This started yesterday 21st January and I am pasting below the link I was sent by Mary Lunan from Manchester Concord. I know many of the members here are not from Manchester, but after the recent furore round Ms Burchill it shows that some police forces and ordinary people do care and do try to prevent Transphobia. If you can enter then please do.

hugs

Pauline xxxx

PS The image is from WOT ( Wipe Out Transphobia) and has been circulated on Facebook


Hi all

Lisa, from the Greater Manchester Police came in to the club last wednesday and told me about this
Hate Crime Awareness Week they are running from the 21st of Jan.
They are also running a poster competition which anyone can enter.
She has sent me the full details so I am now passing them on to you all in the letter below..
I hope some of you will take part.
Mary



Hi Mary

As per our conversation yesterday the details for the Hate Crime Awareness Week are as follows:-

Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week is running from the 21st January 2013 by Manchester Council. The aim is to tackle hate crime and raise awareness of this issue. The Village Neighbourhood Police Team applied for a £200 funding grant to be used for an event during hate crime week. We have been successful in our application and have been chosen for the grant. I have cut and pasted at the bottom of my email the press release form the council web site,.

We pitched the idea to the council to base the event around Transphobic Hate Crime. Transphobic hate crime is highly under reported to the GMP and we need to raise awareness and educate the public on how to report hate crime.etc. We have decided to launch a competition to design a Transphobic hate crime reporting poster, hopefully raise awareness/knowledge about how to report any hate crime/incident. The official launch for the competition will be Monday 21st January however I am emailing all my contacts so we can get as many entries as possible. There is a wonderful prizes, which is

1st Place
Luxury Food Hamper
£100.00 of Arndale Centre vouchers
Three course meal for 2 with champagne at Polari on Valentines Night (14th Feb)
£25 worth of taxi travel vouchers- Manchester Cars 2nd Place-
£100.00 of Arndale Vouchers vouchers
Entries for this competition to be sent by post to:- The Village Neighbourhood Team
2nd Floor
Bootle Street Police Station
Bootle Street
Manchester
M2 5GU

The closing date for the competition is the 4th February. Judging will be by the Village Neighbourhood team but we could also do with a judge from the Trans-Community. Would yourself or a member of the board of Concord be happy to help judge the competition? Judging will take place on the 4th February but at the moment we haven't sorted out a time. If we have a volunteer, could you let me know as soon as. Thanks

Also during the week, we have a couple of other events taking place. On Tuesday 22nd January, the crime prevention caravan will be on Sackville Street for people to come down and speak to us about hate crime/crime prevention or even have a chat to members of the neighbourhood policing team. Thursday 24th January between 12:00 - 15:00 there is going to be a Coffee with a Cop/PCSO taking place at Sanctuary on Sackville Street. Saturday 26th January the LGF are holding a Hate Crime Event where they will be taking about what hate crime is/how to report and what support/information is available.

I will also be popping in on Wednesday's event just to speak to people and see if everyone is okay. If you could email your members with regards to the competition that would be great. The more entries we get the better.

If you need any further information, then please email me back.

thanks again for you help and assistance

Lisa


P.C.S.O 61209 Lisa Brookes
The Village Neighbourhood
A1 N.P.T
Bootle Street Police Station
North Manchester Division
Greater Manchester Police
Ext: 01618563221

Great post Pauline. x

Great for Manchester but what about other cities? I can remember reading the comments to the article. A lot of the supporters came from the south east. I know it is probably the same proportion as elsewhere but it would be nice to think that other forces gave as much as Manchester. Three cheers for them.

Good post Pauline.Good for Manchester,the police should do that in all areas of the country xxx

I find it a good thing that the police are taking our safety, & that of everyone in the LGB-T community, very seriously... and it's also a good thing they are calling it Hate Crime Awareness... this is probably due to the fact that the police know they will NEVER be able to "Wipe Out Transphobia"... or even Homophobia... or even Arachnaphobia

a Phobia is an irrational fear of...; we'll never wipe out so called Transphobia & in the same way we'll never wipe out Arachnaphobia... there is nothing in this world that will ever make me 'like' spiders... and if someone doesn't like a Trans person, or gay person, then there is absolutely nothing you can do to get them to 'like' Trans or gays...

The police are doing things perfectly and doing it the way it should be done, and maybe because there is no other way to do it... attacking a trans person, just because they are trans, is a Hate Crime & the attacker may have an irrational fear of trans people and their attack would indeed have undertones of Transphobia... much the same way would I attack, and kill, any spider which is stupid enough to run across my living room floor would be considered an Arachnaphobic attack... so, trying to stamp out Transphobia is a pointless crusade.. there is NO WAY you can FORCE people to like you.., it's that simple...

I'm also wondering why the Police feel they need to talk to US regarding Hate Crimes... it's not like we're going around attacking each other or asking to be attacked is it... surely the Hate Crime Awareness programs should be directed at the ATTACKERS, make THEM aware of the consequences of attacking someone on the basis of their colour, race, gender, or sexual, orientation... but the poice can't do that as they have no idea who the attackers are until AFTER an attack, and by then, it's too late...

Comparing people being scared of spiders to attacking trannys - WTF ever next. The ever increasing acceptance of people of colour, the gay community and other minority groups in society is a result of a gradual process of education. Your argument is not only flawed Lisa but its also completely embarrassing

of course Gemma... you obviously have no idea what "Phobia" means then...

I'm wondering what part of what I said is an "Argument" and which part is "Flawed"... maybe you could enlighten me.... or are you telling me that "Phobia" no longer means an "irrational fear" of something... if the english language has evolved to a point where "Phobia" no longer means that then I want to know why I wasn't informed...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia

Gee ladies - why dont we attack each other, instead of letting the nutters do it. And for FFS dont defend the nutters.

Why dont both of you grow up - we are supposed to be on the same side. i despair of posting things like this. Why bother with you two doing kami kaze tranny imitations.

Pauline xxx

Pauline.... which part of what I said was 'attacking' anyone.... I have absolutley NO NEED to grow up as you put it..... all I said is what the real definition of Phobia is... and that transphobia cannot be simply 'stamped out'...

and please, I do take exception at being referred to as a 'kamikazi kaze tranny imitation'.. in fact I see it as a direct attack in the way of a personal insult to me, is it not something you want to see an end of...? and it's not the kind of response I would expect from a site Moderator....

so, which part of what I said was incorrect...

I was going to comment - but whats the point? I think most can see who is what
This post was edited by Mia Wallace at January 23, 2013 9:47 PM GMT

I am still annoyed with both of you, as I was when I made my comments earlier. I was trying to point out that attacking each other and cheap point scoring took away the whole point of my original post. Hence my allusion to kami kaze tranny imitations - not that you are "tranny imitators" but that you are kami kaze imitations who are trannies. In other words we don't need transphobic people to attack us when we can have more fun attacking ourselves and scoring cheap points off each other??? Is that clear now?

The whole point of the forum that I put up was that the Manchester police are trying to do something positive about transphobia, or attacks from outwith the TG community. Hence my cri de coeur of "why bother" after reading your comments.

In future I will not be posting any of this kind of information as all it seems to attract is cheap point scoring.

I was tempted to remove the forum, but lets leave all the comments for others to judge as they see fit.

Pauline



I

blimmey Pauline, keep ya hair on... was what I said about a Phobia being an irrational fear something incorrect...? . . . someone with a Phobia cannot simply be TOLD you MUST like what it is they have a Phobia about....

again I'm at a loss at to why no one can answer my question as to what part of my original response was an "Argument" & which part was "Flawed"

Im not trying to 'score points' as you put it... I was making a simple observation of what a Phobia is... is THAT clear...!

your choices now are...
1: remove the thread to admit defeat...
2: give me a time out, to admit defeat....
3: prove I was wrong in my definition of "Phobia"...
4: point out which part was Argumentative/Flawed...

P.S. I wasn't attacking anyone Pauline, I think you'll find Gemma V3 was doing the attacking, followed closely by YOU...

My thoughts are good on the Police for supporting us as Annemarie pointed out, would be good for other forces to follow suit.
M x

Lisa, I am sorry but I don't share your opinions or thoughts on this subject, and yes I was getting frustrated yesterday with both you and Gemma.

There will not be a removal of the thread nor a Time Out for anyone.

Pauline xxx

to put things bluntly - ** text removed **
This post was edited by R Fox at January 25, 2013 1:43 PM GMT

** text removed **
This post was edited by R Fox at January 25, 2013 1:44 PM GMT

I make transgenderd COOL

Hi Gemma,

You're comments are not acceptable on open forum. Your profile is in warning status now - and I've removed the posts.

I expect from your Gemma - we can all drag things to gutter (and you do it well).


x Becca

Am inclined to agree with Lisa Wilde. You cannot force the World and his Wife to like us as a community. It's up to us individually,with our behavior to make us acceptable

But that shouldn't mean hiding away or not enjoying ourselves when we do go out. It should mean watching each others backs.

Don't know if you all subscribe but this came up today:

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/oxford-english-dictionary-and-microsoft-office-dictionary-include-the-word-transphobia-in-the-dictionary

Hope that's the right reference

Thanks Josephne... you're spot on there....

Thanks Jackie... it's down to you, me, EVERYONE to create the view of which we are percieved by the general majority... whilst we all have the right to wear what we want, when we want, where we want; we all have a duty to protect the image of how the public see us for the good of the great... so Walking through Salford in thight boots, fishnets & pvc micro skirt with your balls on show during the day may be 'your right'.. but not the right thing to do

I had a couple of days away from the site or I might have said something which would have got me a certian ban... Homophobia and Xenophobia are recognised in the OED and on the list of recognised Medical/Psychologial conditions which is a "Phobia"...

my point was that a Phobia cannot be wiped out, not way, no how, not ever... and we ALL know attacking someone because they're black, gay or Trans is a hate crime... WE KNOW THAT so why do "WE" need telling

I'm stunned that other members did not have the BALLS to have their say and back me up on this, but instead they sit back and watch me get attacked... which was contradictory on the very subject of which the post was about...

and we must not forget that it's not just attacks on diverse minorities which can be classed as hate crimes... like I've said, I haven't log in for a couple of days and I don't click the box to recieve e-mail replys, so I am not aware of what the comments Gemma left, and I'm really not bothered what Gemma thinks of me, (I wonder how many trans website she's been banned from for not being able to control her mouth)

@ Pauline... Apology accepted..

bottom line.... my last say
If there was a magic wand (it doesn't have to be a pink one covered in glitter) I would wave it as vigorously as I could to creat an "Ideal World"... but unfortunately there is no such wand (although I thought I saw one for sale in Poundland the other day)... so we have to live in a "Realistic World" where there is some nasty, idiotic, arse holes who don't understand us, hate us, even fear us and WE need to be more aware of what we do as we have to share this lovely planet with the numbskulls & Bi-polar, drug abusing, manic depressive, alcoholic, unemployed prostitues... we're all different, and it's exactly that reason why it makes the world such an interesting place to live

Lisa,

Unfortunately I have to disagree with you on several of your points.

Firstly my original post was about hate crime awareness and transphobia, and not about us attacking each other, or about references to dictionary definitions of phobias. Maybe you personally are fortunate enough to know everything there is to know about hate crime, but some of us also think that publicising affirmative action against transphobia and hate crime against TG people may help to prevent it happening - through education - and that others in our community have the right to be informed and make their own choices as to how they feel about such an issue. Maybe transphobia does not impact on all of us every day, or every waking hour, but it is there...and for me personally (I really don't know about others) it helps to know that the Greater Manchester Police do take notice, and take a very serious view of hate crime.

Secondly, the remarks attacking you personally were removed (at my instigation) by Beckie as I had tautologically put myself into a corner and thus couldn't take action as a moderator. And as like you I am not logged on here 24/7 action was taken by the moderating team within 10 minutes of me seeing the posts. Surely you should be pleased about that?

Thirdly the personal feud between Gemma and you should not keep spilling over into forums like this, which happens to be about others hating our community. If it does continue in a personally abusive way towards each other either here or in other places on this site then it will be dealt with by the moderators here. That includes cheap comments towards each other.

Fourthly, maybe you don't personally like a TGirl walking through Salford (or anywhere) dressed in the way you describe. I don't either. But surely they can dress that way if they want? Maybe they are not personally trying to validate the whole TG community, but just trying to shock. I didn't "get" for years why some TGirls didn't dress to pass - till eventually the light bulb lit up and I realized that actually they don't care. Maybe their agenda is different to yours, or mine, and just because we are all part of the TG diaspora it doesn't mean that we have to all be the same and behave in the same way.

Fifthly your final sentence is personally abusive towards another member here. So as of now you have an official warning. Any further personal comments of such a nature will be dealt with by the moderating team.

Pauline Smith ( site administrator)

we need something like anti-tranny in oxford as it is full of ignorant chavs/homophobic slobs. so girls stay safe out there and watch out for each other, and short cuts are not always the safe ones, so i say again stay SAFE love collette XXX.

lol... I have no grudge against Gemma... why would I...? I don't know her, only her reputation... and in my final sentence I have not used any phrase, or words, to refer to another member which they have not used to describe themselves in their own blogs/journals... so not sure where the problem is on that issue...

I'm not sure how scared I should be of the 'official warning' but I'm sure I'll not lose any sleep over it as I've not said anything wrong or defamatory...

I can only be responsible for what I write... not for what you understand