Reminder on Abusive Language

In society now it feels as though aggression is never far away on a daily basis, none more so than in TV/Radio Media.

Talksport is becoming more about how heated an argument between guests is than the actual content, Simon Jordan is a perfect case in point.

I don't watch TV but 6 music is always on and a news story mentioned how toxic the political leadership race had become, and when people in the spotlight behave in this way it sets a standard and gives an excuse to the average man/woman on the street.

Certainly not condoning abuse and never would, just the point that behaviour is often contagious, especially when overfed by the media.

No idea what has happened to society since Covid, strange times.

I like this story from Ricky Gervais:

"I got in trouble talking about praying on Twitter. Remember a few years ago, that terrible disaster in Oklahoma, the hurricane? People lost their lives, their livelihood, and I donated to the Red Cross. I tweeted about it with a link saying, “You can donate here too,” trying to help them, and one of those frivolous entertainment magazines from America, their account tweeted this thing that annoyed me. They tweeted, “Beyoncé and Rihanna send prayers to Oklahoma.” And I tweeted back going, “I feel like a lady garden. I only sent money.”

Deary me , you do realise it was a stand up show , you know , comedy ?
Before you get upset and start making assumptions about me , let me inform you that I am a volunteer at many LGBTQ youth associations and I deal with many youngsters with varying issues in regards to their sexuality and how they struggle with their identity. Ricky Gervais was simply performing a stand up routine, not being ‘transphobic’ , if you are easily offended and don’t like that type of humour the simplest thing to do is not watch it.

Asking because i have had experience of a 16 yr old girl who was transitioning into a male and was staring the testosterone. What i saw was a young and impressionable girl, one who was actively being pushed, by her divorced mother, to go ahead with this. 
Once I got behind the facade and other stereotypical stuff, I found a very vulnerable young woman, one who had not really been through therapy and who was , probably, acting out as most of her friends were gay. 
I am not judging but, as you work with the community, do you feel there are others who seem to go this route or do you find that the majority are very sure of a change of gender ?
sorry if too much to ask but i am genuinely interested in this as i now know 3 such younger “women” who are transitioning and, the but that stunned me, is one said the TV series BILLIONS had finally pushed her into becoming a non binary human being. 
I will never understand the levels of anxiety and of judgment as i have never thought this way. As i see it, do as you wish but so long as it is not denying a close to terminal, patient their treatment. 
I was genuinely stunned that it is done by the NHS and that is where i do have a problem. Let’s be honest, being gay is no new thing but we are now much more tolerant and there are no threats of gaol and prosecution , so long as you are deemed of age.. when i was 16, i thought I knew what i wanted but, if i met the 16 yr old me then I’d slap me and tell me to grow to feck up. 
If you like we can take this to PM as i am really trying to be more accepting of others choices. Thanks in any case as I know this may be too much, in public 

Julian 

Completely agree. It's hits/views/listens above all else.

6 Music all day too.

I think there's a big difference between being transphobic (which is a bit of misuse of English language as phobia implies a sense of scare, but we'll go with it), and making jokes on the subject material.

They're not necessarily connected.
And one, doesn't necessarily follow the other.
There is context to consider.

After all things considered, RG just might not be your cup of tea in comedy, that's fine, just turn it off.

But it feels very much puritanical and blasphemous on what you can and can't find funny, what others are trying to impose because of their own perception of moral perception or standards, when in actual fact, humour and black humour can be found in the most disturbing of circumstances.

Maybe Mel did not talk to you because you would at least offer debate.

I am certain they would have rather just sat and had a chat about the television, weather, news or any other regular subject.

Would you sit with any other family member to debate their gender or clothing?

At most you would have done well to ask them what pronouns they prefer rather than using he/she.

I am not attacking you because it is clear you are making a real effort but some simple changes in approach do make a difference.

I think you missed the point of my post.

Concise, probing questions are not always what is needed.