All posts tagged: equality

Rally for Marriage Equality in Perth, June 2016

Published by thequeerav

Hundreds of Perth people gathered for one final rally for LGBTI rights on June 25 before the upcoming election on July 2. The Rally for Marriage Equality, hosted by Equal Love WA, was one of many happening across Australia on Saturday. The crowd and speakers were particularly angry over the proposed plebiscite from the Liberals which would cost tax payers $160 million despite current public support for marriage equality. With the election less than a week away, opposition leader Bill Shorten has committed to making marriage equality his first act as Prime Minister should Labor win. “The first piece of legislation I introduce into the 45th Parliament will be a bill to amend the marriage act, a simple change,” he said. The words “a man and a woman” are replaced with “two people”, no $160 million plebiscite, no hurtful, hateful government-sponsored advertising campaign for us.” Should this be the case, this will not only be a win for same gender couples, but also trans, non-binary and intersex people. The Greens support for marriage equality hasn’t …

Why the Trans Community Needs to Ban the Word “Transtrender” for Good

Published by thequeerav

The other day, I was called a “transtrender” by a trans woman who refused to acknowledge my gender identity because I have, up until this point, not hormonally transitioned. Because the only thing that determines your gender identity is, you know, hormones (sarcasm). A “transtrender” refers to a person who identifies as transgender because they think it’s cool to do so. This particular trans reader insisted that I was not a “true” trans person, and that I claim this identity only because it’s the trendy thing to do. This isn’t the first time my transness has been called into question, but there’s something particularly sinister about this word that made me angry. Here’s the funny (and sad) thing about a trans person calling me a transtrender: They aren’t just hurting me. They’re hurting our community, and undermining our cause. There’s a lot of problematic implications that go with the term “transtrender.” It implies, for example, that a person’s gender identity is for outsiders to decide. It suggests that there is only one way to transition. It marginalizes …

23 BuzzFeed Videos, Lists and Articles That Will Rock Your Queer Socks

Published by thequeerav

BuzzFeed has really grown in popularity over the past few years, largely because of their diverse range of news and entertainment presented in new and fun ways. The queer community is most certainly included in this diversity and so I thought it was time to compile a list, in true BuzzFeed style, of queer BuzzFeed videos, lists and articles that will rock your queer socks. Enjoy! 1. 9 Queer Women in Tech Tell Us What They’ve Learned 2. Smashing Gender Binaries with the Queer Kids of Today 3. 59 Thoughts Every LGBT Student has Before Mardi Gras 4. 11 Things Everyone Always Assumes About Lesbians 5. LGBT TV Characters are Whiter, Male-er, And Richer than Real Queer People 6. Toms: The Complex World of Female Love, a short documentary by Coconuts TV, explores a sexual identity that is unique to Thailand. 7. 17 Times Queer Tumblr Totally Owned 2014 8. Margaret Cho is Here, Queer, And Taking Questions About Anything 9. Why Pronouns Matter for Trans People 10. 17 of the Sweetest Ways to Come …

Gay Marriage Vs. Marriage Equality: Not the same thing

Published by thequeerav

As the world comes closer to reaching marriage equality (baby steps people), I thought it might be an appropriate time to point out what the term ‘marriage equality’ ACTUALLY means. Too often I see the terms same sex marriage, gay marriage and marriage equality used interchangeably and I have to point out that it is incorrect to do so. I know this issue has been written about a lot in the past but it’s still something that happens frequently, so I thought it might be time to revisit. Some people might think this is me being too picky and/or too concerned with being politically and linguistically correct though I would have to disagree. If there’s anything I’ve learnt from being a part of the queer community, it’s that language IS VERY IMPORTANT and something that can’t just be ignored or generalised by the wider community for the sake of ease. Same sex marriage and gay marriage are terms frequently used by the wider community to refer to a marriage between two people of the same sex; 2 …

“Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman" says Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu

Published by thequeerav

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu believes that marriage should stay between a man and a women and centuries of tradition should not be overturned by gay marriage. Sentamu, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England doesn’t however, object to Civil Partnerships but in an interview with the Telegraph recently referred to them as being ‘friendships.’ “We supported Civil Partnerships because I believe that friendships are good for everybody” he said. “If you genuinely would like the registration of civil partnerships to happen in a more general way, most people will say they can see the drift. But if you begin to call those ‘marriage’, you’re trying to change the English language.” Peter Tatchell, the co-ordinator of the Equal Love campaign disagrees with Sentamu’s opinions. “It is not a Christian value to demand legal discrimination against gay couples and to treat them as inferior, second-class citizens with fewer rights than everyone else.” For the further information on the story visit The Telegraph and The Gaurdian.

Starbucks: A Supporter of Gay Marriage Legislation

Published by thequeerav

Starbucks published a statement January 24 showing their support for gay marriage legislation in the state House and Senate, Washington, DC. The growing list of Corporation support also includes Microsoft. Such support is aiding in the attempts for full marriage equality in Washington. The Starbucks statement reads as follows: To: U.S. partners Date: January 24, 2012 Re: A Message from Kalen Holmes: Starbucks Supports Marriage Equality Dear partners, Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion. This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender …