LGBTQ+ 'safe space' centre could be opened in Glasgow
Councillor Aitken was responding to queries from trans councillor Elaine Gallagher who asked what the council was doing to uphold duties to protect rights in light of a 'culture war and hostile anti LGBTQ+ environment.'
Speaking at last week's council meeting, Councillor Aitken said 'recent legal decisions and public discourse have only intensified the pressure and fear that many trans people are feeling. And I absolutely recognise that this is not just political, it is personal, it is painful and it has real consequences for people's safety, dignity and rights.'
More: We've been 'strung along': Anger at Ruchill Community Centre decision
She added: 'I'm determined that the council will be an ally and will act.'
Pointing out the work of an LGBTQ+ Forum, she said: 'A sub group of the forum is exploring the creation of a physical LGBTQ+ hub in Glasgow, a safe inclusive space for community building, support and celebration.
'Discussions with City Property and partners are ongoing and the energy and commitment from community members involved in the process has been really encouraging.'
Commenting on LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools, she said: 'We also continue to prioritise inclusive education. Our partnership with the TIE campaign is helping ensure our schools are places where all young people including trans and non binary pupils feel safe, seen and supported from professional development for staff to city wide events like Ally and PrideLite this work sends a clear message I hope to our young people – you belong here. '
Scottish Greens councillor Gallagher was questioning whether the council was continuing to roll out actions from a council motion in 2023, which agreed to help guard the rights of transgender and non-binary people.
More: 'Significant disruption' to city centre buses for a year and a half
She asked if councillor Aitken agreed that the 'interim non statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was rushed, contradictory, discriminatory and politically motivated.'
Concurring, the SNP leader branded the guidance as 'entirely rushed.'
Released after the Supreme Court ruling, the EHRC guidance says in places like hospitals, shops and restaurants trans women should not be allowed to use women's facilities.
Laying out the council's stance, councillor Aitken said: 'We are certainly in no rush in this council to make any changes. I have discussed it with the chief executive and our existing approach is the approach that will continue. We obviously await guidance from the Scottish Government.
'We are a public body and we have to abide by the law but I am absolutely determined that we will do so in a way that is inclusive, respectful and supports the dignity and personhood of everyone who either works in or uses or public buildings or our service and particularly trans and non binary people.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Supreme Court allows Mississippi to require age verification for social media as states move to protect children online
Mississippi can continue to enforce a state law that seeks to protect children online by requiring age verification on social media while litigation on the issue plays out in court, the Supreme Court said on Thursday. In an unsigned order, justices upheld a lower court ruling that sided with Mississippi and allowed the state law known as the ' Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act" to take effect temporarily, as judges determine the law's constitutionality in court. Until a federal appeals court issues a final ruling, anyone under the age of 18 seeking to use Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, or X in the state will need to provide parental consent in order to use the social media platforms. As is typical in such orders the justices did not provide a reason for siding with Mississippi. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did issue a short concurring opinion, saying the social media companies failed to show that allowing the law to take effect would cause immediate harm. Kavanaugh contended that he does believe the social media companies, represented by NetChoice LLC., a trade association that advocates for free speech, would 'likely' succeed in their argument that the law violates the First Amendment down the road. The law, enacted by the governor last April, requires social media platforms to obtain parental consent for minors wishing to use their services or face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation as well as potential criminal penalties. The law does not apply to websites devoted to news, sports, commerce, or video games. It also exempts email and direct messages. Approximately 12 other states have passed similar laws, seeking to protect children from data collection, online predators, and other social media harms. The debate over how to protect minors from harmful online content or behavior has been hotly contested over the last few years. More lawsuits have been filed at the Supreme Court in recent years, asking the justices to determine at what point protection laws infringe on the First Amendment. Generally, the First Amendment protects a wide breadth of speech, with few exceptions. NetChoice sued the Mississippi Attorney General on behalf of nine social media platforms belonging to its association members, claiming the law violated the First Amendment by infringing on minors' right to speak without parental control. NetChoice also argued that many of the platforms already have 'their own suite of parental controls' to protect minors from certain services and allow parents to make their own decisions. The state's Attorney General Lynn Fitch argued that the Mississippi law is designed similarly to protect young people from activists not protected by the First Amendment such as sexual or physical abuse, extortion, incitement to suicide, and more. This past year, the court upheld a Texas law that requires people visiting sexually explicit websites to verify their age. The law was enacted, in part, to protect minors from viewing pornographic content. While the Supreme Court's ruling is temporary, the justices could return to the issue if the Mississippi Attorney General or NetChoice appeals to the high court. But the lower court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, must make a final ruling first. Paul Taske, the co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, said in a statement, 'Although we're disappointed with the Court's decision, Justice Kavanaugh's concurrence makes clear that NetChoice will ultimately succeed in defending the First Amendment—not just in this case but across all NetChoice's ID-for-Speech lawsuits. This is merely an unfortunate procedural delay.'
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
JK Rowling rips into Nicola Sturgeon's memoir in brutal foul mouthed review
JK Rowling has published a scathing review of Nicola Sturgeon's memoir, Frankly, on her website. JK Rowling has ripped into Nicola Sturgeon's memoir, branding her 'flat out Trumpian' in the trans rights debate. The Harry Potter author has released a scathing review of Nicola Sturgeon's new book 'Frankly', calling her a 'f***kwit', and saying that she has "caused real, lasting harm" in the trans debate. She accused the former First Minister of "encouraging a culture in which women have been silenced, shamed, persecuted and placed in situations that are degrading and unsafe, all for not subscribing to her own luxury beliefs". Rowling accuses Sturgeon of being 'flat out Trumpian in her shameless denial of reality and hard facts'. She added: " Sturgeon hasn't been remotely humbled by the Supreme Court ruling that proved her government was forcing a misinterpretation of the UK-wide Equality Act on Scotland, one that robbed women of many single sex spaces and of their very existence as a definable class with rights protected in law. "She remains stubbornly wedded to her belief that it is possible to let some men into women's spaces on the men's say so, without letting any man who fancies it come inside. She denies there are any risks to a policy of gender self-identification. "She can't imagine any male predator capitalising on such policies, in spite of the fact that it has, demonstrably, happened many times." In a more person attack, Rowling hit out at some of Sturgeon's more personal reflections, often comparing her to Twilight heroin Bella Swan. She wrote: "Just as Bella's propensity for accidents doesn't stop her riding motorcycles, jumping off cliffs or choosing to meet evil vampires for a spot of unarmed combat, Sturgeon's alleged imposter syndrome and constant crises of confidence don't prevent her admitting to 'the raw talent I had for politics', or that 'I certainly wasn't lacking in ability', that 'far from being the weak link, I was seemingly the star attraction', 'it all added to the sense that I had the Midas touch' or that 'there is no doubt that I was a massive electoral asset.'"
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump lashes out at people calling him a dictator then defends rewriting history
Donald Trump hit back at people calling him a dictator over his unprecedented takeover of police in Washington DC - before defending his plan to force museums to present history to align with his views Donald Trump moaned that people are calling him a dictator as he defended his unprecedented takeover of police in Washington DC. And he defended his plan to force museums to let him personally review exhibits to allow him to re-write history to reflect his views. He claimed many of his friends were "thanking" him for what he was doing in the capital. It comes after protests sprung up at random traffic stops last night, as locals branded officers "fascists". READ MORE: MIKEY SMITH: 12 wild Donald Trump moments as he floats second meeting with Putin and Zelensky Trump used emergency powers to take direct control of policing in Washington - and sent the National Guard in to bolster his response to what he claimed was an increase in crime. In reality, violent crime has decreased dramatically in DC over the last two years. "They like to say, 'Trump's a dictator!'," Trump said during a Q&A session in the Oval Office. "Well, I had calls from many, many friends - including Democrats - and they were thanking me so much for what I'm doing in DC." Asked if he was concerned the additional officers and troops patrolling the streets in Washington were being diverted from more important matters, he replied: "Like what? Like what?" The reporter replied: "Terrorism". Trump casually dismissed the suggestion, saying: "Oh terrorism, really?" He went on to say there would still be plenty of people to fight terrorism, and those deployed in DC were relatively small in number. He was also asked about his plan to "rid" Washington's world famous Smithsonian museums from what the White House has branded "left-wing spin". The White House has written to the institution, informing its Secretary Lonnie Bunch that the administration would be conducting a "comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions" in fulfilment of an executive order entitled: "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." The letter said they plan to "ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions." It's understood this could extend to exhibits relating to LGBTQ people, the Black Lives Matter movement and the Covid-19 pandemic. In the Oval Office today, Trump said: "We want the museums to treat our country fairly. We want the museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or racist manner, which is what many of them are doing." An exhibit in the Museum of American History has already been re-written to downplay Trump's involvement in the January 6th attempted coup in 2021. The original exhibit noted - accurately - that Trump "repeated 'false statements' challenging the 2020 election results" and gave a speech that "encouraged -- and foreseeably resulted in -- imminent lawless action at the Capitol." Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the world attempts to keep up with Trump's antics, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. But the references to his false statements and the impact of his speech have been erased. It now reads: "On Jan. 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. The charge was incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on Jan. 6. Because Trump's term ended on Jan. 20, he became the first former president tried by the Senate. He was acquitted on Feb. 13, 2021."
