Another voice.....

[ginyogarepeat]

Robert Webb has added his voice:
twitter.com/arobertwebb/status/1076515788247482373?s=21

I think given how high profile Mermaids are, there's a clue in how many slebs have chosen to stay silent rather than come to their "defence".

JK is one whose silence on the issue as a whole speaks volumes.

And how many of us here are saying "that would have been me". I know I am.

I love Gia

She has retweeted one of her husband's tweets suggesting people follow certain scientists. Including AstroKatie who is excellent and interesting but who believes TWAW.

Giles Coren said something supportive to Janice yesterday too, I think. I wonder if he and RW between them might talk to David Mitchell.

Over Christmas Dinner.

There is a comedy sketch right there.

Really delighted to see RW speaking out. It's good timing too as I read a diatribe during the week against MN / 'TERFS' / Transphobes. Usual 'they are all big meanies and liars killing my child who was a girl but was then a boy but might now be a girl again albeit with her hair shaved off!' The doublethink is exhausting and putting my head above the parapet would make things difficult at work but I honestly can't believe some of the stuff people come out with.

And now Muriel Gray:

twitter.com/ArtyBagger/status/1076661033568215040

"Through the looking glass" - indeed.

The TRAs are being so vicious. As always, abuse and the occasional personal anecdote rather than argument and evidence. I don’t feel up to tweeting today after spending a lot of the last 24 hours arguing with people with no sense of logic or science - it’s only just died down - so I’ve just liked the tweets from Robert Webb and Muriel Gray.

Accusing him and everyone of hating kids/hating trans kids - are all the TRAs petulant teenagers? And not even remotely intelligent ones at that if they can’t try to debate in a way more likely to convince anyone.

Accusing him and everyone of hating kids/hating trans kids

This is doing my tits in as well.

If I think that charity for people with Downs Syndrome should have proper safeguarding procedures, training backed up by evidence and don’t recommend a doctor who is under investigation by their governing body, does that mean that I “hate” kids with DS? Or does it mean that I think they are deserving of proper support, not people play acting at running a charity?

Yes, the TRAs are having an easy ride saying "oh how fabulous, stopping funding for a children's charity" - do they not remember Kids Company? Just because a charity is set up for kids, doesn't mean they are beyond any scrutiny.

The criticisms of Mermaids are clear and provable. They were court ordered to stop contact with a child. They do teach a gender ideology that should not be beyond criticism - that jelly baby chart is just regressive stereotypes. They do campaign for drugs and surgery for minors (Susie's Green's tweets). They have referred chidlren to Dr Webberley's surgery - when she has a criminal conviction now.

Accusing him and everyone of hating kids/hating trans kids

This can't possibly work for them, can it? I know this kind of exaggerated demonisation can work when it's against a very small unknown minority and you're appealing to people's right-on-ness. I too once thought TERFs were just awful.

But when you're talking about a figure people know and like, and you're not even doing "oh, love his work, but what a shame he's a bigot" but jumping straight to "he wants children to commit suicide" then surely most of the audience are going to twig that you're fucking batshit.

Ad hominem attacks are the last resort of people who have no other argument.

It's striking.

It doesn't wash. It's just small kids caught red handed up to something they know they shouldn't really be doing, screaming til they go red in the face about how unfair it is and how mean their parents are and how they will tell the teachers / police / any other figure of authority to shut up the 'cruel' parent who would not let them eat £50 worthy of quality streets by themselves.

It's all helping

Can I just get this right? GIDS don't recommend Mermaids do they?

Thinking of working out my sweary twitter password and wading in with some comments.

If mermaids were an organisation that dispelled and campaigned against crap gendered toys and clothes, talked about the difference between gender and sex, advocated targeting bullying for anyone who didn't conform to the gendered standards, celebrated uniqueness, factored in discussing homosexuality and generally looked at improving the mental health of children and young people who are trapped in confused states dictated by pink blue capitalism, and then 0.1 % of their work was to simply suggest referrals to Tavistock in the most extreme of cases they'd be doing some stirling work.

But they don't.

They actively do the opposite.

And I've always said that spectrum graphic with barbie and is racist as well sexist.

*7 mo old woke every hour last night. Send gin.

That wasn't supposed to be bold but works.

If I think that charity for people with Downs Syndrome should have proper safeguarding procedures, training backed up by evidence and don’t recommend a doctor who is under investigation by their governing body, does that mean that I “hate” kids with DS? Or does it mean that I think they are deserving of proper support, not people play acting at running a charity?

Yes this.

Add "and had had the most up to date safeguarding training available, worked within safeguarding guidelines and understood them" to my rant.

Keep checking JKR's twitter feed and hoping for a Christmas miracle...

Accusing him and everyone of hating kids/hating trans kids

I've seen a lot of vitriol aimed at him. They're trying the same tactic of trying to paint him as a right-wing pantomime villain who hates trans people but it just won't work with anyone who has more than a handful of brain cells.
Most people (rightly) see Robert Webb as a genuinely nice, intelligent man whose book has given him a pretty solid reputation as left-leaning and supportive of gender non conforming children.
The fact that he's raising concerns about Mermaids will give a lot of people pause for thought.

Well done to RW for speaking out. I loved his book. He really gets how powerful and damaging gender stereotypes can be. No wonder he can see right through mermaids ridiculous ideas about gender non conformity = opp sex.

I bought Delusions of Gender because of him. The TRA pile on assuming he hasn’t listened to the recording or thought about Mermaids or actually read anything on the subject is just pathetic. They so desperately need to believe (or appear to believe) that anyone disagreeing is ‘ignorant’. I don’t assume that all Brexiters are ignorant. Or all Tory voters. Or all men, even.

Is it just me or has Robert Webb deleted his Mermaids tweet?

Oh no, I don’t think it’s just you. I’ve just been to check. That’s really sad to see. I was so buoyed up and he was polite and said he’d carry on engaging with their arguments too - didn’t seem like he was going to cave.

Pink News have done an article about it. Susie Green says "We have never suggested that if a child’s interests do not fit within the binary that this means they are trans, quite the contrary. We would like to see a world where stereotypes are challenged and children are supported to be themselves without restrictions.”

Isn't that the exact opposite of how she treated her son though, according to her own words?

www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/12/24/robert-webb-trans-kids-mermaids/amp/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Buffer&utm_campaign=PN&__twitter_impression=true

Yes, Robert Webb has deleted his tweet. I’m not surprised. The viscious attacks from TRAs were too much, probably. This is exactly why they do it. To prevent anyone from being brave enough to question their ideology. They want the world to see exactly how ruthless and aggressive they are, so everyone knows that having an alternative opinion will cost you very dearly indeed. And nobody bothers trying, the backlash isn’t work it. It’s plain old fashioned bullying.

This is exactly why they do it. To prevent anyone from being brave enough to question their ideology.

Sadly this^, and it works. Since these issues hit the headlines there has been much mockery from TRAs of the idea that critics are silenced. In many cases it is the exact same TRAs who continue to be abusive to critics when they think it will work.