Horrendous gender ideology book on the Waterstones Children's book award shortlist

[Vebrithien]

Couldn't find this mentioned anywhere here, but though it was too awful to ignore.

I've started a thread on the petition board, so please pop over there.

Waterstones have shortlisted a cartoon book that encourages pubescent girls to hate on their bodies, describing breasts as 'fatty lumps that need removing' onto their prestigious 2023 Children's book award.

The book is called 'my trans teen misadventure' and as well as validating teen anxiety, the book also openly promotes the use of puberty blockers for children, even though they have been banned in several countries on the grounds of safety.

The book even has an adult content advisory warning discreetly tucked away on the back, so it's anyone's guess why Waterstones think this is suitable for children.

What gets me about this is that because Waterstones have put it on their shortlist, the book will feature on sales displays that will be placed in areas with a high footfall of children and is likely to be picked up and browsed by them, especially because the story is in cartoon form.

It is a massive safeguarding concern, targeting young and vunerable children.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4768562-remove-this-inappropriate-and-unsafe-book-from-the-waterstones-childrens-book-award?reply=124827689

Just when I think I've seen it all-how frightening!!!!

Who is making these decisions?????? *let me guess

Christ on a cracker.

I remember thinking how funny/embarrassing all those parental content warnings on CDs were but now that I’m middle aged I think we need those little stickers on bloody everything!

Maybe we should get some (low tack, so as not to cause damage) printed up and start sticking them on those books in Waterstones?

Can you put this in AIBU? Will get more traffic.

This publication is beyond the pale. I’ve just been reading about the young woman in the US who had a double mastectomy at 13 to “change sex”. The funny ha ha cartoon format of this book trivialises to a grotesque level the irreversible, self-mutilating “choices” 😵‍💫 the young woman was allowed to make when she was still a CHILD.

It's in the 14+ age category so would be with the teen/ young adult books, not children's.

But yes, potentially concerning.

@FrancescaContini Can you link that article please?
(Worth noting: in the UK, children can't just choose to undergo a double masectomy due to gender dysphoria).

@harkerlee
There’s a current thread on this board about a woman called Layla Jane in the US. It links to a Fox News item.

14+ section - meh.

Oh FFS, spectacularly irresponsible

Are people on here only finding out about this book now? It’s been widely reported.

Perhaps these books should be gathered together, and burnt in the street?! Pretty sure that is how it all started in the 1940s.

Reality is that it will only appeal to trans kinds trying to deal with their internal conflicts and make sense of it all. Any other kid will look at it and go "no way" not for me. That is how it works. ROGD is a myth and unproven.

If Waterstones can sell the Abigail Shrier opinion piece, then I'm sure this is equally as valid.

It's all about allowing trans kids and people information that allows the to identify with others with the same experience. What is being described on that graphic, is the real angst some trans kids have with their body. Saying they should just accept it, is narrow minded. Saying it is a safe guarding risk, assumes that being CIS (oh that word!) is the only right outcome. Nature and the existence of trans peoples informs us otherwise.

Good on Waterstones for not being swayed. I shall write to congratulate them.

Learning to love and respect your body the way it is without hurting it is not the only outcome for a teenager struggling with body dysphoria, that's sadly true. But it is the ideal outcome and it's crazy to see people pretending it isn't.

@MishyJDI

Let’s switch the angst from trans to anorexia or other forms of body dysmorphia: would it be OK to publish a “pro-ana” or “pro-mia” book because some teens might identify with it? If not, what’s the difference? Some nebulous idea that “trans” is an acceptable form of body hatred because it’s recently become an “identity”?

How do you account for the fact that the whole idea of being “transsexual” didn’t exist before elective surgery started to become possible in the early twentieth century with the advent of antibiotics; and the idea of “transgender” has only existed for a few decades?

How is that “nature”? It’s the very opposite of nature. It’s entirely cultural. There’s a much longer history of eating disorders than of the idea of being “transgender”, but we don’t normalise the idea that it’s okay for some teenagers to starve themselves to death.

The book does not reflect the fact that puberty blockers are being banned across the world and are no longer routinely prescribed for children under 16, due to increasing concerns about their safety.

Waterstones should know better than to promote harmful medical practices to children in a book of cartoons that has absolutely zero literary value.

Reality is that it will only appeal to trans kinds trying to deal with their internal conflicts and make sense of it all. Any other kid will look at it and go "no way" not for me. That is how it works.

I’m deeply surprised that you’ve made this claim. Do you have teenaged children Mishy? IME, you are unequivocally wrong on this point.

With my own eyes I see the confusion and damage that the exposure to a rapid normalisation and spread of trans ideology is doing to children and teens. Absolutely it would not occur to them to have doubted or disliked their sex but for this exposure. So many young girls hating their bodies now. It’s heartbreaking. And it definitely is predominantly girls.

Nor, I believe, are posters saying for it not to be sold, but that it’s inappropriate to be shortlisted for a Children’s book award.

No but people can take their children abroad to do this

Perhaps these books should be gathered together, and burnt in the street?! Pretty sure that is how it all started in the 1940s.

Nice attempt at DARVO. The only people burning books are the people on your side of the debate, as you well know.

See, no one's suggested burning this book - just expressing dismay that such an awful book that encourages teenage girls to believe there's something wrong with their body has been shortlisted for a major prize.

I know it's difficult for people like you to distinguish between "burning books" and "expressing dismay" but if you put the effort in, you might get there eventually.

Are we banning books now?

No, thank you.

(That it's up for an award is another thing...)

Amazing from an industry that openly employs "sensitivity readers" & trigger warnings yet they promote bodily self harm and eugenics to children without a second thought.

Same @DrBlackbird

My practice is a small rural one. I am currently looking after 3 teenage patients who are all identifying as transgender in one way or another. None of them have ever shown signs of dysphoria before their mid teens, all have spent lots of time online and the 2 that are female have co-existent significant MH/ childhood trauma. We shouldn’t be normalising distress at their bodies during puberty (or in fact at any time) and telling them the easy solution to all their problems is transitioning because that is not supported by evidence.

I actually think this book would be considered ‘babyish’ by 14+ year olds. The language is immature as are the cartoon drawings.

There was a thread on here about it last month when the shortlist for the prize was announced.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4739203-waterstones-childrens-book-prize

The full title is 'Welcome to St Hell. My trans teen misadventure'.
If you Google the title there's quite a few items about it.
Marketed for 14+ apparently.

There was a thread about it in AIBU recently:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4758024-this-book-my-trans-teen-misadventure-for-children-wtf

There is currently also a thread about it on Feminism Chat but that board is slowwww. All the action seems to be on this side of FWR.

@MishyJDI Perhaps these books should be gathered together, and burnt in the street?! Pretty sure that is how it all started in the 1940s.

Why do TRAs and their sympathisers insist on using this as some sort of gotcha? All it does is betray a fundamental lack of understanding of history and a complete inability to acknowledge what is being done by their own side.

Thank you for the links to the existing threads.

I am most certainly NOT suggesting that books should burnt.

That book should not be on the shortlist for a CHILDREN'S award.

I think @MishyJDI is being a little disingenuous.

Saying it is a safe guarding risk, assumes that being CIS (oh that word!) is the only right outcome. Nature and the existence of trans peoples informs us otherwise.

Nature? What is natural about the body modifications done to people (including children) who identify as 'transgender' @MishyJDI ?

Do you believe that people are literally and naturally 'born in the wrong body'?

(I hope by not using the 'm' word that this post won't be deleted like the last one - I've asked MNHQ why they deleted my other post, but I assume it was the 'm' word)