Nadhim Zahawi; ‘Teachers must out trans children to parents’
According to Zahawi; “Parents have to be front and centre of this. And that is my message to the front line is to say: you have to involve parents in this. You have a duty to safeguard those children and parents are very much part of that”.
Terrifying anti-LGBTQ+ bill in front of Ghana parliament
As the large sections of the world seek to roll-back rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people, Ghana is leading the way with a terrifying anti-LGBTQ+ bill that is currently going through their parliament.
The UK has (at least) four new transgender councillors!
Dylan Tippetts for Compton in Plymouth, Kira Lewis for Higham Hill in Waltham Forest, Isla Wrathmell for Vauxhall in London's Lambeth, and Elaine Gallagher in Glasgow were all successful in the vote, earning their place on their local councils.
JK Rowling claims she’s once again received a death threat
Taking to Twitter JK Rowling wrote: "I'm afraid I can't give a shout out to everyone promising to murder me - there are so many of you, and I'm a busy woman - but this one deserves a mention for the nineties rave vibe, @TrustFundOzu". I for one just wish she would post one that is a legitimate threat of violence and not like... some random child posting a bugs bunny meme.
JK Rowling not included on BBC reading list, like most other authors
Many have also remarked on the fact that the list describes itself as being there to promote books that "readers might not have read before". That includes Susheila Nasta, who worked on the project and spoke to BBC Radio 4 on the subject. She adds that the Philosopher's Stone was on the longlist of 153 books, but didn't make the final cut. With the reasoning for that being that "its a children's book".
“Get on with it”; Arthur Webber on Parliament’s Conversion Therapy Ban debate
The debate was attended by so many, from different parties and nations. Yet all came to the same conclusion: conversion “therapy” is abuse. The overrepresentation of LGB+ MPs (the only openly trans MP, Jamie Wallis, was not present) shows that as much as the media attempt to divide us, we are a united community.
LGB Alliance granted funding by Arts Council England
LGB Alliance announced they had been awarded the grant from Arts Council England's #LetsCreate Jubilee Fund to make their film. The premiere is set for June 2022 but many in the LGBTQIA+ community have called the decision into question prompting a response from the grant-givers.
UK Government debates non-binary legal recognition, sort of
So they sort-of debated the idea of non-binary representation, but mostly didn't. Instead opting to just do fearmongering and spread hateful rhetoric through parliament. Democracy! The whole thing wraps up with them patting themselves on the back for a job well done and deciding not to move forwards with any plans to include non-binary people in our legal system.
Scotland Announces GRA Reform Proposal
It removes the need to have anything signed off by a doctor, it opens it up to 16 year olds and the wait is cut down significantly from 2 years to 3 months. Though it is still an arbitrary wait nonetheless which could certainly be improved by simply not existing at all.
EHRC announce single-sex exemptions guidlines, they suck!
So far this language and the severity of the concept has helped to stave off attempts by transphobes to employ single-sex exemptions with a blanket approach. Meaning it can only be employed on a case-by-case basis and there must be a truly legitimate aim. However Kishwer Falkner's EHRC has been making moves to support transphobic groups who would like to see the exemptions employed more liberally.