It's the end of March 2023, and this year has felt pretty relentless so far in terms of terrible news stories impacting the most marginalised in society over and over and over again. So we felt like it was time to remind ourselves of some of the wonderful things which are happening in the world. Here are our (Inclusion) Reasons to be Cheerful:
Tasmania speaks out for Trans Rights
A demonstration led by an anti-transgender rights organisation on Parliament Lawns in Tasmania was significantly overshadowed by a large number of counter-protesters from Tasmania’s LGBTQI+ community and their allies.
Outnumbering their opposition by a ratio of ten-to-one, the counter-protesters effectively silenced the smaller group, driving them back to the steps of parliament and overpowering their speeches with loud chants.
You can read the full article here and please enjoy this delicious cartoon from the Tasmania Mercury, brought to our attention by our own wonderful Cheryl...
London lights up for Ramadan
For the first time ever, the UK's capital city will host a light display in Piccadilly Circus for the whole of Ramadan. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, spoke of his joy at the switch-on, and an article in Time Out observed: "We’re used to Christmas in London seeing swathers of lights everywhere from Oxford Street to Kew Gardens. And, arguably, as the spring evenings lengthen, light displays become less and less spectacular. But maybe this glimmer of positivity is just what we need in the current gloom." We couldn't agree more!
Discovering Henry J Garrett
One of our gorgeous followers alerted us to the amazing Henry J Garrett on Instagram - his sketches are beautiful, funny and on-point in terms of messaging about discrimination. Go check him out on Instagram - you won't regret it!
Lego continues to be wonderful
I mean the headline is almost enough in itself. Anyone who has ever witnessed a child immersed in the infallible Danish toy knows just how wonderful it is (in fact, Duplo is responsible for entertaining the 20 month old daughter of one of our team members on a 24 hour flight - thereby earning her eternal gratitude!). Lego really is the gift which keeps giving, with its latest collection casually revealing a whole bunch of new characters with differing skin tones, and disabilities. The full report is in this article from Disability Scoop and if you needed any more joy, this lovely article shows the response from a lego fan with a limb difference.
Trekmates develop the first ever weatherproof Hijab and Niqab
Given recent research showing how many women feel excluded from sport and physical activity, it's so lovely to see some good news about an outdoors brand creating a product which makes it easier for Muslim women to participate in outdoor activities. The Amira Collection has has been designed to thrive in different trekking conditions, using lightweight and durable waterproof, windproof and breathable technologies to keep the wearer warm and dry in any challenging condition.
What are your good news stories? We'd love to hear from you - why not get in touch? hello@anewnormal.co