Pet Peeves

starkdisassembled:

For those who think I rant about the patriarchy and misogyny too much

thelittlekneesofbees:

From: Julia Maddera, Georgetown University ‘13.

To the first man, who I met by the Eiffel Tower my second week in Paris, when I didn’t know better. Who took me out four…

ohmygay:

For those of you who don’t know Alan Turing is widely seen as one of the fathers of computer science and programming. He was exceptionally brilliant and was instrumental in the breaking of the Nazi’s communications code which many argue was one of the contributing factors to the Allies success in WWII.

Alan Turing was also gay. In the early 1950’s the British government, during it’s morality crack down, arrested and convicted Alan Turing for homosexuality and then chemically castrated him as an alternative to prison time and stripped him of access to government projects. Turing took his own life 2 years later.

The UK government is now refusing to pardon the man saying that he was convicted of a crime that was a crime at that time and that he was guilty. Well I happen to be aware of many people who are convicted of crimes now and yet they are pardoned, even though they are guilty (this happens in the USA, Canada, England, and many other countries). Not quite sure why the British government is being such assholes about this, maybe they’re just sour over the calls to downgrade their triple A status or they don’t want to face the fact that they really goofed 60 years ago.

If the UK is not willing to expunge the record of Alan Turing or other men and women convicted of homosexuality then they are putting those individuals (still alive) at a disadvantage within the work place, which I’m pretty sure goes directly again the government’s anti-discrimination policies on the basis of sexual orientation (homosexual acts were not decriminalized in the UK until 1967). Those with the conviction will have to state that they have a criminal record to potential employers, even though they were arrested and convicted for simply being themselves. They very act of not pardoning all those convicted under that law is discriminatory let alone not pardoning such an amazing man as Alan Turing.

A good and just government should be able to admit when they were wrong and when they failed the people who they are meant to serve and look out for. The government’s failure here at this day and age is a failure to recognize and to right the wrongs of the past. Apologies are hollow in the absence of actions to support it.

afriendtosell:

foulmouthedliberty:

ilikerhinestones:

socialistexan:

jewelweed:

msamberhazard:

catamite:

I want to graffiti that headline EVERYWHERE.

Sooooo money goes towards preventing and legislating against smoking but not rape prevention… I mean, how much fucking money goes into those worthless ads about quitting smoking? How much of that could go towards sexual education?

A woman is more likely to be raped than be a smoker. Holy shit.

I need to get off the internet now, seriously what the fuck.

Whoa.

Every single person needs to know this.

Wwwwwooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

signal boosting

(via eponymouslocate)

gaywrites:

Rossville Christian Academy, a K-12 school in Tennessee, has banned the promotion of or association with homosexuality via speech or action, and one parent believes the move is targeted at one gay student out of 300 kids at the school. 

The policy is legal because there is no state or federal law protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and because the Christian academy may receive additional protection since it’s not a public school. The policy states: 

“Homosexuality is forbidden in scripture (Romans 1:27, Leviticus 18:22). A staff member or student who promotes, engages in, or identifies himself/herself with such activity through any word or action shall be in violation of this policy. Should the administration determine a violation of this policy, the person involved will be subject to disciplinary action with the possibility of permanent dismissal. Any applicant who is not in compliance with this policy will not be admitted.”

This is wrong on so many levels I can’t even point them all out. I’m appalled. Permanent dismissal for being gay? Targeting one kid in a humiliating, homophobic manner? And this is all perfectly legal? Really? 

(via projectqueer)

jazzagefaerie:

• Some trans* people are stealth.
• And that’s okay.
• Some trans* people are open about the fact that they’re trans*.
• And that’s okay.
• Some trans* people are closeted, or are only out to a handful of people whom they really trust.
• And that’s okay.
• Some trans* people will…

pansexualpride:

Doctors still don’t know what do to with gay and trans people, which we’ve known for a while now. But you may not have known it gets worse as you age!

A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in September found that med schools in both the United States and Canada dedicate little time — a median of five hours out of the entire curriculum — to LBGT-related topics. While almost all of the schools trained students to ask if patients “have sex with men, women, or both” in a sexual history, many schools did not discuss the issues with any depth. One third did not discuss them at all.

In an environment that can often include discrimination, patients are less likely to receive the care they need, and less likely to want to access care. Obviously, this is a problem.

Last spring, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced several changes in policies around the way that LGBT people are treated in the healthcare system. It pledged to create and adapt training programs to include LGBT-relevant topics, make it easier for LGBT people to find heath insurance, and evaluate ways to ensure equal treatment, among other things.

However, according to the New York Times, overarching changes are, for now, out of reach:

“It’s unlikely that most medical schools will change how they teach medical students anytime soon. Organizations responsible for accrediting medical schools and licensing physicians do not require that prospective doctors know about health care issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender patients. And because research in this area is relatively new, it’s difficult for medical schools to find experts qualified to teach.

Nonetheless, many still view the study results as hopeful because of the level of insight from most of the medical school deans. More than a quarter characterized what their school taught in regards to L.G.B.T. patients as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor,’ and almost half called their offerings only ‘fair.’ ‘This honest appraisal gives me hope that they might already be making plans to improve what they teach,’ Dr. Bailey said.”

But even if there are improvements in healthcare, they might be too late for gay seniors, many of whom return to the closet because of homophobic healthcare workers and care providers. Aging gay people are more likely to live alone and less likely to have partners, and are far less likely to have close relatives or children to call for help, compared with aging straight people. A report by SAGE found that LGBT people over 50 are also more likely to have disabilities and to feel stressed. Isolation and fear of discrimination are no help. In an interview with Xtra, Heather Bain, a Toronto community LGBT services coordinator, said:

“A big issue in the 50-plus LGBT community is how isolated people become when they are hiding their sexuality. If they don’t feel they can talk to other people about being gay, they don’t engage in programs or engage with other people.”

According to the CBC, over a quarter of Canada’s population will be over 65 by 2036. One million will be queer. In the United States, there will be over 3 million queers over age 65 by 2030. According to Michael Adams, SAGE’s executive director,

“Despite recent policy advances, LGBT older adults still face significant barriers to successful aging, such as poor health outcomes, a lack of economic security, social isolation, and unequal treatment under the law and in programs aimed at aging populations.”

Ultimately, recent improvements in healthcare are good, but not good enough.

(via projectqueer)