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.

@Erikrie

Why is this thread posted in the Feminism board

Why shouldn't it be.

The OP is concerned about how the media is reporting on a trans person having surgery. I’m just trying to understand what this has to do with feminism?

Suicide rates for trans identified teenagers in the UK are no higher than the rates for other teenagers. There are long waiting times for treatment. We'd expect to see some kind of epidemic amongst these young people if the suicide risk were as high as is claimed. It's not true though - it's just been weaponised to manipulate.

@Koolandorthegang

Why is this thread posted in the Feminism board?

Also because EP is someone girls and young women take notice of and because we should not be remotely suggesting to them that a double mastectomy is a “lifesaving” operation.

Also, it’s not very respectful to women who involuntarily had mastectomies that have been lifesaving.

@HecatesCatsInFancyHats

Suicide rates for trans identified teenagers in the UK are no higher than the rates for other teenagers. There are long waiting times for treatment. We'd expect to see some kind of epidemic amongst these young people if the suicide risk were as high as is claimed. It's not true though - it's just been weaponised to manipulate.

No higher than for other teenagers with mental health conditions.

It’s true maybe it shouldn’t be on the feminist board, it should be on a mental health board if there is one? I am on Mumsnet for feminist chat so I just defaulted here. Is there a way to get it moved? I would love to hear from mental health experts on their views specifically on the responsible reporting of trans surgery... and less from people angry about other stuff or pretending this is a transphobic thread

[quote Thehawki]@OnWednesdaysWeWearMink It is a direct quote though, is that against the guidelines? Does the BBC have to adhere to these or are they just advisory? I’ve never actually heard of them so I don’t know.[/quote]
They’re advisory only. The thing that outraged me was the radio report, in which it was not suggested it was a quote. It was about a 5 second clip on radio 1 newsbeat where the journalist said “Elliot page has undergone lifesaving top surgery”.

No higher than for other teenagers with mental health conditions.

Yes, quite right, omitted that.

@HecatesCatsInFancyHats

Suicide rates for trans identified teenagers in the UK are no higher than the rates for other teenagers. There are long waiting times for treatment. We'd expect to see some kind of epidemic amongst these young people if the suicide risk were as high as is claimed. It's not true though - it's just been weaponised to manipulate.

This is true. And we’d also expect to see reports throughout history and across other cultures of teenagers killing themselves in large numbers because they were trans, especially in times when no form of ‘sex change’ was ever going to be possible or permitted. And yet we don’t.

It’s interesting that you decided you wanted to start a thread about media reporting of something about a trans person and you went straight to the Feminism Board to post your thread.

I agree with you, OP.

It is, or should be, basic knowledge that the more people are told that suicidal ideation is a normal and reasonable response to their current situation, the harder they will find it to resist their own thoughts.

It doesn't matter what Elliot thinks it was- that statement doesn't need to be highlighted. Is Elliot's life at stake if that quote isn't used there? The answer is no.

Other people's might be, though.

@Koolandorthegang

It’s interesting that you decided you wanted to start a thread about media reporting of something about a trans person and you went straight to the Feminism Board to post your thread.

It's interesting that you seem to be disagreeing with the OP for the sake of it.

Do you really imagine this makes you a trans ally? Hint: it doesn't. Being careless about encouraging suicidal ideation makes you a trans foe.

@OnWednesdaysWeWearMink I can see why it would annoy you that they didn’t say it was a quote on the radio, but I still feel that Elliot is allowed to be quoted.

In some ways I think this shouldn't be reported on in the press as I feel teenagers are so impressionable and therefore there are many who are influenced to follow the trend. On the other hand I think parents and the public need to know that this is a trend and a fad. I'm not sure e what is the next course of action.

Why the grin?

Yes, teens with gender-related.distress dying by suicide is so terribly amusing, isn't it.

I am being sarcastic. I can only presume the kool does find it funny.

@PurgatoryOfPotholes my grin was in response to your comment about me disagreeing with the OP for the sake of it and being a trans foe. You made so many leaps in that post you won the Grand National, congratulations!

Save your justifications. I can see what you are, and so can everyone else.

@PurgatoryOfPotholes

Save your justifications. I can see what you are, and so can everyone else.

They can absolutely see it.

The OP is concerned about how the media is reporting on a trans person having surgery. I’m just trying to understand what this has to do with feminism?

A transman is a biological female. Extreme surgery for young women and girls is a feminist issue.

Save your justifications. I can see what you are, and so can everyone else

Yes. We absolutely can.

All surgery is potentially life threatening. My DSis had a radical mastectomy aged 32 for aggressive breast cancer. She developed a life threatening infection and the prognosis was poor. Her age and underlying fitness went in her favour and she survived both the infection and cancer.
Another friend wasn’t so lucky, she had breast reduction surgery, aged 21, she developed full sepsis and died a week after her surgery.
I wish the media would stop theses misleading headlines.
As an HCP I have seen so many unnecessary cosmetic procedures done as the result of body dismorphia, no matter how many lip fillers, tucks and nips are done, unless there was actually a visible defect they rarely have the desired effect. And many end up disfigured but somehow bizarrely think they look better. It’s very much a case of the empowers new clothes, nobody has the guts to tell them how ridiculous they look.
Although I am very sympathetic towards transgender individuals, I sometimes wonder whether their failed attempts to mimic the opposite sex actually causes more MH problems when they realise that no matter how much “work” they have done they still don’t really hack it as women or men.
Sorry.

Emperors new clothes.

Not said in a horrible way but he looks more like a boy than a man. Yet as a women she looked like an adult. I can’t get my head around it!

I don’t really care what he does, interesting comment about the nipples being on display would have been banned when he was Ellen...even though it’s the same nipples.