Someone is trolling anti-trans group Transgender Trend in the most perfect way
An anonymous prankster targeted anti-trans pressure group Transgender Trend
Anti-trans pressure group Transgender Trend has complained that somebody bought its domain name and directed it to a pro-transgender charity.
The UK-based pressure group is best known for sending discredited and controversial research packs to school teachers that claims it is better to refuse to affirm the gender of trans children.
The lobby group raised thousands from anonymous online donors to send schools the packs, which have been branded “disingenuous and deceitful” because they are not based on “research or factual evidence,” and disregard professional best practice for affirming transgender children.
The group has previously apologised in September for suggesting it was a “good idea” for children to decorate their school notebooks with sets of anti-transgender stickers that it produces.
One anonymous activist sought to have some quiet revenge on the group, by purchasing the unregistered domain transgendertrend.co.uk and redirecting it to the website of trans children’s charity Mermaids UK.
Transgender Trend is very upset about the online prank.
Transgender Trend complained: “It has come to our attention that someone has bought the website address transgendertrend.co.uk and redirected it to the Mermaids website.
“We are very concerned that this misrepresents our organisation and will mislead parents and young people seeking help.”
Transgender Trend, which does not provide support for young people, claimed to be ‘very concerned’ the prank would ‘mislead’ young people seeking help
However, unlike Mermaids, Transgender Trend does not actually offer any support services for “young people seeking help.”
Another website, grahamlinehan.co.uk, has also been redirected to the Mermaids website, in tribute to IT Crowd writer Graham Linehan, who has previously compared trans activists to Nazis.
Trans charity Mermaids says the stunt is ‘nothing to do with us’.
There is no suggestion that Mermaids is involved in the stunt, as anyone can register a domain and redirect it to a website for a nominal fee.
The charity clarified: “Nothing to do with us. We seek open conversation around a sensitive and complex issue and hope anyone looking for information will judge all possible sources for themselves. We do have some cheeky supporters though…”
Trans activists online were amused by the stunt.
Trans Britain author Christine Burns joked: “You’ve got to love the idea of TT being concerned about misrepresentation eh?”
One Twitter user replied: “Whoever bought the domain transgendertrend.co.uk and set it to redirect to the Mermaids UK website, you’re doing amazing and I love you.”
Another added: “Sometimes, there’s a bright spot of good news on a dreary day. Whoever did this: Thank you.
“It’s important that parents looking for info find support, not misinformation.”
