, Mermaids was informed by the mother that the judge had ordered that her child was no longer allowed to access support from Mermaids. While we have followed this request, Mermaids has never received any legal notification or court order supporting this statement and no ‘ban’ has ever been issued.
The Facebook post referenced in the article, dates back to October 2016, and was posted by Mermaids immediately following the court judgement. This post has been in the public domain for over a year and has already been viewed by over 49,000 people. We continue to stand by the comments made in the post, and maintain that the outcome was tragic for all concerned. There has been no further progress on the case since that time, so we question the relevance in reporting on it as an ‘emerging’ piece of information.
Mermaids primary source of income is through grants and funding bids. While it is true that Mermaids receives funding from the Department of Education and the Children in Need, the charity receives no direct funding from the UK taxpayer.
The Department of Education funding allows us to deliver essential training in schools to address homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. This desperately needed training was highlighted in the 2017 Stonewall School Report, which uncovered shocking statistics about the treatment of transgender pupils in schools. With 51% of trans pupils being bullied, one in ten receiving violent threats, 84% of trans kids self-harming, and 45% attempting suicide, this training is crucial.
Similarly, with demand for Mermaids services increasing; as illustrated by the increase in phone calls and emails to Mermaids helplines from 400 in 2013/14 to nearly 4,000 in 2016/17, the Children in Need funding is essential to ensuring that Mermaids can answer the immediate need when vulnerable young people and desperate parents are reaching out for help.
Lastly, the statement that Mermaids was ‘advertising’ same-day cross sex hormones is misleading. On approaching Mermaids for a quote for this article, the journalist highlighted that there was an email within the ‘resources’ section of the Mermaids website from a German doctor called Birgit Moller. We confirmed that the email was actually out of date, as the doctor no longer practiced in the clinic mentioned, and removed the document accordingly.
Mermaids is not, and has never claimed to be, an advisory body. Whilst Mermaids provides information on treatment pathways, legislation, and research in both the UK and other countries, the charity does not promote or recommend that individuals pursue any specific medical treatments or procedures. If young people and families need professional medical advice, the only organisation that Mermaids refers them to is the NHS Gender Identity Service. Mermaids does not coerce anyone into following any particular treatment path, bus simply provides information and support.
We are dismayed to note that while we informed the journalist of all of the above facts, they have chosen to publish a misleading and defamatory article. While we appreciate that there is currently an interest by the media in transgender children, we find it wholly unacceptable to publish a ‘news’ story undermining the only charity supporting them for the benefit of column inches. We also question, again, the practice by mainstream media of publishing quotes from unqualified sources with an agenda to undermine the validity of transgender people, and transgender children in particular. Mermaids is happy to engage in conversation with individuals and organisations with a legitimate interest in supporting gender-questioning and transgender youth.
All of us engaged with gender diversity and supporting gender-questioning and transgender children are familiar with negative reactions based on ignorance, fear and prejudice. This makes it even more important that the UK media report on this subject in a truthful and non-sensationalised manner.
While Mermaids has been recognised by, and received numerous awards from respected institutions, the impact of such negative reporting has a direct impact on the families and young people we support and vulnerable youth that may be seeking support in the future.
Mermaids will continue to offer much needed support to families and young people, and to provide education and guidance to organisations and professionals, and maintain our objective to strive towards making the world a fully accepting and inclusive place for gender non-conforming and transgender children and young people.