Mermaids response to piece in Mail tomorrow

[EweSurname]

Looking forward to seeing what drops

www.mermaidsuk.org.uk/press-enquiry-from-the-mail-on-sunday-25th-may-2019.html

We are very proud of the training we offer to schools and we have a proven record of helping teachers to support vulnerable children who simply want to get along with their lessons like any of their classmates.

We are disappointed to find that a school governor has made a covert recording of our training because our presentations are not held in secret and all of the scientific and legal information we offer is publicly available and well-tested.

We are surprised to see that a Church of England rector is complaining about our training when we are included in the CoE guidance on support for transgender people, which can be found here.

Part of the work of Mermaids is giving training talks to schools. These talks are well received and are an important part of how we promote an inclusive and informed approach to trans children and those who support them.

We have been contacted by the Mail on Sunday who are doing an article about one such talk. This post is our response, in accordance with our policy of posting our replies to media queries for the benefit of anyone interested in our activities.

And if children identifying as transgender is not about sex stereotypes, then what exactly is it? How do they know that a child is transgender? What objective criteria do they use?

Certainly look forward to the recording.

Which will no doubt explain all.

This is the 'training' that has been funded by the National Lottery, right?

I think the grant was for the expansion of Mermaids - they intend to set up helplines run from offices in various places around the country.

The government is not interested in the slightest. Transgendertrend has written to the DfE with a clear evidenced account of all the safeguarding breaches by lobby groups - but as far as I know, no response.

www.transgendertrend.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Safeguarding_Concerns_web.pdf

Posted on another mermaids thread. SG states 1-2% of the population are trans - is this the current estimation?
Also interesting overview of the growth of mermaids since she took over 2015/2016
Anyone know what she is paid?

www.thirdsector.co.uk/pictures-child-catcher-posted-online/small-charities/article/1584904

Selina Todd said last week that all pressure groups should be banned from offering any sort of training in schools. I could not agree more.

There is no mention of jelly babies from Mermaids so presumably they have dropped that part of the training, but they still appear to be banging on about intersex people.

"There are a number of chromosomal variations. We understand that the total number of individuals with sex chromosomes that are neither entirely XX or XY are currently identified as follows:"

"XXY has a prevalence of 1 to 2 per 1,000 births"
BOYS!
"XXYY has a prevalence of 1 in 18,000-40,000 births"
BOYS!
"XXX has a prevalence of 1 in 1,000 births"
GIRLS!
"XO has a prevalence of 1 in 2,000-5,000 births"
GIRLS!

The above are all verifiable conditions that often cause medical and/or cognitive difficulties.

This has no relevance to transgender people so bog off Mermaids and leave that vulnerable group alone

”We are disappointed to find that a school governor has made a covert recording of our training” because we hoped nobody adult with common sense and the ability to critique would ever see it.... and now the cat’s out of the bag and we have to justify everything we’ve said.

“Doing an article”?!!!

They desperately need someone with better literacy skills crafting their statements.

They don't want recordings because they want to be able to present the fluffy harmless stuff as a PR exercise. It's only once they get their foot in the door that they allow the serious indoctrination to begin, and as any cult member knows, you don't open with the overly weird shit, you wait until you've softened them up.

"we're delighted to say that, following our training, we received an email from the school offering sincere thanks for our informative, helpful and fun presentation"

That sounds like my 9 year old thanking a misguided grandparent for a gift they hate ...

If I'd done a presentation to a school, and it was recorded, and a national newspaper reported it then I would have been delighted. I would have always been happy to stand by what I said, as I never said anything that was remotely dodgy.

For the record, WPATH is a lobby group [based in USA] composed of a variety of people who have an interest in so-called "gender identity" ideology. It has zero medical authority. [EPATH is identical and is the European version of PATH.] To the best of my knowledge Susie Green is a member of both and Green has zero medical authority. So we can discount anything that comes from both organisations.

The Endocrine Society is USA based and is composed of some of the endocrinologists operating in USA. [Remember also that USA healthcare is entirely privately funded so there is a financial interest for all medical practitioners operating in USA.]

That’s helpful thanks Jacky.

Still boggling at “socially transitioned 3-5 year olds”.

Is this guff about children preferring things associated with their own gender based on any discernible science?

Also, the puberty-blockers ‘science’ needs debunking. Where’s Rowantrees with the thread link?

Is this guff about children preferring things associated with their own gender based on any discernible science?

None whatsoever.

Some good videos here for anyone who thinks kids can understand ‘gender’ and take life-changing decisions.

Mermaids interpretation of the law pertaining to children in relation to the GRA 2004 and to the Equality Act 2010 is completely wrong!

As we all know, children cannot apply for or obtain a GRC so cannot change their "legal sex" on their documents. Case law is clear that unless a GRC is obtained, the correct comparator is the sex being "transitioned" from not the sex being "transitioned" to.

In UK law the terms "transgender", "gender", "gender identity" have zero legal meaning since none of these terms appear in any UK law. The only term that does appear in UK law, in the Equality Act 2010, is "gender reassignment", which relates back to the GRA 2004.Thus, UK law requires that all children [ie: those who have not attained the age of 18 years] be treated as the sex on their Birth Certificate. There is no legal requirement for anyone to treat a child as the sex they claim they are "transitioning" to. So for anyone to say that the law requires this is false.

IN UK law, even if an adult has obtained a GRC the requirement to treat that person as the sex they have "transitioned" to is confined to the limits of what is described in GRA 2004 [ie: marriage and claiming of benefits and state pension: see GRA 2004 section 9 subsection 3] plus the relevant parts referring to discrimination under gender reassignment of the Equality At 2010. In section 9 of GRA 2004 the phrase "for all purposes" is used and this phrase is qualified by subsection 3 which explains that this concept is confined to the limits of that Act:

9 General
(1) Where a full gender recognition certificate is issued to a person, the person’s gender becomes for all purposes the acquired gender (so that, if the acquired gender is the male gender, the person’s sex becomes that of a man and, if it is the female gender, the person’s sex becomes that of a woman).

(2) Subsection (1) does not affect things done, or events occurring, before the certificate is issued; but it does operate for the interpretation of enactments passed, and instruments and other documents made, before the certificate is issued (as well as those passed or made afterwards).

(3) Subsection (1) is subject to provision made by this Act or any other enactment or any subordinate legislation.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/7/section/9

I can't believe they are allowed in schools either.

My DS (14) was due to have a "diversity day" recently at school, with PRSE - they sent us the details. It was a charity "Metro" Here which on the face of it, looks fine and all about "wellbeing".

Me, being suspicious, looked into it further. Sure enough - there's unicorns and "assigned at birth" all over this training. Well, I seriously thought about finding a way to record the session.

But I had a serious talk with DS beforehand - told him what to expect and what nonsense it all was, but to just smile and nod - and then report back to me. He said "oh I hate all that stuff like "boys can have periods too" it's rubbish" and I though Phew!! Anyway, the training didn't happen in the end - still don't know why.

But more and more parents like me, like us all here, are concerned about this, and the ridiculous nonsense they're trying to spoon feed our children. How very interesting that Mermaids are miffed when people do record it...I will be looking out for the article tomorrow.

Jackie Holyoake (sorry I don't know how to bold you!) thanks for your consistent clarity on the detail of the Equality Act.

Can I ask though, what you mean when you say "As we all know, children cannot apply for or obtain a GRC so cannot change their "legal sex" on their documents. "?

Which documents apart from their birth certificate are they unable to change? I know they are able to get their "gender marker" changed on their passports, school records, exam authorities, NHS records, driving licences. I believe Mermaids offers help and advice to parents wanting to do this for their child. A letter from the GP or the Tavi stating the child intends to remain living in their acquired gender (whatever that means) is sufficient. Anyone meeting resistance from any official can get Mermaids to challenge and overturn.

This is the 'training' that has been funded by the National Lottery, right?

Although this training may not have been funded by the Lottery, it will be funding training once Mermaids have recruited 3 Service Development Officers. These highly paid (16K annum) experts will then Deliver high quality training to all types of agencies, including but not restricted to Schools,the NHS, CAMHS, Social Services, Government and Corporates, with direction of the LocalGroups and Training Manager

mermaidsuk.org.uk/assets/media/Service%20Development%20Officer%20Role%20Description.pdf

It's good to know that these new recruits will have a Training Manager to guide them and the person currently in that role is Jelly Baby Jan!

She didn't strike me as the brightest of sparks in the previous (covert) recording, nor does she impress in the video below but maybe being bright isn't necessary? She is after all the parent of a transgender child (like SG) so maybe that qualifies her as an expert on law, psychology, biology, medicine etc etc

www.theguideliverpool.com/watch-liverpool-launches-transgender-family-support-group/

Regarding a child’s gender identity and when this is established, research suggests that children are aware of these gender cues early in development and begin perceiving sex and gender categories at a young age.
Supporting Evidence represents the following:

Infants display an ability to discriminate male and female faces by 6 months of age

Yes they recognise sex.

	<strong>They can accurately match male and female voices to male and female faces by their first birthday</strong>

Yes, they recognise sex.

	<strong>At are around age 2, they begin to acquire knowledge of gender labels</strong>

Yes my son knew he couldn't bf his toys as he was male, his sex.

	<strong>They display preferences for objects and people associated with their own gender, demonstrating intrinsic understanding of their own gender identity</strong>

Only from the gendered environment. Around age 2-3 they start to parrot social rules of stereotypes

	<strong>Infants show rudimentary gender stereotyping</strong>

Well, yes as they are born into a gendered environments; begin to mix with peers and watch tv. (Eg bloody paw patrol.)

If they're male happen to prefer Sky and like to wear pink it doesn't mean they have to change their sex! How is this supportive of then taking blockers?

JFC.

And this nugget:

whilst maintaining an affirmative approach to treatment in line with World Professional Association of Transgender Health, the global authority on the subject.

All sorts of red flags there; not mentioning a uk expert eg Tavistock who don't go down the affirmative care route? If it's world professional then it's all private - follow the money. Global authority would be WHO....

JFC and I don't mean Corbyn.

I wonder if it would do any good to alert the Charities Commission, that Mermaids keep misinterpreting the Equalities Act.

Re the misnomer that is the so-called "transgender child" .. have a read

[a summary of the meeting chaired by Dr Lord Lewis Moonie in the House of Lords on 15 May 2019]:

lilymaynard.com/first-do-no-harm-the-ethics-of-transgender-healthcare/

Vicar quits over school's plan to hide pupil's sex change from parents
mol.im/a/7070773

The article is up on DM now.