thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--I'm A Trans Harry Potter Fan, And There Are A Few Things I Want JK Rowling To Know

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Author’s note: This letter is solely from my perspective as a trans woman on harm being done to other trans women. I recognise that this is not the only place in which harm is being done. This letter includes talk of suicidal ideation, bullying and slurs.
To JK Rowling,
When I was a child, I was clearly extremely feminine. In the safety of my home, my parents were relatively accepting. They were liberals and figured I was going to grow up to be gay. Being transgender was nowhere on their radar. In fairness, it wasn’t on mine either... or really anyone’s in the early ’90s.
Advertisement
During my earliest years, my gender expression was allowed. My parents didn’t care when I wrapped towels around myself and pretended they were dresses or belted out songs from the latest Disney princess.
That all changed when I began elementary school. Immediately, as someone assigned male at birth who was clearly very feminine, I was a target of torturous bullying. It started swiftly and mercilessly. I was bullied physically and verbally for my femininity. School officials did nothing. Teachers did nothing. I was being called a “faggot” at the age of six. Let that sink in.
During recess, I would be made fun of for playing house with the girls instead of playing sports with the boys. Before elementary school, almost all of my friends were girls. But soon the girls reached that age where they began to tell me I couldn’t play with them anymore because “I was a boy,” and the boys were unsafe and bullying me. So I went through elementary school with only one or two friends.
This level of isolation and mental and physical abuse meant my grades tumbled. “You’re so smart ― we don’t understand why you’re not doing better in school!” was a common refrain throughout my childhood. But no one wanted to see the truth of what was going on. How does a child concentrate in school when they are being abused by their peers on a daily basis for their femininity?
Advertisement
The first time I thought about suicide was a few years later. Many nights in a row, I would wake up in the middle of the night, terrified to go to school the next day and endure another round of torture. I would sneak downstairs to the kitchen, and I would hold a knife to my stomach, trying to will myself to use it.
“I want you to stop and consider that the price of existing as a trans femme child was so great that I considered suicide before I was even ten years old.”
The message for JK Rowling: "Yes, trans women and cis women are different, but no one is taking anything from you." Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Today I am grateful and blessed that I did not go through with it. However, I want you to stop and consider that the price of existing as a trans femme child was so great that I considered suicide before I was even ten years old.
The person who felt safest for me during this time was my grandfather. I never felt shamed by him. I never felt like he expected me to be anything other than exactly who I was. He let me play house and be the “sister” or the “mom.” He let me sing that latest Disney princess song. He encouraged my interest in the arts, and when bullying got bad, he instilled in me that I was okay and valid just the way I was.
Advertisement
Then, just after I turned 12, my grandfather passed away very suddenly. My one safe person was gone. That same year, I discovered Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The first book had come out a year earlier, but, like a good little counterculture contrarian, I had refused to read it simply because it was popular. But after my grandfather died, I cracked it open. Here I was, a child going through extreme grief, desperately wanting to find any kind of an escape... and there was Harry.
I related to his isolation and his abuse. I related to his grief. I longed to be whisked away to Hogwarts to find family among friends. I became utterly lost in the world you created. The funny thing is, I remember the pang I felt when reading the chapter about the Mirror of Erised because I knew what it would show me if I were to look into it: myself as a girl looking back at me.
By that age, I had come out as gay, but I knew that wasn’t the full story. I knew that I was trans but my only context for trans women at that point was an episode of Jerry Springer that I saw when I stayed home from school one day. Trans women were depicted as jokes, sex objects, people on the margins. Still, once I knew that transitioning was possible, I suddenly found a ray of hope and had my heart broken all at once because I truly believed that coming out as trans was beyond the pale ― and that it would end my life before it even started.
The bullying continued. The lack of safety continued, and, unfortunately, I had more people I loved pass away than anyone my age should have to say goodbye to. I processed those losses as Harry processed losing those he loved: Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Hedwig, Mad Eye, Fred and countless others.
The author showing off some House Pride. They wore this sweatshirt to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for their birthday several years ago. Courtesy of Dana Aliya Levinson
Advertisement
Meanwhile, as all of this transpired, my body began to betray me. For me, the physical dysphoria kicking in was nothing short of traumatic. I felt utterly helpless as my body shifted into something unrecognizable before my eyes. I felt disassociated from every fiber of my being. I dealt with it with drugs and alcohol, which I began using at the age of 12.
That’s the level of pain I was dealing with because of the supposed crime of being born trans. Again ― I was contemplating suicide and abusing drugs and alcohol before I was even a teenager. Just let that sink in for a minute. Sit with that for a minute.
The only constants in my life besides the pain were Harry, Hermione and Ron. I went to the midnight Harry Potter book releases. I was at the first showing of every Harry Potter film. And I continued to find myself in your characters’ journeys. And it’s where I found some degree of hope for my future. It’s where I learned to truly believe that “happiness can be found in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the light.” Your books literally helped keep me alive.
By the time I was in my 20s, I had a breakdown over the pressure of living a lie. I continued to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol because I was unable to be alone with myself when every piece of me was screaming that the way I was moving through the world was all wrong. I finally got to a point where I realised I had just two options: transition or suicide. I chose the former. I remember thinking, Dana, you are a Gryffindor. You are brave as hell. And this might feel scary, but like Harry, you will get through it and find your friends right there with you.
And so I finally came out as trans and began to medically transition. Soon after I met my transition goals, I also got sober. And do you know how I chose to celebrate my first sober birthday living as my authentic self? I reread every book in the Harry Potter series and rewatched every film, and went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway on my actual birthday. I wanted to do something that nourished my inner kid, and I knew that Harry Potter would do just that. After all, it was the series that got me through it all.
Dana Aliya Levinson attended a screening of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," with the New York Philharmonic playing the score, this year on their birthday. Dana Aliya Levinson
So, it should come as no surprise that I cannot even begin to explain how hurtful your recent delegitimising of my existence is. I cannot even begin to explain the pain I feel knowing that the author who wrote the most formative book series of my life does not believe I am valid.
Therefore, I decided to write you this letter because there are a few things I want you to understand.
First, I want to let you know that I’m not going to move through each of the points you made in your essay and refute them one by one because I refuse to meet you on the playing field of the same easily debunked lies about trans people that have been peddled long before you chose to speak out and promote them. Instead, I want to make a purely personal appeal to you.
Yes, trans women and cis women are different, but no one is taking anything from you. Recognising trans women’s validity doesn’t take anything from you. Adjusting your language to be more inclusive of trans identities doesn’t take anything from you. Your experiences as a cis woman are your experiences as a cis woman, just as my experiences as a trans woman are my experiences as a trans woman. They’re not the same, but that doesn’t mean that either experience is invalid.
Advertisement
I remember when I initially came out as trans to a cis woman I love, one of the things she said was that she had endured so much sexism in her life and that it was a hard pill to swallow that I was just now “claiming womanhood.” I believe that sentiment is common among many cis women who do not understand trans identity. Slowly but surely, she learned and grew, and she is now a huge supporter of the trans community. I still believe you can learn and grow, too. I have to believe it. I do not want to believe otherwise.
Because the thing is, trans women and cis women both experience gender-based violence. The relentless bullying I experienced as a child was gender-based violence. It just looked different than what cis women endure. Did I have a small modicum of male privilege before I transitioned? As much as a femme person in an assigned male body can. Did it come with an extreme amount of pain? Yes. But you had the privilege of having your gender affirmed your entire life and not having to fight for others to recognise the validity of your existence. Again, oppression and pain are not ― or, at least, should not be ― contests. They’re just different.
Furthermore, trans women are statistically more likely to experience abuse and violence because of their gender than cis women are. Black trans women in particular face disproportionately high levels of violence. You are punching down at some of the most vulnerable people in the world. And as someone who wrote about oppression and tribalism causing harm and violence, it’s particularly surprising ― and devastating. It’s even more devastating that you’ve chosen this exact moment to engage in this rhetoric, when there is currently a long overdue global uprising calling for an end to racism and police brutality and demanding that we value and uplift Black lives ― including the lives of Black trans women.
Much of the basis for violence against trans women is predicated on the idea that we are not who we say we are; that our gender isn’t real. It’s based in the idea that we’re tricking people or acting at being or pretending to be a woman. I understand from the things you have written that you don’t believe you are causing harm, but by delegitimising trans identity, you are perpetuating the very narratives that exacerbate violence against our community.
I also want to make it clear that the pain I went through ― the pain so many of us trans people go through ― did not and does not happen in a vacuum. We don’t have high levels of suicide, abuse and addiction in our community because we are trans. It’s because we are trans in a world that denies or demonises our existence, and the psychological stress that results from that is great. And now you are using your platform to amplify it.
Advertisement
When Daniel Radcliffe released his statement in support of the transgender community the other day, I read his last paragraph, which, in part says, “if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred,” and I burst into tears. I didn’t even realise how much I needed to read that until I read it.
“Did I have a modicum of 'male privilege' when that was the face I was presenting to the world? Yes. Did it come with an extreme amount of pain? Yes. But you had the privilege of having your gender affirmed your entire life and not having to fight for others to recognise the validity of your existence. Again, oppression and pain are not ― or, at least, should not be ― contests. They're just different.”
I know that you know that the consensus from the medical community is that trans identity is real. I know that you know that the consensus from the psychological community is that trans identity is real. We have existed across cultures for millennia. We are not at war with you. You are not being attacked for standing up for women. We are simply another group of women asking you to stand up for us, too.
Today, I look at myself and see someone almost unrecognisable from the scared trans kid I once was. I’ve lived dreams that I didn’t believe were possible for me because I was trans. I’ve been on TV. I got to go to Sundance for the premiere of a film I was in. My music has been performed from San Francisco to Paris. I have love in my life and the family of friends I always longed for. I am confident as an artist and as a person. I understand how to care for myself and how to stand up for others. That’s what my transition has given me.
I will forever be grateful to Harry Potter for getting me through the darkness, and for reminding me to turn on the light. I write this letter because I have the privilege to, while so many trans people don’t. So many of us are still enduring pain and hardship. And so many of us have already lost and continue to lose so many things — family, friends, our livelihoods, homes and even lives ― simply because we dare to dream of being exactly who we are.
Advertisement
Daring to dream of a better world is something you taught all of us. Please don’t take away that gift. I pray this is not an end but, instead, the beginning of a journey toward understanding.
Dana Aliya Levinson is an actor, writer, composer and trans advocate. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393. Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill). CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service. The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Fawlty Towers Episode To Be Reinstated

Fawlty Towers Episode To Be Reinstated

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
Click ' I agree ' to allow Verizon Media and our partners to @ @ @ @ @ to access your device and use your data ( including location ) to understand your @ @ @ @ @ measure personalised ads .
We will also provide you with personalised ads on partner products @ @ @ @ @ we use your data in our Privacy Centre .
Once you confirm your privacy choices @ @ @ @ @ changes at any time by visiting your Privacy dashboard .
Click 'Learn more ' to @ @ @ @ @ Media and our partners collect and use data .

BBC
An episode of classic 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers is set to be reinstated on UKTV after the streaming service initially removed it because it contains “racial slurs”.
The famous “don’t mention the war” episode will return to the platform “in the coming days”, according to a statement from the organisation.
Advertisement
Guidance and warnings highlighting “potentially offensive content and language” will feature alongside the episode, it added.
UKTV, which is owned by BBC Studios, previously said it had temporarily made The Germans unavailable while it carried out a review.
The episode first aired in 1975 and sees Cleese’s misanthropic hotel owner Basil Fawlty goose-stepping around while shouting “don’t mention the war” in front of a group of visiting Germans.
It also contains scenes showing the Major Gowen character using offensive language about the West Indies cricket team.
Advertisement
The decision was criticised by John Cleese, who played misanthropic hotel owner Basil Fawlty in the series.
UKTV’s statement said: “We already offer guidance to viewers across some of our classic comedy titles, but we recognise that more contextual information can be required on our archive comedy, so we will be adding extra guidance and warnings to the front of programmes to highlight potentially offensive content and language.
“We will reinstate Fawlty Towers once that extra guidance has been added, which we expect will be in the coming days.
“We will continue to look at what content is on offer as we always have done.”
On Friday, Cleese blasted the BBC for removing the episode as the comedian labelled the decision “cowardly”.
Cleese, who co-wrote and starred in the show, claimed the publicly-funded organisation was run by a “mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats” whose main concern was “not losing their jobs”.
Advertisement
Cleese wrote on Twitter: “I would have hoped that someone at the BBC would understand that there are two ways of making fun of human behaviour.
“One is to attack it directly. The other is to have someone who is patently a figure of fun, speak up on behalf of that behaviour.”
He went on to compare the situation with that of Alf Garnett, the racist character in sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part and In Sickness and in Health.
“We laughed at Alf’s reactionary views. Thus we discredited them, by laughing at him,” Cleese wrote.
“Of course, there were people - very stupid people - who said ‘Thank God someone is saying these things at last’. We laughed at these people too. Now they’re taking decisions about BBC comedy.”
He continued: “But it’s not just stupidity. The BBC is now run by a mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats. It used to have a large sprinkling of people who’d actually made programmes. Not any more.
Advertisement
“So BBC decisions are made by persons whose main concern is not losing their jobs... That’s why they’re so cowardly and gutless and contemptible. I rest my case.”
The controversy comes amid a re-energised debate on how best to deal with parts of well-known films and TV shows that are now deemed offensive by portions of modern audiences.
As the Black Lives Matter movement has returned to prominence following the death of George Floyd, broadcasters and streaming services have reevaluated their content.
HBO Max temporarily removed 1939 civil war epic Gone With The Wind because of its “racial depictions”.
Little Britain had been removed from iPlayer because “times have changed” since the comedy first aired.
Advertisement
The series, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, has come under fire recently because of the use of blackface in some sketches.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--'Levelling Up': Covid Deaths Data Leave Boris Johnson With Nowhere To Hide

Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street. ASSOCIATED PRESS
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
Stand and deliver
Many will remember the last day of campaigning in the 2019 general election for one thing: Boris Johnson hiding in a fridge.
Advertisement
Aside from the desperate attempt to avoid Piers Morgan’s difficult questions not exactly being the PM’s finest hour, it also undermined his eve of poll message to the electorate.
Johnson had wanted photographers to snap him at the Yorkshire dairy preparing for the milk round, as a leader that can deliver (geddit?) on his pledge to “level up and unite” the country.
Tomorrow will mark six months since Johnson romped home to victory with an 80-seat majority.
Former Labour voters - many for the first time in their lives - backed the Conservatives in their droves.
They wanted to “get Brexit done”, yes, but they were also assured that long-standing inequalities, not least in health and education, would finally be tackled.
Advertisement
Coronavirus has, of course, turned the world upside down since December.
But data released by the ONS on Friday starkly underlined how vital it is for the PM to keep to his word.
The coronavirus mortality rate is more than twice as high in the most deprived areas of England compared to the wealthiest (on average 128 deaths vs 58).
Outside of London, the north-east, where Johnson won four new ‘red wall’ constituencies, had the highest death rate.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street briefing, transport secretary and northern powerhouse minister Grant Shapps said “more always needs to be done to tackle health inequalities” but said little else to address the point.
The ONS had little good news for the government, revealing that GDP fell by an unprecedented 20% in April - the first full month of the lockdown.
Advertisement
Pressed on the threat of unemployment those figures point to, Shapps replied that “in common with the rest of the world we have an enormous battle on our hands”.
The same story of inequality is true of education. According to the Sutton Trust, two-thirds of children have not taken part in online lessons during the lockdown, and pupils at private schools are more than twice as likely to get daily online tuition.
Tory backbenchers are anxious that the shine is coming off Johnson’s “new government”, and understandably so.
Not only because predictions of gloom for the UK economy are widespread (the OECD thinks the UK could be the worst-hit industrialised nation in the world) but because the Conservatives have competition.
In fact, a new Ipsos Mori poll on Friday said Labour’s new leader Keir Starmer is the most popular opposition leader since Tony Blair, with a net satisfaction of +31%.
Advertisement
Although Starmer is still trailing Johnson for “most capable prime minister”, by 43% to 38%, the personal approval rating puts the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service level with Blair’s 1994 ratings.
While the next election may be another four years away, Johnson needs a recovery plan that delivers on those election pledges.
Or soon there will be nowhere to hide.
Quote Of The Day
“She has attended them many times before. I notice that at the top of the No 10 Twitter feed I see one of her tweets pinned,” transport secretary Grant Shapps, when asked if chief nurse Ruth May had been barred from the daily briefing for refusing to support Dominic Cummings.
Friday Cheat Sheet
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has confirmed the UK Government will not extend the Brexit transition period, despite the first ministers of Scotland and Wales calling for the government to do so.
He tweeted: “I formally confirmed the UK will not extend the transition period & the moment for extension has now passed. On 1 January 2021 we will take back control and regain our political & economic independence.”
Advertisement
Tens of thousands fewer students could start university this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Ucas has predicted.
In a worst-case scenario, up to 46,000 fewer domestic students will start courses this autumn compared to last year, a blog from the admissions service estimates.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said remembering face coverings should become part of daily routine as they become mandatory on public transport in England from next week.
Anybody taking a bus, train or Tube from Monday can be refused travel if they are not covering their nose and mouth.
The Sun has said it did not intend to “glorify” domestic abuse after it was criticised over a front page story featuring JK Rowling’s ex-husband.
Advertisement
The story was headlined “I slapped JK and I’m not sorry” and featured quotes from the Harry Potter author’s first husband, Jorge Arantes.
What I’m Reading
India’s coronavirus agony: ‘I did everything to save my wife and baby’ - the Guardian
Got A Tip?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--John Cleese Condemns BBC Over 'Cowardly' Decision To Remove Fawlty Towers Episode

LOADING ERROR LOADING
John Cleese has blasted the BBC for removing an episode of classic 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers from one of its streaming services as the comedian labelled the decision “cowardly”.
The famous “don’t mention the war” episode was removed because it contains “racial slurs” said UKTV, which is owned by BBC Studios.
Advertisement
It said it had temporarily made The Germans unavailable while it carries out a review.
Cleese, who co-wrote and starred in the show, claimed the publicly-funded organisation was run by a “mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats” whose main concern was “not losing their jobs”.
The episode first aired in 1975 and sees Cleese’s misanthropic hotel owner Basil Fawlty goose-stepping around while shouting “don’t mention the war” in front of a group of visiting Germans.
It also contains scenes showing the Major Gowen character using offensive language about the West Indies cricket team.
According to reports, Major Gowen’s scenes had already started to be edited out by some broadcasters.
Advertisement
Cleese wrote on Twitter: “I would have hoped that someone at the BBC would understand that there are two ways of making fun of human behaviour.
“One is to attack it directly. The other is to have someone who is patently a figure of fun, speak up on behalf of that behaviour.”
I would have hoped that someone at the BBC would understand that there are two ways of making fun of
human behaviour
One is to attack it directly.
The other is to have someone who is patently a figure of fun, speak up on behalf of that behaviour
Thank of Alf Garnett... — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) June 12, 2020
He went on to compare the situation with that of Alf Garnett, the racist character in sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part and In Sickness and in Health.
“We laughed at Alf’s reactionary views. Thus we discredited them, by laughing at him,” Cleese wrote.
“Of course, there were people - very stupid people - who said ‘Thank God someone is saying these things at last’. We laughed at these people too. Now they’re taking decisions about BBC comedy.”
Advertisement
He continued: “But it’s not just stupidity. The BBC is now run by a mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats. It used to have a large sprinkling of people who’d actually made programmes. Not any more.
“So BBC decisions are made by persons whose main concern is not losing their jobs... That’s why they’re so cowardly and gutless and contemptible. I rest my case.”
A UKTV spokesman said: “UKTV has temporarily removed an episode of Fawlty Towers The Germans from Gold’s Box Set.
“The episode contains racial slurs so we are taking the episode down while we review it.
“We regularly review older content to ensure it meets audience expectations and are particularly aware of the impact of outdated language.
“Some shows carry warnings and others are edited.
“We want to take time to consider our options for this episode.”
The removal comes amid a re-energised debate on how best to deal with parts of well-known films and TV shows that are now deemed offensive by portions of modern audiences.
Advertisement
As the Black Lives Matter movement has returned to prominence following the death of George Floyd, broadcasters and streaming services have reevaluated their content.
HBO Max temporarily removed 1939 civil war epic Gone With The Wind because of its “racial depictions”.
Little Britain had been removed from iPlayer because “times have changed” since the comedy first aired.
The series, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, has come under fire recently because of the use of blackface in some sketches.
Since then, Netflix has also removed a number of other comedy shows worldwide, including The League Of Gentlemen and much of comedian Chris Lilley’s back catalogue.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Exclusive: Science Museum Criticised By Staff Over Lack Of Response To Black Lives Matter Movement

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Former and current members of the Science Museum Group (SMG) have written to management criticising its lack of public solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, HuffPost UK can reveal.
The three-page document calls upon the organisation to “commit publicly to being actively anti-racist and to acknowledge and work to dismantle the racist structures they uphold”.
Advertisement
It was sent to the London institution on Wednesday after it failed to issue a public statement addressing the Black Lives Matter campaign as anti-racism demonstrations sweep across the UK.
“As past and current members of the Science Museum’s Learning Team, we are very much invested in your work, and we feel it is essential to show our support for their frustration with the museum’s inaction,” the authors state.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, one source said national museums such as the Science Museum wouldn’t exist without colonialism, and another pointed to the fact many early scientists benefited from the slave trade.
The letter also calls for specific support and equal pay for Black employees, in addition to active support of local communities in anti-racist efforts such as the ongoing response to the Grenfell tragedy.
Advertisement
Receipt of the letter was confirmed on Thursday and, amid growing internal backlash, SMG finally issued a statement on Friday – almost three weeks after George Floyd’s killing – announcing a stance against racism.
A billboard unveiled by UK's Black Lives Matter campaign. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The museum’s statement read: “We stand against racism and, in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we are determined to focus on meaningful and ongoing change to our organisation.”
The organisation further explained: “We took some time for reflection before posting because we believed it was important to accompany any public statement with immediate action.”
It also launched a regular blog series, billed as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement, by chief executive Sir Ian Blatchford who will detail how the group is focused on meaningful and ongoing change.
Advertisement
We stand against racism and, in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we are determined to focus on meaningful and ongoing change to our organisation. pic.twitter.com/Yy4ZIVd8Gp — Science Museum (@sciencemuseum) June 12, 2020
One current SMG employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said many of their colleagues are disappointed by the organisation’s response.
“There’s been staff who are upset and angry about this. When the world is at the very least making strong statements against anti-Black discrimination and systemic inequalities, the museum has not issued such a public statement,” the staff member told HuffPost UK before the statement was issued on Friday.
The company sent internal correspondence to employees, seen by HuffPost UK, where it referenced the need for equality and workplace diversity – but did not pledge explicit support to the fight against anti-Black racism or its Black staffers.
“Some colleagues have asked why we have not used our social media channels to champion the Black Lives Matter movement. (...) We are not a campaigning institution,” the SMG correspondence read.
Advertisement
An insider told HuffPost UK: “For the few Black staff who work for the museum there wasn’t a word of support around discrimination or acknowledgement that, at this particular moment, they might be in need of support.”
The source also told HuffPost UK that a second, strictly internal, letter is being circulated calling on the organisation to take a stand against anti-Black racism.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“The response – or lack – from SMG is disappointing,” our source said.
“All of these national museums, every single one of them, wouldn’t exist without colonialism in the shape that they are in even now. That’s where all their collections come from.”
A co-author of the letter, former employee Esther Lie, said SMG has a responsibility to advocate for Black rights.
Advertisement
“Maybe the science museum want to just get on with business as usual, and social responsibility is a separate thing – but it’s not and hopefully people are waking up in certain circles and realising that these things cannot be seen as separate,” she told HuffPost UK before the museum’s statement was published.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
“If the museum wants to be taken seriously as a trusted responsible institution and to maintain that position, then they need to act because of these massive inequalities that there are in science engagement.
“By not standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter it creates an even bigger gulf between Black communities and the museum.
“This is a time to change; there is light and there is hope. It’s a shame that the museum didn’t see how they can use their platform and massive voice to be a part of this global movement.”
Advertisement
Responding to the museum’s statement published on Friday, Lie added: “They haven’t been 100% clear about the actions they will take to raise awareness of specifically BLM, instead focusing it back to their own collections and stories.
“There’s no resources, links to support Black organisations that they’ve worked with, or places where museum visitors could donate if they wanted to. Again it’s a shame as the museum undoubtedly has extensive networks, power, visibility and a giant platform.”
Lie said she wanted to see Black people on the boards of museums and added: “As seen by the energy and determination of the BLM marches I have a lot of hope in the future of our young people in creating an inclusive future. Science Museum could very much do with a youth advisory board.”
Workers prepare to take down a statue of slave owner Robert Milligan at West India Quay, east London as Labour councils across England and Wales will begin reviewing monuments and statues in their towns and cities, after a protest saw anti-racism campaigners tear down a statue of a slave trader in Bristol. PA
As the calls intensify for imperialist and slaver statues to be taken down, the letter asks SMG to call out anti-Black and racist scientists.
Advertisement
One former employee, Eleanor Armstrong – who also co-authored the letter, also hopes that SMG addresses the fact that contemporary science is also complicit in racist structures such as “scientific-technical enabled racist violence” including facial recognition software.
“A lot of the early science from the Royal Society and Royal Institution, these ‘great men of science’ that we laud, became independently wealthy as a result of things like slavery and people who benefited directly from that trade,” Armstrong, a sociologist of space science at UCL, said.
“There’s a possible danger that this becomes entirely a historical thing – and science and tech continue to be complicit in the narrative.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Grant Shapps 'Doesn’t Think It's True' Chief Nurse Was Dropped From No.10 Briefings For Refusing To

Grant Shapps 'Doesn’t Think It's True' Chief Nurse Was Dropped From No.10 Briefings For Refusing To Support Cummings

PA
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Grant Shapps has played down reports that the chief nursing officer for England has been unable or unwilling to take part in Downing Street press briefings because she would not defend Dominic Cummings.
Advertisement
The transport secretary told the Friday briefing that he expected Ruth May would be appearing again at future briefings.
“I don’t think it is true. She has attended them many times before. I notice that at the top of the No. 10 Twitter feed I see one of her tweets pinned,” he said.
“I am absolutely sure she has been a regular contributor before and I am sure she will be back here again.”
The chief nursing officer for England, Ruth May speaking during a media briefing in Downing Street. PA
Advertisement
According to The Independent, May was supposed to appear alongside Matt Hancock at the press conference on June 1.
The newspaper reported an NHS source had told it May “refused to play along” with supporting Cummings - who was under intense pressure over allegations he broke the coronavirus lockdown.
At the briefing the health secretary was joined by just professor John Newton from Public Health England.
Boris Johnson stood by Cummings, who travelled from London to Durham during the lockdown because of concerns over who would look after his son if both he and his wife were incapacitated by coronavirus.
Durham Police concluded he may have committed a “minor breach” of the regulations by taking a trip to Barnard Castle but took no further action.
Advertisement
Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer, had told a No.10 press briefing the the rules must “apply to all”.
He has not appeared at one of the press conferences since.
Chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance have both refused to comment on Cummings’ actions.
A poll released earlier this month revealed a fifth of Britons are following the lockdown rules less strictly than before – with a third of those citing Cummings’ actions as a factor.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Summer Holiday 'Travel Corridors' Could Be Opened Up To Allow Foreign Trips, Says Grant Shapps

picture alliance via Getty Images
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government will talk to other countries about opening up “travel corridors” to allow British holidaymakers to travel abroad without the need to quarantine when they return home, the transport secretary has said.
Advertisement
Speaking at Friday’s Downing Street press conference, Grant Shapps said he was “actively working” on the plan but said nothing would change until June 29.
Most international arrivals into the UK have been required to enter a 14-day quarantine since Monday.
It means that anyone traveling abroad for a holiday would then have to isolate for two weeks once they land back in the UK.
Home secretary Priti Patel has insisted the policy can “help stop a devastating second wave” of coronavirus.
Shapps said today the idea of allowing easier travel between the UK and some specific countries was “something we are actively working on”.
He said the government “will talk to other countries about it” as well as airlines.
“The idea of quarantine is the right thing to be doing,” he said. “We have always said it would come in as a blanket thing initially.
“And that we would look at whether it would be safe to open up what you call air-bridges, might better be described as travel corridors.”
But Shapps said people would “need to wait” until the first review of the current rules on June 29. “There will be more on this before very long,” he added.
Under the current rules all passengers – bar a handful of exemptions – have to fill out an online locator form giving their contact and travel details, as well as the address of where they will isolate.
Advertisement
People who fail to comply can be fined £1,000 in England, and police are allowed to use “reasonable force” to make sure they follow the rules.
Failure to complete the locator form is punishable by a £100 fixed penalty notice.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Watch Live: Grant Shapps Gives Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Watch Live: Grant Shapps Gives Daily Coronavirus Briefing
The UK Transport Secretary gives the daily briefing and answers questions as the number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 41,481.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--13-Year-Old Boy Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Two Police Officers In Hackney

Twitter
A 13-year-old boy has admitted to assaulting two police officers during a group attack in east London.
Prosecutor Varinder Hayre said the youth had admitted to “kicking” and had been “shouting abuse” at the officers during an “unprovoked, deliberate” attack, PA Media reports.
Advertisement
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault on an emergency worker at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Footage of the incident on Frampton Park Road in Hackney on Wednesday was posted on social media and shows an officer on the ground grappling with a male.
He is then kicked, while his female colleague is pushed when she tries to intervene.
District judge Jonathan Radway sent the case to Stratford Youth Court for sentencing on July 8.
Three men were also set to appear in court on Friday over the incident.
Paul Kabemba, 33, of Morning Lane, Hackney, has been charged with one count of assault and one count of assault on an emergency worker.
Jordan Thomas, 20, of Woolridge Way, Hackney, and Marvin Henderson, 34, of Frampton Park Road, Hackney, have also been charged with two counts of assault on an emergency worker.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Statues Are Only Part Of The Problem In Britain’s Fight Against Racism

Statues Are Only Part Of The Problem In Britain’s Fight Against Racism
The protests in Britain over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has set in motion a debate statues, with many in our public spaces commemorating those who were directly linked with the slave trade. Claudine Van Hensbergen is an expert on sculptures in public spaces and explains how we interact with statues, what they mean to a society and how we deal with their legacy is only part of Britain’s fight against racism.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Liverpool's Penny Lane Roadsigns Vandalised Over Slavery Claims

Penny Lane ASSOCIATED PRESS
Road signs in Liverpool’s Penny Lane have been vandalised after speculation over whether it was named after a slave trader.
Four signs on the road, made famous in the song of the same name by The Beatles, were spray-painted over on Friday morning, with the word “racist” painted on the wall above one sign.
Advertisement
By midday, the graffiti had been cleaned off by residents Emmett O’Neill and Lucy Comerford.
Comerford said: “Penny Lane is very much a community and this is just absolutely disgusting. It is just wrong.”
O’Neill said: “Defacing Penny Lane signs is not going to change a lot. I just think it’s the wrong way to go about things.”
One of the signs featured an autograph by Sir Paul McCartney, who signed his name when he visited the area for an episode of James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke in 2018.
A screen placed over the sign to protect the signature meant it was not damaged by the graffiti.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said earlier this week there is no evidence that the road is named after slave trader James Penny, explaining its name instead refers to a toll.
Advertisement
The International Slavery Museum, based in the city, said research is being carried out into the origins of the name.
Anderson said he would support moves to rename other buildings and roads in the city that have links to the slave trade.
Responding to a post on Twitter, he said: “We will have a discussion and debate with the Black community and others to see what action we should take.”
Following the vandalism of the signs, a spokesperson for the International Slavery Museum said: “There is some debate about whether Penny Lane was named after James Penny, but the evidence is not conclusive.
“We encourage discussion on this topic and openly talk about this with our visitors.
“As a museum, we must be responsive and reflect on new evidence, adapting our displays and interpretation accordingly.
Advertisement
“We are actively carrying out research on this particular question and will re-evaluate our display on Liverpool street names and change if required.
“This is an extremely important subject to the museum and the city of Liverpool, and we want to encourage the public to share evidence and research on this topic if they have any.”
Local councillor Richard Kemp said the slave trader’s surname was spelt Penney.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--A Minute Of Kindness: Piano Player Lifts Mood In Minneapolis

A Minute Of Kindness: Piano Player Lifts Mood In Minneapolis
Travelling pianist Davide Martello drove 12 hours to perform for mourners at the memorial for George Floyd in Minneapolis this week. The musician, also known as Klavierkunst, hoped his music would help spread a message of unity and give solace.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--UK Coronavirus 'R Rate' Remains Between 0.7 and 0.9

Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Latest estimates suggest the UK-wide reproduction rate of coronavirus – the so-called “R rate” – remains between 0.7 and 0.9, while across England it is 0.8-1.0.
Advertisement
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) also published regional values for R in England for the first time on Friday, with the South West having the highest range at 0.8 – 1.1.
The East of England is at 0.7 – 0.9, London, the Midlands, the North West and the South East at 0.8 – 1.0, and the North East and Yorkshire at 0.7 – 1.0.
But experts cautioned against the use of regional R values – the average number of people an infected to pass the disease on to – saying that as the number of infections falls, regional R values become less reliable.
Instead, from next week the government will publish the growth rates for regions that are based on data and make fewer assumptions.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson has previously said driving the R down is key to any further easing of the lockdown measures.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, this week said while the epidemic was “shrinking” it was not doing so “fast”.
He said the country would have to be “prepared to reverse things” if lifting elements of the lockdown led to a spike in infections.
There is a time lag in the calculations, with the government scientists’ latest R value relating to what was happening two to three weeks ago.
If R is greater than 1 the epidemic is generally seen to be growing; if R is less than 1 the epidemic is shrinking.
Advertisement
R measures the number of people, on average, that each sick person will infect.
An R number of 1 means that on average every person who is infected will infect 1 other person, meaning the total number of new infections is stable.
If R is 2, on average, each infected person infects two more people.
If R is 0.5 then on average for every two infected people, there will be only one new infection.
At the start of March the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the R in the UK was between 2 and 2.5.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Jamie Laing Reveals The Surprising Truth About His Strictly Come Dancing Injury

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Jamie Laing has revealed a surprising detail about the injury that cost him his place on last year’s line-up.
Advertisement
The Made In Chelsea star was one of 14 stars who signed up for the BBC ballroom show in 2019, even taking part in the series’ pre-recorded launch show.
However, he and partner Oti Mabuse never made it to the dance floor together, as Jamie suffered an injury to his foot during the first group number that meant he was unable to compete.
Jamie Laing SIPA USA/PA Images
Speaking to Fubar Radio’s Access All Areas, the reality star admitted something that had previously been left out of the story.
Advertisement
“To tell you a little secret, the reason why I got it [the injury] was because I bought on Amazon these little things called lifts that give you a little bit more height in the old shoes,” he explained. “Don’t buy those! Terrible things.”
After leaving the contest, Jamie was replaced by former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, who went on to win the whole series.
Reigning Strictly champion Kelvin Fletcher Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Jamie has now admitted that he was so impressed with his own Billy Elliot-esque moves during rehearsals, that he was convinced he was going to land the Glitterball Trophy himself, joking: “I would have fucking won that! One hundred percent, I had that!”
“The very first show when I honestly thought I was Billy Elliot, I was like, ‘this is my dream to be here right now. I’m going to win and I’m gonna be the UK’s sweetheart. It’s written in the stars!’.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--UK Records 202 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 41,481

The latest figures were published on Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 41,481 – an increase of 202 over 24 hours.
Advertisement
Since the end of April, the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Thursday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals across the UK, as well as care homes in Wales, after contracting the virus rose by 84 in 24 hours.
That increase consisted of 70 in England, three in Scotland, 10 in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Advertisement
NHS England said patients who died were aged between 24 and 102 years old. Three patients, aged between 78 and 102, had no known underlying health conditions.
Meanwhile, as of 9am on Friday, 6,434,713 tests have been carried out. The number of people tested will be significantly lower than this figure, as many patients are tested more than once.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--A Poem On The History Of Racism In The UK, By Author And Playwright Keith Jarrett

A Poem On The History Of Racism In The UK, By Author And Playwright Keith Jarrett
Writer, performer and educator Keith Jarrett has created an original poetic response to the UK’s own history of anti-Black racism. Jarrett, the UK poetry slam champion and Rio International Poetry Slam Winner, was commissioned by HuffPost UK in response to the anti-racism protests in Britain over George Floyd’s death, a Black man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--JK Rowling: The Sun Front Page Slammed By Domestic Abuse Charities Draws 500 Complaints

JK Rowling, who revealed on Wednesday that she had faced domestic abuse. ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images
A front page article in the The Sun featuring an interview with JK Rowling’s first husband under the headline “I slapped JK and I’m not sorry”, has prompted more than 500 complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
The article, which HuffPost UK has chosen not to share, features a quote from Rowling’s first husband Jorge Arantes in which he admits to striking the Harry Potter author but denies “sustained abuse”.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for IPSO said most of the complaints had been made under clauses 2 (privacy), 3 (harassment), 4 (intrusion into grief or shock) and 11 (victims of sexual assault).
Several of the UK’s largest domestic abuse charities have condemned the front page, slamming it as “irresponsible” and “upsetting”.
Jane Keeper, director of operations at Refuge, said: “The front page of The Sun this morning is as irresponsible as it is disappointing.
“It would ordinarily be troubling for such an editorial decision to be made - but to run with this during lockdown, when demand to Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline have increased by 66% is shocking. What this has done is give national media coverage to a perpetrator of domestic abuse to attempt to justify his actions.
Advertisement
“It is never acceptable to hit a woman. The first ‘slap’ can lead to a pattern of violence - and domestic abuse is against the law. Domestic abuse can and does result in domestic homicide - 2 women a week in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner. This is not an issue to be taken lightly.
“In England and Wales one in four women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their life. What sort of message does this front page send to survivors? That their abuser will be given national media headlines to justify their actions? That their abuse is legitimate? That it doesn’t matter? That they are ‘fair game’?
“To every survivor of domestic abuse who reads these headlines today - Refuge hears you, we see you, and we believe you. We are here to support you.”
Headlines matter. This morning we have been speaking to The Sun about today's front page and the negative impact it has had, and we will continue to speak to them to reflect survivors' voices. We listen to and believe survivors of domestic abuse. https://t.co/uDU5puIhxz — Women's Aid (@womensaid) June 12, 2020
Suzanne Jacob OBE, chief executive of domestic violence charity Safe Lives said the article, which emerged just a day after Rowling revealed she had faced abuse in the past, was tantamount to “handing a megaphone” to a perpetrator of abuse.
Advertisement
She said: “This isn’t the first upsetting headline we’ve seen about domestic abuse, and sadly I doubt it will be the last.
“What’s so stomach churning about this cover in particular, is that it takes the words of a perpetrator and splashes them across the front page – effectively handing a megaphone to a man who wants to cause fear and humiliation to a woman he has abused.
“The words will be familiar to many survivors; how many people will walk past a newsagent today and hear the voice of their own abuser ringing in their head?
“We ask why reporting rates are so low, why victims don’t speak up and come forward. With reporting like this it really isn’t hard to understand why. Survivors deserve so much better than this.”
Many newspapers follow media guidance from regulator-backed campaign group Level Up when it comes to reporting on fatal domestic abuse, focusing on accountability for the perpetrator, accuracy when reporting the crime, dignity for the woman and her family, promoting equality by avoiding insensitive language and avoiding generic stock images that suggest domestic abuse is simply a physical crime.
Advertisement
Janey Starling, campaign director at Level Up and author of the IPSO-backed guidance said: “We live in a country where two women a week are murdered by a partner or ex-partner in acts of fatal domestic abuse. It’s a matter of public safety that press step up to their responsibility to respect victims and their dignity.
“Domestic abuse is when someone wants absolute power and control over their partner. When newspapers publish domestic abuse from the perspective of the abusive partner, they are giving them further power and control, and disrespecting a victim’s dignity and privacy.”
“Last year, both regulators IPSO and IMPRESS backed the Level Up guidance. Many newsrooms have transformed their reporting practices. But front pages like today prove that guidance is not enough. If IPSO and the press are committed to using their power and influence to end domestic abuse in the UK, which they should be, it’s time to bring in stronger regulation and penalties for publications who go against reporting rules.
“This is a matter of life and death for women all across the UK, and it’s time for the press to stand on the side of the victim, not the abuser.”
The front page has also been fiercely criticised by MPs, with Jess Phillips describing it as “awful” and Stella Creasy saying “heads should roll” for the publication of the piece.
Advertisement
The sun headline is awful, the perpetrator more awful still. You'd be surprised how only his hideous arrogant admission will allow some to believe. Still too often doubt and disbelief are the best weapon abusers have in their arsenal... "no one will believe you." — Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) June 11, 2020
The decision of the Sun to put an abusers ‘side of the story’ reflects how violence against women so often gets dismissed ‘as a domestic’ and so debate focuses on ‘reasons it happens’ rather than how to stop it. Heads should roll for doing this, not newspaper presses… — stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) June 12, 2020
Fellow Labour MP Harriet Harman also wrote: “Shame on The Sun. Men who hit women will be emboldened. Women who are hit blamed.
“Not just your women readers. Your women employees too.”
Shame on @TheSun. Men who hit women will be emboldened. Women who are hit blamed. Not just your women readers. Your women employees too https://t.co/D7sBpaRSWQ — Harriet Harman (@HarrietHarman) June 12, 2020
The cover first emerged on Thursday night, with #DontBuyTheSun quickly picking up traction as social media users voiced their disbelief at the publication of the article.
Advertisement
Slapping your partner *is* domestic abuse — Victoria Derbyshire (@vicderbyshire) June 12, 2020
That Sun front page is absolutely unbelievable. At a time when domestic abuse cases have risen as a result of lockdown, it's dangerous to plaster that across a newspaper. Women's Aid Scotland's helpline is 0800 027 1234, if you need support. — Laura Webster (@LauraEWebsterr) June 11, 2020
Rowling’s publication of a lengthy essay – in which she put forward a defence of her comments on trans identity – on Wednesday night did not name Arantes specifically, but did refer to her first husband.
Many fans of her books, including trans people and trans allies, have voiced their hurt in the wake of a series of tweets made by Rowling, but on Friday morning made it clear that The Sun’s interview with Arantes was unjustifiable.
Solidarity with JK Rowling as a national newspaper cruelly gives voice to her abuser. We are united in condemning this - we won't be played off as enemies in this fight. Trans people fall victim to the same systems of oppression and stand against all violence against all women. — Gendered Intelligence (@Genderintell) June 12, 2020
Advertisement
The Sun's cover story today is a monstrous choice that glorifies and endangers women. Domestic abuse is real and the effects on even one victim can hurt thousands, as this cover demonstrates. We must focus on male violence. Trans women did not cause this harm. — Support Black Bookshops and Publishers (@secondshelfbks) June 12, 2020
If the Sun is banking on outrage against JKR's transphobia meaning we'll support them platforming her abuser on their front page, they're wrong. Domestic abuse is a plague and using it as a gotcha like this is grotesque. No abuser should be given a platform, especially like that. — Universal Basic Elainovision (@scattermoon) June 11, 2020
Met with a barrage of complaints on social media, The Sun moved to defend the piece on Friday morning – claiming it had “a long history of standing up for abused women”.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “We were disgusted by the comments of JK Rowling’s ex-husband, and branded him ‘sick’ and ‘unrepentant’ in our coverage.
“It was certainly not our intention to ‘enable’ or ‘glorify’ domestic abuse, our intention was to expose a perpetrators total lack or remorse. Our sympathies are always with the victims.
Advertisement
“The Sun has a long history of standing up for abused women and campaigning against domestic violence. Our campaigns have kept refuges open, providing a safe space for women and children to escape violence, as well as getting laws changed.
“Over the years we have empowered countless victims to come forward and seek help.”
Refuge- Domestic violence help for women and children - 0808 2000 247


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Sharon Stone Details Terrifying Moment She Was Struck By Lightning In Freak Home Accident

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Sharon Stone has revealed that she was once hospitalised after being hit by lightning in her own home.
Advertisement
The Basic Instinct star told of how the freak accident happened while she was filling up an iron with water.
She described the incident as “really intense”, telling the Films To Be Buried With podcast how she was thrown across her kitchen by the shock, hitting her fridge as she landed.
Sharon Stone SOPA Images via Getty Images
Sharon said: “I was at home. We had our own well. I was filling the iron with water and I had one hand on the faucet and one hand on the iron and the well got hit with lightning and the lighting came up through the water.
Advertisement
“I got picked up and thrown across the kitchen and I hit the refrigerator.
“I was like, ‘Woah’ and my mother was standing there, and my mother just belted me across the face and brought me to.”
Sharon did not reveal when the incident happened, but continued: “I was in such an altered state… She threw me in the car and drove me to hospital and the ECG (electrocardiogram) was showing such electricity in my body.
“It was so crazy.”
Last year, Sharon made headlines for similarly unexpected reasons when she was blocked from the dating app Bumble.
She revealed her account had been shut down over assumptions her profile was fake as she took to Twitter begging not to be “shut out of the hive”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Trump Reverses Rule Protecting Transgender Patients From Discrimination

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump’s administration finalised a new policy Friday that ends an Obama-era protection for transgender patients facing discrimination in the health care system.
The now-revoked provision of the Affordable Care Act had broadened bans on sex discrimination in health care to include transgender patients, ensuring they could receive services at all hospitals and be covered under all insurance plans.
Advertisement
Now the Department of Health and Human Services is “returning to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of the word ‘sex’ as male or female and as determined by biology,” the department wrote in its announcement. The overturned section concerning transgender patients also banned discrimination against women who’d had abortions.
That decision comes despite the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers all endorsing non-discrimination policies for transgender patients.
The Trump administration vowed to take this action just over a year ago. After a group of states and religious health care providers sued over that Obama rule, a federal judge agreed in 2016 to block it on a temporary basis. However, the judge has yet to issue a final ruling.
The Trump administration has declined to enforce the rule since that 2016 injunction, so Friday’s announcement is more symbolic than anything. Throughout his time in office, Trump has worked to severely narrow the legal definition of sex discrimination, leaving fewer people covered under civil rights protections across several industries.
Advertisement
Activist groups said the news was especially painful to receive during Pride Month, on the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
“On a day the world remembers and mourns the 49 lives lost in a senseless attack on our community four years ago in Orlando, the Trump administration has decided to continue its campaign to further discriminate and attack LGBTQ Americans, specifically transgender people,” GLAAD tweeted.
On a day the world remembers and mourns the 49 lives lost in a senseless attack on our community four years ago in Orlando, the Trump administration has decided to continue its campaign to further discriminate and attack LGBTQ Americans, specifically transgender people. https://t.co/8XlSElBvim — GLAAD (@glaad) June 12, 2020
“Trump and his allies never fail to show that their extreme ideology comes before people’s health, safety, and lives,” NARAL Pro-Choice America’s communications officer Adrienne Kimmell said in a statement.
“This rule will hurt Americans and fall hardest on people who already face barriers to accessing healthcare. The cruelty of this administration knows no bounds.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Grenfell: A Timeline Of Tragedy

Grenfell: A Timeline Of Tragedy

Grenfell: A Timeline Of Tragedy
The Grenfell fire is the most devastating residential fire in Britain since World War II. On June 14th, 72 people died in the 23 floor storey tower block, following a fire resulting from a faulty appliance. An inquiry into the many failings that led to the disaster was set up after the fire, with the first phase cataloguing a series of mistakes made by the London Fire Brigade. The second phase, due to look at the refurbishment and cladding used on Grenfell, has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Eight Questions About Lockdown Support Bubbles – And Their Answers

A similar scheme also cam into effect in Northern Ireland on Saturday morning, meaning that a person who lives alone, and can visit someone else’s private dwelling, including staying one or more nights. If they have a child or children living with them they do not qualify, but this will be reviewed on Monday.
With the rules changing so rapidly, it’s not surprising that there are plenty of questions about how exactly the ‘bubbles’ will work.
From who can benefit, to the rules for vulnerable people, here are the answers to eight questions about the new system and how it works in England.
Who will benefit?
Elderly people living alone could form a bubble with the household of an adult son or daughter enabling them to visit and even hug their grandchildren for the first time since lockdown.
Single parents could pair up with their own parents allowing them to share childcare duties and reuniting grandparents and grandchildren.
Couples who do not live together will be able to visit and to stay with each other.
If one half of a couple shares a flat or house with one or more other people, they can see their partner as long they live alone – if their partner also shares a home they cannot see each other.
And if several people share a flat or house and all have partners who live alone, only one will be able to see their partner, which could lead to some interesting conversations. This will affect large numbers of young people living in towns and cities.
What about households with two grandparents – can they now visit their children and grandchildren?
At this stage only if their son or daughter is the only adult in the other household in the bubble. And if the grandparents have two or more children who live alone, they will have to choose between them.
Downing Street has acknowledged not everyone will benefit from the change although officials have hinted a further loosening of the rules if the coronavirus outbreak continues to decline.
Can households form more than one bubble?
No. The arrangement must be exclusive with no switching of bubble partners.
Will people have to formally register these bubble arrangements?
No, it will be taken on trust. No 10 says the public has shown “great responsibility” in following the social distancing rules so far.
Is there any limit on the distance between households in a bubble?
Again no, although officials are suggesting people should try to “stay local” where possible.
What about vulnerable people who are shielding due to their age or health problems?
At the moment, officials say it is too soon for them to be able to join support bubbles.
What about parents who are separated but who currently share childcare with the children moving between the two households?
That will continue. If the parents are the only adult in the household they can form a bubble with another household – meaning the children could potentially be in two bubbles, one for each parent.
What happens if someone in a bubble develops coronavirus symptoms?
All members of both households in the bubble must self-isolate for 14 days.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Ricky Valance, Tell Laura I Love Her Singer, Dies Aged 84

Chart-topping singer Ricky Valance has died at the age of 84.
The star was best known for his hit Tell Laura I Love Her, which broke new ground in 1960, making him the first Welsh male to have a solo number one in the UK.
He also released tracks like Jimmy’s Girl and Movin’ Away, the latter of which reached the number one spot in Australia and The Netherlands.
Ricky’s agent confirmed that he died on Friday (via BBC News), having been hospitalised for dementia shortly before the UK went into lockdown.
Advertisement
Ricky performing live in Wales in 2015 Mike Lewis Photography via Getty Images
Born David Spencer in 1936, the singer initially began working in a coal mine before joining the RAF at the age of 17.
He began his singing career after leaving the military, choosing the stage name Ricky Valance after a racing horse.
Ricky recorded Tell Laura I Love Her in 1960, and it became a chart hit, despite the BBC’s refusal to play it as they reportedly felt the song’s message about a teenager’s death to be in poor taste.
Advertisement
After his initial chart success, Ricky tried out for the BBC’s first A Song For Europe, in a bid to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest.
He finished in third place, with The Allisons ultimately winning with their song Are You Sure?.
Ricky Valance in the early years of his singing career Richi Howell via Getty Images
Ricky released his final single in 2016, a cover of Welcome Home, which raised money for the Royal Air Force Museum, alongside a re-recorded version of Tell Laura I Love Her.
A year earlier, he received a special award at the Wales Millennium Centre, for having been the first Welsh man to top the UK charts as a solo artist.
Listen to Tell Laura I Love Her below:
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Brazil Passes UK To Record World's Second Highest Coronavirus Death Toll

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Brazil has now recorded the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths in the world, surpassing the the UK and now falling behind only the US.
The UK is now the third worst-affected nation globally, according to data published by each nation’s health officials and collated by John Hopkins University.
The hardest-hit Latin American nation reported 909 deaths on Friday, with more than 828,000 confirmed cases.
The news comes as India reported another record daily spike in infections to pass the grim milestone of 300,000 cases.
Brazil’s biggest city, Sao Paulo, is to free up space at its graveyards by digging up the bones of people buried in the past and storing their bagged remains in large metal containers.
The remains of people who died at least three years ago will be exhumed and put in numbered bags, then stored temporarily in 12 storage containers the city’s funeral service has purchased. The containers will be delivered to several cemeteries within 15 days, a statement said.
Sao Paulo is one of the world’s biggest Covid-19 hot spots, with 5,480 deaths as of Thursday in a city of 12 million people.
Health experts are worried about a new surge after a decline in intensive care bed occupancy to about 70% prompted mayor Bruno Covas to authorise a partial reopening of business this week.
The peak of infection is predicted to hit Brazil in August, having spread from major cities into the nation’s interior.
Michael Ryan, the World Health Organisation’s emergencies chief, said: “Overall the health system is still coping in Brazil, although, having said that, with the sustained number of severe cases that remains to be seen.
“Clearly the health system in Brazil across the country needs significant support in order to sustain its effort in this regard. But the data we have at the moment supports a system under pressure, but a system still coping with the number of severe cases.”
In India, the Health Ministry reported 11,458 new cases on Saturday and 386 deaths, driving the toll of fatalities up to 8,884.
India’s total caseload reached 308,993, the four-highest in the world, including more than 150,000 recoveries.
The government of prime minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown in late March. India’s caseload jumped by about 100,000 cases in a week, which coincided with the reopening of shopping centres, houses of worship and restaurants.
In the capital New Delhi, most public hospitals are full, and crematoriums and graveyards are struggling to manage a new influx of bodies. Delhi’s government has projected that cases in the capital area alone could expand to more than half a million by late July, and is considering taking over luxury hotels and stadiums to convert into field hospitals.
Meanwhile, Beijing authorities have closed the city’s largest wholesale food market after the discovery of seven cases in the previous two days.
The Xinfadi market, which has 4,000 tenants, will be disinfected after workers tested positive and the virus was found in the environment, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
China’s National Health Commission said six new cases were confirmed in Beijing on Friday, and another case was reported on Thursday. They are the first locally transmitted cases in the Chinese capital in more than 50 days.
Attention focused on the market after the discovery of the first three cases. Two of the infected people had been to the market, and the third worked with one of them at a meat research institute, according to Chinese media reports.
City officials said all the workers were being tested for coronavirus. They also ordered the testing of food and environmental samples from all the city’s wholesale food markets.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall Recalls Her Most 'Horrific' On-Stage Moment: 'I Literally S**t Myself'

Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall has shared her most mortifying on-stage experience, recalling the moment she – in her words – “literally shit herself” during a live performance.
Advertisement
In the latest episode of her MTV series Served! With Jade Thirlwall, the singer spoke to Spice Girls star Melanie C and RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist Courtney Act, and began by bringing up a previous awkward encounter between her two guests.
“I heard that you two met each other in New York at Pride,” Jade said. “You both sang 2 Become 1, and a little birdie tells me, Courtney, you didn’t know any of the f***ing words?”
Jade chats to Courtney Act and Melanie C for her new MTV series MTV
Sticking up for Courtney, Melanie insisted: “I think it was a little bit overwhelming… the thing is, when you’re performing, sometimes, you do get a little bit lost in the moment, don’t you? It’s hard.”
Advertisement
To even the score, Jade then asked Melanie for her most “horrific” or “embarrassing” stage experience, to which Sporty Spice revealed: “We did a show in Miami, and in the first song, my trousers split right up the back.
“I had a g-string on under them, but my cheeks were there for the world to see. So I had to just run off.”
As it turned out, Jade could do one better, though.
She recalled: “My worst ever stage experience, for me, was on Little Mix’s Glory Days tour. I was a bit unwell at the time, I had, like, a poorly belly.
“And basically, before the show starts, we were in, you know the man-lifts? Where it rises up, and it’s like a big dramatic entrance? As I was [crouching down] in the man-lift, I looked at my security guard, and I was like ‘I really need to do a little fart’.”
Realistically, you can probably guess where this story is going, but just for good measure, Jade then added: “So I did it. I did a little fart. And then I literally shit myself.”
Advertisement
Jade on stage during the Glory Days tour David Wolff - Patrick via Getty Images
“That’s why it pays to be tucked, Jade,” Courtney joked. “If you’d been tucked, your bumhole would have been taped over.”
Jade then added: “I was in a fishnet. Picture that. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that publicly, to be honest. But there you have it.”
To her off-screen flatmate, a mortified Jade then whispered: “I’ve just told a Spice Girl that I shit myself.”
Little Mix performing in 2017 Eamonn M. McCormack via Getty Images
Advertisement
Served! With Jade Thirlwall sees the Little Mix star competing in a cooking challenge against a different drag queen each week, with her mum, Norma, judging who did it best.
Speaking to HuffPost UK last month, Jade said: “We’ve definitely been a bit merry and had a couple of wines during some of it.
“That’s what it’s all about, I wanted it to be really authentic and not too scripted. So it’s literally me, in my kitchen, trying my best to cook something while talking to someone at the same time. And just seeing what happens, really.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Glee's Samantha Ware Says Lea Michele 'Threatened To Get Her Fired'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Former Glee actor Samantha Ware has delved deeper into her experience of working with Lea Michele, saying it was “very evident” that her co-star disliked her from their first day together on set.
“There was nothing gradual about it,” Samantha — who played Jane Hayward on 11 episodes of Glee’s final series — told Variety. “It was after I did my first performance, that’s when it started – the silent treatment, the stare-downs, the looks, the comments under her breath, the weird passive aggressiveness. It all built up.”
Advertisement
After shooting wrapped on one of their shared scenes, Samantha said Lea vowed to take things to the next level by getting her fired.
“She waited until the scene was over and she stopped in the middle of the stage and did a ‘come here’ gesture, like how a mother does to their child,” she said. “I said ‘No,’ and that’s when she decided to threaten my job, and said she would call [series creator] Ryan Murphy in to come and fire me.”
Samantha Ware and Lea Michele MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK/MATT BARON
Following the confrontation, Samantha said she “tried to speak up for myself,” but Lea wasn’t having any of it.
Advertisement
“She told me to shut my mouth,” Samantha said. “She said I don’t deserve to have that job. She talked about how she has reign.
“And here’s the thing: I completely understood that, and I was ready to be like, ‘This is your show. I’m not here to be disrespectful’. But at that point, we were already past the respect and she was just abusing her power.”
When contacted by HuffPost, a spokeswoman for Lea Michele declined to comment on Samantha Ware’s latest claims.
Lea Michele – who is expecting her first child later this year – shot to fame on Glee as series lead Rachel Berry, and has been dogged by rumours about what detractors consider “diva behaviour” for years.
When she posted a tweet last week in support of Black Lives Matter, Samantha fired back, saying that Lea had made her time on Glee a “living hell” with “traumatic microaggression..”
Advertisement
LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISON GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET. I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD “SHIT IN MY WIG!” AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD... https://t.co/RkcaMBmtDA — SAMEYAAAAAA (@Sammie_Ware) June 2, 2020
Samantha’s tweet drew a flurry of supportive responses from a number of other Black Glee actors, including Alex Newell and Amber Riley.
Heather Morris, who played Brittany S. Pierce on the series, aired her own grievances about working with Michele, as did Broadway performers Gerard Canonico and Elizabeth Aldrich.
Meanwhile, meal-kit company HelloFresh has ended its partnership with Lea in the wake of the allegations.
In an Instagram post earlier this month, Lea issued an apology in which she acknowledged she’d “clearly acted in ways that hurt other people” but emphasised that she didn’t recall the specific incident cited by Samantha.
Advertisement
“Whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times or whether it was just my immaturity and me just being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behavior and any pain which I have caused,” she wrote.
“We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings.”
Speaking to Variety, Samantha said that while she didn’t believe in “cancel culture”, she hoped that Lea would use the controversy to educate herself on matters of white privilege.
“Does Lea even know what a microaggression is? I don’t know,” she said. “All that her apology did was affirm that she hasn’t learned anything.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Police Warn London Protesters To Be Off The Streets By 5pm

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Protesters planning to take part in demonstrations in central London on Saturday have been warned by police to disperse by 5pm amid fears of clashes between groups.
The Metropolitan Police have also warned Black Lives Matter protesters to adhere to the planned route, which runs from Hyde Park and Whitehall.
Advertisement
There are serious concerns that large groups of far-right protesters from across the country are planning to attend to counter the anti-racism rally and “defend” statues in the wake of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston being toppled on Sunday in Bristol.
Black Lives Matter organisers have officially called off the planned 1pm protest in Hyde Park amid fears of clashes with the far-right, The Guardian reported, but thousands of people are still expected to attend.
A separate event, ‘Antifascists support Black Lives Matter’, is still due to go ahead early on Saturday afternoon.
According to anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, football gangs from West Ham, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspurs, Hull and Chelsea were among the groups planning to attend the protests. Britain First has also said its members will take part in counter-demonstrations.
Advertisement
Protesters and counter-demonstrators will be split by police in Whitehall with a barrier, with the conditions – including the curfew and route restrictions – imposed under section 12 of the Public Order Act.
Metropolitan Police commander Bas Javid, brother of former chancellor Sajid, said he understood “why people want to make their voices heard”, but urged protesters not to put their own health, as well as that of their friends and family, at risk by gathering in large groups against the government’s coronavirus advice.
He continued: “We all saw the crowds that came together last weekend, and the demonstration on the whole was peaceful and reinforced the legitimacy of feelings within our communities.
“However on both days, there was a minority intent on disorder, which resulted in incidents of violence and criminal behaviour, and assaults against our officers. This cannot be tolerated.
“As part of the ongoing policing operation ahead of tomorrow’s demonstrations, we continually monitor information available to us. Based on current information, and in order to keep those people safe who plan to come and protest, we have made the decision to impose conditions on the planned demonstrations tomorrow.
Advertisement
“If you were planning to come to London, I again would urge you to reconsider, but if you are still intent, please familiarise yourself with what the conditions are. Please keep yourself safe by complying with government guidance on social distancing.”
Home secretary Priti Patel tweeted on Saturday morning, urging protestors to stay away from central London in order to limit the risks associated with the ongoing “unprecedented national health emergency.”
We are in the grip of an unprecedented national health emergency.
This severe public health risk forces me to continue to urge people not to attend protests this weekend.
Gathering in large numbers at this exceptional time is illegal. Doing so puts everyone’s lives at risk. — Priti Patel (@pritipatel) June 13, 2020
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has accused Priti Patel of seeking to score “political points” after she criticised his decision to board up statutes in London.
“She needs to see the intelligence that we have seen that the far right are intending to come to central London,” the city’s mayor told the Today programme.
Advertisement
“One of their justifications for doing so is to protect these statues but also they are intending to remove statues of people like Nelson Mandela, so I think we have done the wise, precautionary thing.
“Rather than seeking to make political points out of this, what I hope is that central government would work with regional government and the police to make sure there isn’t violence, vandalism or disorder or inadvertently the spreading of the virus.”
Khan also added that there were concerns the statues could become a “flashpoint for violence” if rival protesters converged on them.
“We had intelligence that extreme far-right groups are coming to central London, ostensibly they say to protect the statues,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“We think that these statues may be a flashpoint for violence and we are worried about extreme far-right groups getting involved in violence, vandalism, disorder with those protesting as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Tess Daly Gets Candid About Aspects Of Life In Lockdown She's Finding Most Difficult

Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Tess Daly has discussed the aspects of life in lockdown she’s finding the most difficult in a candid Instagram post.
The Strictly Come Dancing presenter is currently on lockdown with her husband, fellow TV star Vernon Kay, and their two daughters.
Advertisement
Alongside a selfie she posted on Friday, Tess spoke about how she’s found the last 12 weeks, and while she said she’s remaining optimistic, there are certain aspects she’s still “struggling with”.
Tess Daly and Vernon Kay at the NTAs earlier this year Karwai Tang via Getty Images
“Good morning beautiful people,” she wrote. “Just checking in saying hi & wondering how it’s already Friday? Is it just me or does time seem to fly by even MORE quickly when you’ve got so much more of it on your hands?!
“Still struggling a bit with the disconnection from my usual routines and the unpredictability of everything at the moment; but have also been focusing on using the time productively and positively (yoga, writing, cleansing the home, cleansing my mind with meditation, tutoring, den making, occasional kitchen dancing...) and keeping the faith that brighter days are hopefully just around the corner.”
Advertisement
She added: “I feel like we have worked SO hard together to get through this. Really hope you’re all taking good care of yourselves, sending all the love & positivity I have your way.”
It’s expected that Tess and her usual co-host Claudia Winkleman will be returning to present the 18th series of Strictly later this year, although due to social distancing guidelines, it’s not clear exactly what form the show will take.
Tabloid reports have suggested a variety of new measures could be put in place – including removing the show’s studio audiences, and having one or more judges giving their critiques from home – but the BBC has been reluctant to comment publicly on what they’re planning.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-13--Oscars To Develop 'Representation And Inclusion Standards'

The Academy has often pointed to those recent films to pat itself on the back, despite having a long way to go toward demonstrating that its members fully value Black filmmakers and stories.
“While the Academy has made strides, we know there is much more work to be done in order to ensure equitable opportunities across the board,” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement.
“The need to address this issue is urgent. To that end, we will amend — and continue to examine — our rules and procedures to ensure that all voices are heard and celebrated.”
The Academy will also set 10 as the firm number for Best Picture nominees. Over the last decade, the Academy has been allowing between five and 10 movies to be nominated in the Best Picture category. In most years, the number has been either eight or nine.
These changes will go into effect for films released in 2021, which will compete in the 94th Oscars, airing in early 2022.