Gay Professional Network: January 2021

Dear LAGLA members,

**New Committee Members**

Following our AGM on 17 December 2020 the new committee is as follows:

Chair: Lewis Powers
Treasurer: Felicity Carroll
Secretary: David Coughlan
General committee members:
Christina Warner, Lawrence Currie, Viene Bilodeau, Bruce Shane, Josh Ryan, Liam Bradford

**Speakers needed for panel talk of LGBT+ practioners**

4 Brick Court Chambers is looking for speakers for a panel evening they’ll be hosting online during Pride month 2021. The evening will consist of informal discussions about panel members’ experiences of working within the legal field as well as their journey to their respective careers. The panel will consist of those at all stages of qualification and all practice areas.

If you’re interested in taking part or want more information, please contact Christina Warner on christina.warner@4bc.co.uk. The deadline for registering your interest as a speaker is 10 February 2021.

****It's A Sin******

'It's A Sin' premieres on Friday 22 January 2021 at 9pm on Channel 4. The drama, written by Russell T Davies and staring Years and Years singer and LGBTQ+ advocate, Olly Alexander, focuses on the story of the 1980s, the story of AIDS and charts the joy and heartbreak of a group of friends, across a decade in which everything changed.

Read more about the upcoming drama here...

**Blood donation rules changed**

Blood donation rules have been amended for gay and bisexual men.

Under previous rules, gay and bisexual men were not permitted to donate unless they’ve abstained from sex for three months, being treated as too risky to donate. This outdated and frankly discriminatory rule will now change, with an individualised risk-based policy being implemented.

Read further commentary here.

**Norway bans hate speech against trans and bisexual people**

The amendments to the law mean that discrimination based on “gender identity or gender expression” is now unlawful. Changes have also been made to the wording so that “homosexual orientation” has been amended to “sexual orientation”, extending protection from just lesbian and gay individuals to all sexual orientations.

Norway's Minister for Justice said: "“It is imperative that the protection against discrimination offered by the criminal legislation is adapted to the practical situations that arise.”

Read further commentary here.

**Trans teen legal battle with puberty blockers**

The High Court has recently ruled in the matter of R (on the application of) Quincybell & A v Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust & Others, raising the threshold of Gillick competency for trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people in relation to puberty blockers and inviting the court to determine individuals' future treatment in line with their "best interests" on a case by case basis. Understandably this has been viewed as a huge setback for the trans, non-binary and gender diverse community.

Read Mermaid's full commentary here.

**Elliot Page announces he is transgender**

In a heartfelt letter on Instagram the actor Elliot Page announces he is transgender...read more here...