Transphobic Baroness Removed From Booker Prize Position

Baroness Nicholson continues her campaign against LGBTQ+ rights this week, and has been removed from her position as honorary vice president at the Booker Prize Foundation.

The Baroness has made a number of statements against trans people, marriage equality, and the larger LGBTQ+ community over the last month. She has said that allowing same sex marriage has led to the erosion of society, and has engaged in targeted abuse of trans children, calling them sexual predators and paedophiles.

Last week Nicholson made transgender model and activist Munroe Bergdorf the target of her rage, and engaged in racist and transphobic attacks against her. Amongst other comments, she called Bergdorf a 'weird creature'. These comments were reported to the House of Lords commissioner of standards.

The comments were also reported to the Booker Prize Foundation, where Nicholson held the position of honorary vice president. The Booker Prize Foundation released an initial statement on the 23rd of June, but received criticism for their lack of commitment to do anything.

The initial response went as follows:

The Trustees of the Booker Prize Foundation wish to point out that the views expressed by Baroness Nicholson on transgender issues are her own personal views.

Baroness Nicholson has herself recently said that she retired as a Trustee of the Foundation in 2009, and was then made an honorary vice president. She has no role in the governance or operations of the Foundation. She is not involved in selecting the judges nor in choosing the books that are longlisted, shortlisted and win.   

Following complaints that this comment was not only non-committal, but did nothing to address the situation, the Booker Prize Foundation released a more in depth statement, and severed ties with the Baroness by abolishing the position she held with them.

We, the Trustees of the Booker Prize Foundation, met today and wish to reiterate that the views expressed by Baroness Nicholson on transgender people are her own personal opinions.

The issues are complex, but our principles are clear.  We deplore racism, homophobia and transphobia – and do not discriminate on any grounds.

Literature is open, plural and questioning. We believe every author’s work should be approached by readers in the same spirit. Integrity is central to both Booker Prizes, whose judging process is conducted at all times in keeping with these values.

Upon her retirement from the Board in 2009, Baroness Nicholson was made an honorary vice president, a role that gave her no say in the governance or operations of the Foundation or prizes. In recent days there has been some confusion about the nature of honorary titles used by the Foundation. Too many believe that these titles in some way symbolise the prizes. That is not the case.

We have today decided that these titles and roles should, with immediate effect, cease to exist. Those holding them have been informed and thanked for their longstanding interest.

This response has received a great deal of praise online amongst the trans community, as well as from a number of LGBTQ+ charities and organisations.

'Baroness Nicholson’s strange and obsessive tweets attacking our charity with abhorrent accusations and her misgendering of our patron Munroe Bergdorf, represent the very worst in what is already a highly toxic, cruel and misinformed debate around the lives and very existence of trans people.' Trans children's charity Mermaids said in a statement today regarding the decision.

'While the Booker Prize Foundation continue to receive some criticism for not directly condemning Baroness Nicholson’s tweets, we are pleased to see a clear rejection of racism, homophobia and transphobia. This is a moment of reassurance for a community suffering daily attacks from those who would see trans lives humiliated and undermined. We thank the Booker Prize Foundation for taking this bold and principled decision, reminding us all that voicing our opposition to hate and calling out prejudice, cruelty and lies wherever we find it, can still lead to a fairer society for all.

'We hope Baroness Nicholson will find a moment to reflect on whether her virulent opposition to transgender rights is justified or whether she might take time to listen to the vast majority of trans people seeking a voice.'

Whether or not this repercussion to the hateful comments she has made will cause Nicholson to rethink her stance is yet to be seen. As of the publishing of this article she has yet to comment on the matter.

Nicholson is also a colleague and friend of noted transphobe JK Rowling, and is a part of the Lumos charity that the author helped to create.


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Authors Leave Literary Agency Following Rowling Transphobia

The recent transphobic comments, and the extensive essay, written by children's author JK Rowling continue to have an effect as a number of authors have left the literary agency The Blair Parnership, the company that represents Rowling.

Drew Davies, Fox Fisher, Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir, and a fourth author who wishes to remain unnamed, have left the agency, and have released a joint statement regarding their decision.

#Writers4TransRights

#Allies4TransRights

We are writing this statement as a group of writers who are signed to The Blair Partnership, to announce our resignation from the agency.

This decision is not made lightly, and we are saddened and disappointed it has come to this. After J. K. Rowling’s — who is also signed to the agency — public comments on transgender issues, we reached out to the agency with an invitation to reaffirm their stance to transgender rights and equality. After our talks with them, we felt that they were unable to commit to any action that we thought was appropriate and meaningful. Freedom of speech can only be upheld if the structural inequalities that hinder equal opportunities for underrepresented groups are challenged and changed.

Affirmations to support LGBTQIA people as a whole need to be followed up by meaningful and impactful action, both internally and publicly. As LGBTQIA writers ourselves we feel strongly about having an agency that supports our rights at all avenues, and does not endorse views that go against our values and principles.

We stand in solidarity with LGBTQIA — and allied — staff in all areas of publishing who are working incredibly hard to champion diverse voices and experiences to challenge the homogeneity of the industry. But the issues of inequality and oppression are far reaching, from racism to ableism and sexism. Agencies and publishers need to create platforms for underrepresented groups from the ground up and make meaningful change within their culture. Representation must extend into real and authentic representation of diverse voices.

We would like to particularly extend our solidarity to the trans community at this time, many who might feel vulnerable, alienated and unsupported right now. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid. This is a particularly difficult time when it must sometimes feel like the world is closing in on you. We want you to know that you are not alone, that there are many people who will always stand by you and fight for you and that better times are coming.

We know that having access to services to support women who’ve experienced sexual and/or domestic abuse is incredibly vital for all women, especially those who belong to other minorities, and that such services are severely underfunded.

We are therefore making a collective donation to Shakti Women’s Aid — a charity that is part of the Scottish Women’s Aid movement — that supports BAME women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse. We would like to invite others to donate to them as well, or any other charity working in the Women’s Aid Movement across the UK or charities working directly with transgender people.

Signed (22 June 2020), the following authors signed to The Blair Partnership:

Drew Davies

Fox Fisher

Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir (Owl)

#Writers4TransRights

#Allies4TransRights

The Blair Partnership represent Rowling, and all aspects of her Harry Potter work, including the recent Cursed Child play. The website features images from both the play, and the recent Fantastic Beasts film, along with a message claiming that they are an agency with a  'progressive approach to representation'.

Despite claiming to be progressive and championing representation a group of LGBTQ+ authors felt strongly enough that they could not work with the agency following talks with them, which could indicate that the company cares more for the money they make from Rowling and her work than fair representation to the LGBTQ+ community.

A spokesperson from the company has said that The Blair Partnership would not 'compromise the fundamental freedom' of allowing authors the right to express their thoughts and belies, even if those beliefs are bigoted and harmful it appears. They also said that they would not 're-educate' staff to 'meet the demands of a small group', again indicating that despite the claims on their website LGBTQ+ representation matters little to them.

We support the rights of all of our clients to express their thoughts and beliefs, and we believe in freedom of speech. Publishing and the creative arts are dependent on these things. It is our duty, as an agency to support all of our clients in this fundamental freedom and we do not comment on their individual views.

We are disappointed by the decision that four clients have taken to part ways with the agency. To reiterate, we believe in freedom of speech for all; these clients have decided to leave because we did not meet their demands to be re-educated to their point of view. We respect their right to pursue what they feel is the correct course of action.

We value all our authors’ voices and, as an agency, champion equality and inclusivity. We remain committed to making the agency the most welcoming environment it can be for everyone. The diversity of our clients’ voices is our strength and we take enormous pride from each and every one.

Jónsdóttir has stated that the authors approached the company to ask them to make a public statement in support of trans rights, and to train staff in trans awareness but said that these requests 'weren't met positively by the management'.

We tried speaking with them internally before going public. We felt like we had to speak out about it. As trans people it’s just a matter of values,' Jónsdóttir said. 'We don’t want to be associated with an agency that doesn’t value the same things that we do.'

This is the latest result of the transphobia stated by Rowling, last week Republican senator James Lankford used Rowling's essay and quoted her words to shut down debate on trans rights, insisting that US citizens should be free to openly discriminate against trans people.


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Daniel Radcliffe Responds To JK Rowling Transphobia

Following harmful statements made by the world famous Harry Potter author JK Rowling, read more here, titular star of the movies Daniel Radcliffe has responded, coming out in support of the trans community.

Radcliffe made the statement through the LGBTQ+ suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project.

I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now. While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.

Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.

I am still learning how to be a better ally, so if you want to join me in learning more about transgender and nonbinary identities check out The Trevor Project’s Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth. It’s an introductory educational resource that covers a wide range of topics, including the differences between sex and gender, and shares best practices on how to support transgender and nonbinary people.

To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.

Love always,

Dan

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Author JK Rowling Engages In Open Transphobia On Social Media

Globally beloved author of the Harry Potter series JK Rowling has come under well deserved criticism online following a series of tweets where she openly engaged in hostile attacks on the transgender community.

Rowling has been suspected of holding transphobic views for a while now. She's been seen liking tweets from open transphobes that have been bigoted towards the trans community, and has even said some things that have set alarm bells ringing within the trans community. These previous times, however, have been 'explained' away as being innocent mistakes, or trans people trying to find fault in what she's said and drawing the wrong conclusion.

Last month, whilst responding to children about her new story The Ikabog Rowling sent a tweet to a child that included a copy and paste from a transphobic article. She apologised for doing so, and she and her defenders claimed that there was nothing transphobic in her actions as she was simply reading about an incident involving a trans person. Whilst reading about things is of course not transphobic, the fact that she was reading an article that refused to acknowledge that trans person's identity, and seemed to be copying it to her clipboard for later use, did make some uncomfortable.

That same day Rowling used her position of power and wealth to threaten a trans journalist with legal action to make them remove their article that criticised her.

All of what she has previously done has been defended and justified by her supporters, and the idea that she's a transphobe has continued to be pushed as some kind of conspiracy theory. All this changed last night, however, as the author engaged in several tweets that cannot be seen as anything as transphobic, and a hostile attack on the transgender community.

Rowling seems to have been spurred into this attack on the trans community after she saw an article that used the term 'people who menstruate'. The author felt that this was wrong as she believes the only people who can have periods are women. This invalidates a huge number of people, such as transgender men, non-binary people, and intersex people. It seems to push the idea that in order to be a woman one needs to have a period, something that trans women don't have, as well as some cis women for a number of reasons.

People justifiably called her out on these views and tried to inform her that her understanding of sex and gender was not only incorrect, but that sharing it the way she was was also confrontational and rude. Rowling defended her position by claiming that she had spoken to her 'butch lesbian friend', and that they had said it was okay. Yes, she used the 'I've got a black friend so aren't racist' excuse. Please, no one point out to her that queer people aren't one collective intelligence represented by her one friend, and that some lesbians are transphobes too.

Rowling has also tried to make herself the victim in this situation by claiming that people calling her a TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) is somehow attacking her and her womanhood, equating the word to mean the same as 'bitch' and 'witch'. It's a shame that as one of the most famous authors on the planet she fails to understand what words are, and uses them completely wrong. But then you don't need to dig too deep into her books to see that her writing isn't the best. Perhaps understanding of language, like science, escapes her.

Rowling has tried to backpedal some of her comments, by claiming to be an ally to the trans people, saying that she would stand beside us if we were discriminated against. If we were discriminated against. If. In this one tweet Rowling has told the world that she doesn't think that trans people face discrimination. Despite engaging in it herself.

The level of disconnect that Rowling is displaying, to claim to have read masses of scientific texts on the subject, yet still denying the science, of saying she stands by the trans community, but then says we don't experience discrimination whilst engaging in it herself are absolutely staggering.

We all know (I hope) that Rowling has had a history of troubling things in her work. From goblins in Harry Potter that play on anti-simetic caricatures, to minimal representation for people of colour, to racist tropes and names, to making a transphobic character in one of her mystery books. She has repeatedly said and done things that are harmful to marginalised groups and has never apologised for them.

It's also worth noting that Rowling is friends with, and began a charity with, Baroness Nicholson, a member of the House of Lords who has not only openly attacked trans rights and legislation, but called a trans child a sexual predator.

Rowling has tweeted nothing about the Black Lives Matter movement. She hasn't given her solidarity or support to people fighting for their rights and their lives across the world right now. With all of her influence and power she's done nothing to help that cause. But she found time to make several tweets that target the trans community. During Pride Month no less.

JK Rowling is not a good person. The mask she wears to present herself as such has had cracks in it for a long while now, but it seems to have finally fallen away to show the bigot beneath. She engages in actions that are harmful and nasty. JK Rowling is a bigot, who is sharing bigoted views to attack a minority. It's time people stopped supporting her and giving her money. There are plenty of better people in the world, and charities that would make better use of the cash.


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Black Trans Man Tony McDade Killed By Florida Police

On Wednesday 27th May Florida trans man Tony McDade was fatally shot and killed by a white police officer in a further incident of police violence towards the BIPOC community. The news of this incident came out during protests across the United States due to the police murder of another black man, George Floyd.

According to information from the Tallahassee police, Tony was a suspect in a stabbing incident. Tony was identified as the main suspect by the as of yet unnamed victim. This seems to be backed up by a post on Tony's social media, where he released a video stating that he wanted revenge for a beating that he was the victim of.

In the video Tony says 'You killed me, I'm gonna kill you'. He also said that this would lead to a stand-off with police. In his final post to Facebook he said 'I'm living suicidal right now'.

The police followed public tips for a person matching Tony's description, which led to a confrontation with him. According to Chief Lawrence Revell, Tony was armed with a gun and 'made a move consistent with using the firearm against the officer'. Rather than arrest Tony, the police shot and killed him. It has not been confirmed if any of the officers present at the incident were wearing a body-cam, or if their are any witnesses to the incident to corroborate that Tony was armed and threatening police officers; though according to the Human Rights Campaign several people managed to record the event.

Initial police and media reports about the incident misgendered Tony and used the incorrect name and pronouns. Thankfully friends and family came forward to correctly identify him.

Around 30 members of the local community gathered to hold a candlelight vigil following the killing. Residents from his apartment complex have also created a memorial next to a tree in the area where he was killed.

Following the incident the Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition released a statement to say 'It pains me to have learned about Tony McDade, who we understand was killed by a member of the Tallahassee Police Department yesterday morning. This tragic incident should be a reminder that hate crimes against Black LGBTQ/SGL people happen too frequently - often without the national public outcry that our cis and/or heteronormative brothers and sisters receive'.

Tori Cooper, the director off community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign also released a statement. 'The Human Rights Campaign and the entire transgender and non-binary community demand accountability and answers for Tony’s death, and countless violent deaths of trans people, Black people and, disproportionately, Black transgender people. While these deaths are visible due to recordings and social media, we know far too many go completely ignored. Black people, LGBTQ people, and especially all LGBTQ people of colour are at greater risk for violence every day in this country. This must end. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn with Tony’s family and friends.'

According to the Human Rights Campaign, who track as many incidents as possible, at least another eleven other transgender or gender-nonconforming people have been violently killed in the US in 2020. This also marks yet another incident of a black person who has been killed by the police.

Police Chief Lawrence Revell said in a press conference that their was 'no indication' that the police officers involved acted wrongly, or that the killing was racially motivated.



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House of Lords Member Baroness Nicholson Brands Trans Children As Sexual Predators

It's no secret that the transgender community has received more and more scorn and criticism over the last few years for the simple crime of daring to exist. Whilst it has been generally accepted that it's wrong to target minorities, and steps to make racism, sexism, and homophobia a thing of the past have been slow but steady, one community that remains a constant target is trans people.

Think pieces about how awful trans people are, how they're all secretly sexual predators, or that they're somehow coming to turn your children trans are an almost daily occurrence. Celebrities such as Graham Linehan and J.K. Rowling share anti-transgender rhetoric on their social media platforms. And organisations such as The LGB Alliance petition government to remove rights and protections from the trans community.

One of the latest people to wade into this argument of who does and doesn't deserve to be treated like human beings is Conservative member of the House of Lords Baroness Emma Nicholson. Nicholson was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon in 1987, and was selected to sit on the Conservative bench of the House of Lords in 2016.

Over the past few days Baroness Nicholson seems to have turned her sights on the trans community.

On 19th May the Baroness released the contents of a letter that she sent to the chairman of Marks & Spencers, where she informed them that she believed that they were in breach of the Equalities Act 2010 in their decision to allow trans people to use the changing rooms that fit their gender identity.

It's worth pointing out that this is, in fact, incorrect. Gender Identity is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, and that it goes against this legislation to try to ban trans people from accessing the correct spaces. This is why groups like the LGB Alliance and other anti-trans campaigners are trying to have legislation change, as there is currently no legal way to exclude trans people from these spaces.

Despite claiming to understand the legislation Baroness Nicholson Tweeted out these false facts, and continued to stick to her position when members of the public pointed out that she was incorrect. She has responded to any criticism on her stance as a threat to women and children, claiming it to be companies chasing money over people's safety, or militant trans activists lying.

Since this initial tweet the Baroness' timeline on Twitter has devolved into a slew of transphobic comments and statements, as well as her retweeting comments from a number of anti-trans activist. Her tweets have claimed that trans rights have never existed and are simply stolen from women, claimed that she is performing a public service, said that places allowing access to trans people have been misbriefed, and even tried to claim that trans people are upsetting to the rest of the LGBTQ+ community.

One of the worst things she has done, however, is to have branded a trans child, and by extension all trans children, and I assume in her eyes trans adults, of being a sexual predator.

When the parent of a trans child tweeted that she was having to have 'a lot of grown up conversations' with her daughter regarding the open hostility towards trans people by political figures such as Barnoess Nicholson and Liz Truss, she received a response from the Baroness.

The Baroness replied with, 'Not up to me of course but the main point for me is the easy shift from male, so obviously would-be assailant to lady right up beside you shows that all is not what it might seem. Granny as the Wolf story?' Baroness Nicholson publicly called a child a sexual predator.

When Emma asked the Baroness if she really meant that, she responded with 'sadly yes'.

This blatant, open attack against trans people, and trans children in particular is sadly only the latest in a long, long line of abuse that the trans community has to face on a daily basis. Transphobic activists such as Baroness Nicholson keep falling back on the claim that trans people are a danger to women and children, that we're somehow sexual predators just waiting to attack and rape people.

Facts such as trans people being massively more likely to be the victims of sexual assault and violence than perpetrators of it seems to fall on deaf ears. These people seem to feel that if even a single trans person is ever found to be a sexual predator the whole community must be treated as such.

In my time as an openly trans person I've received abuse. I've been fired from my job for daring to transition whilst working. I've been mocked openly on the street. I've been threatened with rape and physical assault. I've been spat on. But I'm still relatively lucky. I know trans people who have been assaulted, who've been beaten and put in hospital. I know trans people who've been raped. I know trans people who can't find a job because people refuse to employ a trans person. I know trans people who have been pushed away by friends and family, who have lost their homes. I'm one of the lucky ones, but when most people hear about the abuse I've had they find it appalling; but I've seen so much worse.

I don't care is you find the idea of trans people existing to be 'weird', or if you don't understand it. At the end of the day, we're just people. We just want to live our lives and be treated fairly. We're not coming to rape and abuse anyone. We're not trying to take anything away from women. We're not going to turn your children. We just want to live.

I'm sick and tired of seeing constant attacks against the trans community in print. I hate that people I've never met claim I'm a paedophile rapist. I hate that the few rights I have as a trans person are currently up in the air and might be taken away from me when Liz Truss reveals the changes the government is making to the Gender Recognition Act. Most of all I'm just sick and tired of being treated like a monster for just being who I was born.

I can't imagine how hard it is for some other members of the trans community, and my heart bleeds for the children that are being publicly branded sexual predators by members of government for no reason. 

Like I said, I'm lucky. But a lot of trans people aren't. These kind of attacks cost our community. They cost lives. And they have to stop.

I would encourage anyone who wishes to to complain to the House of Lords in writing so that this matter can be looked into, and any appropriate measures can be taken against Baroness Nicholson. Complain Here.

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Trans Woman Helle Jae O'Regan Killed

Transgender woman Helle Jae O'Regan has been identified as the victim of a workplace rampage that claimed her life and injured two others in San Antonio on 6th May.

20-year-old Helle was employed at Diesel Barbershop in San Antonio, Texas, where the incident took place.

According to police statements and media reports, 42-year-old Damion Campbell entered the barbershop to book an appointment whilst staff were preparing the premises to re-open, but when asked to provide payment he left the store, before returning with weapons. He was seen in surveillance video holding both a knife and a gun, and threatened the three members of staff present.

Two of Helle's fellow employees were able to escape, one without injuries whilst the other received several stab wounds. According to the police, Campbell choked Helle unconscious before stabbing her to death. Police have said that they do not believe Helle's gender played a role in her death.

 Helle has been described as a proud trans woman, who embraced her identity. On the Trans Day of Visibility she posted to her Instagram account where she shared pictures of her transition. 'I wasn't going to post anything but it's #transdayofvisibility so I decided I will. I was looking at the pictures I used to take before I transitioned versus now and it made me realize I'm way happier than I used to be. I love myself now. Thank you to everyone who's ever supported me and to anyone who hasn't I hope you come around. I'm happy and proud to be myself.' The post said.

Management of Diesel Barbershop chose to release a statement on their Facebook page in order to provide members of the public with more information, and to correct some reports that had provided incorrect information on the incident.

The Diesel family is devasted over the loss of life and acts of violence committed against the employees of our Bandera Oaks location on May 6th. This senseless act of violence has shaken us to our core and is affecting us all in ways we could have never imagined. Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers as we try to comprehend what just happened and move forward through the rough days ahead.

Because of this tragic event on May 6th, the re-opening of all of the Diesel Barbershops in San Antonio and New Braunfels is being temporarily delayed until Friday May 15th.

To help dispel the false reports from the various media outlets, here are the basic facts of the events of May 6th, 2020 as best as I can relay them. Out of respect and privacy for the families and employees involved in this horrible tragedy, I have intentionally chosen to not identify the 3 of them by name.

3 Diesel Barbershop employees were at Bandera Oaks the morning of May 6th answering phones to book appointments and deep cleaning the shop for our re-opening on May 8th. An individual came to the front door (which was locked) and attempted to enter. We unlocked and opened the door to let him know we were closed and getting the shop ready to reopen on Friday. The man then asked about making an appointment for when we reopen. As we would have likely done for any of our clients, we let the man in to the shop to book his appointment. We gathered the necessary information but when it came time to secure his appointment by placing a credit card on file, he said he needed to step outside to grab a form of payment. When the man stepped back into the shop, the staff realized that along with the backpack he was now carrying, he also had a handgun and a knife. Attempts were made to give the man whatever he wanted…cash, equipment, or whatever it took to get him out of the shop. The man made it clear that he wasn’t there for money. He then began asking the employees: “What have you done wrong? What have you done wrong? God sent me here to kill you because you have done something wrong! What have you done wrong?” over and over again while forcing them to the back of the shop. Details beyond this are sketchy at best. In the end, one employee managed to escape and call 911. One employee was stabbed 5 times in the back, but she also managed to escape. Tragically, one employee lost their life in this senseless act of violence. Even as I type it, I still cannot believe it. It’s a nightmare of the most epic proportions.

From the beginning, there has been a great deal of incorrect information reported in the media. For example:

1. Chief McManus stated publicly in an interview that we were open, and the man was receiving a service. This is patently false. We were not open for business nor doing illegal haircuts. We were cleaning the shop to prepare it to open on Friday May the 8th and the front door was locked. We let the man in because he said he said wanted to book an appointment for when we reopen.

2. There was not an altercation in front of the shop. Everything occurred inside the shop. The employees who ran out of the shop ran to Pei Wei and Monarch Dental to call 911. Neither business is involved in this tragedy beyond that.

Here is what I know to be true and what I know I need to focus on to help me and my Diesel family process this senseless tragedy. A man attempted to kill 3 of my amazing employees. 3 wonderful, kindhearted, give you the shirt off of their backs, loyal employees for no reason at all. None. In fact, detectives tell us this appears to be a completely random act of violence. And because of that random act of violence, one life has been ended and a family is forever changed, two employees will be forever scarred and changed by this, and the entire Diesel Family is reeling in shock. We’re all just numb now. Numb.

Make no mistake about it. This tragedy will forever be a part of who we are, but it will not define us, what we do and how we take care of our clients. I kindly and respectfully ask that you all rally around the staff at the Bandera Oaks location and that you throw all of the love and support you can to the families of the employees who were directly involved in this horrible horrible tragedy. They need you. We need you.

Thank you for your support and love all of these years. It means more to me and to my staff than you will ever know.

We will be back and we will get through this. One. Day. At. A. Time.

Emmett Schelling, the Executive Director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) spoke out on the incident. 'We are saddened to hear of the news about Helle O’Regan’s death. Trans and non-binary Texans, unfortunately, lays claim to being the state with the highest number of reported murders of transgender people than any other state these past five years. The stigma that exists and is continued to be perpetuated from the highest held offices in our state only feeds into this. We mourn for Helle’s life being cut so prematurely, but take comfort in hearing how much joy she brought to those who knew, loved and accepted her fully as her authentic self.'

Tori Cooper, of the Human Rights Campaign posted on the organisation's website saying, 'The Human Rights Campaign is standing with Helle’s family and friends in mourning today. Her death further underscores the dire and urgent need to end violence and discrimination against transgender people - and especially against transgender women - now.'

One of Helle's friends, Luke Tyler, spoke to local news networks about Helle, saying 'Every time I saw her, she smiled. She’d do anything for you. She was a caring person. I never saw her in a bad mood. Being trans is so hard, and her life was hard, but she lived like it was the best day of her life every day.'


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YouTuber Arrested For Transphobic 'Prank'

YouTube content creator Ferdian Paleka has been arrested following a week long manhunt following outrage when he posted video where he performed a transphobic prank.

Paleka, who has more than 130,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was arrested on the morning of 8th May following a week long search. The YouTuber had been wanted for questioning following a video where he and his friends prepared food packages containing brick matter and rotten food, before they gave them out to trans women. They also referred to the women in the video as bencong, a pejorative term for trans women in Indonesia.

'We want to survey whether or not the bencong are on the streets in this fasting month.' He said in his video. 'If we encounter them, we'll give them the packages. But if they're not around that means the city is safe from them.'

Paleka and his friends handed the fake care packages over to several trans women, and were seen laughing at many of them whilst doing so.

The video received immediate backlash online, with many of his followers and members of the general public complaining about what he did. In response Palek released a fake apology video, where he stated that he would only release a real apology if he received 30,000 likes. 'I personally would like to apologise for what I've done. Not.' He mocked in his 'apology' video.

This was not the first time that Paleka has been accused of making a video that unfairly targets members of the LGBTQ+ community, and he has also been reported to have made videos that degrade women, and sex workers.

The video was made in Bandung, in Indonesia, and as such is subject to certain laws. Ferdian, and his two accomplices who appeared in the video with him, were charged with online defamation under the Information and Electronic Transactions Act. If found guilty he could face up to four years in prison. He has also been charged with deliberately breaking the law and bringing harm to other, which could be punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

In light of these charges, and facing a prison sentence, Paleka went on the run, before finally being arrested on the Jakarta-Merak toll road in the early hours of the morning. Paleka was found after the police monitored his family, who tried to help him flee. He had dyed his hair, and shaved off his moustache in an attempt to avoid detection.

One of the victims of Paleka's prank, 39 year old Sani, said that she and a number of the others chose to report Paleka and his friends to the police to 'create a deterrent effect for the perpetrator so that such things would not occur again in the future'.


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Jonathan Ross Comes Out In Support Of Transphobe Graham Lineham

British television host and entertainment personality Jonathan Ross has expressed his support for well known transphobe Graham Linehan.

Linehan, who is best know for creating the comedy shows Father Ted, Black Books, and The IT Crowd, has become a big name in British transphobia over the last few years. His public attack against trans people began in December 2016, when he argued about a trans person being featured on the cover of National Geographic.

Since then Linehan has continued a campaign against the trans community, claiming that he believes gender dysphoria exists, but that he doesn't believe that people can change gender, and that it is 'dangerous' for people to transition.

In 2018 Linehan received a police warning from West Yorkshire Police for harassing a trans woman on Twitter, and was banned from contacting her in the future. Despite this, Linehan released her private details, including photographs of her before she transitioned.

Linehan changed his target to trans children, and in 2019 tried to have Lottery funding taken away from the children's charity Mermaids. When Linehan's followers bombarded the National Lottery with complaints they removed funding from Mermaids. Thankfully, a YouTube streamer, HBomberGuy, raised £265,000 for Mermaids in response to this action. Following this, Linehan was condemned in the Scottish Parliament for his actions.

Recently, Linehan has begun to compile a database of 'gender critical' Irish therapists who are willing to perform dangerous and harmful conversion therapy on transgender children, an action that is illegal in Ireland.

Linehan also appeared on the BBC programme Newsnight, where he publicly compared allowing transgender children to receive hormone blockers is comparable to Nazi's experimenting on people.

Whenever he's called out for his actions online Linehan is quick to respond by getting his followers to attack people. He also frequently gets into arguments with women, shutting down any of their complains, which has led to frequent complaints about misogyny.

Despite this very long and public display of open hate towards a vulnerable minority group, Jonathan Ross has come out in support of him.

Following a tweet from Linehan complaining that some people were trying to encourage him to stop harassing trans people, Jonathan Ross replied 'I struggle to understand the opinions of intelligent men I previously admired - Jon Ronson and Billy Bragg - that strike me as tragically ill informed and depressingly self-aggrandising. I know you are paying a heavy price for this G, but I admire and applaud you.'

It's not clear whether the 'celebrity mate' Linehan referred to is either of the people named by Ross, but both Jon Ronson and Billy Bragg have previously expressed support for trans people.

Many have already come out against Ross and his comments, complaining that his support for Linehan and his views is an approval of transphobia.


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Small Town Residents Threaten To Sue School Over Rainbow Flag

Residents of Marshall, Minnesota, have threatened to take legal action against Marshall Middle School for including a rainbow pride flag in a display about diversity.

The display that has come under fire also contained flags from nations around the world, but parents, and some students, have only cited concern with the inclusion of the pride flag. Last week dozens of members of the local community attended a meeting at the school board chambers to voice their opinions on the issue.

As can be expected from so many other incidents like this, parents have complained about the pride flag as they believe it to 'promote' a 'lifestyle', one that they feel is against their Christian beliefs. More than one of those who spoke out against the flag chose to read from the bible as their argument against it, choosing passages that they believe highlight that God is against homosexuality and trans people. They even said that the pride flag might 'confuse' children.

One parent, Mohammed Ahmed, asked the board, 'What's next? Curriculum? Teaching the lifestyle in our classrooms?'

One of the students from Marshall Middle School took to the mic to talk about how he and other students had begun a petition to have the pride flag removed but it was taken away by a teacher and given to the principal. He, and several other students, then tried to protest the inclusion of the pride flag by displaying flags on their lockers. In this case the 'Don't Tread On Me' flag; a flag that has some connections to racism and white supremacy.

This student complained that these flags were taken down by a teacher. People are now trying to claim that this was a breach of the students constitutional rights to free speech.

Bill Mohram, a local lawyer who has been approached by several members of the community to potentially sue the school over the pride flag said; 'If that young boy accurately described what happened to him, some teacher in your school district violated his constitutional rights unequivocally;'

Thankfully, these were not the only voices on display that night, as other members of the community took turns to defend the flag, and the school's decision to display it.

'Kids can only hear so many times the public shaming and these hurtful online comments,' said Karrie Alberts, the Marshall High School GSA Advisor. 'They are absorbing these words. They cannot hear that they are ungodly, or they are second-rate, or that they should be hidden away in some other room.'

She continued to condemn the attackers for treating LGBTQ+ students as being 'controversial'. Other parents stood up to say that they felt the flag was a symbol of inclusion for their children, some of who are gay, and that taking them down would be demonstrating to queer children that they are considered to be second class citizens.

No decision was made by the end of the meeting, with the Marshall Superintendent Scott Monson saying that he would need to consult the school district's legal representation. Despite this, those protesting the flag have said that if their demands have not been met, they 'will file a lawsuit in federal district court'.


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New Starbucks Ad Features Trans Positive Message

Starbucks UK has revealed a new advert that features a trans man, and a positive transgender message.

The #WhatsYourName advert has been released as part of the companies new partnership with trans charity Mermaids. Starbucks has pledged a minimum of £100,000 to the children's charity, with more donations being raised from sales form their new mermaid cookies.

The advert features a young trans man named James, and show him going through life struggling with situations where he is called by his deadname. When visiting a Starbucks he's asked what his name is, and James is written on his cup before being called out to him.

Whilst this ad might seem somewhat unusual to some people, this is a situation that many trans and non-binary people have been through over the years. Choosing your new name can be a daunting and difficult task. Some people will go through number of names before they find one that fits, and being called by your name is a big part of seeing if it works for you. Having a stranger call out a name that you're trying is an easy way to see what feels right to you without facing issues of people calling you out on it.

With so many trans and non-binary people having either experienced this themselves, or knowing someone who has, it's not a surprise that it has resonated well with the community.

People have taken to social media to praise the advert, thanking the company for their positive representation.

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Transphobic, Islamophobic, Abelist, Antisemitic Tory Candidate Sally-Ann Hart Elected To Parliament

Sally-Ann Hart, the Conservative candidate for Hastings and Rye has been elected to parliament, despite public comments that have been branded as Islamophobic, Abelist, and Transphobic. She received 26,896 votes, beating the Labour candidate, Peter Chowney, who came in second with 22,853.

Ms Hart has faced extensive criticism this month for disgusting views that she has shared publicly. At the start of the month she was called to defend an article she had written in 2017 during a public event, an article in which she claimed that disabled people should be paid less than minimum wage. During the event, which was filmed, she responded that she believes people with learning disabilities should be paid less as she believes 'they don't understand about money'.

She said 'They should be given the opportunity to work because it has to do with the happiness they have about working'. She responded to audience outrage by continuing with this line or argument, 'It's about having a therapeutic exemption and the article was in support of employing people with learning disabilities.'

The very same month, in the build up to the election, she shared a 2017 blog post that claimed Muslim extremists are pushing an agenda to promote LGBTQ+ rights and women's right to chose.

The article, by author and anti-Islam activist Cheri Berens, claimed that the Women's March Movement is a secret front for a hidden 'Muslim agenda'. The article claimed that 'The Muslim Brotherhood' wants women to have abortions in order to weaken non-Muslim populations. It also claimed that it supported the LGBTQ+ community in order to 'weaken' and 'confuse' men.

'They want a young male population that is weakened or with confused female tendancies, whether real or imagined, or transgender.' The article claimed. Sally-Ann Hart, who is now a member of Parliament, branded the article as an 'affecting read', and shared it with the public.

This latest accusation of Islamophobia and Transphobia not only joins her Abelism, but also her investigation for Antisemitism following her sharing a video that claimed billionaire George Soros is controlling the European Union. She has also been found to have liked videos that contain Nazi slogans.

Despite being under investigation for Anti-Semitism she was allowed to continue to stand for election by the Conservative Party, and has now been elected to Parliament.

This is the type of politician that the Tory Party feels best represents their values and views, and that members of the British public have now voted into office. An indication that the Tory Party is a cesspit of hatred, lies, and bigotry.


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Ricky Gervais Returns To Host Golden Globes Despite Rampant Transphobia

Comedian Ricky Gervais has been announced to be the host for the upcoming Golden Globes awards, his fifth time hosting the event, despite a history of transphobia.

Gervais previously hosted the event in 2015, where he made remarks about Caitlyn Jenner's transition, deadnaming her in the process. 'I'm going to be nice tonight. I've changed - not as much as [Caitlyn Jenner's deadname]. What a year she's had!' He later defended his choice of a crass and demeaning joke as 'playing with the notions of stereotypes'.

He would go on to make more transphobic comments about Jenner in a stand-up special. During the special he referred to her as an 'it', and misgendered her several times. 'It won a medal. It was on the telly all the time. A big famous man. With huge... I don't know. I would never deadname her, but when she was a man... I'd never deadname her now, but this is like a flashback.'

'She’s always identified as a woman,” he said. “That means she’s a woman. Fine, if that’s the rules. If you feel you’re a woman, you are. I’m not a bigot who thinks having all that done is science going too far.' He added. 'In fact, I don’t think it’s going far enough. ’Cause I’ve always identified as a chimp, right? Well, I am a chimp. If I say I’m a chimp, I am a chimp pre-op. But don’t ever deadname me. Don’t call me Ricky Gervais again. From now on, you call me Bob.'

This was far from the last time that Gervais engaged in transphobic 'humour', as he has continued to make multiple transphobic comments on his social media platforms.

He has also made 'jokes' where he identifies as other animals and objects, such as a 'two-spirit penguin'. He has also said that his pronoun is 'it'.

Just a few weeks ago he received criticism for announcing that he was planning to dress as a trans woman for Halloween. 'I was going to dress up as something weird and creepy for my Halloween party, but I'm bucking the trend this year and I'm going as brave female activist Jessica Yaniv.' He said. 'This also means that I don't have to wax my big hairy balls.'

He has also once claimed to identify as black when he was called out by a woman of colour for racist and privileged comments that he made.

Some people have also pointed out that his being asked to host the awards following his history of attacking minorities is a stark contrast to Kevin Hart, who was removed from hosting the Oscars following previous tweets coming to light in which he made homophobic jokes. Perhaps it's because Hart's targets were gay cis people rather than trans people that made them unacceptable whilst Gervais gets a free pass; or it could be because only one of them is white.

Gervais has also been seen on video laughing at comedian Louis CK using the N word. He has also publicly making jokes about AIDS. Both of these moments received heavy criticism.

Ricky Gervais constantly punches downwards with his 'humour', attacking and mocking minorities to help to increase his own feelings of smug self worth. He has laughed at people who have criticised him and his jokes, yet will appear on social media engaging in harassment of people who disagree with him in a petulant attempt to come off as the winner. He makes comments saying that the only people who complain about him are 'PC' and have 'pronouns in their bios'. This is the person that will be representing the Golden Globes. Disgusting.


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Tory Stripped From Role For Anti-LGBTQ+ Sentiment

Wiltshire Tory councillor Mary Douglas has been stripped from her front-bench role following a statement she made insulting the LGBTQ+ community.

Ms. Douglas refused to give a £1,000 grant that was earmarked for 2020's Salisbury Pride event. When the group organising the event requested the grant she would not issue it to them. It was reported that during a meeting of the Salisbury St Francis and Stafford council on Monday 11th November she made comments that disparaged the community.

'I cannot support this,' she said during the meeting. 'I am not saying I do not accept, or respect, or love people who identify as LGBTQ+, because of course I do. I support completely their right to make choices, however I do not support those choices themselves, nor the ideology and world view they represent.

'These are wonderful people, well-meaning and sincere, but misguided by a powerful ideology. I do not want to be part of promoting this, and I want to be clear this is not just my view, I represent a large number of people, some of who are afraid to say anything.'

Despite her comments she was outvoted during the meeting, and the funds were awarded to the Pride organisers.

Council leader Philip Whitehead told the press that following Ms. Douglas' comments he had 'taken the decision to remove councillor Mary Douglas as portfolio holder for social mobility and skills. I would like to thank her for her work during her time as portfolio holder. She will step down from the role with immediate effect but remains a Wiltshire Council councillor.'

Salisbury deputy mayor, and one of the organisers of Salisbury Pride, Caroline Crobin described Ms. Douglas as 'an embarassment to the public office who is no longer fit for that role'. After it was announced that Douglas lost her position as portfolio holder Ms Corbin said 'You can't represent people that way, so it's right the council has taken the action it has.'

Wiltshire Council has said that it has not received further complaints following the incident. Salisbury Pride is scheduled to take place on June 13th, 2020.


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Transgender Teen YouTuber Vows To Continue To Share Transition Despite Death Threats

Hannah Phillips, a 19-year-old trangender girl from the UK, has revealed that despite receiving near daily threats and abuse for her YouTube channel, where she shares her transition, she will continue to create and share content about her journey.

Hannah began her channel four years ago, shortly after coming out as trans, and claims to be the first transgender person to release a video every day. The channel documents her journey as she transitions. However, Hannah has revealed that she is the victim of death threats and abuse because of her content.

'I get negative comments on a daily basis, anything from generic death threats to direct transphobia, but it doesn't bother me. I ignore it and carry on.' She said, speaking to the press on the subject.

'The bad is outweighed by the good, though. I get messages from people's parents who thank me for helping them to understand what their child is going through, and messages from the trans community, thanking me for being so honest about what I've been through.'

Hannah described how she came out to her parents as transgender when she was fifteen, and wrote them a letter explaining her situation and what she wanted to do going forward. 'The next day they spoke to me and told me they supported me and accepted my decision. My brother said exactly the same. As soon as I told them the truth it felt like a burden had been lifted and the final piece of the jigsaw had been added.'

Hannah has had to deal with transphobia in the past, however, as she left school during Year 10 due to transphobic bullying and humiliation from other students. She left the school the next day and enrolled in college to study performing arts.

She has said that despite the abuse she is receiving for producing her videos, she will continue to do so to try to help other teens that experienced similar situations to her.


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Alan Sugar Speaks Out Against Non-Binary Community

Alan Sugar, businessman and presenter of the British Apprentice television series has made statements that complain about non-binary people, and saying that people who use gender free language should be deported.

During an interview with tabloid rag The Sun, in which they praise Sugar for telling 'it like it is' in a 'sensitive world', the businessman took aim at 'snowflakes'. He stated that 'The world has gone mad, it's ridiculous, they're looking for new things to be offended by'.

'It's absolutely crazy,' he continued, 'you can;t say anything nowadays without offending somebody with how they look, dress, the colour of their skin or whatever. It's sickening quite frankly.'

The fact that he's complaining that you cannot say anything about the colour of people's skin without them being offended does seem a lot like he's complaining about not being able to say racist things, something that he has received criticism for in the past. In 2018 he received criticism for tweeting racist comments about the all black Senegal World Cup football team. He was also previously accused of racism for making jokes about a crying Chinese baby.

When journalists asked him what he thought about non-binary pronouns from the 'woke generation' he became quickly angered.

'They need to pack it in, it's nonsense.' He replied. 'The people promoting it need to be shipped off to Mongolia. Send them away, get them out of the country. Go away. It boils down to a small bunch of people that promote it.'

This isn't the first time that he has insulted members of the LGBTQ+ public, as last December he made comments on social media about having 'had enough' gay people in his board room.

It's clear from his comments both now and in the past that Alan Sugar is a man who does not like the fact that he can't be openly racist, homophobic, and transphobic. He has repeatedly made negative comments about minorities and continues to do so, probably assuming that because he's a rich old white man he won't face any kind of consequences for his actions.


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BBC Presenter John Humphrys Says BBC Is 'Too Sympathetic' To Trans People

Veteran BBC television and radio presenter John Humphrys has received backlash from the LGBTQ+ community following comments where he stated that the BBC is too supportive of trans people.

The former presenter of Radio 4's Today programme spoke out against his former employer last weekend whilst appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. He claimed that the BBC and their staff have a 'liberal left agenda', which he said leads to coverage about trans issues that is too 'sensitive'.

'If you take something like, for instance transgender, the BBC's mindset is such that you must , kind of accept what the prevailing view is.' He said. 'Except that's their prevailing view, and perhaps mine is slightly different.

'The BBC’s attitude with that sort of social development is to be immediately sympathetic, not entirely detached as I believe they should be, but sympathetic and that worries me.'

He also added, 'I happen to believe, personally, that there are not an unlimited number of genders. I believe that we are born men and women. I feel slightly worried when large numbers of children are being told 'You think you might be a girl or you think you might be a boy? We'll go and get you medical attention'.'

He continued to use the fear of trans children to compound his point by saying, 'I'm uneasy about children being told in schools there are more than 100 different genders and it's possible for someone to change gender overnight. I'm worried about where it's heading. The BBC's attitude with that sort of social development is to be immediately sympathetic, not entirely detached as it should be.'

John Humphrys has in the past faced criticism for voicing anti-trans sentiment live on air when he described trans women as 'men who think they are women'.

Many of Humphrys' arguments are ones that will be familiar to many members of the trans community, as they are often used by TERFs (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) to attack members of the trans community. They also bear a striking similarity to homophobic arguments that were used in past decades by somehow framing the trans community and their existence as a threat to children.

Whilst the BBC is by far not the worst broadcaster for anti-trans sentiment, it is far from the sympathetic network that Humphrys believes it to be. Perhaps anything less than outright hate is seen as sympathy towards those who harbor anti-transgender views. But then again, is anyone really surprised that an old white man in his late seventies isn't okay with those who don't conform to narrow viewpoints on gender and sex?


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