So - looking into the case of J that is being used to smear Mermaids.

Mermaids is only mentioned briefly in relation to the case. There has been NO legal ruling of ANY kind against Mermaids.

Metro seems to have decent info. https://metro.co.uk/2017/10/08/charity-advised-mum-to-force-her-son-7-to-live-as-a-girl-6984649/

I read the ENTIRE ruling - because I guess I'm just that bored.

I know it made headlines for a while and was incredibly contentious - but I only vaguely remember it. It was back in 2016.

I don't even know WHY it's coming up now?

Of course, I am only reading the information placed in the ruling, but it made a good argument for the mother in this case having an unhealthy relationship with her child that caused her to lose all perspective.

In her mind, she was fighting the good fight to support her child.

She deserved help & consultation, just like anyone else, but it became more and more clear as I read the ruling that she was making false statements that, if they WERE true, would absolutely compel others to join her fight.

But the evidence, as presented, showed they were not.

The more I read, the more it appeared to be a bizarre situation. There were red flags, but they could be explained! People just didn't understand!

She made many claims with incredible emotional impact that simply weren't true.

I can imagine becoming swept up in her world as she described it - especially since her story was not far-fetched - it sounds like a painfully plausible nightmare.

The implications, on face value, were also concerning. Was her child being taken away because she was supportive?

After reading the entire ruling and coming to the conclusion that how she presented the case was simply not reality - it became clear that concern was completely oppositely misplaced.

Cause THIS is not affirmation. This very much looks like abuse.

OF COURSE this unique & often disturbing case is going to be used by GCs to accuse Mermaids of all sorts of things and to decry the "affirmation model" as "transing" kids.

Even though NO professional advised her to pressure her child like that - quite the opposite.

And they are going to look at those quotes and they will be rightly horrified. They see it as inherently abusive, to tell a child they are something they KNOW they are not.

And yet they would wish that fate on trans kids without a moments thought.

And editors are going to write headlines like this:

Charity ‘advised mum to force her son, 7, to live as a girl’

Even if it's not REMOTELY true.