![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
ding-dong
France legalises same-sex marriage.
In the UK, the same-sex marriage bill passes the House of Commons, amidst paranoid fears for some secret agenda of the 'aggressive homosexual community' (hands up if you're a member?) and Lord Tebbitt's deeply bizarre ravings about 'lesbian queens and artificially inseminated heirs' (bring it on I say) and plans to 'marry his own son to escape inheritance tax'.
Finland's Eurovision entry featuring a same-sex kiss fails to bring a winning vote while Turkey opts for the 'lalalala if I can't see it, it's not happening' approach to the whole thing. It might, however, highlight the fact that Finland is the only remaining Nordic country that has not legalised same-sex marriage and has recently dropped in the LGBT equality index. Yet, a poll suggests over half support same-sex marriage and a citizens' initiative will force the debate back into the parliament.
George Takei continues to be awesome while the young age of all the protesters makes me very sad.
Last week I sat at the staff LGBTIQ network meeting and watched one of the young women put on a brave face about coming out to her family.
A few months ago one of my students told me that 'well if they don't tell the police about homophobic hate crime, then what can they do, it's not their responsibility.' Still, two others included transgender people in their assignment on 'gender diversity and policing' as well as 'men and women'.
Idk, I have a lot of feels. I try to stay out of the comments sections in all news articles. I try to talk to my students instead. I try to remember the ones who listen and the ones who never needed telling in the first place, those who just go 'of course' because anything but equality is incomprehensible. Because that's the way it should be.
***
In the UK, the same-sex marriage bill passes the House of Commons, amidst paranoid fears for some secret agenda of the 'aggressive homosexual community' (hands up if you're a member?) and Lord Tebbitt's deeply bizarre ravings about 'lesbian queens and artificially inseminated heirs' (bring it on I say) and plans to 'marry his own son to escape inheritance tax'.
Finland's Eurovision entry featuring a same-sex kiss fails to bring a winning vote while Turkey opts for the 'lalalala if I can't see it, it's not happening' approach to the whole thing. It might, however, highlight the fact that Finland is the only remaining Nordic country that has not legalised same-sex marriage and has recently dropped in the LGBT equality index. Yet, a poll suggests over half support same-sex marriage and a citizens' initiative will force the debate back into the parliament.
George Takei continues to be awesome while the young age of all the protesters makes me very sad.
Last week I sat at the staff LGBTIQ network meeting and watched one of the young women put on a brave face about coming out to her family.
A few months ago one of my students told me that 'well if they don't tell the police about homophobic hate crime, then what can they do, it's not their responsibility.' Still, two others included transgender people in their assignment on 'gender diversity and policing' as well as 'men and women'.
Idk, I have a lot of feels. I try to stay out of the comments sections in all news articles. I try to talk to my students instead. I try to remember the ones who listen and the ones who never needed telling in the first place, those who just go 'of course' because anything but equality is incomprehensible. Because that's the way it should be.
***
no subject
Like Finland, Australia is woefully dragging its heels and we will never get a bill passed as long as the prime minister and opposition leader both oppose same-sex marriage (hell would have to freeze over before the opposition leader changed his stance).
Our former prime minister – an avowed Christian – announced yesterday he had changed his mind and now supported same-sex marriage. The response from the right wing ultra-conservatists and religious lobby was the same instant homophobic and bigoted rhetoric. Like you, I now try and stay out of even reading comments as it is far too depressing to see the amount of vitriolic homophobia that exists in Australia. Or maybe the people who do comment with vitriol are all wowsers who have nothing better to do with their time than spread their disease … dunno.
I loved the George Takei link, he is so cool! What was sad about the protesters, as well as their young age, was their inability to write coherently:(
no subject
Interesting to hear about Australia and it is cool though that the former PM had changed his mind. What made him change his stance like that?
Heh yeah, that too. George Takei happily took the piss out of the spelling too. :D
no subject
Religious conservatism is very strong here.
no subject
Seriously though, it is always good to hear when people are actually brave enough to take a long hard look at their attitudes and beliefs and have the courage to change them.
no subject
Yay for the French! They went ahead bravely in the face of loads of minority group protests and it looks as if England will follow. And so the climate should gradually change and maybe other countries, like Finland, will get the message. The people obviously have, as they have here. I was quite impressed, too, by the new Church of Scotland decision - it shows just how insane the CoE ruling is.
Thanks for a post pulling all the news together!
no subject
Yes, I saw the pictures of the French protests and they looked massive. At least so far here it seems limited to indignant Conservative MPs. Well done for Church of Scotland too, I hadn't heard of that.