Kansas has become the latest state to step into the fight against transgender people as the state reveals plans to prevent transgender people from being able to change their birth certificates.
The new regulations, which could come into effect as soon as six weeks from now, would block members of the trans community from being able to alter their birth certificate to reflect the gender they live their lives as.
Not only will these regulations prevent transgender people from being able to live their lives effectively, as the gender listed on a birth certificate plays a massive role in helping transgender individuals prove their gender identity, but it could go so far as to lead to an increase in the suicide rates within the trans community.
Preventing trans people from changing their birth certificates will cause countless situations where trans people can be denied access to facilities, or certain rights simply because their birth certificate has them listed as the gender that they were assigned at birth, rather than their correct one.
Mary Pilcher-Cook, the Republican Kansas senator, said that 'a birth certificate is a record for future generations', going on to state that she feels that the document should represent 'the science behind a person's gender, not political issues'.
'Men and women are biologically different', she said, 'I don't think we should become detached from reality.'
This is the latest attempt from the religiously fanatic and bigoted right wing American government to make the lives of transgender people unnecessarily difficult, in what I can only imagine to be an attempt to wipe out the community completely.
Following a letter from the Obama administration calling for all schools across America to allow transgender students access to the bathroom facilities that match their gender identity or risk facing the loss of millions of dollars in funding it would appear that the state of Texas would rather go to war over the issue than listen to sense.
On Friday night the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott took to Twitter to condemn both the letter and President Obama, accusing him of wanting to rewrite civil rights to suit his own purposes. 'I announce today that Texas is fighting this. Obama can't rewrite the Civil Rights Act. He's not a king.'
Earlier that same day Abbott endorsed the North Carolina HB2 law banning transgender people from using the bathrooms that match their gender identity, promising that 'I am working with the governor of North Carolina, and we are fighting back.'
Abbott is being backed by several members of the Texas government, including Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who spoke at a press conference to condemn the call for equality for transgender children, saying that government is engaging in blackmail.
'We will not yield to blackmail from the President of the United States. We will not sell our children to the federal government. And the people of Texas and the legislator will find a way to find as much of that money as we can if we are forced to. There is no compromise on this issue.'
Patrick added that the debate over bathrooms 'is the biggest issue facing families and schools in America since prayer was taken out of public schools'. He went on to try and twist the call for the inclusion of transgender students to the government trying to hurt those in a vulnerable position by taking away funding.
'The schools in Texas get about $10 billion over our two-year budget of federal funds. A majority of that is for free breakfasts and free lunches through the food program,' he said. 'So Barack Obama, if schools don't knuckle down to force girls showering with boys and force 8-year-old girls to have to endure boys coming into the bathroom, he's taking money from the poorest of the poor. The President of the United States will be ending the free breakfast and free lunch program. That's what he's saying.'
Members of the Texas school and education department have also condemned the letter, with one superintendent having a rather extreme reaction. Rodney Cavness, superintendent of Port Neches-Groves Schools in south Texas, told local news reporters that he would wilfully disobey the president's order.
'I got news for President Barack Obama. He ain't my president and he can't tell me what to do. The letter is going straight to the paper shredder.'
Cavness said that he has five daughters and is entrusted by parents to protect another 2,500 girls in the school system. He says that the president's orders have gone too far. 'He is destroying the very fibre of this country. He is not a leader. He is a failure.'
In an attempt to bring an end to the argument over the treatment of transgender people, the Obama administration has issued guidance directing all public schools in America to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms matching their gender identity.
In a joint letter from the Department of Education and the Department of Justice that was issued to schools across the country yesterday (Friday 13th May 2016) guidelines have been laid out to ensure that 'transgender students enjoy a supportive and nondiscriminatory school environment'.
This action has come in response to the growing hostilities towards the transgender population, especially towards transgender students. In the last few weeks alone more than fifty families in Illinois are suing over a transgender student being allowed access to the correct bathroom, and a school board in North Carolina voting to allow students to carry mace and pepper spray to use on transgender students in bathrooms.
The letter is an attempt to put an end to the open hostility towards transgender students and to put an end to the rampant discrimination that is putting the lives of innocent transgender individuals in danger.
The letter states, 'When a school provides sex-segregated activities and facilities, transgender students must be allowed to participate in such activities and access such facilities consistent with their gender identity.
Whilst the letter does not carry the weight of the law behind it, it does send a clear message to those schools who choose not to listen, follow the new guidelines or face losing massive federal funding.
The Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said, 'These groundbreaking guidelines not only underscore the Obama administration's position that discrimination against transgender students is flat-out against the law, but they provide public school districts with needed and specific guidance guaranteeing that transgender students should be using the facilities consistent with their gender identity.
'This is a truly significant moment not only for transgender youth but for all young people, sending a message that every student deserves to be treated fairly and supported by their teachers and schools.'
The Department of Education's Catherine E. Lhamon said that, 'This guidance answers questions schools have been asking, with a goal to ensure that all students are treated equally consistent with their gender identity.'
Despite the letter several organisations and individuals have already spoken out in protest over equal rights for transgender students.
Now that the Labour Party's Sadiq Khan has been elected to the position of Mayor of London other politicians are lining up to take over his seat at Tooting. One such candidate is transgender activist Emily Brothers.
Emily Bothers, who was born with Aniridia which has caused her blindness and hearing difficulties, has been an active campaigner for disability rights as well as LGBT+ issues.
'I would be honoured to represent the people of Tooting, picking up the baton from Sadiq Khan's achievements,' she told the press after confirming her candidacy. 'I love the diversity of South West London, so I'm really keen to help secure positive change for all local residents.
'I'm very worried by the impact Tory austerity is having on hard working families in Tooting, particularly those disadvantaged because of their disability or older age. I want change, to turn people's anguish into aspiration, by contributing Labour's fight back.
I can make a difference - having a track record in campaigning for equality and with personal experience of disability and going through gender transition. That demonstrates resilience - the kind of tenacity needed for this By-Election challenge and then holding the Tory Government to account so all Tooting residents are safe, better off and their housing and travel is more affordable.
'I want to reach out to everyone in Tooting , so we can build a better future together. That means focusing on improving people's living standards, creating more opportunity in education and employment, providing effective public services and housing.'
Labour will select its candidate for the by-election this coming Saturday.
This review WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS, if you do not want certain plot points or story spoilt, please do not read further.
'Who are you to stand against me, Vandal Savage, destroyer of empires?!'
'Leonard Snart, robber of ATM's!'
The previous episode, 'Leviathan', seemed like a season finale episode throughout, with a scenario and level of action that most shows would be proud to showcase as an endpoint, so with three episodes left to go it was hard to know where the show was going to go. Luckily, 'River of Time' proved to be a fantastic episode in itself and a great follow up to what came the week before.
'River of Time' follows our team as they try to pilot the still damaged Waverider through the time stream to vanishing point so that they can hand Savage over to the Time Masters. Whilst it might not sound like the most thrilling plot in existence, the writing and acting help to elevate it to a really great level. Surprisingly too, the episode is a bottle episode, with all but the final two scenes being set aboard the Waverider.
Whilst some shows would struggle to make a bottle episode interesting and engaging, especially if they've been producing episodes in such varied and interesting settings as Legends of Tomorrow, this episode is one of the best of the whole series and a great example of how to produce a good bottle episode.
The drama in the episode comes in two forms, whether the ship can survive its journey to vanishing point, and the mind games that Savage plays on the team whilst their prisoner.
Savage gets to give up on being the rather bland villain we've had all season and instead gets to channel a little Hannibal Lecter as he stands inside his glass cage and tries to push their trust issues and insecurities. It's definitely the best we've ever seen him up to now, and gives him much more menace than simply striding around and commanding others to fight on his behalf.
For the most part his mind games actually work, as he not only gets inside Ray's head to play on the insecurities he has about his relationship with Kendra now that Carter is back but also begins to get the team to doubt Rips intentions and loyalty to them. Thankfully this isn't a plot thread that will last beyond this episode, as Rip manages to prove his loyalty to the team by taking a bullet meant for Kendra, but it was a good little moment worth exploring over the course of this episode.
The mind games played on Ray will definitely have more lasting effects, as it would appear that the Ray/Kendra relationship may have finally reached breaking point now that Carter is back amongst them. I'm not particularly sorry to see the end of this love story, as its felt more forced than anything else, and there is relatively little chemistry between the two of them.
This also, sadly, gives Ray what is without a doubt his most stupid moment ever, and I am counting all his time on Arrow here too, not just Legends. Vandal Savage manages to goad Ray into opening his cell and getting him to enter it in order to fight him. Not only is this one of the oldest tricks in the book (it's right up there behind 'oh my stomach hurts') but we've got someone who is supposed to be a genius thinking that it's a good idea to pick a fight with a multiple murderer who's thousands of years old and has probably mastered every form of unarmed combat around. Frankly, Ray deserved to get the shit kicked out of him here.
When Savage finally manages to break out of his cell and run amok across the ship the episode gives us one of the smallest fights the show has done yet, but one that works surprisingly well at building up the tension. The team are stuck in a small hallway between Savage with a laser gun and the still brainwashed Carter with his mace. It's here that we get one of the best exchanges we've had in the entire history of the arrowverse as Savage and Captain Cold square off against each other, 'Who are you to stand against me, Vandal Savage, destroyer of empires?!' 'Leonard Snart, robber of ATM's!'
Once again Wentworth Miller proves that even when he's not given a great deal to do in an episode he can still become one of the best things the episode has to offer. Whatever cast changes the producers choose to make going into season two, I sincerely hope that both he and Dominic Purcell get to stay around, even though they were the two characters I was most sceptical about when the show first began.
During the fight Carter remembers his past lives and manages to come to the aid of the team in time to prevent their defeat, though he does manage to get stabbed by Savage yet again (I'm starting to think he might not be the best at this superhero thing). Luckily this time Carter isn't mortally wounded and survived his fight with Savage before the villain is once again captured by the team.
Also during this episode the team loses Jax, who after being exposed to the temporal radiation inside the time engine begins to age at a rapid rate. It provides a nice solid story for both him and Stein as the older of the pair manages to figure out a way of saving his other half, albeit one that will probably lead to his own death from being separated from Jax. It's nice to see Stein atoning for drugging Jax at the start of the season to force him onto the mission, by this time drugging him in order to send him home. It's a good reversal of that initial episode, though it is beginning to worry me at how good Stein is at drugging people.
By the end of the episode Rip and the team manages to finally get Savage to the Time Masters, only to find that they are already aware of Savage's tampering in the timeline and are willing to not only let him go free, but then arrest Rip and the crew.
'River of Time' is a small scale episode that manages to take a limited setting and a lot of character moments to make one of the best episodes of the show to date with an ending that sets the stage for an interesting penultimate episode.
The Labour Party has become the latest British political party to have an elected transgender politician.
Anwen Dawn Muston was elected for Wolverhampton City Council during last week's elections, where she secured the East Park ward with 1,022 votes.
'I'm proud to have been elected, as the first openly out elected transgender politician at any level within the Labour Party. I was not selected or elected because I am transgender, nor to tick an equality tick box.
'It's because of my qualities and experiences in dealing with local issues, along with all the hard work that I put in during the election campaign - proving that I can do the job required and represent all communities regardless on a range of issues.
'I have had a good experience with no prejudice when attending local meetings or meeting residents who have had issues that need to be resolved.
'Being transgender is secondary, however I would encourage other trans people who have the neccesary skills and ability to have a go at public office. We still need to see an elected MP, PCC, Assembly Member or MEP.
'This is about getting on with your own life once you have transitioned and being seen to be taking on everyday tasks that others do every day which will break down the barriers of the wider public and will pave the way for future generations to come. It's taking part that counts whichever political party you belong to.'
A number of other parties currently have transgender councillors, including UKIP, Conservatives, The Green Party and the Liberal Democrats. However, there are currently no transgender MP's in Britain.
Why do people praise Kevin Smith so much? I know that when 'Clerks' came out way back in 1994 it was a big deal on the indie cinema scene. It spoke to a lot of people of a certain generation and appealed to young 'regular' people who liked it for its pop culture references, as well as the more highbrow critics who like it for being all talk and made in black and white.
Kevin Smith burst onto the scene and looked like he was going to change cinema in a big way, along with both Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, the three of whom appeared to be combining the dialogue of high class art house productions and the sleaziness and grimy aesthetic of the grindhouse genre, all mixed in with liberal amounts of pop culture references and geek ephemera.
At these first few films from these directors were making a big impact upon a generation of film fans who finally felt that there were people making movies that not only appealed to them, but could almost have been made by them. They were directors that the audience could identify with and aspire to be.
Whilst at the time 'Clerks' was an important part of this movement and new form of cinema, to look at it now there's not much of the film that can actually stand on its own. It's not particularly funny, the scenarios are all contrived and predictable, the dialogue is stilted and unnatural, there's no creativity when it comes to the cinematography and the acting is amateur and hammy at best.
'Clerks' only succeeded in becoming something notable at the time because there wasn't much like it on the market. As time went on and Smith made more films it became apparent that what little there was in 'Clerks' that made it successful was missing completely from his other projects. Along with the development of the 'askewniverse' and the self-indulgence of the Silent Bob character Smith went from one poor project to the next.
I thought that his body horror film 'Tusk' was the complete low point of his career, with the plot and characters based on crappy jokes from his 'SModcast' show in a moment of terrible self-reference and self-adulation. The film wasn't funny in the slightest, the plot was ridiculous and the whole thing seemed to be made only to appeal to Smith himself and his unquestioning fans.
Kevin Smith as the Bratzi
Well, I guess I was wrong as Smith has just launched a trailer for his new film 'Yoga Hosers', a follow-up to 'Tusk' that follows the characters of Colleen and Colleen, as played by the daughters of Kevin Smith and Johnny Depp, Harley Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp, who appeared briefly in the previous film as they combat an invasion of evil Nazi sausage monsters called 'Bratzis', played by Smith himself.
So yet again we have another film based around frankly ludicrous 'jokes' from his show, built as a platform for him and Johnny Depp to get their daughters into a lead film role and with an absolutely stupid premise.
Now, I'm not against schlocky films, they're definitely a genre that I love, but the reason they're good when they're good is because they're trying to make genuinely good films, but they fail making a serious film and instead create something so crazy it's great. 'Yoga Hosers', just like 'Tusk' before it, appear to be trying to make a film with that same ridiculous schlocky feel, the problem is those kinds of films aren't made intentionally bad.
It would appear that Kevin Smith fails to understand this and thinks that just by making something with a stupid premise, crappy monster effects and awkward dialogue will make them good films by virtue of being 'so bad it's good', when instead they're just plain bad.
I fail to see who these films are being made for other than as a product of Smiths terrible humour and self-love, whilst feeling that he can make his daughter a film star simply because people let him do whatever he wants in his films. I just don't understand why he keeps being allowed to do whatever he wants and keeps getting to make complete and utter crap.
'Clerks' might have meant something to a lot of people when it first came out, and it might have helped to create a new age of cinema for a whole generation, but it's cultural significance does not automatically make it a good film. It is allowed to have done all of that good stuff and still be a poor piece of cinema. You don't have to hold it, and by extension Smith, up on an untouchable pedestal because of what it did at the time.
Kevin Smith is not a good filmmaker, he is not a good writer, and he is not particularly funny. Don't just keep letting him do whatever the hell he want and actually question whether people should waste so much money, effort and time on another of his pointless and terrible projects that will amount to nothing more than further feeding of his ego.
When the latest trailer for the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse landed fans were promised a 'surprise mutant reveal'. A lot of fans speculated that it would be the reveal of Wolverine's inclusion in the film, whilst some hoped that it would be the inclusion of a new character to the franchise, such as the much hinted at Dazzler. The people in the first camp were the ones who were correct, though, as the final shot of the trailer revealed that Wolverine would indeed be included in the film.
To some this was a good thing, as there are certain viewers who feel that it wouldn't be an X-Men film without his inclusion, even if it were just in a cameo role like his part in X-Men: First Class. It does however,1 confirm a slightly annoying trend of the series, the fact that they seem incapable of producing an X-Men film without using Wolverine, with Deadpool being the only one so far that he has been absent from.
It's not known how much of the film he will be in, whether or not he has a large role that has been cunningly hidden from the promotional material so far, or if he has a much smaller part in just a handful of scenes. Considering that the heroes are going up against their most powerful and deadly enemy to date, and the fact that other than Mystique and Beast the whole team are inexperienced teens, it would need some clever writing to introduce the character into the film yet leave him out of the climactic battle without it feeling forced (yes, I'm looking at you 'Days of Future Past' and having Magneto throw him away into the sky).
If you were to remove the last scene in the final trailer, which is so far everything we've seen of the clawed mutant, the film would still look like a well-made and competent picture. Up until that point everyone was still excited for the film, people were saying that it looked amazing, so the studio can clearly make an X-Men film that appears to be good without his inclusion. X-Men: First Class is a prime example of this, where if you removed his thirty second cameo the movie would still be great.
I can't help but feel that the studio gets cold feet every now and then though and feels that they have to put Wolverine in the films or fans will protest against his absence.
The simple fact is thought that Hugh Jackman has said that Wolverine 3 will be his last time in the role, and that that film will be the next superhero film on Fox's schedule. If they're going to continue to make X-Men movies they're going to have to either recast, which I don't think they'll do, or get used to the fact that they will have to get by without him.
X-Men: Apocalypse could have been their first chance to get away from the character before they're put in a situation where they don't have a choice but get by without. Sadly it would appear that they've fallen into the trap of clutching at their metal clawed safety blanket.
Perhaps I'm wrong, because the studio has proven that they can make perfectly competent X-Men movies without him, but I'm starting to get tired of always seeing him in these films, and usually in a much more central role than he really should have. It's one of the bonuses of the Avengers films that every character gets their moment to shine and feels like an important part of a whole, but the X-Men films are starting to feel more like Wolverine's film with an extended supporting cast.
'Days of Future Past' was a great film, but it would have been great if Wolverine wasn't the person sent back in time. 'Apocalypse' looks like it's going to be a great film, and it built up massive hype without Wolverine. Please, please Fox, stop pushing Wolverine into every X-Men film. If you think that they need his involvement in some way at least rethink how you're going to go about doing that. Why not use Wolverine 3 to introduce us to X23 and then use her as part of the team in the regular X-Men films, and a genuine part of the team rather than the front character like Wolverine?
If you really feel that this franchise needs to be connected to Wolverine in some way in order to survive at least get a little more interesting and inventive in how you do that. Or perhaps come to the realisation that there are enough great X-Men characters that you can produce a film without him that would still be a hit.
Following a letter from the Justice Department informing North Carolina that they are in violation of federal statutes over their HB2 legislation the Governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, has announced that he plans to sue President Obama rather than repeal BH2.
Along with the letter, North Carolina were warned that the state could lose billions of dollars in federal education funding. This is along with dozens of celebrities, such as Bruce Springsteen, who have cancelled public appearances in the state and hundreds of business leaders who have condemned the law that unjustly targets and discriminates against members of the LGBT+ community.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday yesterday, 8th March 2015, McCrory said that the state has not been given enough time to respond to the Justice Department's request (despite voting HB2 into power in just one day) and said 'It's the federal government being a - a bully. It's making law'. Yes, the state that feels that they have the right to ruin the lives of thousands of members of the LGBT+ community and label transgender women as sex offenders and paedophiles feels that they are the ones being bullied. You couldn't make it up.
Instead of agreeing to repeal HB2 today, however, McCrory has instead chosen to continue backing his 'common sense' laws and has filed a lawsuit against the federal government. Appearing in federal court today McCrory has launched a lawsuit seeking 'declaratory and injunctive relief' from the federal government. The lawsuit names the Justice Department, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the head of Justice's Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta, as well as President Obama.
'We're taking the Obama admin to court.' He wrote today. 'They're bypassing Congress by attempting to rewrite the law and policies for the whole country, not just NC. Our lawsuit seeks to ensure that NC continues to receive federal funding until the court clarifies federal law and resolve this national issue.
'The Obama administration is bypassing Congress by attempting to rewrite the law and set restroom policies for public and private employers across the country, not just North Carolina. This is now a national issue that applies to every state and it needs to be resolved at the federal level. They are now telling every government agency and every company that employs more than 15 people that men should be allowed to use a women's locker room, restroom and shower facility.'
I'm not sure what more can be said about this situation other than that it is blatantly ridiculous that an elected official would rather attempt to sue their own government rather than allow people equality and understanding. Hatred of this magnitude is staggering. Amy.
Videos have started to appear on line of 'Christian' street preachers who are entering Target stores around America to harass staff and customers by protesting the company's LGBT+ inclusively and their stance on transgender people being allowed to use the facilities that match with their gender identity.
The incidents started following the company announcing that they will allow staff and customers to use the changing room and bathroom facilities that they are most comfortable with. This follows an on line petition started by a 'Christian' hate group that has urged people to boycott the chain whilst also spreading misinformation that transgender and gender nonconforming people are a threat to women and children.
These preachers have begun appearing in target stores wearing luminous shirts covered in phrases such as 'repent or perish' and are walking through the stores carrying bibles whilst shouting religiously motivated abuse at people.
The preachers have called for customers to rethink their choice of shopping at Target as well as trying to embarrass those that work for the company and encourage them to quit. They have said things such as 'The Bible says that that from the beginning God made male and female! He didn't make transvestites!', 'If you are a homosexual or if you support homosexuals, shame on you!' and 'You people who are working here, shame on you. Find another job! Find another job!'
In all of the cases reported the preachers have been escorted out of the stores by staff whilst some members of the public have even stood up to them and shut down their abusive rhetoric by telling them that they are in the wrong themselves. At least one of these incidents ended in the protester being arrested.
These so called 'Christians' are failing to grasp the messages of peace, tolerance and love that the Bible teaches, and are picking an choosing which 'laws' in the Bible they should obey in order to justify their stance of hate. I'm pretty sure none of these preachers scream at people in the street for having tattoos or wearing clothing made of two fabrics, but then again, those are things they like, so they very quickly forget about those parts of the Bible.
These men may be preachers, but they certainly aren't 'Christians'. True Christians would be trying to help the LGBT+ community, they would be welcoming people of all genders and sexualities into the church, not condemning people and spreading hate.
Target are doing a fine job of setting a good example on how to treat people, and are refusing to be bullied into practising hate by religious fanatics who act no better than terrorist extremists.
