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.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Push The Button: “GROUP SINGS AT LONDON MARATHON IN WAKE OF SCOPE TRANS-DEBACLE Disability charity Scope has come under fire for dropping a…” Apr 28, 23:21
Iain More on Push The Button: “I se that mark Carney the Canadian PM is to introduce a Canadian Sovereign Wealth Fund. I guess he saw…” Apr 28, 22:55
Mark Beggan on Push The Button: “To argue with a fool only creates two fools.” Apr 28, 22:34
Geri on Push The Button: ““it is not mandatory for you to read my posts or comment on them.” I wasn’t the one crying. You…” Apr 28, 21:11
Chas on Push The Button: “Geri It seems that you think of yourself as the site moderator! It is not mandatory for you to read…” Apr 28, 20:49
Aidan on Push The Button: “@Cheyne – your repetitive posts do not have value because they don’t make sense to anyone, either pro-independence or unionist.…” Apr 28, 19:31
Geri on Push The Button: “Why don’t you? No one has forced you to come here, ya eejit. & No one is forcing you to…” Apr 28, 18:27
Geri on Push The Button: “They are held back by fear. That’s why they’re an embarrassment to democracy. They’d rather just not have one at…” Apr 28, 18:22
Chas on Push The Button: “How many people do you turn off this site and the thought of Independence with your repeated deranged ramblings. Go…” Apr 28, 18:03
Aidan on Push The Button: “Any facts or information are “news” to you Geri because you’ve allowed your mind to be poisoned by dubious YouTube…” Apr 28, 17:44
Aidan on Push The Button: “What’s in it for a unionist to hold a referendum? The best case scenario for the unionist out of that…” Apr 28, 17:35
Jamie on Push The Button: “If they were not terrified, they would have a referendum. Wendy Alexander was not terrified, in fact, she said bring…” Apr 28, 17:11
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Push The Button: “LEGAL CHALLENGE TO HATE CRIME RECORDING RULES GIVEN GO-AHEAD A free speech campaigner has been granted permission to challenge Home…” Apr 28, 16:46
Geri on Push The Button: “Look at the point just fly on over yer head LOL Is Reform leading in Scotland, Wales & NI? That’s…” Apr 28, 16:46
diabloandco on Push The Button: “Thanks Cynicus – like all three renditions but Paul Robson was the one I remember from my youth and my…” Apr 28, 15:42
Aidan on Push The Button: “It’s funny because I don’t remember supporting Reform at any point. However, if I did support Reform I might be…” Apr 28, 14:40
Geri on Push The Button: “Cave dweller “Also, using China as an example for the success of Socialism, as opposed to free market economics….. priceless.”…” Apr 28, 14:05
James Che on Push The Button: “Scotland does not need to appeal, beg or fight for what has already taken place hundreds of years past. Recorded…” Apr 28, 13:44
Geri on Push The Button: “You are shitting yourself, AI Dan. What else brings you here? No one here is interested in Reform. In fact,…” Apr 28, 13:27
Captain Caveman on Push The Button: “I find myself in agreement with you Northcode! If I were an AI, the “logical” action would be to press…” Apr 28, 13:20
Athanasius on Push The Button: “Here’s the problem, though. When I initially read the question, my immediate reaction was to go blue. It was only…” Apr 28, 13:12
James Che on Push The Button: “Here is the evidence for independent thinkers that my repetitive posts hold merit for Scotland and its people, The unionist…” Apr 28, 12:52
Northcode on Push The Button: “Yeah, that’s right… I posted my last comment twice on purpose coz it was sooo good! If you don’t like…” Apr 28, 12:44
Northcode on Push The Button: “Only a very few folk know that the song, “Ol Man River” – music composed by Jerome Kern and lyrics…” Apr 28, 12:28
Northcode on Push The Button: “Only a very few folk know that the song, “Ol Man River” – music composed by Jerome Kern and lyrics…” Apr 28, 12:28
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Push The Button: “Thanks for that link, Cynicus. Brilliantly resonant poetry brilliantly sung. Ol’ Man River had been notionally on my mind for…” Apr 28, 12:11
Northcode on Push The Button: “In the blue button red button dilemma the correct choice depends on whether one loves humankind, as God does, or…” Apr 28, 11:57
Aidan on Push The Button: “I admire your optimism but nobody, anywhere thinks that a referendum is happening at any point soon. I don’t see…” Apr 28, 11:42
Cynicus on Push The Button: “Seconded! Fearghas’ clip also contains a rendition by Welsh bass baritone, Bryn Terfel, renowned in the opera world for the…” Apr 28, 11:13
Jamie on Push The Button: “This just goes to show you. Despite the snp being a bin fire. The unionists have that rubbish an argument…” Apr 28, 10:49