Norway’s new government will ban conversion therapy and give trans people better health care

The new center/left government of Norway has presented a pro LGBT+ government platform.

They two parties, Labour and the Center Party,  plan to ban conversion therapy.

They will also present an action plan for LGBT-people with focus on life quality and mental health. They will, in particular, look at and strengthen the public services aimed at gender incongruent transgender people.

There is good reason to believe that the new government’s pro-LGBT policies will gain support from most parties in Parliament, including the Conservatives.

The new cabinet consists of nine men and ten women. It has one member from the LGBT+ community: Anette Trettebergstuen (photo above) is the new lesbian Minister of Culture and Equality.

Photo: Hanna Skotheim.

No, trans people are not making lesbian women trans

KEEP IN MIND

IF same-sex attraction is real (which it is),
AND there are women who are exclusively or predominantly attracted to women (which is a fact),
AND we find same-sex attraction in all ages and all cultures (which is also a fact),
AND we acknowledge that the homophobia and transphobia found in our societies are so strong that no one will chose to present as gay, lesbian or transgender (unless they truly are gay, lesbian or trans),
AND this orientation is stable (which it is in the case for most lesbian identifying women) –
THEN it makes no sense to believe that lesbian women will change their identity simply because some trans people tell them to (which, by the way, trans people do not).

BECAUSE if that was the case, lesbians identities would be nothing but mirages (which they are not).

THIS tells us that those few who stop thinking of themselves as  lesbian and start calling themselves  trans instead (or queer, bi or pansexual) do so because of a process of self discovery which leads to the acknowledgement of their real identity,
AND to invalidate that sense of self is similar to the act of  invalidating the identity of lesbian women.

Don’t do that.

Photo of two Minoan double-axes (labrys), a symbol that is also used to refer to lesbians. The double axe was a symbol associated with Minoan priestesses and their mother goddess. Some argue that it is a reference to the cycle of the moon, which is associated with women, others that it is a simplified butterfly, a symbol of rebirth. The labrys has also been associated with the amazons, the female warriors of Antiquity.

Queer Achilles, the Crossdresser

Sally writes about Achilles the queer crossdresser over at CDL:

I am currently reading the book Song of Achilles By Madeline Miller. It is a beautiful novel that describes the love story between Achilles and his childhood friend, Patroclus. Achilles was considered the greatest warrior of his time, a hero of great strength, speed and beauty.

His story is still being told today, like in the the 2004 movie Troy. In this movie, Patroclus has a small part to play. In the best known of the stories of Achilles, The Illiad, their love is barely hinted at, and the crossdressing isn’t mentioned at all. But they were depicted as lovers in ancient Greek literature, particularly in the works of Aeschylus, Aeschines and Plato….

When the war on Troy was imminent, everybody wanted Achilles to lead the assault. Achilles, only 16 at the time, was ambivalent. Before he got to make up his mind, though, his mother snatched him in the dark of night to hide him on Skyros. 

His mother was the powerful sea nymph Thetis. She knew of a prophecy that Achilles would die in battle and wanted to protect him. She dressed as a maiden and introduced him to King Lycomedes as her daughter, Phyrra. Phyrra was said to have had an Amazon-like upbringing and now needed to learn feminine ways by living among ordinary girls of her age, to prepare for a marriage in the future. Lycomedes agreed to take care of her and court accept Phyrra into their company as another fellow maiden.

Princess Deidamia was the only one who knew who Phyrra was Achilles. They became close friends, even lovers. She is described as lovely and graceful as she dances next to the princess when the ladies perform their famous dances. Her voice is light and delicate and she is draped in the finest dresses.

Read the whole post with more artworks here.

Here’s an interesting article on the mental health of LGBTQ youth in the USA. If you are struggling with dark thoughts because of the recent political backlash, do seek help!

Keep in mind that the reason this is happening tight now is because traditionalist bigots see that the rainbow people are increasingly being accepted by people everywhere. It doesn’t feel that way, I know, but all the anti-queer and transphobic nonsense we see right now is actually a sign of the LGBTQ community winning.

According to the article 94 percent of LGBTQ youth said recent politics had hurt their mental health; 70 percent noted that their mental health was “poor” most of the time or always during the pandemic.

Chase Anderson, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at the University of California at San Francisco, points out that because of the negative news «Kids are having to grow up very quickly, and that doesn’t give them space to actually be kids.» This is even more pronounced for children and young adults of color, he says.

Anderson says that just one accepting adult can make a difference to a young LGBTQ person who feels isolated in their identity. This is why it is so important for LGBTQ kids and youth to find someone to trust and confide in. If you fear your family may be hostile, look outside you nearest circle of family and friends. Or use one of the many online LGBT+ communities.

Jack Drescher, a New York-based psychoanalyst and professor at New York University encourages his patients to turn away from the news if they’re feeling overwhelmed. However, he also notes that positive news can have a profound positive impact on young people. When the US Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, researchers found a link between the landmark decision and decreased suicide rates among LGBTQ youth, even if they weren’t directly affected by the ruling, The Lily/The Washington Post reports.

Everyone Is Awesome: Here’s Lego’s First Queer Set

The Guardian Reports:

In the “spraying room” at Lego HQ, tiny figurines are layered with bright, glossy paint before being placed on a rainbow-esque arch. The result, a waterfall of colour with 11 brand new minifigures striding purposefully towards an imagined brighter future, is the Danish toymaker’s inaugural LGBTQIA+ set, titled Everyone Is Awesome.

The colours of the stripes were chosen to reflect the original rainbow flag, along with pale blue, white and pink representing the trans community, and black and brown to acknowledge the diversity of skin tones and backgrounds within the LGBTQIA+ community.

In all but one case no specific gender has been assigned to the figures, who are intended to “express individuality, while remaining ambiguous”.

The exception, a purple minifigure with a highly stylised beehive wig, “is a clear nod to all the fabulous drag queens out there”, said the designer, Matthew Ashton, who initially created the set for his own desk.

“I’d moved offices, so wanted to make the space feel like home with something that reflected me and the LGBTQIA+ community I’m so proud to be a part of,” Ashton said.

Matthew Ashton presents the extended LEGO rainbow flag. (Photo: Lego via USA Today)

I think the fact that LEGO is embracing the LGBTQA community is great. I am not sure if this set is really made for kid’s playing, though. That being said, I am sure creative kids will put the queer figures into use.

Moreover, Ashton – who is gay – makes one important point to USA Today, which tells me this set will have an positive effect outside the playground.  Ashton argues that f he had been given a set like this while growing up, it would have been such a relief to know that somebody had his back: 

“To know that I had somebody there to say ‘I love you, I believe in you. I’ll always be here for you.’“

Yesssss!