OK, Pope Benedict XVI didn’t actually maim anyone, but I needed a catchy headline.
Is that a dress?
It all started last week as churches voiced concerns that the Equality Bill could expose them to legal challenges if they refused to employ trans and sexually active gay people. (What are they worried about? – we’re not really covered anyway).
And now, in LGBT History month of all times, the Pontiff’s thrown in his tuppence-worth:
“The effect of some of the [equality] legislation has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is
guaranteed.”
He does like to pontificate. His remarks have also been viewed as an attack on the Sexual Orientation Regulations which forced Catholic adoption agencies to consider gay couples as potential adoptive parents.
Anyway, what’s Christianity’s beef with LGBT people all about? Surely if ‘God hates fags’ so much she’d have mentioned so in the 10 Commandments. (Those fundamental Christian rules… like never lying, feeling envious or working on a Sunday. You know the one’s)
What precisely is the Christian argument against employing trans people? It all seems founded upon sand if you ask me. I would be very interested to hear the views of Catholic trans people and how they feel about all this.
The National Secular Society plans to mount a protest campaign against the visit.
A visit which will cost the taxpayer £20 million.
£20 f*****g million!! We could’ve had 20 expenses scandals for that! Well someone is having a laugh at our expense… literally.
I don’t want to alienate transgender Catholics but if anyone should possibly wish to sign a 12,000-strong-and-counting petition against the Pope’s visit you may want to click on this
it. No way will any politician retract the invitation, but it’s always nice to democratically object.
What part of £20 million of taxpayers money might look like in gold.
It’s rather a shame Pope Benedict doesn’t back legislations to protect us because we really need them – ask Katrina Harte.
Katrina, 46, had been a regular at the Briar Dene in North Tyneside since she was 18-years-old and was immediately accepted by drinkers and bar staff there after she transitioned 3 years ago. But a month ago a member of staff stunned her by telling her she could no longer use the bar’s ladies toilets – and would have to use the disabled facilities instead:
“They told me it was against the law, but I have never heard of any such law. I just felt sick and betrayed. It is hard enough for transsexuals to find pubs to drink in. We have got to be so careful where we go – we wouldn’t dare go in most pubs on a match day.”
Katrina has not been out to the Briar Dene since the humiliating incident which she claims has “really, really got me down.” Other regulars have been so outraged by her treatment that a
Facebook group with over 400 members has been set up. The group, to support Katrina, is mysteriously called Support Katrina Harte.
Now would you believe it, the Guardian allowed someone who isn’t anti-trans to write in their Comment is Free section. It wasn’t me, sadly, but nevertheless please accept our NICE Award!
And Comment is Free also earns special cis-lady Beatrix Campbell our STOP Award for feeling the need to use quotation marks around the word transphobia in her critique of “people who used to be men”.
Right, enough of gender politics, I have a story about dung. Yes, from Devon.
I was shocked to discover this old story about sex slurry pervert David Truscott who “gets a disturbingly sexual kick out of manure” in the Sun. According to a Truro police spokesman:
“he’s obviously got some slightly less than conventional fetish about it. He has admitted to repeatedly trespassing onto Woodbury Farm at Tolgus Mount, stripping down to a pair of women’s panties, then climbing into the muck spreader and masturbating vigorously”
David Truscott. Notice his pose is similar to the Pope’s. David however doesn’t just talk shit, he spanks his bishop in it.
David Truscott is hardly part of the trans community but nevertheless I’m gobsmacked the Sun didn’t make more of a fuss about the panties – or even call him a the T-word. Compared to masturbating in dung, transvestism evidently pales into insignificance. Well now we know the Suns top 5 evils:
- Pleasuring oneself in manure
- Transgenderism
- Paedophilia
- Illegal immigrants
- Murder
So there you have it.
Finally boys, girls and neither, turn on your wireless tonight and you’ll hear top-notch violinist Diana Yukawa on Radio 2 performing live from the Mermaid Theatre in London. The concert is in recognition of the late transgender arranger Angela Morley who worked with pop icons Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield before becoming one of the world’s foremost orchestral arrangers. Morely won two Emmy Awards and two Oscar-nominations as well as providing the scores for classic TV shows such as Dallas, Dynasty and Cagney and Lacey and films such as Star Wars, Superman and ET. Behind every great soundtrack there has to be a great trans woman. Catch the concert at 7:30pm on Digital, online, or on 88-91 FM
Catch you later possums.
Paris Lees
(The views expressed within this blog are those of the author, and may not reflect those of the Gender Trust)
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