Recording of Mermaids training

[Imherefornow]

twitter.com/MichaelConroy68/status/1074723989308801026?s=19

Apologies if this has already been posted. Did a quick search and didn't find anything.

Michael Conroy attended and recorded a mermaids training session. It's hair raising listening.

I believe that someone is working on transcribing this, which will hopefully make it easier to analyse. But wanted to post it to make sure it hadn't been missed.

Just listened. Oh my god! I would struggle to sit through that. It's worrying that more people in the room aren't asking questions or making comments. Shows how they manage to befuddle people with their faux science. It's totally disingenuous.

I'm having flashbacks to being in an awful training course where the woman used the same way of talking and ended her sentences with a 'yeah?' to cajole the room into believing we all were in agreement and affirmed her points. I'm going to have to think what that course was for now! I'm sure it was for something bullshitty (but not as dangerous)

I've transcribed all of the second half and Pencils is doing the first bit. Maybe I should put it into sections with headers. It's shocking stuff isn't it? Such a load of waffle and misrepresentation. And any challenge shut down.

Thank you for your sterling work, Orchid. I couldn't even bring myself to listen to 10 minutes of it.

Yes it needs sections and headers. You would get lost in it otherwise.

Pythagonal :) Honestly, it's easier to listen to if you're transcribing it because I don't really listen to what is said. It's much worse reading it back!

There was a bit where GC guy was challenging the trainer over the bit where they were supposed to plot themselves on the jelly baby chart, IIRC he pointed out that what it means to be a man is culturally determined so what point of reference should he use? And others piped in that it's all highly individual and personal (or words to that effect)

Structure and agency. That is what strikes me about this. The left have completely bought the right-wing neoliberal idea that it is all about the individual. This is Thatcherism and Trumpism. It's not left-wing thinking which recognises social structures.

Thank you to those doing the transcribing. It will be very useful to see this in black and white.

Am still laughing at 'Barrie' as a typo for Barbie!

I have to get my kicks where I can as this shit is really starting to affect me badly.

Why is it Barrie and GI Joe? Why not Ken? What wrong with Ken?

Barbie not Barrie obvs - though auto correct is not happy.

I think autocorrect is onto something more profound.
The Mermaids 'jelly baby sex-stereotypes continuum' is only about superficial presentation eg the far extreme (called Barbie) is described by the trainer as someone liking pink, sparkles, long blonde hair etc.

So why shouldn't a person who prefers such things be a 'Barrie' and be male?

I think Jan's head might explode at such a radical suggestion...

It shouldn't be that radical.
It wouldn't have been seen so by many in the 1970's 1980's etc

and isn't it important to consider?

Um, I was joking...

If you were whistleblowing to the press you would undoubtably get the 'in the public interest' defence on this.

There is no way recording a training session aimed at schools and other public bodies WOULD NOT be in the public interest to know.

Its a matter of whether institutions are fully aware of who they are getting to train them and whether the standard of this is in line with their standards of safeguarding and equality.

If they are preaching sexist and homophobic nonsense or anything which is conflicts with their internal safeguarding training, then theres a problem.

This is why its important to get it transcribed and to get it on line and preferably published (which I'm sure the lurking journalists here won't be too adverse to).

They can report it all they like on twitter and get it taken down, the cat is out of the bag, and Barbara Streisand is thrilled by it all.

Its not as if any of this is a huge secret, seeing as they are actively trying to get this brainwashing program in front of as many people as possible.

Again, you CAN'T make the argument that its in breech of your privacy if you are actively trying to promote and publicise a particular idea / agenda even if its a closed meeting - if that closed meeting happens to be a public body.

You'd be laughed out of court by a judge for trying that on.

Indeed attempts to try and 'hide' whats said in a promotion / training session to a public body is a fantastic look for any charity or public body, with except.

TRANSPARENCY

Good governance requires transparency. Without it, there is a huge black hole into which safeguarding has disappeared without a trace.

starcrossedseahors
I know, apologies. I had intended to indicate my

Why is it Barrie and GI Joe? Why not Ken? What wrong with Ken?

Because Ken's so obviously gay, and Mermaids is all about transing away the gayness

I'm just listening to this recording with my jaw on the floor.
Does the trainer have any medical training at all?
She's talking to them like a room full of pre teens, it's so bloody condescending!

Yes it is appalling. She is dreadful.

From a previous comment, wasn't her knowledge based on her being a mother of a trans child? It's quite possible they haven't had any training in running effective training sessions, and I don't think that's Mermaids area of expertise either going from their PowerPoints...

Wow! The stupid is strong with that one.

I find it really worrying all these academics that don't seem to be able to evaluate a theory critically. Even if it's not your field you should still be able to evaluate research.

As a very experienced prsenter, trainer and public speaker, I quite enjoy hearing someone presenting complete bollocks extremely ineptly.

Maybe, one day, it will be to presenting and training, what the Rowan Williams sermon became to trainee vicars

Total brain failure - meant Rowan Atkinson

We're at the collation stage, so not long now

My personal favourite bit from the first half:

(A1 is Michael, S is speaker)

---------
A1: I was just thinking if a woman who want - 20 or 30 years ago, a woman who wanted to work and not be at home ... she wasn't cis was she? I don't suppose, according to that, cos she's saying ... what you're present ...

S: Yes because it's about gender identity, she would have known she was a woman.

A1: ... because she's not dysphoric?

S: Because her brain jelly baby and her biology jelly baby are in alignment.

A1: Yeah, I don't really buy the jelly baby.