It’s from a 2018 BBC3 documentary called Becoming A Trans Man – Leo. The 15-year-old child in the video plays with a Rubik’s Cube as Wolton, who was 31 at the time, enthusiastically grooms her into transitioning into a “man”, advocating chest binders, a double mastectomy and the irreversible mutilation of her genitalia (“Lower surgery – you want that”) that will, Wolton confirms, lead to her permanent sterilisation, as well as the destruction of her future adult sexual function.
The BBC presents it as a heartwarming tale of friendship.
As a journalist, readers, sometimes you want to pep a story up a bit. From time to time, it’s perfectly legitimate to sensationalise a relatively minor aspect of something in order to draw attention to a worthwhile but intrinsically dull subject.
At other times, you find yourself in the strange position of having to talk a subject down as much as you can, because if you simply report the facts calmly and neutrally it’ll sound so outrageous and ridiculous and deranged that everyone will think you’ve gone full-on, tinfoil-hat, pencils-up-the-nose insane.
Mark Beggan on The Shortest Day: “There are some men who think they are women and some women who think they are men. There are even…” Aug 30, 12:52
Aidan on The Shortest Day: “The really incredible part of the story is how David Cameron/George Osbourne, when divising economic policy in 2008/9, were able…” Aug 30, 12:24
Chas on The Shortest Day: “Easy answer Sam. Who will do the how’s and when? The SNP? Are there people waiting on the periphery ready…” Aug 30, 12:24
sam on The Shortest Day: “https://russincheshire.substack.com/p/the-spreadsheet-that-broke-britain?r=lwml0&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web “In 2013 Thomas Herndon, an unsung, 20-something economics student from Massachusetts, was handed a homework assignment. He was tasked…” Aug 30, 11:57
Aidan on The Shortest Day: “It’s nonsense to suggest that this single paper was the entire basis for the post-2010 coalition economy policy, not least…” Aug 30, 11:47
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “You barsturt, CC. I really didn’t want to know that! Another fondly remembered experience from the past that the young…” Aug 30, 11:46
factchecker on The Shortest Day: “Perhaps that’s because that’s how democracy works in the 21st century. The reason we (the people of Scotland) were not…” Aug 30, 11:43
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Sure, Bob. If you tell us you don’t celebrate Christmas either, we’ll believe you. After all, that was never a…” Aug 30, 11:41
Knuckle_Heid on The Shortest Day: ““….Good Governance in Scotland….” er, you what, Dave? As has long been documented on WoS, since 2015 your “Government” has…” Aug 30, 11:38
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Respect to you, Northy, for daring to utter some of the truths that most won’t. It remains but to add…” Aug 30, 11:36
sam on The Shortest Day: “It can’t be said with any certainty what any independent country will look like as time passes. Within my considerable…” Aug 30, 11:33
Dan on The Shortest Day: “robertkknight says: at 10:37 am “It’s raining outside…” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyrv84yd9ko #WetterTogether” Aug 30, 11:26
Aidan on The Shortest Day: “Good man Spartan! I’m guessing you have your PPL? It’s something I’d love to do, particularly in Scotland where we’re…” Aug 30, 11:17
robertkknight on The Shortest Day: “…and it’s NOT a “holiday weekend” in my country.” Aug 30, 11:04
100%Yes on The Shortest Day: “Oh dear, it’s now dawned on the zombie SNP membership. I’m not laughing I’m applaud you’ve been taken in so…” Aug 30, 10:58
sam on The Shortest Day: “Spreadsheets get it wrong. It does happen. As so often with you, you let your prejudices overwhelm your limited intelligence.…” Aug 30, 10:44
Chas on The Shortest Day: “It may have escaped your notice that most!! Of the Scots thst were around in 1707 are now deed.” Aug 30, 10:40
robertkknight on The Shortest Day: “It’s raining outside…” Aug 30, 10:37
Northcode on The Shortest Day: “The Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Act 2013 set the scope for the franchise for the referendum. It defined those able…” Aug 30, 10:27
Chas on The Shortest Day: “I believe that roughly 50% of Scots, residing in Scotland, are in favour of Independence. I am one of them.…” Aug 30, 10:25
Captain Caveman on The Shortest Day: “Absolutely Hatey, it’s my favourite building in the entire world. As an Engineer, it’s surely an unsurpassed gem for that…” Aug 30, 10:24
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Ha, James, any Sovereign Scot alive today can choose to ratify the Union. Until you can get your head around…” Aug 30, 10:13
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “I’m not ruling out, sam, the possibility that you truly believe that one fifth of UK adults choose not to…” Aug 30, 10:08
James Che on The Shortest Day: “Saffron Robe, Regards your comment yesterday, Indeed, Scots were delberately not asked to join the 1707 treaty of union, because…” Aug 30, 09:57
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Hope you take the time to visit the Pantheon, CC. It’s an amazing example of architecture and engineering. It’s also…” Aug 30, 09:53
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Good post, Bob. Seeing as how it’s a holiday weekend, why not spend the rest of the day fretting about…” Aug 30, 09:47
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Loving the way Alf effortlessly equates Scots with Yes voters there. Thus proving what I’ve always said about the true…” Aug 30, 09:41
James Che on The Shortest Day: “There are of course individual names on a old list, with signatures that explicitly name the people that are in…” Aug 30, 09:40
sam on The Shortest Day: “The Keynes Mutiny – “Growth in a time of debt” https://russincheshire.substack.com/p/the-spreadsheet-that-broke-britain?r=lwml0&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web” Aug 30, 09:32
James Che on The Shortest Day: “The Scots remain out with the treaty of union, The devolved government in the Country of Scotland from Westminsters Scotland…” Aug 30, 09:31