The callousness of some cisgender people - and the irresponsibility of some local Council staff, and the lying, hypocritical cowardice of some corporations

It’s late, but I can’t sleep. 

I’ve just read on LinkedIn of a few cisgender people who thought it was funny to be misgendered in airport security. 

It’s not - it threatens the wellbeing of many trans and gender diverse (TGD) people, and combined with pat downs that go into “private” areas (no adults only filter, hence the euphemism), is traumatic for TGD people and survivors of sexual assault, and responsible for a decline in the number of people who use air travel. 

I’ve posted about that decline before, so I won’t repeat the numbers (although I may try  to find and link to them at some future stage), but I know TGD people who haven’t flown for over a decade because of this - and their careers have suffered as a result. 

It is way past time that the incompetents in all forms of security started to accept that they are causing trauma equivalent to sexual assault and other forms of trauma. They’re not just saving lives: they’re also putting some at risk. 

It is also high time for people who probably think they’re trans-allies to stop TRIVIALISING the behaviour that causes deaths - the article concerned ACTIVELY encouraged others to view this matter as something of little significance or even a source of humour - the article’s last piece of “advice” is ... “laugh”!!!

Such people are far from being trans-allies: they are, in fact, being transPHOBEs’ allies, and giving them ammunition for every -denying exchange in a workplace along the lines of “stop being so serious - get a sense of humour”.

This is the exact same sort of abuse that is objected to when it happens to women - and it was predominantly women who were involved in trivialising this problem at the airport in the comments on the article (I don’t know how the author identifies).

I would also like to know why the death threats against children made to local councils by a few dozen right wing child abusing bigots have not been reported to police. 

Are the Councils headed by the sort of moral cowards who head corporations trying to hypocritically cash in off pro-LGBTIQA+ publicity but then becoming craven cowards who cave in to christo-fascist minorities without even challenging the christo-fascists on their wrong views of christianity - or the FACT that many christians are inclusive?

 

 

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What happens if the Voice referendum doesn’t get up?

There is Indigenous opposition to the Voice for valid reasons - mostly around other options being necessary (i.e., the Voice is not a cure all) and/or better - see here and here, for instance. 

I’m not going to comment on those arguments, but what does concern me is that if the Voice, which has successfully mobilised support in a way not seen since 1967, doesn’t get up, then the other alternatives will stand even less chance of success, owing to: 

• owing to the momentum of hate and suspicion that the Equality Phobic Potato and his lot will have built up; 
• the exhaustion, trauma and shock, and resistance to further attention of even supporters of the Voice; and 
• the reality of the political cycle, which will not allow major issues to be reconsidered immediately - partly because other matters also need to be considered, partly because of the inherent brutality of our systems, and partly because of a desire - whether valid or not - not to encourage ... “nagging” - or bullying, is perhaps a better descriptor.
  

If the referendum on the Voice is unsuccessful, I fear that would set Indigenous rights back years, if not decades.

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From this week’s coming news post: “racial battle fatigue”

This is an important point from this week’s coming news post that I don’t want lost: 

“what is racial battle fatigue? ... Racial hostility can produce symptoms similar to what soldiers experience as a result of going to war” - At last! Someone has put into words something the victims of persistent discrimination have known for years (Medium); 

This is well worth contemplating - for a wide range of discriminated against groups.

 

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Current events in Russia

If I was to sum up events in Russia (for fairly typical news reports, see here (ABC), here (The Guardian), here (NPR), here (Vox)), I would say Russia’s informal military is attacking Russia’s formal military, with a view to getting a change of military leadership. 

Russia’s informal military:

• are widely considered responsible for human rights abuses - see here (ABC), here (OHCHR), here (The Guardian), here (UN), and here (UN); 
• have been sanctioned over their basically willing (at leadership level) involvement in the invasion of Ukraine; 
• have stated that they want a change of military leadership - not that they want to stop the invasion of Ukraine.
  

Their actions: 

• weaken current russian military activity against Ukraine - which is good; 
• confirm that putin is on shaky group; but 
• they don’t indicate that Russia is likely to stop being an oligarchy, nor that the war in Ukraine would end, nor are they confirmation that putin would necessarily lose power.
  

I consider the social media celebrations and welcoming of these events may be a bit premature. 

I certainly hope this leads to a profound easing or even an end to russia military activity/presence in Ukraine, and for a better (freer and more democratic) situation for the Russian people, but I’m not going to assume that these events mean any of that will happen. 

If putin does go (without any foreign nation's influence/intervention), I consider the nuclear risk would likely be massively reduced.

 

PS - it is now all over (TG), as a result of a deal (LM) Belarus arranged. Putin has been weakened (TG), but not removed - which possibly makes him more dangerous as a result of being more desperate. Thus, if anything, the world may be a little more dangerous today with regard to the nuclear risk, but the hold that russia’s informal military held elsewhere (DW) will be weakened (TG), which is good. I think the assessment that this will all help Ukraine is true, but I don’t think it will be significant - or not as significant as some seem to think. 

PPS - I think these comments by Timothy Snyder are probably the best on these events.

 

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Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war. Reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 24th June, 2023

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Content shown in green (which may be only part of a news story) is about what is generally considered “good news”, but personal history may still make such events triggering. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. READER CAUTION IS RECOMMENDED! For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]).  

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
Vote Yes for the Voice in Australia.
The Climate Crisis is real, urgent and existential!
The Pandemic is Real, and Vaccinations save lives. Stay safe - wash your hands, wear a face mask in public if prudent to do so, and follow informed medical advice.

Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links (note: the source of news items [but not reference links] is in brackets after each item - normal rules around abbreviations will apply, and abbreviations are listed at the end of this post; links behind hard paywalls have a [$]; also, comments by me are in purple).

• The existential nuclear threat is receiving some overdue attention this week - this is the greatest risk arising from russia’s invasion of Ukraine - and especially the unwise moves to rush Ukraine into NATO, which would quite possibly mean instant, global, nuclear war.
  Poverty is also getting some long overdue attention.
  In addition, some powerful people may be paying lip service to commitments, as past commitments are fail to be honoured - and right wing fascist haters appear to be getting aid from subversives in government departments, but others are holding the haters to account.
  
  
• on ISSUES OF MAJOR GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE and/or ACROSS MULTIPLE CATEGORIES: 
• US President “Biden warns the threat of Putin’s using tactical nuclear weapons is ‘real’” (NBC News);   “chemical weapons: Impunity is killing deterrence. Poisoning continues as a favoured form of invisible warfare meted out by dictators and autocrats, with horrific results” (Lowy);    despots learn from each other (WP [$] ^TP );  
  
• “poverty, inequality and exclusion fuelling [violent extremism]” (UN) - see also “the fourth leading cause of death in the US? Cumulative poverty” (TG);    
• Australia has issued (Star) a visa to a fascist extremist connected to the attempt to violently overthrow the US government - which continues the concerns about fascist subversives - or, at the very least, bigots or people with unmanaged unconscious bias - in the relevant government department: see here (TC), here (Overland), here (TG), and here (SMH);  
  
• Australia’s eSafety commissioner has issued a legal warning to a now notorious social media platform run by a notorious cisgender transphobe about its failure to manage hate (TG) - and Australia has also appointed a national cybersecurity coordinator (TND) as a political party is criticised for using another notorious social media platform (TG);   an article urges “don’t mistake your unconscious bias for common sense” - especially in the USA, where modern global white supremacism developed after their civil war (M);   automation failures (TBS) and “false positives from AI plagiarism detection impacting more than students’ test results” (TBS);   another scientific advance has raised ethical/morality questions (TC);  
• the psychopathy of forced smiling  - “I think we’ve lost the plot once we turn smiling into a test you can fail. To me, it looks like a red flag. It indicates that our society cares far more about forcing everyone to smile to please oligarchs. Maybe if we stopped making everyone pretend to smile, including ourselves, we could focus on creating the conditions that would make us feel more like smiling” (JW);   
• in an unconscionable act of hate, an “anti-LGBTQ activist arrested for taking mocking selfie in hospital room of critic’s dying father” (the hospital staff were also professionally incompetent, and should be censured) (Dead State);   “one of the main suspects in the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has emerged from the shadows” (F24);
  
  
• on FAR RIGHT (AND LEFT) WING EXTREMISM AND HATE:  
• “whether you’re trans or not, the gender police are coming for you too. A man harassing a nine-year-old girl for not looking feminine enough shows the war on trans people is also a war on all women” (TG);   right wing extremists attempting to disrupt a Pride event in the USA were mocked and fled (LGBT Nation);   “signs point to a backlash to the anti-LGBTQ backlash. But progress hangs in the balance. History is never inevitable” (I agree with both points) (M);   an older article confirming that conservatives ARE calling for a transgenocide (Lemkin Institute);   “25 rainbow flag-waiving corporations donated $13.5 million to anti-gay politicians since 2022” (Popular Information);   “elevating evidence-based LGBT+ care” (Nature);   “France to shut down activist climate group after clashes with police” (if the allegations of inciting violence against police are true, this is probably justifiable - IF. On the other hand, French police have been indulging in serious police and need to be reined in, and this could be something based on avoiding embarrassment ... ) (F24) - see also this (LM);         “rampant groundwater pumping has changed the tilt of Earth’s axis” (Nature);         a man has been arrested in the USA and charged with allegedly planning a massacre at a synagogue (remember: the instant someone is charged, no matter how repugnant the crime, the person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt) (CBS News);  
• “Palestinian rights groups face existential threat” (JC);  
  
• a conservative MP has said an Indigenous MP was “‘absolutely within her right’ to use parliamentary privilege” when reporting an assault (TG), as the Indigenous MP points to systemic racism (SBS) and a former conservative MP points to groupthink in that party (TG) - see also this (TG) and this (ABC);  
  
• a right wing media outlet in the USA has sacked a producer who was responsible for an extremist headline (ABC);   
• further analysis of the charges against former potus45, including debunking myths (TK), and excellent suggestions of actions that can be done to protect democracy (TK) - and evidence of plans for a coup in Brazil after recent elections (F24), and information of former potus45s plans to turn the US justice department into a personal vengeance and vendetta machine (RR);
  
  
• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• the need for climate adaptation finance for developing nations (CT) - see also this (DW), this (F24), and this, on the importance of a suitable global pact (TG), but also this agreement (AN), and this a call for a just and inclusive transition (now to see if the pledges mean anything ... ) (LM);         “ecological collapse is likely to start sooner than previously believed, according to a new study that models how tipping points can amplify and accelerate one another” (TG);   “Swiss voters back net-zero emissions climate bill as glaciers melt” (F24);   “climate protesters block coal shipments in three states” (TG) ... and take action on a second day (TG);   Australia needs to bring our net zero target forward a decade, to being achieved by 2038, keep heating to 1.5￮C (TG);   “as big energy companies make record profits and expand production of climate-wrecking fossil fuels, activists are appealing directly to shareholders to demand rapid emission cuts” (DW);         the climate crisis will increase clear air turbulence affecting air travel (TND);   recommendations (TG) have been made to get houses off gas (TC) and onto all-electric power;   “the world’s fish are shrinking as the climate warms” (TC);   “Australia’s transition away from fossil fuels ‘not fast enough’ as wind and solar investment lags” (TG);   “hurricanes push heat deeper into the ocean than scientists realised, boosting long-term ocean warming” (JC);        “a giant ‘sand slug’ born from mining and land clearing is slowly choking the Murray River” (TG);         “land sparing” to create contiguous zones for at risk species/ecosystems while preventing “off shoring” of environmental damage - very UK focused, may not work in areas using large scale farming  (Nature);         “the United Nations adopted a “critical” landmark treaty to protect vast swaths of vital ocean ecosystems ... , in a move that has been welcomed by environmental groups that believe it will help reverse the loss of marine biodiversity and promote sustainable development” (DW) - see also here (F24);   “97% of Australians want more action to stop extinctions and 72% want extra spending on the environment” (TC);   funding squabble negate commitments (Nature);  
• climate / environmental issues have also occurred in:   Turkmenistan (F24),   minority rights and water (MRG),   overtourism in France (F24),   dog droppings (TND),   Himalayas (F24),   Europe (JC),   oil and farm subsidies (MJ),   dark extinction (UnDark),   net zero pledges (Nature),   Tiwi Islands (TG),   Brazil (greenwashing controversy) (DW),   dust from a mine in NSW (TG),   USA (chemical contamination of drinking water) (LM),   Lake Tanganyika (good news) (F24),   SDGs (Nature),   Tanzania (BB),   Lake Chad Basin (PT);
  
  
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter) including COVID-19 AND OTHER PANDEMICS: 
• El Niño could prolong food inflation (DW);   fears of a new famine in North Korea (TC);   on making supply chains more resilient after disasters (TC);   the problem of chronic underfunding (UN) - and see this, on Tigray (TNH);         heat wave in Nepal (DW) and India has killed dozens of people (AJ) - see also here (LM) as one US state asks for a Federal emergency over extreme heat (JC);         flooding in Yemen (JC);   a hail storm has injured dozens at an open air concert in the USA (TG);         the death toll (ABC) from the sinking (SBS) of a refugee (LM) ship off Greece has risen to 500 - see also this, on the responsibility of the west (TG), this (AJ), this (TG), this (TC), and this (F24), and, in a staggering indictment of inaction, “sunk boat had not moved for hours, data suggests, contradicting Greek officials. Tracking data indicates two vessels stood by or circled around stationary refugee boat for several hours” (TG);   another refugee dinghy has sunk, with dozens drowned (TG);         a prison riot (TG) in Honduras has killed scores of women;         a charity is aiming to get people out of poverty in Cambodia (ABC);         a call for stronger bus seat belt laws in NSW after a recent bus crash tragedy (TG);   a building explosion in France (F24) - see also here (TND), and in China (TG);  
  
  
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring) and other democracy-threatening CRIMES, MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and other THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM including GREED: 
• a “woman wrongfully detained by police at 'peaceful' church protest gets $60k payout” (ABC);   police in the USA are repeating basic wrong abuses of power (M);   “two journalists who travelled to meet Indigenous elders at the Carmichael mine site were surveilled, threatened with a police complaint and warned they would face legal action if they published any material obtained during their visit, documents tabled in parliament allege” (TG);   a The Guardian exclusive reports “Queensland corruption watchdog accused of undermining attempts to stamp out police investigating police” (TG);         Australia’s Prime Minister has warned that “leak of Brittany Higgins texts likely ‘not legal’ and may deter women from speaking up” (TG);         “documents detail key players behind vast Australian fossil fuel expansion” (TG);         a federal legal action (TND) in the USA (TG) over “dark [marketing] patterns” (TND);         commercial influence in education (TC);  
• concerns around past/current/potential  corruption/crimes/misgovernance/malfeasance/misconduct/threats to democracy or freedom, incl. greed, also in:   France (olympics) (LM),   NSW (TND) - see also here (TG),  USA (MJ),   USA (MJ),   Australia (money laundering) (TC),   Australia (TG),   Mali (AP) - see also this (R),   Qld (TG);
  
  
• on rashist  putin and his cronies’ ILLEGAL (it is contrary to Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter  and international law [and the 1928 Pact of Paris which was successfully used in post-WW2 trials], and possibly includes conduct contrary to the "laws" of war and international humanitarian law (IHL)) INVASION of UKRAINE: 
• not unexpectedly, putin has given (ABC) an African peace mission short shrift (TND);  
  
• on military matters:   russian forces lack enough tanks (TG);   “hundreds of western electronic components found in Russian weapons” (LM);   the russian military is now also becoming adaptive and learning - raising the possibility of the conflict becoming a stalemate, as happened after the first invasion in 2014 (LM) as both sides experience heavy casualties (TG);  
  
• on human rights in the region and globally:   some of Ukraine’s cultural icons have been evacuated to France (F24);  more on the human rights abuses committed by russians - including rape and torture (TG);   the impacts on Ukrainian society (UN);   the UN has called for the “continuation of ‘vital’ food and fertilizer agreement” (UN);   homelessness in Kyiv (TG);  
  
• inside russia:   violent conflict between russia’s formal and informal military inside russia (TND);  
• internationally:   France will support Ukraine’s bid to join NATO (which, if successful, would basically mean instant global war) (LM);    “China imposes limits on Russian banks” (DW);   more EU sanctions (AP);   international security is being weakened (UN);
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• “the United States is holding talks with Iran to sketch out steps that could limit the Iranian nuclear programme, release some detained US citizens and unfreeze some Iranian assets abroad, Iranian and Western officials said” (F24);   hope that the cycle of violence in CAR can be broken (UN) - but see also this, on the self-documented lies by russia’s informal military (LM);   Pakistan’s troubles may spread (Lowy);         “US ‘deeply troubled’ as Israel plans to approve thousands of homes in West Bank” (TG);  
• noting particularly Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter, the 1928 Pact of Paris used in post-WW2 trials, the "laws" of war and IHL and Article 20 of the ICCPR on WAR / CONFLICT:  
  a three day ceasefire was agreed at the start of the week (AJ) - after major air strikes on civilians (F24) - and shootings (R) - as fears of ethnic cleansing in Darfur grow (AJ) ... and the crisis may harm South Sudan’s transition to democracy (UN) ... and the ceasefire was breached (F24) - see also this (ICG);   the UN has called for more aid (UN);         violent extremists from the eastern DRC (TG) have attacked (DW) a school in Uganda, killing scores (ABC) of people and abducting six (AJ);         as the UN expresses alarm at the continuing cycle of violence in Israel-Palestine (UN), a Palestinian gunman kills four people in the West Bank (TG) - see also here (F24) and here (DW) ... and the inevitable Israeli retaliation kills three Palestinians (F24) - see also this (LM);   “Europe ignoring Israeli war crimes under guise of combating anti-Semitism, new report finds” (JC);  
  
• incidents / action of concern in/regarding:   Mali (F24),   Rwanda (Financial Times); 
• violence in:   piracy (UN),   Africa (AP),   Somalia (AJ) - and a peace deal (AJ),   Somalia (TDP);
• mass gun shootings in the USA:   at a music festival (TND);
  
  
• on DEMOCRACY, SOVEREIGNTY / SELF-DETERMINATION, AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• globally:   “Malians are due to take part in a referendum ... that paves the way for elections and democratic rule in 2024. Repeated postponements and two military coups have stood in the way of the poll since 2017” (F24);   Finland has voted to move to the right (F24);   activism has prevented development in Lebanon (F24);   Brazil is taking action to stop liars becoming President (MJ);   “health equity - it is not sufficient to measure only health or disease outcomes if we want to repair the institutional and societal systems, processes and policies that produce health inequity. The core of how we learn about injustice in the United States and worldwide is through the human experience. Personal and community stories are data, too” (Nature);   russian interference in African democracy (ACSS);   Kenya will defend the independence of the media (AA);  
• in Australia:   a criticism of the RBA (TND) - and here (TND);   “the real drain on Australians’ productivity is falling wages” (TC);   the ALP Vic state conference has voted for a deadline on recognising Palestine as a state (SMH);   “migrant groups urge reform of Australia’s ‘broken’ skills recognition process” (TG);   “Government use of VIP jets open to potential misuse as defence stops publishing passenger lists. Department ceased releasing details about politicians’ use of business jets, citing potential security threats” (so don’t publish them live!) (TG);   the Special Minister of State “has signalled that Labor could soften the impact of political spending and donation caps on charities and fundraising bodies like Climate 200 to achieve transparency without harming democratic participation” (TG);   an opinion that it is time to  “time to revisit the Allan Fels system of price control – naming and shaming” (having seen such systems abused, this needs to be done carefully) (TG);    “NSW push to stop climate protesters livestreaming on [social media] labelled ‘profoundly anti-democratic’”(TG);  
  
• on the proposed Voice to the Parliament in Australia:   at an ALP state (Victoria) conference, Australia’s Prime Minister and Victoria’s Premier “urge Labor faithful to campaign for Indigenous Voice to Parliament” (TG);   “Politics is important. Democracy wouldn’t exist without it. Engaging politically is how we manage a diverse and pluralist society with relative peace and respect. But there are moments in history when we have to go beyond politics. The Voice is one of those moments” (PnI);   ten questions and answers (TC);   the “no” campaign is using leaked, unprofessional, allegedly out of context remarks by a media presenter for fundraising (TG);   the bill to initiate the referendum has now passed (TG) both (TND) houses (NIT);   a call to use a “citizens’ referendum review” to educate voters (TC);   “New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council to actively campaign for Voice” (NIT);   “no, the Voice proposal does not contradict racial discrimination laws” (NIT);   an Indigenous leader “says politicians deliberately ‘peddling misinformation’ on Indigenous voice” (TG);  
  
• protests in:   France (F24),   Senegal (TG);
  suppression of opposition / dissent / media in:   Algeria (F24),   Tunisia (UN);
  assessment of democracy or risks/issues in:   Libya (UN),   Germany (from russia and the right) (DW),   Europe (threatened by right wing alliances) (LM),   Sierra Leone (The Independent) - see also this (R),   DRC (AJ),   New Caledonia (Lowy),   India (TG),   Somalia (UN),   Senegal (R),   France (LM);
  
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC):
• an Australian MP has asked “ICC to investigate Australian military commanders for alleged war crimes” (TG), but the ICC is unlikely to act (TC);   “Australia’s use of hotels for immigration detention found to have ‘devastating’ health effects” (TG);   a eugenics programme in Japan sterilised children (TG);        guidelines for dealing with hate speech (GAAMAC) - see also here, on the shared responsibility (UN);         the US Supreme Court’s next target may be affirmative action (LM);         “Rwanda seeks to ... free thousands of prisoners convicted for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. It says the move aims to ease overcrowding in prisons and foster reintegration and reconciliation” (DW);   “US sanctions South Sudan officials over conflict-related rape” (TEA);        “more than 60% of the workforce at the troubled Cleveland youth detention centre in north Queensland quit during the past three years, data obtained by Guardian Australia shows ... about the same time the state enacted laws designed to lock up more children” (TG) - and “24-hour curfews forcing Queensland children to live with violent offenders” (TG);         “journalists taking dead people’s photos off social media without permission inflames the wound of powerlessness” (TG);  
• human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred or actions have been taken to support human rights in:   Yemen (F24),   Iran (UN),   Belarus (Council of Europe - Commissioner for Human Rights),   Türkiye (ICG);
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   an atrocity alert for Sudan and Afghanistan, and noting the International Day for Countering Hate Speech (GCR2P);
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:   a refugee’s life story includes sleeping roped together with his siblings to avoid being kidnapped (SBS);   “displacement and migration explained in 5 graphics” (DW);   the irony of World Refugee Day - celebration followed by victim blaming (JC);  
  more refugee issues:   France (F24),   LGBTIQA+ people (TC);
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   Mexican sports followers have used homophobic chants to end a match early - again (ABC);   “about 200 counter-protesters have drowned out opposition to a storytelling event hosted by a drag artist at a Perth library” (ABC);   “women's and gender diverse country footy club shares stories of inclusion in film” (ABC);   “LGBTQIA+ students want more inclusive classrooms” (ABC);   in Mexico, “the shelter Susana ‘Susy’ Barrales runs in Tijuana has become a destination for trans women fleeing persecution and looking for support and healthcare” (TG);   guidance on supporting a young person who has just come out (SBS);   transphobic trans people - which could also be covered by internalised transphobia, lateral hostility (perhaps), and “trans pick me” (M);   overseas haters were allowed to have an unauthorised event (Star);   gay penguins at a zoo are being use to educate (QN);         “watered-down LGBTQ ‘understanding’ bill shows how far Japan’s parliament is out of step with its society – and history” (TC);   more LGBTIQA+ issues/stories:   USA (TG),   asexuality (M),   Türkiye (JC),   science (Nature),   climate crisis (M),   Estonia (good news) (QN),   a transphobic cisgender billionaire owned social media platform (QN);
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   more on the possible further renaming of places in so-called Australia (SBS);   “First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria elected to negotiate state treaty” (ABC) - see also here (NIT);   “the Boodjamulla National Park was handed back to the Waanyi people in a ceremony at Parliament House in Brisbane” (TND);         real time (TND) reporting (TG) of Indigenous deaths (NIT) in custody;         “alcohol restrictions in the Northern Territory are having a positive impact, advocates say, as police statistics show a drop in family violence callouts, property offences and other antisocial behaviour” (TND);         “new data on Closing the Gap reveals only 4 out of 19 targets are on track” (NITV - SBS);   “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services continue campaign for critical funding” (NIT);   “Victorian program cancelled despite helping over 100 Indigenous people escape homelessness in one year” (NIT);         “New Zealand’s national men’s football team have abandoned their friendly with Qatar, alleging racial abuse and inaction by officials. The All Whites took the extraordinary step of refusing to come back out at half-time of a game they led 1-0” (the article points out Qatar has done this before) (TG);  
  more racism issues:   WA (NIT);
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:    tech devices are being used by perpetrators to track and abuse DV victims (TG);   post-natal depression can also affect men (SBS);   in Japan, “new legislation redefines rape, raises age of consent” (F24);   gender apartheid in Afghanistan (UN);   the experience and thoughts of a Jordanian woman (M);  
  more sexism issues:   Saudi Arabia (LM),   Germany (DW),   maritime industry (MJ);
  
  
• noting the laws listed here, the conventions listed here, and principles discussed here, here, here, here, and here, on ANIMALS and the RIGHTS OF ANIMALS and other forms of life:   “Iceland suspends annual whale hunt in move that likely spells end to controversial practice” (TG);
  
  
• noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   adaptive scuba diving (SBS);
  
  
• noting Articles 6 (1), 7, and 8 (see here) of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (i) (ii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 11 (1) (a - c) of the CEDAW,   and   Article 27 (1) of the CRPD on WORK and FAVOURABLE WORK CONDITIONS:   “a [worker friendly] guide for bosses who desperately want staff at their desks” (TND);   the problem of non-compete clauses (TC);
  
  
• noting Article 6 (1) of the ICCPR,   Article 11 of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (iii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 14 (2) (h) of the CEDAW,   Article 27 (3) of the CRC,   Article 28 of the CRPD,   and   Article 20 of the DRIP on FOOD, CLOTHING, and HOUSING:    the (Australian) Federal government will spent an additional (ABC) $2 billion on social housing (SBS);   a criticism of a minor party over their actions around a housing initiative (TND);   the need for NSW to make rentals more pet friendly (TG);   “Victoria to consider rent caps and taxes on AirBNB owners to ease rental crisis” (TG);  
  more food, clothing and housing issues:   evictions in the USA (MJ) - and NSW (TG),   USA (MJ);  
  

(Should you elect to write to your elected representatives or others on these matters, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with the links shown above - or to at least refer to them. Don't forget to CHECK whether your nation has RATIFIED the treaty concerned.)

Abbreviations:   3KND radio - 3KND;   Aeon Magazine - Aeon;   Africa Centre for Strategic Studies - ACSS;   Africa News - AN;   Al Jazeera - AJ;   All Africa - AA;   Amnesty International - AI;   Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project - ACLED;   Associated Press - AP;   Australian Associated Press - AAP;   Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC ^TP ;   Australian Independent Media Network - AIMN;   Australian Unions - AU;   Barrons;   Bellingcat (B);   Bloomberg - BB;   British Broadcasting Commission - bbc ^TP ;   Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC;   Centre for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS;   Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ;   Context - CT;   the (US) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR);   Crikey - C [$];   Dabanga Sudan - DS;   Deutsche Welle - DW;   European Union - EU;   Forbes - F;   Foreign Policy - FP;   France 24 - F24 ^TP ;   Freedom House - FH;   Genocide Watch - GW;   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect - GCR2P;   Good News Network - GNN;   HumAngle - HmA;   Human Rights Law Centre - HRLC;   Human Rights Watch - HRW;   Independent Australia - IA;   International Crisis Group - ICG;   Jessica Wildfire (Substack) - JW;   Juan Cole Informed Comment - JC;   Just Equal - JE;   Lawfare Blog - LFB;   Le Monde - LM;   LGBT Nation;   Lowy Institute - The Interpreter - Lowy;   Mail & Guardian - MG;   mainstream media - MSM;   Mary L Trump - MLT;   Medium - M;   Michael West (news media platform) - MW;   Middle East Eye - MEE;   Minority Rights Group - MRG;   Mother Jones - MJ;   Nation Africa - NA;   National Indigenous Television - NITV;   National Indigenous Times - NIT;   Nature Magazine - Nature;   NBC News - NBC;   News24;   Pearls and Irritations - PnI;   Pink News - PN;   Political Violence at a Glance - PVG;   Politico - P;   Premium Times Nigeria - PT;   ProPublica - PP;   Q News - QN;   Quartz - Q;   Radio France International - rfi;   Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE);   Raw Story - RS;   Renew Economy - RE;    Reuters - R;   Robert Reich - RR;   (Bruce) Schneier - Sch;   Special Broadcasting Service - SBS;   Star Observer - Star;   Sudan Tribune - ST;   Sydney Morning Herald - SMH;   Teri Kanefield - TK;   The Age - TA ^TP ;   The Big Smoke (TBS);   The Conversation - TC ^TP ;   The Defence Post - TDP;   The East African - TEA;   The Guardian - TG;   The (Nigerian) Guardian - TG-N;   The Hindu - TH;   The Monthly - TM;   The New Daily - TND;   The New Humanitarian - TNH;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Sentry - TS;   The Shot - TS;   Timothy Snyder - TS;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   United Nations - UN;   Vice - V;   Voice of America - VoA;   Wall Street Journal - WSJ [$];   War on the Rocks - WotR;   Washington Post - WP [$] ^TP ;   Wikipedia - WP;   Yahoo News - Yahoo;   YouTube - YT.

Note: news sources are never perfectly accurate or good - for instance, some have been transphobic (which is why I may, for instance, cancel email subscriptions), but may be good in other areas (e.g., racism) - and attributes may vary depending on region and over time. I do NOT provide an unqualified endorsement of ANY of the media sources I use. Sources with evidence of being transphobic may be marked with a ^TP .

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header; 
• I expect readers to take positive action on at least some of these stories - e.g., write to elected representatives, where that is possible. 
  

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong in my views or commentary - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

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Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.