There has been silence here for over a week as I have been away. I have been dealing with the authorities - successfully and not too traumatically for once - and now have a full ID card which enables me to travel abroad, I'm now part of the national health system and have a health and general services card (very important) and a proper doctor, and I am on the electoral register. I feel like I belong now.
I celebrated all this with an amazing meal at an outstanding restaurant in Milan. Here's a sample menu in English: Il Liberty menu. And did some Christmas shopping. Well, Milan is a fashion capital so it would be improper not to!
But I've had a further thought about the consultation my other government is up to, on conversion therapy. I don't trust their motives in suggesting that converting people to being trans might be a thing and punishable in the name of balance. What this will do - and I am sure it's the intention behind this whole consultation - is to prevent trans charities from giving all but vague support to trans people, and kids in particular, because of the risk of people turning round and saying that they were pushed to transition. Detransitioners can be litigious. My strongly-worded suspicions were expressed last month here.
Pink News has more warnings here: 4 huge red flags
I will be answering only this question (you don't have to express thoughts on all of a consultation) but I will be pointing up the threat to genuine trans charities.
Q2. The Government considers that delivering talking conversion therapy with the intention of changing a person’s sexual orientation or changing them from being transgender or to being transgender either to someone who is under 18, or to someone who is 18 or over and who has not consented or lacks the capacity to do so should be considered a criminal offence.
The consultation for UK citizens which closes this Friday, 10 December, is here: Banning Conversion Therapy
I keep being pleased, though, that more trans people are being elected as representatives. A transwoman in Chile, Emilia Schneider, is the latest and joins plenty of others from round the world. Transwoman Petra de Sutter has been Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister for a year now. Despite the opposition and hate, I think we are making progress in the world.
Petra de Sutter
Sue x
I hope the time away recharged your proverbial batteries, Sue.
ReplyDeleteYes, the bit on the Conversion Therapy feedback is troubling. I can't think of any time at Chams, in which someone has told another person they should transition. It's all about 'if you think that is for you', 'only go as far as you need to', and being able to share experiences.
I think trans folk - be we part time or full time - are very much aware of the barriers and experiences involved. While we welcome folk who think they may be part of the community, we don't recruit and we certainly don't convert....
... not like, say, organisations that radicalise vulnerable people do. 😋
Thanks, Lynn. The time away was mainly dealing with bureaucrats so it was very stressful. I'm unwinding at home!
DeleteThe UK "government" (if I can classify that band of criminal shysters with such a name) has taken the promise Theresa May made to look into conversion therapy and turned it against us. I am in little doubt about the Machiavellianism involved. Be warned.
Sue x
As a teen, friends and I much enjoyed the pen & paper role-playing game, Cyberpunk 2020. Ta
DeleteIt was tagged as the 'the role-playing game of the dark future'.
A game set in a climate damaged world where governments and corporate interests run amok in 2020? No, that's not ringing act bells at the mo 😋
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