Tuesday, 2 August 2016

Katie Hopkins Doesn't Think NHS Should Support Transgender 'Lifestyle Choice'



Daily Mail columnist and radio personality Katie Hopkins has been skirting controversy once again (what a surprise) as she this time takes aim at the transgender community.

Speaking on her weekly show on LBC Radio the former Apprentice contestant has lashed out at the transgender community, claiming that they should receive no help or treatment from the NHS, especially fertility treatment, pointing to long NHS waiting times for other treatment as a reason to not help the trans community.

'Is it okay that we are paying for these individuals and their lifestyle choices?  I don't think so as it goes.

'As much as I love to wave the rainbow coloured banner as the next individual.  As much as I see that's the way the world is going - I may need to catch up with that.  I don't agree with it.

'I don't think that we should be paying for trans people to have their eggs frozen on the NHS.  If we live in a world of endless resources...  If money fell from the sky in a golden shower, of a quite different making... then well of course, there would be no problem with the amount of cash available but the fact is we are 2.4 billion pounds in debt with our NHS.

'The fact that we've got cataract operations being cancelled, three out of four trusts now do not perform cataract operations until the patient is perfectly blind because we don't have the funds to approve them.

'Do we really need to pander to the trans community and their whims?  I say no.'

The NHS currently offers trans people the choice of freezing eggs and sperm so that transgender people can have children later in life, in a similar way that this choice is open to cancer patients and people facing other treatment where fertility may be affected, though quite often trans people have to pay for this service themselves.

To blame the transgender community and the meagre treatment that we receive on the NHS for the major debt and delays faced across the entire service is ludicrous and shortsighted in its ignorance, and no better than saying immigrants are responsible for people having problems finding jobs.  It's a snap judgement that doesn't hold up upon closer examination of real world facts and figures and is informed by nothing more than bigotry and blaming of minority groups.

As it stands at the moment transgender people face a waiting list of more than two years to receive their first gender clinic appointment so that they can receive medical aid in their transition, a period of time that is excessively long and leads to huge amounts of distress for those awaiting their appointments.

Katie Hopkins is quite clearly just lashing out about a situation she knows little to nothing about, with an opinion formed without any research and based on fear mongering headlines and tabloid stories, but then what do we expect from someone who writes for The Daily Mail, a 'newspaper' that was actually responsible for the death of a transgender woman, Lucy Meadows.

From a personal point of view I would like to say the following to Hopkins, being transgender is not a 'lifestyle choice' I made.  I did not choose this for myself.  I did not make the choice to paint a target on myself for every hateful bigot in the world.  I did not choose to face harassment in the streets.  I did not choose to face discrimination in the workplace.  I did not choose to receive death and rape threats.  I did not choose to become massively suicidal and depressed.  I DID NOT CHOOSE THIS.

Being transgender is not a choice, and it most certainly is not a 'lifestyle', and I will argue that point with anyone who claims otherwise until I am blue in the face because those kind of accusations are ridiculous.

Perhaps you should learn to do a little research on a subject before you open your mouth in the future Ms Hopkins, otherwise you just make yourself look stupid, like when you told your listeners that the M25 would close for a week because you believed a spoof article.  Educate yourself and stop spreading hate and lies about our community.


Amy.
xx

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Monday, 1 August 2016

Scholarships For LGBT+ Students Branded 'Reverse Discrimination'



Following the introduction of a new programme in Australia that would award educational scholarships to LGBT+ students television personality Sonia Kruger has lashed out, calling the scholarship 'reverse discrimination' for straight students.

The new scholarships are worth $7,000 over a three year period will be awarded to high potential students facing significant economic, family or social challenges.  The scholarship application form asks candidates to identify their gender as male, female, transgender or prefer not to say, as well as asking if they identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or prefer not to say.

Kruger appeared on the Australian Chanel Nine's 'Today' program this morning and spoke out on the issue, saying that she believed the new programme to be a form of reverse discrimination against straight people that unfairly favoured members of the LGBT+ community.

'It sort of feels like reverse discrimination to me, in a way.  To ask a student if they identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, you're asking someone their sexual preferences and I find that a really odd thing to do, in any kind of capacity, whether it's a job or a scholarship.  I think a scholarship should be given on merit.'

To be fair to Kruger, asking someone's sexual preference is something that shouldn't really play much part when it comes to things such as job applications, in the same way that job applications shouldn't ask people their race, ethnicity, marital status or religious beliefs, yet they do.  As a straight cis white christian woman though she somehow doesn't feel the need to challenge these, simply the one that would allow LGBT+ students from less advantaged backgrounds better chances at a higher education.

This kind of reaction from Kruger shouldn't be too much of a surprise, however, as just a few weeks ago she called for the Australian government to ban people of Muslim faith from entering the country as she appeared to accuse all Muslim people of being terrorists in a racist rant.

Thankfully, 'Today' had an opposing voice on the panel with Kruger, who spoke out in support of the new scholarships.  David Campbell, well known for his pro-marriage equality beliefs, said that there are many scholarships not given out to LGBT+ students, and that anyone who questioned the new programme was 'living in the Dark Ages'.


Amy.
xx

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Sunday, 31 July 2016

5 Thoughts On Pride



I've been away for a while, as my readers can probably tell from my lack of activity of late (sorry for that), and part of my holiday was going to Norwich Pride.  This was my second time at Norwich Pride, having attended it last year, and I couldn't help but notice that a few things were different over what I saw during the 2015 event.


Things Got Bigger

 Last years Norwich Pride was my first ever Pride event, and I was awed by the experience if so many different LGBT+ people coming together and celebrating the diversity and amazing strength of our community.

I'd never see so many LGBT+ people in one place together before and the experience was strangely profound, it made me realise that despite my partners and I, and even some of my friends being LGBT+ we were part of a larger community; that there were so many more people like us in the world.

This years event was so much bigger than the previous one though, to the point where the organisers had to change the plan to accommodate the increased attendance.    The crowds were phenomenal, and the amount of people there wearing rainbows, waving various flags or carrying banners and signs was breathtaking.

At the time I was so in awe of the amount of people and the different parts of the community being represented that I didn't question why there was an increase in numbers.  Perhaps it was the simple fact that the event had attracted more people from further afield, or that people who had attended previously brought friends and family along.

I can't help but feel it might be more than that though.  Things have changed a lot over the last year alone for the LGBT+ community.  More rights have been won, more prominent members of the LGBT+ community are speaking out on important issues, the general public are becoming more aware of our struggles and our victories, and we've suffered horrendous tragedies.  Surely all of these things have made a difference to the LGBT+ community.

I believe that now, more than ever, people are coming out, people are embracing their identities, and most importantly, celebrating them.  You only need to look at the global reaction to the horrendous crime that was committed upon our community in Orlando to see that people are coming together in the face of LGBT+ struggles to celebrate how amazing our community is.

I don't think that the increase in attendance at this particular event is by chance, or that it is a one off.  Our community is strong, we are vocal and proud and we stand tall together to show that at each and every Pride event.


Rise of the Pansexuals

 When we attended Norwich Pride last year my girlfriend was wearing her pansexual flag, and was one of only a handful at the event.  She even had another person come up to her and start chatting to her because they too were pan and were glad to meet another person like them.  There was also little to no merchandise aimed at the pansexual community at any of the stalls or traders.

This year was completely different.  There were dozens of pansexual flags being worn, and people dressed in outfits in the colours.  Stall were selling pan flags, necklaces, bracelets and other merchandise.  It was a complete turnaround from the year before.

This change was also related to something else that I had noticed too, that there was much less of a presence from the bisexual community.

Where the year before there was huge amounts of people representing the bisexual community and very little of the pansexual community, this year it was switched.

Being a member of the pansexual community myself I know that pansexuals can often clash with members of the bisexual community, especially as pansexuality seems to be a relatively new subculture within the LGBT+ community.

From my own personal experiences I have found that people who consider themselves to be bisexual will often change their label to pansexual when they learn about that particular community.  Myself, some of my friends, and even my partners all used to call ourselves bisexual because we were attracted to people of all genders.  However, when we learnt of the term pansexual, and how it differs from bisexual, we all changed our labels.

It's possible that as people are becoming more aware of the pansexual handle that more and more bisexuals are moving from one community to the other, quite possibly as more people are becoming aware of gender diversity and that gender exists on a spectrum rather than a binary.

I can't help but feel that this shift in the numbers of bisexual and pansexual people is surely a good thing and shows that people's understanding and acceptance of gender variance is growing on a whole, and that more people are becoming accepting of people outside of the gender binary.


Religion

At last years event there was an individual who protesting the Pride march with a crucifix and shouting bible verse.  Whilst he was back again, this time walking around the event looking very terrified surrounded by so many LGBT+ people, this years event also included several other members of the church, though not in protest.

Just walking around the event I encountered a group of four members of the church, three male and one female vicars, sporting rainbows and covered in stickers supporting the LGBT+ community.  They were visiting stalls and talking with people from all kinds of backgrounds.  As someone who often sees stories about how members of religious communities speak out against the LGBT+ community I was so pleasantly surprised to see members of the church coming to celebrate alongside the LGBT+ community.

It might not seem like much, but just a handful of people from a group that so often speaks out against the LGBT+ community standing with us was so uplifting.


Things Got Political

 Some people make comments that being part of the LGBT+ community is a political statement, which is completely stupid.  However, politics and the LGBT+ community and their struggles do go hand in hand, especially when some political parties hold such polarising views on LGBT+ equality.

This year I couldn't help but notice that there were more members of political parties present at the event, and that there was a little bit of rivalry between them as they tried to win over supporters to their parties.

I got handed leaflets by the Labur Party which highlighted the fact that Labour have supported LGBT+ rights a lot more than the conservatives, saw people going round the event asking people if they supported certain parties.  It was the first time that I'd seen political parties making a big effort with having a bigger presence at a Pride event.

We even had members of LGBTory (yes, the Conservative Party LGBT+ group believes that the T stands for Tory) at the event, though they seemed very reluctant to speak to people in the same way that the Labour and Greens were, possibly because they're a despicable party with a history of opposing LGBT+ views (sorry, my hatred of the Conservatives is starting to come through again).


LGBT+ Make a Lot of Noise

 I know that there's the phrase 'Loud and Proud', but I didn't quite appreciate just how apt that statement was until this years event.  With people handing out whistles and vuvuzelas before the parade began the march turned into a cacophony of whistles, hoots, trumpets, screams and singing that was close to deafening.

Whilst at times it was amazing to hear the crowds cheering us on as we made our way through the town I did want to tell off the person handing out all of the noise making devices.  My ears were ringing for hours after.


All in all this year's Pride event was a huge improvement over last years, and there was nothing wrong with last years in any way.  It would seem that Pride events, and the LGBT+ community itself are improving and growing in amazing ways as we continue to come together to celebrate our victories and show our strength in the face of adversities.


Amy.
xx

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Wednesday, 20 July 2016

Six New Pokemon Revealed For Sun and Moon



Nintendo have released new information on even more brand new Pokemon creatures set to debut in the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon this week, with six brand new monsters added to the Alola Pokedex.


 Bounsweet

Bounsweet is a fruit Pokemon. Because it exudes a delicious smell from its entire body, Bounsweet is popular with Pokémon and people of the Alola region. Bounsweet’s scent has a calming effect on humans, so many people let them live inside their homes as a sort of air freshener. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes swallowed whole by Pokémon drawn to its aroma.

When running away from other Pokémon, Bounsweet flees danger by skipping along the ground. Since its bouncy movements don’t convey to others that it’s actually in desperate flight, no one ever comes to its aid.

When attacked by enemies, it drives them off by rotating the calyx on its head. The downside is how dizzy it gets afterward!

Mudsdale

 Mudsdale is the Draft Horse Pokemon. Mudsdale is known for its powerful body as well as its emotional fortitude, which keeps it from being agitated by anything. It never cries out, no matter what kind of trouble it’s in, and it defeats its opponents with a single powerful blow. Its legs are coated in protective mud, and the weight of this coating increases the force of its kicks. One kick, and a car is a pile of scrap.

Mudsdale’s running speed is not too swift, but it has excellent power and stamina. It can carry on for three days and three nights despite dragging loads of over 10 tons.

When Mudsdale gallops in earnest, the power of each hoof-clop can dig out huge holes, even in asphalt. Mudsdale is forbidden to run on some of Alola’s public roads.

Mudsdale can have the new Stamina Ability, an Ability that no other Pokémon has had before. With the Stamina Ability, this Pokémon’s Defense goes up by 1 when it’s hit by an attack.






Bewear

Bewear is the Strong Arm Pokemon.  When Bewear is acting in a friendly fashion, just swinging its arms around, you must never dare to approach it carelessly.  It is acknowledged to be a dangerous Pokemon, even within the Alola region.  You may see warning signs posted near places it resides.

When Bewear grows fond of its Trainer, it may show that feeling in a fond embrace - but the force of that hug is tremendous.  Trainers must teach these Pokemon to restrain their strength when showing affection.

Beweat may have the Fluffy Ability, which halves the damage taken from attacks that make direct contact, but in return it also doubles damage taken from Fire type moves.








Wimpod

 Wimpod is the Turn Tail Pokemon.  Wimpod have a cowardly nature and are weary of noises and sudden movements.  If you approach them in a group, they'll immediately runoff.  The stench of its toxic fluid signals others that danger is near.  Despite their extreme cowardice, their curiosity leads them to approach people or Pokemon that are standing still.

Wimpod eat and store everything that they find fallen on the ground.  They also scavenge any garbage that's been dropped in the sea, so they're highly values as cleaners.  They sometimes carry pearls or other valuable items, so humans or Pokemon such as Murkrow may target them.

 Wimpod has the new Ability Wimp Out, an Ability that no other Pokemon has had before.  With the Wimp Out Ability, if this Pokemon's HP drops below half in battle, it will run away or swap out for another Pokemon.


Comfey

 The Posey Picker Pokemon, Comfey picks flowers and always carries them around.  It makes a ring of blossoms and spreads oils from its body onto it, which changes the flowers so they emit a soothing fragrance.  It has a habit of giving these flower rings to those it's fond of.  The aroma can soothe both itself and its allies.  Comfey also helps with the treatment of people and Pokemon in Pokecenters and hospitals, thanks to its aroma.

When attacked by other Pokemon, it throws its flowers at them to create an opening, and then it either flees or fights back.

Comfey have the new Tirage Ability, an Ability that no other Pokemon has had before.  With the Triage Ability, this Pokemon's restorative moves gain the highest priority in battle.




Mimikyu

As the disguise Pokemon, Mimikyu lives its life constantly covered by its cloth.  People believe that anybody who sees its true form beneath its cloth will be stricken with a mysterious illness.  People in the Alola region are convinced that you must never try to peek beneath its covering.  Mimikyu's health fails when it's bathed in the rays of the sun, so it prefers to stick to dark places.  It is rumoured that the reason it covers itself with a cloth is to avoid sunlight.

The ride in popularity of Pikachu style merachandise around 20 years ago is the reason that Mimikyu makes itself look like Pikachu.  In fact, this Pokemon is dreadfully lonely, and it thought that it would be able to make friends with humans if only it looked like Pikachu.

Mimikyu has the Disguie Ability, a new Ability that no Pokemon has ever possessed before.  The disguise ability allows it to escape damage from an enemy's attack just one time, then its appearance changes.


You can check out all of these new Pokemon in the latest Pokemon Sun and Moon trailer.



Amy.
xx

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Wikihuffle Guest Episode 2



As promised it's time for the second of my guest episodes on the award winning comedy podcast Wikishuffle. 

I've been a fan of Wikishuffle since it began, and even before then when one of the hosts, Phillip Sharman, told me the idea for Wikishuffle long before it even hit the airwaves, and getting the chance to appear on the show was an awesome opportunity and a great day out.

Head on over to Wikishuffle on the link below to listen to the first of my guest episodes!


This episode features two articles on European history.  We examine some evidence that suggests 93% of all Russian men are called Yuri, and ponder the question of what to do when you've got more Parisian nanas than you have space left.


Amy.
xx

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Monday, 18 July 2016

Trans Led Comic Book Coming September



September sees the release of a new comic book series set to feature a transgender lead character, one of the first in comic books.

'Alters' is a new series being released by Aftershock Comics and will focus on several characters who are the first in a wave of emerging mutant powered superheroes.  Whilst initially sounding similar to Marvel Comics 'X-Men', which has often been used as an allegory for people in oppressed communities, 'Alters' fully embraces this notion with an incredibly varied and multifaceted cast.

Chalice, the central character of the series, is a transgender woman with the ability to manipulate gravity, which she can even use to fly.  The series writer, Paul Jenkins, has credited fan Liz Luu for the inspiration for the character when she suggested a hero who 'can only be herself when she's not herself'.

This led to the creation of the character of Chalice, a trans woman who is not out to her friends or family, meaning that she has to present as male in her civilian life and can only truly be herself when she's being a superhero.

The series will also feature characters from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of issues.  One story will feature a conventionally 'unattractive heroine'.  'The TMZ report would be 'Ugly Chick Saves World'' Jenkins described.

Another story will focus on a superhero shapeshifter who is injured and left as a quadriplegic, who faces the choice of whether to remain that way and live or to go through one final transformation to regain their ability to walk but will lead to their death after a month.

Jenkins also plans to include a homeless woman who has to try to balance keeping her family fed and clothed whilst also saving her community, along with a man with PTSD  yet is still committed to helping others.

The series has been a passion project for Jenkins, who has been working on the concept since 2005.  Jenkins has drawn inspiration from many people he has known in his life, not least his mother, who raised him as an out bisexual single mother.

'If we ever get to the point where issues such as race, sexuality and gender identity are a nonissue, we will have arrived.  That's my mum talking right there.'  He said.  'I just want to share my compassion for people who are struggling in any kind of way.'

'Alters' is set for release early September 2016.


Amy.
xx

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Owen Smith Brands Himself 'Normal' Candidate Against Lesbian Opponent



Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith has described himself as the 'normal' candidate for the role of Labour leader because he had 'a wife and three children', with his main opponent being an openly lesbian woman.

Smith has faced criticism for the statement following the comments during an interview with Sky New.

The comment came as part of a larger answer where he was trying to sell himself as a 'normal' person that people would want to vote for.  When asked if he thinks he's normal he replied; 'I'm glad you think I'm normal.  I am normal.

'I grew up in a normal household.  I've got a wife and three children.  My wife is a primary school teacher.  I've been in Parliament for six years, before that I had two or three other jobs, in business, in politics, in advising the peace process in Northern Ireland.'

The MP for Pontypridd and Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions quickly came under fire when people interpreted the comment to mean that he was saying that having a wife and children made him 'normal' in comparison to Angela Eagle, who is openly lesbian and married.

Whilst some have condemned the comment completely as being homophobic others have pointed out that it was probably unintentional, but still paints him in a poor light.

This comment has also been compared to what was recently said by Andrea Leadsom during the Conservative leadership race, where she said that she would be the better choice for leader as she was a mother and her opponent had no children.


Amy.
xx


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Wednesday, 13 July 2016

Kid Flash Revealed For Flash Season 3


During the final episodes of the second season of The Flash Wally West and Jessie Quick found themselves being bombarded with the same speedforce energies that gives Barry Allen his powers and makes him the Flash.  Despite this, neither one of them showed any signs of exhibiting speedster abilities before the season came to a close.

That seems to have changed going into season three, where Wally West will not only gain his powers, but will don the classic yellow and red costume of Kid Flash.

The CW have released the first images of Keiynan Lonsdale as his new superhero alter-ego as he will appear in the first episode of the new season, entitled 'Flashpoint'.  Following the events of the final episode Barry Allen travelled back in time and prevented the murder of his mother, an event that has massive, universe changing repercussions in the comic book world.

How these changes will play out in the upcoming season are yet to be seen, and there's no news as to if Wally will be Kid Flash all season or simply on a temporary basis due to the events of Flashpoint, either way though I can't wait to see him in action as he looks amazing.






















Amy.
xx



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Pokemon Go Praised For Lack Of Gender Choice



Unless you're living on a cave on Mars it's likely that you will be aware of Pokemon Go, whether you have played the game or not.  The new smartphone game that allows players to go out into the real world and catch their very own Pokemon on their phone has received massive praise, and has increased Nintendo's shares by 53% since its launch.

The game hasn't been out long but it's already a massive success around the world.  Some of the success of the new game seems to come from the fact that it is encouraging healthy activity in those who have been playing it, not just in actually being active and having to travel around, but in encouraging people with depression and social anxiety to leave their homes.

One of the areas that the game is also getting a lot of positive attention for is its choices of what gender to play as, or rather, the lack of gender.

Since introducing the first female playable character in Pokemon Crystal back in Generation 2 the series has embraced the fact that it has a diverse audience and has allowed players to choose whether to have a male or female character.  Each game begins with asking the player to choose if they are a 'girl or a boy' before anything else.

Whilst this was a good move on the companys part back then social awareness of gender issues and gender diversity has increased, and for what might seem like a simple choice to play as either male or female is, for some, an uneasy moment.  For those transitioning, in the early stages of understanding their gender, for non-binary people and many others, being forced to choose between defining your gender as either male or female can be an uncomfortable moment.

It would appear that Nintendo have addressed this though, by simply asking players of Pokemon Go to 'choose your style'.


This simple change in wording has already been met with massive praise by not just members of the trans and gender non-conforming community, but by those who have an awareness and understanding of gender issues.  For fans of the series this has been a change that has been requested for many years, with multiple petitions to the company to make this change having been launched for many years now.

The choice to do away with arbitrary gender binary makes a great deal of sense for the Pokemon universe where Pokemon themselves can be male, female or genderless, and stereotypically male or female looking Pokemon can be either gender, such as a female Mr Mine.

Hopefully this change has proven popular enough that Nintendo will include such a change of wording for the character selection process in the upcoming new games Pokemon Sun & Pokemon Moon.


Amy.
xx


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Orlando Shooting Protesters Arrested During Peaceful Rally



A group of protesters were arrested on Monday during a peaceful protest to honour the victims of the Orlando Pulse Massacre at the offices of Republican politician Marco Rubio.

The location of the protest was chosen due to lack of action taken to establish gun-safety laws or regulations on assault weapons following the deadly attack that claimed the lives of 49 members of the LGBT+ community, the largest mass killing of LGBT+ people since the events of the Holocaust.

The sit-in protest went on for close to ten hours, with participants handing out leaflets to building staff and visitors, reading the names of those who were killed and singing songs.  They also held a sign that read 'Sit-In For The 49'.

Despite Marco Rubio not being present at the time, currently being present in Washington, the group did meet with the state director, a meeting that lasted less than five minutes, hardly a fitting amount of time to discuss a situation such as this.

At 7pm, when the building tried to close for the day, protesters refused to leave and police officers were called to remove them.  Despite most protesters choosing to leave when asked to move on by police it has been reported that close to a dozen remained and attempted to block the buildings doorway.  Ten individuals were then arrested for refusing to leave private property.

At the time Orlando Police tweeted the following message, 'Orlando Police Department has no issue with peaceful protesters, but building is private property and owners want protesters removed.  We hope all remains peaceful.'

Following the incident a representative of Marco Rubio's office said that Mr Rubio 'respects the views of others on these difficult issues, and welcomes the continued input he is receiving from people across the political spectrum.'


Amy.
xx


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