Travellers are advised that the YATGB train service to Disappointment, stopping at WTAF and terminating at Yet Another Rights Rant, has been delayed to totally foreseen circumstances.
Hello there 👋 So much for Friday night’s post eh? Luckily all deadlines are self-imposed.
This week – despite it’s reduced length – has been a bit of a slog. Everyone is fine and there’s no drama thankfully. I think it’s a case of too much going on and that’s, well, just worn me down. There’s some uncertainty around employment and that’s not helping. Hopefully there will be clarity – there’s a topical and not-always-used-correctly – word to use.
Virtual
This may explain why I’ve been gaming – or more accurately, modding more. A blend of enjoying the (virtual) mountain forest scenery; immersion gains*; and the welcome distraction of tinkering, to get the software modifications just right.
So, immersion gains? Most of the games I play, you can pick the gender of your character. Having my character interact with items in the game world, you see their hands, sometimes body; and as much as I know this is just a game, it helps. Helps remind me that just because I look a certain way on the outside, that doesn’t define nor limit how I feel inside.
I could say ‘biology isn’t destiny’ but no doubt that would enrage people who don’t acknowledge, or attempt to understand, the complexity of the genetics, human experience, and variety 😜
/S Heaven forfend that people should have autonomy over their own bodies and a right to choose what’s right for them.
Retro Nott’num
This month the BBC will be releasing the drama series based on Paris Lees’ book What It Feels Like For A Girl. There’s interviews with the cast and production team here and here.
If you’ve not caught any of the press releases earlier, the story – based on Paris’s life in Hucknall – follows Bryon, a young queer teen in a working class small town during the 2000s. The story is about a young queer person finding their tribe and becoming who they need to be. Reading the interviews and remembering conversations about the book, it will not be an easy watch at times.
I’m looking forward to it because the series ticks a number of boxes, if you will. Firstly, Paris is a first rate writer. Listening to her words – I had the good fortune to hear one her talks about a decade ago – she has certainly lived, if that makes sense. Or perhaps more accurately, survived. I’m not saying this from a ‘ooo, how rock & roll’ but more through the gritted teeth of that happened?!
The series is set in my (adopted) home town of Nottingham, so I’m curious how the city will be portrayed. Not only geographically, but also culturually. I had a similar interest with the films made by Shane Meadows. A mix of nostalgia but also a chance to witness places – as much as one can, in the make believe world of TV – that I didn’t go, and people I didn’t meet. The 2000s club scene was after my time and in different parts of the city. Mine was alternative/metal, and being so far in the closet you could see Narnia, I had the protective cloak of white middle class metalhead, and the magic of assumed cis-het. I don’t think we did anything at Chams until the 2010s with Nottingham Invasion starting up. NB: I was a Janey-come-lately to that, being quite happy with visits to Chams and maybe the New Foresters now & then.
Activity
Some good news on the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) situation. Firstly, over 17,000 cis women have signed the Not In Our Name (NION) petition over at Change.org. The Ever Lovely Mrs J’s social media has a lot of very cross women-of-a-certain-age – and by that, I mean informed, caring, empathetic, parents, and voters – who are fed up with this distraction BS, and want the government to start targeting predatory men, not trans people or folk muppets think are trans.
Kate Nash has released a banger of a track called GERM which covers similar themes. Details over at NME and be aware the video is 18+ because of its topic. Trigger warnings for assault and violence towards women. In other music news, Download – the metal festival – decided to follow the EHRC advice (hint: it’s not binding. It’s advice and you don’t have to follow it), was on the receiving end of fan backlash. Cue a climb down, the loss of a sponsor (thank you Lush for sticking it to The Man! ✊🏳️⚧️) and the amazing metalhead community for giving a resounding FU to discrimation 🤘
Meanwhile Libery stated: “Human rights organisation Liberty has issued legal action against the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), arguing that the Commission has breached its statutory duties by “trying to speed through sweeping changes” to its Code of practice and not giving individuals and businesses a lawful amount of time to respond to a consultation“. We shall see how this plays out.
On a personal note, I’ve got an invitation to see our local MP. They are running a round table for trans and non-binary people this month. There’s also something in July – assuming diaries line up – with another Nottingham MP. I’ll keep you posted.
Closing
….and breathe. For those I owe an email to, please accept my apologies. I will get back to you! 💖There’s just a lot going on in my head.
Wishing you all a fab weekend and good luck for next week.
L x
Oxford and Newbury Pride have also banned sponsorship and involvement in their marches and events from all the major political parties.
https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/25198815.newbury-pride-bans-political-parties-participating/
On the plus side, my company launched a new trans and nonbinary support network.
Understandable around the bans. I noticed that Manchester, Brighton, and London have banned certain political parties from attending as well. Given the lack of progress and indeed rollback of rights, I’m not surprised.
Good news about the new staff networks though! 🏳️⚧️
Thanks for the heads up on the BBC’s adaptation of Paris Lees’ What It Feels Like For A Girl. The Beeb , for whatever reason, seem to be keeping this well under the radar given the constant barrage of trailers for other new series. Almost as if they don’t want anyone to notice.
It would not surprise me if the series was being deliberately sidelined.
In law, how do you defined the difference between ‘predatory men’/ folk muppets think are trans and trans people ?
Normally the only winners are the legal profession in this type of debate 🙁
Predatory men do not need to invade loos and other safe spaces; they seem able to act without consequences openly in the street, the workplace, and at home. Should they be caught, a look at the statistics for conviction tell you that they are highly likely to escape justice.
Trans people are not a threat and like other minorities, are far more likely to be the victims of such attacks.
If a trans person – like our son, friends at Chams, etc – have committed to a legal process to become their new gender, then they should be treated as such, and not judged by a narrow definition of typically white western feminity or masculinity.
On listening to folk who are intersex, they use the facilities that match the gender their ID and legal details are in. I know intersex people who use the gents’ because that fits their legal details.
I think you may have misunderstood my comments
To exclude somebody from using something you need a legal reason, so how do you legal define a predatory male, its not a legal term. Who gets to define it. A GRC would cover it, but how do all the people who are just starting to transiting address the issue ? I have no problems with a trans person using what ever loo that they need to, I just don’t like the predatory indivduals
The last thing we need is something awful like toilet gestapo
Sorry about that. As to the Toilet Police, I think we are moving towards that sadly.
I think what’s needed is a reset on the interpretation by the court, and an update to the Equality Act, to ensure the UK meets its obligations to the European Court of Human Rights. That was part of the initial drive behind the Equality Act AFAIK.
Allowing trans women the dignity and privacy to use the facilities that match their legal gender would help keep all women – be they cis, trans, straight, gay, etc – away from men would be a good step. It means that trans men would use the male faculties (hint: because they are men!).
I’ll admit I was a few hours away from sending a quick e-mail to check how you were when I read the post (but it was on my phone so I couldn’t immediately comment). I am glad to hear that you are mostly well, even if things have rather… yes. I can relate. It is… how shall we say: vexing? Yes, vexing.
I am glad the gaming and the modding has been helpful. My own gaming history has been dominated by RTSes and things like Medieval Total War – less opportunity for gender affirmation beyond out-of-game in-head RP (and, trust me, I totally did that) – so I never got to see FP views of desireable attributes (even if I did try to find ways of having Queens and Princesses in charge or armies in the latter and just imagine being a lady general in the former). What was the question again?
I hope your weekend has been a positive and restorative one!
Vexing: yes, that’s an excellent fit. Thank you. Oh, and also around the email concern.
Interesting you mention real-time strategy games, as I don’t think I’ve ever really got into them. Maybe a mix of not being exposed to them much, or when I was, that seemed somewhat overwhelming. Maybe that’s just me and my odd brain, though! 😁
Good luck for the week