#one of my colombian friends was in Lyon today

[pia-writes-things]

Seeing actors or people you know being in your hometown when they're not from there is always so weird. Like what are you doing there?

[lgbtessay-blog]

LGBT Community

First and foremost, being gay is not a choice. Just in the same way that heterosexuals like the opposite gender, it is not because they were raised to be straight, it is just the way their brain is programmed. Sexual orientation can be defined, by the LGBT Communication Manual as, “each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, individuals or a different sex/gender/ or the same sex/gender or more than one sex/gender” (LGBT Communication Manual). With each person’s preference to sex/gender, there comes a title so that within their community they can distinguish each other and know what each person prefers. For example, they use terms like bisexual, gay, lesbian, heterosexual, pansexual, transgender, intersexual, t-lover, and drag king or queen to name a few.

     The LGBT community wasn’t always accepted for who they were, and it took much courage to come out into the nonaccepting time of the 50’s post-war. This is thanks to a man named Harry Hay because he found the first gay rights organization, that he called the Mattachine Society. Its founders, to the surprise of many, were former communists and radicals. Their goal with creating this group was not only to change the way that people looked at gay men and what they stood for but for men to start being comfortable in their skins. In a matter of three years, the Mattachine Society had grown to the point that you could attend a meeting every day for the rest of your life if that is what you desired to do, claimed Dorr Legg. At this point, the Gay community was peaking and not stopping with tens of thousands of people joining in the Los Angeles area. (Roscoe, accessed 20 October 2018).

      Not too much after the Mattachine Society was created, the Daughters of Bilitis was formed. A lesbian group based in San Francisco, the founders Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, were the first same-sex couple to be married after the legalization of same-sex marriage was passed. Initially, this group was created so that lesbians could meet other lesbians so that they could start socializing and dancing at the clubs together. Eventually, this secret club at the time had realized that many laws were “anti-gay” and instead of partying and having a good time, they needed to start making a change in society for the well being of their futures. Soon after this realization, they began to focus more on educating the public about lesbians, they started to participate in research about lesbians and started to repealing anti-LGBT laws. (Anti-Defamation League, 2011)

     Coming out in the 1950s was a very bold act considering that the United States government targeted the LGBT members because politicians strongly and wrongly believed that homosexuals were infiltrating the U.S. poses a threat to national security. The leaders of the U.S. in this time believed that those who were declaring themselves as homosexuals were both weak and mentally ill, and this posed a threat because the U.S. was sure that anyone in these conditions would reveal state secrets to undercover spies if they were blackmailed. Because of the government creating this illusion to citizens, the “Lavender Scare” was created. A time where LGBT members were fired on a daily bases and were forced to go through police raids at gay bars, parties, and places that weren’t even morally okay… their homes. It was a hard time for those who were coming out in this era because laws started being made that would prohibit wearing the clothes of the opposite gender and dancing with someone of the same sex. As a result of all these laws and unfair judgment, many members of the LGBT community went into hiding. (Anti-Defamation League, 2011)

    Coming out can be defined but the LGBT communications manual as “a process of self-acceptance which may take an entire lifetime. A person builds their identity as a lesbian, gay man, bisexual, or transgender person, at first keeping it to themselves. Later they may or may not reveal it to other people”  (LGBT Communication Manual). In modern day today, coming out is not as hard as it used to be 60 years ago, but it is still and always will be a big deal. Coming out isn’t just about telling people what sex you are interested in, but about finally getting to show your loved ones whom you are and hoping that there is still a way that they will accept you for who you are. Depending on where these people live is and what goes on in their household depends on if their family and friends would accept them for who they are. For my mother coming out was not an easy thing to do. Her father and mother thought she was utterly disgusting and to this day don’t accept her. When she came out to her brother and sister they were not accepting at first, but in my family, there is one thing that will always be important, and that is you only have one family it can grow, but it will never change. Over time, both of them came to accept her and love her just for who she is. My second mom, Lu, has passed onto another life, but if it wasn’t for her I know that my mom wouldn’t have been strong enough to come out on her own to our family, and for that, I will be forever grateful. For two people my age, I have come to find out they don’t have coming out stories because they always knew and acted on being just who they were, which has to be the most beautiful change I have seen throughout society.

       A big factor that has played a role in many people coming out is what religion they are. Almost all religions have an accepting or nonaccepting truth to it considering the LGBT community. The Christian faith does not approve of homosexuality but preaches that we must love and accept everyone. Which is why over time the Christian community has some who support the LGBT community and some who do not. Judaism sees the LGBT community as not natural and does not accept it, although there are Jewish LGBT groups. (LGBT Communication Manual)

    Although many people in today's society accept those who are a part of the LGBT community, there are still those times where people who don’t accept these people start to harras these members, which does have its title and definition: Homophobia. This is described as the fear and irrational hatred towards homosexuals. Homophobia can be seen almost anywhere but is slowly dissipating as time goes on. Familiar places we can see this kind of hate is in areas of extreme religion, the workplace, and school.

     In Bogota, Colombia nineteen people were interviewed as being a part of the Colombian LGBT community wanting to know their stories and what it is like for them living where they do. For Carmen, a 46-year-old transgender woman, her upbringing into this community was an extremely rough case. Before completing the gender reassignment process, Carmen had finished her military service, and here sadly she was taken advantage of because of rumors going around that she (he at the time) liked other men. Even though he had said no to this sergeant, he started touching her and forcing himself onto her and speaking to her “Lie down, I am going to be good to you.” After this experience, Carmen had started to have consensual relationships with other men in the army. As Carmen did eventually leave the military, she moved around and became successful again (Zea, Reisen, Biachi, 2013). However, moments like these are what people think is okay, to be able to experimental and force another person to try something that they do not want. This is a clear and horrific example of harassment that has happened, there are many other stories like these and to fix this we need to fight against it and bring attention to what is happening.

     Furthermore, completing the process of a transgender person is not an easy process. There are multiple steps to getting to where they want to be, starting with the said person needing an official confirmation from a qualified mental health professional that they suffer from “gender dysphoria,” which refers to the distress that comes the wrong fit of expressed gender and one’s assigned gender. Next, they must undergo twelve months of feminizing or masculinizing hormone therapy, administering more testosterone or estrogens into the body to have the body change more into the desired one. Following, those undergoing this process must go through a most important part of their transition, the “real life” experience. Here they must see the importance of coming out to partners, friends, community members, and family here they must also see all the challenges that are going to be up ahead of changing their sex, such as family, educational, vocational, economic, and legal problems that they will be facing every day. The final step in this years-long process is finally the surgery. For male-to-female they must undergo breast augmentation, facial feminization surgery liposuction, gluteal augmentation, reduction of Adam’s apple, hair reconstruction, penis and testicle removal, and creation of neovagina and clitoris. For female-to-male, they undergo removal of breasts, create of a male chest, liposuction, voice surgery, removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, vagina, and the construction of a penis and scrotum, and finally the implantation of erection and testicular prosthesis. (Bracanovic, 2017)

     As you can see it is not easy to get to the end for the transgender community, and once it is all done, things can get harder. For the LGBT faculty in S&E fields, they claimed they felt that “gayness” was invisible and that everyone was just assumed to be hetero. This is assumed because in the Science and Engineering community it is all that what should matter seeing that everyone would fit the “norm” of being hetero. However, this has caused problems for those who have come out in this community, some peers even coming to the point of saying “I think she’s lesbian; I’d never trust her date.” This is a precise moment of work hostility. Those who are part of the LGBT and S&E community have been faced with many difficulties of how their peers feel around them. Some even reported that they knew of peers who were even uncomfortable and anxious to be in the same room as them. These conflicts have created many consequences for them in and outside the work climates. Internally the participants in this research reported that there is a fearfulness with being a part of the LGBT community because those who are not gay have become rude and not approving of them and their work. This created an environment that pushes members to not come out because of being afraid that their action will not be taken seriously. Externally, participants made it clear that they have not gotten jobs because someone had outed them before them receiving the position. Other participants even claimed that have tried to ruin their research and collaboration with others by outing them. (Bilimoria, 2009)

     To continue the discussion of harassment that transgenders must face, it is commonly known among Portland, Oregon that public transportation is not a safe place for them. Public transportation is offered throughout the city, for all and is protected under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, that prohibits discrimination on race, color, and national origin. What it doesn’t protect yet is the discrimination of the LGBT community. Several participants in the social science literature on gender, public space, and urban mobility, had told of many stories of being not being harassed anymore on these public transportation sites. Even a white transgender man (most unlikely to receive hate because of white privilege) could say that he experienced hostility almost on a daily basis when he was a female. This goes to show that until someone looks more “correct” with societies norms that there will always be a hostility accountable for. (Lubitow, 2017)

     Thanks to the Pew Research Center, we can come to see that there has been an 18% increase from the decade before in the acceptance of the gay community. There has also been a 19% increase in acceptance for the lesbian community (Drake,2014). Eventually, this won’t even be a number or a thought that will cross the mind, but how can we help to ensure that the LGBT community is more accepted quicker? A few suggestions would be to speak out against any bullying you could see going on towards an LGBT member, being accepting of those around you who come out to you, and most importantly be nice. Being a part of the LGBT community is not an easy thing but with the help of everyone we can change the way people view them and accept them.

    Among those who are apart of the LGBT community, there are many ways that they are able to communicate with each other in today's modern age. Like most communities, the LGBT community has a strong online form of communication. By online communication, they communicate when events are, have hotlines, and so they can express who they are. They also have holidays that mean the utmost to many members of the LGBT community. Such as LGBTQ Pride (June), International Drag Day (July 16th), National Coming Out Day (October 11th), etc. Another form of communication that can be seen throughout the LGBT community is the LGBT rainbow flag. For the LGBT community, this is an unspoken form of communication that stands for being apart of this community. Usually, those who are apart of the community have found some type of way to incorporate the flag into a part of their social media or what they wear on a daily basis.

    Although with all the hate and unnecessary hostility there are great and wondrous things that come with being a part of the LGBT community. This is also known as, PRIDE! The LGBT Pride march is a celebration of the LGBT community as a whole. If you don’t know what pride is, it is a giant festival where people from all over come an celebrate what it is to be a part of the community. Coming to these events, you can expect a gay version of the Macy’s day parade. There will be people dressed in fantastic costumes, dancing, singing, rejoicing, and have a phenomenal time. The point of gathering in these festivities is different for everyone, but it can be a place where the LGBT community can stand up to the political troubles they are going through as a whole. What is most important to understand when attending one of these events is that everyone will be accepted no matter what because it is supposed to place respect and mutual understanding. As well with visiting one of these events, it is critical to know that there will always be those who are going to protest but they are not the point. What is most important to understand and take away is that no matter what your choice is and what you decide to do with it you can love anyone you would like to because LOVE IS LOVE

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Thursday 6th July 2017

"Madainn Mhath” … Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you….  3:30am, I rise from the warm bed and dress, I can hear the tail banging on the door already, she smiles as only she can do and together we go out into the darkness of the early morning, my friend Bella and me, together we watch the stars in the sky, moons waxing and waning, clouds, rain and the sons of Perseus rain his meteors upon the heavens, we talk to each other, no words are spoken, but we converse and then it’s time to go back to the house, Coffee brewed, cookie for my friend and I and time to contemplate the news, Bella loses interest at this point retiring to her bed, while I tap the keys bringing my thoughts on the current affairs of Scotland … Good Morning this is The Daily Thistle….

NORTH COAST 500 LAUNCHES “BUCKET LIST” PASSPORT SCHEME….  North Coast 500 – Scotland’s Route 66 - has launched a ‘passport’ for the iconic Highlands road trip, helping visitors record their bucket list experiences. The NC500 Passport includes 25 recommended stop-over points along the route, including off-the-beaten-track views attractions and experiences that shouldn’t be missed. Tourists will be able to have their passport stamped at various businesses around each stop, making them official North Coast 500 Passport Holders for life if they collect all 25. Attractions in the Passport include: Inverness Floral Hall and Botanical Gardens; Strathpeffer Pump Room in the picturesque, historic spa village of Strathpeffer; Ullapool Museum; Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve; Camster Cairns; and The Mermaid of the North in Balintore. The final stop is Glen Ord Distillery, where Passport Holders can claim a free commemorate NC500 engraved glass by showing four photographs they have taken on their trip. Tom Campbell, Managing Director of North Coast 500, said: “Our new Passport Scheme is a really fun way of telling visitors about some of the amazing attractions and hidden gems on the North Coast 500, and helping them write their North Highlands ‘Bucket List’. “We want people to spend at least a week exploring the delights of the route, taking their time to appreciate all the rich history and beautiful scenery that can be found along the way. “Within the Passport you’ll find information on each of the stamping points, as well as recommended detours from the route, places to stay, and local activities and restaurants. We hope lots of visitors will sign up for one for their trip and become lifelong North Coast 500 Passport Holders.” John F Mackenzie, Founder and Managing Director of GlenWyvis Distillery, said: “We are delighted that GlenWyvis Distillery is one of the recommended stops in the NC500 Passport. We see this as a great way of showcasing businesses, communities and must-see places for visitors travelling the route. “We look forward to welcoming NC500 Passport holders at GlenWyvis Basecamp in the town of Dingwall itself, where we’ve now got our new GlenWyvis NC500 gin and the full range of NC500 clothing waiting for them. We believe the Passport will help to encourage more visitors into Dingwall to complete the route, and to learn more about GlenWyvis Distillery and our community development plans.” The NC500 Passport is available online at www.northcoast500.com/shop for £10 - or complimentary as part of a NC500 Explorer Membership.

SOUTH UIST FLAG IS OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED…. Islanders on South Uist are celebrating after the success of a year-long campaign to have the first officially-recognised community flag in the Outer Hebrides. The design is a blue Nordic cross edged with white on a green background – similar to the Norwegian flag. It will now be entered into the Court of the Lord Lyon, where all such flags in Scotland – including the Saltire – are officially recorded. Donnie Steele, of South Uist, championed the efforts and secured the support of the island’s community councils.Mr Steele said: “I have been working on recognition for a year now and I am delighted to announce that the flag of South Uist has been officially recognised by the Court of The Lord Lyon. We need to look at innovative ideas and ways to enhance the local community, recognition brings global identity to South Uist and economic benefits/opportunities will ensue. “Official recognition will be an enormous boost and can only enhance South Uist. We must take full advantage of this.” The flag is already widely used on the island, including at greeting arrivals at Lochboisdale Harbour. Funding for the project came from community landlord Storas Uibhist, for which South Uist makes up a part of its estate.

SIR BRIAN SOUTER BACKS CANCER DRUG FIRM’S £1.8M FUNDRAISING…. Stagecoach tycoon Sir Brian Souter has backed a £1.8 million fundraising by a Borders-based gene therapy specialist. The cash injection for Selkirk-headquartered Ryboquin also brought in funding from new investor Brian Kennedy and existing shareholders including the Scottish Investment Bank – the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise – and Borders business angel network Tri Cap. The move has seen Kennedy join the board of Ryboquin, which was founded in 2013 and focuses on commercialising patented intellectual property in the area of delivering gene therapy, primarily in the field of human cancer medicine. “I am delighted to be part of Ryboquin and to be working with the team that could make great progress in the treatment of cancer and other diseases,” said Kennedy. The firm said it would use the fresh funding for corporate expansion and to boost its scientific development.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE TURING FEST…. Billed as Scotland’s “tech gathering”, Turing Fest returns to Edinburgh in August, with some 1,000 delegates expected to attend the two-day event to hear from a line-up of 50 speakers. Turing Fest, launched in 2011 by Jamie Coleman – co-founder and chairman of technology start-up incubator CodeBase – will be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on 2 and 3 August, just before the city plays host to the world-famous Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

RARE RED PANDA CUBS BORN AT HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK…. A COUPLE of endangered red pandas have given birth to a pair of rare cubs. The duo of kits were born on June 14 and are said to be the same size as hamsters at the moment. But those hoping to catch a glimpse of the twins at Royal Zoological Society Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie will have to wait until around September. Then, the pair will they will start to venture outside of their den. It is thought that there are only 10,000 of the species remaining worldwide as a result of deforestation and poaching. According to the IUCN Red List, the red panda is at a greater risk in the wild than its namesake the giant panda after conversation efforts helped reduce the decline of the bear from endangered to vulnerable. Douglas Richardson, Head of Living Collections at the Highland Wildlife Park, said they were the third litter at the park since 2013. He said: “This is our third litter of red pandas from Kevyn and Kitty, the previous kits being born in 2013 and 2014. “Our red pandas are part of the global captive breeding programme that is managed out of Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands. “The primary roles of the zoo pandas are to act as a safety net population should the species become extinct in the wild and to potentially provide animals for reintroduction.” Red pandas are native to the Nepal, Bhutan, north-east India, Myanmar and south-central China. Their name “panda” comes from the Nepalese term “nigalya panya”, which means “bamboo eater”.

On that “Happy” note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of one of the rare Red Panda's  ... all together now AHHHHHH!

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Thursday 6th July 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Saturday 24th June 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. where ever you are in the world, for some it’s time for bed, others, fast approaching midday, but for me on the sunny Southern Shores of Spain, the sun is getting ready to pop his head over the horizon and give me another sunny day.. So as always, Bella is recumbent at my feet after her constitutional and the coffee is steaming on the table, then let’s take a look at the news.. Yes! Of course you can have one of the cookies…

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH PREPARES TO SAIL FROM ROSYTH DOCKYARD…. HMS Queen Elizabeth is so large she can easily be spotted by drivers on the Forth Road Bridge despite being moored in the built-up environs of Rosyth dockyard, two miles to the west. Her forward island, which contains the bridge, along with the aft island, which will control aircraft operations, tower above the Fife port. Soon the vessel will be revealed in all her glory as she leaves Rosyth for the first time to begin sea trials. The aircraft alliance – the various firms which have overseen the ship’s seven-year construction – are keen to share statistics which convey the sheer size of the carrier. At 65,000 tonnes, the Queen Elizabeth is easily the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy. Her flightdeck alone is 70 metres wide and 280 metres long – enough space for three football pitches. When deployed, she will have space for 40 aircraft. When she sails, there will be 679 officers and crew on board. But this could rise to 1,600 if all air elements are deployed during a time of conflict.

SCOTTISH FOLKLORE TRADITIONS IN DANGER OF DYING OUT…. They are tales and legends which form the backbone of Scottish culture and heritage, but the nation’s rich folklore tradition is under threat. A survey has revealed that nearly a quarter of people are unable to name even just one myth, while more than two-thirds said they will not pass on stories to their children. It shows that majority of people have not heard a traditional story in the past two years, putting at risk a compendium of narratives stretching back centuries. The Folklore Society, a charitable body devoted to the study of all aspects of folklore, described the trend as “deeply saddening” and urged members of the public to keep old stories alive by sharing them with family members. In response, it has compiled a dedicated folklore map of Britain, which includes a clutch of Scottish tales. They include some well-known legends, such as that of the Loch Ness monster, and the legend of how King Arthur used Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh as a vast throne. Others, however, have largely fallen out of the public consciousness. They include the Laird’s Brownie in Dalswinton, Dumfries-shire, which tells of a kindly spirit which served a local laird, even helping the save the life of its master’s daughter by fetching the midwife in an emergency. The society also highlighted the Borders legend of Thomas the Rhymer, who is reputed to have met a fairy queen in the Eildon Hills. After staying with her for what he thought was three days, he discovered he had been away for three years, during which he had acquired the gift of prophecy. Read More:

‘HEAD OF QUEEN’S SCOTTISH FAMILY’ LEAVES £40M IN WILL…. A colourful aristocrat, who was known as the head of the Queen’s Scottish family, has left a £40 million fortune in his will. Lord Strathmore, the Queen’s first cousin once removed, died aged 58 in February last year following a long battle with cancer. The 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon, was known for his chequered relationships and struggles with alcohol. The former Scots Guards captain was considered to be “head of the Queen’s Scottish family” and walked behind Prince Charles and Prince William at the Queen Mother’s funeral. His 14th-century family seat, Glamis Castle, in Forfar, was the Queen Mother’s childhood home. The earl’s recently published will has revealed he had a fortune valued at £39,388,550 at the time of his death. His wealth included his £14m share of the Glamis estate and the £20m Holwick estate in County Durham. He also had a large and varied £143,000 motor vehicle collection which included Land Rovers, quads, a Bentley, articulated lorries and a Dennis fire engine. The peer’s other assets included the household contents of Glamis Castle which were valued at £82,625, around £60,000 held in accounts with the Queen’s bank Coutts and a £1m share in a wind farm company based in Lanarkshire.

CALVES RESCUED FROM MUD AT DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY HARBOUR…. TWO calves stuck up to their necks in mud at Kirkcudbright Harbour have been pulled to safety by firefighters using their hoses. The young cows had wandered into the cooling mud near the harbour in Dumfries and Galloway as temperatures rose in the area. Fire crews from Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas and Gatehouse of Fleet and the local lifeboat were called to the scene and pulled the calves free using two 45m hoses. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We got a report of the calves stuck in the mud and sent units to the scene at Kirkcudbright harbour. “The lifeboat was also called out because of the threat of the incoming tide.” The spokesman added: “Fortunately the firefighters were able to pull the calves to safety and they were unhurt and returned to the farmer.”

SKYE’S ICONIC FAIRY POOLS NAMED TOP PICNIC SPOT IN SCOTLAND….  THE famous Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye has been declared the best picnic location in Scotland. National Picnic Week declared the world-famous site as its Scottish winner. They said it was chosen for its “outstanding natural beauty” and historical significance. The popular tourist spot sees thousands of visitors, including swimmers, attracted to its series of waterfalls and pools in Glenbrittle. Visitor numbers at the popular toursit attraction has grown to over 108,000 in 2016, with every sign that that will increase this year. A £500,000 campaign was launched earlier this to upgrade visitor facilities, including expanding the car park. The overall UK winner was the Jubilee Gardens in Beer, Devon, chosen for the stunning view of the beach and village from atop an idyllic hillside. Adam Cox, founder of National Picnic Week, said: “It was a difficult choice to choose the winners and runners up throughout the UK as we are always inundated with nominations. “The winners were chosen due a to variables including their scenic locations, cultural significance and either popularity or reputation as being a ‘hidden gem’. “National Picnic Week was created to inspire families, friends and couples to celebrate our outdoor locations by taking a picnic. The best days out are a combination of good people, good food and good weather.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of what else but the award winning Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye ……

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Saturday 24th June 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus