Tag Archives: U.K.

Sexual + Gender Minorities

U.K. News | LGBT

Hundreds of thousands take part in what may be the largest London Pride yet
  • Organizers estimate 30,000 attended the parade, which was centered on the theme “Pride Heroes” and included a tribute to famed British mathematician Alan Turing.
  • The approximately 950,000 who have participated in London Pride events throughout the week have helped shatter the event’s participation record, set last year at 750,000.
  • Saturday’s parade included participants from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), whose inclusion had been a source of controversy as the party’s political positions put it at odds with many in the LGBT community.

“Given the huge impact Turing had on our industry and on the lives of the public who rely so heavily on technology, he was an obvious choice for our Pride Hero. We’re honoured to be walking with his family and proud to be taking part in London Pride.”

Read the full story at the Independent.

(Image Credit: via the Independent)

Sexual + Gender Minorities
Everyday discrimination and persecution blight on progress for Britain’s rural LGBT individuals
  • Permeation and permanence of bullying and other acts of intimidation in daily life leads to fear and alienation for LGBT people in rural areas, according to a hate crime researcher.
  • This fear leads to the under-reporting of hate crimes, with discrepancies between police reports and surveys of hate incidents indicating as many as 35,000 cases going unreported.
  • Lack of community, fear of being outed, communities’ intolerance of difference, and age all contribute to individuals’ vulnerability in rural areas, leading to social disengagement.

“We are a country with proud traditions of tolerance and respect but we must not let important progress in areas such as same-sex marriage mask the acute and continuing challenges that still remain. Researchers in today’s report were told of victims’ fear of not being taken seriously, how they were scared of being ‘outed’ and suspicion and distrust of the authorities. We must all redouble our efforts, and work together to give LGBT communities a stronger voice and put an end to the hatred that is a blight on modern society.”

Read the full story at the Guardian.

(Image Credit: Jose Jacome/EPA, via the Guardian)

Religion + Belief
Three women’s flight from English town to join ISIS prompts renewed soul-searching about radicalization causes in Britain
  • The sisters left the northern town of Bradford with their nine children for a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, but are believed to have traveled to Syria to join the group.
  • Muslims represent around a quarter* of the population in the ethnically diverse working-class town that has encountered a number of economic struggles recently.
  • While PM David Cameron has announced tough crackdowns on those spreading extremist messages–including the closure of mosques–some community advocates find the measures are not combating the root causes of alienation and exclusion from opportunity afflicting the British Muslim community.

“It’s disturbing, because we’ve got young family of our own. We have to keep an eye on them, who they are associating with. At one time we were worried about lads on the street corner selling drugs. Now this is a bigger shock. Where does it end?”

More on this story at Reuters.

(Image Credit: Phil Noble/Reuters)

*Corrected (6/20) to accurately reflect the Muslim population proportion in Bradford.

Nationality + Migration
U.K. PM David Cameron proposes new restrictions on non-EU skilled-worker immigration
  • With non-EU migration to the U.K. having increased to 290,000 in 2014, Cameron has proposed increasing the base salary threshold, further restricting eligible job functions and industries, and a “skills levy” on companies hiring non-nations to be put towards domestic apprenticeships.
  • Net migration stands at 318,000 and Cameron’s government hopes to get it below 100,000.
  • Some in the business community have complained that the government’s anti-immigration stance hurts the country’s global competitiveness and economic growth.

“We understand the public’s concerns around immigration, but limiting highly skilled workers from coming to the UK is not the answer. They bring their skills and ideas to this country, pay their taxes here and boost growth. We need to keep up-skilling our population, but at the same time as attracting the best and brightest global talent.”

More on this story at BBC.

(Image Credit: BBC)

Race + Color + Ethnicity
English primary schools see enrollment levels not experienced since the 1970s as the ethnic minority child population continues to increase
  • Primary-school enrollment has grown by nearly 100,000 (2.1%) in the last year, with an increase by 10 since 2014 to 87 schools that now have at least 800 pupils.
  • Minority children make up 71% of the increase, bringing the total enrollment proportion to 30.4% of students.
  • With enrollment projected to grow by 460,000 over the next five years, the government has announced increased funding to protect per-capita spending and exert downward pressure on class size.

More on this story at BBC.

(Image Credit: BBC)

Race + Color + Ethnicity
The Football League, one of England and Wales’ major association football leagues, looks to implement new management diversity initiative.
  • League Chairman Greg Clarke has worked with clubs and managers on reforming the recruitment process to be more inclusive of black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates.
  • Proposals such as a requirement to interview at least one BAME candidate where an application is received mirror the U.S. National Football League’s Rooney Rule.
  • Of the 72 current club managers, only six are are minorities.

“It is our hope that this moment of enlightenment might stir some into adopting best practices in recruitment, appointment and retention to achieve equality and diversity outcomes. Professional football clubs should reflect the demography of their location and the aspirations of the communities surrounding their existence.”

More on this story at The Guardian.

(Image Credit: Football League/PA, via The Guardian)

Health + Ability
U.K. High Court rules the delay in disability payments by the Work and Pensions Secretary “unlawful and unacceptable.”
  • Two unnamed claimants filed suit claiming delays in personal independence payments (PIPS) breached common law and human rights.
  • The Court ruled against the human rights claim.
  • Recent figures suggest 78,700 claims await processing to determine eligibility for PIPS.

More on this story at the International Business Times.

(Image Credit: Reuters, via the International Business Times)

Sexual + Gender Minorities
Although same-sex marriage is not recognized in Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Council votes in support of changing the law.
  • Councillors vote 38-13 in favor of legalization.
  • Though the vote doesn’t have any legal effects, supporters hope it will help spur the Northern Ireland Assembly to become the last country in the British Isles to legalize the union.
  • Homosexuality was decriminalized in Northern Ireland in 1982, a decade before the Republic of Ireland, where same-sex marriage is now legal.

More on this story at Belfast Telegraph.

Gender, Nationality + Migration
Pop-up restaurant Mazi Mas’s open menu creates unique opportunities for immigrant women in London.
  • Founder/CEO Nikandre Kopcke, himself German and Greek-American, offers not only work opportunity but also entrepreneurial lessons to its workers.
  • Women from Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Iran, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, and Turkey have worked with Mazi Mas.
  • Kopcke hopes for international expansion, including to Berlin and hopefully New York.

More on this story at Gulf News.

Image Source: Bloomberg, via Gulf News

Sexual + Gender Minorities

Report from Equality Network finds nearly half of UK bisexual people have experienced biphobia when attempting to access services in the UK. More from The Scotsman.

Health + Ability

Euthanasia debate in the UK grows as MPs take up assisted-suicide bills and those with chronic, terminal illnesses fight for the right to death on their own terms.  More from VICE.

The Rounds

The Mid-week Rounds

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Protests in Saudi Arabia following the anti-Shiite suicide bombing, assisted suicide debates in the U.K., Myanmar’s anti-Rohingya protests, Russia’s community for parents and their gay children, immigration reform’s stumble in the U.S., Dubai’s motorcycle women, and 45 other stories in this week’s news rounds… Continue reading The Mid-week Rounds →

The Rounds

The Week’s Rounds

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Israel nixes bus segregation plans, the U.K. takes strong stance against undocumented immigrant labor, Russian bill looks to criminalize abortion procedures, a British Muslim woman takes on ISIS through poetry, Ireland celebrates passing of same-sex marriage referendum, and 35 other stories in this week’s news rounds… Continue reading The Week’s Rounds →

The Rounds

The Thursday Rounds

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The rise of the “others” in the UK, Lebanese immigrants’ success in Canada, LGBT anti-discrimination events in Kyrgyzstan, compulsory Chinese in Zimbabwean education, and more in today’s news rounds… Continue reading The Thursday Rounds →