I'm a tad behind on my blogging ideal but that's because there hasn't really been a lot for me to say on here. It's been work, roleplaying, pub quizzing (or not) and little else.

On Sunday I did finally get round to dragging myself to QueerCafe Manchester. It was an enjoyable afternoon/early evening actually meeting new people (I know, me out the house and meeting people). Me being the fussy bugger I am was unable to partake fully of the Cafe aspect being, as it was, home cooked veggie stuff with icky rice and flavour.

On Monday I went along to my Unison Branch's LGBT Self Organising Group. I'm a bit of an awkward fit there honestly - they're all Uni staff and I'm Union staff so we're working under different policies and schemes which is useful.

The biggest issue discussed was actually pension rights. Guess what everyone? That's right, Civil Partnerships are NOT Marriage. And that means... we have (you'll never believe this) different, second class treatment in pensions. Well I don't know about me, not checked my policy's treatment of civil partnerships.

Having mentioned Civil Partnerships, I ought to point to New Jersey's report on Civil Partnerships vs marriage. One of it's major conclusions is that "this Commission finds that the separate categorization established by the Civil Union Act invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children." Who'd've thunk it? (Hat Tip to Pam's House Blend).

I see a lot about whether the queer movement should be pushing so hard on marriage as it's a heteronormative institution and it brings our community down to the same narrow definition of desirable and acceptable as those outside our community. I say bollocks to that. Some people do want to live as monogamous couples - that's a valid situation to be in. Just as valid as any other relationship status. We will have to work on the social acceptance of other systems, and how to change frameworks to take account of these alternatives but it will be done. We have momentum on this now, it would foolish to ignore it.

Finally, on a different topic, Neil Gaiman's latest release - The Graveyard Book - is bloody brilliant.

EDIT: Salmon has changed it's name I just got PitiableCoho. It's also become more random in it's opening lines:

PitiableCoho says:
Help me! I'm afraid of my own shadow. :( How do I go about
conquering it?

EDIT AGAIN: Tonight I was going to be going to a debate on the gay blood ban. But it got cancelled last night due to Terrance Higgins Trust (boo) pulling out.

Alex
x x