Hi, I was listening to a colleague, ‘C’, talk about how COVID19 had affected their daily life within their village community. Social activities were on hold, people talked at a distance across the lane, and folk were extra careful in the smaller shops. One item that caught my interest was about C’s friend, who for health reasons cannot wear a mask. Whatever that condition is, C didn’t specify and I didn’t press as it felt rude. The line that jumped out was C saying how frequently her friend was stated at, side eyed, and judged for not wearing a mask. It seems the Sunflower Campaign has not reached all parts of the country. I felt empathy for the person in […]
Read moreTag: society
Little wins to big changes
Hi, A few months back I took the plunge and subscribed to a newspaper. Well, I say paper, it’s all very digital these days isn’t. Yes, I figured slowly back into the edges of things rather than be wholly out of the loop. Particularly as with the app, I can flick by (or block) opinion pieces and see less of the more… triggering articles and headlines. Today, this popped up about a ruling on an equality case. The judge – and I would recommend a full read before reading my twaddle 😉 – stated that gender was a spectrum and that they, the person in question, should be protected by the 2010 Equality Act. I felt this was rather good […]
Read moreHope
Hi, This week, the BBC will be running a new show called First Day. Or, more accurately, it’s a show on CBBC, their children’s channel and the drama is about a trans girl’s experiences at secondary school. In a thankfully increasing trend, the lead trans character isn’t played by a cis actor, but by Evie Macdonald, a openly trans actress. I am hopeful for this series for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it’s great to see the younger trans community represented: not just from an acting point of view, but because our stories matter. As a kid, while I didn’t have the words to understand my gender variance. I knew that the tranditional binary wasn’t a good fit, but I […]
Read moreA privilege to listen
Hi, There are times when it comes to writing a blog post that I need to walk away and do something else. Not for any drama, but because whatever is floating around in my noggin, needs a little time to settle. Earlier in the week, I happened to be assisting in an online event about the long shadow of racism in large institutions. Being behind the scenes, I had to stay quiet (a challenge, I know 😉), but in doing so, I was able to focus and listen to the speakers. They were are women from BAME (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic) backgrounds. By the end of the afternoon, I felt that I’d witnessed a discussion to hear the stories […]
Read moreThe day that was
Hi, It was Father’s Day last weekend and of the various labels attached to me: Dad is one I wear comfortably. Perhaps not easily as being a parent isn’t always an easy task. Rewarding? Oh hey much so, but like anything in life that’s worth it, oh baby you gotta work 😁 I’m not complaining, I love our two dearly and setting them grow and change is, well, a pleasure. Being someone betwixt the poles of gender and an outlier in bloke culture, I’ve never really been sure on where I might fall as an influence. I guess being the way I am – even if I keep some of it secret – I hope that being nonjudgmental and supportive […]
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