Tuesday, January 10
Monday, January 9
Marriage Equality in the USA
From gathering supporters in small towns across the country to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, we gave our all to ensure every person, regardless of whom they love, is recognized equally under the law.
A Growing Call for Equality
Efforts to legalize same-sex marriage began to pop up across the country in the 1990s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for same-sex couples existed in many states but created a separate but equal standard. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 and defined marriage by the federal government as between a man and woman, thereby allowing states to deny marriage equality.
New Century & New Beginnings
As the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas struck down sodomy laws in 2003, another victory was celebrated as Massachussetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage via a court ruling. On the federal level, however, efforts continued to prevent equality from becoming a reality. President Bush announced his opposition to same-sex marriage while the House introduced a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman.
Rising Support Signals Hope
States from coast to coast began striking down past bans and enshrining marriage equality in new laws. California famously achieved marriage equality in 2008, only to have it dismantled again by the introduction and passage of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that updated the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, that same year. The amendment later was disputed in lower level courts before making its way to the Supreme Court. READ MORE
Efforts to legalize same-sex marriage began to pop up across the country in the 1990s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for same-sex couples existed in many states but created a separate but equal standard. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 and defined marriage by the federal government as between a man and woman, thereby allowing states to deny marriage equality.
New Century & New Beginnings
As the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas struck down sodomy laws in 2003, another victory was celebrated as Massachussetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage via a court ruling. On the federal level, however, efforts continued to prevent equality from becoming a reality. President Bush announced his opposition to same-sex marriage while the House introduced a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman.
Rising Support Signals Hope
States from coast to coast began striking down past bans and enshrining marriage equality in new laws. California famously achieved marriage equality in 2008, only to have it dismantled again by the introduction and passage of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that updated the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, that same year. The amendment later was disputed in lower level courts before making its way to the Supreme Court. READ MORE
Changing Your Gender
Gender transition is different for each person. There aren’t any specific steps required for someone to transition — it’s all about what feels right for you. It’s sort of like a buffet, where you can try everything, a few things, or nothing at all. Also, you may not want or have access to some kinds of transition.
What does it mean to transition?
Transitioning is about making changes so that you can live in your gender identity. These changes can include changing your name or getting gender-affirming medical care. People often transition to reduce gender dysphoria and/or increase gender euphoria.
How long does transitioning take?
Transitioning isn’t necessarily a straight line or direct route. Transitioning can be a long and ongoing process, or it can happen over a short period of time. You might try out different things as you learn what’s best for you.
The transition process is about becoming more fully yourself — in body, mind, and relationships. So, people sometimes call transitioning “congruence.”
How do I start transitioning?
You can start by learning about the different areas of transition, or ways to affirm your gender:
You can start by learning about the different areas of transition, or ways to affirm your gender:
- internal
- social
- legal
- physical (medical and non-medical)
- Internal transition changes the way you see yourself.
You might try dressing differently when you’re by yourself, calling yourself by a different name only in your head, or practice using your voice differently.
You might start to notice times that you feel gender dysphoria or gender euphoria. Other people might not know about or be able to see this kind of transition.
Social transitioning may include things like:
- coming out to your friends and family as transgender or nonbinary;
- asking people to use pronouns that feel right for you;
- going by a different name;
- dressing/grooming in ways that feel right for you when other people can see you; and
- using your voice differently when talking to other people.
While the laws vary in different states, you might legally change your name and/or gender marker on formal records, like:
- your driver’s license, state ID, or passport;
- your birth certificate;
- your social security number;
- your immigration documents, permanent resident card, or naturalization certificate; with your school or employer; and
- with your doctor or health insurance.
Some kinds of legal transition require paperwork and can be expensive. Some can be free and pretty easy. It depends on where you live and what you want to change.
Learn how to change your name and/or gender marker on legal documents at the National Center for Transgender Equality. READ MORE...
The Rise of Interracial Marriages
Here's one of the biggest statistical changes in American opinion: Approval of interracial marriage in the U.S. is at a new high of 94%, according to Gallup polling.
Why it matters: When Gallup first asked the question in 1958, just 4% of Americans approved of interracial couples.
That approval rating is sky-high no matter how you slice the data:
- Age: 98% of 18- to 29-year-olds approve; 97%, 30–49; 91%, 50+
- Race: 96% of non-white Americans; 93%, white
- Region: 94%, East; 93%, Midwest; 93%, South; 97%, West
The prevalence of intermarriage has also increased.Back in 1967, just 3% of married couples were interracial. Now it's 20%, according to Pew Research Center.
The big picture: There are many reasons contributing to the rise of interracial dating and marriages in the U.S., The Guardian reports:
- Acceptance of interracial couples has steadily grown — though unique challenges and stressors for these couples still exist. Many interracial couples in the U.S. are feeling anxiety, "with heated public debate on issues involving racial justice, immigration, and even direct attacks on minority groups," CBS News "Sunday Morning" reported.
- America is increasingly diverse — and is projected to have a majority minority population by 2045, increasing the diversity of potential romantic partners.
- Younger Americans are more educated than ever. There's a higher rate of interracial marriage among those with more education, studies show.
The bottom line: 55 years after the legalization of interracial marriage, Americans nearly unanimously approve of love across races.
Sunday, January 8
Flying Boats
The Pioneer of Belfast glides above the water, quiet and smooth, leaving little wake behind it.
"Even in big waves and wind, we can see the benefits of flying above the waves," says Katrina Thompson, programme director at Artemis Technologies.
The Pioneer, developed by Artemis Technologies, is the world's first electric foiling workboat to be brought to market.
The foil, a wing-like structure underneath the boat, lifts the hull out of the water, greatly reducing drag.
Combine with an electric motor and you have, according to Artemis, a vessel which reduces fuel costs by 90% and is emission-free.
"It's such a transformative technology," says Dr Thompson.
Dr Thompson grew up in Sailortown, Belfast, in amongst the bustle of heavy industry. She spent her childhood playing on the docks while her parents worked on the boats.
She left Belfast to become an aeronautical engineer, designing aircraft for Rolls-Royce and Bombardier. Then, she went back to her roots - taking her expertise with her. READ MORE...
Tech Trends for 2023
At 1:03am on Monday 5 December, the most powerful laser on the planet flashed into life at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, in an experiment that sent shockwaves through the world of physics and beyond.
The laser targeted a fuel capsule, the size of a peppercorn, creating temperatures and pressures which sparked a fusion reaction - the reaction which powers the sun.
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) had done such experiments before, but this time the energy that came out of the reaction, was more than the laser power used to trigger it.
It was a landmark moment for fusion researchers and, while fusion reactors are still a long way from making electricity that we can use, it shows that the physics works.
"We have taken the first tentative steps towards a clean energy source that could revolutionise the world," said LLNL Director Kim Budil. READ MORE...
97% ARE STRAIGHT
LONDON – Around 3% of people in England and Wales aged 16 or over identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to 2021 census data released on Friday.
The census in 2021 was the first in Britain to ask about people’s sexual orientation, and the results are broadly in line with previous, smaller-scale surveys.
The census, conducted by Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), also asked about people’s gender identity for the first time. About 262,000 people – 0.5% of those aged 16 or over – replied that the gender they identified with was different from their sex registered at birth, the ONS said.
The questions about sexual orientation and gender identity were voluntary, and 7.5% of people declined to answer about their sexual orientation, while 6.0% did not answer the question on gender identity.
Overall, 43.4 million people in England and Wales said they were “straight or heterosexual”, while 1.5 million – 3.2% of the population aged 16 or over – identified as gay or lesbian, bisexual, or other.
Some 1.5% of people said they were gay or lesbian and 1.3% were bisexual. Another 0.3% ticked a box for “other sexual orientation”, two thirds of whom called themselves pansexual.
On gender identity, 262,000 people aged 16 or over answered that they were a different gender to the sex they were registered as at birth, the ONS said.
Of those, 48,000 said they now identified as a trans man, 48,000 identified as a trans woman, 30,000 said they were non-binary and 18,000 said they had another gender identity, the ONS added.
The ONS defines a trans man as someone who identifies as a man but was registered female at birth, while trans women were registered as male at birth, but now identify as women.
Census figures for Britain as a whole are not yet available, as Scotland delayed carrying out its census for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A previous, annual UK-wide survey conducted by the ONS showed that in 2020 3.8% of people identified as gay or lesbian, bisexual or other, up from 1.9% in 2014 when same-sex marriage was first allowed in England and Wales.
That survey also gave breakdowns of sexual orientation by age, gender and ethnicity – showing, among other things, that younger people are much more likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Sex between men aged 21 or over was legalised in England and Wales in 1967. The age of consent was lowered to 18 in 1994 and reduced to 16 – the same as for heterosexual relationships – in 2000.
Census data on sexual orientation by age will be published on Jan. 25, and further details will come later in the year.
Saturday, January 7
Crowded Tokyo
Japan is upping the ante on its cash incentives to get people to move out of its overcrowded capital, Tokyo, which is home to about 37 million people. For scale, Canada’s population in 2021 was just over 38 million.
Starting in April, families in the greater Tokyo area will be eligible to receive 1 million yen, or just under $10,200, per child if they move to the countryside, in an effort to revitalize less-populated areas, according to reports from CNN and the Guardian.
Previous incentives saw the Japanese government offering 300,000 yen, about $3,000, per child if families relocated. This new measure certainly sweetens the pot, tripling their previous offer.
Tokyo is host to many of Japan’s largest companies and is the centre of its economy, meaning it’s an attractive place to move, especially for young people living in rural areas. This migration pattern has left small towns with fewer and older residents, and millions of unoccupied homes.
According to 2021 government statistics, the number of people moving into Tokyo outnumbered those leaving the city by around 80,000.
The concentration of the Japanese population in Tokyo also poses a problem for the country’s demographic crisis, marked by declining birth rates and an aging population.
Experts say that the high cost of living in Tokyo, limited space and lack of access to child care makes it difficult to raise children in the dense metropolis. As such, people are having less kids. Out of Japan’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo has the lowest fertility rate. READ MORE...
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