What's bringing my joy this week
Trigger warning for transphobia for the first paragraph here.
We’ve gone full mask off transphobia in the UK via a Supreme Court ruling that makes no sense, followed up by members of Parliament, including the literal Equalities secretary saying trans women should use men’s bathrooms in public.
It’s been…a tough week.
This seems like a good place to introduce/re-introduce myself: my name is Gem, I’m non-binary. My pronouns are they/them. I fall under the trans umbrella. Even if I didn’t, I’d still be supporting trans rights, because trans rights are human rights.
In this week’s newsletter I’m going to talk about what’s bringing me joy this week and link to some good things you can do or go support if you want to voice disapproval of this nonsense.
The protests across the country this weekend have been wonderful to see. A real celebration and resistance to the news. I showed up to one on Saturday for a little bit and it was lovely to see people coming together, both as part of the community, and as allies.
I went to the cinema for the first time in a while to see Sinners. I really enjoyed it! I actually think the horror bit was the weakest part, and the 2/3rds of the film before that were really solid (which is weird to say as a horror fan) but overall, a good time.
libro.fm has an Indie Bookshop Appreciation Sale, and I picked up 6 audiobooks there. The first one I picked up to listen to is The Unmothers, which I’m enjoying immensely. It’s a folk horror but also touches on complicated grief, bodily autonomy, and folk remedies passed down from generation to generation of women. Check the trigger warnings on it though.
The weather has been lovely, so I’ve been heading out to get my VitD while listening to said audiobooks. Walking is just nicer in nice weather, and you never know when the English weather is going to change, so I want to make the most of it while I have it.
I made a truly ridiculous dessert for Easter. A chocolate egg, halved, and filled with a cold set cheesecake. Delicious, ridiculous. To be eaten over multiple sittings.
Petitions
If you’re in the UK you can sign a petition to make sure trans people can continue to transition.
Legally enshrine the right of adults to physically transition using NHS services: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/704793
There’s also this on one self-ID, which the government has already responded to, but it's now up for debate. It’s still open to signatures if you want to add your name to the cause:
Allow transgender people to self-identify their legal gender: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701159
Charities and organisations you can support financially
Local is better when it comes to charity, so searching for local trans/lgbt charities or mutual aid in your area is a good start.
In Manchester we have (this is not an exhaustive list):
https://www.sparkle.org.uk/ https://lgbt.foundation/General UK charities (again, nowhere near exhaustive):
https://notaphase.org/ https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/As the ruling is still new, we have no idea how it will affect other policies and laws, or any further court cases that may come up. We know this is the start, and we are going to fight it, but we need support. One thing that did help me emotionally was seeing all my cis friends posting about how they disagreed with the ruling. Keep your support loud and open, because not all trans folks can do that.
Also: fuck JK Rowling, now and forever.
Normal service will resume next week <3