The Telegraph found that a state-sponsored organization is offering to send breast binders to children in the U.K. without their parent’s permission. The organization is called Mermaids and it is a charity that promotes “trans equality,” according to its website.
Parents of children with gender dysphoria report that their children are pushed to alter their bodies with breast binders, puberty blockers and synthetic hormones early on in their treatment and that they are coached to change their bodies without parental knowledge. The Telegraph posed as teens and reached out to Mermaids for guidance. They found that the organization offered to mail a breast binder to the name and address of the “child’s” choice so as to keep it from parents. In this instance, Mermaids was told repeatedly that the “child’s” parents would “not allow” this.
Breast binders are devices that bind breasts flat to the chest. They have many contraindications. It turns out that the body grows breasts for a reason and that binding them can lead to problems with breathing, posture and spinal alignment. Mermaids has issued this response which really isn’t much of a response at all.
The Telegraph also found evidence that Mermaids tells children as young as 13 are coached towards taking puberty blockers and told that they are “totally reversible.” This is false.
Now there are calls for an investigation of the organization. According to The Guardian, they have received more than “£20,000 in taxpayer’s money from grants and more than £500,000 from the National Lottery.”
