ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

ACOMSDave Community Journalist

Being Homeless

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Being Homeless

Being homeless is not normally a choice, it is usually forced upon individuals and families by circumstances over which they have little or no control.

Being Homeless

Research Matters wrote in March 2018, …Homelessness is a highly emotive issue and attention on the plight of those who are homeless in Northern Ireland has gained particular momentum…Young people who are homeless can have a range of complex needs resulting from mental health difficulties, family breakdown and childhood abuse…Family rejection resulting in a loss of accommodation and support networks was the most cited reason for homelessness amongst the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community…IN a study conducted by the Rainbow Project, it recommended developing protocols to enable the assessment of LGBT social housing applicants’ individual support needs and signposting vulnerable applicants to appropriate services.

In Dec 2020 David Levesley wrote in GQ …It’s been a bad year to be black or trans and it’s been an even worse year to be black, trans and queer if you don’t have a place to call home! His article incorporates a story about Sam who ended up in Amsterdam, Manchester and Birmingham and the difficulties of settling when you don’t know anyone or the culture. Ultimately he got lucky and heard about The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) who have been assisting queer youth at risk of homelessness since 1989.

Being Homeless - YOuth

The Simon Community in its report ‘Pathways to Youth Homelessness’ found that 82% of young people said they were straight whilst 18% identified as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or were unsure. This number is significant compared to 1.9% of the general population identifying as LGBT in a recent ONS survey (2015.

In may last year (2020) a task group was set up in Northern Ireland to help plan the regions homelessness response as it exited the Coronavius lockdown – my initial investigations have shown that the following groups would be joining this group:-

  • Depaul
  • Extern
  • First Housing
  • housing Rights
  • The Salvation Army
  • Simon Community
  • Welcome Organizations

but so far what I don’t see is any involvement of representative’s from the LGBTQ+ community, and taking into account the Simon Community figures 18% of young people who indicated they were homeless were either gay, lesbian, bisexual or were unsure, this over-sight by the organizers needs to be rectified!

Homelessness is something we can fix, along with children being hungry, we are supposedly a rich country, and if we are then how we deal with these social issues and ensure that people do not suffer is a mark of our society’s ability to be human.

 

Links

 

The Roads Are Dangerous

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A while ago, I wrote about driving on the roads and how both cyclists and motorists seem to be disregarding the ‘Highway Code’ the aim of The Highway Code is to make the roads safer for everyone because the roads are danerous. It gives guidance as to how you are to use the road in conjunction with fellow users (whether they be motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, or even riders of horses).
For motorists, they are cocooned in a metal box of some type which seems to make them think they are invincible, for the other users (who should be thinking of visibility) most seem to think that wearing dark clothes night and day is perfectly acceptable – of course, everyone will see them!

 

The Roads Are Dangerous

 

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Get Up To Speed – The Roads Are Dangerous

So why am I writing again about the dismal use of the Highway Code on our roads; well Belfast Live decided to also run an article on the use of our roads.

‘Belfast the most dangerous city for cyclists in the UK, new research suggests’

The statistics they gathered are staggering:

⦁ 71% of those who took part in the survey had been involved in some kind of accident while on their bike
⦁ At least 51% cannot correctly identity Highway Code rules related to cycling and that four out of ten cyclists (38%) quizzed don’t agree that cycle helmets should be compulsory on UK roads (sic doesn’t this remind you about the argument about seatbelts?)

 

The Roads Are Dangerous

Photo by Matteus Silva de Oliveira from Pexels

Lockdown

Lockdown - The Roads Are Dangerous

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

With lockdown, the usage of bikes has gone up, but it would the majority of cyclists are not aware of many of the current rules put in place for their own protection! For example, over two-thirds of those surveyed (69%) wrong believe cyclists are able to ride more than two abreast on the road…59% of those surveyed did not think they were required to obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals.

However, the problem is not all one-sided. Motorists are equally as blind to the Highway Code, but they are more likely to get stopped and advised by the police, whilst the police do not have cyclists high enough on their radar.

It is a matter for all of us; in today’s society where we are handling a pandemic of global concern, and where our NHS is under so much pressure, surely we can all take a little bit more care, dress appropriately and act safely to ensure we don’t become the next statistic in the hospital waiting list.

 

Link:

 

 

Inoculation Passport

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ON December 1st, 2020 Michael Gove stated ‘that there are no plans to introduce a “vaccine passport” to give people access to places such as pubs and restaurants once a coronavirus jab becomes available.’

14 days later, Ana Beduschi, an Associate law professor at the University of Exeter said ‘

Digital health passports may contribute to the long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they pose essential questions for the protection of data privacy and human rights.

However the  International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline trade association that represents 290 airlines worldwide, announced on that it was in the final stages of developing a digital vaccine passport for travelers.

Currently with several coronavirus vaccines now in circulation, some travelers can’t stop talking about the Yellow Card.

So what is the Yellow Card, or Carte Jaune,; it is a medical passport issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s an official record that some countries require for entrance, and it can document vaccination against diseases ranging from cholera and yellow fever to such childhood illnesses as rubella.

So is it possible that this doucment will soon also have entries for the COVID-19 – the short answer is maybe – only time will tell, but I believe the probability is a resounding YES.

COV?ID-19 is a global pandemic, and as such governments have to protect the people in their countries, whilst still allowing freedom of movmement and trade.  To enable these two areas to occur, there will have to be some mechamism of control and protection, whether that be two week lockdowns upon arrival or proof that you have been vacinated.  Of course if you don’t want to travel then you won’t be required to either have a vaccination passport or to be lockdowned on arrival.

You make your choice!

External links:

Inoculation Passport
Inoculation Passport

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A Child in Our Time

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A Child in our Time came about because yesterday I read an article by Jack Shenker on Craig Easton’s photographs of the Williams family which was published in the Guardian Weekend. It was thought-provoking in a number of ways, firstly the Williams family were not different from you and I, they worked and if it hadn’t been for the ‘depression’ of the 90s brought about by a number of factors including:

restrictive monetary policy enacted by central banks, primarily in response to inflation concerns, the loss of consumer and business confidence as a result of the 1990 oil price shock…Wikipedia

and because of the recession, they lost jobs and homes and ended up on benefits. They strived to get out the hole that they were driven into and let’s be honest neither the politics and politicians of that day, nor even today seem to understand what they need to help them step up out of the quagmire that governments have put them in.

But they are not alone; according to the current government’s own information, there were 5.6 million people on Universal Credit at 9 July 2020, an increase of 2% from 11 June 2020. around 42% (that means 4 in 10) of claimants were in the ‘Searching for work’ conditionality group. But again, this statistic means little until you also look at how many people in the United Kingdom are on the poverty line. According to fullfact.org, An estimated 14.3 million people are in poverty in the UK. 8.3 million are working-age adults, 4.6 million are children, and 1.3 million are of pension age. Around 22% of people are in poverty, and 34% of children are (27 Sep 2019).

As I said, the Williams family are not unique in what has happened to them, but I wonder if anyone in the government realises just how far we have sunk? We have initiatives driven by individuals like Marcus Rashford and other sporting stars, by organisations like Children in Need, businesses who either have their own initiatives or who have joined together to support others, and of course, we have private individuals – but, why does it seem that the government always seems to behind in taking action that will help positively. I see lots of government initiatives which rarely seem to achieve much!

 

Child in our Time - Levels of poverty

(Joseph Rowntree Fundation)

Also, I again have to note that it is not just the conservative government, the Labour/Lib Dem pact was equally as bad.
I honestly do not know the solution, but I do know that if we continue to vote in politicians who have little or no idea of the society that they are representing then as a country we would seem to be doomed.

 

The Joseph Rowntree Foundations says:

Solving poverty is not quick or easy, but it is possible, starting with a vision, commitment and a plan.

 

Child in our Time - Poverty - Free Creative Commons Highway Sign image

 

Links:

Gay Pride, Belfast 1991 – on to civil rights/equal citizenship

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In 1991 the first Gay Pride in Belfast took place.  It was an event thought to be a non-starter, however the turnout of well over one hundred people for the ‘pride dander’ was simply fantastic.  The support from the Belfast public was beyond belief, as was the support in terms of bodies from the QUB Students Union and the Socialist Workers Movement, as well as our guests from Dublin, ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) – and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dander and the crack afterwards.

 

How upstart, our own gay publication, remembered our dander:

 

Gay Pride

 

But a new tradition was also set for that march (dander) – that of the Pride T-shirt.  P A Maglochlainn, who was President of NIGRA (Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association) for a substantial number of years, recognised the importance of this inauguration and managed to collect a number of these during his lifetime and even was able to arrange for them to be on show a number of years later in the Central Library.

Since PA’s death, Barry his partner has been working to have his life’s work archived properly, and part of this is to have the T-Shirts placed somewhere so that people can access them and see the wealth of talent that has spread out from the initial showing.

Barry has kindly given me the task of gathering an example of each T-Shirt (or at the very least, a photo) which means that we have a pictorial record of part of our history.

So far, I have managed to collect the following, as you can see there are come gaps, are you able to help with an example of the missing T-Shirts, or at the very least a photograph or jpeg image for the record?  If so then please contact me as follows:

 

Email:  dtw.mcfarlane@hotmail.co.uk

 

 

Year Picture/Slogan  
1991 Gay Pride
1992 Gay Pride
1993 Gay Pride
1994 Gay Pride
1995 Gay Pride
1996 Gay Pride
1997
1998 Gay Pride
1999 Gay Pride
2000
2001
2002
2003 Gay Pride
2004
2005
2006 Gay Pride
2007 Gay Pride
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

I have two T-Shirts so far which I cannot tie to any year, would anyone have any idea:

  • Gay Pride
  • Gay Pride

Other articles on Pride:

Westwind by Ian Rankin – Book Review

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Westwind by Ian Rankin

Amazon Link To Buy – Westwind by Ian Rankin

 

For me the concept that the military from the USA, UK and other countries, as described in Westwind by Ian Rankin,  would conspire to bring down the elected governments of the day is an anathema, however, we only have to look into history and what happened in German pre WW2 and the African sub-continent and its various countries and we can see parallels.

As an ex-soldier who has served in the UK and Germany, Canada and South America I could never conceive of a time in which the British Armed Services would allow this to happen and where they would give up their allegiance to the Crown (not the government).

The characters are reasonably well-drawn, but the main character Martin Hepton has questions to be asked.  How come a computer nerd, who does not seem to have any background in intelligence apart from watching a computer screen and interpreting pictures, suddenly develop a 6th sense in being able to handle a prime assassin?

Various other characters are brought into the story to add pace and distance, but the ‘badies’ are somewhat predictable as are the various stage sets and locations.

 

It is also interesting to look at age-old secret service writer’s ploy – namely that of levels within levels of the British Secret Service all looking over their shoulders to check who is watching whom!

And not to be forgotten is the age-old commentary on a person’s position in society – what university did one go to, which service did you belong to etc.

However, even with all these thoughts and reservations, I would still recommend this book.  It is a good thriller, well crafted and written, and it does pose questions – could it happen now?

To quote Wikipedia, Ian James Rankin OBE DL FRSE FRSL (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels… His range is prolific, from the series with Rebus, to stand-alone novels to collaboration on opera, to short stories.

 

Fun Extras and Links

I am a book blogger.  I am not paid to do this.  All opinions are my own.

The Glamour Boys – 17 MPs (some gay) who fought appeasement

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The Glamour Boys: The Secret Story of the Rebels who Fought for Britain to Defeat Hitler

The Glamour Boys by Chris Bryant review – the rebels who fought for Britain

The Glamour Boys by Chris Bryant review – the rebels who fought for Britain

As Simon Callow’s review points out not all of ‘the 17-strong Glamour Boys’ were gay, as they also included luminaries like Harold Macmillan, Anthony Eden, Duncan Sandys, Leo Amery and Winston Churchill.

However, what does stand out, is that the leadership of this group who opening stood up against appeasement when the government of the day believed unequivocally in negotiating with Hitler for peace is a testament to their strength of will.  For the gay MPs, this could come at a very high price – if they were found to be in a ‘gay’ relationship of any kind they could have been in court with severe charges against them, and also the adverse publicity which as had happened in the past (Oscar Wilde) would possibly have led to them fleeing the country (but where to you might ask in the light of what was happening in German!).

There is much to recommend in this book, the accomplished multi-biography, the sensitivity in which he handles the material, the research and referencing.

In a time when we need heroes, this book highlights 17 of them to us as a nation, and in particular those of us who are gay.

 

 

 

The Man Who Made Magazines Gay

Lockdown by Peter May – Book Review

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LockdownLockdown by Peter May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book, Lockdown, was written in 2005 and ended up not being published initially as it was thought unbelievable. Fast forward to 2020 and Convid19 and suddenly we can see the human race, politicians and large businesses in the real world of today.

The story revolves around D I Jack MacNeil on his way out of policing, his small circle of supportive friends and his estranged family (sic what seems to be the norm for coppers according to many writers).

The book is well written, but for some reason, it feels like the book has been written in an early part of the century. It is not a noir book, but just the feel of the language moves me to feel it is almost the late 50s or early 60s.

The story develops nicely and finishes on a cliff hanger with a twist, which I will not give away.

It is definitely worthwhile obtaining a copy and reading Lockdown

More Reviews:

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Safety First – Wear Something bright At Night

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IN 1967 as part of the campaign about road safety ‘The Wear Something Bright At Night’ was started.

 

 

To me an advert which has remained in my mind always.  However, the level of stupidity I see by pedestrians and cyclists on today’s road is almost beyond belief.  According to figures just released in June this year, … the annual average number of injured and killed while cycling between 2014-2018 is 53, which is 74 per cent greater than the 2004-2008 baseline average….[The Irish News]

But why am I in despair – firstly cyclists – last week as I was waiting or a bus on a main arterial road. I saw a car with driver pull up at the end of a side road at the double broken white line, check the road was clear and then having indicated pull out and turn right.  Meantime coming from the left came a cyclist, with high visibility leggings, a high visibility waist coast which was lying open, and therefore flowing back so you couldn’t see it.  Just as the cyclist came up to the road with the motorist halfway out, he (the cyclist) suddenly decided to turn right onto the side road without indication or warning.  In itself, not a major problem as the motorist was going one way and the cyclist the other, however, the cyclist broke the highway code in a number of ways:

  • Firstly not indicating his turn
  • Secondly deciding to skip behind the car turning right and therefore crossing the oncoming traffic lane, not turning into his lane for travel
  • Thirdly, he did not have a front headlight or red reflector on his bike – which the law states must have (…a white front light and red rear lights that must be lit at night. A bike is also required to have reflectors…) [Rule 60]

So gripe one; but this is not the end, because obviously there is this continuous unnatural hazard being caused to motorist and pedestrians when cyclists come up on the inside of motorists sat at lights and then cut across them, and then with pedestrians, the cyclists come flying down the footpath, no bell, no lights – a silent menace to everyone.

But pedestrians are equally irresponsible because the go out in the dark without anything white or bright and then complain when motorist says they couldn’t see them.

Over the last few years, there has been a campaign to get motorcar drivers to pay attention for motorcyclists and also to not drive in the blind spot of vans and lorries,  something which I commend and have not a problem with.

However, I now feel that the level of respect for the highway code and for recognising that our roads and footpaths are becoming very congested (more so that they everywhere) means that local government and the police need to re-evaluate their current strategies on road safety and target cyclists and pedestrians as well.

Bring back suitable campaigns, even some of the older ones –

LET’S ALL WEAR SOMETHING BRIGHT AT NIGHT

 

and be thoughtful to our fellow road and pavement users.

 

 

External Links:

A benign Ogre – Stop and Search in Northern Ireland

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An ogre can be someone who is frightening or a ‘man’ who eats people.

So why did this come into my mind having just read an article by the BBC on “What are my rights if I’m stopped and searched?”? We as human beings have a tendency to resort to literature characters who are not real to enable us to describe a situation we are currently in or have experienced.

Firstly, I have yet again to take the BBC to task for being England/Wales centric. The article is professionally written and researched, however, to dismiss Scotland and Northern Ireland with the lines:

…The laws in Scotland and Northern Ireland are different, but there are many similarities with those in England and Wales..
shows a total lack of understanding that each of these countries is unique as is its law. I will not endeavour to speak about Scottish law as I do not live there, however, the law in Northern Ireland is most definitely coloured by the 30+ years of the ‘troubles’. This has polarised a lot of the community in terms of accepting the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland).

 

Stop & Search - A benign OgreA crowd - A benign Ogre

Now back to Stop and Search in Northern Ireland, let us do a comparison on stop and search figures:

Stop and Search Comparison

CountryYearPopulationStatistics of people stoppedRatio as per population
England & Wales291856.1m (approx)380,00019 people stopped per every 2810
Northern Ireland20181.88m (approx)28,11628 people stopped per every 2288

So, what are your rights if you are ‘Stopped and Searched’ in Northern Ireland?

According to Northern Ireland Direct, and here I will quoted directly…

Who can stop and search you?

Any police officer can stop and search you. If they are not in uniform they must identify themselves before the search takes place. The stop and search action doesn’t mean you’re under arrest or that you’ve done something wrong.
The reasons police can stop and search you
The police can stop and search you:
• if there has been serious violence or disorder in the area
• if police are looking for a suspect who fits your description
• if police have reasonable grounds to suspect you’re carrying drugs, a weapon or stolen property
• in countering terrorism

What happens in a stop and search?

If you’re stopped and searched:
• you must stay for all of the search
• police must make sure the search time is as short as possible
• the search must take place where you were stopped or nearby, unless moving you would protect your privacy
Before a search, a police officer must tell you the grounds for the search, what they’re looking for, their name (except where the stop and search is to do with terrorism) and the station they’re attached to.
If you’re in a public place, you’ll be asked to remove your coat or jacket and any headgear or gloves worn unless the search is to do with terrorism or when police believe you’re using clothes to hide your identity. They can ask you to empty your pockets and open any baggage to help the search….(https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/stop-and-search)

But there is more to be considered; what personal information am I obliged to give the officer?

According to the Citizenship Foundation, this is what you should think about:

…: I do not have to give my name or address to the police
It Depends. You only have to if the police suspect you have committed (or are about to commit) an arrestable offence.
You don’t have to answer a police officer’s questions, but someone who refuses to give their name and address may be arrested if the police officer reasonably believes they have committed an offence. You have the right not to answer any more questions until you have received legal advice from a solicitor.
In Northern Ireland, a person has an obligation to give their name and address and DOB under certain circumstance, together with the answers to some questions, under section 21 of the Justice and Security Act. Consider

Q: If you’ve not done anything wrong, do you think refusing to say your name makes you look suspicious?
Q: Do you think it’s worth having this right if enforcing it means that you could be suspected of committing an offence…

(https://smartlaw.org.uk/wordpress//content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2017/04/Police-powers-teachers-notes-v2.pdf)

Now consider in April 1993 the Editor of upstart (a local gay publication) stated exactly the same thing, but with the addition of reminding people if they are in doubt then give the minimum information you have to ask to see a solicitor – for Northern Ireland at this time this was really relevant for gay men, as various purges were taking place (the latest at that time being in Belvior Park) and people’s lives were being destroyed.

We all have a right to support the police forces in their given legal duty, but remember they like us are human and can make mistakes.

 

External links: