Eos

'I'm going. But first put a value on me. If you please.'

'I've usually taken the equivalent of a good saddle horse for an ordinary vampire. But you, after all, are not ordinary.'

'How much?'

'I doubt,' the Witcher said, his voice as cold as ice, 'I doubt whether anyone could afford it.'

That day I woke up crying

this kinda felt like meeting a celebrity

I am begging the UK trans community and its allies to attend the Mass Lobby at Parliament on June 25th, 11am-4pm, organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.

The new EHRC Code of Practice pushes trans people out of toilets, hospital wards, and community spaces. It normalises gender policing based on appearance and stereotypes. It becomes statutory guidance in the UK by the end of June.

Trans people are now legally their assigned gender at birth and must join gendered spaces accordingly, but if they are perceived as their lived gender, they can also be ejected from those spaces. The guidance says: either break the law, or don’t pass too well.

A mass lobby is where you invite your MP to discuss your concerns with you in-person. Ask your MP to:

Demand full parliamentary scrutiny, debate, and use their free vote on the EHRC Code of Practice.

Support any motions rejecting the EHRC guidance. As of June 4th, Labour MP Nadia Whittome has submitted a prayer motion - Early Day Motion 240.

Write to Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities about our concerns

Your MP does not have to be an ally, they do not have to respond to your email for you to show up and greencard them (details below the cut.) What matters is that as many people as possible show up.

I cannot stress this enough: Showing up in person matters. It is much more effective than petitions, emails, and letters.

It is a horrible, stressful time, and I am so sorry if you're trans and live in the UK. But I was at last year's mass lobby and the line for greencarding alone stretched around the back gates. It was a record breaking mass lobby and made us impossible to ignore. Let's do even better this time. Details under the cut:

Feasting: This is the big one. Knights love Whitsunday feasts and it's usually not a problem if they overindulge themselves a little bit. It's always a good idea to consult an apothecary if your knight gets indigestion. The big issue is quaffing ale. In typical quaffing more ale ends up on the floor than inside the knight but some knights get too much ale and can end up violent. It's important to break up any drunken brawls before they get out of control.

Jousting: Not all Whitsunday events have jousts so check with your local king. If they are having jousts make sure your knight's equipment is in good order. This is a good time to buy a new helm or cloak for your knight as well. Also make sure to have a good speech prepared for when you give your knight your favor, that's a key part of bonding with your knight. If your knight wants to enter as a mystery knight then pretend not to recognize them and then be super shocked when they're revealed. They eat that up.

Boasting: Boasting about their quests for the year is a big part of Whitsunday celebrations. If your knight hasn't accomplished a quest this year now is a good time to give them a small, simple quest so they at least can make a small boast early. If your knight gets nervous with public speaking, encourage them to practice their boast with you ahead of time.

Questing: With boasting, knights also announce their quests for the year at Whitsunday as well. With all the quests being declared a knight can get carried away and declare a quest which they aren't suited for and they'll have to deal with the embarrassment of a failed quest next year. Now's a good time to talk with your knight to identify a good, accomplishable quest for them in the coming year.

Whatever your knight decides to do for Whitsunday, having their liege take an interest goes a long way to ensuring they have a good time.

Lonesome tree

Don’t ever hug a lobster when you see one on the street,

For decorum is essential when a lobster you must greet.

You may comment on the weather, compliment his choice of hat,

But crustaceans like their space if one should stop them for a chat.

Don’t ever hug a lobster when you’re strolling down the coast,

Simply nod and give a greeting, or a handshake at the most,

For a lobster’s first priority is formal social graces,

And one seemes over-familiar if a lobster one embraces.

Don’t ever hug a lobster when you meet one in the sea,

For a lobster’s spines and chitin make it difficult, you see,

And he might become self-conscious if you bring that fact to light,