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*****Luke A Appreciation***Part 2***


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Old 24-03-2013, 02:03
Veri
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Please sign this petition if you can
Transgender teacher, subject to Daily Mail witch hunt, found dead
action.sumofus.org
Tell the Daily Mail to fire Richard Littlejohn for his campaign of harassment.
Hare's the petition Jean. This is such sad news Richard Littlejohn should be ashamed of himself .
...
http://action.sumofus.org/a/daily-ma.../?sub=homepage
This is the full URL for the other petition - I have signed both
Thanks for the links. Littlejohn's got away with a lot over the years. Perhaps even the Mail might begin to see him as a liability.

Still, I'm wondering about some of the claims being made. Did Littlejohn do anything more than write the one article? (I've read it.) (If so, I don't think that's really a "campaign of harassment".) Is it true that "members of the community then went to the Daily Mail", as one of the petition pages claimes; or did the Mail just pick up on he story that appeared in the local press? Was there any "hounding" "received from Daily Mail readers, as the page also claims?

Anyway, there are some Radio 4 comments worth reading from David Allen Green, a legal adviser to Trans Media Watch, that I've seen quoted here and here; and I'll quote them too:
"These monsterings are quite common in respect of transgendered people.

"There is no public interest in the story whatsoever. The only part of the story which seems significant is that there is a gender reassignment, what used to be called a sex change.

"What makes it especially easy for tabloids is that transgendered people are very unlikely to fight back. They are usually members of the public and have no experience of dealing with media and all they want to do is to make it go away.

"In a way, tabloids treat transgendered people the way they would treat anybody if they could get away with it.

"There is a sense that transgendered people are fair game for sensationalist reporting. These are people who are going through the most traumatic experiences you can imagine and they are suddenly humiliated by these stories in the tabloids."

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Old 24-03-2013, 02:15
landm
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Please sign this petition if you can
Transgender teacher, subject to Daily Mail witch hunt, found dead
action.sumofus.org
Tell the Daily Mail to fire Richard Littlejohn for his campaign of harassment.
Can i ask why this poster is so offended when Luke or any Transgender people are subjected to hate(and is right to be offended may i add)But then goes off(in their next post)to hate on another ex housemate obsessivley as if that's alright,i'm sure Luke would be horrified with all he goes through.
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Old 24-03-2013, 10:34
Noisy Oyster
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Can i ask why this poster is so offended when Luke or any Transgender people are subjected to hate(and is right to be offended may i add)But then goes off(in their next post)to hate on another ex housemate obsessivley as if that's alright,i'm sure Luke would be horrified with all he goes through.
I'm not ignoring what you said, I've tried to find the post concerned but can't so someone else will have to answer this one, ok?
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Old 24-03-2013, 10:49
Noisy Oyster
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Thank you, I'll sign it too



Yes it was a massive achievement, it was also a nice surprise that he was leading the votes every time he was up. I'm glad we didn't know whilst the series was being aired as it made the final night even more exciting.
I agree it was good we didn't know because people might have become complacent but I wouldn't describe the final night as exciting, at least not for me. Nerve-wracking, nail-biting perhaps. Every time someone was evicted, I scrunched my face up waiting for the inevitable - Luke's name being called - and trying to console myself with the fact that he had lasted so long - but it never happened. When Deana came third, I was stunned, never expected that for a minute but I was still waiting for Adam to win over Luke. I was delighted that Luke won but I also have to say that I would have been really pleased for whoever was the winner on the night as long as it was one of those three. They have all conducted themselves equally well after leaving BB as they did during their time in the house (as has their lovely litte friend Lauren, I might add) and their families and friends should be very proud of them.
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Old 24-03-2013, 15:31
wonkeydonkey
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Thanks for the links. Littlejohn's got away with a lot over the years. Perhaps even the Mail might begin to see him as a liability.

Still, I'm wondering about some of the claims being made. Did Littlejohn do anything more than write the one article? (I've read it.)
I agree that Littlejohn is being used to personalise what was more general media campaign. I am sure he has no input at all into the news part of the Mail - he doesn't even live in the UK - and I don't think it was just Mail journalists who kept doorstepping Lucy meadows. The general allegation made by the parents at the school is that papers refused to listen to or publish any positive, supportive comments and constantly badgered them for negative comments; Lucy meadows herself said that the only way she could stop herself being followed on a daily basis by intrusive press (surely highly inappropriate anyway for a primary school teacher) was to leave her house by the back door hours before the school opened, sneak to the school and wait for everyone else to arrive. That was surely more destructive than one column by Britain's most odious columnist. I have to be honest - I have signed the petitions, as Littlejohn has been a horrific public bigot and bully for years, but on this occasion there is a danger that it is actually diverting attention from the general issues. Even after Lucy Meadows' death several papers referred to her as 'he' and used her birth name, which is absolutely inexcusible in the circumstances.

Anyway, there are some Radio 4 comments worth reading from David Allen Green, a legal adviser to Trans Media Watch, that I've seen quoted here and here; and I'll quote them too:

"There is a sense that transgendered people are fair game for sensationalist reporting. These are people who are going through the most traumatic experiences you can imagine and they are suddenly humiliated by these stories in the tabloids."
Oh definitely. There is nothing the tabloid press love so much as a 'before' picture of someone whose gender has changed (generally male to female); preferably accompanied by the word 'burly', which apparently all M t F transgender people used to be. They never seem to care that they are holding someone's most personal and private matters up for public ridicule.
Can i ask why this poster is so offended when Luke or any Transgender people are subjected to hate(and is right to be offended may i add)But then goes off(in their next post)to hate on another ex housemate obsessivley as if that's alright,i'm sure Luke would be horrified with all he goes through.
Are you talking about Jean's participation in the 'court' thread? If so, I don't think it is appropriate to use words like 'obsessive hate'. Nor is an appreciation thread really the place to attack people.
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Old 24-03-2013, 15:34
wonkeydonkey
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'Hotness' poll in the main forum. Luke will inevitably attract some revenge ratings, but we might as well give him some good ones as well.
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Old 24-03-2013, 18:44
Veri
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I agree that Littlejohn is being used to personalise what was more general media campaign. I am sure he has no input at all into the news part of the Mail - he doesn't even live in the UK - and I don't think it was just Mail journalists who kept doorstepping Lucy meadows. The general allegation made by the parents at the school is that papers refused to listen to or publish any positive, supportive comments and constantly badgered them for negative comments; Lucy meadows herself said that the only way she could stop herself being followed on a daily basis by intrusive press (surely highly inappropriate anyway for a primary school teacher) was to leave her house by the back door hours before the school opened, sneak to the school and wait for everyone else to arrive. That was surely more destructive than one column by Britain's most odious columnist. I have to be honest - I have signed the petitions, as Littlejohn has been a horrific public bigot and bully for years, but on this occasion there is a danger that it is actually diverting attention from the general issues. Even after Lucy Meadows' death several papers referred to her as 'he' and used her birth name, which is absolutely inexcusible in the circumstances.
What was the campaign? What was it for? (I haven't been able to find any articles that look like they were part of a campaign.) That the press was intrusive and doorstepped her doesn't mean there was a campaign. Nor does a refusal to publish comments.

BTW, what is the source for "The general allegation made by the parents at the school is that papers refused to listen to or publish any positive, supportive comments and constantly badgered them for negative comments"? The closest I've been able to come is the Guardian quoting Lucy as saying "many parents have been quite annoyed with the press, too, especially those that were trying to give positive comments but were turned away". (And I have seen a positive comment from a parent even in the Sun.)

Oh definitely. There is nothing the tabloid press love so much as a 'before' picture of someone whose gender has changed (generally male to female); preferably accompanied by the word 'burly', which apparently all M t F transgender people used to be. They never seem to care that they are holding someone's most personal and private matters up for public ridicule.
I'm sure it happens, but I don't believe it can be nearly as common as you suggest. I don't think I have ever seen any (apart from Nadia) described as "burly".

Anyway, this makes a good point about the Mail:
In December last year The Daily Mail was unequivocal in blaming two Australian radio DJs for the tragic suicide of nurse Jacintha Saldanha.

The Mail accused the pair outright of making "a fatal hoax phone call".

The Mail called Saldanha "A victim of today's culture of casual cruelty". The paper said Saldanha's suicide was a result of "casual, tacky, thoughtless cruelty that has infected popular culture like a plague".

Last December also saw Richard Littlejohn write an article for the Daily Mail attacking a transgender teacher called Lucy Meadows.

...
However, a comment there quotes Littlejohn saying (in the original article) such things as that he has 'every sympathy for the 400 or so people a year who opt for "gender reassignment" surgery'. That is Littlejohn's specialty: wrapping prejudice in a sugar-coating or reasonable-sounding things, so that people can feel they're being reasonable too if they agree.
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Old 24-03-2013, 23:34
landm
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link didn't work
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Old 30-03-2013, 17:37
CaptainObvious_
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I loved Luke A. I think part of why I loved him so much was that he is ftm and I also have a lot of gender related issues (born female unfortunately)

He came across as a very handsome, lovely guy on BB and I was delighted when he won with Adam, his best mate 2nd!
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Old 31-03-2013, 00:18
wonkeydonkey
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I loved Luke A. I think part of why I loved him so much was that he is ftm and I also have a lot of gender related issues (born female unfortunately)

He came across as a very handsome, lovely guy on BB and I was delighted when he won with Adam, his best mate 2nd!
Hello Captain. There are hardly any openly female to male transgender people in the public eye, so I think it was great that Luke was there, and did so well. Luke has a few videos up on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/feed/UCOCEF6kpp00bonFWMyNLGMA, including from before BB. There is one from before he started any treatment (very poorly recorded because it is a video of a video) which is quite poignant - he sounds so shy, and makes you realize how hard it must have been to try and take on a male role before hormones had changed his voice and appearence.
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Old 31-03-2013, 15:16
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Hello Captain. There are hardly any openly female to male transgender people in the public eye, so I think it was great that Luke was there, and did so well. Luke has a few videos up on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/feed/UCOCEF6kpp00bonFWMyNLGMA, including from before BB. There is one from before he started any treatment (very poorly recorded because it is a video of a video) which is quite poignant - he sounds so shy, and makes you realize how hard it must have been to try and take on a male role before hormones had changed his voice and appearence.
ahoy there wonkey. Indeed, there needs to be more ftms in the public eye as people just seem to assume we are butch lesbians (not that there's anything wrong with being butch or lesbian ofcourse) I don't fancy women though

Luke is awesome but I can't help but feel jealous of him passing so well and being brave enough to tell his own family. I'm terrified and I'm 25 so time is ticking on
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Old 31-03-2013, 15:46
wonkeydonkey
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ahoy there wonkey. Indeed, there needs to be more ftms in the public eye as people just seem to assume we are butch lesbians (not that there's anything wrong with being butch or lesbian ofcourse) I don't fancy women though

Luke is awesome but I can't help but feel jealous of him passing so well and being brave enough to tell his own family. I'm terrified and I'm 25 so time is ticking on
Luke was over 25 when he started his transition (though he says he wishes he had done it earlier). I hope things go ok for you. Families can be lovely or scary or both at once.
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Old 31-03-2013, 16:09
zeebra
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Hi CaptainObvious. Wonkeydonkey told me that you were posting here so I thought I would drop by and introduce myself.

I'm the mum of a young trans man who is now 2 years into transition, and am fully aware of the emotional trauma you guys endure. If you would like to talk to me privately please PM me and I'll do my best to help you. xx
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Old 31-03-2013, 16:22
hulakula
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Welcome Captain Obvious and it's great to see you again Zeebra . thank you for the link wonkey, Luke seems so much more confident now than he was then.
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Old 31-03-2013, 19:38
zeebra
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Hi hula - this is a fleeting visit from me, as I've pretty much not bothered with DS for so long now that I don't miss it at all. I never thought I would be saying that, but the nastiness of last year was so bad that I don't want to find myself involved in anything like that again.
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Old 31-03-2013, 19:56
hulakula
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I understand and don't blame but it's still nice to hear from you even if it is only in passing .
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Old 01-04-2013, 19:41
CaptainObvious_
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Hi CaptainObvious. Wonkeydonkey told me that you were posting here so I thought I would drop by and introduce myself.

I'm the mum of a young trans man who is now 2 years into transition, and am fully aware of the emotional trauma you guys endure. If you would like to talk to me privately please PM me and I'll do my best to help you. xx
thank you, I may take you up on that offer at some point Your son is lucky to have such a supportive parent!

Welcome Captain Obvious and it's great to see you again Zeebra . thank you for the link wonkey, Luke seems so much more confident now than he was then.
Luke was over 25 when he started his transition (though he says he wishes he had done it earlier). I hope things go ok for you. Families can be lovely or scary or both at once.
ta mates
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Old 16-04-2013, 08:00
Noisy Oyster
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There's a very interesting thread running in the main forum at the moment. If anyone wants to contribute please feel free. It would be nice for the people who have contributed to this appreciation thread to give their views on it so, if anyone who reads this has anything to say on the matter please do so.
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Old 16-04-2013, 09:41
jeanoj
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There's a very interesting thread running in the main forum at the moment. If anyone wants to contribute please feel free. It would be nice for the people who have contributed to this appreciation thread to give their views on it so, if anyone who reads this has anything to say on the matter please do so.
I have been reading the thread and it is nice to see so many supportive posts. I was extremely surprised to read though, that 500 people were "culled" from the FB group. As I rarely post there, I guess I was one of the lucky ones who went under their radar!!
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Old 16-04-2013, 11:04
ValW
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Sadly the thread's been locked now. Oh well I think we'd already made all the main points. I want to thank everyone for their candidness on there. I know those posts weren't made without a lot of soul searching.
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Old 16-04-2013, 13:56
Veri
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It's frustrating when a thread is closed with no explanation. At least it wasn't deleted.

Anyway, if people who like Luke want to discuss him in a place that has professional moderation, this appreciation thread might be suitable.
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Old 16-04-2013, 14:55
hulakula
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It was probably locked because it was going a bit off topic.

In other news Luke came a close third in the Big Brother 2012 popularity contest, with Adam coming first and Deana in second place:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showt...1817196&page=3
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Old 16-04-2013, 15:39
Veri
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It was probably locked because it was going a bit off topic. ....
Hmm. It was talking about things that affected people's attitude to Luke A now, which was the subject of the thread.
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Old 16-04-2013, 16:03
hulakula
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Hmm. It was talking about things that affected people's attitude to Luke A now, which was the subject of the thread.
Yes that's true, I'm not sure why it was locked.
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Old 16-04-2013, 17:47
Noisy Oyster
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It's very frustrating because there is a lady who wanted to post and who had some very interesting points to make. There is no doubt that all the things discussed are still having an effect on the way people view Luke. The people who post on this appreciation thread can generally separate his actions from those of the people who surround him and apportion blame accordingly, unfortunately a lot of people can't and his reputation is suffering a lot of unfair damage in the process.
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