PSA: Do not respond to reporters you don't trust
With the new guidelines from MOH, reporters — sometimes from around the world — are going to ask questions about your experience as a young trans person in Singapore.
We recently received an email inquiry from what we later found out was a TERF news source. This is a reminder for the community that they should take steps to protect themselves even against journalists:
DO NOT GET SCAMMED OR TRAPPED. I urge members of the community to refrain from responding to reporters' questions without checking a reporter's credentials and priors. Always check a reporter's credentials. If they are emailing from an established news website, they should have that website in their email. Check that the website is valid, and check if that website is affiliated with TERF sources in the US, UK or another Anglophone country. (And yes, The Guardian is a TERF news source)
When speaking to a reporter, ALWAYS USE A PSEUDONYM. Do NOT use a psuedonym that is similar to your chosen name. Do NOT use a pseud that ties back to your handle on Discord or any other social media. You should insist on being anonymous unless you are confident that you and your support network are able to handle being under the spotlight.
When speaking to a reporter, do NOT offer information that is harmful or hurtful in nature. Always assume that the information you give up will hurt you, unless you trust the news outlet and the news reporter writing the piece.
Thank you!