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LGBT
Jun 18, 2022 21:05:08 GMT
Post by Admin on Jun 18, 2022 21:05:08 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jun 19, 2022 20:11:06 GMT
OP-ED LGBTQ RIGHTS All I Want for Father’s Day Is a World in Which Trans Kids Can Survive truthout.org/articles/all-i-want-for-fathers-day-is-a-world-in-which-trans-kids-can-survive/Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a father one day. My own father was emotionally distant, traumatized and neglectful. He was also the person who taught me about modern art, comedy, existential philosophy and how to find the constellations in the night sky. He spoke to my sibling and I as if we were his colleagues at the university where he taught, took us on dangerous adventures, and taught us to revere the vast wonders of nature and the inner mysteries of human consciousness. Even before I knew I was trans, I was attracted to fatherhood. My own dad was the person my individual solar system revolved around. To me as a child, being a father one day meant simultaneously embodying all the things my father was, as well as compensating for the things he had failed to offer. I vowed I would follow in his footsteps and teach my own child about awe and art, but also offer safety, protection and unconditional love. As a nonbinary adult and a parent of a 4-year-old, I have a more realistic view of fatherhood. I am aware of the misogyny that made motherhood look bad to me, and why fatherhood seemed so appealing as a child. However, I haven’t let go of the dad fantasy entirely. Nowadays, I am attracted to being a nonbinary dad for some of the same reasons that I am drawn to being a rabbi. I enjoy creatively expanding on traditional roles. I like being a dad who is not a man, in the same way I take pleasure in being a rabbi who doesn’t look or sound like what people expect a rabbi to be. I go by the title “abba” to my kid, which means “father” in Hebrew. Traditional Judaism is certainly patriarchal, however, there are surprisingly complex images for fatherhood in Jewish sacred texts. The ancient rabbis divided the world into binaries, but they also acknowledged that not everything fit into these categories and pages and pages of sacred text are devoted to exceptional cases: foliage in between bud and flower, twilight times in between day and night, and genders beyond male and female. In the Talmud, a central Jewish holy book which was compiled around the 5th century CE, we learn that the first mother and father of the Jewish people, Abraham and Sarah, were originally, tumtumim. The tumtum is one of six genders that appear frequently in Jewish texts and are integrated into all parts of ancient Jewish civil life. Our first parents are said to have slowly transitioned to become male and female like a rock that is worn down by flowing water. Another story is told in the Talmud of a poor woman who died tragically during childbirth. Her grieving husband was left with a newborn infant and no money to pay for a wet nurse. Because of his love for his child, a great miracle was performed on his behalf and he sprouted “two breasts like the breasts of a woman, and he breastfed his child.” One of the primary names for God in Jewish tradition is Av HaRachmim, which means compassionate father. Rachamim, the Hebrew word for compassion, most literally means womb-like. Wombs are an image for compassion in Hebrew because when we are in utero all our needs for care, feeding, protection and love are offered without asking for anything in return. These Jewish images for fathering powerfully resonate with me. Both a dad who sprouts breasts to feed his child and a compassionate father-God with a womb, imagine a dad as someone who offers the unconditional love and protection that I longed for as a child. On top of this, the vivid imagery and gender playfulness of these stories makes use of the type of creativity and humor that I inherited from my own dad, and still see as central to the role of nurturing a young mind. These images are particularly relevant in the U.S. in 2022, where kids are “protected” from queerness, health care, masks, sports and books, but not guns or COVID-19. Right now, children are being kept away from exactly the kind of curiosity and exploration that I believe they need the most. At the same time, their physical safety and existential security is being sacrificed for the so-called individual rights of their parents. Children themselves have no individual rights in this deadly equation. As a rabbi who tends to grieving and dying, I see the tragic consequences of this thinking in my work. I officiate at a lot of funerals for trans and nonbinary kids who died by suicide because of despair and a lack of options. My grief groups are filled with mourners who tell stories of memorial services for trans kids, where parents misgendered their kids and used the same dead names that led to the anguish that killed their children. As a parent I find this incomprehensible; there is nothing I want for Father’s Day more than for my child — and all children — to be alive and happy. The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ+ youth, found in a 2021 report that a sobering 52 percent of trans youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year. However, the proportion of trans youth considering suicide falls to levels that are similar to their cisgender peers if you consider only those youth who have access to basic supports, such as living with family members who respect their pronouns and having access to gender affirming medical care. The year 2022 is on track to be the deadliest year ever for trans and nonbinary kids in the U.S., with 300 pieces of anti-trans legislation currently being proposed, 140 of which directly target the things that support the mental health of trans youth, such as access to gender affirming health care or participation in sports that foster a sense of belonging. For now, my own kid is still blessedly sheltered from the harshness of the world. He festoons his fire trucks with glitter and layers four skirts under his construction uniform, without any idea that he is mixing gender tropes. He and his friends change names and pronouns daily with no sense that there is any other way to live. My partner and I only recently introduced him to gendered words for people, like “woman,” “boy” and “nonbinary.” Shortly afterwards, he pointed to a character in his book and asked: “Is that person a binary?” At the moment, it is binary gender that is the exception for him. It’s my partner’s and my job to protect his innocence as long as possible. I strive to give my child as much room to explore as I can, while helping him know he is safe and loved unconditionally. To me, that is what it means to be a father.
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LGBT
Jun 19, 2022 20:25:23 GMT
Post by Admin on Jun 19, 2022 20:25:23 GMT
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LGBT
Jun 26, 2022 18:29:38 GMT
Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2022 18:29:38 GMT
111 Queer Books Recommended by Librarians, Booksellers, and Authors For Your Pride (and Year-Long) Reading Pleasure By Literary Hub June 24, 2022 lithub.com/111-queer-books-recommended-by-librarians-booksellers-and-authors/While we celebrate queer literature and history all year long at Lit Hub dot com, we also love a good book list. This year, in honor of Pride, we reached out to some of our favorite librarians, booksellers, and authors and asked them about the queer books they find themselves recommending over and over again—the ones that no library would be complete without, book bans be damned. (We also added a few of our favorites because we can’t help ourselves.) The resulting list of 111 books—categorized by classics, contemporary, nonfiction, poetry, YA, and children’s—is by no exhaustive (we’re not that good). But it is joyful, varied, and personal, the virtual equivalent of dropping into a bookstore and asking the coolest person what to read next. A few process notes for those of you in the front row: we drew an arbitrary temporal line between “classics” and “contemporary”—that line is the latest millennium. (Gasp, you’ll feel better.) That means some 90s classics are in contemporary, and maybe some titles you don’t feel have earned classic status are there anyway. It’ll all be okay. Labels are meaningless. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. And above all, Happy Pride!
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LGBT
Jul 15, 2022 19:15:06 GMT
Post by Admin on Jul 15, 2022 19:15:06 GMT
For Queer and Gender Diverse Youth, Biomedical Model of Mental Health May Reduce Stigma but Obscure Impact of Cisheterosexism Research on the lived experiences of queer and gender diverse youth explores how they make sense of their mental health distress. www.madinamerica.com/2022/07/queer-gender-diverse-youth-biomedical-model-mental-health-may-reduce-stigma-obscure-impact-cisheterosexism/In a special issue within the journal Psychology & Sexuality, researchers Lucy Cowie and Virginia Braun from the University of Auckland published their study on a group of queer and gender diverse young people’s (QGDYP) explanations of their psychological distress. QGDYP experience higher levels of psychological distress than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts due to heterosexism. However, there has not been much research investigating how these young people make sense of their experiences of mental distress. Their research aimed to address this gap through a qualitative study of QGDYP’s experiences of heterosexist discrimination and their understanding of mental health. Given the often lackluster education of mental health professionals on LGBTQ+ issues, they hope their findings can inform strategies to support QGDYP’s mental health. The researchers interviewed 21 QGDYP 16-18 years old living across New Zealand and, using a critical realist thematic approach to analysis, came up with three major themes.
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LGBT
Jul 23, 2022 16:19:38 GMT
Post by Admin on Jul 23, 2022 16:19:38 GMT
Kelly Wright On Trans Liberation c4ss.org/content/57061Longtime C4SS contributor and activist Kelly Wright was recently interviewed by Aaron Ross Powell on (Re)Imagining Liberty about trans myths, trans identities, and trans rights; about the increase in the amount of openly transgender people and the reactionary political-cultural backlash; about the connections between gender affirming care, social acceptance, and suicide rates; and about the importance of self-authorship for liberty.
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LGBT
Jul 28, 2022 16:47:04 GMT
Post by Admin on Jul 28, 2022 16:47:04 GMT
Tavistock transgender clinic shut down by NHS after review finds it is ‘not safe’ for children www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tavistock-transgender-clinic-shut-down-by-nhs-after-review-finds-it-is-not-safe-for-children/ar-AA103JmeThe Tavistock transgender clinic is to be shut down by the NHS after a review found it is "not safe" for children. NHS England will move young people who believe that they are trans into regional centres which will take a more “holistic” approach to treatment and look at other mental health or medical issues they may have. The decision is a response to the interim Cass Review, which warned that medics in the Tavistock had felt “under pressure to adopt an unquestioning affirmative approach” to gender identity rather than going through the normal process of clinic assessment with young people. Dr Hilary Cass, the consultant paediatrician who is leading the independent review, found earlier this year that the clinic as the only provider of gender identity services for young people in England was “not a safe or viable long-term option”. Announcing their response to Dr Cass's recommendations, NHS England said that “given the urgent requirement to stabilise current service provision” they will establish two “Early Adopter services” run by specialist children’s hospitals. Clinic to close by next spring The centres, one in London and one in the North West, will take responsibility for all of the Tavistock clinic’s patients and waiting lists with the aim to shut down the clinic by next spring. NHS England have also committed to follow Dr Cass’s recommendation that they carry out “rapid” research on the use of puberty blockers by young people after it was noted there is currently “insufficient evidence” on their impact.
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LGBT
Sept 18, 2022 8:30:30 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 18, 2022 8:30:30 GMT
LGBTQ RIGHTS Right-Wing Disinformation Campaigns Are Imperiling Access to Trans Health Care truthout.org/articles/right-wing-disinformation-campaigns-are-imperiling-access-to-trans-health-care/Trans health care is under attack on multiple fronts in the U.S., from direct anti-trans legislation, to cuts to vital resources, to the targeting of gender-affirming care providers. While dozens of states have proposed bills attacking trans health care in 2022, currently, three U.S. states already have passed laws restricting trans-affirming health care for minors: Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas. Alabama is the only state in which it is now a felony to provide certain care to minors. (Tennessee bans hormone replacement therapy for pre-pubertal children, even though such treatment is not actually practiced anywhere in the country.) Each of these three laws is under intense legal scrutiny. Arkansas’s law has been blocked by a federal judge from taking effect, and Arizona’s law doesn’t come into effect until 2023. The Williams Institute estimates that if all the bills filed against trans-affirming care for youth were passed in 2022, nearly 60,000 of the country’s 150,000 high school-aged trans youth would lose access to the care they need. While Florida does not currently ban trans-affirming care for anyone in the state, trans Floridians may not access Medicaid funds to cover the costs of their care. Medicaid is a state and federal partnership that covers the health care costs of low-income and disabled people. Transgender people are disproportionately low income, due to housing and employment discrimination, making this ban on coverage for low-income Floridians especially harmful.
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LGBT
Sept 18, 2022 20:58:40 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 18, 2022 20:58:40 GMT
Vanquished is an LGBT comic by LGBT creators www.vanquishedcomic.com/aboutVanquished is about a transgender princess’s quest to save her kingdom from DOOM. Of course, Valorie’s journey from being “weird prince Felipe” to the mighty lioness Valorie Valiant isn’t gonna happen overnight. She’ll have to battle dinosaur riding sadomasochists, trudge through demon infested swamps, and fight a psychedelic space god – all the while coming out to a closed minded royal family, figuring out the intricacies of hormone replacement therapy, and navigating the surprisingly finicky process of legal name changes. Full of laugh out loud humor and kick ass action, Vanquished has characters and drama you’ll really fall for. We’re very proud of our comic and would love for you to take a look. Felicia Mars and Ben Smith are the colossal nerds behind Vanquished graphic novel (I’m Ben, but Felicia is kinda my backseat writer. She says hi!). Between us we sit on three letters out of LGBTQQIA+, and this comic is a lot of things for us. For Felicia, telling Valorie’s story got her through her own HRT, while for me it’s about my own messy journey to figuring out I’m gay. We’re huge fans of the IT Crowd, Dragon Age, and the Fairly Odd Parents (to name a few), but to be perfectly honest the thing we’re most excited about is bringing LGBT+ characters to the page and working with our amazing publisher Markosia. Authentic depictions of the kinds of things she and I have been through, what it’s like to be LGBT+… at least, as realistically as you can get when ice breathing dinosaurs are involved. Take a look, we're sure you'll love it. Plus its only two bucks an issue.
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LGBT
Sept 18, 2022 21:06:33 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 18, 2022 21:06:33 GMT
Heartstopper (graphic novel) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartstopper_(graphic_novel)Heartstopper is a young adult LGBTQIA+ ongoing graphic novel and webcomic series written and illustrated by British author Alice Oseman. It is the subject of the 2022 television series of the same name, directed by Euros Lyn and written by Alice Oseman.[1] The novel follows the lives of Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring. These characters originally appeared in Solitaire, a novel also written by Alice Oseman. The graphic novel and its 2022 television series adaptation have been critically acclaimed, with the series being renewed for a second and third season shortly after its release. Development and release The characters of Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring first appeared in Oseman's novel Solitaire as supporting characters.[2] Oseman said she "fell in love" with the characters while writing that novel and decided she needed to tell their story.[3] Initially planning on writing a novel, Oseman eventually realised their story needed an episodic structure which was more suited to a webcomic or graphic novel format than a traditional novel.[3][4] Oseman started publishing Heartstopper as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas in September 2016. It gained a significant following, and Oseman decided to self-publish a limited run of physical copies of the first two chapters. On 20 June 2018, she launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the publishing, and within two hours reached the targeted pledge.[5] In October 2018, Hachette Children's Group (HCG) acquired the rights to physical publishing of the first two volumes of the novel,[6] and the following January acquired the rights to the third and fourth volumes of the novel.[7] The first volume was then published on 7 February 2019, followed by the second volume on 11 July.[7] Oseman also began publishing the webcomic of Heartstopper on Webtoon, after the physical publications of the first two volumes, in August 2019.[8] The third and fourth volumes were released on 6 February 2020 and 6 May 2021, respectively.[9][10] The fifth and final volume is planned to release on 2 February 2023.[11] There is also a Heartstopper Yearbook which is scheduled to release on 13 October 2022 by Hachette and Graphix.[12] Premise Heartstopper tells the story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson as they meet and fall in love. It also tells the story of many side characters and their relationships. Characters Charles "Charlie" Spring, one half of the main couple. He is already publicly out at the beginning of the graphic novel. Nicholas "Nick" Nelson, the other half of the main couple. He is a member of and then becomes captain of the school's rugby team. Tao Xu. He is one of Charlie's best friends. He develops feelings for Elle. Victoria "Tori" Spring. She is Charlie's older sister. Elle Argent. She is Charlie's friend. She is trans. Tara Jones. She is an old friend of Nick's and later becomes his confidant. She is the first person to whom Nick comes out. She is in a relationship with Darcy. Darcy Olsson. She is Tara's girlfriend. Aled Last. He is Charlie's friend. He is the main character in Oseman's other novel, Radio Silence. Benjamin "Ben" Hope. He is a closeted student whom Charlie saw at the story's beginning. Harry Greene. He is a homophobic bully. Oliver "Olly" Spring. He is Charlie's younger brother. Nellie Nelson, Nick's dog. Michael Holden. He is Tori's friend. Sarah Nelson. She's Nick's mother. David Nelson. He is Nick's older brother. Volumes Volume One covers chapters 1 and 2 of the self-published version. In it, Charlie and Nick meet for the first time and eventually become friends. Volume Two covers chapter 3 of the self-published version. In Volume Two, Nick begins to fall for Charlie and questions his sexuality. Volume Three covers chapter 4 of the self-published version. In Volume Three, Nick and Charlie, now a couple, must navigate their first relationship challenges and personal problems as well as a school trip to Paris. Volume Four covers chapter 5 and 6 of the self-published version. In Volume Four, Nick prepares to come out to his father while Charlie battles an eating disorder. Volume Five will be the last Volume of the graphic novel. It is expected to be released in February 2023.[13] Reception Writing for The National, Gemma McLaughlin praised the novels for being able to "capture the attention" through "the small stories that make up life" rather than plot twists and heavy drama. She called the story "infinitely welcoming with characters that seem like real life friends", singling out Charlie as "extremely likeable" and praising the novels' treatment of his mental health.[14] Publishers Weekly said that the novels' "leisurely pace and focus on everyday events ... allows the characters' relationship to develop in a natural, relatable way" and stated that the art style complemented the tone of the story.[15] Imogen Russell Williams in The Times Literary Supplement called Oseman's illustration style "loose and flowing" and said of the novels that they "[engage] directly with shame, fear and anxiety, bringing them sweetly into the light".[16] The A.V. Club included the webcomic on its list of "The best comics of 2018" with Caitlin Rosberg saying that it is "best defined by its kindness both to the characters and the reader".[17] Metaphrog also included the comic on The Herald's 2019 list of "The best comics and graphic novels of the year as chosen by comic creators".[18] Terri Schlichenmeyer of the Washington Blade described Volume One of the novels as "one really sweet book" and praised the understanding treatment of characters struggling with their sexuality. She also felt that the realism of the novel was strengthened by the inclusion of bully characters.[19] Kirkus Reviews stated that the placement of panels and their bordering in Volume One "prevent the visual graphics from going aesthetically stale" and that the hand-written lettering reinforced the story's human tone. They summarised the novel as "An adorable diary of love's gut punches".[20] Summer Hayes reviewed Volume One in Booklist and praised Oseman's use of wordless panels to portray characters' emotions, although she felt that the illustrations were inconsistent. Overall, she concludes that "the romance and realistic fiction will draw readers into this sweet story".[21] Kelley Gile reviewed Volume One in the School Library Journal, praising the dialogue, detailed facial expressions in the art, and "a font that mimics handwriting [that adds] to the adorkability factor".[22] Alaine Martaus also reviewed Volume One in The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books in which she praised the "simple drawings" which she says "keep much of the focus on faces and phones, reinforcing a deeply interpersonal connection at the heart of the story". She described the story as being composed of "a series of charming vignettes".[23] In a further review of Volume Two, Martaus reiterated her previous comments and said that the storytelling of the second volume "moves effortlessly from tearful poignance to laugh-worthy moments to stirring romance".[24] Kirkus Reviews said of Volume Two that it retained the "distinctive style" of illustrations present in the first volume and that its transitions between panels were "creative" and "add creative flair". It praised the characters and described the story as "Incredibly lovable from start to finish".[25] Sarah Rice reviewed Volume Two in Booklist and felt that Nick and Charlie's relationship was presented in a "heartfelt, gentle way" and praised the "loose art style [that] is full of lovely details, such as embarrassment and romantic blush lines".[26] In a review of Volume Two, Tiffany Babb of The A.V. Club praised the book's reproduction of the webcomic's art, its use of white space, and Oseman's hand-written lettering which she says is "expressive ... in a way that feels both unique to her style and organic to the pacing of the comic". She felt that the treatment of Charlie and Nick's characters displayed "a level of understanding and care that elevates the story" and argued that the story "never devalued or ignored" the characters' other relationships with friends and family.[27] Sarah Hughes of i included Volume Three in the newspaper's list of "Young Adult fiction: 25 of the best new books for 2020".[28] Prudence Wade rated Volume Four 8/10 for The Independent and called it "a touching tale of teen love and accepting who you are".[29] Fiona Noble also included Volume Four in The Guardian's list of "The best children's books of 2021", describing it as a "joyful, tender look at first love and relationships with an inclusive cast".[30] Television adaptation Main article: Heartstopper (TV series) A television adaptation of Heartstopper entered development after See-Saw Films acquired the rights in July 2019.[31] Production was greenlit in January 2021 by the streaming service Netflix as an eight-episode series written by Oseman and starring Joe Locke and Kit Connor as Charlie and Nick, respectively.[32] It premiered on 22 April 2022 to high viewership and critical acclaim and was later renewed for a second and third season. As a tie-in to the series, the first volume of Heartstopper was re-released on 28 April 2022 with new cover art featuring Locke and Connor as Charlie and Nick recreating the original illustrated cover.[33] The graphic novel became the top-selling children's book in the UK following the popularity of the Netflix series.[34]
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LGBT
Sept 20, 2022 12:33:33 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 12:33:33 GMT
Gender ideology has broken the media and their so-called 'experts' Zachary Faria www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/relationships/gender-ideology-has-broken-the-media-and-their-so-called-experts/ar-AA120sijOne thing that gender ideology has exposed is that many members of our media and their scientific “experts” do not deserve the credibility their titles typically give them. Take Maggie Mertens’s piece in the Atlantic calling for an end to gender-segregated school sports — which, in practical terms, means an end to women's sports. Mertens writes that “though sex differences in sports show advantages for men, researchers today still don’t know how much of this to attribute to biological difference versus the lack of support provided to women athletes to reach their highest potential.” Those “researchers” should be researching other lines of work, because science and sports evidently aren’t for them. It is not a lack of resources that explains how the average NBA player is 6’6” and the average WNBA player is 6’0”. No lack of resources can explain how the record for dunks in one NBA game is 23, which is almost the same amount that the WNBA has seen in its entire 26-year history. No lack of resources can explain how world-class female sprinters and swimmers see their times regularly beaten by college men or high school boys who are average or barely above average. You can go through sport by sport and athlete by athlete, from the world champion U.S. National Women's Soccer Team losing badly to a teenage boys' squad to Serena and Venus Williams losing handily to the No. 203 ranked man in tennis. Neither national women's soccer teams nor the Williams sisters lack resources or support. The average man is bigger, stronger, and faster than the average woman. You can’t blame "resources" or a “lack of support” for biological facts. But Mertens quotes another "expert," assistant sociology professor Michela Musto, because “professor” is a title that lends (often unearned) credibility. Musto claims that sports are the reason people believe in the gender binary and not the fact that ... well, gender is binary. “There are some boys who also could get really hurt if they were competing against other boys in contact sports,” Musto says. No kidding — but it's entirely irrelevant. Just because some boys get hurt competing against boys in, say, football, doesn’t mean that boys wouldn’t dominate nearly all sports at the high school level if girls' sports were abolished and the two sexes played together. Advocating an end to gender-segregated school sports means effectively arguing that girls do not deserve the opportunity to play sports. There would be no girls in basketball, soccer, track, or swimming at the high school, college, or professional levels because they would not beat out the second, third, or fourth-tier male athletes who can’t make their own teams. pic.twitter.com/M8beT15nK3 — Coddled affluent professional (@feelsdesperate) September 17, 2022 But our establishment media are either too delusional to see that or so consumed by gender ideology that they do not care about facts. You can find any number of “researchers” or professors to support absurd left-wing positions that defy basic biology, though, and so that is what they do. But their titles or their “expertise” do not change basic biological facts or the realities of competition. It only exposes that they, and the media figures who rely on them, are highly credentialed frauds. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: Beltway Confidential, Opinion, Gender ideology, Sports, Media, Transgender Issues, Transgender Original Author: Zachary Faria
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LGBT
Sept 20, 2022 17:08:34 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 17:08:34 GMT
The Prince, review: Hotspur becomes trans in this larky spin on Shakespeare and identity Claire Allfree www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/news/the-prince-review-hotspur-becomes-trans-in-this-larky-spin-on-shakespeare-and-identity/ar-AA122q8iIt was only a matter of time. Following the Globe’s divisive play I, Joan, which presented the French 14th-century folk heroine as a trans man, it’s not remotely surprising to see writers rushing to claim characters from the canon as likewise trans. When it comes to Shakespeare, though, you could argue the Victorians were ahead of this particular curve – some 19th-century critics argued that Hamlet was in fact a woman. Either way, The Prince – a larkily self-aware rewrite of Henry IV Part I with added eye roll from the trans writer Abigail Thorn, who employs largely original cod-Shakespearean dialogue – embraces this idea as a logical extension of the Bard's own metatheatrical gaming around ideas of gender, performance and socially conditioned role play. The rebel Henry 'Hotspur' Percy (Thorn), whom Shakespeare presents as such a perfected image of manhood that King Henry openly wishes he were his son instead of his feckless heir Prince Hal, is here a trans woman, or at least would be if she knew it were an option. In what Thorn implies would remain a very modern dilemma, poor Hal balks at his monarchial duty to marry, all too aware that he is gay. Then there's Lady Kate, Hotspur's long-suffering spouse, who is very cross indeed at the limitations afforded her as a woman by both the play and her position as a wife. Meanwhile, two present-day trans women, Jen and Sam, have somehow found themselves trapped in the Shakespeare metaverse, able to hop in and out of different works, although Mary Malone's delightful Jen, a walking OMG frequently bewildered by the plot of Henry IV, is determined to liberate that play's more obviously unhappy characters from their various struggles with identity. At least, points out Sam, the Shakespeare metaverse allows them to move around (the second half takes a brief detour into Hamlet), as opposed to that of Andrew Lloyd Webber – she's heard of one poor soul trapped inside Phantom for years without even the option to visit Starlight Express. Thorn, who highlights Hotspur’s attempts to be aggressively masculine, even while flaunting a black eyeshadow fetish (the problem with trying to visually represent gender is that you immediately run into stereotype), knows her Shakespeare: in 2019 she performed the complete works in five days, livestreamed for charity. All the same The Prince, directed by Natasha Rickman, has the untidy energy of a production you suspect would feel more at home on the Edinburgh Fringe; it's basically a raucous younger sister to the similarly themed West End musical & Juliet. Yet it builds on the capacious identity complexes at the heart of Shakespeare while offering a more inclusive and constructive conversation than I, Joan – which, controversially, presents Joan of Arc as a trans man. That play implies that to be both female and a war hero is essentially incompatible. The Prince argues quite the opposite, however much Hotspur might reasonably enough weary of war as a man's game. Until Oct 8. Tickets: 020 7407 0234; southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
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LGBT
Sept 20, 2022 19:22:04 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 19:22:04 GMT
Defying Vatican, Flemish bishops allow blessing same-sex unions By Philip Pullella and Charlotte Van Campenhout www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/defying-vatican-flemish-bishops-allow-blessing-same-sex-unions/ar-AA12282mVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Flemish Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday issued a document effectively allowing the blessing of same-sex unions, in direct defiance of a ruling against such practices by the Vatican's doctrinal office. The document published on the website of the Bishops' Conference of Belgium suggested a ritual that included a prayer and a benediction for stable same-sex unions. But it stressed that it was not "what the Church understands by a sacramental marriage". It said the Church wanted to be "pastorally close to homosexual persons" and be a "welcoming Church that excludes no one." The ritual would start with prayers and includes a commitment by the two people in front of family and friends to be faithful to each other. It would end with more prayer and what the document called a "benediction". A Vatican spokesman had no immediate comment. In March 2021, in response to formal questions from a number of Roman Catholic dioceses on whether the practice of blessing same-sex unions was allowed, the Vatican's doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), ruled that it was not. At the time, the CDF said its ruling was "not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite" of the sacrament of marriage and the blessing associated with it. In response to that ruling, Bishop John Bonny of Antwerp said he felt "shame for my Church" and apologised to those he said had been hurt by the "painful and incomprehensible" decision. POPE SUPPORTS CIVIL UNIONS BUT NOT MARRIAGE Pope Francis has said he is opposed to same-sex marriage in the Church but supports civil union legislation to give same-sex couples legal protection and rights such as inheritance and shared health care. A spokesman for the bishops, Geert De Kerpel, said their intention was not to defy the Vatican ruling. "This is first and foremost a positive message," he told Reuters, adding that it conformed with the pope's calls for a more inclusive Church. The Flemish bishops document said that some Catholic gays remained celibate and that the Church appreciated it. The Church teaches that while homosexual orientation is not sinful, homosexual acts are. But the document added that "some prefer to live as a couple, in lasting and faithful union with a partner" and that such a relationship "can also be a source of peace and shared happiness". The bishops denounced "homophobic violence," and said they wanted to "structurally anchor their pastoral commitment to homosexual persons". They announced the appointment of Willy Bombeek, a gay Catholic, as an additional staff member to their department for pastoral care of families to oversee care of gay Catholics. One with similar duties would be appointed to each diocese in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. "I'm proud to belong to the Flemish Church," Bombeek told Reuters. "I hope that religious people in other countries will also get to experience this, and hopefully, this is only the beginning". Francis DeBernardo, executive director of U.S.-based Catholic LGBTQ group New Ways Ministry, said the move would be a blessing for both the couple and for the Church. "These prelates recognise that love is love. Love is more important than sexual behaviour, and love is something that the Church should always bless," he said in a statement. (Charlotte Van Campenhout reported from Amsterdam; Editing by Catherine Evans, Mark Heinrich, Mark Porter, Angus MacSwan and Jonathan Oatis)
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LGBT
Sept 20, 2022 22:59:19 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 22:59:19 GMT
Tucker Carlson calls for violence against LGBTQ supportive teachers & doctors LGBTQNation www.msn.com/en-gb/news/us/tucker-carlson-calls-for-violence-against-lgbtq-supportive-teachers-doctors/ar-AA122o2JFox News host Tucker Carlson called for violence against LGBTQ and supportive teachers on his show last night, saying that “neighborhood dads” should “mete out instant justice to anyone who even thought about sexualizing their kids.” Carlson wasn’t exactly clear in what he was talking about. The segment opens with him talking about sex education in schools, which appeared to include even teaching about different kinds of families, but later in the segment he brought up anti-LGBTQ realtor Chaya Raichik, who goes by “Libs of TikTok” online. Raichik generally shares videos of LGBTQ teachers talking about non-sexual topics like coming out to their classes and pronouns, things that aren’t even sex education. In another part of the segment, he discussed doctors who work with transgender children, claiming that they’re “castrating” kids, even though gender-affirming surgery is not performed on transgender minors. He rolled all of these things together – along with child sex abuse – into the expression “sexualizing children” and said that they all had the same results, effectively saying that mentioning LGBTQ people in the presence of children has the same long-term effects that child sex abuse does. “The reality of all this, behind the euphemism, is horrifying, it’s sexualizing children,” Carlson said sternly. “And they go completely hysterical when you point that out because it’s true. And the real question is, ‘Why is everyone else putting up with this?'” “In a healthy country, with an intact social fabric, neighborhood dads would mete out instant justice to anyone who even thought about sexualizing their kids. And if you doubt that, go out and try it in Bulgaria or South Africa or the Solomon Islands. Good luck. Let us know how that ends, if you can still speak.” “People won’t put up with it, because the instinct to protect your children is the deepest of all human instincts because it has to be. It has to be. But it has been all but eliminated in the West.” He stressed that talking about LGBTQ people in school has nothing to do with LGBTQ equality. “The battle for trans rights is long over,” he scoffed. “Trans people have rights. They can dress any way they like.” As he spoke, the chyron said, without any explanation, “TRANS PEOPLE ARE NOT OPPRESSED IN THIS COUNTRY.” A graphic with pink fuzzy handcuffs and the words “KINK FOR KIDS” then appeared on the screen, even though he had not mentioned anything that was even vaguely connected to kink. “These are weirdos getting creepy with other people’s kids!” Carlson said. “These are sex crimes. And the people committing them should be punished.” Carlson claimed that no one can “say that out loud anywhere but on Fox News.” “You can claim that the Earth is flat and no one gets exercised. But when you start saying things like ‘All lives matter’ or ‘Sexualizing my children is a crime and if you keep it up, I’m going to hurt you because I am the dad,’ say that? You’re done,” he said. “We used to say, ‘Oh, our society doesn’t care about children,'” Carlson said. “What you’re seeing is a society that hates children. You would have to hate children in order to sexualize them. Because sexualizing children screws them up for life. Ask anyone to whom it has happened. Period.” “No one should put up with this. No parent should put up with this for one second. No matter what the law says, your duty, your moral duty, is to defend your children. This is an attack on your children and you should fight back.”
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LGBT
Sept 20, 2022 23:19:52 GMT
Post by Admin on Sept 20, 2022 23:19:52 GMT
Marjorie Taylor Greene floats inaccurate claims to introduce ban on gender-affirming care for trans youths Raw Story www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/parenting/marjorie-taylor-greene-floats-inaccurate-claims-to-introduce-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-trans-youths/ar-AA122Jh7Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) introduced legislation that would make gender-affirming health care for children a federal crime. The Protect Children's Innocence Act, which attracted 37 Republican co-sponsors, would prohibit puberty blockers or other medication, surgery and additional gender-affirming treatment as a felony comparable to child abuse, and opened up anyone who provides such care to civil liability. "There's an ideology that is sexualizing children and pushing this among the most innocent kids, the most vulnerable in all of our society, and it has to end," Greene said. "We want to protect kids. Republicans are the party of protecting children." A recent study showed gender-incongruent young people suffered from serious mental health issues when forced to proceed with puberty according to their assigned biological sex, while teens who had access to puberty blockers or other gender-affirming hormones experienced substantially better mental health outcomes that lasted well into adulthood. "How on earth can this even be happening in America?" Greene said. "It's hard to understand, but the fact that the medical industry is making billions of dollars on these genital mutilation surgeries on kids is absolutely horrific. These are the things that nightmares are made of." Gender-affirming surgery is currently recommended for patients who are at least 16 years old, and then only for mastectomies for transmasculine youths, but most individuals who undergo such procedures are over 18 years old, and Endocrine Society does not recommend genital surgery for minors. With additional reporting by Matt Laslo
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