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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

National Autistic Society and Mermaids [Title edited by MNHQ]

875 replies

GColdtimer · 04/10/2018 12:56

My friend just posted this on Facebook this morning. She isn't on MN so I have her permission to share. She would really like more people, especially people with ASD or who have children with ASD, to write to NAS thanking them for their willingness to listen and their agreement that Mermaids is not reputable.

This is really great news so please can we keep this bumped and shared. Thank you.

If posters on the SEN board would like to share that would also be great (if appropriate).

Dear XXXX ,

Thank you for your feedback regarding the Gender and autism page on our website.

I’m writing to let you know that I’ve raised your concerns regarding Mermaids UK, one of the organisations we link to on our Gender and autism page, with a number of teams within the National Autistic Society. In light of the concerns raised in your message, and of other feedback that we have received, we have decided to remove all links to Mermaids UK from our website, while we take the time to consult with relevant professionals and to reconsider which organisations we wish to place links to on our website.

As such, our Web Team are working to remove all links to Mermaids UK from our website as soon as possible. Please do be aware, however, that, as we are currently in the process of updating our website to reflect our new branding and organisational identity, it may take a few days for this to be actioned.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, and I hope that you are satisfied with the actions we are taking in light of the concerns that you have raised.

Kind regards,

National Autistic Society

[Edited by MNHQ to remove personal info]

OP posts:
Needmoresleep · 05/10/2018 14:53

Actually Spirituallove, do you have children. If so I am sure you will agree that good enough parenting has to be good enough. Yes perhaps we should all try to be perfect, but it does not happen that way, and generations of children have survived.

RedToothBrush · 05/10/2018 14:58

As for SS who are really over stretched and can't provide basic support to kids who are in actual abusive situations why are we thinking of allocating resources to parents who do care about their children's long term well being.

Kids who are taken into care also have their life chances greatly reduced and are far more at risk of sexual abuse.

There's been two big exposes on conditions in care in the past six weeks that highlight this.

Ironicalky supporting the kids to be trans and removing them from their parents really might be handing them to abusers unwittingly because of the total collapse of Social services ability to actual protect children.

'bring in social services' is the voice of a middle class privileged person who has never had front line contact with social services and the reality it means for too many kids.

LangCleg · 05/10/2018 15:28

social services were more interactive to educate parents who showed signs of being transphobic, and there was more awareness of transexuality in the education system then organisations such as this wouldn't need to give support to trans children

What absolute bullcrap. And even if it wasn't, you don't help gender-questioning children by placing them outwith statutory safeguarding frameworks and therefore at increased risk of infiltrating abusers.

It's clear you know nothing. Tub thumping rhetoric is all you've got.

DisrespectfulAdultFemale · 05/10/2018 15:31

"If social services were more interactive to educate parents who showed signs of being transphobic,"

Good grief. Some people have shit for brains.

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/10/2018 15:31

What absolute bullcrap. And even if it wasn't, you don't help gender-questioning children by placing them outwith statutory safeguarding frameworks and therefore at increased risk of infiltrating abusers.

This this this!

DisrespectfulAdultFemale · 05/10/2018 15:32

“Issues around gender are highly contested – and not our area of expertise – so we will remove all links except to the NHS and Stonewall on our site, while we consult with autistic people, their families and experts about the most useful information sources to include on this subject.”

Thank you, NAS, for showing common sense.

Datun · 05/10/2018 15:44

I'm glad they've made a statement. But I'm still shocked that anyone can take Stonewall seriously when they cannot define homosexuality as being same-sex attraction.

Charliethefeminist · 05/10/2018 15:48

still shocked that anyone can take Stonewall seriously when they cannot define homosexuality as being same-sex attraction

Every now and then these things kick me in the teeth even tho I'm used to arguing about them to and fro. The very idea that if a man says he's a woman, he's a woman, is the most shocking thing, and it's amazing that people argue in favour without being afraid of looking stupid.

RedToothBrush · 05/10/2018 15:51

I'm glad they've made a statement. But I'm still shocked that anyone can take Stonewall seriously when they cannot define homosexuality as being same-sex attraction.

Stonewall are legally homophobic?!

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/10/2018 15:57

Eh what? They cannot define homosexuality as same sex attraction?

What the fuck can they define it as then?

pennydrew · 05/10/2018 16:00

Why haven’t they been reported for homophobia?

Charliethefeminist · 05/10/2018 16:02

Daymay: it was on Politics Live again?

RedToothBrush · 05/10/2018 16:13

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia

Homophobia is observable in critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual orientations that are non-heterosexual. Recognized types of homophobia include institutionalized homophobia, e.g. religious homophobia and state-sponsored homophobia, and internalized homophobia, experienced by people who have same-sex attractions, regardless of how they identify.

Isn't that just the thing? Can we expect some wiki vandalism any time soon?

Charliethefeminist · 05/10/2018 16:18

Thank you so much!

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/10/2018 16:23

Right, the dictionary definition of homophobia is “dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people”

The dictionary definition of homosexual is “a person attracted to those of the same sex”

Again, factually.

RedToothBrush · 05/10/2018 16:32

When do the dictionary burning bonfires start?

Need to book it in the diary.

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/10/2018 16:34

RedToothBrush probably as soon as an activist sees my post. I’ll have to see if we’ve got marshmallows.

In all seriousness though, the interpretations and identities are confusing to NT people. As an autistic woman I feel like my head is going to burst sometimes, it’s all so confusing and just not facts.

NopeNi · 05/10/2018 16:38

When will they change the definition do you think?

Anyone know someone at the OED?

pennydrew · 05/10/2018 16:38

YeTalkShiteHen My autistic husband just rejects it. If it’s illogical and obviously a lie, he can’t even get into it. He zones out completely. He can’t stand hearing about all this.

RedToothBrush · 05/10/2018 16:43

I await the photos on twitter of the dictionary burning sessions to liberate them from literal violence.

YeTalkShiteHen · 05/10/2018 16:45

pennydrew part of me wishes I could zone out tbh. I find it increasingly distressing, and more than that, my children are the exact target group for the predators so I can’t. Because I have to be able to protect them.

Thankfully their schools have listened to my concern, I used the exact line Lisa Muggeridge (apologies if I’ve mis-spelled your name Lisa) suggested, and they were really receptive.

lunarain · 05/10/2018 18:47
lunarain · 05/10/2018 18:48

This is an autistic girl who is trans

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