Mermaids vs LGB Alliance and Charity Commissioner - First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chameber) Thread 2

[nauticant]

The Tribunal started on 9 September, witness testimony started on 12 September.

There is also live tweeting from twitter.com/tribunaltweets.

To obtain access to view the proceedings, send a request email to [email protected] about case CA/2021/0013 - Mermaids vs Charity Commissioner and LGB Alliance and ask for permission to join. You then have to provide certain information and agree to a judge's direction in order to be able to join.

Abbreviations:

J or judge: Presiding Judge, Judge Lynn Griffin
AJ or Judge: Assisted by Judge Joe Neville
MG: Mermaids counsel is Michael Gibbon KC
KM: LGB Alliance counsel is Karon Monaghan KC
AR: Karon is assisted by Akua Reindorf
IS: Charity Commission counsel is Iain Steele

Thread 1: www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4629679-mermaids-versus-lgb-alliance-in-court-today
Thread 2: ongoing

Witnesses for the applicant (Mermaids):

Paul Roberts - CEO of LGBT Consortium (12 September)
John Nicolson MP - Deputy Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights (13 September)
Dr Belinda Bell - Chair of trustees of Mermaids (?? September)

Witnesses for the respondent (LGB Alliance):

Beverley Jackson - Co-founder and trustee of LGB Alliance (?? September)
Kate Harris - Co-founder and trustee of LGB Alliance (?? September)
Eileen Gallagher OBE - Chair of trustees of LGB Alliance (?? September)

Witness Statements:

Paul Roberts: lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Paul-Roberts-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf
John Nicolson MP - Not yet available
Dr Belinda Bell: Not yet available
Beverley Jackson: Not yet available
Kate Harris: Not yet available
Eileen Gallagher: Not yet available

Submissions:

lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Volume-4-Submissions-CA.2021.0013.pdf

(Header format follows the gold standard established by @ickky)

"[Mermaids] Provides families and young people with the tools they need to negotiate education and health services."

mermaidsuk.org.uk/about-us/

And yet they haven't read the Cass report

Why have none of these people read this report?

Cos it's boring medical stuff. They're not interested in boring medical stuff. They want to talk to you about your gender soul.

Crikey, THIS is who Mermaids sent in to bat?

🙈

This woman reminds me of those ghastly women on the PTA committee I’d swerve in the playground.

As Mermaids have specifically recommended puberty blockers and advocated for private doctors who prescribe them to children online, the idea that they failed to read / understand the Cass review is unbelievable - and a dereliction of their responsibilities!

So Mermaids have been referring young people to a service that they are unfamiliar with? Unfamiliar with the clinical process?

Yes!

Ooh, she has read it!

Not sure Bell has not read Cass - don't think she was asked this question?

Is having a trans identified child a pre-requisite for working at Mermaids? It sure seems like it.

They are still recommending Gender GP even though the doctor has been stuck off.

Unbelievable.

But she's not a medical expert!

Sexuality is NOT our main focus.

Boom!

BB: Numbers presenting to gids, numbers are tiny. Percentages are meaningless. Not clear why increase in girls.
KM: Do you know largest proportion presenting to gids are same sex attracted?
BB: Yes. Mermaids is a children's organisation dealing with gender. Sexuality not our main focus.

Sexuality is not our main focus says Dr Bell. Quite, so let LGBA crack in with their work

BB: "Only 9% of transitioned people are straight."

I wonder what she means by "straight"?

Mermaids has just tweeted an ad for their CPD accredited training

Yes

Mermaids = trans
LGBA = sexuality

BB: suggestion that young girls would be finding transition easier than living as gender nc girls in present society is laughable.

I wonder what she means by "straight"?

Whatever she wants it to mean at any given time, I suggest.

This is one of my big bug bears. They keep using these words, relying on the fact that everyone understands the meaning, when they are advocating for erasing the meaning.

I mean, if it was me, I would stop them, every step of the way, and say what do you mean by straight/gay? Let's see what effect, in real time, in real life, erasing the meaning of these words has.

Without any analysis seems unlikely, these are professionals.

Hollow laugh.

She thinks it's laughable that gay youth, subject to homophobia are seeking transition? Does she understand that 30 clinicians left GIDS, precisely for that concern?

This is denial to the point of loss of reason.

Bell: mermaids don't need to understand why children present as transgender

BB: We are all so pleased about the Cass Review. The system is not functioning.
There's a lot in the world I don't understand.
KM: As chair of Mermaids you would want to understand why cohorts of children are presenting disproportionately.
BB: We're not medical. Medical work it out. We support.