Here’s a Mermaids fuck-up to brighten your Sunday morning...

[AngeloMysterioso]

So in a tweet yesterday Mermaids (shock horror) MISGENDERED non-binary Owen J. Harcum, saying that HE had been elected Mayor of Bangor.

A while later they deleted the tweet, reposted it using “they” instead of “he” and issued an apology, basically blaming their accidental hate crime on Grammarly, which I believe is a proofreading app.

Grammarly then responded calling them out on their blatant and quite possibly libellous lie, and so Mermaids deleted that tweet too.

Hope Grammarly sue their asses.

[LongPauseNoAnswer]

The whole thing is utterly preposterous. Tying themselves into knots and contradicting themselves all over the place. If it wasn’t so dangerous it would be hilarious.

“They is” here too … just to point out the absurdity of the whole thing.

[YouSetTheTone]

@CardinalLolzy

This puts them on the same level of misgendering (calling a NB person "he" by accident) that Maya Forstater is constantly accused of.

Can Maya Forstater use this in her next hearing? That a TRANSGENDER CHARITY did what she’s been hounded for. It makes no sense for her to be accused of something if they are allowed to get away with the same thing.
I mean I know we all know that none of it makes sense but could this tweet from Mermaids be relevant in a court of law?

[PaleGreenGhost]

And surely it's so much more offensive when Mermaids do it, because they actually believe in gender ID? They let slip that they still know Owen's sex. They're not supposed to know it any more.

Whether or not a non believer misgenders should be irrelevant. I may choose to use desired pronouns out of fear or kindness (depending on situation and person demanding or asking). But I can no more undo my belief that the person is still a human of one sex or another than I can force myself to believe in God.

[persistentwoman]

Just to divert the thread over to trains for a moment, I came across this rather glorious (slightly related) twitter thread:

twitter.com/moleatthedoor/status/1393658807016898571

[persistentwoman]

One more to get the thread back on track:

twitter.com/Jebadoo2/status/1393628146948313094

[ChubbyLittleManInACampervan]

I think they were a bit flippant about the literal violence they perpetrated

[TheWordWomanIsTaken]

How does a spell check replace 'they' with 'he'?
Watching the wheels falling of this wagon is hugely entertaining.

[OneEpisode]

Both Mermaids and the LGBT Foundation were using the #BanConversationTherapy hashtag. They seemed to have used the #BanConversionTherapy tag too…

[Tanith]

@Tambora

Surely 'they' is the plural and the correct word to use should be 'it'?

Indeed it should. "It" was perfectly acceptable for Bram Stoker and writers of his time.

However, "it" is now deemed transphobic, I believe. Heaven knows why ( because it's impersonal - well, so is "they" - that's different etc. etc.).
They haven't got around to cancelling 'Dracula' yet, though.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

@OneEpisode

Both Mermaids and the LGBT Foundation were using the #BanConversationTherapy hashtag. They seemed to have used the #BanConversionTherapy tag too…

[Defaultname]

Has Dracula got deadnaming?

[Lemmen]

I have to admit I don't follow them closely (though know of them and why they're a creepy little organisation of course) - is this the kind of error they punish others for on Twitter then?

[languising]

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

But if you write 'they is' you sound illiterate. I would take the long way round and re-write as much as possible to avoid any pronouns at all in those circumstances.

You can just write 'they are'

[ArabellaScott]

Mermaids, thank you.

[caringcarer]

More nonsense from Mermaids.

[WhatyoutalkingaboutWillis]

It's comedy gold for sure [laughing]

[AlecTrevelyan006]

Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive

[Mummytemping]

@Erikrie

Looked like Grammarly outwoked mermaids.

#wokeshaming

Love it. 🤭😁

[BadGherkin]

Is #BanConversationTherapy the new #NoDebate?

[toffeebutterpopcorn]

#fingersinmyearsimnotlisteninglalalalala

[Erikrie]

Is #BanConversationTherapy the new #NoDebate?

I reckon so. Everyone stop talking now. Silence must be enforced. Don't worry about the consequences. Nothing to see here.

#DoNotDebateJustValidate

[jewel1968]

So, if I am biological female but feel non-binary am I ok to use she/her pronouns? I kinda like the idea of non-binary as I rarely think about my gender but I am female so happy for people to use she/her. In a way I think non-binary could be gender critical?

[MidsomerMurmurs]

I kinda like the idea of non-binary as I rarely think about my gender

Fair enough. I don’t even have a gender, but I obviously have a sex. So arguably I’m non-binary in gender terms (everyone has a mix of stereotypically masculine and stereotypically feminine behaviour in their lives) but I’m just not interested in gender ideology about innate essences and all that. I know I’m not “agender” because that would mean I subscribe to gender ideology but don’t think I personally have one.

I believe that things like pronouns refer to sex, and I’d like my belief to be respected, and not to be forced to mis-sex people in a compelled-speech kind of way.

[mejon]

@Helleofabore

There are also many other questions to be asked here (that cannot be asked on MN without deletion) including the old double standard about females who might deviate from a strictly professional look running for office etc.

Exactly this. How much criticism would a woman have received if she'd arrived for her mayoral swearing-in (or whatever it's called) dressed in a see-through blouse and corset? There's a time and a place: this wasn't it!

[jewel1968]

@MidsomerMurmurs you articulate that very well. I think we are on the same page.