Co-op bank and Mermaids

[maslinpan]

I went to the Co-op bank yesterday for work, and they handed me 3 postcards to fill in for an Amnesty Write for Rights campaign. The idea is you sign to support various campaigns and Amnesty will send them off to the relevant minister. One for domestic violence victims, one for supporting victims of a typhoon in the Philippines, last one is to support a reformed GRA to "protect young (doesn't say how young) trans people or those with non-binary identities". It doesn't specify what they should be protected from, but it does ask that a reformed GRA "means recognition for young trans people and ends the medical requirements for gender recognition".
Guess which well-regarded and untouchable authorities Amnesty are working with? Mermaids and Gendered Intelligence. Where do I start??

I am pained not to be able to support Amnesty these days. Their track record particularly around prostitution is not one I can support.
I'd have handed the postcards back to them.

Agree. Amnesty are not friends of women. This is an abominable state of affairs.

I wanted to read the full postcard before I started ranting at the cashier's, it is nothing to do with them! Is there any point writing some challenging statements on my postcard or is it a waste of time and ink?

The Coop really need this issue explaining. That statement from Mermaids rather obfuscates that they are actually in favour and supporting pathways to medicalisation and surgery for “some” children.

I'd write your own comments and send them to Amnesty.

I am now thinking of getting together some key quotes from Mermaids and sending them to the Co-op, to demonstrate that when you are trying to score points for being progressive, you had better ensure you have done ALL your research.

Wasn't it the Coop bank which told a gender critical campaigning group they were closing their account and their custom was no longer wanted?

And yes, Amnesty believe men have a human right to stick their dicks in financially desperate women, so they can do one.

This is the link to the full information about the postcard call to action:

www.amnesty.org.uk/write-for-rights/action/young-trans-people

We need a new system that allows all trans people to legally register their true gender, including those who are non-binary, regardless of their age.
Regardless of their age?

Any age, Amnesty? 3? 7? 9?

You don't refer to any specific lower age. Should we expect future campaigns from you asking to give children autonomy over other decisions, regardless of their age? Because if children know theirselves from an early age...

Would you like to apply the same age-lowering empowerment campaigning to child marriage?

Without this reform, young trans people will continue to have their right to identity violated.
Violation is an extreme word to link to this campaign, compared to others you are running.

Without reform, these children are made to indirectly disclose their gender history in our schools, GP surgeries and hospital, exposing them to an increased risk of discrimination.

Hold on. A child is discriminated against if they are not allowed to hide their biological sex behind a GRC?

At GP surgeries and hospital?

So Amnesty is saying, for example, a female child may be discriminated against if they present at their GP or hospital and, because their medical records still record them as female, the medical team might treat them, or discuss their treatment, with reference to their biological sex?

Amnesty - have you thought this argument through? You know, like the implicatons of a clinical team not being able to address with a child the effects of any treatment might have on them due to their sex?

Everyone has the right to be who they say they are.

Really? Everyone? Has the right to be who they say they are?

Have you thought this through?

There has been no thinking at all, that rainbow flag is so pretty that they have been dazzled by it.

I agree maslinpan.

This is the most unthinking, uncritical, nonsensical ideology.

And again for those in the bleacher seats, saying 'well, I've got no skin in the game, let's just be kind, be nice'.

If someone can coerce you into compelled beliefs that make you state in public 'transwomen are women, transmen are men' (though you'll find that second statement much less chanted - funny that, eh?), and 'everyone has the right to be what they say they are'...

what else are you willing to support that is against what you know is reality?

What is your red line where you say 'no more'?