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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Trans Woman Attacked In Portland

Atlas Marshall, a trans woman from Portland, USA, has reported being attacked last week. Three people, including Atlas, were attacked by a group of people in what is being described as a 'bias crime'.

At around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday September 12th, Atlas and her friends were returning home following a meal when they were approached by a group. They described the group as singling them out and abusing them based on Atlas being transgender.

'He saw me, visibly could tell I was trans, I was queer, and he started throwing homophobic and transphobic slurs at me.' Atlas told NBC reporters.

'Very quickly you could tell that he had noticed that I am trans. He started calling me all kind of slurs and homophobic and transphobic things. He just got more and more escalated and continued to say more and more things that were very much like hate speech. Then he started to approach me. Then he and his friend attacked me.'

Atlas said that she tried to defend herself, but was held down by two of the attackers and beaten. One of her friends, Austin Schuchard, tried to stop them, but had his nose broken. Atlas suffered from wounds to her knees and the side of her head.

The attackers fled before police could arrive at the scene. However, as two of the victims are members of the LGBTQ+ community police identified the incident as a potential bias crime and are requesting any information that could help them to identify the culprits.

Both Atlas and Austin have reported that the police involved in the investigation have made the case their primary focus. Police are asking any witnesses or anyone with video evidence of the attack to come forward to help with the investigation.

This is the second time in just a month that members of the LGBTQ+ community have reported experiencing a hate crime.


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UK Judge Rejects Gay Asylum Seeker For Not Acting Gay

A British immigration judge has been reported as having rejected a gay asylum seekers application to enter the UK because he 'lacked a homosexual demeanor' and 'did not look around the room in an effeminate manner'.

Rehana Popal, the lawyer for the asylum seeker, has complained that the unnamed judge was guilty of stereotyping their client, and rejecting them based on prejudice. Their client, who has also been unnamed in the report, comes from a country where homosexuality is illegal and was seeking asylum in the UK through fears that they will be targeted for being gay.

According to the report made by Ms Popal to The Guardian the judge compared her client to previous applicants, who they claimed 'wore lipstick' and were 'effeminate'. The judge compared this man to the other applicants, and deemed him not to be gay as he was not effeminate.

'He has taken a stereotype, used it as a benchmark and compared my client to it,' said Ms Popal, in relation to the judge's ruling. 'That is totally wrong. You do not need to dress a certain way, carry yourself a certain way or look a certain way to be homosexual. The only thing that makes a person gay is if they are attracted to someone of the same gender.'

Ms Popal also claimed that the judge made comments about the man's older partner, who has been successful in their asylum application a month earlier, claiming that 'younger men are highly valued' in homosexual relationships. A comment that Ms Popal believes falls into the myths that gay men are connected to paedophiles.

Ms Popal and her client have challenged the judge's ruling on this case, and an appeals court granted her client a second hearing. They also criticised the judge's ruling.

This has not been the first time that a judge has been criticised regarding a ruling concerning asylum from members of the LGBTQ+ community. In the past judges have ruled against lesbian asylum seekers due to them having previously had male partners, believing that they cannot be lesbians if they had been married to a man in the past.

Ms Popal also said that she has encountered a number of cases where asylum seekers have been refused by the Home Office because of 'absurd' reasons to deny their sexuality. She said that it has happened so often to become routine. Most disturbingly, many of these rulings are upheld by judges in the appeal stage.

'The system has definitely become harsher in recent years.' She explained. 'The quality of decision-making has reduced. You come across decisions that are genuinely absurd. You think, how did anyone write this?

'One that comes up a lot is when they say to gay Muslim men that being gay is unacceptable in Islam, and therefore it’s implausible that they can be gay and Muslim. Or when they say to a woman who was previously in an arranged marriage with a man that she therefore cannot be gay. The Home Office do not abide by their own policy guidance. If they followed them we wouldn’t have a problem. But they don’t.'

When asked about these incidents a Home Office spokesperson said, 'The UK has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Each case is considered on its individual merits by experienced caseworkers, with all available evidence carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information.'

Despite these assurances from the Home Office the director of the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group, Leila Zadeh, said that these kinds of cases are not isolated incidents.

'The biggest challenge facing LGBTQI+ people in need of international protection is proving their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.' She said. 'When someone appeals against a refusal, they should be given a fair hearing without expectation that they should fit a stereotype. We urge the tribunals to ensure all judges follow the judiciary’s guidance on equal treatment of LGBTQI+ people.'

These kinds of incidents seem to be far from isolated, however, and there have been reports from asylum seekers across the world who have had similar experiences. Recent reports came out that the Australian government asked offensive and invasive questions regarding the sex lives of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.

In documents that the Australian government spent over a year trying to suppress, it was revealed that two gay men from Bangladesh were asked questions regarding how often they had sex, how long their sex lasted, where and when they had sex, and if they 'drink cum'. The interviewers repeatedly asked them questions regarding their sexual activities in order to try and 'trick them' into revealing conflicting details that would prove they weren't actually gay.

The interview occurred in 2012, but the Australian government spent eighteen months trying to prevent the release of transcripts and audio recordings of the interview following a freedom of information request from Buzzfeed News. The government claimed that it did not want to release the files as it would 'violate the men's right to privacy' (ironic considering how they invaded their privacy, and because they felt it would cause a 'negative media reaction'.

It's clear that there are still many problems in regards to LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum because of their sexuality and gender, and that the practices and views of those conducting these cases needs to be updated as soon as possible. Sadly, many of these people are fleeing their own countries as they are actively in danger because of who they are, and who they love. There are still more than 70 countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQ+, and close to a dozen where the death penalty is in place.


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Lesbian Space Crimes!

American astronaut Anne McClain has been accused of committing the first ever recorded crime in space. NASA is investigating McClain after it was claimed that she accessed the bank account of her estranged wife, Summer Worden, whilst on board the International Space Station.

McClain and her wife have reportedly been involved in a bitter divorce battle for the last year, as well as fighting for custody over their son. According to a report in the New York Times Summer Worden filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the NASA Office of Inspector General accusing McClain of identity theft and improper access of her bank accounts whilst on the ISS.

McClain responded to the accusations through her lawyer, stating that she was merely accessing the account to check on her family's resources, and claimed that this was something that she had done on previous occassions. She said that she did so to make sure Worden had enough money to support their son.

Rusty Hardin, McClain's lawyer said, 'She strenuously denies that she did anything improper.'

A statement from NASA said that 'NASA has no statement on this and does not comment on personal or personnel matters. Anne McClain is an active Astronaut.'

The five space agencies involved in the space station,fromthe United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada, have long-established procedures to handle any jurisdictional issues that arise when astronauts of various nations are orbiting Earth together. But the director of the Global Space Law Center at Cleveland State University, Mark Sundahl, said he was not aware of any previous allegation of a crime committed in space. NASA officials said they were also unaware of any crimes committed on the space station.


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Louisiana Governor Candidate Attacks Trans Community In New Advert

Ralph Abraham, the Republican party hopeful campaigning for the position of Louisiana Governor, has issued a new television advertisement that attacks abortion rights, and the transgender community.

The doctor and former veterinarian has been involved in politics since 2015, and has a history of anti-LGBTQ+ opinions and comments. 

In his latest advertisement he made a list of 'truths'. In this list he claimed that government is too big, taxes are too high, and weighed in favour of second amendment rights. He also claimed that 'life begins at conception', and he said with a chuckle 'as a doctor, I can assure you, there are only two genders'.

Ralph Abraham has been a long term supporter of Donald Trump and has supported many of his administrations goals, including repealing the Affordable Care Act, and enforcing a travel ban that would stop people of Muslim faith entering the US. He has said that 'President Trump is doing a great job'.

He has also opposed the legalisation of same sex marriage, and co-introduced legislation to try and prevent the government form altering the definitions of 'sex' and 'gender' as a protected class, and to stop 'gender identity' from being included. In 2016, following the Orlando Pulse massacre, he issued a statement that did not mention the LGBTQ+ community, and instead focused on supporting America's troops, and blames ISIS.

Ralph Abraham is one of two major Republican contenders challenging the Democratic party member John Bel Edwards for Governor in October this year.

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US Christian Group Spreads Anti LGBTQ+ Leaflets Around UK City

Birmingham, located in the West Midlands in the UK, has been the centre of a fierce fight over LGBT+ education for a number of months, with parent groups protesting outside of primary schools following the government decision to include LGBTQ+ education in school curriculums.

Now a fundamentalist Christian group from the United States, 'Tradition, Family, and Property', has begun to spread anti LGBTQ+ literature around the city. Residents were surprised to discover the leaflets titled 'Gender Theory: Diversity or 21st Century Totalitarianism?' in their letterboxes on Tuesday morning.

The leaflets called itself a 'tool against gender theory' and warns that LGBTQ+ activist are 'imposing anti-Christian and anti-god views on your children'. The leaflet also made transphobic comments saying that gender theory is 'delirious, ideology claiming everyone can fancy themselves to be a man, woman, neither, or both at the same time according to mere whims'.

The leaflets also included a picture of a child sitting on Santa's knee. The reason? Who knows.

A local resident, Janique James, spoke to local newspaper, the Birmingham Mail, to say 'This leaflet is disgusting. It's wrong a transphobic 'Catholic' hate group is posting this rubbish through my letterbox. Surely they have better things to do?

'God knows where it's come from but I'm not surprised I've received it. people have been protesting outside schools against sex education and LGBT+ education in the local area. One thing is for sure, the leaflet is going straight into the cat litter. I've got not time for homophobia and transphobia.'

Another resident said 'Disgusting, but why brings Father Christmas into this?!'

Some residents have also reported that the leaflets have been handed out in person in the local shopping centre.

The leaflet also offers readers the chance to receive a larger 64 page booklet for £5, which claims to answer questions such as 'What is Gender Theory?', 'What is anti-Science Theory?', and 'What is Queer Theory?'.

Tradition, Family and Property was founded in the 1960's in Brazil, and has spent fifty years promoting extreme Catholic views, including campaigning against LGBTQ+ rights, as well as reproductive rights. The group also operates in the United States under the name The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property. They have campaigned in Brazil, the US, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and now the UK.


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Magnum Apologises For Comparing Ice Cream To Imprisonment Of Gays

Magnum Ice Cream has apologised for a recent advertisement that received backlash for being insulting towards the LGBTQ+ community.

The advertisement, which appeared on the music service Spotify, focused on 'guilty pleasures'. A voice-over in the ad said 'A hug from my boyfriend. That's my guilty pleasure. Because in my country, just a simple hug with the man I love could send me to prison for more than 10 years'.

The comparison of the 'guilty pleasure' of eating an ice cream and the imprisonment of LGBTQ+ people around the globe was quickly criticised and condemned on social media platforms, where the public were able to air their displeasure with the company.

Magnum initially responded by saying that they were unsure why people were displeased with the advert, saying that they 'wanted to remind people that what is considered a guilty pleasure isn't always what you would expect'.

The company has now issued an apology for the advert that says, 'Magnum has a history of championing LGBTQ+ rights and Pride Month is a moment when lots of us celebrate progress. We're sorry for any offence caused by the advert, which aimed to bring awareness to the injustices people face around the world.'

Whilst it may be admirable that the company wanted to raise awareness of this issue, perhaps a better apology would be warranted. Perhaps the company should apologise for causing offence, rather that placing the blame on those who 'found' it offensive. It wasn't that people found it offensive, it was that it was offensive to begin with. For a company that claims to have championed LGBTQ+ rights they don't know how to talk to that community.

There are currently 72 countries around the world where same-sex relations are illegal and can end in imprisonment. There are 11 countries in which LGBTQ+ people can be put to death.


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Trans Man Gavin Grimm Wins Bathroom Legal Battle

Transgender man Gavin Grimm, who has spent the last four years engaged in a legal battle for his school board to recognise him as male, as finally won his legal case.

Gavin has been engaged in a battle with the Gloucester School Board in Virginia following its 2014 decision in which board members voted that students must use the bathroom facilities that match the gender assigned to them at birth, thus banning transgender students from using the facilities that match their gender.

Gavin made the choice to take legal action against his school board after they told him that he would be forced to use the female facilities. Despite telling the board that he had previously been the victim of abuse and bullying whenever he used female facilities the board refused to allow him to use male restrooms. They offered him the use of the nurse's office, despite it being too far away from his classes to be a viable option.

Despite graduating in 2017 Gavin refused to let the matter drop and continued his legal action. But now his case has finally come to a close. On 9th August the District Judge Arenda Wright Allen sided with Gavin, ruling that the school district decision violated the U.S. Constitution. Judge Allen issued a court order stating that the school district violated the 14th Amendment and Title IX of education civil rights law by not respecting students gender identities.

The judge also ordered the school district to alter Gavin's transcripts to reflect his male identity, and to pay his court fees.

'There is no question that the board's policy discriminates against transgender students on the basis of their gender non-conformity.' Judge Allen wrote. 'Under the policy, all students except for transgender students may use restrooms corresponding with their gender identity. Transgender students are singles out, subject to discriminatory treatment, and excluded from spaces where similarly situated students are permitted to go. The perpetuation of harm to a child stemming from unconstitutional conduct cannot be allowed to stand.'

Speaking on social media Gavin said, 'It is such a relief to achieve this closure and vindication from the court after four years of fighting not just for myself, but for trans youth across America. I promise to continue to advocate for as long as it takes for everyone to be able to live their authentic lives freely, in public, and without harassment and discrimination.'


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Upcoming Graphic Novel To Explore Trans Identity

An upcoming graphic novel, The Deep & Dark Blue, is set to explore issues of identity and gender in a new, fantasy setting. Due for release on January 7th, 2020, the new Young Adult book will be written and drawn by Niki Smith, who has previously been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for her book Crossplay.

The Deep & Dark Blue follows Hawke and Grayson, two boys who must flee their home following a political coup against their noble house. The two of them disguise themselves as girls, Hanna and Grayce, in order to hide amongst the Communion of Blue, an order of magical women. Whilst Hawke wants to retake his royal home and return to his old life Grayce realises that she wants to stay where she is, so that she can live as a girl.

Speaking to Newsarama about the book Niki Smith had a lot to say about the characters of Hawke and Grayce.

'Grayce and Hawke are identical twins, noble 'sons' with high expectations to live up to, to Grayce's regret. When they lose their title in a bloody coup, the twins have to go into hiding, disguising themselves as girls to join the Communion of Blue. For Grayce, it's the chance she's always wanted, a way to live openly as herself, as a girl, as Grayce. She's always been the quieter, more serious twin, but her confidence blossoms as she finds her place in the world.' She explained.

'Hawke, on the other hand, chafes at having to keep his true identity quiet and hidden. He's got a big mouth and the confidence to match, and not being able to get revenge on the woman who killed his family is eating away at him. He's got a one-track mind, and unfortunately, that means he's blind to a lot of what Grayce is dealing with.'

When talking about her inspiration for having the twins disguise themselves as girls she had the following to say. 'Growing up, I loved stories that played with gender, the classic Shakespearean trope. Girls disguising themselves as boys to have adventures and become knights and pirates and soldiers! Something about the blurring of gender roles really appealed to me. But I never saw the reverse, and I never found a story that didn't end tied up with a straight, cis bow. The Deep & Dark Blue is my quiet attempt to change that'

'The Deep & Dark Blue is for every kid out there who's still trying to find where they belong. It's about building a family of your choice that loves and embraces you, no matter what. Whether that's due to gender or sexuality or anything else; middle school is rough enough as it is. I want to reach the kids who need to know that's possible. And it's for everyone else out there who grew up never seeing themselves as the hero. It's about being more than a tragic subplot or a hilarious BFF. We all get to learn magic and save the day.'

The Deep & Dark Blue is currently available to pre-order in both hardcover and paperback.


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Rocko's Modern Life Returns To Netflix, Featuring A Trans Character

The cult television series Rocko's Modern Life, which ran for 52 episodes across four season from 1993 to 1996 has recently returned in a 45 minute special on Netflix, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling. A show that has been noted for its veiled social commentary, adult humour, and anti-corporate themes, the new special is no exception, tackling people's inability to accept change, and transgender issues.

The end of the original series saw characters Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt blasted into space, with nothing to keep them entertained except a video of their favourite cartoon show, The Fatheads. Having now returned to earth the three of them are shocked to find the world changed in their absence, surprised by the existence of mobile phones, 3D printers, and laptops to name but a few. Disliking this new world and wanting to recapture their old life the three of them set out to find Ralph Bighead, the creator of The Fatheads, so that he can bring the show back.

The three of them find Ralph's parents, and are told that they've not seen him for a long while. 'Ralph went off to find himself years ago' the three of them are told. Eventually tracking him down they discover him hiding inside a truck in the desert, where they discover that Ralph has indeed found himself.

'I've changed', Ralph tells the three of them as he steps out of the truck to reveal a woman, 'I'm not Ralph anymore. I'm Rachel.'

Despite being relics of the 90's Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt are all positive and accepting of this news, and congratulate Rachel. From here the story changes to Rachel having to reunite with her family in order to bring The Fatheads back. Rachel's mother is quite accepting of this change, saying 'I think it's great what Rachel has done. I'm sure she's much more comfortable with herself.' Sadly, her father is less than happy with his daughters transition, going as far as telling Rachel 'I have no daughter'.

Thankfully, Rocko is able to bring Mr Bighead around. 'You can live without your old job, and you can live without your house, but you can't live without a relationship with your child' Rocko tells him. By the end of the special he learns to accept his daughter.

Speaking to Queerty about the special the series creator, and voice of Rachel, Joe Murray talked in depth about the project.

'I wrote in the story that the creator of The Fatheads went through a change in the last 20 years, and it like a natural progression of character for Rachel to find herself. Since the whole special is about change, it felt like the only way to go. Rachel wanted to make her transition.' He said.

'Nickelodeon had their initial reluctance. I think I kind of caught them off guard with it. I said that this is the story I really wanted to do. And they promised me we wouldn't back off of anything the original Rocko would have done and then some. So, Chris Viscardi took it to the then president of Nickelodeon who signed off on it as long as we brought GLAAD into the picture to consult.I thought that was a great idea and we moved forward. By the time Netflix saw it it was already baked in, but I can't imagine they would have had reluctance.'

The special has so far well received by both fans and the trans community.


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Ohio Shooting Victim Identified As Trans Man Jordan Cofer

One of the victims of the mass shooting that occurred in Dayton, Ohio on August 4 has been identified as transgender man Jordan Cofer.

The shooting was perpetrated by Jordan's brother, Connor Betts, and media outlets misgendered Jordan throughout their coverage of the event, referring to him by his birth name and calling him Betts' 'sister'. It wasn't until later that friends of Jordan whom he had come out to made people aware of this situation.

One of Jordan's friends, who requested to remain anonymous, spoke to the website Splinter to inform them the mistake. They said, 'Jordan was my close friend. He identified with he/him pronouns to people he trusted and knew he would support him. Jordan was probably one of the sweetest people you would ever meet, a true saint, but he was also very scared constantly. He tried to give the best to everyone.'

Jordan's friend said that he had not come out to his family, but had social media accounts under his correct name and pronouns. His Tumblr account identified him as a 'trans boy with a loving heart and way too much work to do'.

A friend of his wrote on Twitter 'He was a trans man who went by Jordan Cofer. It hurts seeing the [birth name] plastered everywhere when I know that's not him'.

A post on Instagram said, 'Jordan was my best friend, a love, and a perfect soul. I can't imagine my world without him. I cannot fathom how angry I am, how hurt I am... Words can not describe how much I will miss you, how much I love you, and how heartbroken I am.'

Due to Jordan not being out to his family there is no evidence that he was targeted by his brother due to being trans.

A spokesperson for the National Centre for Transgender Equality said 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Jordan as well as eight others in this tragic and violent act. Mass gun violence is an epidemic in this country and deserving of swift and immediate action by lawmakers at all levels of government. We join the nation in mourning for every community impacted by gun violence.'


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Ohio Lawmaker Blames Mass Shooting on LGBTQ+ Community

Republican State Representative for Ohio, Candice Keller, has caused anger amongst her constituents, and the wider community, by blaming recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio on the LGBTQ+ community.

In a post to her personal Facebook account she blamed the two incidents, which resulted in the deaths of 29 people, on 'the breakdown of the traditional American family'. The full post, which has since been removed reads as follows;

'After every mass shooting, the liberals star the blame game. Why not place the blame where it belongs?

'The breakdown of the traditional American family (thank you, transgender, homosexual marriage, and drag queen advocates); fatherlessness, a subject no one discusses or believes is relevant; the ignoring of violent video games; the relaxing of laws against criminals (open borders); the acceptance of recreational marijuana; failed school policies (hello, parents who defend misbehaving students): disrespect to law enforcement (thank you, Obama); hatred to our veterans (thank you, professional athletes who hate our flag and National Anthem); the Dem Congress, many members whom are openly anti-Semetic; the culture, which totally ignores the importance of God and the church (until they elect a President); state officials, who have no interest whatsoever in learning about our Constitution and the Second Amendment; and snowflakes, who can't accept a duly-elected President.

'Did I forget anybody? The list is long. And the fury will continue.'

The post, which is incredibly badly written, is a typical check list of blame targets for Republicans. The gays, immigrants, bad parents, protesters, Democrats, people who believe in gun control. It's a right wing nuts wet dream of blame. What Ms. Keller fails to acknowledge, however, is that almost all US mass shootings, and these two attacks in particular, are committed by white, cisgender, heterosexual males with conservative, often racist, views. The kind of people she likes.

Keller has victim blamed. She has turned around to the communities that are the targets of these kind of attacks and said that it's their fault that mass killings happen. She, like these attackers, clearly wants an America where the only people allowed to exist are conservative Republicans, white heterosexual Christians who follow Trump without question and worship the flag.

The Butler County Democratic Party Chairman Brian Hester responded to her post saying, 'She loves to fan the flames and play the role of victim here, not the nine people who were killed. She is fundamentally unfit for office. She is an embarrassment to her party, to conservatives, to Butler County and to the state legislator.'

He also went on to add, 'To blame these shootings on some of the very people who have been targeted is offensive to those victims as well as the nine people who were murdered in Dayton this morning and to their grieving friends and family members. I think we should focus on the ease this killer had to the tools at his disposal for his murderous rampage more than what video games he played as a kid. It is disgraceful that this is what passes for Republican rhetoric now.'

A Dayton Daily News reporter approached her for a comment, reading her statement back to her. She said that it sounded like part of her post, but she could not be sure if it was altered.

Candice Keller is running for the Ohio Senate in Butler County in 2020. She is currently under investigation for violating ethics rules by sponsoring a bill that would directly benefit an anti-abortion health centre she she owns in Ohio. She has also appeared on a white power advocate radio show in 2017, has compared Planned Parenthood to the Nazi party, and has called the survivors of the Parkland school shooting 'Dorito-eating video gamers'.


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