Today marks fifty years since homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales and that is something worth celebrating. Since then, the rights of LGBT+ people has moved forward including the approval of gay marriage and allowing gay couples to adopt. That is brilliant. Shows that as a nation we don’t discriminate when it comes to this difficult topic.
Obviously there are anomalies. There always will be. But fifty years ago people didn’t see a gay couple in their favourite soap or were people so open about it. In fact any sort of act that was deemed homosexual was punished.
Here in the UK we celebrate with pride our openness to the LGBT+ community. We don’t shy away. Still men are being pardoned – which in a way is too little too late – for being criminalised for being gay. Alan Turing for example. He basically ended World War 2, saved countless lives and invented the computer. But he was castrated when it was discovered he was gay and in the end killed himself by poisoning an apple. It is rumoured that is the reason as to why Apple’s logo is a silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out.
Being pansexual in Britain doesn’t seem like a massive deal to me. I choose to be private around certain people but I don’t feel under threat like others would be around the world. In fact, the government have recently started an online survey for LGBT individuals to complete so they get a better understanding on what issues need to be dealt with and what support may be needed. This shows how seriously the government in Britain takes any issues that the LGBT+ community may have.
Next month I shall be going to my local Pride, the first one I will go to and I am very much looking forward to it. Yesterday, they announced some of the features of the festival including facilities for anyone who is transgender including a chill out zone, private changing rooms and gender neutral toilets.
Warwickshire Pride announced this shortly after President Trump made the idiotic decision of not letting transgender people serve their country in the military. His reasoning (if you can even call it that) was that transgender individuals wouldn’t be focused on decisions or victory and that it would be a burden because of medical costs and would cause disruption. Cut the crap Donald! He is just transphobic and against any sort of LGBT rights.
In January, President Trump had all LGBT civil rights content on The White House website removed. In February he rescinded protections for transgender students on their use of toilets in public schools. In March he revoked any protections of LGBT workers against discrimination in hiring and employment. In April he dropped a federal lawsuit over North Carolina’s statewide prohibition of LGBT equality and now in July he has done this. It is disgusting.
As my friend yesterday said, “Two steps forward with Obama, 100000000 steps back with Trump.” In fact he, who is transgender, got so agitated by what happened he completely flipped out and he lives in the UK so isn’t at risk but to him he feels at risk.
The worrying thing is despite being in the UK we currently have a leader (the wonderful Theresa May) who has actually voted against some LGBT related bills or has been absent from the votes. In fact I have made a handy table to show just how despicable she is (not just in general) but when it comes to LGBT+ rights.
In Germany, Angela Merkel recently voted against gay marriage and we all know Russia’s Vladmir Putin’s views on the subject. In fact, click here if you want to find out about what is happening to the poor gay men in Chechnya who are being tortured and killed. You can also sign Amnesty’s petition against it.
Four of the most powerful leaders in the world right now are against the LGBT+ community in one way or another. We have come so far but now I feel like we are going backwards. Something has to change. Something has to give.
Music, Drums and Me 