Get Over It, You’re Not Special

by Les May

LAST Evening a lady I’ll call ‘Dot’, who is approaching the age of 70 and my wife’s oldest friend, sent a text to tell her that she, Dot, would no longer be able to take communion at her church.

You see Dot is a Roman Catholic who is divorced and not wishing to spend the rest of her life alone has remarried. Someone snitched to the priest, who passed it up the management hierarchy and was given the answer that Dot could no longer take communion. This may not be a big deal for most NV readers, but for Dot it is devastating.

Taking a dim view of what some people get up to in the privacy of their bedroom is not confined to to the Roman Catholic church. The parsons at the two Anglican churches nearest to where I live differed in the views about re-marrying divorced people. One would, the other would not. No doubt there are individual Christians who also take a dim view of remarriage.

There’s a lesson to be learned here by those who self identify with the LGBT ‘community’ and it’s ever expanding label set, and who are tempted to wrap themselves in the robes of victimhood whenever some prelate or zealot expresses a dim view of their lifestyle. They might like to take note that they are not special at all. It happens to so called ‘straight’ people too. I estimate that the number of divorced people who have ended up feeling like second class humans by the rules about remarriage exceeds by several orders of magnitude the number of LGBT (etc) who have suffered more than hurt feelings at the hands of Christians.

One thing I think we can say with some certainty is that people like Dot are never going to maliciously approach a cake making company run by people who think remarriage is wrong and insist that they make a wedding cake.

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FREEDOM PRESS on ALPHABET SOUP?

The Freedom Press latest positions on LGBTQI 

by Simon Saunders, alias Rob Ray, of the Morning Star and Supreme Spokesman on UK anarchism

AN almighty set-to over trans rights dominated Freedom’s LGBTQI coverage in 2018, with the anarchist movement largely coalescing round a trans-supportive position despite confrontations and disruption at several bookfairs around the country. The founding of Sister not Cister in May marked a significant shift in how the conversation was being pursued and groups including Afed and Solfed made it clear they would be backing trans people in struggle.

• Support a trans woman anarchist who is being persecuted by the State and Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists | February 13th
• Week of protest to abolish all anti – LGBT+ Commonwealth Laws begins | April 14th
• Legal Defence and Monitoring Group Statement on the Hyde Park Case | April 27th
• It’s spelt Sisterhood, not Cis-terhood statement | May 22nd
• Community driven Brighton LGBTQIA+ activists fight back to keep the #LwiththeT | August 8th
• Trans women are our sisters: the Anarchist Federation statement | September 30th  

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More Whingeing from Alphabet Soup Brigade

By Les May

INSTEAD of standing her ground Jenni Murray, a presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, has spinelessly pulled out of a talk at Oxford University, following an accusation of transphobia.

The accusation came from the Oxford University LGBTQ Society, the Oxford SU LGBTQ Campaign and the Oxford SU Women's Society, who have excavated an article from the Sunday Times Magazine which appeared in 2017 in which Murray had written "Be trans, be proud - but don't call yourself a 'real woman'."

Now as a man I might just take exception to her opening gambit "Can someone who has lived as a man, with all the privilege that entails, really lay claim to womanhood?" I might for example ask just what privileges most men actually have? When I see the jobs that many men do it is certainly not obvious to me that they are more privileged than Murray. It’s also the case that Murray seems to be more privileged than many women I know.

The Oxford SU LGBTQ Campaign wrote in a statement which has appeared on Facebook; “Her views, which clearly reflect a lack of engagement with the vast majority of actual trans people, and are in sum deeply harmful to trans women and trans feminine people, contributing to and exacerbating the harassment, marginalisation, discrimination, and violence that they already face.”

Quite how you engage with a bunch of people who have already decided that they are victims of harassment, marginalisation, discrimination and violence, I don’t know. Murray has simply expressed an opinion which is open to challenge. I’ve previously expressed the opinion that the crux of the matter for me is whether a man who decides to transition to being a woman is willing to lose his wedding tackle.

http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.com/2018/10/ask-about-wedding-tackle.html

If what I have written offends you, feel free to be offended. But first you might like to scan the web pages at

http://www.transstudent.org/definitions/

which include the comment; ‘Terms are always changing in the LGBTQ+ community. This list will be updated as often as possible to keep up with the rapid proliferation of queer and trans language.’

These pages look like an exercise in narcissism, one aspect of which is an excessive desire to be admired and an excessive need for affirmation. You really know when you are accepted when people ignore you.

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Andy Burnham Says 'I'll be a people's Mayor!'

by Brian Bamford

TODAY at The Albert Halls in Bolton's Victoria Square the Labour candidate for the Greater Manchester Mayor's job told those who gathered to hear his manifesto for 'A safe, inclusive and diverse Greater Manchester' that he would be a 'People's Mayor' and a 'Grass-roots Mayor'. 
Mr. Burnham declared himself in favour of 'Safer Streets' and promised to work with the Chief Constable to start recruiting new police officers that reflect the diversity of Greater Manchester.  He promised to create 'a different relationship between the State and the Voluntary sector'. 
We were told that 'Crime is on the rise' and that 'Deep inequalities remain', and that 'we have seen an increasing amount of young people sleeping on the streets'.
The Labour candidate for Mayor worried about the cost of transport and bus fares, though he never said how often he used a bus, he spoke of housing problems and it was claimed that many young people will never be able to own their own house.  It was said that pensioners were made to feel guilty for claiming state pensions.  That scapegoating was prevalent in what was called the 'blame culture' of British society were everyone knows his or her place and fears the disruption that foreigners may bring:  it was said that one Polish nurse had been abused by people who she was treating in the Bolton community, telling her to 'Get back to Poland!'
Andy asked us 'Why has Mental Health shot up the social agenda?', and suggested that the 'voluntary sector' was 'person sensitive' while the 'Statutory sector' was much less inclined to address a 'personalised approach'. 
He claimed that he had in mind a new apprenticeship system which would draw upon the good things in the traditional apprenticeship and blend it with new concepts:  saying that he had had contact with the union UCATT. 
Regarding care in the community he said that he wanted to recruit the help of the Communication Worker's Union (CWU) to get the post-men to keep an eye on old and frail people in society.  This, he claimed, would reduce the isolation and insecurity people felt.
What was wanted was 'a young-people's cabinet to advise the Mayor on all areas of policy and ensure young peoples' voices are heard'.
Then in keeping with the latest fashion, Mr Burnham stated:  'I am proud that Greater Manchester has such a thriving LGTB community, rivalling London as the LGBT capital.'
Nothing was said about the Labour councillors in Rochdale who last month voted themselves a 34% increase, though one of the Rochdale Labour councillors at the Burnham manifesto meeting quietly told me that he was not going to take the rise, and when asked what the Rochdale Council leader, Richard Farnell, was thinking of by forcing the rise through on a whipped vote he said:  'He's Big Headed and doesn't care about UKIP!'
Nothing was said about the Labour Council leader of Manchester City Council, Richard Lees, who had addressed a meeting of Voluntary Organisations on Devo-Manc at which he said he wanted to see ward and hospital closures across Manchester, including Tameside because he believed that many people are in hospital who ought not to be, and could have their needs better met elsewhere.
Fear of the threat of UKIP was ever present in the workshops.

Lets Play Hypotheticals

by Les May

LET's play hypotheticals and rerun the US presidential election race.

 

Sarah Palin wins the Republican nomination on a ticket of offering tax breaks to the very wealthy, promising a fence along the Mexican border, no gun control and turning back Obama’s health care reforms.  Bernie Sanders wins the Democrat nomination on a platform of debt free college, tackling income inequality, universal healthcare, campaign finance reform and the Nordic model of social democracy.

 

A few weeks before the election a video emerges which shows Bernie making some disparaging remarks about women.  Who do you hope wins the presidency?

 

The rise of identity politics has had a paralysing effect on the political Left.  A less than wholehearted commitment worn on ones sleeve, to feminism, anti-racism and the whole alphabet soup of LGBTQIA+ is enough to sideline a wholehearted commitment to economic equality.  The sad thing is that whilst politics can do very little to change personal attitudes it can do a great deal to change the economic prospects for millions of people irrespective of their sex, ethnic origins or sexual orientation.

 

So in our little game who would you want to win the presidency?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders

 

http://observer.com/2016/10/bernie-sanders-won-the-trump-clinton-debate/

Too much 'Gaiety' & Lord Mayor of Manchester?

THE art historian, journalist, and critic, Brian Sewell, died in 2015 aged 84.  Four years before his death in July 2011, he wrote in the ‘Daily Mail’:

'Is it true that the lives of heterosexual Mancunians are haplessly intertwined with transvestites, transsexuals, teenage lesbians and a horde of homosexuals across the range?  Is Manchester now the Sodom of the North? Where once we had no gaiety at all, we now perhaps, have rather too much.'

Sewell’s article, ‘What have they done to Corrie?' focused on how Coronation Street characters were becoming increasingly gay, something almost unthinkable, in the days of Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell. He wrote:

'The Lesbians, Sophie Webster and Sian Powers caught ‘in flagrante’ by Sophie’s mum Sally. Sean Tully, the barman, set to tie the knot with boyfriend Marcus Dent. Middle-aged cross-dresser, Marc Selby and Hayley Cropper, the first transsexual to appear on the screen in 1998.'

Although Sewell acknowledged that the creator of Coronation Street, Tony Warren, was a homosexual as well as scriptwriter Daman Rochefort, he seemed to think that in this age of political correctness and equal opportunity, minorities are given the opportunity to punch above their weight. After all, gay men are supposed to make up just 6% of the British population. More importantly, he pointed out:

'Scots favour Scots, Irishmen favour the Irish, Armenians favour Armenians, Jews favour Jews, homosexuals have always favoured other homosexuals. Its how minorities gain strength through influence.'

Manchester is known for being one of the most LGBT- friendly cities in the UK. It also has one of the highest numbers of people living with HIV outside of London. The City Council recently elected a 44-year-old gay man, to be the Lord Mayor of Manchester.

'Sworn into his historic role - with a quote from disco legends Abba', Councillor Carl Austin-Behan, from Crumpsall, a former ‘Mr Gay UK’, left school with only one GCSE in drama.  In 1997, he was drummed-out of the RAF when it was discovered that he was a homosexual. Previously employed with Great Manchester Fire Service, he now runs a cleaning company. Councillor Austin-Behan has said that he’s ‘passionate’ about promoting the achievements of Manchester’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, (LGBT) community and will,

'Use his year in office to highlight prejudice towards the Tran’s community and work to make HIV testing more readily available in Greater Manchester.'
The Lord Mayor also believes, that: 

'People with different identities and sexual orientations, shouldn’t just be respected in Manchester, but celebrated.'

Just why any of us should pay respect or celebrate someone, because they are of a particular identity or sexual orientation isn’t quite clear, but it sounds like the most conceited nonsense. Surely, respect is something that is earned and not owed to anyone?  

While Councillor Austin-Behan is to be applauded for his stance on fighting discrimination and for trying to make HIV testing more readily available, it’s clear, that the Lord Mayor’s horizons are extremely limited.  In fact, they don’t seem to stretch much further than Canal Street, the ‘Gay Village’, and what lies in the interests of homosexual’s. To be a successful politician, one needs to be far more circumspect and never forget who is paying you.

Apart from its claim to be a ‘gay-friendly’ city, Manchester also has another claim to fame. In 2011, it was dubbed the child poverty capital of Britain, with some 25,000 children growing-up in severe poverty.  In April 2016, more than 50,000 emergency food supplies were handed out to families across Great Manchester who were struggling to feed themselves in the sixth richest nation on earth.  For many, living in Greater Manchester, life is akin to living in a Northern Poorhouse rather than a Northern Powerhouse.

What the Lord Mayor of Manchester thinks about this appalling state of affairs, isn’t quite clear, because he’s too wrapped up with LGBT issues.  But if anybody deserves our respect and ought to be celebrated, it is in my view, the seven courageous homeless campaigners who Manchester City Labour controlled council tried to jail in September 2015, for up to two-years, for fighting homelessness in the city. I say, give them a medal!

Adam Barr's Northern Ancestors etc?

Hi Brian (Bamford),

So first of all, you shouldn't make assumptions about people's backgrounds. I come from Hull, and am a proud Northerner. My grandad was a docker, and my other grandad was an upholsterer, as is my Dad. I am the first in my family to get the opportunity to go to university. Unfortunately my Dad failed his eleven plus and so only has one measly O level in woodworking. The fact he didn't get to the opportunity to go to university has been a source of great frustration to him. Please don't think I'm from the home counties or middle class. I'm really not. Also my name isn't double barreled! My middle name comes from my Grandad (the upholsterer one not the docker.)

It wasn't really a spat with Nick Heath btw, we just disagreed. It happens sometimes.

I bring up these organisations because they are on the Freedom Collective, and send delegates to our monthly meetings. They have input on what we publish and occasionally contribute to our output. Far from Freedom basking in the glory of these groups, they are a vital part of the collective. You seem willfully misinformed as to how things are here.

I have no idea which Friend you are referring to? Financing certainly is an issue and it's something we've been doing work on. I've been involved with Freedom for about three years (not that it really matters) so of course things that happened before that are before me time! They couldn't be anything else. It is certainly true that large donations we're apparently squandered, it's a source of great frustration to me that I have to run a freesheet and website on no money. Luckily we've got the 500 pounds together that we need for the website redesign so I'm very happy about that!

I've also read a lot of NV content, some of it is quite good, other bits rather lacking.  I especially like your focus on blacklisting, something that has affected a number of family friends.

From what I understand, again please correct me if I'm wrong, you've spent a good number of years feuding with various people associated with Freedom because you once had a disagreement with an old editor?  Seems a little petty to be honest with you.

I don't particularly care about your past. I care about what you're doing now. And what you're doing now is awful. I think I particular low point was the piece you had published in Private Eye, although that was probably authored by Chris Draper. What an uncomradely thing to do. I'd be really upset if I didn't already think you were a piece of shit.

By the way, I'd be interested to hear what you thought about the freesheet you picked up at the last London Anarchist Bookfair? I can also send you a copy of the new freesheet if you'd like to take a look. It's got a great piece from the Glasgow Anarchist Collective in it about their work against homelessness.

I'd extend you're criticism of the Friends of Freedom Press out from simply a matter of geographical location. Why is there only one woman? Where are the people of colour? Where are the trans people? Where are the disabled? Where are the queers? You've put forward a list of four white men.

Your proposal is a vague, ill thought out load of rubbish. Not much more to say about it.

Again, don't make assumptions on me or my class background. Don't make assumptions as to the class backgrounds of the members of the collective. You're wrong on both counts.