Be sure to freak out
Mermaids instructs children on how to change their names. Obviously this is something some random goons on the internet should be doing rather than children’s parents. This is serious business, way too serious for parental units.
What obligation does my school or workplace have if I change my name?
Changing a name is almost always a momentous moment for trans and non-binary people and it is becoming more and more common for trans people want to change their first name during childhood and adolescence. The changing of a name is often an indicator that an individual is taking steps to, or proposing to move towards presenting as their true gender identity.
Sic. Mistakes theirs, not mine.
Any request for a change of name to be recognised on a system or within general interactions should be given due weight, as the consequences of not may have a serious negative social and psychological impact on a transgender or non-binary young person, as well as potential legal implications for a school/workplace should it be refused on an unlawful basis.
In other words: threat.
4. What do I do if someone is deliberately not using my new name or pronouns at work or in school?
If this is at work or in school and you believe this is deliberate/malicious, speak to someone you trust as soon as you can. Only challenge the individual should you feel it safe and productive to do so – your safety must always come first.
Yeah. Mostly trans people get murdered this way, so watch out.
We suggest that you, if you can, take a note of the time, location and details of what has happened (including the name of the perpetrator) so you can remember everything when you speak to the appropriate person. Make it clear to this person should you wish to make a formal complaint or grievance. Your workplace and school should have policies in place to deal with such situations and if they don’t, you can still insist that they work in line with their duties under equality law. If the reason you’re being harassed is because of who you are – for example, because you’re trans, it could be unlawful discrimination. If you’ve been discriminated against, you can take action under the Equality Act 2010.
You can tell Mermaids just longs to see people dragged off in handcuffs for not using Esmeralda’s new name and pronouns.
The use of the incorrect name or pronoun can also amount to a hate crime or incident – (even if it only happens once). It should be taken very seriously.
Very seriously. Very very seriously. This stuff is really serious. It’s like murder or genocide or nuclear war.
I am generally much more open to using a preferred name than preferred pronouns; if someone wants to be addressed as Jane instead of James, I will probably just go with it. However a lot of this missive just rubs me the wrong way, coming off as an attempt to enforce compliance.
Is it lawful for a school to refuse on the basis that it literally is not the person’s name? If not, then this is an attempt to have gender self-identification given the weight of law without going through the process of it being passed into law.
Gawd, they act as if refused custom pronouns are deadly to the well-being of the requester. Obviously this negative messaging has the problem of fuelling the group’s own perception of vulnerability, reducing their own mental health and increasing their chances of suicidal ideation.
A better answer would be ‘deal with it like an adult’.
“Perpetrator” for fuck sake! All we’re talking about here is using a person’s legal name and the pronouns actually appropriate to their sex per ordinary English, as opposed to using their custom requests. Perpetrator!
We’re still only talking about refusal to use custom name and pronouns, yet they sneak in ‘harassed’ unargued. But using a person’s legally true name is not harassment. Using ordinary English is not harassment. The person refusing such a request is not a perp. The absolute worst it can be called is uncooperative.
I will always find it astonishing that this entire edifice has been constructed upon a concept that we don’t even know is real. “True Gender Identity.”
What do they mean by “gender”? Has it been established that people have a “gender”? How does this “gender” manifest itself?
The fact that TRA’s pointedly refuse to debate anything and merely assert, assert, assert (all the while making their rape and death threats and also crying victim the whole time) undercuts their credibility.
Maybe Mermaids shouldn’t be telling children how to change their names? It’s none of their fucking business. This is recruitment and grooming. I’m sure the Charities Commission will be interested in this whole parental bypass thing.
True gender identity. True gender identity. The whole shaky edifice rests on this assertion.
(I know this isn’t news to anyone here. It just never fails to strike me how weird it is that so many people accept the notion of a “true gender identity” without question.)