have you heard about the new children of bayswater article?
yes, i recently saw what i believe is the article you are talking about and its horrible. As someone who has experienced some of the awful things that come with having very transphobic family members, the "support group" in question has harmed so many trans youth, and I have no sympathy for bayswater support group as an organisation, or the parents of vulnerable youth involved in the group. While i do understand how easy right wing indoctrination can be for distressed parents [wrongly] concerned for the future of their child, that is a reason and not an excuse for how transphobic ideology is spread through these parents and into wider societal views, putting trans youth at greater risk and removing their rights and bodily autonomy. Young people are complete people too and should have a say over their own lives.
For those who are unaware, trans safety network states:
"In July last year, we exposed Bayswater Support Group’s private Discord for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, revealing evidence of child abuse and political lobbying. Bayswater describes itself as offering “parents whose children have a transgender identity somewhere to talk, share and be understood”. But posts from their private Discord forum revealed that parents exchanged conversion therapy tips, and fostered relationships with MPs to push anti-trans policies.
The Trans Safety Network has since revealed more of the abusive practices that Bayswater parents discussed on Discord.
Health secretary Wes Streeting met with and expressed sympathies for members of the group in an interview before last year’s election, as we reported for QueerAF. He met with the group again in government, and The Department for Health and Social Care invited Bayswater to take part in last year’s consultation on puberty blockers, before they were banned indefinitely for trans kids.
Despite ample evidence of its harmful actions, Bayswater Support Group remains active and politically connected. Streeting has repeatedly refused to comment on his connections to Bayswater.
We have now spoken to several children of Bayswater members. Their experiences highlight the harm groups like Bayswater do to young trans people, and the gateway they provide to broader far-right politics." They then continue to talk about multiple young people's experiences, which you can read in the linked article. Community is vital, now more than ever. So support other marginalised youth in your local communities. We can only get out of this together if we help eachother through it. Do the little that you can to make the world a better place, and if all you can do is keep living, then just do that, because your existance as a trans kid is revolutionary. If you or anyone you know needs support during these difficult times, both my inbox and my direct messages are open. Look after yourselves and look after eachother kiddos, I'm counting on y'all <33
-Sage [he/him/it/bug/fae]
@our-trans-punk-experience @our-queer-experience @our-queer-autistic-experience @our-queerkid-experience @our-transgender-experiences
