Hope

Time flies. Listening to BBC Radio 4 Extra, where a show from the 1970s makes inflation jokes that are very relevant.

My birthday came and went, my niece decided to copy what they do at her school when they celebrate birthdays by counting up from one. Which is quite charming for at ten year old but gets a bit long when she goes, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen.... and feels insulting by the late twenties.

Pride month is ending with dark threats to LGBTQ rights and dehumanising blanket trans sporting bans. Just putting a rainbow on a social profile feels rather pointless.

Trans Day of Visibility

Happy transgender day of visibility. Political rants for another day today is for celebrating the fantastic world of trans. Better photos for another day, I haven't had a great deal of photo ops.

Gay Pride

 For LGBTQ+ history month here's a World In Action from 1979 showing the past was a different place. From what looks like a lovely summer day out, homosexuality has only been decriminalised for just over a decade (though not in Scotland and Northern Ireland). 

Marvel at the over policing, lack of big corporate sponsors and edge of defiance. Also regional accents, which is quite rare as more media from this era doesn't travel further north than Camden.

Finally as a reminder, the age of consent mentioned wasn't lowered untill the mid 90s and wasn't equalised until the millennium.

M2X2I2

 A happy new year. Don't make rash resolutions and don't beat yourself up when you fail to keep them.

Goodbye 2021

That's that. Feeling fine at the moment there's been the usual ride of imposter syndrome, anxiety and the rest at times but I seem to spot the signs and learning to say no at the right time. Generally seeing my niece's and nephews so infrequently that you notice their growth spurts and they've moved on from that thing you thought they were interested in. Haven't been out and about much, or as you'll see taken many selfies, noticed I fitted a dress that I didn't, though this may not be the case after Christmas again. 

Go well, be kind and see you next year.

Happy Christmas

As it's after midnight on the 25th, a happy Christmas to you all whatever you're doing today, hope it's a great day.

Cards

After many years we are still receiving cards addressed to the previous residents, without any return address I've no way of letting them know. If you have sent a card do check whether they still live there to avoid wasting a stamp.

Tin Town

Built in the early 1950's a large group of prefabricated houses were built on the edge of the inter-war Pinehurst estate as a temporary solution to the post war housing crisis. More than 70 years on they are nearly all still standing and known locally as "tin town. The council a few years ago renovated some a few years ago making it easy to spot the privately bought. 

Conversion Therapy

So the consultation on banning conversion therapy in England has been extended allowing for it to be potentially be kicked into the long grass more time for responses so if you haven't already and can, make the time to fill it in.

Head For Heights

 Crikey it's midweek I don't know where the days gone, its not like I've been very busy. Watching a tree surgeon high up cutting a old branch in the wooded area rather too dauntingly high even without the breeze. Mind I haven't got a head for heights in the best of times, anything above a curb gives me vertigo. 

There's Something About Miriam

Stumbled across an article which reminded me wow that really was a thing. The thing being There's Something About Miriam. To copy from the Wikipedia page.

"...it featured six men wooing 21-year-old Mexican model Miriam Rivera without revealing that she was transgender until the final episode."

It was around the time of the reality boom where formats were limited only by the depravity of the pitchers mind and no thought was given to the participants. I can't comment further as I couldn't get past the first minute at the time and this from someone who watched a lot of rubbish at the time. The series also fed into the trans deceit libel which still lingers as recent articles have shown. As the recent coverage and hand wringing over Britney Spears highlighted, a lot of things from the 2000s haven't aged well, this was a particularly egregious example.

World AIDS Day

 Yesterday was world AIDS day and its amazing to think how much things have changed and yet there is still global inequalities in treatment. Also the stigma and homophobia from that period hasn't truly been eliminated. 

Time For Blogmas

It's blogmas time again. It's like an advent calendar except it's a regular dose of your favorite blog, instead of chocolates which you'd have to provide yourself I'm afraid.

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021

The annual transgender day of remembrance (TDoR) exists to pay our respects and draw attent to those who lost their lives as a result of anti trans violence and hatred.

The number of victims are definitely underreported but what is certain is that most victims are people of colour and many are sex workers. 

Infantalising and Trans Youth After Bell v Tavistock

Events, my dear, rather delayed me finishing my luke warn take into a cold one. Sorry.

When it comes to trans care there is heavy infantalising attitude abundant. Where in a normal healthcare situation you are mainly considered to be able to give informed consent and that's true of under 16s who are deemed able, or "Gillick competent" after the case that established the legal principle. But when it comes to trans assistance whether you're 8 or 80 there's an attitude of you can't possibly know what's best for you or you're just following the latest playground trends or those "cheerleaders" are leading you astray because [insert latest crazy conspiracy theory].  

Last year Bell v Tavistock went against the decades old Gillick rule effectively shutting down treatment for transgender teens even with parental consent and the rigourous assessments of those at the Tavistock. Requiring court approval for every prescription of puberty blockers because they can't possibly contemplate what that would mean for them when they become old enough to start hormones and begin surgical interventions. 

While I agree with the court that further research is needed, it's not like puberty blockers are brand new. The earliest recipients are well into adulthood and there have been numerous follow up studies and if there was even the slightest issue T********** Tr*** and their media friends would be mentioning it every second. 

One hopes prescriptions can resume and the shocking two year waiting list can be cut.