A review

Recently I watched BBC Three’s documentary called “How gay is Pakistan?” Now I watched it for two reasons: one, that I was intrigued to see what it would entail and two, I really wanted to know the answer. It is definitely shocking to say the least, since aspects of Pakistan, you wouldn’t traditionally see or be exposed to, are brought to light.

After watching the hour long documentary, I was left feeling disgusted, heartbroken and with a burning passion to get up and do something to make a difference. One of the most appalling examples of what the Pakistani LGBT community have to go through is, the ridiculous idea that being gay is an illness, and therefore there are ways in which one can cure being gay. There are physical treatments available, which can somehow, magically turn a homosexual into a heterosexual. What the people in Pakistan do not seem to understand is the fact that being gay is not choice, now I’m not going to generalise and say that it is the entirety of Pakistan who feel this way, however there is definitely a large proportion of people willing to brutally murder members of the gay community in order to secure their place in ‘paradise’. Which brings me onto my next point, the idea of religion vs basic human rights; for the majority of the population living in the busiest city Karachi, there are clear, straight and simple religious ideals to follow, which for some include abolishing the gay community or behaving in a way which makes them feel completely insignificant and alienated in society.

I am not one to dismiss religion, it is a part of, what has been for many years, a way of living, a certain lifestyle that many have adopted- nevertheless, it is at times, coherent to see to a human being’s needs and wants before anything, and above everything. Being a respectable, dedicated and religious person does not correlate with the idea of committing manslaughter, so that we can meet the ‘so-called’ expectations of God. To acknowledge the fact that there is a number of people in Pakistan, who genuinely believe that by murdering a population, whose lifestyles may vary to their own, they will achieve their place in Heaven, is unspeakable. I’m certain that the creator of life and existence would not be pleased with His creations taking away each other’s lives.

The documentary stated that only a small proportion, in Pakistan, believe that there should be gay rights, which is absurd when taking into account the large number of ‘hidden’ LGBT communities present in the country. (There is also a large population of trans people, who do not have access to fundamental rights.) In Pakistan’s official law books, it is stated that rape is only valid if it is committed between a man and a woman, instantly neglecting any acts of rape solely between men or solely between women. There could be thousands of trans people who have been sexually assaulted by a man, but they are unable to report it, send their offender to prison or, in fact do anything about the heinous act committed towards them, since in the authority’s eyes, it isn’t rape.

Pakistan is a place bursting with vibrant and various denominations of minority communities; it is a place which could scream diversity and a sense of belonging, but for most it isn’t, it is a place where being different means being shunned from your family and being treated as if you have a deadly, incurable disease. This has to change. There are people dying, fighting for what they believe in- to be who they are, and to be accepted, it is time we learn to accept and end the intolerance.

Pro-choice

The notion that women do not have the right over their own body is absurd, if they are to carry a living being inside of them for 9 months, then it should be their choice and it should also be their choice if they don’t want to go through with having a child. 
Being ‘pro-choice’ isn’t being ‘pro -murder’, it is simply allowing women to have the opportunity to do what they want with their bodies. 
For some, they may see no other choice, no other option, no other way out: it is something that they feel is better for the greater good. There are many extremities where abortion can be seen as a necessary procedure to take in order to protect the mother, it may not be the most pleasant one, but it is and should always be an option for all women.
Throughout our entire human existence, women have been dismissed when expressing their own opinions, and if they have been able to, then they are shunned and not taken seriously. The one time that it is incredibly vital for a woman to take the stance and say what she wants to do, she is bombarded with the words ‘murder’, ‘sinful’ and ‘unjustly’.

My opinions and ideals are not attacking those who believe in ‘pro-life’, in fact I respect those who are, however I cannot and do not want to imagine a world in which a woman is forced to give birth, without being able to conduct her actions and judgements with her own free will. Abortion is quite possibly the last thing a woman would ever want to go through, but we cannot be the judge for every case in the entire world, we cannot go ahead and ban an option which for some people seem like the only way out.

Every woman, every man, every person is entitled to their opinion and the actions they take to protect and care for themselves. Yes, every life is precious, but who are we to judge when it puts another person at risk? Who are we to say what a woman should or shouldn’t do with their bodies? The choice is not ours, the choice is theirs.

Sorry!

It’s kind of ridiculous how long it has been since I’ve updated this site, but I’m trying I swear! Not that I think anyone is reading this anyway, but if you are then thank you, it means a great deal, and I will try my very best to keep posting (maybe once every year).

An old post (no pun intended)

Ever since you were little, you were taught to respect your elders, to be courteous, appreciative and well-mannered. The responsibilities and obligations you are taught whilst growing up determine who you will be in the near future. Even the minuscule details, such as washing up the dishes or tidying your room, allow you to become a better and more desirable person.

Surely, these ideas which we have grown to accept and acknowledge should extend as we go into adulthood. This then leads me to question why an 89 year old, who moved into a care home, “required stitches to her head and suffered horrific bruising.”

Does this show us that all the lectures and advice which we received continue to affect us later on in our lives? Does it show us that we are courteous, appreciative or well-mannered? Does it show us that we respect our elders?

Those who taught us to walk, talk and fight for what we believe in, are now being neglected and treated as if they are non-existent. Is this what they deserve- to be beaten, abused and forgotten about?

Whilst some could say that spending cuts on the NHS makes it difficult to provide for the ageing population, it could be argued that we should start questioning our priorities before we begin to question why we should help others around us.

Katie Hopkins, the ‘Troll’

She hates overweight people, she’s mentioned before that she disapproves of ‘geographical’ baby names, despite her daughter’s legal name- India, she thinks that if you have a tattoo you will not have a good future, and most recently Katie Hopkins has described a serious mental illness as ‘fashionable’. This woman’s opinions and ethics are nonsensical, to say the least. And I know we must all follow the freedom of speech right, but when it comes to Katie, I would rather not hear her notions, as I’m sure that they are insulting and discriminatory in some sort of way.

She’s hypocritical and a walking contradiction, to complain about such miniscule details, such as what baby name is suitable to her liking is preposterous, nevertheless it is also almost laughable, because apparently naming her child ‘India’ does not come under her hatred of geographical names.

She’s racist. She’s sexist. She’s clueless to any empathy. And she believes that people suffering from depression need “a pair of running shoes and fresh air”. Depression is a mood disorder, a common mental illness and Katie Hopkins thinks that you can just turn it on and off with a switch. Really, Katie? Are you that deserted from civilisation and sympathy that you don’t understand the difference between an emotion and an illness?

She is the epitome of what disappointment and disgust feels like- every time she opens her mouth, I lose a bit of hope for humanity. I mean, what kind of a person says that ginger babies are ‘much harder to love’.  So now you’re judging innocent babies on the basis of what colour their hair is? Wow, Katie Hopkins you truly are a troll.

Tales of a troubled teenage girl

Sexism. If you look up the dictionary definition, it refers to “discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex or gender, as in restricted job opportunities, especially such discrimination directed against women.“  What scares me the most from this is that, despite sexism being a gender-neutral concern, it is evident that it mainly affects women. I know this isn’t a ‘new’ affair, since sexism towards women has been going on for many years, but isn’t that the issue? Why, in this day and age, do we still follow perceived stereotypical gender roles?

Sexism is a serious issue to address, often one which is overlooked because the world and the people around us, live in a deluded state where we have overcome the barriers of gender stereotypes. Now you may be thinking why a 17 year old, who quite possibly knows nothing of the true hardships of facing sexism (since I have yet to see the ‘real world’) is ranting on about this issue. Debatably, I haven’t faced sexism to an extreme, but I do know what it feels like. My parent’s ideals are secluded into a tiny box which revolves around the idea of gender roles- “girls should be this”, “boys can do that.” I am grateful for everything my parents have provided for me, but their sexist views are like a stake through the heart.

But maybe it’s not their fault? We are bombarded with sexist views in our daily lives, from product advertisements to simple comments made by strangers. Through the years, women have been objectified and portrayed as inferior, in adverts promoting the sales of cars, cigarettes and even vitamin pills! As an evolving society, exposed to many media and technology platforms, we have become influenced and almost hypnotised by the projected screens and moving images- we lose sense of what is right and what is sexist.

To put someone in a cage surrounded with ideas on who they have to be and how they have to act, to fit in with society’s norms, should not be so easily neglected. Gender roles should be a thing of the past, an ancient artifact. Husbands should be able to care for their children at home, whilst their wives have 9-5 day jobs, without society deeming it as ‘unusual’, ‘poor parenting’ or ‘weird’. The idea of one gender being superior than another is absurd, there is no greater gender.

In a general poll with one critical question: ”Is sexism still present in today’s society?”, 6% went with no. Society should wake up and begin to see the issues laid in front of us- sexism does still exist. No matter what sex an individual is, they have most likely faced gender stereotypes sometime in their life. By talking about sexism, we can spread awareness which is vital for those who are oblivious, as only then can we make a difference.

Female celebrities and their idea of ‘feminism’

Before I jump into the issue of this topic, I’d like to mention 2 categories of women and see if you can find the difference.

1. Demi Moore. Kelly Clarkson. Katy Perry. Lady Gaga. Madonna.

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2. Emma Watson. Amy Poehler. Ellen Page. 

Spot anything?

The latter group of individuals are bursting with strong, independent and influential ‘feminists’. Whereas the first group would rather not be classed with the term, because they believe it is too strong of a word.  I’d like to address right now that the definition of feminism is simply a movement towards the equality of all sexes. It is not female superiority. It is not a direct attack towards the male population. And it is certainly not “too strong of a word”.

To say that you are not a feminist, yet still believe in equality, is a contradiction in itself. And I’m sure that the first group of celebrities don’t want to live in a male-dominated society, consequently they do want to achieve equality between the sexes. Despite this, they are not “feminists”. Now,  those who have acknowledged the definition of feminism may either find this extremely disrespectful, or they will wholeheartedly laugh at the gullible celebrities, who have not bothered to open a dictionary and purposely look up the meaning of feminism. It’s about time they are educated into the understanding of what feminism actually is, not only because what they are saying, through a variety of different media platforms, is wrong but also because these celebrities clearly have an impact on their fans- maybe even naive, young girls who are led to believe that all feminists are overpowering and want to be the superior sex, eliminating all male rights. Surely there are ‘radical’ feminists, but not ALL feminists are radicals; generalizing an entire community is as wrong as not knowing what feminism means. However, I will reiterate what I have mentioned before, that feminism is not about female superiority, therefore ‘radical feminism’ does not oppose men, it opposes a patriarchal society.

Nevertheless, there are other celebrities who do understand what feminism is: Emma Watson and her HeForShe Campaign is inspirational to many across the world, Amy Poehler’s book ‘Yes Please’ is jampacked with empowering feminist quotes and Ellen Page has shown her support countless times, through her encouraging speeches. These women, and many more, are uplifting members of the movement for equality. I only wish that Emma, Ellen and Amy could sit down in a room full of all the other female celebrities who don’t understand feminism and lay down the facts. Oh, if only.

One of my favourite quotes on feminism is Aziz Ansari’s: “I feel like if you do believe that men and women have equal rights, if someone asks if you’re a feminist, you have to say yes, because that is how words work.“

So next time someone asks you whether you’re a feminist or not, remember Aziz’s words and say ‘yes’.

Homophobia

Homophobia is defined as negative attitudes towards gay, lesbian, bisexual and in some cases the transgender population. It’s simple, it is something which no one would want to go through, nor should they go through it. But in this day and age, there are millions and millions of people who are suffering from the implications of homophobia everyday, whilst we live our “normal” lives, not caring, not thinking. We need to put an end to it.

Britain’s 3.6 million lesbian, gay and bisexual people see themselves confronted by huge barriers of prejudice at every level of society. The horrors of homophobia are seen everywhere and it seems that nothing has been done to prevent it.  Shouldn’t we be asking ourselves why there haven’t been major movements in order to change how we view the social minorities? Shouldn’t we be questioning our priorities?

There is nothing wrong with being different. There is nothing wrong with having different opinions for your own lifestyle. There is nothing wrong about two people being in love and wanting to be in a relationship.

It may not strike you as much as it does to the people going through this type of bullying, but for others it is worse than death itself. To live a happy life with your own choices is what any human being on this planet desires, it’s what they live for, it’s what we live for.

Love, affection, trust is what is lacking in our world. To be able to walk hand in hand with someone who is the same sex as you, without any external issues evolving, seems almost too impossible to even imagine. We need love in our planet to feel as if we are all one, as if this world has no end to it or spaces between it. We need affection in our planet to know what it’s like to be appreciated. And we need trust in our planet to simply rely on each other when it comes to the tough times we have to go through. That’s life.

But life is not to hate people around you because of who they are. We do not live to harm people. We weren’t given life with the sole purpose to hurt others around us.

I want to be able to live in a world where nobody has to be judged for what kind of person they are. I want to know that there is still hope for peace in our world. I want to wake up and find out that we have put an end to any sort of discrimination. I want to change the world. I don’t want to dream about it. I want to put an end to it.                   

Hello world!

So I guess this is my first ever post. I wanted to start this blog as my own personal format where I can just talk about social issues which I have strong opinions about. Feel free to comment and get in contact with me!