DDs nursery asking for donations to Mermaids

[AnonGCMum]

(Regular reader and occasional poster, have name changed for this)

Next week the nursery my two DDs attend (age 2 and 4) are going to be making cakes to sell in aid of Mermaids. As well as bringing in money to buy the cakes we’re
being asked to donate the ingredients.

I don’t want any of my money going to Mermaids. If it was just my 2yo I’d pretend to forget about it, but my 4yo has already reminded me twice. I’m not sure ‘forgetting’ will work with her.

I’ll also a bit concerned about what they might be teaching the children. They put a few photos up on an app each day so we can see what they’re doing and yesterday the update for my 2year old’s class included a picture of a handwritten display about the pride flag including the words “pink=trans joy”. I’m trying not to be pearl-clutchy about it and I’m fine with them learning things like ‘some people have two mummies’ but trans joy and Mermaids? At 2 and 4?!

Would you say something? Should I? I’m not brave about speaking up on these things. I’ll probably just leave my purse at home next week and ignore the rest, but what would you do?

I’d get my babies the hell out of there.

You need to speak to whoever runs the nursery and tell them what these people do.

Id be telling them I do not support mermaids and its methods. Particularly in light of their action against LGBA. Do the staff organising this know and approve?

What? No way I would be okay with this.
I’d be looking for a new nursery pronto and tell them exactly why. It’s not their place to propagate their political ideas to toddlers. Utterly bonkers.

tell them that Mermaids has been widely discredited and had lottery funding removed and that you will not be part of anything raising money for them.

Unless people actually say it and tlak about it, it will keep happening.

and yes, I would look for another nursery, as you will get a steady stream of this stuff.
Of all the many things to fund raise for as a nursery, this seems so far outside anything relevant/helpful/useful for kids I am gob smacked.

Absolutely wrong on so many levels..I'm shocked tbh

Part of the problem is we’re in possibly the woke-ist neighbourhood of possibly the woke-ist city in the country. I don’t know, but I suspect, that nursery management both know and approve of what Mermaids do. I suppose it’s possible that they have no idea but the odds of them knowing and branding me a t*rf for objecting are pretty high.

It doesn’t help that DH has swallowed the TWAW koolaid and implied he thinks I’m bigoted for having an issue with any of it.

Im speechless to be honest! Wtaf do they think they are doing??!

There's something here about using Mermaids stuff in schools which may help safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2021/02/20/does-your-childrens-school-use-mermaids/amp/

I’d forgotten they’d had the lottery funding removed. If I do get brave enough to say anything then I might send a link to that.

I’ve had a look on Transgender Trend and the Safe Schools Alliance for links to send but the resources there only seem appropriate for schools teaching this to older children. Funny that! 🤔

So would I. Depends where OP lives I guess but in my neck of the woods they wouldn't do it

Anyone who is prepared to say “trans joy” at all, let alone to toddlers, knows what Mermaids is and what they do. Talking to them won’t do any good. If your DH isn’t on board, find another reason to move your kids. Make something up. Don’t let your small children be indoctrinated.

(Not because trans people can’t be joyful, but because “trans joy” is selling the idea of being trans as inherently joyful, which of course we know it isn’t.)

Mine would be out of there so fast. I’d also be reevaluating my relationship with dh if he’s of the same mind and not open to discussion.

I’d say you’ve got bigger problems with the man you all live with. Start there.

I would ask if they know that Mermaids gets lottery funding and corporate sponsorship from the likes of Starbucks, so they're not really struggling. Then suggest a small local charity for children with disabilities that might benefit much more from the small amount that a nursery cake sale might raise.

I’ll also a bit concerned about what they might be teaching the children.

If you are, you need to remove your children. If you don't trust the nursery you shouldn't send them there.

You are paying money for them to care for your children and put their best interests first. They clearly aren't doing that. Vote with your feet and your money.

My eldest is off to school this September. There is another nursery slightly closer to her school; maybe I could suggest our younger DD would be better off there.

I already had to choose DD’s school at least partly on this issue. We live in between two primaries, one of which is cited by Stonewall in their guidance as an example of best practice on gender issues. So no way were they going there! I just said the other school gave me a better feeling when we looked around.

The CEO of Mermaids took her 15 year old child to Thailand for SRS on the child's 16th birthday, something which is illegal on children that age in the UK and is now illegal in Thailand on under 18s too. But your nursery is fine baking cupcakes for them?

What's SRS?

Ask them if they realise last week the children's Gender clinic, the Tavi was closed. It has been following the Mermaid's “affirmation” model and this has now been completely discredited.

Also I didn’t realise they’d had lottery money withdrawn, when did that happen? (Very good news!)

Chorlton?

Turns out they didn’t. It was paused and investigated in 2018, but they got the money in 2019 and afaik still do.