Must think of a better title

Hi,

Okay, sun, you’ve had your fun, warmed the plants, topped up the solar panels, and now it’s a touch too warm; back behind the clouds, matey 😉

Cis people decide again

Well, I guess the Big Reset by Labour on the NHS didn’t quite reach all the areas in need of a change. The temporary ban on hormone blockers has been maintained, despite it not being recommended in the Cass Review and such a ban goes against the positive experiences of those who’ve had access to treatment. This article by Dr Aidan Kelly (clinical psychologist and Director at Gender Plus) who does work in the field of transgender health care is well worth a read, IMO.

Fair play to The Good Law Project and TransActual for pushing against this unhelpful ruling. I am hoping that while you lost the battle, you will win the war.✊🏳️‍⚧️

While our new Labour MP was willing to meet up – well, soonish, given staffing issues – I’ve had no response from emailing Wes Streeting’s office, as he’s Minister for Health. I felt I had to write in and share our family’s experiences. I feel… we were lucky that Child 2.0 trusted us to come out and he’s still with us. For some parents of trans kids, they lose them through depression.

Please, if you are struggling with your mental health, the Samaritans are here to listen. Call them day or night via 116 123 if you’re in the UK.

I find this difficult because on the one hand, Child 2.0 was too old for hormone blockers, as they – like a number of their peers – had an early puberty. Well, I say early, perhaps it would be more accurate to say earlier compared to the generation before.

So, with the above in mind, both the Ever Lovely Mrs J and I feel that it was too late for Child 2.0, bless them. However, as a parent having witnessed their child’s struggles and, if I can say this, my own history; I would not wish ‘the wrong puberty’ on anyone.

I listen to people at Chams – those who transition and those that do not – and I think about my own issues with my body. If I think back to being a young boy, puberty was awful. I dare say it’s not the greatest for many teens, but as a Trans person – even a closeted non transitioning one like me – my body was going in a very different direction to my mind. The mental distress that causes and the knock on effect to mental health was very real.

I’m not interested what the anti-trans folk have to say. Child 2.0 is our child. His needs are our needs as a family and we love & support him for who he is 🩷 For one more time: who’s body is it?

International Drag Day – 16th July

Not being ‘down with the cool kids’ – or perhaps more accurately, never 😁 – this date was a surprise and in a good way too. Apparently it’s been going since 2009, bit I guess it’s never too late to catch up… it’s a little tricky in these shoes, darhlink 😉

I spotted the event over on Pink News and it had the intro “…members of the LGBTQ+ community have shared what the performance art means to them.”

Hopefully I’ll not cause offence when I say I’ve often felt drag to be the punk element in the LGBTQ music box. The visibility, the ‘have a go’ attitude, the activism, and the empowering nature of it too. All that, and as with punk artists – from music, to art, to comedy, and creativity – it pushes against the established norms and challenges.

How on Earth could that possibly attract a neurodiverse, trans-something-or-other teen, stuck in the Section 28 days of a drab little market town? 😉

This part of the article really spoke to me:

Meanwhile, a trans reader shared: “My mum had a book about drag and it was the first time I saw anything out of the binary.”

No Right Wing Twits, drag did not ‘have me on the turn’. Certainly no more than my love of the fantastic, epic, and ‘but what if…?’ mindset, made me love sci-fi, fantasy, and RPGs.

I don’t recall many positive representations of trans folk in the 80s, so drag performers took to the stage, there was this feeling of “if they can, why can’t I?” and, as the above quote points out, drag was something out of the binary.

To this day, I remember a Careers Day at school, and the teacher – a really lovely bloke, who talked to us Lord of the Flies, sixteen year old, edgelords, as people – said something like: “A lot of the time, people do a job because they have to. They also have their ideal job and then there’s the dream job, that you don’t dare share with others.”

Clearly he was a time travelling Wokerati, sent back using Jewish Space Lasers to capture the youth of tomorrow 😁

As the words “don’t dare” reached my ears, my brain said ‘drag artist’. As a kid who loved to make people laugh, as someone who wanted to be femme, and as someone who thought it could be a ticket out of the grey town; yeah. It was a dream and I knew that this was one of those It’s Not Safe to Share Moments.

Did I ever do drag? No, I have not. I did not follow that dream. There were a few times when it might have happened, but Luck did not smile that day, and, perhaps, Luck needs your inner courage to at least answer the door. Difficult to reach the lock from deep inside the closet 🙂

I guess I took another route: writing here, helping at Chams, and trying to be a good ally for our son. Writing and wit/improv are different things to performing. I think I’ve learned that now. But, yeah, still that memory of being visible, accepted, and empowered remains.

So, to the drag artists of back then, and the new ones now: thank you. To those of running Drag Queen Story Hour, bless you and don’t give in to the haters. They don’t speak for us. All of you walk a different path to the mainstream, and for some of you, your journey is alongside mine. As Jonathan (Male Femme) shared the quote: Together. Always together 🏳️‍🌈

Talking of which…

Nottingham Pride is on 27th July and I’m wondering – wishing? – matters may align for a visit. While I very much doubt it’ll be in Lynn Mode, my Ally Parent disguise should be enough.

Talking of Witch…

By strange coincidence, an email to YATGB arrived asking if I’d pop a note on about an upcoming tour called Carnival of Filth. No, metalheads, Carnival of not Cradle of. 😉

I read through the email and it seems the leads of said performance are into the horror drag aesthetic. “I’d buy that for for a dollar” 😉

Said leads – or “turns” as dear old Lily Savage would say, rest her soul – would be The Dahli and Evah Destruction (bonus points if you remember the film 🤓). If you’re curious do have a look for the Dragula TV show as well.

A friend explained some of this to me – thanks Andie – back in the day, and I guess gothic geekery can reach all little black hearts 🦇 Man, do I feel I’ve missed the boat (over the Styx 😉).

I asked who might enjoy the show and the promotion team kindly replied with:

This is a show for people who want to see true artistry in Drag and diversity. It also helps if you love horror, Sci fi, monsters etc.. It’s very Goth. This tour is a Carnival coming to town with evil Clowns, filthy freakshows, twisted themes and more! It is a dark celebration of the travelling Carnival told through the medium of elevated Drag Artistry.

Both are evil Drag Clowns and perform across the alternative Drag space which tends to be more diverse. Less white cisgender artists and more QIPOC, trans, non binary, Kings and Things.. Hence we love it so much! You won’t see a Drag King on Drag Race but a Drag King WON Dragula 3 years ago!

Details of the UK tour are here.

Have fab weekend! 🩷

L x