Hi,
A short week this time around. I could get used to this! 🙂 Ah, but it were not for the requirement of filthy lucre to settle one’s bills and put food upon the table.
Random thought: is it more environmentally and economically prudent to be a vampire? 😁 /S I mean, for a start you’re not contributing to intensive agriculture. Okay, you do have to have a nibble from time to time, but humans may donate willingly for a few bob. I guess you’d not need the heating on, being undead. That and your travel bills would be less. Sure, it takes a while to get anywhere as a bat, but the night views must be nice, right? Would you need to worry about what bathroom you can use, or do you just turn into a wolf, find a tree, and you’re sorted?
I guess the lack of a reflection would make it difficult to put your lippy on. Attending weddings and/or funerals might be a bit tricky, given your feet might catch fire on holy ground. Does that still apply if you wear a heel with a suitable insulated hidden platform? 🤔
But, I suppose when everone starts looking like a walking meal flask, maybe your empathy goes out of the window. Then again, if human blood is your tipple of choice, maybe you’d be nudging folk to take better care of themselves. Perhaps climate change would bother you more, given the humans seem Hell bent on warming the place up to dangerous levels. Who wants to be completing with the Lizard People when there’s a food shortage eh? 🙂 Still, if the super-rich retreat into their underground bunkers, you’ve got the option of an all you can slay buffet, provided you can turn into mist and not get too twisted up in the air-con filters.
Mind you, if you subscribe to the literature notion of vamps draining energy from souls, I guess it would be slim pickings in certain organisations 😜
Wow, what was in this morning’s coffee?!
Pushing back
Given the ruling from last week about trans people and GRCs no longer being valid, it’s been a difficult few days. Not so much in terms of oh, woe! but more keeping one’s cool when bumping into -ahem- opinion dressed up as facts, or grandstanding on what certain trans-hostile government folk want to do. Gah, I cannot believe I am typing those last four words. I thought we were better than this!
I’ve got an appointment booked with our local MP to discuss matters. My plan is to aim this from a people point of view, as stories can help make things personal. Talking of which, I asked folk at Chams to all write to their MP and share their stories. I also asked if the group to raise a hand if they were okay in me drafting something to local MPs, and as I got half way through that, everyone had their hand up, bless them!
What good the above will do, I don’t know. However, I don’t think I can keep silent on this. The decision affects my son, my friends, and the community I’m been welcomed into.
Double Standards
It was World Autism Day earlier this month, and reading some neurospicy community news, I happen to find the UK Government post. Firstly, I’d like to make it clear that what I’m about to write is not to diminish nor mock the experiences of autistic people. As a someone somewhere in the neurospicy community, when the world seems designed for neuro-typical folk, there’s gaps and challenges. Just as the physical world is harder to get around if you’ve mobility issues; high pavements, no ramps, doors that don’t stay open, broken lifts, etc.
What this next bit is, is me swapping out the word autistic with transgender. Now, imagine if you had a supportive government asking the same questions of our community:
The committee is seeking evidence on key questions about how to improve support for transgender people, including:
How can public understanding and acceptance of transgender people be improved? How can the Government improve assessment, diagnosis and post-diagnostic support? How can the Government improve the identification and support of transgender people when they need it (including if they do not have a diagnosis)? How can access to healthcare be improved? How can community support be improved? How can access to education be improved? How can support for transgender people to find and stay in work be improved? How can support for transgender people who are in contact with the criminal and youth justice systems be improved?The Committee wants to hear from a wide range of people and organisations with different experiences and perspectives. We particularly welcome your views if any of the following apply to you:
you are a transgender person (including if you have a diagnosis or if you consider yourself transgender) you have a transgender person in your family, or you care for/support an transgender person you work with transgender people in your job you work on research into how to support transgender people.
Chams
Shall we talk about some trans joy for a bit? Might be nice 🙂 Yes, it was a night out at Chams HQ. Unusually for me, I had narrow my outfit choice down to one. I did, but of course, pack an extra one just in case I couldn’t get into my jeans. Yea of little faith but lived experience! 😉
I seem to have slimmed a little, as I’ve given up on beer for the time being. Sure, it was alcohol free, but compared to water or diet drinks, it’s still got some calories. I had had a break as I’d run out, and having gotten used to not having it, I’ve kinda stuck with only a can twice a month. If it’s stout or slimming, I’m afraid it’s got to be the latter.
The evening started off slowly and – in a good way – more & more folk arrived throughout the evening. We didn’t quite have to go and find extra chairs, but the tables were certainly full. Everyone was chatting in small groups, biscuits were passed around, and much tea was imbibed. Sadly no show from Val who was held up with work issues and Izzy was away due to illness (get well soon, mrs!).
Understandably, there was a lot of comment and discussion about the Supreme Court ruling. I think it can be difficult when politics comes into the group and I understand that some folk would prefer not to discuss it. Sometimes the latter can be about not wanting to hear it again; to get some escape from harsher truths, and have some self-care. I get that, and that’s fine.
Equally – and in my (limited) experience, people often want to talk through their worries. Yes, it’s possible to go into a doom spiral if you’re not careful. But, with careful (and kind) conversation, I think it’s possible take the worries out of the box, and examine them carefully, kindly, and together.
What I did find interesting – and this is good news! – was that a number of the group who are out & about – either genderfluid folk like me, or those who have transitioned – they commented that if anything, people seem kinder. It’s almost as if the ruling is a red line for the British, and now more allies are speaking out and stepping up. If that’s you, well done. Consider yourself awarded your offical I-am-awesome gold star! ⭐
Here’s to the weekend 💖
Stay fabulous,
L x
Well, just look at you, Mrs, and your fabulous curves. You look amazing.
Random thoughts are a perfectly valid use of brain power. Personally, what would worry me about being a vampire is the cost of creepy castle maintenance these days. I mean, the health and safety assessment alone is a major issue. And those builders clumping around in the daytime when you’re trying to sleep! Now that’s a nightmare!
Plus, virgin blood is the business but where the hell you gonna find a virgin these days?!
No, I think I’ll stick to being a werewolf and performing just at full moon. Shaving afterwards is a major job, though.
The UK ruling doesn’t surprise me and I expect same-sex marriages to be annulled eventually. I keep warning and warning about the UK’s descent to the random oppressions of fascism but I’m just some whacko t****y so who cares. I went to my local Liberation Day memorial event yesterday with a vast array of different people but who all had one thing in common: they intend to resist fascism like their forebears did. A meeting with your MP would be a good start but start preparing for days when stronger measures might be necessary. All the political commentators I follow, none of whom have touched on trans matters before, have attacked this ruling. Brits don’t like authority that opts for oppression and supporting the underdog has also always been a positive British trait. Good luck.
Sue x
Well, this is a to do, isn’t it? This morning the Queer AF newsletter arrived – as it does every Saturday morning, bless them – and they had a summary of the EHRC’s take on the new ruling. Your comment about fascism does not seem so ‘wacko’ given there are government departments who are supposed an equality watchdog, now seem more attack dog. I cannot believe I am writing about this in 2025! WTF has gone wrong?
As to virgin blood, may I refer you to the film, What We Do In The Shadows, and the wise words of Vladislav the Poker: “I think of it like this. If you are going to eat a sandwich, you would just enjoy it more if you knew no one had f****d it” 😁
I may have to rethink the Castle of Dread, if there’s all that building work. Plus, won’t it cost more if it’s a listed building? I’m just glad you’ve pointed this out. I may have to rethink and go with the Bungalow of Mild Anxiety. At least it would be accessible.
Lastly, thank you for the kind words about the outfit. The right padding when teamed with a fitted top and skinnies, seems to work wonders.
Just to thank you for alerting me to the existence of the undead comedy “What We Do In The Shadows”, which I hadn’t heard of before. There’s plenty of comedy these days that’s dead on arrival but Taika Waititi is always a master of understated humour so this sounds promising. Must check it out … ‘Fangs’ for the heads-up (geddit??? :-p )
What has gone wrong is that the Brexit vote allowed every seething resentment in UK society to explode in all its xenophobic ways. The problem is endemic and any and every minority group is a target. They start with the easy ones like us and destitute migrants and little victories over them build confidence to tackle ever bigger groups. We’ve seen this before. It’s why I left.
Sue x
I hope you enjoy Shadows. I felt it was one of those rare gems where it was worth repeated viewings. They’ve got a great cast and script.
If you enjoy Waititi’s work, may I say keep an eye out for Wellington Paranormal and Our Flag Means Death. The latter has a fab queer cast and some amazing performances in it too.
“What has gone wrong….” Well, other than letting chancers, charlatans, and useful idiots have their day, the ‘culture war’ nonsense serves no one except as a distraction exercise.
It’s going to take more than a double flush, three tins of Glade Ultra, and an industrial steam clean to clean things up. I used to say “it can’t be that bad” but the further we go on, the more villainy seems to come forth. Yes, there’s still good people doing good things. However, and to (mis)use a favourite and famous quote of Demming: “A bad system will beat a good person every time.”
Seconding Sue comments about your curves. Lovely top, too. You look good, Lynn. Are those new shoes?
Still trying to figure our the latest court ruling, which comes only two days after completing a work training course in which the section of DE&I stated as company policy that “Transwomen are women. They are entitled to use the restrooms for the gender they identify as.” I’m wondering now if this conflicts with UK law, or at least guidance. And how far the new restroom ruling will go. What about shops and pubs/restaurants that already allow transpeople to use the facilities they are most comfortable using. Can the law now prevent that?
For the time being, though, this puts a stop to any days out as Susie that might* require a bathroom break where I don’t know there’s a convenient gender neutral toilet. I used to be reasonably comfortable if I could pass as trans. Now I longer am.
(* at my age, there’s no ‘might’ about it.)
Thank you, Susie. The top is an older one from a few years back. It came with a cami vest, but thin straps and Frankenstein’s Creature shoulders do not go well 😉 So I swapped that out to an affordable one from Tesco 🙂 The shoes? They are Mrs J’s from about two decades ago or more. Evans, I think, as size nice heels back then were as rare as a trans supportive MP 😜
What does the new ruling say? Well, this week take a while to sort out. There’s been some guidance from EHCR…. I’ll let you be the judge of that. It is not the simplistic X is banned from A, B, and C, as that’s not the nuance of property and services. For example, there’s a big difference between company, government, public, and other spaces. As much as the Daily Hate and TERFs will want a strict and easy rule, I very much doubt that will happen. Not that some folk won’t BS to try and push in public.
If I may say this: please keep going out and being you. I think it’s vital to keep being visible and if anything, pointing out the absurdity of requesting a ‘third space’. The latter had been suggested as being quite possibility in breach of the European Court of Human Rights and the cause of the original Equality Act.
If you do get bother, there is always a disabled loo in emergencies. Not all disabilities are visible. Personally, I don’t think I have a disability, but if I was caught between having to use that space or, frankly, -ahem- being caught short; that’s no choice at all.
I had to do a work course about diversity equity and inclusion, one of the points noticed was that under the current law an employer most make reasonable adjustments under the equality act for defined characteristics. I an NOT an expert in this area, but if an employer must provide a disabled loo for somebody who has to use a wheelchair, I would expect trans folks to be covered under the same legislation. I would not expect to see a trans woman humiliated in to using the gents
Hi Lynn, I agree with the others here you look fabulous in the photo……
With the EHCR ‘guidance’ suspiciously published on Friday afternoon the day before the Pope’s funeral, is not in the least helpful and will probably cause more comment than the dreadful ruling form the Supreme Court. I have taken your advice and contacted my MP, with a favourable response, so we will see what happens from here. This week we have local elections and also an election for Mayor, I have looked at all the Mayoral candidates and only one appears to offer any hope of support. I have contacted her again with a favourable response, at the point she hadn’t seen the EHCR guidance, when she had read it she was ‘horrified’ so again lets hope we can get some support from her in the future.
The point about the document published by the EHCR is that at the moment it is only guidance, it is not legally binding, unfortunately I don’t believe we can trust the politicians at the top to see the damage this line of thinking can do not only to members of the Trans community but also to women in general.
Thank you for the hard work you’ve put in around contacting your MP and mayors. All of that helps by not just raising awareness, but by making real, and how it affects people in the town. So thank you 🩷 IMO, you’re absolutely right that that the guidance will affect cis women as mistakes will be made. I think the guide will be weaponised and that includes accidents and misinterpretation too.
PS thank you for the kind words about the outfit