Mermaids trending on Twitter yet again ...

[MarieIVanArkleStinks]

This time in the context of JKR (qu'el surprise) and making reference to suicide statistics which, as yet, I've never seen recorded in any official capacity (and would be pleased to be directed to these if wrong). The implication is that JKR is personally responsible for some such suicides, as mentioned directly in a tweet from their CEO.

I'm slack-jawed that even Mermaids could sink this low.

twitter.com/search?q=Mermaids&src=trend_click&vertical=trends

For those without Twitter, the response from LGB Alliance is particularly pertinent. They write:

'We’re seething with anger at the attacks on @jkrowling. She’ll eventually be proved right in all she says, but meanwhile the vile accusations continue. The trans org @Mermaidsgender has the audacity to weaponise suicide in a desperate attempt to discredit her. Disgusting'.

@NotBadConsidering

How does Mimmymum make a living again?

I seem to remember something about PR consultancy.

I also spotted the Samaritans advice on the Twitter thread and am interested to read the commentary here. I would really like to know why there isn't an outcry about why an established charity for supporting vulnerable people and their families a) hasn't adhered to this, b) has misappropriated and outright contradicted it, and c) hasn't been seriously hauled over the coals for doing so. Especially when they are working with the most vulnerable group of all (children), there are question marks hovering over their ethics and the legitimacy of the information they are putting out, and that links to them are being dropped by other organisations left, right and centre.

First it was the dangerous claim that hormone blockers are not reversible, now they are potentially talking up suicide statistics.

The only plus-point is the newly-critical tone of the replies to their posts. Small steps, I suppose.

I thought I was past being shocked by any of this but my jaw hit the floor when I read them blame JKR.

Here is a thread showing the replies Mermaids have hidden.

twitter.com/Mermaids_Gender/status/1299296818954723329/hidden

They're all variations on the same theme (women) until the last post. Its author is transgender, a member of 'Trans Educational Voices' who are opposed to the medical transition of children. Guess Mermaids had nothing to say in response to this.

There's a petition calling for Mermaids to be condemned for this.

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/condemn-mermaids-for-weaponising-child-suicide-and-self-harm?source=twitter-share-button&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=twitter&share=d30d60a3-9c96-4351-864e-e4c4520eded0

Apparently the site has taken down women's rights petitions before so I don't know how this one will do, but it might be worth a shot?

The petition is still there, and up to 1361 signatures, but although the link worked, when I tried to search the 38 degrees site, the page didn't appear. Mermaids and friends are trying to get it taken down, and there's another link to the petition itself on Mermaids' twitter.

Making suicide threats to get your way is abusive and controlling. My sociopathic ex used to do that to me regularly, always keeping me in fear that if I left him, or did things to make him more depressed, he would end his life.
This feels similar --the way trans suicides are used to scare and guilt others, to shut them up.

They're all variations on the same theme (women) until the last post.

Oh yeah Scott Newgent - wrong kind of trans dontcha know 🙄

I read the replies to Scott’s tweet and someone has posted some really graphic SRS pictures. They are brutal, and show the risks being taken by young people. A TRAs response “...the first picture is just a bad top surgery job“ just ! yeah, that’s ok then

How well are the risks spelled out? I know risk is talked about but I think if it was laid bare like these images some people might just hold off.

Link to the tweet I just mentioned. Please be aware they are graphic post surgery pictures and I’m posting separately because whilst the images do serve a purpose, they deserve a warning ⚠️

Opens to pics
twitter.com/QueenButchXX/status/1299357817745403907

Explains pics
twitter.com/QueenButchXX/status/1299724431410049024

The petition to "condemn mermaids for weaponising child suicide and self harm" has been disabled "because of inappropriate content". No more information about it on the 38degrees website.

@Falleninwiththewrongcrowd

The petition to "condemn mermaids for weaponising child suicide and self harm" has been disabled "because of inappropriate content". No more information about it on the 38degrees website.

Fuckers.

Much easier to get it taken down than to do the decent thing, eh?

I had a reply from the Samaritans:

^Thank you for your email and for raising your concerns with us.

I’m sure you are aware, suicide is a complex issue. Samaritans doesn’t comment publicly on individual cases or articles because we find this can often have an unhelpful impact, so we won’t be issuing a statement in response to this.

We know that the success of our media guidelines and media advisory service is because it is a supportive tool designed to help people talk about suicide responsibly and sensitively. We are always grateful for people’s awareness of our guidelines and encouraging others to follow them. We have recently refreshed and expanded our guidance and will be promoting it in a number of ways over the coming months to a wide range of stakeholders. We are considering additional guidance for non-media audiences, including the voluntary sector who may wish to talk about suicide.

Thank you again for getting in touch.^

So doesn’t really say anything much.

No, disappointing

I’m not surprised. I wrote to them months ago and got pretty much the same response.

That Samaritans response isn't very reassuring is it?

I suppose they don’t want to say anything that will kick up a twitterstink.

The Samaritans quite rightly will want to steer clear of the intimidation and threats that will come their way if they criticise an organisation like this.
Their focus is on the vulnerable and (unlike the a charity like the NSPCC) they steer clear of commentary, queer politics and self indulgent displays of wokeness that we see so much of elsewhere.

I dunno, I think that's a good and measured response. Suggests that Some Organisations might benefit from a bit of training/awareness on how to treat the subject (more importantly, how not to).

@ArabellaScott

I dunno, I think that's a good and measured response. Suggests that Some Organisations might benefit from a bit of training/awareness on how to treat the subject (more importantly, how not to).

Yeah, I hope that is what they mean. Initially I read it as that some in the 'voluntary sector' will have some sort of slightly 'different' guidelines which will exempt them from the main guidelines in some way, but hopefully I am well off the mark there.

I think a good response from Samaritans
they say they aren't going to 'publish' a response- that doesn't mean they haven't written privately to Mermaids. It wouldn't help them acheive their primary function if they got into a public fight. In fact if they got an 'anti trans' label (you can easily imagine how THAT could happen) then a lot of these troubled young - or older - people woukd be deterred from contacting them.

I think they are actually suggesting that other people should be contacting mermaids and pointing out that they are not following the guidelines.

Got a very similar response from Samaritans today too. I completely understand that they are in a difficult position to speak publicly about one issue.
I think it's a fairly balanced response - they didn't show any support for the comments and talked about the importance of reporting suicide sensitively and responsibly (which it's clear to anyone who read the statement that Mermaids did neither).
The last bit about approaching voluntary organisations is positive. Any charity with an ounce of decency will embrace this support and should know the importance of taking a multi-agency approach to all aspects of safeguarding children. Whether or not Mermaids have an ounce of decency though...

By the time I returned to the thread the petition had been pulled. 'Inappropriate' content: yet the evidence as to that content and the way it's being misused has been spattered all over Twitter from Mermaids' own account. I'm wondering for about the 100th time where this organisation gets its power from.

I also agree that the measured response from the Samaritans is about as much as they can say. They've rightly chosen to focus on the extremely vulnerable people they exist to support, and involving themselves in a smoking political hot potato like this one will do neither they nor their service users any favours. I think reading between the lines the message is quite clear: We are always grateful for people’s awareness of our guidelines and encouraging others to follow them.

Right on.