Thursday, May 5th, 2022 @ 7PM, Friends, Sonomans, and the culturally curious! Occidental Center for the Arts’ Literary Series is thrilled to present An Evening with Andrei Codrescu, star of page, screen, and NPR who will talk, read, and generally hold forth. Tickets $25 GA/ $20 for OCA Members. Ticketholders will receive a poem by Andrei Codrescu in a limited handset letterpress broadside edition of 100, designed and printed by Pat Nolan and Eric Johnson at North Bay Letterpress Arts Limited tickets available – get yours today! Refreshments for sale. OCA: 3850 Doris Murphy Way, Occidental, CA. OCA’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. For more info: occidentalcenterforthearts.org or 707-874-9392. Thank you for your continuing support of OCA by posting our listings.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization has removed Fox News its Corporate Equality Index as an LGBT preferred employer after nearly one week of relentless attacks on Transgender Americans.
“Fox News has a history of sharing misinformation and disinformation about the LGBTQ+ community. We know from our own research, which we put out earlier this week, what their disinformation and misinformation means for the LGBTQ+ community: perpetuating stigma and marginalization of transgender and non-binary people,” Aryn Fields, senior press secretary at HRC, said in a statement.
“At a time when transgender people – especially transgender children – are under attack in statehouses across the country, rhetoric has real consequences,” Fields added.
Fields told The Hill that the network’s coverage of the LGBTQ community within the last 72 hours had contributed to a drop in its Corporate Equality Index score, which dropped from 100 to 75.
“We can no longer allow Fox Corporation to maintain it’s score if Fox News personalities and contributors continue to deny the existence of transgender people, minimize the violence transgender individuals face, refer to parents of LGBTQ+ youth as perverts, or equate leaders of LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusions efforts with sex offenders,” Fields said. “Each of these actions happened in the last 72 hours. Enough is enough.”
Following Disney’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation and the company’s effort to be gender inclusive, right-wing and extremist media watchdog group Media Matters for America reviewed Fox News’ obsessive coverage and found that the network has spent more than 3 hours this week – mentioning the company more than 350 times – alleging Disney is grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing children.
Fox has been laser-focused on the story and between midnight March 28 through 9 a.m. EDT April 1, Media Matters reviewed the network’s coverage and found that:
Fox News mentioned “Disney” over 350 times, dedicating over 3 hours of coverage.
Fox News aired at least 53 segments about this story.
Fox & Friends committed the most time to the topic, with 14 segments and 42 minutes dedicated to creating a backlash against Disney.
“This wall-to-wall coverage has overshadowed potentially damaging news about right-wing figures, such as the revelation that former President Donald Trump asked Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to release more dirt on presidential son Hunter Biden, which received just 2 minutes of coverage on the network,” Media Matters Deputy Director of Media Intelligence Tyler Monroe noted.
Fox in defending itself pointed out that the network hired Caitlyn Jenner to an on-air contributor role with her first appearance this past Thursday on Hannity.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in announcing Jenner’s hire, “Caitlyn’s story is an inspiration to us all,” Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in announcing the hire. “She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience.”
Jenner’s appearances on the Fox News Network over the past two months however, have been unrelenting attacks on Trans athletes, especially University of Pennsylvania Women’s Team swimmer Lia Thomas. Jenner also appeared on the network to defend her attacks on Trans athletes.
“We must protect women’s sports. We cannot bow down to the radical left wing woke world and the radical politically charged agenda of identity politics,” Jenner tweeted. In another tweet she said;
“Thank you @seanhannity and @HeyTammyBruce for having a conversation grounded in common sense. All we want to do is protect women’s and girls sports! It’s that simple. And calling out the libelous, defamatory lies of @PinkNews and @emilychudy@benjamincohen“
Jenner has been asked about her position on the multiple pieces of anti-Trans youth sports legislation across the United States. She responded that she saw it as a question of fairness saying that she opposed biological boys who are Trans- competing in girls’ sports in school.
“It just isn’t fair,” Jenner said adding, “and we have to protect girls’ sports in our school.”
May 6, 7, 8,14, 15. Occidental Community Choir Spring Concerts 2022. Born around a bonfire in Occidental in the winter of 1978, OCC is thrilled to emerge from the recent darkness to present an exciting Spring 2020 concert series titled Common Ground . Under the inspired direction of Gage Purdy, we offer a unique blend of original compositions and contemporary and classical songs from outside composers, plus some poetry and theatrics, to highlight themes that unite us all. They include caring for an aging parent, social and political injustice, environmental warriors, personal responsibility, airport security announcements, the diaspora of refugees… even raccoons! And you won’t want to miss our rendition of Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’ as an English madrigal! All concerts will be held at Occidental Center for the Arts, following current Sonoma County public health guidelines for masking and capacity. Friday, May 6 @ 7pm – Community First Night $10,Saturday, May 7 @ 7 pm, Sunday May 8 @ 3 pm, Saturday, May 14 @ 7 pm, Sunday May 15 @ 3 pm . Tickets are $25 . Kids 12 and under FREE. Available @ OccidentalChoir.org/tickets after March 21. Get your tickets early! Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. Accessible to persons with disabilities.
A group of Democratic lawmakers have urged the State Department to do more to ensure countries recognize the same-sex partners of U.S. diplomats.
“We write regarding the continued challenges surrounding diplomatic accreditation faced by LGBTQI+ Department of State employees and their spouses,” reads an April 18 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken that U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) spearheaded. “This issue should be proactively raised in all relevant bilateral meetings by department leaders, especially at the chief of mission level abroad and at the front office or higher level domestically.”
The letter specifically notes upwards of 70 countries around the world “continue to deny visas to same-sex spouses.”
“This effectively renders a vast swath of overseas assignments unbiddable to many Foreign Service families,” reads the letter. “We are concerned that the Department of State has left this issue unresolved for too long, utilizing ‘workarounds’ instead of addressing the problem. We urge you to prioritize raising diplomatic accreditation for same-sex partners at the highest levels in all interactions internally and externally.”
The letter that more than 40 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed indicates “several additional countries” in the Western Hemisphere, the Middle East and North Africa “are finalizing agreements to soon begin accrediting spouses of the same sex.”
“We understand that the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, through the leadership of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joey Hood, has been at the forefront of developing successful strategies for engagement on this issue with countries in their region,” reads the letter. “We hope that you will promote and employ the tactics developed by the NEA (Near Eastern Affairs) Bureau, such as raising the issue of diplomatic accreditation at the ambassadorial level in addition to management counselors and other working level officials, as well as encourage other regional, and where appropriate functional, bureaus to replicate this model.”
“We further urge you to promote equal diplomatic accreditation for LGBTQI+ spouses as a chief of mission priority in Integrated Country Strategies in countries where same-sex couples are currently denied full privileges and immunities and in other high-level department strategic planning,” it continues. “By including diplomatic accreditation as a mission priority, department leadership ensures that attention and resources are dedicated to advancing change. Additionally, we encourage you to develop a robust reporting mechanism that allows ambassadors and chiefs of mission to easily share feedback on successful or unsuccessful strategies, which can be used to the advantage of missions in similar situations.”
The letter also notes the Vienna Convention ensures “our diplomats and their family members should be accredited and receive full diplomatic protections and immunities in the countries to which they are assigned, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius, who co-founded LGBT+ Pride in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) in 1992, is among those who expressed support for the lawmakers’ call.
“This initiative could put the United States in the lead when it comes to encouraging equal treatment for all families,” said Osius in a press release that announced the letter. “Inclusivity benefits everyone.”
The Obama administration in 2009 implemented a policy that asked countries to accredit same-sex partners of U.S. Foreign Service personnel on a “reciprocal basis” in order to receive diplomatic visas. The Biden White House last year issued a memorandum that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ rights abroad.
“We have made and continue to make strong efforts to engage foreign governments on the issue of same-sex spouse accreditation,” a State Department spokesperson told the Washington Blade on Wednesday.
The spokesperson did not specifically comment on the letter, but stressed “fostering diversity and inclusion in the department is a top priority.”
“The State Department is striving to recruit and retain a workforce of talented people that reflects the true diversity of our country, including in our appointments at the most senior levels,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson noted Blinken appointed former U.S. Ambassador to Malta Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley as the State Department’s first-ever chief diversity and inclusion officer. Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad, assumed her position last September.
“Globally, the United States advances the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons through bilateral and multilateral channels, raising official concerns with governments both publicly and privately, coordinating our response with like-minded countries, and offering emergency assistance to LGBTQI+ persons and groups at risk,” said the spokesperson. “ Through our foreign assistance programming, we support civil society by providing LGBTQI+ individuals and communities with the tools and resources to prevent, mitigate and recover from violence, discrimination, stigma, and other abuses. We also provide support for programs that empower local LGBTQI+ movements and work to eliminate laws that criminalize LGBTQI+ status and/or conduct.”
A Johannesburg-based non-profit on Thursday partnered with South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs to issue identity documents for transgender people.
The partnership with Iranti was done in commemoration of the Transgender Day of Visibility, which saw several trans people getting their IDs.
Trans and gender-diverse people with identity documents which do not reflect their gender identity and gender expression currently face challenges in their daily lives such as access to healthcare, travel, job opportunities and voting.
“(The Transgender Day of Visibility) is a day dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender diverse persons, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society,” said Iranti Communications and Media Manager Nolwazi Tusini in a statement. “The day is also focused on raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to end the discrimination and exclusion faced by transgender persons worldwide and ensure the protection of their human rights.”
“Iranti welcomes the Cabinet’s approval of the Identity Management Policy which seeks to ensure the protection of the rights of transgender, intersex and non-binary persons,” added Tusini. “South Africa’s Constitution defines equality as the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and liberties.”
Tusini in their statement said Iranti is “pleased that the Department of Home Affairs is proposing a progressive policy that will ensure that South African IDs are inclusive of trans, intersex and non-binary persons, as a step towards ensuring equality for all.”
“Iranti agrees with sentiments expressed by the Department of Home Affairs Chief Information Officer Sihle Mthiyane that the current South African ID numbers are cisgender binary in nature and assume that all South Africans are either cisgender male or cisgender female. Which is unfair, exclusionary and unconstitutional,” said Tusini. “In addition, Iranti supports the department’s proposal for the introduction of a random unique ID number that is not linked to or founded on a person’s sex. Potential harms towards intersex, trans and non-binary persons such as harassment, discrimination, economic exclusion and violence will be avoided as a result, as the current systems harms intersex born children.”
Tusini said Iranti opposes the proposed introduction of a gender-neutral ID number “because we believe it will lead to the othering of intersex, trans and gender diverse persons and further expose them to violence and discrimination.”
“What we need is the complete removal of sex and gender markers from identification documents, not the introduction of a gender-neutral ID number,” said Tusini. “We call on the South African government to follow the lead of other countries such as the Netherlands and Malta and discontinue the registration of a person’s sex in identity documents, as sex markers are unnecessary and add no additional clarity to who the person is.”
“Let us ensure the protection and promotion of gender minority rights by eliminating policies that segregate people based on binaries of sex or gender,” added Tusini. “The existing laws facilitate the barriers that trans and gender diverse people face in obtaining IDs, therefore, Iranti calls on the Department of Home Affairs to remove gender markers from identity documents, repeal the Alteration of Sex Descriptors and Sex Status Act which is Act 49 of 2003 and replace it with depathologized legislation, that grants trans and gender-diverse people the right to self-determination.”
There is no law in South Africa that allows trans and gender non-conforming people to amend their gender markers except for Act 49.
The law allows trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people who have begun their medical transition to change the gender marker in their identity documents to reflect their gender identity. Trans and intersex people who have sought amendments with the Department of Home Affairs have challenged the law.
Looking for fun, free things to do over Spring Break? We’ve got you covered, with everything from video games to Regional Parks Discovery Packs—all free, all the time. There’s something for everyone at the Sonoma County Library, and springtime is a great time to try new things or reconnect to what you love. Visit a branch near you and get inspired, or check out our roundup of free online events and library resources below to get started right now!
Free Online Resources Learn a new language. Choose from over 70 languages like Spanish, Japanese, or Italian with Mango Languages! This cutting edge language-learning tool is free for all library card-holders and can be accessed anywhere with an Internet connection.Explore new ideas. The Great Courses Library Collection includes 250+ video courses led by the world’s top experts, covering a broad range of subjects, from science, mathematics, philosophy, and history, to literature, fine arts, music, and travel! Become a film buff. Stream and enjoy more than 30,000 of the world’s best films with Kanopy! This streaming service includes award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, and world cinema, available to view for free!
Discover new stories. MakeMake is a digital library with 200 Spanish language eBooks for children and resources for parents and educators to help develop Spanish language literacy in children from birth through elementary school.Want more? Check out all of the library’s eResources here.
Events for the Whole FamilyAges 5-11. Join us for our new book club, Reading Justice: A Family Book Club, on Friday, March 25, at 4:30 pm! Reading Justice is a program designed to give families an opportunity to talk about potentially challenging topics. Each month features a new book topic and access to a video of children’s librarian Ms. Adriel reading a book and discussing it. Tweens & Teens. Get your code on with SoCo CoderDojo! Young people ages 12-17 are invited to join us on Tuesday, March 22, at 6:00 pm to learn how to code or brush up on your coding skills! Classes take place every Tuesday.Teens. Start your Spring Break off right with a yoga class! Join other teens and yoga teacher Ozlem on Monday, March 21, at 4:30 pm for mindful movement and beginner-friendly breathwork.Looking for more? Explore the full calendar here! Spring Into Your LibraryThank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit us online or in person at one of our branches. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here.
Pruebe algo nuevo esta primavera ¿Busca cosas divertidas y gratuitas para hacer durante las vacaciones de primavera? Te tenemos cubierto, con todo, desde videojuegoshasta Paquetes de descubrimiento de Parques Regionales, todo gratis, todo el tiempo. Hay algo para todos en la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma, y la primavera es un buen momento para probar cosas nuevas o volver a conectarse con lo que amas. ¡Visite una biblioteca cerca de usted e inspírese, o consulte nuestro eventos en línea gratuitos y recursos de la biblioteca a continuación para comenzar ahora mismo!
Recursos en línea gratuitosAprender un nuevo idioma. Elija entre más de 70 idiomas como inglés, japonés o italiano con Mango Languages. Esta herramienta de aprendizaje de idiomas es gratuita para todos los titulares de tarjetas de la biblioteca y se puede acceder a ella desde cualquier lugar con una conexión a Internet.
Explora nuevas ideas. La Colección de la Biblioteca de Grandes Cursos(Great Courses Library Collection)incluye 250 cursos de video dirigidos por los mejores expertos del mundo, que abarcan una amplia gama de materias, desde ciencias, matemáticas, filosofía e historia, ¡a la literatura, a las bellas artes, a la música y a los viajes! Conviértete en un aficionado a la película. Transmite y disfruta de más de 30.000 de las mejores películas del mundo con Kanopy! Este servicio de streaming incluye documentales galardonados, títulos raros y difíciles de encontrar, los favoritos de los festivales de cine y el cine mundial, disponibles para su visualización gratuita.
Descubra nuevos cuentos. MakeMakees una biblioteca digital con 200 libros electrónicos en español para niños y recursos para padres y educadores para ayudar a desarrollar la alfabetización en español en niños desde el nacimiento hasta la escuela primaria.¿Quieres más? Revisa todos los eRecursos de la biblioteca aquí.Eventos para toda la familiaDe 5 a 11 años. ¡Únase a nosotros para nuestro nuevo club de lectura, Reading Justice: A Family Book Club,
Now is the time for the larger progressive movement to connect the struggles for LGBTQ and reproductive rights more deeply, especially for those who are transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary.
Trans people get pregnant. Trans people need abortions. Trans people deserve access to culturally competent medical care. Trans people must have the freedom to live, something that is currently under unprecedented direct attack through hundreds of pieces of legislation across the country. Despite all of this, trans people have been marginalized in the mainstream fight over body autonomy. That must end. The reasons why are right in front of us.
Take Idaho as a recent and obvious example. Headlines there within two days of each other make the point: “Idaho House passes Texas-style abortion ban” and “An Idaho bill would criminalize medical treatments for trans youths. It echoes abortion bans.” These links are undeniable.
As is often the case, the forces opposed to body autonomy for cisgender women also oppose it for trans people. It is clear that this is one fight, but for decades, there has been an over-emphasis on cisgender women in the reproductive rights movement and transgender people have been left out and left behind. Restricting a women’s right to choose, curtailing sexual freedom, homophobia and transphobia are all inextricably linked with common roots.
The right wing mainstays of the anti-abortion movement, including The Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Liberty Council are at the forefront of the anti-trans movement, especially the ability for trans people–including children–to have equal access to health care.
TransLash’s investigative series last year, the Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality discussed how these very organizations, many of whom have been designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, are targeting the trans community as the next wave in the war over who gets to control our bodies.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gh3rPqhWLXo?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1
For these organizations, the fight against abortion and the fight against trans rights are increasingly one and the same. And as was detailed in a recent Time Magazine piece, anti-trans forces are borrowing tactics from the anti-abortion movement in targeting doctors who provide gender-affirming healthcare.
By missing these obvious connections and denying a broader civil and human rights frame, the mainstream reproductive rights movement is playing into the hands of the right wing.
At the December 1, 2021 protests outside the Supreme Court hearing on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Task Force witnessed hundreds of protesters but the ones hoping to see Roe v. Wade overturned were not just holding anti-choice signs, but also anti-LGBTQ placards. They clearly get the connection.
Each of us who wishes to decide what we do with our body is in the crosshairs. As individuals, we know that our humanity is larger than the physical forms we are born into. A coalition of people with this understanding, in addition to a deep commitment to racial, disability and economic justice, would create a powerful force for human rights grounded in body autonomy. And that force is needed now to preserve and extend hard fought gains made over the past fifty years.https://www.youtube.com/embed/2oDMaQ0Wwqg?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1
But there is a solution. Visibility. Conversation. Education. Advocacy. The need for us to end this erasure is why Translash created the “Trans Bodies, Trans Choices” short-film series. Putting transgender people and their stories at the center of the discussion is essential if we are going to create the understanding necessary to bring people together both cis and trans. This is about transgender people rather than “transgender issues”.
“Trans Bodies Trans Choices” tells powerful stories of trans people whose lives were changed forever because they had access not only to abortion but also reproductive services and trans-affirming medical care. These are stories that tens of millions of people can relate to, and they bind us all together in a common cause.
Telling our truths and leveraging our collective power is how we will create the change required for us all to live whole and with dignity. Storytelling is the first step in creating a common bond but there are so many other steps that must follow.
The only way we will make progress is if we are in it together.
Imara Jones is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist, intersectional-news producer, and creator of TransLash. Kierra Johnson is the Executive Director of the National LGBGTQ Task Force.
If you’ve ever felt like monogamy wasn’t for you, know that you’re not alone. In a study by the Kinsey Institute, 81 percent of respondents said they fantasized about open relationships at least once in their lives. And at least one in five Americans have entered some kind of consensual non-monogamous relationship.
Polyamory – or the practice of dating multiple partners at once – has, for the most part, been on the fringes of what most people consider as “normal” dating behavior. After all, the concept of monogamy has been reinforced for time immemorial by religion, government, films, TV shows, and music. So much so that most people do assume it to be the default, normal way to have romantic relationships.
But, in recent years, more and more people have begun to recognize non-monogamy as an option that’s just as real and valid as its counterpart. Even big celebrities like Willow Smith, Nico Tortorella, and Bella Thorne have opened up about their experiences with non-monogamy and how it’s worked out for them.
But how do you actually know if polyamory is right for you? How do you answer the question “Am I polyamorous?” without even having experienced it? Here, you’ll find four important questions to ask yourself before you begin testing the waters that will, hopefully, help you gain a better understanding of the practice and whether it’s something that could work for you.
The word “polyamory” comes from the Greek term “poly”, which means “many”, and the Latin word “amor”, which means “love.” So, a polyamorous person could be described as someone who is capable of falling in love and maintaining romantic relationships with more than one person at a time.
Polyamory is just one type of ethical non-monogamy – an umbrella term for dating practices and relationship structures where people date or have sex with multiple people with the consent of their partners. Essentially, ethically non-monogamous relationships are diametrically opposed to monogamous relationships, which emphasize that partners stay faithful to one and only one partner at a time.
One of the biggest misconceptions about ENM is that it’s an excuse for cheating. However, there is a key distinction between the two. Cheating involves one partner entering a romantic or sexual relationship with another person without their partner’s consent. In an ethically non-monogamous relationship, however, everyone involved needs to enthusiastically consent to the dynamic – hence, the term “ethical”. It’s a dynamic that gives partners the freedom to be involved with more than one person in a way that’s mutually satisfying and enjoyable.
Am I Polyamorous Test: 4 Questions To Ask Yourself
So how do you know if polyamory is right for you? Based on what experts have said about the practice, these are some of the questions you should be asking yourself.
Take note: This isn’t exactly your typical “Am I polyamorous” quiz because there won’t be a grade or score by the end. What these questions are meant to do is help you recognize some of the signs that may be difficult to catch because of how much society normalizes monogamy. Some of these questions are also meant to prepare you for some of the more challenging realities of being in a polyamorous relationship.
1. Have you ever wrestled with commitment issues?
A lot of polyamorous people can tend to feel “trapped” in monogamous relationships, feeling like they’re being robbed of their chances to explore potential relationships with other people. So, they can end up resenting their partners and cheating.
Unfortunately, compulsory monogamy – or the idea that monogamy is the only option or the “endgame” in terms of romantic relationships – reinforces the idea that commitment issues are just something to get over, rather than a sign that perhaps monogamy isn’t the right fit for some people.
2. Have you experienced falling in love with or having crushes on multiple people at the same time?
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that you’re polyamorous. “Polyamorous people believe you can love multiple people”, says sex and relationship therapist Renee Divine. “They’re open to additional people in that way, and they want that emotional attachment. Plural love is the main focus.”
This is an important distinction to make between other types of non-monogamy because some people only seek out other partners for sexual variety. These types of people tend to have high sex drives and enjoy having different kinds of sexual relationships.
But polyamory is more than just sex – it involves emotional intimacy as well. If you don’t think you can be romantically involved with more than one person, then perhaps you’re better suited to consensual non-monogamy (like open relationships or swinger-type relationships) than polyamorous relationships.
Polyamorous people also tend to believe that one person cannot fulfill all of their needs. It’s not just about being attracted to multiple people, it’s also about acknowledging that you may have varied needs that you can’t necessarily get from just one partner – and that is okay.
3. Are you okay with the idea of your partner seeing other people?
Depending on the kind of polyamorous relationship you enter – and there are many different types – you may have to share your partner with other people. Will this feel like a betrayal to you, or do you think it’s something that you can be comfortable with?
For polyamorous people (at least those who aren’t solo poly), it’s necessary to be able to get to a place where you can be okay with or even be happy for your partner when they date other people. That feeling has a name, and it’s called “compersion”. It can be described as “the happiness in knowing your partner is happy”. For some, seeing their partners date other people can even be a turn-on.
Of course, jealousy does still happen in polyamorous relationships. Polyamorous people just learn to communicate their feelings and find the root causes of their jealousy – otherwise, it could jeopardize their relationships.
“Jealousy can be broken down to determine what your real concerns are,” says social worker Stephanie M. Sullivan. And in many instances, jealousy has less to do with your partner’s feelings and behaviors and more to do with your own insecurities. According to researchers, jealousy can stem from factors like low self-esteem, feelings of insecurity in your relationship and possessiveness, and an anxious attachment style.
4. Are you comfortable communicating your fears, insecurities, boundaries, and limitations?
While you can be drawn to polyamory even if you’re not exactly the best communicator or the best at setting boundaries, there are some important aspects for maintaining healthy and successful polyamorous relationships:
Having the ability to be open and honest about your feelings
Being emotionally available
Knowing how to set, reinforce, and respect boundaries
Knowing how to regulate your emotions
“Whatever your personal buttons are, polyamory will almost certainly push them”, Ginny Brown writes for Everyday Feminism. Because of this, it’s good to start working on your personal issues before you try polyamory.
Am I Ready For Polyamory?
Polyamory is not easy. Poly people face a lot of judgment and confusion because most of us have been raised to believe that monogamy is the one and only way to have romantic relationships. Maintaining poly relationships can also be time-consuming and emotionally taxing, considering all the variables you have to deal with.
Despite that, for some people, polyamory is the only option for a decent shot at being happy. And that shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of!
A new queer festival, LGBT+ Music Festival, is launching in Porto, Portugal this summer.
The three-day music event will take place between 1-3 July across four stages in the city.
Porto will host 35,000 festival goers, with music, DJs, drag and more on the lineup of the inclusive festival.
The lineup features Iggy Azalea, Bebe Rexha, Melanie C, Drag Race UK’sBimini Bon Boulash and Jodie Harsh to name a few.
The festival has also teamed up with local clubs, bars, restaurants and hotels in Porto to create a “unique and inclusive experience”.
As well as live music there’s also afterparties, boat parties that dock at the main stage venue, pool parties and helicopter rides over the ocean.
“This will be a festival that remembers the past, celebrates the present and prepares for the future. Bringing people from all over the world together, it will create a truly safe space for everyone who knows and understands that music is an act of liberation,” says Diogo Vieria da Silva, executive director of Variações for Portugal’s LGBTI Commerce and Tourism Association.
“Combining inclusion with fun, the festival will help the city of Porto and local organizations to raise their support for LGBT+ people and will be the epicentre of the celebration of equality values. It will give a stage to LGBT+ artists and their allies, whilst elevating national artists to new heights,” they add.
You can find out the full lineup, ticket info and more below for LGBT+ Music Festival.
This article contains affiliate links, PinkNews may earn revenue if you click through and purchase products through the links.
Festival tickets are now available to buy from festicket.com.
There’s a number of different passes you can buy for LGBT+ Music Festival and we’ve broke them down below.
Day ticket – £56.84
Weekend ticket – £122.07
Day ticket plus pass – £64.30
Weekend ticket plus pass – £154.70
VIP day ticket – £101.58
VIP weekend ticket – £246.02
Platinum day ticket – £179.86
Platinum weekend ticket – £432.40
Plus a payment scheme is also available for each ticket type, so you can spread the cost of your ticket across a number of months.
Where is LGBT+ Music Festival?
The official website says the festival’s main site is located at the Douro river bank in Porto, Portual in the Alfândega do Porto.
“The other venues will mostly be at walking distance,” they add.
Where to stay in Porto
Whether it’s a hotel, apartment or hostel you’re after, there’s plenty of spots to stay in Porto. We’ve put together a handful of hotels you can book for the LGBT+ Music Festival.
In a first, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been ordered to secure gender-affirming surgery for a transgender prisoner.
A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois ordered the bureau on Monday to undergo a nationwide search for a qualified surgeon to perform the surgery for the inmate, Cristina Nichole Iglesias.
The directive will bring Iglesias — who has been imprisoned since 1994 for threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction — a step closer to receiving the procedure, which she has been fighting to get for six years, the last three in the courts.
“I am hopeful that I will finally get the care I need to live my life fully as the woman I am,” Iglesias said in a statement provided to NBC News by her legal representative, the American Civil Liberties Union. “BOP has denied me gender-affirming surgery for years — and keeps raising new excuses and putting new obstacles in my way. I am grateful that the court recognized the urgency of my case and ordered BOP to act.”
Monday’s court order could pave the way for othertransgender prisoners to receive gender-affirming surgeries as well. LGBTQ advocates have called these procedures “life-saving,” and Monday’s decision could bolster the Biden administration’s goal of improving the lives of incarcerated transgender people.
A 2015 report by the Justice Department estimated that 35 percent of trans prisoners surveyed had reported being sexually assaulted behind bars within the last year. Under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Prisons was required to “use biological sex as the initial determination” for housing trans prisoners.
A 2020 NBC News investigation that tracked 45 states and Washington, D.C., found that out of 4,890 transgender inmates in state prisons, only 15 were confirmed to being housed according to their lived gender.
In January, the Biden administration restored Obama-era guidelines for federal prisons to house transgender inmates by their gender identity “when appropriate.” The guidelines also require prison staff to refer to trans inmates by their lived name and pronouns.
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The ACLU estimates that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has more than 1,200 transgender people currently in its custody.
Iglesias has been in federal prison for roughly 28 years and currently lives in a bureau-run residential re-entry center in Florida, according to the ACLU.
Although she identified herself as a woman upon her incarceration, she has been housed in men’s facilities for over two decades, and during that time has experienced physical and sexual violence, the ACLU said. In May, her lawsuit to seek gender-affirming surgery resulted in her being one of the few transgender federal prisoners moved to a facility that corresponds with her gender identity.
Iglesias then became the first transgender prisoner to be evaluated for gender-affirming surgery, which the Bureau of Prisons recommended in January. However, the ACLU said in a statement that the bureau had “sought to postpone any referral to a surgeon for months.”
In Monday’s ruling, Judge Nancy Rosenstengel slammed the prison bureau’s handling of Iglesias’ case and compared its “tactics” to a game of “whack-a-mole.” Rosenstengel also ordered the bureau to provide the court with weekly updates and a detailed plan to ensure that Iglesias gets the surgery before her release in December.
The Bureau of Prisons told NBC News in a statement that it does not comment on “pending litigation or matters subject to legal proceedings,” nor on “the conditions of confinement for any individual or group of inmates.”
“For years, Cristina has fought to receive the health care the Constitution requires,” Joshua Blecher-Cohen, an ACLU of Illinois staff attorney who represents Ms. Iglesias, said in a statement.
“The court’s order makes clear that she needs gender-affirming surgery now and that BOP cannot justify its failure to provide this medically necessary care,” he said. “We hope this landmark decision will help secure long-overdue health care for Cristina — and for the many other transgender people in federal custody who have been denied gender-affirming care.”