Some 40 years ago, in another life, I was discussing women’s rights and the discrimination that women suffer in many areas of life, and particularly in employment. It seemed to me even then that it was not fair that men got well paid jobs over equally well, or even better, qualified women. My friend was unconvinced. “It’s women that have the babies” he countered. That, … Continue reading Notes on Being Me
At the end of what has been a pretty traumatic week for transgender people came the news that most of us had been expecting but still hoping not to hear. This was the announcement that the Government will not be proceeding with plans to amend the Gender Recognition Act to permit self-declaration (as has been permitted in the Republic of Ireland since 2015) despite this … Continue reading A Load of Balls – The U -Turn on Gender Recognition
I have never met a trans activist. I have met many trans people some of whom I count among my friends but encounters with trans activists continue to elude me. I am beginning to wonder whether they actually exist, other than as straw men/women to be knocked down by those radical feminists who have an issue with trans people. I am going to tell you … Continue reading Letter from a Transplainer
A week ago, a grey plastic package arrived in the post. I ripped it open to find my first subscriber copy of Diva magazine. I suppose it is a sad reflection of our times that it is necessary for the magazine to be sent out in such packaging, in a way that my copies of Private Eye are not. But shame and stigma are still … Continue reading DIVA Days
I never really thought that at my age I would ever be a football mascot. Well, actually, I wasn’t really but I did get to hold the Proud Baggies’ flag as the players came out for West Bromwich Albion’s home game against Swansea City on Rainbow Laces Day. Rainbow Laces Day is the day when football clubs and their supporters embrace diversity and promote the message … Continue reading Flying the Flag
I suppose I should have been part of the LGBT scene rather longer than I have. I occasionally go to meetups of the Birmingham LGBT Meetup and have met some people I really like. But I never had time to go that often. Their main event is Coffee and Cake on a Saturday afternoon, and on Saturday afternoons I often have other things to do, … Continue reading Being a Proud Baggie
The recent announcement that Stonewall Chief Executive Ruth Hunt will be leaving in the summer has sparked a fair bit of comment. It has been argued that the organisation has lost its way and that it took a wrong turn by deciding to campaign for trans rights. This piece by Jonathan Best in Medium sets out the arguments cogently. I want to look at some … Continue reading A FEW THOUGHTS ON STONEWALL AND WHY THE T BELONGS IN LGBT
I recently read a piece (I can’t remember where so can’t provide a reference) in which it was argued that the T in LGBT I was out of place since gender is a distinct phenomenon from sexual orientation. On one level this is true although we might point out that if a change of gender does not entail a change in sexual orientation this would … Continue reading Down to a T
I suppose the story of Tara Hudson is old news now that she is serving her sentence in a women’s prison. I am not going to say anything on what she did or about whether a brief custodial sentence was appropriate although some might think that prisons are overcrowded enough and that sentences like this are ultimately pointless. Neither will I say anything about the … Continue reading ESSENTIALISING BULLSHIT
A lot has been written about transsexuals and whether they are welcome in feminist circles, whether they are ‘proper’ women and so on. I don’t know any stats but have a probably superficial impression that that most transgender people are biological males wanting to live as women. We seem to hear little about biological women who identify as male. I met Linda some years ago … Continue reading A Tale of John and Linda
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26 years of previously repressed melodrama
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Eve's Temptations 