UK Creative Festival’s Post

🌍 Today is International Widows Day. The UN recognises this day.https://https://lnkd.in/e4WZGxH6 This year, I find myself saying, sadly, that I am a widow too. 💔 As widows, we all move through our own experiences of grief, loss, or trauma after the death of a spouse. 🌿 Globally, women may also face economic insecurity, discrimination, stigmatisation, and harmful traditional practices due to their marital status. 🚫💸 Despite there being more than 258 million widows around the world, widows have historically been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in our societies. This day is an opportunity for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows. 📢 📝 Key areas for action include: Inheritance rights 🏡: Ensuring access to a fair share of inheritance, land, and productive resources. Pensions and social protection 👵: Providing support that is not based on marital status alone. Decent work and equal pay 💼: Advocating for fair employment opportunities. Education and training 📚: Offering education and training opportunities. Empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means addressing social stigmas that create exclusion and discriminatory or harmful practices. 💪🌟 Today, I sadly but proudly stand with the many widows around the world to support them and ensure their voices are heard. Join me. 🤝💜 #InternationalWidowsDay #SupportWidows #Empowerment #Equality #HumanRights #StandTogether

I can't help but feel frustrated and angry. Three more beautiful lives cut short in just one month. And the fact that they were all victims of gun violence and hate crimes is terrifying. As a trans person, I already feel vulnerable just existing in public sometimes. Knowing that hate crimes involving guns are so prevalent adds another layer of fear. What really gets me is how these stories often fly under the radar. Kenji's murder took over two weeks to reach the wider community in Seattle. And in Shannon's case, it wasn't even initially investigated as a shooting. It makes me wonder how many other trans lives are lost without proper recognition or justice. The misgendering in news reports is infuriating. It's a final indignity, erasing their identities even in death. But amidst the grief, I'm inspired by how our community comes together. The vigils, the calls for justice, the organizations fighting for us. It reminds me that we're not alone in this struggle. We need more than thoughts and prayers though. We need action - from increased funding for trans organizations to better policies protecting trans folx. And we need allies to step up and speak out against anti-trans hate and violence. As I reflect on Kenji, Shannon, and Monique's lives, I'm reminded of our resilience as a community. They lived authentically despite the risks. Their lives mattered. And in their memory, we'll keep fighting for a world where being trans isn't a death sentence. To my trans siblings out there - stay strong, stay safe, and know you're loved. We're in this together. #TransLivesMatter #SayTheirNames #JusticeForKenji #JusticeForShannon #JusticeForMonique #BlackTransLivesMatter #EndTransViolence #TransRightsAreHumanRights #ProtectTransWomen #GunViolence #HateCrimes #TransJustice #RememberTheirNames #TransSolidarity

Privilege from systems of oppression is the benefit you get from the sacrifice you're required to make in that system. These sacrifices illuminate that we all have a vested interest in the work of dismantling these systems. One example, of the many to chose from, is how women need to pass as women to not be subjected to transphobia regardless of their biology. Cis women are required to meet standards in order to prove they are cisgender, cis girls have been accused of being trans by the family of competing children because their kid lost, and on and on. These sacrifices are often coded as necessities to increase our safety except it's just security theater. Our perception of comfort and security should never precede another person's or our own safety. We need to scrutinize and push back against security theater but how? • Requiring transparency from our elected officials, where are they getting their "facts" from and who are their "experts" • Interrogate our own feelings of what provides comfort and safety • Get involved with our community, meeting and getting to know the people who are around us. What did I miss that you would add? #TransclusionConsulting #DEIandB #SecurityTheater #Transphobia ---------------------------------------------------------------- For more general content make sure to hit follow and the bell so you don’t miss any of my posts. Follow my hashtag #TransclusionConsulting To work with me reach out via  📧 LinkedIn Messaging 📧 Email: harleenisleyhinze@gmail.com ☎️ Phone: 920-471-8446

Question: What is the “social expectation” of a #widow? (I googled it) “When a woman’s value is contingent on having a spouse, #widowhood can force women out of familial and social structures, leaving them particularly vulnerable to #poverty, #isolation, and #violence. These challenges may be compounded by struggles that widows face on account of other intersecting identities: as Black and Indigenous women, members of LGBTQI+ communities, women affected by conflict, women with disabilities, women of young and older ages, women living in poverty or rural areas, and other marginalized identities.” THIS topic will be included in our virtual 2024 Widow Empowerment Event - Saturday | Sept. 28 11-5pm ET. Widow educational webinars are vital to raise awareness and the voices of these beautiful women. https://lnkd.in/eRRmDy9 #widowadvocate #WEE2024 #poverty #widowhood

An important read!

The debate continues about access to safe spaces for all women. Yes - I am very clearly saying all women - trans and non-trans. As all women require this. Can you imagine having to endure this kind of hate, and vileness? This is what trans people have to deal with. This is common and will inform their fear of having violence and aggression not just on social media but in the real world. As a non trans woman I do not have to face this level of aggression and hate on a daily basis. Particularly disruptive to having debate are those who do not call others by the gender pronoun they have chosen. This is an insult, a huge triggering insult for people who are trans. That then means it becomes harder for a sensible debate, listening, sharing of issues to occur. It is basic respect which if not present will result in a ferocious defensive, aggressive, protection reaction. #trans #safety #safespaces

The concept of persecution and #PrideMonth go hand in hand, and it is what makes the celebration and recognition of this special period so momentous. This month is not simply about colorful corporate flags or thrilling parades; it is about underscoring the need to promote safety, inclusion, and support for the LGBTQIA+ community 365 days a year. Less than a century ago, the Nazi regime began a reign of terror and oppression. During this time, many homosexuals were sent to concentration camps. In 1919, Jewish German physician and sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld established the Institute for Sexual Science to promote research, advocacy, and the teaching of LGBTQIA+ history. However, once the Nazi regime launched a campaign of persecution against homosexuals in 1933, they burned the renowned center to the ground, symbolizing the systematic oppression and violence faced by the community. The destruction of the Institute signaled the beginning of a horrific era of discrimination against marginalized groups and serves as a harrowing reminder of the atrocities faced by the LGBTQIA+ community throughout history – and today. As we commemorate Pride Month, it's imperative to reflect on this dark chapter and recognize the resilience of those who suffered. It’s crucial to take action now to ensure these events are never forgotten or relived. Let’s promote tolerance, understanding, and inclusivity and create a world where we all feel free to be who we are! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dW_eHhaB

❗ LGBTQI+ people are often at greater risk when in conflict. In different parts of the world, during volatile times, they are left to fend for themselves due to discrimination and lack of community support. 💡 Listening to LGBTQI+ voices is vital for building robust and cohesive societies that quickly recover from conflict and don't relapse into violence. Alert's 'Breaking the Binary' report details ten actions for governments, donors and civil society to make this a reality: https://bit.ly/3RMaEv1 #PrideMonth #HumanRightsForAll

For those who doubt the important role #libraries have on our communities, I encourage you to listen to this 'love letter' panel of speakers. And: ✅ to send out #vibes of immense #gratitude to our #librarians ✅ to #lobby politicians not only to maintain, but to increase, funding for local libraries. Their importance is not new and we must at every opportunity speak out against the attacks on #libraries and #librarians If you do not want your child to attend a particular event, then don't go! How difficult is that? Here is the blurb for the panel discussion: ⏸ Public libraries are for everyone, but last year, the LGBTIQA+ community became a target for exclusion by anti-queer campaigners, when drag story time events – designed to celebrate diversity and embrace rainbow families –were shut down or postponed due to threats, protests and abuse. Librarians, drag artists, families and council staff were on the frontline of these attacks. To counter the hurt caused by these campaigns, the LGBTIQA+ and library communities joined forces to celebrate and reclaim libraries as safe spaces for everyone.   This event was held on November 15, 2023 in partnership between the Office of the Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities, Public Libraries Victoria and the State Library of Victoria.  Speakers  ▫ Angela Savage, CEO, Public Libraries Victoria  ▫ Jane Cowell, CEO, Yarra Plenty Regional Library  ▫ Dr Todd Fernando, Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities (now former) ▫ Jasper Peach, Trans, non-binary and disabled writer, speaker and parent  ▫ Dr Carolyn De Cruz, Senior lecturer in gender, sexuality and diversity studies  Latrobe University  ▫ Sam Elkin, Writer and broadcaster ▫ Karen Pickering (host), Feminist writer, activist, organiser and bi-sexual single mum https://lnkd.in/gCGFhdZe

The events covered in this story are troubling on several fronts. There is, of course, organized violence and intimidation and the somewhat expected response by the authorities, but there is also a lack of broader societal resonance. Then there is the peculiarity of these types of groups not actively marching against Hamas' rule of Gaza, women or LGBTQ rights under Hamas or the countries surrounding Israel, and other issues they are typically devoted to with religious zeal. Instead, there is a singular enemy, and outside of Israel, that enemy presents itself as regular Jews. The traditional fifth column for both the extreme left and extreme right. And no, there is no need to set up an EDI committee or another misguided anti-racism initiative. Enforce the law, provide equal protection, and combat extremism in every form. This is what liberalism stood for, allowing the West to flourish in every way compared to the alternative systems. https://lnkd.in/gMeDF3P3