It is profoundly concerning how quickly this country is sliding into lawlessness and unruly behaviour.
This worsens daily, with reactions and examples of potentially toxic behaviour growing and increasing.
It was reported that a blind person was shouted at for having her guide dog with her on an escalator.
Protesters in London, protesting anti-vaccination and ‘freedom’ turned on and surrounded the opposition leader, Sir Kier Starmer, forcing the police to act to protect him. This was both unprecedented and immediate in its action. It wasn’t why they were there but picked him as a target of hatred. They cited the ‘Savile’ comments made by Boris Johnson on the opposition leader in the house only a few days before.
At a trial of the murder of a gay man in a London park in broad daylight, his Prosecution Counsel suggested that his downfall was due to his lifestyle, and it was only a matter of time before he was confronted. That shows just how little being different means to some people.
His OWN prosecution Counsel suggested he bought about his own death for being gay!
Just a reminder, this is 2022 and not 1955.
Other LGBT people have been attacked in the UK, and the frequency of these attacks is growing. I have said before that this is because this Government, the media and the police are complicit in allowing it to continue. There is no mindset to prevent it and no leadership or direction to stop it.
We have heard now of the very sad news of a 12-year-old trans schoolboy taking his own life. He felt compelled to end his life because of bullying by some pupils AND some STAFF at his school. His school deadnamed him in their statement, and it is reported that pupils were ‘told’ to keep quiet about him and to ‘keep quiet’ on social media about him.
That is not only appalling; it is oppression and a deliberate attempt to prevent a person from being who they are. Yet there were some well-known GC individuals on Twitter who not only blamed this tragic event on trans people but suggested we were joyous this had happened! That is frankly disgusting. Being trans is NOT a choice, but being a bully most certainly is.
It has been shown the Met Police are institutionally poor at dealing with differences, whether, to the public, those arrested and/or their own fellow officers. This creates a growing level of distrust in the police, which starts to undo the very fabric of society and democracy. Cressida Dick has now departed, but she has overseen many scandals involving police offers and their inappropriate abuse of power in her term at the Met. Sadly, both they and she (up until now) remained in office!
It is becoming all too common for reports of police officers committing crimes against people, misusing equipment, seizing items and committing fraud. This isn’t just a Met Police issue, it’s endemic across the country. OK, a ‘bent copper’ isn’t anything new, but there seem to be a lack of protocols in place to weed out these people, especially after “lessons have been learned” from previous damming episodes.
But the Government have our backs, right?
Even members of the Government broke the rules, squandered money and behaved in a lackadaisical manner for which a full and proper public enquiry is desperately and urgently needed.
Members of staff at No 10 have left over the toxic environment Boris Johnson creates and the lack of an effective apology for the ‘Savile’ comment.
We have a Culture Secretary who is uncultured, rude and believes the internet is only 20 years old!
We have a Business Secretary who doesn’t believe the public get scammed. Maybe scams are for government and VIP lanes only.
We have an Equalities Minister who is known in her own department as an Inequalities’ minister. The revelations on this are coming to light after an investigation started here at Steph’s Place.
All of this is ignored by most of the mainstream media.
A media in the Government’s pocket, so it seems. The Director-General (DG) of the BBC has directed strict rules for how employees may behave towards, report and attend LGBTQLGBTQ LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive term that includes people of all genders and sexualities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and allies. While each letter in LGBTQIA+ stands for a specific group of people, the term encompasses the entire spectrum of gender fluidity and sexual identities. https://abbreviations.yourdictionary.com/what-does-lgbtqia-stand-for-full-acronym-explained.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT events and happenings. No surprise, he is an ex tory minister and parachuted into office by ‘Big Dog’ himself.
The Head of Ofcom would also be a BJ appointee had it not been stopped. Ofcom is bad enough already, having been persuaded by GCs, like the BBC, EHRC, House of Lords, The Cabinet Office and others to leave the Stonewall diversity Champions Scheme.
A watchdog, supposedly acting for the whole public, can’t even work fairly towards its own diverse workforce.
We also learn that a new member of the No 10 team, to replace those who resigned, used to work for the notorious Robert Maxwell and appeared in court accused of shredding evidence before trial!
None of this looks good in any way, shape or form.
The world is noticing.
Late in January, the Council of Europe (CoE) released a report that condemned the behaviour of the British Government on its rollback and poor treatment of LGBT people. It stated that the United Kingdom was now on a par with several notorious Eastern European states and Turkey. Not only that, but a delegation of Labour Council members tried to get that statement removed. They were, fortunately, defeated. They are complicit in attempting to cover up what is happening here.
Odd when you would think, as the main opposition party, they would want to shout about this negativity, yet they tried to get it covered up!
A week later, we at Steph’s Place and Ben Hunte of Vice News released documents showing that the EHRC were deliberately and maliciously working to remove the rights of trans and other LGBT people and groups. Again, staff were leaving the department, citing poor working conditions and a toxic environment.
This is essentially a major scandal in the workings of Government.
It has the direct sanction of the PM as it is one of his cabinet (Liz Truss) that is putting known GC people into key positions to prevent inclusive decisions from being made. This is a deliberate move to stifle debate and reduce the rights and safety of minorities. These actions are in direct contravention of the rules of the parliamentary committee, worse that it is supposed to be one of ‘Equality.’
The GCs are gaining the ear of the Government and the media. They are being listened to and at the deliberate exclusion of LGBT groups.
This is now established fact.
This is to the detriment of society and is a fact that is being concealed from the general public by both complicit opposition parties (none have spoken out about this) and the wider mainstream media. That complicity is essentially allowing this corrupt Government to gain more traction and do more harm.
It is perhaps no surprise then, that the revelations of the EHRC’s actions and the report from CoE have been roundly condemned by all LGBT groups and solidarity assured. That with the one exception of the ‘charity’ the LGBA. That is no surprise, given that they are in direct contact with the EHRC and have stated its support for them.
After part 1 of the Vice News exposure article, there have been NO articles or comment on either in the mainstream media AT ALL.
NONE.
The only comment at that time was an 11-paragraph tweet by the EHRC. That in itself has been roundly condemned as misinformation and untruths.
After Vice News released part two of its article, LGBT groups condemned what was happening at the EHRC, but no response from the chair or the body itself.
Only after Part 3 did the EHRC respond further. Again, the statement has been dismantled and shown to be nothing of substance and doesn’t actually deny the article are untrue (which they are not). Claire, a Co-Editor, at Steph’s Place has covered the response in detail.
The Guardian run with an article on the 13th of February, “LGBT+ Groups call for EHRC to lose international status over trans stance” They’ve not knocked the claims but haven’t endorsed them either. It’s a start, at least.
A week later, Baroness Falkner went running to the partisan Observer (the Guardian in its Sunday suit) and they have published an article which indicates she hasn’t doesn’t anything wrong and why are people being so horrible. Even Joanna Cherry QC has suggested that trans people should stop moaning and not make a fuss!
Perhaps, more worryingly, not a single opposition leader has responded to the CoE report OR the EHRC debacle. No shadow minister has commented. Only a small number of MPs and a few Peers have commented.
Even TWO ex-EHRC Legal Directors have commented in full agreement with the contents of the articles and saying they endorse the actions and representations now being taken. They also indicate it wasn’t like that when they were in office.
It is astounding that such an open goal of government incompetence is being missed. This, unless they are equally complicit. That makes it worse still.
So, who is REALLY being silenced here?
That Conference.
On the 29th June 2022, the Government is due to hold a flagship global conference called “Safe to be Me Equality Conference”.
Frankly, NOTHING could be further from the truth. This country is far from safe and a very long way from being equal.
Many LGBT organisations have cut ties with this Conference and the EHRC but are fearful of what will happen next.
At a time when this Government should be improving and trumpeting LGBT rights and positively showing they have a position and place in society, it is doing EXACTLY the opposite.
Theresa May set out a list of policies and goals for LGBT people during her time in office. This was a positive period and one which looked as though some good could be taken. However, it seems that this Government has taken it upon itself to tick off all those as a DON’T Do list and push its own hateful and autocratic selfish bullying agenda.
Remember, from the time of the Con/Lib Coalition until the end of the May Government, the UK was FIRST for SIX years in a row on the ILGAILGA A driving force for political, legal and social change for LGBTI https://www.ilga-europe.org league table of nations for it PRO LGBT policies. The slide has been fast and dramatic. We are currently NINTH and this slide is mostly under the Johnson government!
The new league table comes out in May but judging from their latest report a huge drop in the table must be expected.
An agenda that rewards billionaires who squander cash and resources whilst punishing anyone who isn’t wealthy. The divisions this Government have created in FOUR years are far greater than any previous government I can recall.
The Global Conference is a total sham.
It is without any credibility as it isn’t backed up by the Government by any substance policy or mindset towards LGBT people.
This is the same way, as the Government held COP26 and promised lots of ‘green’ measures but has undermined much of that in the few months since.
We have to be strong, support ourselves, the charities that support us, and the organisations we rely on. With combined pressure and resilience, we can get the message out there in such a way, that Government and the media can’t continue to ignore it. There are perhaps early signs notice may be being taken but needs to gain ground.
The public is supportive, but that support is constantly being undermined.
We are seeing people on the edge of society act on the anti-messages being put out. That can escalate quickly, and positive support could easily dwindle and make matters worse.
The most important thrust at present is to prevent the changes the EHRC want to make to guidance on ‘Single-Sex Spaces.’ They are pushing this in their biased way. They can’t change the law but want people to believe the law could or has been wrongly interpreted.
This mindset is dangerous.
They are trying to create ambiguity in the law and leave it to interpretation to others in a way that gives ‘consent’ and yet distances them from blame.
If change is implemented, no matter how it could take years to undo and WILL put people at risk.
Not just those who are trans, but those who are PERCEIVED to be trans. This is happening already, and bigoted people are taking direct action because they think they can under the law.
This is WRONG and they are WRONG.
The damage and ramifications caused by implementation will be very difficult to undo. We know that took TWELVE years to reverse vile homophobic Section 28 laws once they were in place. We are in EXACTLY the same position now. The Government have already issued “guidance to teachers” about how not to be partisan and not to allow pupils to criticize the PM. The edges of the law, in the name of ‘guidance’, are being eroded, and this needs to be stopped before it’s too late.
Sadly, negative direct action is likely to come from a particular group of men, the very group from whom the GC changes are trying to protect women. That group certainly isn’t trans women, it’s those men who see ‘protection of women’ as a right to cause harm.
We all know the “we can always tell” mantra is wrong, but if wrong perceptions are made and CIS women get hurt, that is bad for everyone. Firstly, trans women will be blamed because it’s always our fault. Secondly, the damage and ramification caused will be very difficult to undo. Essentially no one will be safe, and it will be worse than it is now.
I’m afraid none of this is happy news, but this Government, the media and much of the opposition are complicit in allowing that to happen and have been for some time.
Things need to change and quickly.
Not even the loss of one of their own MPs earlier this year from an unprovoked attack has shaken them enough to actually act and change things. Its water under the bridge to them. That is a scary thought. Priti Patel would rather repel immigrants fleeing persecution than make life better at home for UK citizens. Essentially she is acting against BOTH of those groups.
A glimmer of hope perhaps.
Perhaps after the local elections in May, we may have a better idea of the political landscape and how much change may come. Change won’t be led by LGBT demands, but it might change a mindset that could turn a currently hateful tide.
At present, it is very much UNSAFE to be different.
Authored by Nicola Rose Steph’s Place Co-ed
