Your Teenage Child tells you they think they are Transgender

[sallyannemum]

Your teenage child tells you they think they are transgender, they have researched the subject on the internet and talked to others, What would your reaction be ?,

Our concern is what the Mermaids are training children and educators and police officers about gender, not the Tavistock gids services.

Also yes, this!

Tavistock seem sensible, but of course they would be. But its Mermaids, and GIRES and such who are going round 'training' various organizations, and doing talks in schools. There was a Mermaids talk actually planned for DDS school, shes only in reception. I said she would not be taking part. I also told the other parents about it and what Mermaids are/do, and a bunch of them said their kids were not taking part. In the end it was cancelled. Not sure if it was because there would have been like 4 kids there rather than the whole class, or if there was something else. But glad of it either way. What the fuck can Mermaids teach 5 year olds? Honestly..

There was a Mermaids talk actually planned for DDS school, shes only in reception. I said she would not be taking part.

If my kids were still at school I would also withdraw them from all lessons/activities provided by trans lobby groups.

OnTheList
Well done for that. More of this needs to happen.

Well done, OnTheList

I would also withdraw my child (of any age) from any Mermaids talk- because I do not agree with what Mermaids say or do.

According to another Mumsnetter, whose child's primary school was visited by one external "group" (I forget which) - the child told her something like "they said sometimes boys feel like girls, and like playing with girls toys, and sometimes girls feel like boys, and if you want to you when you're older you can take some tablets and can change your sex."

No way would should this be allowed in schools.

Transpire are a grassroots / voluntary group:
www.echo-news.co.uk/news/14938240.How_group_inspires_transgender_journey/
"Since that small beginning, in which the group was launched as a Facebook support forum, the organisation has grown from strength to strength - now boasting well over 200 members.

The group hosts regular meetings and Gina, 52, has started giving inspirational talks in schools about her transition journey and promoting the Transpire network"

Their website:
transpiresouthend.org

Instrumental in changing a school's policy with regards toilets this year:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-43462823

Discussion:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3209839-The-Police-making-policy-for-schools?pg=1

AGP. In schools, forcing teachers and girls to facilitate boys.

The GIRES penguins, for anyone who hasn't seen them yet. Aimed at children aged 3-6

www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Penguin-Story-Trans-Boy.pdf
www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Penguin-Story-Trans-Girl.pdf
www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Penguin-Story-Non-Binary.pdf

Three short stories, each take 2-3 minutes to read to the class. The stories start in the same way, but each ends differently:

Sally’s story is about a penguin child whose gender identity as a girl, was not immediately understood by her family, they thought she was a boy;
Tom’s story is the same, but in reverse, the family thought he was a girl;
Blur’s story is about an identity that is neither boy nor girl (non-binary, gender queer)

Teaches children that if they don't like being a boy/girl they can choose to be the other sex. They need to get there early before the children learn any biology and realise that this is not true, and before they understand that being a girl/boy is not about what clothes you wear or what toys you like.

What baffles me is why schools are actually letting these organisations in.

What baffles me is why schools are actually letting these organisations in.

I presume that GIRES was part of yesterday's event in Westminster along with Amnesty, Stonewall, Mermaids and Girl Guides?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3250175-Girl-Guides-Panel-discussion-at-Speakers-house-woman-male-woman-male-male-male

OldCrone

Is that for real?! Thats scary

'So we will have a

party and all your
friends will come.
We’ll tell them
you’re not Polly
and were really
always Tom!'

Yeah, so basically encouraging 3-6 year olds to say they are trans, so they get a fucking party? Thats horrendous.

But nope, noone is encouraging children to say they are trans, not at all

It's the modern child-catcher.

Mermaids tweeted a picture of their stall at (I think) Pride. They had sweets and a cute dog too.

"There are sweets over to the Mermaids stall"

Tweet from Bex Stinson (Head of Stonewall's Trans Inclusion)

'Lot of hate' what a load of rubbish

"changing the world for all" is more significant, I think.

Disagreement=hatred.
No thank you=hatred.
Material reality=hatred.
2+2=5

And our babies know they are trans. This gender expert tell us how!!!!
twitter.com/4th_WaveNow/status/782277924078624768?s=20

Notcis- if that’s true it’s appalling and I’m very surprised. Any doctor prescribing hormones to a child they have not met would risk their registration and rightly so. I think the GMC would be very likely to strike them off.
That is not the experience of most.

notcis if that is true is there anyway you can encourage an enquiry? ... if Mermaids are seriously doing such dangerous things, they need to be stopped... and certainly not government funded....

I do wonder if it’s true though.
There’s so much talk on here about how mental health professionals can’t offer anything... because ‘conversion therapy’ and that is not true. But equally there are times when professionals recommend intervention.
I’m still reeling from nobody (apart from me) objecting to linking the op’s situation with her child to child abuse. And in general the lack of sensitivity she has received.

Doctors were giving hormones to pregnant women in an effort to ensure the male babies are sufficiently masculine. Now other doctors are postulating that too much testosterone causes autism.

Some doctors are experimenting on children. They get a signed release though, so it is ok.

FarFrom
There is increasing pressure for GP's to be able to issue 'bridging prescriptions'

gendergp.co.uk/trans-teenagers-are-buying-drugs-online/
gendergp.co.uk/collaboration/

Yes but that is not the same as what was claimed above.
Of course children or anyone buying drugs of the internet is terrible (for them - not morally terrrible).
And I agree they are often vulnerable and desperate.
It may be the best course of action for some young people - like OP’s child. I don’t understand the attacking tone towards the OP.

I think that there is a risk that due to SM, a vulnerable young person could bypass the mental health professionals etc and in accessing bridging prescriptions, start along a route which, for some, will have a considerable impact on the rest of their life.

The op stated that their child researched this and as a result identified that they were trans. It appeared to me that the op just agreed and did not challenge this self diagnosis. I imagine this is not true. I can't imagine not saying to your child hold on let's explore this more. I also believe that no parent would want this for their child in the first instance. Yes, if it transpires that the child was not in a good place and feeling suicidal any parent would have to reassess this. However, I personally think you can acknowledge that you can't stop your child becoming trans but to buy into their belief and having to give up your belief to me seems odd. I can acknowledge my child's belief and still not agree. This does not mean I don't love my child. Also, as a parent I can say I don't agree with my child's choice. I just find it strange that parents do agree. That's my stance. My child knows my views. He also knows he is loved. Acceptance does not mean we have to accept something that does not align with our own beliefs. If my child chooses hormones and surgery, my child knows I do not agree with this. But if my child is old enough to make these choices and I have no say what can I do? I will acknowledge my views are different and I am allowed this.

Just to continue on here.
I see trans as a symptom. Because of this I cannot accept it as a diagnosis. It is a symptom of something else that needs addressed. Be that depression, anxiety, bullying sexual abuse. Autism, ocd, schizophrenia and the list goes on. If you see this as a symptom then you are more inclined to be critical of the narrative presented. This is my stance. I want to know why my child is rejecting their sex and their body. I do not believe this is innate. I believe my child needs psychological help to explore this. But, no therapist is brave enough to challenge these thoughts. This is left to me and it causes friction. I am prepared to do this because I need to maintain reality. This causes aggro but I have to do this. This is my safe guarding and I accept I have to be seen as the bad cop. This is very hard. I just want to hug my child and say your happiness is the most important thing in this world to me and I will support you. This will be a lie though. I cannot support it. My hugs are more tough love. I want to find out why you are hurting. I want to fix your hurt. Let's not put a sticky plaster on. Fixing your hurt by agreeing with you for short time relief is not the snswer. Why is this not so obvious? We have all been teens. We all know how difficult it can be to fit in and to be accepted. Some of us were the popular kids, some the geeks, some the total outsiders. This changes though as we find our confidence and learn to accept ourselves. This is why it is so hard to believe in the finality of hormones and surgery. It is just a step too far, too soon in our kids journey into adulthood and beyond