LGBT Groups Deem Transgender Beer Not ‘Diverse’ Enough, ‘Inflammatory’

[rangerrebew]

LGBT Groups Deem Transgender Beer Not ‘Diverse’ Enough, ‘Inflammatory’

(CNSNews.com) – Brewdog, a Scottish craft beer company, announced their launch of a “non-binary, postgender beer” last week, which they called “No Label.” While the label was created in partnership with an LGBT group, the beer has stirred up controversy with some in the LGBT community, who claim that it “undermines” the diversity of the trans community.

“No Label is the world’s first ‘non-binary, postgender beer’ designed to reflect the diversity of the area and champion inclusivity,” according to Brewdog’s website [1].

“This 4.6% ABV Kölsch has been brewed with hops that have changed sex from female to male flowers prior to harvest. We have used these to emphasise that, just like humans, beer can be whatever the hell it wants to be, and proud of it,” it stated.

The announcement also stated that the beer was created in partnership with “LGBTQI+ events organisers Queerest of the Queer [2]; an organization that celebrates the diversity and talent of the LGBTQI+ community. We are donating all profits from the sale of No Label to Queerest of the Queer to in turn support charities aiding transgender youth communities.”

However, some in the LGBT community are protesting the beer.

The LGBT advocacy group Stonewall told [3] the UK’s Independent: “While it’s encouraging to see BrewDog raising money for trans youth communities, and we like the ‘No Label’ concept, we’re concerned about the language. The trans community is diverse - many trans people do not transition, or identify with binary genders, and BrewDog’s language undermines that."

“I would have thought that it might if anything be considered somewhat inflammatory,” Trans film-maker Jake Graf told [4] the Huffington Post UK of the beer’s debut.

"The Jester hops that change sex might be perceived as making a mockery of what is a rather sensitive subject for many people too,” he said. “I would say possibly a rather misguided attempt at waving the white flag, that I can almost guarantee will be met with disdain from the community. Once again it's making light of an all too serious matter."

Brewdog also came under fire on Twitter with some users calling it “insulting [5]” and complaining that it “feels like you’re mocking us [6].”

The new beer comes just months after Brewdog came under fire for an advertisement that some labeled ‘transphobic.’

The advertisement [7] features founders James Watt and Martin Dickie asking viewers not to force them into any humiliating experiences, showing a segment in which they are dressed as female sex workers.
Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/lauretta-brown/lgbt-groups-deem-transgender-beer-not-diverse-enough-inflammatory

[rangerrebew]

New App Helps Transgender, ‘Gender Nonconforming Individuals’ Find Restrooms

(CNSNews.com) – A new website is offering an app to help transgender and other “gender nonconforming individuals” find “safe restroom access” across the United States of America.

Refugerestrooms.org [1] was created to replace the now defunct website, Safe2Pee, according to its website [2].

“REFUGE is a web application that seeks to provide safe restroom access for transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming individuals,” the “website stated. “When the Safe2Pee website passed out of functionality it left a hole in our hearts.

“REFUGE picks up the torch where Safe2Pee left off and makes the valuable resource available to those who find themselves in need of a place to pee safely once again,” it stated. “Users can search for restrooms by proximity to a search location, add new restroom listings, as well as comment and rate existing listings.

“We seek to create a community focused not only on finding existing safe restroom access but also looking forward [sic] and participating in restroom advocacy for transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming folk,” the website stated.

The website is linked to a New York Times article [3] published on Nov. 5 that states access to bathrooms is the “latest civil rights issue” for the homosexual rights movement.

“With the issues of serving openly in the military and same-sex marriage now largely resolved, the fight for all-gender restrooms has emerged as the latest civil rights issue in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (L.G.B.T.) community — particularly the “T” part,” The Times reported.

The article points out that many cities have passed ordinances requiring “single-user, all-gender” bathrooms, including Philadelphia, which has launched an online “Gotta Go Guide” website [4] to help locate these facilities.

The Times also states that schools and universities, including Johns Hopkins and Michigan State, are following suit. Even the Obama administration has joined the movement by putting a “gender neutral” bathroom [5] in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House last spring.

The Refuge Restroom website stated, “everybody has the right to use the restroom in safety.”

“We firmly believe that everybody has the right to use the restroom in safety and we wanted the name of our application to have a little of same dignity [sic] we want to give our users,” the website stated. “Quite simply, we hope to provide a place of refuge in your time of need.”

The site seeks donations, citing that most of the people running the website are transgender or “underemployed.”

“Donate,” the website stated. “Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming crowd funding campaign to fund some of the technology we need to use as well as to pay our fabulous designers and engineers a little bit of money for their hard and tireless work.

“They have been working for free to bring this service to you and we don't want anybody to work for free,” the website stated. “Most of the core team are transgender and underemployed at this time.”
Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/new-app-helps-transgender-gender-nonconforming-individuals-find-restrooms