From the pardon of Alan Turing to the death of Margaret Thatcher in the UK, and Trans* Rights to Employment Non-Discrimination in the US, this is a list of Polari Magazine’s Top News Stories from 2013.
Alan Turing Pardoned • UK
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The posthumous pardon for Alan Turing has been many years coming. It has certainly caused some controversy, and much complaining from gay men. This isn’t about erroneously changing history; it’s about symbolism. Turing is a symbol for change, and so this is less about the literal impact than it is about the figurative one. To pardon him is not to say he is more important than the other men convicted under the ‘gross indecency’ laws. It leads the way. – Christopher Bryant
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act Passes the US Senate • US
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The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has been introduced repeatedly in Congress since 1994, routinely getting shot down for one reason or another, usually for some hogwash about “religious liberty” being threatened. But on November 7th, the Senate made history and passed the bill. It still has to be passed by the House of Representatives, but this was the first time the bill passed a vote in Congress. – Walter Beck
Death of Margaret Thatcher • UK
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The death of the former British prime minister (the most divisive in living memory) brought forth a tidal wave of emotion. The celebratory street parties, which were twisted by any rational standards, showed that. Yet it was remarkable how many gay men celebrated a woman who was a villain in the history of LGBT rights. Many of them seemed to have her confused with Meryl Streep. “She was a strong woman. She had great hair.” She was a totalitarian-minded, jingoistic terror, who institutionalised homophobia. – Christopher Bryant
United States v. Windsor (The Defense of Marriage Act Case) • US
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Marriage equality has been hot point in the fight for equality here in the US, ever since Massachusetts became the first state to allow it back in 2003. But as more and more states passed laws recognizing the equality of married couples, the Federal government refused to, thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act signed into law in 1996 by President Clinton. The Supreme Court struck down Section III, allowing couples married in states that recognized their marriage to be recognized by the Federal government. – Walter Beck
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 • UK
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There may be trouble (and a little inequality) in the details, but what really matters is the general impression this law creates. The government’s promotional tagline was that “everyone is equal”. There is no underestimating the power of that message, especially when it comes to a subject the general public is not going to look at in detail. Marriage may not be for you, but what matters is the concept of equal rights, especially at a time when many countries are actively taking rights away. – Christopher Bryant
California Assembly Bill 1266 (The Transgender Student Rights Bill) • US
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On August 12th, Governor Jerry Brown took a bold stand for the rights of transgender students in California public school, signing into law CA Assembly Bill 1266, which outlaws discrimination in the state’s public school system on the basis of gender identity. The bill was the first of its kind in protecting transgender youth. The opposition has attempted to gather signatures to repeal the bill, but as of now, it appears they didn’t collect enough and the bill will become law in January. – Walter Beck
Russian Homophobia • USSR
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Vladimir Putin, encouraged by the many Russian cities that outlawed the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ (which is what Margaret Thatcher’s government did in the late 1980s), pushed an equivalent law through the Duma. While this is nothing to celebrate, this ludicrous law galvanised opposition in the West and raised awareness of the backward steps against LGBT rights being taken by countries around the world. The fact that the 2014 Winter Olympics are to be held in Sochi made this even more of an international embarrassment. – Christopher Bryant
California Ban on Conversion Therapy Upheld • US
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Conversion Therapy (aka “Pray Away the Gay”) has been a dark chapter in the lives of many LGBT people; long discredited by reputable psychologists, psychiatrists, and physicians, many queer youth are still subjected to it against their will by their parents (usually acting on fundamentalist religious beliefs). California passed a law banning it for minors back in 2012 and the ban was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court. Hot on the heels of the decision, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a similar bill. – Walter Beck
The Burchill Tirade • UK
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Julie Burchill once again proved that she is the journalistic equivalent of a rabid bulldog with her attack on all trans women when she thought they’d upset her champagne socialist friend, Suzanne Moore. Their brand of feminism – which is basically: we don’t like men and middle-class people – proved obsolete, with its blithe refusal of equal rights. The feminist argument that biology is not destiny, they effectively said, only applies if you’re a ‘real’ woman, and they dismissed trans women as pretenders. Bullies. – Christopher Bryant
Arizona’s SB 1045 Defeated (The Bathroom Bill) • US
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I covered this in depth earlier this year, but to recap briefly, Arizona’s SB 1045 would have made it an arresting offense for a transgender person to use the bathroom of their gender identity. The trans* community reacted with outrage, standing up for their right to use the toilet in a public place and the bill was defeated. It was a victory for them and for trans* people around the country, hopefully flushing any similar bills that may be attempted in other states. – Walter Beck
