Mermaids training course in my workplace

[GuacamoleWithNoHesitation]

I work for a branch of a trade union and I've found out that Mermaids are running training course in my building for members who work in schools.

^This half day course is ran by Mermaids, the charity that supports children and young people with gender dysphoria.

The course will explore how to reduce the number of incidents of HBT (homophobic, biphobic and transphobic) bullying in primary and secondary schools in England through developing a knowledge of:

How to prevent HBT bullying from happening in the first place;
How to effectively respond to HBT bullying when it does occur;
How to create an inclusive school environment for LGBT pupils and families^

Sounds all very lovely and of course children should be protected from and supported with dealing with bullying but I feel it's important to get across to people that there is other support out there for gender non conforming children but I feel it's important to get across to people that there is other support out there for gender non conforming children, rather than just Mermaids and Stonewall. I have ordered some leaflets and downloaded some info from Transgender Trend and will either discreetly hand them out to attendees if I can or leave them strategically placed in reception.

Has anyone got any other suggestions as to what I can do? I do have to be reasonably careful so as not to get into trouble at work.

Pull together a list of good phrases:

Isn't that really sexist?

I thought gender stereotyping was sexist and harmful as it impacts pupils' educational choices and interests...

Etc.

Just to throw into conversation. Perfect your puzzled eyebrows.

What is Mermaids' expertise in homophobic and biphobic bullying? Surely they are a trans-only charity?

It would be better to ask for advice from a gay man and a lesbian woman, I would have thought.

Raise your concerns about Mermaids' homophobia, their promotion of conversion therapy, their record of vexatious complaints against trans-identified people who disagree with them (especially mimmymum -v- Miranda), their misleading use of data, their disregard of Samaritans guidelines, and how their work is experienced as hostile by many LBG people.

Thanks for all your suggestions, I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend the course as I'm not a member of this union and I think it may be full but I will ask if I can. I was thinking if I can join in I could have a list of pertinent questions.

• what would Mermaids advise a girl to do if she comes across another 'girl' with her penis exposed in a changing room or toilet so as not to cause offence to that 'girl'?
• How do Mermaids explain the link between autism and gender dysphoria?
• How do we differentiate between autistic children just trying to fit in any way they can and autistic children with genuine dysphoria.
• What are the links between gender dysphoria and eating disorders?

But sadly I'm pretty sure I wont be able to join in so may have to resort to some sabotage outside the training room hence the leaflets.

I'd go with Annie

Go to a senior leader and quietly and privately raise that list of concerns, the whole the advice is not exactly compatible with actual law/law is misrepresented and it's just a matter of time before the law suits start; the issues currently raised by mass Tavistock resignations; and also that Mermaids are rapidly acquiring a national reputation not in a good way, and with obvious and evidenced reason. So this is perhaps something to give very careful association in deciding whether to associate your workplace/organisation.

consideration, not association. More coffee needed.

I am suspicious about Mermaid's sudden interest in bi & homophobia. Can't but wonder if they're widening their net for more money.

Ask when you will be receiving training on how to support children who are disabled and of different faiths, training on how to improve your organisations support to pregnancy and maternity, when you’ll be getting training on unconscious bias against women (if they insist on preferred pronouns for eg then there’s good evidence being referred to constantly as female can result in negative unconscious bias) and when you can expect training on the organisations approach to tackling sex discrimination such as evident in pay gaps?

I mean if they are going to have a lobby group in for one specific issue then ask about support to all the protected characteristics.

Good point Ancient

Given that this group seem to oppose the very definition of same sex relationships, and promote children who self define based on gender, how are they experienced in defending sexuality based on sex preferences?

I am suspicious about Mermaid's sudden interest in bi & homophobia.

If they commandeer the word 'homophobia' and train everyone on what it means and what it doesn't, it controls a damaging fact that TRA ideology is homophobic.

I'm willing to be that Mermaids will be vigorously teaching everyone that homophobia = saying people with penises aren't lesbians, while biologically female lesbians being coerced to 'overcome' their homosexuality and learn to cope with penis isn't homophobic at all.

When a word is a pest - like woman, female, sex, inclusion, - and gets in the way of the One True Faith, tell everyone loudly and often that the word actually means something totally different.

Gaslighting on a massive scale.

How about saying you'd really be interested in attending the training, but seeing as you can't/it's full, would it be okay for someone to record it or provide a transcript of it for you? I think recordings of these trainings are very illuminating.

Make sure you share this.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-ideologists-are-spreading-cod-science-m8n0pdbq3

Jan the trainer from Mermaids made some outlandish claims in her training and misquoted the equality act.
**So toilets, changing rooms, sports, residential. The Equality act is unambiguous its crystal clear. Unisex and gender neutral facilities are absolutely fine, but that’s not a disabled toilet with a sticker on.

But you can’t prevent anyone from using the facilities of the gender with which they identify and are living as. If someone complains, you provide an alternative to the person complaining. THAT IS THE LAW.

If you get a what if? which you will, just replace one protected characteristic with another and ask yourself the question again. So what would happen if you said ‘you can’t use those toilets because you’re Jewish?

Usually if you’ve got a ‘what if?’ just do that and it will quite often just give you the answer and then you can go ‘OK, I can deal with this. It’ll be fine. So that’s for primary schools..*

There's a couple of threads on this too on here.
Michael's questions are excellent

I’d be mad.

From the Charities Commission website:

Aims & activities
Mermaids overarching aim is to create a world where gender diverse children and young people can be themselves and thrive; to this end, our goal is to relieve the mental and emotional stress of all those aged 19 years and under who are gender variant, as well as to promote education and awareness.

They are not claiming an interest in young people who are comfortable with the gender that matches their chromosomes or genitalia, but who are same sex attracted. They do not have the expertise to deliver the course. Gender and sex are different.

" * what would Mermaids advise a girl to do if she comes across another 'girl' with her penis exposed in a changing room or toilet so as not to cause offence to that 'girl'?"

keep it simpler - say you are concerned and why

Since the tide is turning on this issue, your company may want to rethink this one
--the rise in desisters
--the current government putting off self-sex ID
etc.

Remember Mermaids stored tons of confidential emails naming and discussing their clients in an unsecured online location where it could be accessed by anyone. What have they done to ascertain and rectify the consequences of this? Would details of children being bullied also be released online?

Whatever happened to that breach of confidentiality?

If the subject is specifically bullying, I'd genuinely be interested to know their views on the disgusting bullying of desisters - being told they were never truly trans etc. This is is the main being carried out by TRAs.
So: what is being done to prevent the bullying and denying the gender of people who've decided to detransition?

nothing. It's like a religion/cult, 'true believers Vs apostates' and all that.

Don't launch an open attack on their politics, challenge their professionalism and their credentials. It is far easier to get a win this way as they are severely lacking in that department.

Has the attendance question been resolved?

I'm personally a great believer in the Socratic Method: just keep on asking questions and wait for the horse to lead itself to the water and drink.

Successfully used this in response to our HR people going totally bonkers over wanting us all to update our pronouns in the firm's directory:

"I see. So, you want me to put what I feel above all else. What if I've not got any strong feelings on the question of pronouns?"

"Oh, you think I should put 'doesn't matter' then? But I read online that this is considered dismissive. How can I go about not being dismissive without declaring something I don't care about?"

"Oh, so you're suggesting I use "
'they/them' then? But surely this makes a statement. And it's not that I feel I'm a neutral. I'm a woman. I know I'm a woman. It's just that I don't regard it as my identity. It's more like a biological fact to me. What do you advise I do?"

...

Long story short: I still don't have any pronouns on the system. HR is now confused. People still refer to me as a "she" - I assume due to the number of blokes named Gemma being rather small.

:) Does anyone else feel they would pay good money to see a full transcript of the interactions between IfYouSaySoDear and HR?