LGB Alliance to plan helpline with Lottery funding

[pombear]

Fantastic news.

I would link to their Twitter announcement, but in usual state of play, Twitter has marked it ' may not be appropriate for people under 18'. A helpline planned for 13 to 25 year olds, planned by a panel of experts in child protection, education, helpline delivery, fundraising and psychology.

Yep - shut them down (much better to have helplines planned by IT workers who took their child to Thailand...)

As LGB Alliance state there is no dedicated national service of its kind for young LGB people in the UK.

I'm sure the Lottery Fund will be getting a lot of feedback right now, given the outpouring of hyperbole against LGB Alliance right now on Twitter.

So they may appreciate feedback from those who may see this as a positive move too:

""We really value your feedback. If you have a comment or complaint about the services that we provide, or if there's something important you think we should know, we'd love to hear it. Please email us at [email protected]"

Firstly, why would a trans kid call a specifically LGB helpline, when there are hundreds of T specific support lines and help groups,

holy fuck I just worked it out. The "trans kids" the poster is worried about are not children who think they're trans, who have all the trans-specific resources in the world as you say. This person is worried that a lesbian or gay kid who doesn't identify as something else might call the helpline and not have the "have you considered you're actually trans" conversion conversation.

cross-posted with the person confirming it. Holy shit. Horrific.

Appalled that someone thinks groups should be allowed to tell kids their bodies are "wrong".

Definitely sounds like conversation therapy to me.

So as far as I can gather anything other than absolute affirmation of a trans identity is conversion therapy. But all LGB people must be told they might actually be trans.

If the helplines get seperated then a kid might think they are trans and phone the T dedicated helpline when it turns out they were l or g all along.

We are 100% not saying the same thing. This scenario you've suggested already happens, all the time.

You know what they say though, trans children are like vegan cats, it’s really not them behind it.

Then they should also support children choosing between arts and sciences for A-level, and whether to be emo or goth.

Or maybe they can choose not to lump completely unrelated issues into support around sexuality.

So you'd advocate for a seperate T phoneline, that sounds like a disaster for kids who think they are T but are just gay.

Don't be so smarmy and disingenuous. Those already exist, as I'm quite sure you are know, and I agree they are a disaster but they are unlikely to be dismantled until the current bubbling medical scandal has reached unignorable proportions.
You are worried that gay kids might have access to resources where they won't be exposed to conversion therapy; it's repulsive.

You are working under the demonstrably false assumption that there are no trans-specific helplines already. Just stop it.

bristolmind.org.uk/help-and-support/mindline-transplus/

I have ADHD.

I attend an ADHD online support group.

I don't want to go to a 'neurodiversity' support group because it wouldn't meet my needs.

I don't see how this is any different.

Mermaids also have a helpline

mermaidsuk.org.uk/contact-us/

It’s for all ages.

You are ignoring the fact that trans and sexuality are completely unrelated things. Being gay is innate, it’s about who someone is attracted to, trans is a psychological condition, gender dysphoria.

If you want to group it with anything it should be with helplines for similar conditions such as anorexia, with which it shares so many features, not with sexuality, with which it shares none.

Helpful list

goodness there’s a lot of advice out there

Did I self diagnose my ADHD? What on earth are you talking about? I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist, are you feeling ok? Seems like a really irrelevant question to ask.

Anyhow, I'll reinforce my point. If I want to speak to someone about my lived experience of ADHD I don't want support from people with dyslexia or autism or dysgraphia. Ok hun?

mermaids is 100% not about the LGB - see their governing document Mermaids governing document

I’m amazed the charity commission hasn’t done them for working outside their charitable objects tbh but then the charity commission is extremely toothless