Penwing's Journal (original) (raw)
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2013, Second reading 5th February
Feb. 3rd, 2013 | 10:15 am
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So, the Government has published the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2013 (that page by the way, bookmark it - contains links to latest version of the bill, details of progress and dates, and details of how bills progress through Parliament). It had it's first reading (I understand this to basically be "yep, it's a bill, it has words and everything" and allows it to be formally published) on 24th January.
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Hope. Maybe.
Jan. 13th, 2013 | 05:32 pm
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So, this weekend I was hopeful. I was hopeful that the #TransDocFail stories might hit the mainstream and highlight the treatment that trans* people face at the hands of the medical profession. As a queer, but cis, guy I was expecting some of it, but the sheer scale of it was flooring.
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Unwanted Christmas Gifts
Dec. 28th, 2012 | 11:03 am
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Oh what joy to wake up to on Christmas morning, BBC News reporting on the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster's (head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) views on equal marriage. Yes Christmas, that time of family, peace and goodwill to all, is truly the time to spew vile bigotry all over a portion of the population.
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2012 - Top 5s
Dec. 17th, 2012 | 11:36 am
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So, 2012 was another busy year for gigs and theatre (one gig left on Wednesday). I thought I'd try and put together a couple of Top 5 lists but guess what: it's bloody difficult. But I've given it my best shot. I'm not even going to pretend I could put them in order so, chronologically, here they are:
Theatre
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Clicktivism
Dec. 17th, 2012 | 10:02 am
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When I was a little baby campaigner doing stuff with Queer Youth Alliance (now Queer Youth Network), I was organising a campaign against plans by Kent County Council to introduce a local version of Section 28 - that pernicious piece of legislation which teachers felt prevented them tackling homophobic bullying and labelled homosexuality only as a "pretended family relationship". We had a petition, we organised a protest. I nearly had a heart attack when I found out that protests and marches have some regulations and got a lovely chap from the local police explaining that to me.
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No Mandate? err...
Dec. 17th, 2012 | 09:42 am
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So, Peter Bone and fellow bigots have written to the Telegraph to complain, yet again, that there is no mandate for Equal Marriage, complaining about the fact that the 500,000 strong petition against Equal Marriage was "ignored" and expressing skepticism at the "quadruple lock".
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Writing to the endless void...
Dec. 16th, 2012 | 10:29 am
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So, with the government proposing how they're going to implement Equal Marriage, I thought I should follow up with my MP. I wrote to her previously with a copy of my response to the consultation but heard nothing back (other than a postcard acknowledging receipt)*.
I may be a tad sarcastic in places, but here it is:
15th December 2012
Dear Ms Jones,
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Equal Marriage, from consultation to response
Dec. 11th, 2012 | 09:18 pm
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Back in June I responded to the Government's consultation of Equal Marriage. Now, the government has got back to us on how that consultation went and what they intend to do.
And it is a lot of great news. Let's not forget that the move itself is very positive and some of the changes in response to the consultation process are wonderful. That's not to say that everything is achieved from my wishlist, and there is definitely some room for improvement. But, on the whole.... WOOHOO!
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Quadruple Locking of Bigotry
Dec. 11th, 2012 | 07:25 pm
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So, today the Government launched its response to the consultation process on the proposals for Equal Marriage. A more general response is coming but for now I want to talk about a fairly significant WIN in the response.
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Some thoughts on Cineworld and Picturehouse
Dec. 6th, 2012 | 06:52 pm
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My experience of PictureHouse cinemas (City Screen in York and Liverpool's FACT) has been that they aren't just a cinema. They are art galleries, cafes, bars. They host film festivals (FACT regularly hosts LGBT film festivals and Homotopia events) and individual screenings. They hold events (I particularly remember a ridiculously fun double bill of Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge and an eye-opening double bill of Chris Nolan's Following and Memento) and Q&As. They show british films. They show queer films. They show european and world films.