Elliot Page undergoes “lifesaving” “top surgery”

[OnWednesdaysWeWearMink]

BBC R1 news beat has just reported that Elliot page has undergone “life saving” “top surgery”.

Here is the related web article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57239448

This reporting perpetuates the narrative that people will commit suicide if they don’t get the right sort of treatment. I find it deeply irresponsible. Does anyone know if Samaritans are tackling this sort of coverage in their media guidelines? I’d hope work is going on behind the scenes as they are a fantastic charity. (I assume they are not captured?)

A double mastectomy is usually lifesaving when it comes to breast cancer... so I find calling an elective cosmetic procedure lifesaving pretty insulting. But that’s just me being petty and not the main point.

I commented on a previous post about this. I had a double mastectomy at 36 to get rid of a cancer which would have killed me. That is lifesaving.

You’re not being petty. It’s completely inappropriate in this context, in my opinion.
I’m all for Elliott undergoing whatever surgery they choose, but I really don’t think this is the kind of thing that needs to be in the press. It’s so easy for youngsters to get further sucked in when you’ve got this “life changing” surgery available. They don’t seem to realise, or they just don’t want to publicise, that for most youngsters this surgery will be inaccessible due to cost and that is when the suicide rates will soar.

Sorry to hear you went through that and glad they got rid of the bastards before they killed you

And it's well worth noting (as some are on Twitter) that while Elliot's nipples can be freely shown on social media sites including the BBC's, those same nipples back when Elliot was Ellen would have been banned.

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

Why don’t we call lip fillers or Botox or garden variety breast augmentation lifesaving procedures/surgeries? Some of those people might have killed themselves too if they hadn’t been able to correct their perceived aesthetic failings?

It’s totally manipulative to be telling people you’ll kill yourself if you can’t have certain things.

@IvyTwines2

And it's well worth noting (as some are on Twitter) that while Elliot's nipples can be freely shown on social media sites including the BBC's, those same nipples back when Elliot was Ellen would have been banned.

That was my thought as well. However, I believe Instagram, where the pic was originally posted, does allow mastectomy photos - - their guidance on this references the importance of these pics in raising awareness for breast cancer, however a “raising awareness” argument would still presumably be made for this picture. (Although it should also be noted that women have had mastectomy pictures removed for breaking guidelines even though the guidelines allow them).

I don’t know the BBC’s guidelines though.

I thought Elliot Page had described it as life changing not life saving. Is the BBC changing the narrative?

@Wannabangbang

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

Your problem there is that facts and statistics in no way back up that statement!

We see a lot of weird, unsupported claims across SM, spouted at government meetings, etc. But we, here, have taken the time to find what the parameters of any study making such claims were and what gold standard, peer reviewed studies have been done.

Many of us have the education and expertise to analyse those studies - and we do!

@wannabangbang

It's lifesaving for a trans person

Exactly

The narrative of calling treatment lifesaving creates the impression that suicide may be a common/reasonable/inevitable outcome for trans people who do not manage to get this treatment. My issue is not around trans people having surgery - it is around irresponsible media reporting which could lead to an increase in suicides. This comes from a place of concern, not transphobia.

Suicide contagion is well documented, particularly amongst young people.

Samaritans do some fantastic work in encouraging responsible reporting and I am wondering what they are doing in this area.

For example, in a recent news story media organisations reported a woman “fell” from a bridge in London. They did this instead of reporting that she tried to kill herself by jumping off, because that would highlight it as a suicide method and could lead to copycats. The same considerations should come into play here...

Oh please! It's 'lifesaving' in the same way as breast enlargement or reduction would be for a woman who was unhappy with the way she looked. Hyperbole!

Stop pissing round with words. They do have meaning!

This reporting perpetuates the narrative that people will commit suicide if they don’t get the right sort of treatment. I find it deeply irresponsible

I agree.

It also gives a confusing message re whether being trans is a mental health issue or not. And I know it can be either and it’s not clear cut. But reporting should perhaps comment on this.

It grates that gender dysphoric people getting surgery on the nhs when women have to fight so hard for treatment for things like endometriosis, to get their tubes tied (“you’re too young to make that decision”) or to get a breast reduction for health reasons (back ache etc).

(I do realise EP didn’t have surgery in nhs before anyone picks up on that).

Suicide contagion is well documented, particularly amongst young people. Which is why I often wrote and complain to the organisation printing such twaddle and to the Samaritans too! It i utterly irrresponsible and another thing Stonewall have to answer for.

The deliberate weaponisation of suicide is absolutely shocking. No, fucking terrifying!

@Wannabangbang

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

This.

I found the pictures and Elliot's comments quite moving. Very positive for any young person who feels the same way.

@Wannabangbang

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

Where are the stats, please?

Saying it's life saving suggests that trans people have actually died because they didn't have their breasts removed. I can't find any stats to back this up?

@Wannabangbang

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

Please could you explain exactly how it is lifesaving for a trans person?

If your answer is that people will commit suicide if they don’t get treatment, then can you see that this is perpetuating a narrative of likely suicide?

That is what I have a problem with. That narrative will kill people.

@Wannabangbang

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

How is it lifesaving exactly? Surely if someone is suicidal they need psychiatric help not surgery? Please explain.

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards

The statistics do not agree with your position I'm afraid. The suicide stats are a myth.

Only on Mumsnet do the twitter trans activists and their allies come out, refusing to listen to facts and reason, determined to preach to educated women innacurate and dangerous narratives, their fingers at the ready to report in an attempt to silence the truth.. See it frequently on these boards. It's useful though as it helps other people see the enormous holes in your debate. More sunlight. Carry on as you are...

I've posted on the twitter thread. Elliott can do what they want, I really don't care.
What I do care about is the BBC posting about someone with healthy breasts having a double mastectomy in such a celebratory affirmative way.
That they can't see the harm it does to teenagers confused about their bodies/sexuality is baffling to me. Don't journalists have any capacity for critical thought anymore?
Next celebratory articles about self harming and anorexia.

Just want to clarify something — Even if suicide rates are higher among people who don’t undergo trans surgeries, and therefore it in a sense is “lifesaving”, I still think that it is irresponsible reporting.

You should never present suicide as a likely or reasonable outcome to a situation. Suicide is preventable.

How is it lifesaving?

I had a single mastecomy due to breast cancer and wasn't suitable for immediate reconstruction so I asked for them to do a double mastecomy. Got told no as they won't remove healthy tissue. So I spent 2.5 years with one tit. That played a right fucking number on my mental health I can tell ya.

It's a cosmetic surgery. I'm sick of the suicide baiting that takes place at the moment. If I don't get what I want immediately then I will throw a strop and threaten suicide to get it!! Blackmail anyone?

Only on Mumsnet do the twitter trans activists and their allies come out, refusing to listen to facts and reason

You mean it's one of the only few places that isn't an echo chamber, and other voices and opinions are allowed however much people wish they weren't?

Silence the truth
This narrative is always so bizarre - sounds exactly the same as conspiracy theories do

@Wannabangbang

It is lifesaving for a trans person. Only on Mn do transphobic people come out for all to see. See. It frequently on these boards.

So what about the millions who can't access this "life saving surgery"? Don't you see the harm this causes by further telling trans people they will be suicidal if they don't get it?

You mean it's one of the only few places that isn't an echo chamber, and other voices and opinions are allowed however much people wish they weren't?

Wow - that's quite a turnaround! I thought that MN FWR was considered to be the most hateful meanie echo chamber on the whole of the internet?