| Revision as of 19:23, 10 August 2021 editCrossroads (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers21,522 edits The published WP:RS makes that connection. No reason to move the cite, also.Tag: Manual revert← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:43, 12 August 2021 edit undo78.105.218.134 (talk) Removed dead, entirely unarchived spectator ref.Tags: references removed Visual editNext edit → | ||
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| Starting from 2017, Mermaids reported that it and its volunteers had been the subjects of online harassment, leading to concerns by parents whose children are supported by the organisation. CEO Green stated that she had been accused of forcibly castrating her transgender daughter, Jackie,<ref name="Marsh">{{Cite news|title=Police investigate online abuse against charity for transgender children|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/27/police-investigate-online-abuse-charity-transgender-children-mermaids|last=Marsh|first=Sarah|date=27 August 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=21 June 2020}}</ref> who had been the youngest person in the world to undergo ] after Green took her to Thailand for the procedure when she was sixteen.<ref name= "Yorkshire"/> Jackie maintained that "If my mum had not helped me, I would not be here today" and transgender journalist ] wrote: "Susie Green is saving lives and I wish my parents had known about Mermaids when I was growing up".<ref name= "Marsh"/> | Starting from 2017, Mermaids reported that it and its volunteers had been the subjects of online harassment, leading to concerns by parents whose children are supported by the organisation. CEO Green stated that she had been accused of forcibly castrating her transgender daughter, Jackie,<ref name="Marsh">{{Cite news|title=Police investigate online abuse against charity for transgender children|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/27/police-investigate-online-abuse-charity-transgender-children-mermaids|last=Marsh|first=Sarah|date=27 August 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=21 June 2020}}</ref> who had been the youngest person in the world to undergo ] after Green took her to Thailand for the procedure when she was sixteen.<ref name= "Yorkshire"/> Jackie maintained that "If my mum had not helped me, I would not be here today" and transgender journalist ] wrote: "Susie Green is saving lives and I wish my parents had known about Mermaids when I was growing up".<ref name= "Marsh"/> | ||
| At its training sessions at schools, Mermaids uses a "gender spectrum" consisting of jelly babies labelled with ] at one end and ] at the other. '']'' reported that this uses "non-conformity to gender stereotypes as evidence that a child is transgender." |
At its training sessions at schools, Mermaids uses a "gender spectrum" consisting of jelly babies labelled with ] at one end and ] at the other. '']'' reported that this uses "non-conformity to gender stereotypes as evidence that a child is transgender."<ref name=telegraph/> Columnist ] criticised the content of the training session as unscientific.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Turner|first=Janice|date=22 December 2018|title=Trans ideologists are spreading cod science|work=Times|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-ideologists-are-spreading-cod-science-m8n0pdbq3|access-date=18 July 2021|quote=On tape the Mermaids trainer tells us that humans don't come in two sexes, male and female, sperm and ovum: "Most people still think that way," she says airily. "But what we know now, thanks to advances in science, is that the human race has up to 42 different sets of chromosomes." Biological sex is on a spectrum, she says, like skin tone and (seriously) bra size. A person's "gender identity jelly baby" has nothing to do with how we are raised: it is inside you at birth. You know you are a man because you walk like a man and like "manly" things. A listener questions why this lecture is based upon stereotypes and is told "you're going too clever".}}</ref> Other campaigners have criticised these trainings on the grounds that they reinforce rigid gender roles, and that they encourage non-conforming children to identify as transgender. In September 2020, the ] issued guidance stating that schools should not use materials that point to gender non-conformity as evidence of being transgender, or work with organisations that produce them.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Kim |title=What are the new rules for teaching identity in schools? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/2020/09/29/new-rules-teaching-identity-schools/ |access-date=28 July 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=29 September 2020 |quote=As the number of children identifying as transgender has increased, schools have consulted trans charities such as Stonewall and Mermaids about how best to approach the topic. These charities have, however, come under criticism by campaigners, including Transgender Trend and Safe Schools Alliance, for reinforcing a rigid belief in gender roles, and for encouraging children who don’t conform to gender stereotypes to believe they might be trans....A large number of the organisations providing training and resources to schools on trans issues use non-conformity to gender stereotypes as evidence that a child is transgender. Mermaids, for example, regularly uses a chart showing gender identity on a 12-point spectrum from a Barbie wearing a pink dress to GI Joe in military fatigues.}}</ref> '']'' quoted Kate Lister in Mermaids' defence: "The 'jelly baby' spectrum being used in the lecture is basically a visual representation of gender identifying markers{{nbsp}}... At no point does anyone suggest children who act in ways that do not conform to a gender are trans. At no point does anyone suggest gay children are trans."<ref>{{Cite news|date=24 December 2018|title=ACTIVISTS HIT BACK AT THE SUNDAY TIMES FOR TRANSPHOBIC FEAR-MONGERING|work=Attitude|url=https://www.attitude.co.uk/article/activists-hit-back-at-the-sunday-times-for-transphobic-fear-mongering/19963/|access-date=18 July 2021|quote=The discussion is on how we socially see gender expressions. In psychology, these archetypes are called 'hyper masculinity' and 'hyper femininity' - mermaids have just renamed them to be more accessible. This isn't new or unique to Mermaids. The 'jelly baby' spectrum being used in the lecture is basically a visual representation of gender identifying markers. In academic terms these are 'gender identity', 'gender expression', 'biological sex' and 'sexual orientation'. At no point does anyone suggest children who act in ways that do not conform to a gender are trans. At no point does anyone suggest gay children are trans. In fact, the woman taking the session self identifies as lesbian - and FULLY understands she is not trans.}}</ref> | ||
| In June 2019, '']'' revealed that they had discovered a ] by Mermaids in which confidential emails had been made readily available through their website.<ref name="times">{{cite news |last=Gilligan |first=Andrew |title=Parents' anger as child sex change charity Mermaids puts private emails online |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/parents-anger-as-child-sex-change-charity-puts-private-emails-online-3tntlwqln |work=] |access-date=22 June 2020 |date=16 June 2019 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.is/K1MqV |archive-date=16 June 2019}}</ref> ''The Times'' stated that these included names of transgender children and their parents, together with contact details and intimate medical information. The newspaper reported that there were internal emails from the trustees that criticised the leadership by Susie Green, as well as criticism from parents.<ref name="times" /> Mermaids issued a press release on the same day, which acknowledged that a data breach had occurred, and that they had informed the ] and had corrected the breach. The press release stated that the breach was limited to internal emails and that no emails to and from families were part of the information leaked; ''The Times'' disputed this.<ref name="times" /><ref name="BBC">{{cite web |title=Trans charity Mermaids UK 'deeply sorry' for data breach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48652970 |work=BBC News |access-date=16 June 2019 |date=16 June 2019}}</ref> | In June 2019, '']'' revealed that they had discovered a ] by Mermaids in which confidential emails had been made readily available through their website.<ref name="times">{{cite news |last=Gilligan |first=Andrew |title=Parents' anger as child sex change charity Mermaids puts private emails online |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/parents-anger-as-child-sex-change-charity-puts-private-emails-online-3tntlwqln |work=] |access-date=22 June 2020 |date=16 June 2019 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.is/K1MqV |archive-date=16 June 2019}}</ref> ''The Times'' stated that these included names of transgender children and their parents, together with contact details and intimate medical information. The newspaper reported that there were internal emails from the trustees that criticised the leadership by Susie Green, as well as criticism from parents.<ref name="times" /> Mermaids issued a press release on the same day, which acknowledged that a data breach had occurred, and that they had informed the ] and had corrected the breach. The press release stated that the breach was limited to internal emails and that no emails to and from families were part of the information leaked; ''The Times'' disputed this.<ref name="times" /><ref name="BBC">{{cite web |title=Trans charity Mermaids UK 'deeply sorry' for data breach |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48652970 |work=BBC News |access-date=16 June 2019 |date=16 June 2019}}</ref> | ||
Revision as of 22:43, 12 August 2021
British charity that supports transgender youth
 | |
| Founded | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy organisation |
| Registration no. | 1160575 |
| Purpose | Transgender rights |
| Location |
|
| CEO | Susie Green |
| Revenue | £902,437 (2020) |
| Expenses | £1,041,326 (2020) |
| Staff | 18 employees, 7 trustees, 31 volunteers (2020) |
| Website | mermaidsuk |
Mermaids is a British charity and advocacy organisation that supports gender variant and transgender youth.
History
Mermaids was founded in 1995 by a group of parents of gender nonconforming children. It became a Charitable incorporated organisation in 2015.
The 2018 ITV drama series Butterfly, about a young transgender girl, was substantially informed by Mermaids and its CEO, Susie Green, a consultant on the series who worked with creator Tony Marchant. Marchant and cast members Emmett J. Scanlan and Anna Friel also met families involved with Mermaids to inform their creative processes.
In December 2018, the charity was designated £500,000 in funding by the National Lottery. However, the funding was put under review after criticism of the charity, including by Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, who created a post on Mumsnet calling for members of the forum to email their concerns to the National Lottery. In response to this, on 18 January 2019, YouTuber Hbomberguy began a livestream attempting to 101% complete the video game Donkey Kong 64, with a goal of $500. The stream became popular and raised over $350,000 USD for Mermaids. Among other guests, the stream featured an appearance by American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On 19 February 2019, the National Lottery announced that it would follow through with the promised donation.
Starting from 2017, Mermaids reported that it and its volunteers had been the subjects of online harassment, leading to concerns by parents whose children are supported by the organisation. CEO Green stated that she had been accused of forcibly castrating her transgender daughter, Jackie, who had been the youngest person in the world to undergo sex reassignment surgery after Green took her to Thailand for the procedure when she was sixteen. Jackie maintained that "If my mum had not helped me, I would not be here today" and transgender journalist Paris Lees wrote: "Susie Green is saving lives and I wish my parents had known about Mermaids when I was growing up".
At its training sessions at schools, Mermaids uses a "gender spectrum" consisting of jelly babies labelled with Barbie at one end and G.I Joe at the other. The Daily Telegraph reported that this uses "non-conformity to gender stereotypes as evidence that a child is transgender." Columnist Janice Turner criticised the content of the training session as unscientific. Other campaigners have criticised these trainings on the grounds that they reinforce rigid gender roles, and that they encourage non-conforming children to identify as transgender. In September 2020, the Department for Education issued guidance stating that schools should not use materials that point to gender non-conformity as evidence of being transgender, or work with organisations that produce them. Attitude quoted Kate Lister in Mermaids' defence: "The 'jelly baby' spectrum being used in the lecture is basically a visual representation of gender identifying markers ... At no point does anyone suggest children who act in ways that do not conform to a gender are trans. At no point does anyone suggest gay children are trans."
In June 2019, The Times revealed that they had discovered a data breach by Mermaids in which confidential emails had been made readily available through their website. The Times stated that these included names of transgender children and their parents, together with contact details and intimate medical information. The newspaper reported that there were internal emails from the trustees that criticised the leadership by Susie Green, as well as criticism from parents. Mermaids issued a press release on the same day, which acknowledged that a data breach had occurred, and that they had informed the Information Commissioner's Office and had corrected the breach. The press release stated that the breach was limited to internal emails and that no emails to and from families were part of the information leaked; The Times disputed this.
In July 2020, the charity complained that the BBC had no longer included links to themselves on BBC LGBT advice pages, alongside two other organisations. The BBC said that Mermaids was removed after complaints were made about the information it provided, and for impartiality reasons.
References
- ^ "About Us". Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ^ "Charity Details". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- "Mermaids (National)". Birmingham LGBT. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ^ "Trans charity Mermaids UK 'deeply sorry' for data breach". BBC News. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- "MERMAIDS - Charity 1160575". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Mum of Leeds transgender woman who inspired ITV's Butterfly opens up about daughter's suicide attempts after bullying". Yorkshire Evening Post. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- Percival, Ash (14 October 2018). "'Butterfly' Writer Tony Marchant On Changing Attitudes To Transgender Children And The Importance Of Trans Representation On Screen". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- Harrison, Ellie (28 October 2018). "Paris Lees: 'Butterfly is the best thing to happen to the trans community for years'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- Cooney, Rebecca. "BLF to review £500k grant to transgender children's charity Mermaids". Third Sector. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- "'Massive shame' as Big Lottery Fund announces review of £500,000 funding grant to Leeds' Mermaids UK transgender support charity". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- "Funding row charity's Donkey Kong boost". BBC News. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- Wells, Adam (21 January 2019). "Marathon Donkey Kong Stream Raises Over $350,000 For Transgender Charity". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- Greenwald, Will (21 January 2019). "Ocasio-Cortez drops in on Donkey Kong 64 Twitch stream". PC Mag. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- Mohdin, Aamna (19 February 2019). "National Lottery to give grant to transgender children's group". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ Marsh, Sarah (27 August 2017). "Police investigate online abuse against charity for transgender children". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ Thomas, Kim (29 September 2020). "What are the new rules for teaching identity in schools?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
As the number of children identifying as transgender has increased, schools have consulted trans charities such as Stonewall and Mermaids about how best to approach the topic. These charities have, however, come under criticism by campaigners, including Transgender Trend and Safe Schools Alliance, for reinforcing a rigid belief in gender roles, and for encouraging children who don't conform to gender stereotypes to believe they might be trans....A large number of the organisations providing training and resources to schools on trans issues use non-conformity to gender stereotypes as evidence that a child is transgender. Mermaids, for example, regularly uses a chart showing gender identity on a 12-point spectrum from a Barbie wearing a pink dress to GI Joe in military fatigues.
- Turner, Janice (22 December 2018). "Trans ideologists are spreading cod science". Times. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
On tape the Mermaids trainer tells us that humans don't come in two sexes, male and female, sperm and ovum: "Most people still think that way," she says airily. "But what we know now, thanks to advances in science, is that the human race has up to 42 different sets of chromosomes." Biological sex is on a spectrum, she says, like skin tone and (seriously) bra size. A person's "gender identity jelly baby" has nothing to do with how we are raised: it is inside you at birth. You know you are a man because you walk like a man and like "manly" things. A listener questions why this lecture is based upon stereotypes and is told "you're going too clever".
- "ACTIVISTS HIT BACK AT THE SUNDAY TIMES FOR TRANSPHOBIC FEAR-MONGERING". Attitude. 24 December 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
The discussion is on how we socially see gender expressions. In psychology, these archetypes are called 'hyper masculinity' and 'hyper femininity' - mermaids have just renamed them to be more accessible. This isn't new or unique to Mermaids. The 'jelly baby' spectrum being used in the lecture is basically a visual representation of gender identifying markers. In academic terms these are 'gender identity', 'gender expression', 'biological sex' and 'sexual orientation'. At no point does anyone suggest children who act in ways that do not conform to a gender are trans. At no point does anyone suggest gay children are trans. In fact, the woman taking the session self identifies as lesbian - and FULLY understands she is not trans.
- ^ Gilligan, Andrew (16 June 2019). "Parents' anger as child sex change charity Mermaids puts private emails online". The Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- "A joint complaint to the BBC on behalf of UK LGBTQ+ organisations". Mermaids. Mermaids. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ Brown, David (30 July 2020). "Mermaids and other trans groups dropped by BBC Advice Line service". The Times. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
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