TV Dreams

Slightly unusual methinks a programme regarding transgender issues being screened midweek during daytime television, but BBC1 are, nevertheless, showing Dress to Impress on Thursday at 2.15pm. Also on BBC HD at 6.30pm.

The blurb says:

“A 17-year-old boy’s secret love of dressing in women’s clothes is discovered. The turn of events ignites a ticking time bomb that threatens to destroy his parents’ marriage and his family.”

Might just watch this.

It really saddens me when people who run businesses try to help others and then get their assistance thrown back in their faces. Charging for services rendered is not a crime.

How would people who complain about charges feel if their boss expected them to work for free? What these complainers seem to also forget is that a business must cover overheads and wages. The total charged does not go straight into the pocket of the business owner.

What am I on about? Follow the link.

Reproduced at the request of Gender Spectrum UK…

“Gender Spectrum UK ( http://www.gsuk.org ) wish to announce the launch
of an on-line survey http://www.alisonwhelan.co.uk/pre-existing-marriage.htm to gauge the
general opinion of the position of individuals with Gender Identity
Disorder who transition from the gender assigned at birth, where the
individual is married prior to transition.

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA) created the legal right for an
individual to change the gender marker recorded on their birth
certificate, however, that Act prevented individuals who are married or
in a Civil Partnership from effecting such change until they had ended
that marriage or Civil Partnership.  The GRA provides a fast track
process to enable a person who is married to immediately enter into a
Civil Partnership following the legal end to their marriage.

This process is not without its problems as it is essential that the
entire legal process is completed in exactly the right manner and there
are also significant time and financial cost to the whole process.

For many people, the relationship and the vows made are sacrosanct
preventing them from making such a change, as this would mean ending a
sacred vow.  The process of gender reassignment is not something
undertaken lightly.  It does not affect a person’s faith and there are a
number of married couples that maintain wholly loving relationships
throughout this process and beyond.

The current requirement to end a marriage or Civil Partnership puts
significant pressure upon such relationships.  The presence of minor
children within such relationships add a further burden if there is a
forced dissolution of the existing marriage or Civil Partnership.

Gender Spectrum UK is seeking views on this issue from all interested
individuals, whether they are directly affected, indirectly affected or
if they have an interest in these matters.  To this end, a survey is
available at http://www.alisonwhelan.co.uk/pre-existing-marriage.htm to
gather such views.  The survey has identified four general solutions to
the issue and we are seeking the preferred solution from those four
options.  The four options are:

A)   The current requirement for annulment and creation of a new Civil
Partnership or marriage is satisfactory

B)   Automatic transfer to a Civil Partnership or marriage without the
formal process of annulment and registration.

C)   Retention of existing marriage or Civil Partnership with a
different name (i.e. not marriage or Civil Partnership, but something
indicating its legacy position such as ‘Legacy Partnership’ (i.e. with
no mention of marriage))

D)   Retention of existing marriage or Civil Partnership with no change
(i.e. retaining the name marriage or Civil Partnership)”

“Press for Change is continually improving its links with the NHS not just
concerning the specialised areas of health in which we seek to tap into for
guidance and treatment but also more generally both in relation to acute
hospital trusts and public health. The following advice is not only timely
but it is an example of the NHS working with transgender stakeholder groups
like PFC to ensure in times of emergency the trans community both in remote
areas and in the big cities can receive important information and take
preventative steps to ensure good health. For any you who forward on this
message to your own web blogging sites and networks please do copy me in so
I can have an idea of how effective our coverage has been.

Many thanks in advance for your help ­ the message to forward with NHS link
is as follows:

NHS Northwest is concerned to ensure that important communications affecting
people¹s health and wellbeing are seen and heard by everyone ­ including
members of the trans community who, if very isolated, might not see such
messages by other means. This is why they have specifically asked for our
cooperation to ensure that everyone is aware of and can access all the
latest information and advice about the current Flu alert. They have
prepared a special web page here:
http://www.northwest.nhs.uk/swine_flu_latest.html

Note, in particular the information at the bottom of the page, which
includes

-      A public information leaflet

-      An update message specifically for people living in the North West

-      A copy of the ³Catch It, Bin It² poster

-      Other artwork to help produce handouts if you need them

Please help NHS Northwest by forwarding this message to your own networks of
friends and contacts.”

Job done.