My website and newsletter is woke and LGBTQ+ friendly.

2025 is here!

My page on the web is a safe space.

February is LGBTQ+ history month in the U.K. It’s a different month in the U.K. than in many parts of the world, because here in the U.K. we celebrate the overturning of Section 28 in February 2003. I’ve understandably been feeling depressed at the current state of the world, particularly with the results of the U.S.A. presidential election, and the selection of Donald Trump (a felon and adjudicated rapist) for the White House. History will ultimately not remember Trump (a felon and adjudicated rapist) kindly, and neither will his ardent supporters be judged well. There has been a terrible impact on sections of US society such as the LGBTQ+ community, and the subsequent erosion and destruction of human rights.

So I’m going to declare it here today: my page is a safe space, LGBTQ+ friendly and welcoming. I’m cisgender, and will always be an ally of trans persons. I will welcome you, respect your pronouns, and fight for you where I can. I donate regularly to an LGBTQ+ charity. Whether or not anyone is part of the rainbow community is a personal choice to disclose, but at work I am part of the staff LGBTQ+ ally scheme which involves wearing rainbow lanyards to to show persons that our environment is a safe and accepting place to be who you truly are.

Here in the U.K., we need to remain vigilant too to such extremism, as far right politicians lie to say they are allegedly the voice of the common people. Society is fracturing on one hand into those who hate and fear and who claim to be the “voice of reason” buoyed on by the temporary success of the far-right Trump (a felon and adjudicated rapist) winning the U.S. presidency, and on the other hand those who have compassion and care, who are derided for being “woke”. Woke means: aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice). If, as some in the U.S. and U.K. are claiming, having empathy is a sin, then sign me up. What’s wrong with sympathy and empathy? I’d rather have a heart of understanding than have a stomach full of bile. We must therefore combat hate wherever we find it, if we can.

With it being LGBTQ+ history month, I must reflect on my own personal history. I was misguided by my peers and the media in my youth; it was the done thing back then to consider that the LGBTQ+ community were just wrong. The Sun ‘newspaper’ in particular was a particular culprit for stirring hate with horrid discriminatory language used towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. The opposition to LGBTQ+ persons prevalent in society in my youth was founded on fear, scared of someone being different. It was initially Armistead Maupin’s work Tales of the City and the 1993 TV series that first opened my eyes that we’re all the same, and I’m truly thankful to Maupin for that. To quote the infamous letter to Mama from the second book in the series: “their message is so simple: Yes, you are a person. Yes, I like you. Yes, it's all right for you to like me, too.” That simple message far outweighs the hate and bile that The Sun ‘newspaper’ with its inflamatory and discrimatory words against the LGBTQ+ community.

So, what does this mean for my writing? I’m moving forward with my PhD, and working with my supervisors by writing a couple of chapters already. I believe that LGBTQ+ representation is vital, particularly in these politically oppressive times, and have already decided that I will probably have a gay character and a trans character as part of my line-up in the serial novel. Give it time, perhaps a few months, and I may even have a chapter or two to share with you.

Events

This month I’ll be appearing on Saturday, 8th February 2025, at Script Haven, 104 High Street Worcester WR1 2HW. To celebrate the birthday (7th February) of Charles Dickens, Script Haven bookshop is holding a Great Recitations 2025 festival. There are events throughout the day, and I’ll be speaking at 18:30, giving a talk on Charles Dickens: father of the serial.

I hope to see you there!

Until next time,

Damon