For context, November 2018 Gaystar News article by 'mimmymum' one of Mermaids' parents (volunteer/employee?) active on Twitter:
'Is the UK media responsible for fueling anti-trans hate?
Why did mainstream media ignore a warning from the UN about the dangers facing the trans community?'
(extract)
"The reality is that the end of October marked the end of an 18 month campaign by a small group of individuals on a mission to roll-back trans rights – all dressed up as ‘concern for women’s protections’ in response to the GRA consultation.
While the hostilities initially started on social media platforms, by the end of the year-long government consultation process, anti-trans articles were appearing at alarming frequency in national news platforms and broadcast media. Campaigning ‘feminist’ groups scoured the country trying to recruit women to their trans-hostile ideological cause.
A small number of visible trans people, family members and disparate supporters stood in the way of this barrage of relentless misinformation and demands for ‘debate’, backed up by a handful of LGBT organisations like Stonewall, Gendered Intelligence and Mermaids.
Dubbed ‘trans rights activists’ and accused of ‘silencing’, the reality was far from that splashed across the front pages of national newspapers.
In fact, the majority of articles in the UK news media over the last 18 months have been predominantly negative about trans people and those who support them.
With headlines such as ‘Trans extremists are putting equality at risk’ and ‘Feminist poster banned because it “could offend trans people”‘, some news platforms tripped over themselves to seek out stories to undermine and demonise trans people and their allies.
With only the occasional neutral or positive article thrown in for the appearance of ‘balance’, the ‘modus operandi’ for journalists had become one of ‘kicks for clicks’ in overtly or subtly attacking trans people. In this environment, it’s no surprise that any trans-positive voice – even that of the UN – was overlooked.
While the statement by the UN and accompanying report talked about overt aggression, discrimination and hostility towards transgender communities around the world, it is clear that the media narrative around the transgender community has a part to play in the public’s general understanding of trans people.
Contrary to the disproportionately large number of news articles, the trans population in the UK is still very small, so the likelihood that the public will come into contact in any meaningful way with a trans person, is relatively unlikely.
This gives the media a huge amount of power over how trans people are portrayed and understood by the UK population." (continues)
www.gaystarnews.com/article/is-the-uk-media-responsible-for-fueling-anti-trans-hate/#gs.4HWAkkM