Stephen Whittle (Press for Change) irresponsible use of 'likely' suicides follows Helen Belcher's (Trans Media Watch)

[R0wantrees]

In the Guardian today:
(extract)
"Prof Stephen Whittle, the founder of trans rights group Press for Change, warned that many trans people would “become depressed and dejected” if reform was delayed. He said: “I am sure there will be a flurry of attempts and suicides. But in the end we will pull ourselves together and continue the campaigning. We know we have Labour behind this one, so will simply do our best to get them elected.”

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/17/transgender-law-reform-has-overlooked-womens-rights-say-mps

Last week Helen Belcher (Trans Media Watch) ascribed causative link between suicide and suicide ideation to newspaper coverage with specific mention of the Times journalist Janice Turner:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3393577-Janice-Turner-accused-of-causing-trans-suicides

2013 Article describing formation of Press For Change and background to prominant trans-rights campaigners.
Christine Burns describes how Press For Change secured legislation:
(extract)
"Much of their campaigning remained on the quiet. The passage of the 2004 law to give trans people legal status was "remarkable," says Burns, because "the government was able to pass an entire act in parliament without anyone throwing a fit in the press"

www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jan/22/voices-from-trans-community-prejudice

Helen Belcher comment:
"In her Pressing Matters books, Christine Burns writes eloquently about all the work that a small group of trans campaigners did to achieve a legislative landmark. The Gender Recognition Act took at least 10 years of work as well as a series of court cases. It also took its toll. Most of the Press for Change team stepped back from front-line campaigning shortly after the Act was passed.

It’s been left to a new generation of campaigners to pick up the slack. I was one of a small number who formed the charity Trans Media Watch back in 2009, with the aim of improving the representation of trans and intersex people across the British media. What we found was largely ignorance. Senior executives would ask questions without any idea of their insensitivity. It took some thick skins to educate rather than retaliate."
challengingjourneys.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/free-speech-or-life-and-death/

Samaritans: www.samaritans.org/media-centre/media-guidelines-reporting-suicide/suicide-reporting-10-things-remember

such a flippant comment - a flurry of suicides

Statistically, suicide rates are higher in the trans population, it's been widely written about

Well people can write whatever they want apparently, the actual statistics DO NOT SUPPORT THAT. Particularly for trans teen suicides.

The TRAs need transgender people to commit suicide now. And for it to be very public. They need it. It's the only place they can go now.

It’s going to be awful. Some poor vulnerable soul is going to read what Whittle has written in the Guardian and do it. It makes me feel sick.

If fact I believe autistic people are a far higher risk.

They are. And yet we still wait years for a diagnosis in order to get support. A lengthy, intrusive and difficult diagnostic process.

In a statement released to the Sunday Times, Tavistock GIDS had this to say about the portrayal of suicidality in Butterfly:

“Suicidality in young people attending the Gids is similar to that of young people referred to child and adolescent mental health services.

“It is not helpful to suggest that suicidality is an inevitable part of this condition . . . It would be very unusual for younger children referred to the service to make suicidal attempts. More positive narratives. . . are important.”

Given the current universality of this tactic among prominent TRAs I think we can conclude the following.
1. This is a coordinated effort. They are in touch with each other, they discuss strategy.
2. This is the strategy they have currently chosen in the hopes of forcing self-ID through.
3. The older people deploying this strategy do not care if it results in harm to the young people over whom they have an influence.

And THAT really is chilling. They show the kid on Butterfly slitting his wrists. Then they follow it up with multiple tweets & the Guardian article.

Whittle thinks the “flurry” of suicides will be brought on by a delay in reform.

Catbox, do you reckon that means any kind of delay? Like if the analysis team all came down with the flu and this delayed the reform?

Or do you think it’s just a delay caused by properly consulting with women that’s going to make people kill themselves?

Statistically, suicide rates are higher in the trans population, it's been widely written about

This is exactly the problem - so many poor uninformed people believing what they read and not doing any grown up fact checking.

I can see that Samaritans are in a bind with this, because if they condemn all the casual suicide threats they will be flamed by the trans lobby, which will put fear into already confused young people and make them even more isolated.

But they nevertheless need to put their big girl pants on and issue a sensitive statement about it. They could also say that if people are being distressed by all the talk of suicide they can contact them. Threatening a bloody flurry (ffs) of suicides is horrendously upsetting for so many people.

The more I think about this the more angry I get.

When they were voting for gay marriage, was the rhetoric from gay rights campaigners 'if you vote against this then we will kill ourselves'? And that was for something that did actually mean the difference between equality and inequality.

How can this be allowed to happen? These people are backing themselves into such a corner that the only way forward for them is if there is indeed a 'flurry of suicides'. So they are in a position where they need people to be killing themselves on a large scale in order to prove their own political point.

Plus the whole thing adds to the narrative that being suicidal is part and parcel of being trans. That is so dangerous, especially if we are talking about young people. They will read everything that is being written and honestly think 'well if I want people to take me seriously as trans then I am going to have to at least attempt suicide'.

And all so that women's rights can be eroded.

Am I nuts here? Am I reading this whole suicide thing wrong? Please someone tell me I am because I just can't even.

Whittle thinks the “flurry” of suicides will be brought on by a delay in reform.

And yet, apparently, the proposed reforms are 'just a minor bit of admin', that won't make any difference to anyone. Women are apparently getting worried about something so trivial that will have very little effect on women's lives or transgender people's lives.

Why would anyone kill themselves over something so trivial?

Given the Samaritans guidelines and the risk of social contagion, I’m genuinely baffled how anyone can possibly defend Whittle’s statement, which, whether deliberately or not, reads like an incitement to suicide.

This is exactly the problem - so many poor uninformed people believing what they read and not doing any grown up fact checking.

Yeah, it's not about being uninformed. It's about lying.

Whittle thinks the “flurry” of suicides will be brought on by a delay in reform.

And yet, apparently, the proposed reforms are 'just a minor bit of admin',

Well quite. Next time Jane Fae tells women it's just admin, perhaps we can refer them to Whittle, and they can argue it out between themselves.

#translogic

And yet, apparently, the proposed reforms are 'just a minor bit of admin', that won't make any difference to anyone. Women are apparently getting worried about something so trivial that will have very little effect on women's lives or transgender people's lives. Why would anyone kill themselves over something so trivial?

That's an excellent point, OldCrone. If this reform is such a small tweak, why are they so distressed about the possibility of it not happening?

They are. And yet we still wait years for a diagnosis in order to get support. A lengthy, intrusive and difficult diagnostic process

Indeed. As a teacher I have heard some heartbreaking stuff out of the mouths of autistic children who aren't getting the help they need, even after diagnosis.

Where are their Guardian columns about 'flurries of suicides'?

Yes good point OldCrone

You’re right OldCrone. Just an inconsequential bit of paperwork, I’ve been told.

But a delay in getting this piece of paper is going to result in a “flurry” of suicides.

Yet more desperate, disingenuous, manipulative and damaging translogic.

I’m genuinely baffled how anyone can possibly defend Whittle’s statement, which, whether deliberately or not, reads like an incitement to suicide.

It was either deliberate, or desperate.

Indeed. As a teacher I have heard some heartbreaking stuff out of the mouths of autistic children who aren't getting the help they need, even after diagnosis

I just can’t believe the lack of care and support available for autistic people. I can’t even put it all into words. The utter hell we went through without a single shred of support. I had a badly scarred and suicidal child and nobody did a fucking thing. Even Samaritans told me to go to A & E. Ummm hello? Can we get counselling? A mentor? A fucking doctor willing to insist she is seen immediately by CAMHS. Can we as parents have someone to talk to? No, here’s a leaflet and some links. I mean, fuck. Nobody does shit for us and somehow we have to all drop everything and give in to these unreasonable demands?! Or they’ll kill themselves? It’s such an outrage I can’t even....

pennydrew

Thank you. I went a bit ranty there but truly, the shock and panic still hasn’t left me.

What a dangerous comment. I cannot believe the Guardian quoted it. They need to edit that article.

hat there's some sort of campaign here against him

Im not sure he is interesting enough for that

I don't thnk FWR does campaigns against people...more nestle

penny

I dont have an autistic child but i do have a child who thought about suicide, no help from the NHS at all (lack of funds rather than a lack of desire to help)

And from what the doctor said its not the ones who announce it that are the most likely to suffer...so i agree with you

'Sides

I think Mr Whittle has been on threads here before so probably doesnt feel that he needs to make up a name to post on here

Probably too busy