The Teenage Prototype

Hiya! I know I haven't been on here in so long and unfortunately this will be my last post :( Even though in the grand scheme of things it's only been a short while, on this blog I have been able to develop my writing skills and figure out the kind of direction I want to go in as well as been able to share my content on a greater platform. Recently I had a second piece of mine published on Femsplain called The Teenage Prototype (https://femsplain.com/the-teenage-prototype/ ) and it's the just the start of the next couple of months filled with a few exciting projects I've got coming up.
        Thank you to everyone who has read my writing, posted comments, sent me messages regarding my posts, shared the blog on social media and just been supportive towards my writing,  I am so grateful and hopefully this will not be the last you hear of me!

Fozz.

How Pop Culture Can Influence Change

        Rihanna has recently uploaded the video for her new song "American Oxygen" and has already received over 11 million views (https://youtu.be/Ao8cGLIMtvg). Partly because of Rihanna's dedicated following but also because of the actual content of the video which features an important message. The song initially emits vibes of patriotism however this is juxtaposed by some of the images in the video. National pride is strong when we see scenes reminiscent of Martin Luther King and American soldiers bravely fighting for their country...

        However it takes a more critical route when we see more recent footage of Ferguson protests and signs with "I CAN'T BREATHE" sprawled across them in regards to Eric Garner's final words and an ironic link to Rihanna's lyrics of "Breathe in. Breathe out... American Oxygen". This message of the harsh reality of the American Dream is an important one and has had more exposure due to Rihanna's significant role in modern pop culture.

       It also highlights how much of an impact celebrities can have in connection with social justice. These people are idolised and seen as role models by so many teenagers and so when a celebrity attracts attention towards an issue it can have vital effects. When Rihanna sings about racism on stage or when Emma Watson speaks about gender inequality at the UN or when Hozier voices his support of marriage equality, their fans take note and are ever more closer to adopting a more positive attitude towards activism. People have a tendency to twist the lives of celebrities and like to highlight their problematic behaviour but we should always commend the progression that will take place amongst young fans when they call out injustices.

Fozz.
P.S.- Due to revision and exams, I'm going to be on a hiatus so no posts for a while but hopefully will be back soon! 

Our Voices Matter

        Politics isn't usually aimed at young people. Teenagers aren't really expected to have an opinion on new government policies. We're meant to leave that to the grown-ups. But actually a lot of younger people have become interested in the way our country is run due to all the coverage of the lead-up to the General Election.

        Instead of the usual adult superiority that is commonly linked with politics- teenagers and young adults have started to use their voice a bit more and show their concern for who will be the next leaders of our country. This has become apparent through occurrences such as The Leader's Debate when an A-Level student posed the first question to begin the discussion and many more students shared their opinions on social media throughout the programme. Politicians have started taking note of this and have begun to approach issues concerning the future leading generation more so however there is still a way to go.

        Young voters have never had much of a turn out at elections yet that seems to be changing as we can see on media outlets like Buzzfeed UK Politics and Free Speech on BBC3 which are aimed at the growing interest from younger audiences. We now want improvements for our education system, lower tuition fees, more available apprenticeships and more answers from leaders about how they're going to fix the mess that they've created for us.

        There's actually a large number of young adults who don't vote as they don't see the point as some feel as though their vote doesn't have much of an impact. Others feel that the leaders are all the same and that our current political system is just too corrupt. However, this leads to current politicians ignoring the requests of younger people which means we at least need to be involved in the conversation, express our concerns and have our voices heard because our voices matter.

Fozz.
Recommended Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPgS7p40ERg (The Green Party Election Broadcast- recently became a viral hit)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/any-point-in-registering-to-vote

Update & Install: Representation Matters

       When Apple users installed the new iOS update earlier this week, they were delighted to discover the emoji keyboard had been improved significantly. Emojis are weirdly a part of our daily lives in social media and are used mostly by younger people and have even become an aspect in our identity of being the modern generation. However, even with their vast use, there were still some key problems with the emoticons.

        There was limited choice of alternate sexual orientations to heterosexual when selecting emojis of families and couples and-arguably more concerning- the majority of emojis were white. In fact the only other varieties of ethnicities were those conforming to a cultural stereotype such as an Indian man in a turban and Japanese ladies dressed in kimonos. Even though emojis do not seem like a major issue for social justice advocates to be passionate about, it is still absurd and important to notice that even though you could send a text filled with many different vegetables and clock faces, you didn't even have the option of sending a simple emoji of someone with dark skin.

        This was highlighted to Apple and led to them making amendments to the keyboard. Now those with the update can select a larger range of families and couples as well as being able to choose a different skin tone for a significant amount of emojis. 

       
        Even though in the grand scheme of things this is a minute victory, it is still vital that we recognise that representation is starting to be addressed  and that this could mean that if a small screen can improve representation, hopefully the big screen can too.

Fozz. 

Agender's Agenda

                I was thrilled when I learnt that Selfridges in Birmingham was opening up a pop-up department store called "Agender" which featured a collection of clothes designed with no specific gender being targeted and aiming to help everyone feel free to wear the attire they want with no judgement attached. From the moment we are born, we are already pushed to conform to social constructs by wearing certain types of clothes according to our sex. If you simply look at clothing aisles for young girls and boys, the boys' aisles will be flooded with blue materials plastered with 'manly' slogans and stereotypical masculine franchises however the girls' will be sickeningly pink with delicate flowers and the idea of subtlety and grace will be sowed into the hems of dresses. Even at such a young age kids are placed into moulds- trying to make their gender identity and appearance mutually exclusive.

                Which is why the 'Agender' clothing has been so well-received. Breaking down these absurd boundaries is a progressive step for the fashion industry and hopefully shines a light to a future of less limitations on our clothing. But when I visited the store earlier this week, there was still room for improvement. Some people have critiqued the chrome colour scheme that the clothes follow however I find this understandable as the collection emits a sense of neutrality and juxtaposes the concept of blue= boy and pink= girls. My main issue nevertheless, was the fact that most of it still felt stereotypically masculine. The majority of mannequins I saw had the average male physique and there were hardly any skirts or dresses- to be honest I wouldn't find it strange if I saw the collection in a men's department of somewhere like Topman or Zara.

                What does this mean then? I took it as further evidence of how people find it embarrassing or devaluing to look "feminine". When  women casually wear baggy male shirts or adopt a subtle 'tom-boy' look, many say how attractive she looks but if a man is to wear a pink skirt or take on a more 'girly' style- he is either mocked/harassed or most of us just feel very uncomfortable. Even though 'Agender' is promoting a positive message and is trying to push our boundaries in fashion, I hope they go on to recognise how it is more respected to be 'masculine' than 'feminine' and challenge that idea so we can destroy even more constrictions we find in our wardrobes.

Fozz.

Recommended links:

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/gender-neutral-clothing-try-out-selfridges-8829333

http://www.brand-e.biz/brande/2015/1/30/innovation/selfridges-launches-ungendered-fashion-retail

"That's Not Very Ladylike..."

        Gender roles are obviously stupid and harmful. They teach women to be submissive and men to be dominant; pressure boys to be emotionally vacant & tough and girls to be insecure & pushovers. They restrict us all-however a particular aspect which has interested and affected me is that concerning how to be 'ladylike'.
        Acting 'ladylike' is a social construct in which women are told to behave in a certain way. This includes various codes of conduct such as:

• Cross your legs and sit up straight
• Always look fine and feminine in appearance
• Never swear or laugh/talk too loudly or share strong opinions
• Do not repeat crude comedy or discuss taboo topics

        If you are a woman who does not conform to this ideology, then you are shamed and teased by side comments such as "That's not very ladylike..."- as if your reproductive system somehow dictates how you are meant to act in public. This behavioural concept is so absurd and is only designed to teach young girls to remember to shut up and stay out of the way. It paints them as simply ornaments who are seen and not heard and degrades them to make them feel as if they must fit in an 'ideal' mould.

        The links below discuss the topic and you can discover more opinions by exploring the recent online conversation "#PizzaRollsNotGenderRoles". However this can be dealt with efficiently as shown in Buzzfeed's '12 Signs Being Ladylike Is Not Your Forté' video which states that simply because you do not act like a 'lady', does not mean that you are any less of a woman. Call people out when they spew these kinds of microaggressions and societal attitudes to help them realise that what they are saying is ridiculous and that we need to redefine our views on gender.

Fozz.

Recommended Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu3osSlliLM&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg0s3CDkbvQ

Femsplain

        This week an article of mine was published onto Femsplain entitled "Can Our Passion For Equality Really Exist Outside The Playground?" The response I've had so far has been incredible so here's the link:

https://femsplain.com/can-our-passion-for-equality-really-exist-outside-the-playground/

Fozz.

"I'm pretty tired of adults telling me how stupid teens are"

        In an interview, the author John Green replied with, "I'm pretty tired of adults telling me how stupid teens are" when asked whether or not the characters he writes about are "too intelligent". It can be frustrating for teenagers when they are told that they have the incapability to be intelligent and understand the 'grown up world'. Obviously, due to our young age, we most likely do not have as much wisdom and experience as those older than us however our lack of exposure to the world can-to a certain extent-help us to form original thoughts and opinions without negative outside influences. A while ago I was intrigued by this letter which someone sent to their regular newspaper about their recent articles:

        I thought that this letter was brutally honest yet completely correct. Teenagers are bombarded with the stereotype that they are lazy and moody and are not quite as human as the rest of the world. Numerous investigations are made into the adolescent mind and various methods are suggested to parents on 'how to deal with it'; but there hardly ever seems to be research into the minds of parents and how teenagers should deal with their attitudes and behaviour. Yes, teenagers are going through drastic changes with both their body and mind however we are all developing as we grow at all ages.
        We are also taught not to be interested in politics as it's 'too complicated' but we are then labelled as lazy for not being knowledgeable about the political world- even though it is mainly the youth who have been involved with recent protests around the world and spreading awareness through social media. We are the ones who are striving for social justice and who are demanding revolution yet the ones who raised us are trying to degrade and devalue us.
        Teenagers and young adults are at the age where they start to create an identity and realise many flaws in the world around them and adults should be encouraging perspectives from younger people and also showing them the potential greatness of the world around them instead of belittling their thoughts and knocking them down. As cliché as it is, we are the leaders of the tomorrow and so I believe that we should be treated with more respect and not dismissed simply because we haven't been as scarred by life as much as the grown-ups have been.
Fozz.

Why is it shameful to be a 'housewife'?

        Recently there has been a huge boost in encouraging female empowerment. As feminism has taken a third wave and trended all across social media, female empowerment has been a popular topic over the last couple of years. We have seen women conquer  their respected fields from Beyoncé reigning as Queen of pop culture to Shonda Rhimes dominating prime time TV production. Women are being celebrated for their achievements and are being praised as brilliant role models for the new generation of young women.

        One reason why they are being admired is because they are drifting from gender stereotypes and gender roles in order to reach their own goals. However, by encouraging these strong career women, we have been led to a form a distaste towards the "housewife" and to shame mothers and women who stay at home. The imagery of the housewife involves a fragile perfectly made-up lady in a 50's style dress, necking down a bottle of wine and making sure that dinner is ready on the table by the time the husband comes home. But this stereotype is false as well as outdated and doesn't include the women now who pursue lives at home as well as new found hobbies and interests.     

        Yes, we should show our support for career ambitious women but we shouldn't then act as if 'housewives' are failures who do not have their own accomplishments or goals in life. Women may have various reasons to justify why they stay at home but they shouldn't feel the need to justify it to us. Someone once said that "Feminism isn't about what you choose, but the freedom to choose". We should have the opportunities to pursue whatever we wish to, as long as no harm is caused, so who are we to label people who give up their work as 'shameful'? 

Fozz.

Bisexuality: It exists.

        In the 21st Century, society has improved greatly in accepting the LGBTQ community. Same-sex marriage is slowly being legalised across the globe and even though there are still many obstacles and issues at the moment, we are seeing homosexuality having more accurate representation in the media and being shamed less as we learn more about sexual orientations. A problem however which has recently come to my attention is the image of bisexuality. I have heard people belittle the sexuality by claiming that it simply isn't real. Many say that it is just a stepping stone to coming out as gay and others believe it is simply an excuse to be tarty and slutty.
        This seems so absurd to me. Bisexuality is when you are sexually attracted to multiple genders (being attracted to both men and women is the most common but it can include other gender identities). However, some people claim that it simply isn't possible; that it can't exist. Just because you don't understand someone's sexuality doesn't mean that you can't accept it. I can't understand how someone can like apple crumble but that does not mean that the apple crumble is in fact non-existent. Everyone has different sexual preferences and attraction is a spectrum and can not be as easily boxed up and categorised as we may hope it could be. But to simply disregard bisexuality and not acknowledge it as an actual identity can be extremely harmful.
        We all struggle with our feelings enough but to have someone devalue them and disrespect you can be so damaging and suffocating. By saying bisexuality isn't real, you are telling others that their feelings aren't real. Your ignorance is psychologically hurting people whereas simply an education to being aware of alternative sexual orientations can, not only prevent harm, but can also expand your perspective on people and the world around you. So many teenagers are brought up today to be afraid of their sexual identity but more significantly to be afraid of how others will judge their feelings. This is toxic and completely unnecessary. These negative stereotypes of being bisexual meaning to be a "slag" or "too scared of being gay" are outdated and false, many people in the LGBTQ community will disagree. Just because something is unknown to us, doesn't mean we should be judgemental towards it. We need to learn and to empathise- not neglect and discriminate.Below are a couple of recommended links including an article of 28 celebrities who are bisexual- because they do exist.
Fozz.
Recommended Links:
http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/HomePage
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/23/celebrate-bisexuality-day_n_5863320.html
       

Male Victims of the Patriarchy

        'Toxic Masculinity' is the socially constructed attitude which shows how the patriarchy can oppress men as well. It involves the pressure of men having to adopt 'masculine' traits which can be harmful to themselves and others- for example violent and emotionally vacant- as it is deemed as shameful and embarrassing to act in a feminine way which many consider possess the opposite of these qualities. This obviously can be damaging and restricting as men are encouraged to be emotionally closed off to the world otherwise they will be excluded and labelled as 'feminine and feeble'.
        This affects social behaviour in everyday situations through what we see on the mass media and how those around us act however the main concerning issue is how toxic masculinity can encourage male domestic abuse victims to stay silent in fear of being called 'weak'. Especially in heterosexual relationships where females aren't regarded as strong enough to hurt the man which leads to lack of sympathy towards male victims. Males account for 38% of domestic abuse victims yet they are twice as likely not to call for help than female victims due to the strains of social pressures- in fact only 10% of male victims tell the police. Abuse can be incredibly traumatic and it knows no prejudice to who it hurts, yet we can show discrimination towards who we choose to help.
        To believe in gender equality is to believe in abolishing negative gender stereotypes such as toxic masculinity. This isn't just a daily societal norm which is holding us back, but an active occurrence which is literally physically and psychologically harming many around the world. This means that we need to forget our injustice and care for all those who are suffering and not belittle anyone's story and feelings because of their gender.
Fozz.

Recommended links:
http://www.mankind.org.uk/
http://www.mensadviceline.org.uk/mens_advice.php.html

Sources:
http://www.mankind.org.uk/pdfs/25_Key_Facts_Aug_2014_(final).pdf

Pick One: Grades or Health?

        In the exam season during school when it seems like you are drowning in coursework, controlled assessments and revision, we all have a necessary need to take a breather and just veg out and relax. We all knew it would be hard- we listened to all the warnings and spent years being subtly prepared for the tsunami of ISAs and essays- yet it still knocked us off our feet and left us lying on the floor filled with anxiety and stress. Which is why we need those personal days even more so when we can just click pause on life with a netflix marathon and a huge duvet. But it seems as though when we do have those quiet moments, we have those voices in the back of our minds reminding us that we still have those final 1000 words to finish on that coursework. We really struggle to switch off and so it leads us to just leave the break for later and keep on working through the procrastination and to not stop until the job is done.
        So we sometimes do just keep on working due to expectations of exams and pressures of school and it can sometimes really take it's toll. Due to little sleep, constant hard work and minimal relaxing, our physical health will obviously start to suffer however some of us feel that we have no choice but to power through as the thought that taking time out and having to catch up later on is too unbearable to even consider- this only leads to further problems. It's similar with mental health too. The stress can lead to problems where your self esteem drops and you have an unbalanced mind which never shuts down. It's not deemed acceptable to ring up school and say, "Things have been getting on top of me lately and I'm currently struggling to cope and I think my mental health could be in jeopardy, can I have a personal day off school?" because then you are told that you just need to "get over it" and "stop over-reacting".
        The issue here is obvious and it's evident through how 1 in 10 students will be affected by mental illness at some point during their academic career. When should we have to choose between our grades and our health? Why should this even be a question that needs to be answered? Students today are the leaders of tomorrow and it is imperative that we don't scar them before they've even started living. 
Fozz.

Make-Up: Our War Paint

                Make-up has always been subtly controversial. We all have varying opinions on it- whether you can wear too much, whether you should wear it to school/work or whether you should even wear it at all. It is mostly women who go through daily rituals of applying mascara and stroking on foundation and it can be so exhausting and expensive. But shouldn't we just be content with our natural beauty? We all have blemishes and spots so why should we cover it up? We know that the flawless models we see on billboards are chiselled and photo shopped to the extreme, so if they aren't kidding anyone, why should we kid ourselves?

                As someone who wears make-up most days of the week, I can honestly say that I wear it simply for myself- and a lot of people seem to agree with me. When I put on my make-up I have a new wave of confidence simmer up to the surface and I feel that bit more capable to take on the day. I have my war paint on and it's in the form of red lipstick. Then when I wipe it all off, I am equally as empowered by the feeling of cleanliness and freshness, a strange vulnerability that also seems to give me a sense of security. Make-up helps me to express myself in my desired way- it's my psychological armour against the different obstacles I have to face. Sometimes I want to feel fierce with red lips and sometimes I want to feel at ease with bare cheeks. People may want to experiment with a new eye shadow and it can take a lot of confidence to step away from your usual routine and go out knowing that people will notice that your appearance is different. Which is why we should surely just leave them to it? We may have our opinions on what looks nice and what doesn't, but that doesn't mean we should necessarily bitch about how someone looks and knock their self-esteem. It's completely up to us how we want to depict ourselves to the rest of the world and if we need a little help with that, that's fine by me.

Fozz. 

Freedom of Speech: the Liberty and the Limitations

        In light of recent events such as Charlie Hebdo and protests that have been going on all over the world, a fierce debate about freedom of speech has sparked. Some feel that there should be limitations and boundaries yet others feel that people should have the liberty to say what they want however both opinions are justified with worthy reasons.

        People have always had varied views on what is deemed "offensive" and it can be strenuous having to constantly watch your tongue. Thinking before we act and simply considering consequences before we speak may get us so far but after that we can all be guilty of being ignorant or unaware of how what we can say can affect others. Which is why we must not condemn people for a comment but educate them. Instead of shaming, guilt tripping and harming them, explaining and making them aware of why you're offended will most likely be much more beneficial and helpful in the long term. We do it with children by teaching them the basics of how to be kind and not cruel but when do we ditch the rules and adopt the freedom? Should there be an age limit on freedom of speech and, if so, when? If we do choose to educate others however and yet they still continue to insult us with the only purpose being to mock/harass us then there is another problem to address. I believe that we do have the right to offend, but we also have the right to defend ourselves and call people out on simply mean and hateful comments. It can then turn to bullying and verbal abuse, can these really be condoned? In an abusive relationship can we actually excuse verbal abuse with freedom of speech? 

         It can be worse however when-in some places in the world- people do experience brutal punishments for highlighting a flaw in a corrupt system and "insulting" authorities. Which is why I feel that the purpose of freedom of speech is to speak out against corruption and improve the world we live in. The freedom of speech concept that we have in the western world is the ideology that we can freely speak out without restraint from the government. I feel that freedom of speech is a right that we have to criticise present systems and voice how we can better them-not an excuse to belittle others. I believe that freedom of speech should encourage discussion and give us a voice- it should not allow us to silence and humiliate others.
Fozz.

Advertising: The Hairy Double Standards

                 I was just mindlessly watching TV when a standard hair removal advert came on selling wax strips. It was your typical advert: the pretty girl smiled madly while she ripped the skin from her calves and instead of screaming in agony, she giggled with her friends while stroking her now smooth legs. But I felt uncomfortable watching it. What was it about this harmless advert that made me feel so awkward? Why did I feel this subtle yet sudden sensation of awkwardness? Then I realised the reason. It was because the woman in the advert had removed hair from her leg. Your thought now might be, "Well of course she did- it's a hair removal advert." but no, the woman's leg was actually hairy to begin with and then after using the product, she had a tanned hairless shin. In that moment I realised that no hair removal adverts for woman actually featured any body hair on the woman.

                I had spent years in front of the TV screen watching these women shave already hairless legs. Surely when you sell a product, the majority of adverts will show you the product being used but what use is a razor if you have no hair to shave off? It is not showing us how effective the razor is at all. But when we watch male facial hair adverts we do see the man actually shaving or at least trimming most of the time. Why is that? Why do I see plenty of beards being sculpted yet no legs being freed of furryness?

                I then realised it's because hair is masculine. Not feminine. The stereotypical image of a "masculine lad" has stubble. However if he chooses to have smooth cheeks he is not shamed. Our stereotypical picture of a "feminine lady" has shaven legs and armpits yet if she did have hair in these places she would be shamed. Hair is apparently not linked to femininity unless it is in the form of tweezed eyebrows or luscious locks. When Veet released this advert, they received many complaints explaining how insulting it was to be told that if they choose to embrace their hair they cannot be "womanly around the clock". People fear seeing a woman with natural hair so much that we can't even have a female hair removal advert where hair is actually removed without giving the viewer a feeling of uneasiness. Is it just me who thinks that is absurd? Maybe we need to get over these strange stereotypes and just not shame someone on their own appearance. Or maybe I should just flick over to another channel next time.

Slut Shaming

                For girls and women, the most common insults towards them usually include "slag" and "slut". These names are called out from both boys and girls and are usually in reference to a girl's actions or clothing. Whenever a woman dresses 'provocatively' or behaves in a way which isn't linked to being 'ladylike', a lot of us are quick to label her as a "tart" or even as a "whore". This then encourages girls to act in a particular way- or more accurately not act in a particular way- and they have to find the perfect balance between 'attractive' and 'modest'. They can't wear that revealing dress in case she is "asking for it" and she can't wear that long skirt in case she gains the reputation of a "prude". This can be very harmful to girls as it unconsciously makes them feel compelled to limit and hide their sexuality.

                     All through childhood and even adolescence, girls are encouraged to be 'pure' and 'delicate' and to feel disgusted at any mention of sex yet when boys are teenagers they seemed to be free to embrace their sexuality. If girls were to do this they would feel guilty and shameful-and only because of the people around them. The only problem with the "slut" is the people who humiliate her and judge her actions as if they're dirty and sinful even though it doesn't actually affect them.

                      If whatever this girl does is consensual and safe, then no one else should feel like they are at liberty to categorise her in a shameful way. Clothing should not indicate anyone's preferences or choices and people's business does not need to be anyone else's. Experiencing sexual attraction or not shouldn't be stigmatised or considered as immoral or disgraceful. Judging someone's sexuality says more about you than it does about them.

Fozz.

Parenting 101: Supporting Trans Youth

              In the news recently, many of us have learnt the story of Leelah Alcorn who was a transgender teenager who chose to take her own life by stepping in front of an oncoming truck due to the lack of acceptance and support from those around her- especially from her parents. (Read this article if you haven't been aware of Leelah's story yet: click here) In the suicide note that Leelah posted on Tumblr, she describes the difficulty she had with dealing with her parents' denial and even now her parents still talk about her with male pronouns and as 'Joshua'- her birth name. Leelah's story is one which is not uncommon however. So many people who are not cis-gender and do not have supportive parents suffer from mental health problems and sadly decide to take their own lives. As you can see from the picture below, those who have parents who accept their gender identity have a much securer sense of well-being on average:

                Which is why I feel that it is vital that future parents question the boundaries of their love. As Parker Molloy wrote in her letter to Leelah,  "Before you have children, it’s imperative that you ask yourself whether or not you’re able to truly love your child unconditionally. Whether your child is straight or gay, cisgender (non-trans) or transgender, you need to understand that this is not something you can change about them... If you conclude that you would be unable to love a trans child, it’s your responsibility to understand that you are not fit to be a parent." In a society where people of transgender are already not supported enough, parents should more so have no limitations to the love they have for their child, especially when it concerns the comfort of their child in their own body. I am heartbroken and so sorry to Leelah Alcorn for feeling that the only escape from her parents' and other people's cruelty was to not live at all; but I am angry to know that many in the transgender youth community still are excluded from feeling loved. We should all be angry about this, and we should all work on changing our attitudes. 

Fozz.

Recommended links:

http://transstudent.org/

A Quick Guide to New Year's Resolutions

               New Year's Resolutions have become notorious for being meaningless lists which are always too ambitious and broken too often. But I think that for 2015 we should embrace the ritual and we should truly use it as encouragement to improve our lives. Too often we see the same old 'lose weight', 'drink less' or 'work harder' but we seem to never actually put in the effort and think about how we can make the next year better than the last. How can we actually decide on short-term and long-term goals that are designed for us individuals and are realistic yet beneficial?

                I was thinking about this when I saw Tyler Oakley reblog a post on Tumblr of some new year's resolutions that might be tempting for a large number of people:

                I think these are some good examples of what people can work towards in 2015. With targets such as 'lose weight' it may be useful to think about why you need to lose weight and how it will make you happier. Is it more accurate to say that you want to be fitter/choose more healthier options? Or would it be even better if you worked on a mindset where you can accept and love the body shape you already have? Working on your mindset may be the best improvement you can make in 2015. For example the above "be patient. be thankful." and "don't give a shit about what others think of u" may help you to be generally happier in your day to day even if it does take a longer proportion of the year.
               But if the idea of those ambitions already makes you feel exhausted, then creating new habits and doing simple tasks like "write. write about everything." and "have more solo dance parties in my room" could actually have a positive impact too. They prove to be therapeutic and can therefore benefit mental health which is fantastic considering they are such easy things to do. Whether you want to make small or big changes in your 2015, make sure it is actually your 2015 and that you focus on making it the best year for you that it can possibly be. Happy New Year!