Lily Wakefield

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Methodist Church to perform same-sex marriages after historic, landslide vote

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The Methodist Church has voted to allow same-sex marriage, and will now define marriage as between “two people”, rather than between “one man and one woman”. In 2019, the Marriage and Relationships Task Group presented a report to the church’s annual conference, titled “God in Love Unites Us“. The report put forward proposed resolutions same-sex marriage, and these were approved by all but one of the local Methodist synods. On Wednesday (30 June), the 2021 conference gave final considerations on the resolutions, and officially voted to allow same-sex marriages to be conducted in Methodist churches. The conference voted overwhelmingly for marriage […]

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EU to finally take legal action against Poland over horrific ‘LGBT-free’ zones

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The EU will finally take legal action against Poland over the country’s “LGBT-free zones”, which began popping up in 2019, according to reports. Bloomberg Equality reports that “four people familiar with the matter”, who asked to remain anonymous, said the move could be formally announced as soon as next month. The legal action, known as an infringement procedure, would see the EU give Poland notice to correct the issue. If it fails to do so, the EU could take the case to the European Court of Justice, which may impose a fine. Some towns and regions in Poland that declared themselves “LGBT-free” […]

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UK Pride groups ditch the rainbow in powerful protest against ‘cynical cash-ins’

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A group of local Pride organisations have given up their rainbows in protest against corporations ditching the LGBT+ community as soon as Pride month ends. The campaign, which sees Pride groups turn their rainbow logos to black and white, was coordinated by Swindon and Wiltshire Pride. he group said in a statement: “Today you will notice we have removed the colour from our logo. Many organisations today will be removing their visible Pride support from their social media pages. “Some support the LGBT+ community throughout the year and many just for Pride Month. “It’s great so many have joined in and supported by changing their […]

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New York Times prompts furious debate for saying Pride banning cops is ‘worrisome’

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The New York Times has prompted furious debate after its editorial board published an op-ed slamming the ‘worrisome trend’ of banning police from Pride. The New York Times editorial board is “a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values”, according to the publication. On Tuesday (18 May), the board published an opinion piece titled: “A Misstep by the Organizers of Pride.” In the piece, journalists quoted a queer NYPD sergeant named Ana Arboleda, who said she felt she was “being banished for celebrating a part of my identity” after New York City Pride organisers decided […]

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Tennessee becomes second state to cruelly ban healthcare for trans kids

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Tennessee governor Bill Lee has signed into law a cruel ban on gender-affirming healthcare for trans kids who desperately need it. Tennessee is the second state to create such a law, after Arkansas banned medical professionals from offering lifesaving puberty blockers and hormone treatments to trans and non-binary minors last month. The healthcare ban in Tennessee differs slightly from Arkansas’s, in that is bans affirming healthcare for prepubescent trans kids, rather than all trans minors. The law prevents medical practitioners from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone treatment for trans youth before they enter puberty. The legislation only allows the prescription of “hormone treatments for prepubertal […]

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Trump fanatic Angela Stanton-King’s rant: ‘I hope y’all end up like Pulse’

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A Miami gay bar was sent vile abuse after conservative influencer and Donald Trump fanatic Angela Stanton-King posted a foul-mouthed video criticising a drag show. In April, Stanton-King posted a video on social media while watching a family-friendly drag show at The Palace in Miami’s South Beach. Her video shows two young children approaching the drag queen performing to Madonna, before getting on stage and innocently dancing with her. In the video Stanton-King said: “Why in the hell have these people got these little bitty-a*s kids at this f**king drag show?” The Palace began receiving violent threats online. Thomas Donall, […]

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First non-binary mayor ‘of any city, anywhere’ hailed as an ‘example to all’

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Owen J Hurcum, 22, has been elected mayor of Bangor, Wales, making them the “first ever openly non-binary mayor of any city anywhere”. Hurcum was unanimously elected as mayor, having worked as deputy mayor for the last year and a councillor for four years. They also become the youngest-ever mayor in Wales. The new mayor, who identifies as genderqueer, agender and non-binary, posted a photo to Twitter of themselves wearing traditional mayoral chains, a tricorne hat and a sheer black top. Hurcum wrote: “When I came out two years ago I was so worried I’d be ostracised by my community or worse. […]

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Whispering Wind Spirit Bear, a non-binary Indigenous person, killed during robbery

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Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, a non-binary Indigenous person, has been shot and killed in York, Pennsylvania. Whispering Wind has become at least the 22nd known trans person violently killed in the US in 2021, according to HRC, though estimates by other groups are higher and all agree that any reported numbers are likely an underestimate. According to the Advocate, Whispering Wind was shot in the torso late on Monday, 3 May, while trying to stop an attempted robbery at a home they were staying in. They were rushed into emergency surgery but passed away in the early hours of 4 May at […]

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Gay Croatian couple’s five-year legal battle ends as judge rules can adopt

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A court in Croatia has ruled that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt, bringing to an end a gay couple’s five-year battle for their rights. Ivo Šegota, a molecular biologist, and Mladen Kožić, a sociologist, became the first-ever same-sex foster parents in Croatia in 2020, having launched a legal battle after their fostering application was initially denied in 2017. According to Openly, on 21 April Zagreb’s administrative court ruled that same-sex couples should not be discriminated against when it comes to state adoption. The government has the right to appeal the ruling within 15 days of receiving the judgement, but this seems […]

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Tiffany Thomas is the 19th known trans person violently killed this year

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Tiffany Thomas, a 38-year-old Black trans woman, has been murdered in Texas, making her at least the 19th known trans person violently killed so far this year. According to Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Thomas was shot to death on 24 April Dallas, Texas. Just four months into 2021, Thomas is the 19th trans person murdered in the United States, although many deaths go unreported or misreported. Her friends remembered her as someone with a “big heart, who was “funny” and who always “stayed laughing”. According to the Dallas Police Department, which misgendered and deadnamed Thomas, she was found on the ground at a car wash […]

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