Libraries promoting body mutilation as “joy” in Norfolk

[CarobBean72]

Anyone here from Norfolk?

Norwich Millennium Library has a display of “Trans Joy”, apparently aimed at children & young people, which IMHO promotes body mutilation & self harm of women & girls & glorifies drug use. In the wake of the Cass Report it’s incredibly irresponsible.

It includes images of hypodermic needles for injecting testosterone, a packer & mastectomy scars, with the slogan “Self-made men play God right”.

Most disturbing is a small figurine of a woman’s lower half, cut off at waist & knees, bearing what appears to be a hysterectomy scar & what is either a pseudo-phallus ( an appendage made from a flap of tissue removed from the woman’s arm or thigh, rolled up and sewn to the groin to mimic a penis ) or a hypertrophied clitoris, one of the often painful effects of testosterone on the female body.

The display is accessible to children as the cabinets stand only a couple of feet high, designed for a child’s eye line and it’s placed next to the 8-14 book section. The cases are by the entrance - not noticeable when you go in but inescapable when you leave.

I can’t believe someone okayed this. If it was promoting anorexia or cutting or glorifying steroid abuse to children and teenagers, we’d all see it for what it is. Instead, it’s promoting self-mutilation under the banner of “Trans Joy”.

It’s especially irresponsible in the week the Cass Review revealed how poor the evidence base for so-called “gender affirming care” is and how little followup there has been to assess regret and de-transition rates.

Ive been trying to find a contact for the head of Norfolk Library Services - it’s a woman called Kerry Murray, who is also the Safeguarding Lead! But I can’t find any email listing for her.

Any suggestions?

Sharing images with trepidation: it’s a horror show!

Post edited by MNHQ

Thank you for sharing that ignorant response from the Library Service CarobBean72. It shows how much trouble we're in when they dismiss a safeguarding complaint about the display with a vapid statement about "everyone feels safe and welcome".

Failing to understand that the display is age inappropriate suggests that the library may be an unsafe place for children. It also raises questions about what other risks the service might pose, given that children visiting are often unaccompanied by an adult.

The fact that this response comes from the top of the service does suggest that Norfolk needs to conduct a swift safeguarding review to make sure that there is an understanding of safeguarding in the library service and that there are no other concerns .

It’s on display at the moment!

I think it's pretty hard to see another reading! 😄

It is important that our libraries are a place
where everyone feels safe and welcome and we will reflect on the feedback that you have given us when considering future displays".

As a lesbian I don't feel safe and comfortable around material like that. I find it aggressive and threatening and deeply homophobic. It's a reminder of all the damage being done to young lesbians and the enormous regret and sadness they'll experience as they get older and realise the consequences of what they've done. The idea that anyone in a public service could think it's okay to encourage people to mutilate themselves rather than work on accepting who they are and learning to love their bodies as they are appals me.

@Abeona would you consider sending that as a reply?

I'll do it in the morning.

That display is sickening. Who the fuck signed off on that? Pre or post Cass, it’s highly inappropriate and so worrying that this was deemed acceptable in a public space.

i hope this is being investigated at the highest level. What an insane response “we”ll reflect on the feedback for the future”. No apology, no acknowledgment that this was very very wrong, usual crap about the importance of everyone feeling included which damn sure doesn’t refer to women or children or gay people in this instance.

they need to be hit where it hurts, in their future funding, by taxpayers.

@Abeona thank you. What you wrote is very eloquent.

I've been looking into offence classifications today.

Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981.

It's not applicable here as it's in a library and probably falls under section 4 (c) of the Act "Nothing in this section applies in relation to any matter - ... by or with the authority of, and visibleo only from within a building occupied by, the Crown or any local authority..."

But thought that since I'd found it, I'd share in the event of other such displays being spotted. Could then check the legislation to see if it's applicable.

Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981

Yes, the knitted Sandringham was a masterpiece. There was a giant knitted Christmas tree at one point.

Technically they were in the Forum though, which is the building - the Library is just one part of it.

Very cheering stuff to visit.

The irony of showing all the physical pain and the drugs & medical interventions and surgery's that Transpeople to chose to endure is fucking warped.
Someone needs to look up the word 'Joy' in the dictionary.

Sick fuckers.
Honestly, I have no other words.

The irony…so local BBC news journalists have potentially been walking past this macabre display?!

If they didn’t go into the library they might not have seen it.

But some of our group contacted BBC Norfolk about it & it seems they’re not interested in reporting it either.

I had assumed the artist meant that ironically, juxtaposing those words with the reality.

That looks like a piece of adult autobiographical art, in the vein of Tracey Emin, which has been horribly located (should be nowhere near the children’s books). I’d have no issues with seeing it in a gallery.

I doubt it. The work was produced by all different artists (all but 1 “he/him” or “he/ they” or even “he/it” - ie women).

I cropped the names as I think these are likely vulnerable people & they don’t need hassle. The fault is with the groups that encourages this & with the library staff who display this.

if it was an autobiographical piece by a single artist, it still wouldn’t be a suitable exhibition for that particular space next to the children’s books in the school holidays.

They'd also be a very poorly skilled artist imho.

@Saschka I'm a massive fan of Tracey Emin. Not sure some of her work would be suitable displayed in a library.

I also don't think this is wittingly ironic work.

I suppose it reveals the physical torture that transpeople are putting themselves through, revealing/highlighting the preference for that physical pain over the mental anguish they may be suffering (we know many trans people are ASD etc).

Im not against the work or the subject matter at all, more the location it has been displayed in.

I doubt a vegan exhibition showing the realities of the meat industry would be allowed in graphic details and it's not that this subject isn't important to consider (vegan or not) just needs to be in an appropriate setting.

Well said!

I emailed Councillor Billig who forwarded my email to Norwich Millennium Library and I received the same tedious anonymous email as everyone else. Someone in management should, surely, be catching the buck? Not impressed.

In light of the Cass report and the debate currently occurring right now in the Houses of Parliament, heads are going to roll.

I want to know who approved this work in the library. I mean I WANT TO KNOW. Imagine how many people saw it and didn’t dare speak out.

i wonder how many times they pressed re-send?

I replied asking who was sending this but it’s a no-reply account.

Not impressed.

if this comes under the local council, can someone who knows how do an FOI request on the approval process followed and recorded for this project?

Well, it’s made front page of the local paper. Good article. Relates it to Cass.

Seems the “Trans Pride” group didn’t want to comment.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24254042.norfolk-county-council-leader-apologises-trans-display/