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Government announces Lasting Power of Attorney “revamp”
Lucy Bluck
For two weeks during Pride month, Kingsley Napley are publishing a series of blogs to celebrate Pride and highlight LGBTQ+ issues from home and abroad. We have included a glossary of terms at the end of this blog.
When I told some of my friends I was writing a piece about drag activism, their reaction was almost unanimous…
Oh, but, is there much to say?
That's when I realised that drag queens, for many, are more synonymous with big hair and lip-syncing pop hits rather than political consciousness and activism. You can certainly understand the reason for this - we have been totally spoiled in recent years with the explosion of Ru Paul’s Drag Race around the world - the make-up, talents and confidence being a feast for the eyes (and the soul). But we cannot minimise the political importance of Mama Ru’s creation. Who could forget numbers such as “Shady Politics”; the discussions of gay conversion therapy while applying make-up; and Bob the Drag Queen describing his arrest during a 2011 marriage equality protest? Not to mention Nancy Pelosi sashaying into the All Stars season…
However, long before RPDR, drag queens were fighting on the front lines for acceptance and equality. Being a drag artist in itself is already a dissident, provocative act as it involves going against all the gendered norms of society. It is deciding to be true to yourself regardless of what others think, putting your life in danger, and even sometimes facing rejection from your own community. Drag queens have not stopped fighting for their rights since the '70s and have always been at the forefront of the fight for gay rights, AIDS awareness, anti-racism and gender equality.
For Pride month this year, I have decided to celebrate the queens who dedicate(d) their lives (and art) to fight for the underrepresented and to remind everyone that drag is not just about the hair and (fabulous) outfits. This list I have included here is of course brief and I could have discussed many more examples, but if you would like to know more about the political dimension of drag, I invite you to read the articles linked at the bottom of this blog.
Icon of the LGBTQ+ movement and transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson is probably the most famous drag activist of all. She was a prominent figure in the Stonewall riots and a trailblazer in the fight for gay rights.
Marsha was a drag queen in a (not so long ago) time when cross-dressing would almost certainly bring you unwanted police attention. It didn't take much for Marsha to quickly establish herself as a local celebrity in Greenwich Village, easily recognisable thanks to her extravagant outfits made of feathers, her pearls, and her flower dresses. She also quickly became a central activist figure within the gay community. Soon after the Stonewall riots, she joined the Gay Liberation Front and co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) with her friend, transgender rights activist Sylvia Rivera. A few years later, they also founded STAR HOUSE, a shelter aimed at LGBTQ+ young people who found themselves homeless (a situation that Marsha and Sylvia knew only too well).
In 1992, the police found Marsha’s body floating in the Hudson River. The official cause of death was suicide (something that Marsha’s friends and family always contested). Until this day, nobody knows what happened to Marsha. This is a painful story which is still relevant today - 2020 is considered one of the deadliest years for trans and gender-nonconforming people in the United States in recent history.
Marsha finally received the recognition she deserved in the years after her death through books, movies, and documentaries. In 2019, the city of New York announced that Marsha and Sylvia would be commemorated with statues placed not far from the Stonewall Inn. Those statues will be New York's first transgender monuments.
In 2015, Asifa became a leading figure of the gaysian community when she was featured in the Channel 4 documentary Muslim Drag Queens, which attracted more than 1 million viewers. Asifa used that platform and her new notoriety to speak openly about what it's like to be gay and Muslim from a traditional upbringing. Asifa’s coming out has unfortunately brought her vilification from conservative branches of the Muslim community but her story has been instrumental in giving underrepresented young LGBTQ+ people from her culture a voice and a role model, which is so important now while we continue to strive to find the place for religion and the LGBTQ+ community to sit comfortable with one another.
Asifa is a passionate activist, constantly challenging the norms and what it means to be gay and Muslim, while helping others fight for self-acceptance. Asifa received a Pride award from Attitude magazine in June 2015, which has served to empower Britain's LGBTQ+ Muslim community, and she continues to be a voice by performing, DJing and speaking at various venues across London, including Club Kali and Disco Rani.
Sister Roma is the most famous member of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (yes, you've read that sentence right). Based in San Francisco, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are "a leading-edge Order of queer and trans nuns." They believe "all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty."
Sister Roma's reputation precedes her. She's spent her life fighting for gay rights, organising many fundraising events (she helped raise more than $1 million for various LGBTQ+ charities, including organisations fighting against AIDS), speaking about many LGBTQ+ issues, and of course … performing!
In her fight for equality and recognition, she has not been afraid to take a stance against tech giants, in particular the social media behemoth, Facebook. In 2014, Sister Roma created the hashtag #MyNameIs, a movement aimed at protesting against Facebook's "Real" Name Policy – namely that users must use their “real” names on the site “as it would be listed on your credit card, driver's license or student ID.” Sister Roma led the campaign for the right to self-identify on the social network, eventually bringing about a change in Facebook’s policy and a public apology.
London-based drag queen Son of a Tutu is an award-winning drag queen and activist. British with Nigerian origins, Son of a Tutu initially worked in finance in New York before becoming a drag artist following 9/11. She moved to London and developed Son of a Tutu, a Nigerian persona, while spreading awareness about the lack of LGBTQ rights in Nigeria. Under the Criminal Code Act and the 2013 Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, the LGBTQ+ community is criminalised in Nigeria – LGBTQ+ rights are not recognised and being openly gay is punishable by imprisonment.
Son of a Tutu acts as a beacon for LGBTQ+ people of colour and often talks about her experiences of overcoming beatings and family expectations to become the person she was born to be. She has been featured on BBC Stories and regular speaks at events on dealing with micro-aggressions in the workplace and in everyday life and how people can adjust their behaviour; and how to encourage large companies to work with local partners to drive change and create a world where LGBTQ+ rights are protected and furthered.
The drag queens I have discussed in this blog are just a small selection of a huge number of incredibly inspiring and influential figures in the public eye who help to drive forward the fight for equality for the LGBTQ+ community. Drag is an important medium through which to challenge social norms and show that it is okay to be who you are. I hope this blog has helped shed light on the vital work of a sometimes underestimated, but invaluable community.
From the whole Kingsley Napley team, we wish you a very happy Pride!
Drag queens are more political than ever. Can they lead a movement?
The inspiring life of activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson
Melanie Bernard is Senior Event Executive at Kingsley Napley and member of the LGBTQ+ network.
When I became Senior Partner of Kingsley Napley in 2018, I made a very clear pledge to the firm – that I would make it one of my key objectives to increase diverse talent and foster a culture of inclusivity.
The visibility of the “B” in our LGBTQ+ umbrella is marked every year on 23 September. At Kingsley Napley, we are proud to have bisexual members of our LGBTQ+ and Allies Network and strive for everyone to feel like they can be themselves and bring their whole selves to work. Outside KN, and in this year alone, Robin has come out as bisexual in the new Batman comic, more awareness has been raised about bisexuality with celebrities, such as Megan Fox, Lily Cole, speaking out and there is more representation of bisexual people in mainstream shows, such as Sex Education, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Trans adults with full decision-making capacity have the freedom to secure hormonal and surgical interventions to align their bodies with the physical attributes typical of the gender with which they identify (a process known as “transitioning”). However, for those who lack capacity, the involvement of others who are responsible for making decisions on their behalf is required, and the position can be complex as a result. This blog explores the approach to making decisions relating to transitioning on behalf of protected trans people, applying the best interests test and guidance from case law, and discussing the practicalities for decision-makers.
When I told some of my friends I was writing a piece about drag activism, their reaction was almost unanimous…
"Oh, but, is there much to say?"
That's when I realised that drag queens, for many, are more synonymous with big hair and lip-syncing pop hits rather than political consciousness and activism. You can certainly understand the reason for this - we have been totally spoiled in recent years with the explosion of Ru Paul’s Drag Race around the world - the make-up, talents and confidence being a feast for the eyes (and the soul). But we cannot minimise the political importance of Mama Ru’s creation. Who could forget numbers such as “Shady Politics”; the discussions of gay conversion therapy while applying make-up; and Bob the Drag Queen describing his arrest during a 2011 marriage equality protest? Not to mention Nancy Pelosi sashaying into the All Stars season…
Coming out is an extremely personal journey and will be unique to each person. It takes a lot of courage to come out and a person may have to repeatedly do this in their personal and professional lives. Statistics show that 46% of people who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual and 47% of people who identify as trans feel comfortable to discuss their orientation or gender identity.
How can you put the spotlight on intersectionality to remind others that, even within the LGBTQ+ community, not everyone is treated equal?
Are you proud of who you are, your journey and the person that you’ve become? Do you truly wear your heart on your sleeve? For some, being open and honest about who we are (which includes our gender identity or sexuality) does not come easily and can be extremely hard. It can be even tougher at work, and for those that hide their true self, the energy expenditure is endless. That survival cost of energy makes you less productive, or even worse still, it has a detrimental impact on your mental and physical health.
I am a trans woman who has recently embarked on her transition. Having only taken my first steps on this journey, I am acutely aware when writing this that I have much to learn about myself, about being trans, and about the diverse LGBTQ+ family that I now find myself part of. However, there is one theme that I feel is important to discuss as we celebrate Pride in 2021.
Following on from my colleague Sameena Munir’s blog ‘’pray the gay away: cull conversion therapy worldwide’’, the issue of gay conversion therapy dominates contemporary conversations surrounding LGBT politics and legislation in the UK, but the Government has failed to deliver on its promise to ban it.
For two weeks during Pride month, Kingsley Napley are publishing a series of blogs to celebrate Pride and highlight LGBTQ+ issues from home and abroad.
It’s been 9 years since R&B artist Frank Ocean headed off rumours about his particular pronoun usage in the album Channel Orange by posting on Tumblr that his first love had been a man. Since then, the momentum for the openness and success of queer artists has continued to gather pace, and LGBTQ+ representation in the arts and mainstream media is as wide as it has ever been. This rise has however raised important questions about pigeonholing queer artists, and perhaps most interestingly whether they must always shoulder the responsibility of ‘pushing the agenda’.
In February this year, I attended a virtual talk held by the InterLaw Diversity Forum for LGBT+ History Month. The speakers featured individuals working in the legal sector and each discussed their experience of coming out as trans or non-binary at work. It feels an apt lesson given this year’s Pride theme: Visibility, Unity and Equality.
In January 2020, I was fortunate enough to give birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. As far as I know, I am the first partner at Kingsley Napley (although certainly not the first employee) who has a baby who is lucky enough to have two mums. News of my pregnancy was met with overwhelming support from my colleagues. That support continues to this very day, and my wife and I remain truly grateful for the kindness that has been shown to us. However, since falling pregnant I have learnt that not all workplaces are as supportive to same-sex parents as mine. The concept of two mums or two dads starting a family is something that some people still struggle to get their heads around. So this year, for our KN Pride blog series, I have decided to explain the questions, that speaking from my own experience, it is not helpful to say to same-sex parents.
Tomorrow, global organisations across the world are celebrating Global Pride, and I wanted to write to say how much it means to us at Kingsley Napley to celebrate Pride and to support our LGBTQ colleagues.
On sitting down to write this blog, I was a little embarrassed. When you actually take the time to think about drafting legal documents in a way that is gender neutral, it seems to me that the question isn’t why do this, but why not?
In 2012 we formed an LGBTQ* & Allies network at Kingsley Napley (KN). I’m ashamed to say that the impetus to form this network came not from within, but from Scott, a new joiner who upon his arrival was surprised, and critical (rightly so) to find that no such network existed at KN.
The UK spouse visa has been the subject of frequent criticism and has rarely been out of the news since the rules surrounding it were completely changed in 2012. This is predominantly as a result of the stringent and often exclusionary financial requirements imposed. However, when you take a look at the basic relationship requirements imposed by this route, it is exclusionary in an unexpectedly discriminatory way.
This Sunday marks International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. On this day, over 130 countries around the world draw attention to the various forms of discrimination and violence that the LGBTQ community continue to experience. It serves as a reminder each year of the work which is still needed to achieve LGBTQ equality. David Sleight, a Partner and ally, at Kingsley Napley shares his experience below.
Now is a more important time than ever to be a visible ally to LGBTQ people in the workplace. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation continues to take place, often with disastrous ramifications for individuals and businesses.
The current government lockdown is making everyone aware of their living arrangements. Relationships are being put under new pressures and the current emotional and financial impact of the virus may be causing additional stresses in a relationship. It is a sensible time to make sure you understand how you own your property and the implications of such ownership.
There are countless instances of LGBT+ individuals being stigmatised and discriminated against throughout history, including in criminal law. In particular, a number of sexual acts between men have historically been criminalised. This homophobic legislation was compounded by an insidious approach to investigations, which targeted men who were believed to be gay, leading to a large number of men being criminalised, with all of the consequences that a conviction brings, for behaviour that should never have been illegal in the first place.
On the eve of the new decade, 31 December 2019, the first mixed-sex couples officially entered into civil partnerships, granting them the same legal protections as in marriage.
By Emily Elliott
READ BLOGTwo thirds of LGBTQ people still being harassed at work: IDAHOBIT is a timely reminder of the work that still needs to be done
Read Stephen Parkinson's blogBy Emily Elliott
Read blogWe welcome views and opinions about the issues raised in this blog. Should you require specific advice in relation to personal circumstances, please use the form on the contact page.
Lucy Bluck
Áine Kervick
James Alleyne
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