Article by Andrew Gilligan in The Times 3.6.18
The original article can be read here.
Trans activist ‘bullies’ stop donations for schoolchildren
A feminist group concerned about the social pressure placed on children to become transgender has had its fundraising stopped after a “bullying” campaign by trans activists.
Transgender Trend said it was considering taking legal action against activists for claiming that a resource pack that it publishes for schools was “transphobic”, included “hate speech” and was “a modern edition of Mein Kampf”.
The Crowdfunder website has now suspended the group’s fundraising page — jeopardising nearly £5,000 already raised there — after it received an “unprecedented” number of complaints from trans groups.
The resource pack says transgender pupils “have the same rights as all children to learn while feeling safe and to be free from bullying, harassment and discrimination” and should be treated with “kind acceptance”.
However, it warns against “labelling”, “affirming” and “celebrating” as transgender any young people who may subsequently change their minds, saying teenagers are at risk of “social contagion” from online celebrities who “glamourise medical transition”.
Susie Green, chief executive of the Mermaids charity, said the guidance contained “hysterical and unsubstantiated claims made to damage the rights of transgender young people”.
Stephanie Davies-Arai, of Transgender Trend, said the pack was measured, careful and evidence-based and advocated the “watchful waiting” approach pursued by the leading NHS clinicians in this field.
“Attacking our fundraising and telling lies about us is part of a concerted campaign by trans activists to silence anyone who disagrees that children should be rushed into life-changing, even surgical interventions at a harmfully early age,” she said.
“I hope Crowdfunder will not give in to this bullying.”
Crowdfunder said: “In line with our content guidelines and terms and conditions, we have suspended the project while we investigate further.”
