In the news

what does mildmay refer to?

A charity hospital that supported HIV victims in the early stages of the outbreaks in the UK.

Maybe if they were siblings it would be better for the magas?

Apparently the Kansas City thing wasn't an attempt at a mass shooting. It was just kids arguing with each other. https://archive.ph/RFgE6 All the people shot were just caught in the crossfire.

If only there was some way to stop it happening

They’ve got the answer, more guns

Don't be silly, it's thoughts and prayers.

Obligatory: https://www.theonion.com/no-way-to-prevent-this-says-only-nation-where-this-r-1848971668

An old acquaintance said the following and I think he has a very good point:

Regardless of how fantastic the work of the Mildmay has been over the years and how respected it may be, to honour the LGBTQ community by naming a train line after a hospital known for its HIV/AIDS work is, well, like, didn’t we do lots of work to stop AIDS being called a gay disease? Is there no other way to celebrate us beyond linking us with disease again?

Yeah, put like that it’s not great.

That wouldn’t be great. The BBC article didn’t mention LGBTQ, only HIV/AIDS. Did TFL say it is to honour the LGBTQ community?

I think you're right and TfL aren't presenting it like that (which is good). But simultaneously it doesn't really matter how TfL position it, this is LGBTQ history, whether we like it or not. To give you an indication of how it's seen within the community:
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/15/the-london-overground-lines-have-been-renamed-and-one-line-honours-a-piece-of-lgbtq-history/#:~:text=The%20line%2C%20which%20runs%20between,AIDS%20crisis%20in%20the%201980s.

You could argue that his perspective is negative but he's older than me so, basically, he was there. Luckily for me the HIV and AIDS epidemic isn't something I experienced. So to a degree I don't feel qualified to make this judgement, but there's also an element of "Why can't we have nice things named after us?", or rather why can't we give a nice thing a name which celebrates something positive about LGBTQ people. Call a line after an inspirational LGBTQ person or something. Although I realise the names don't work like that. I dunno.

Interesting context, thank you.

I have no view either way and I’m also too young to have been affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and I’m not LGBTQ. It’s just I hadn’t particularly thought of it (the naming of the line) as relating to LGBTQ, because I read it as honouring an HIV/AIDS pioneering hospital, and then just … didn’t think in more detail!

What more positive things could be renamed? I thought name the West Midland Railway the Turing Line (through Bletchley) but that could be seen as honouring him for a tragedy (his suicide) not a triumph (his life).

So, bearing in mind that we have gone into recession (an actual recession, bit just a technical one), The Times front page headline today is "Business Fears Cost of New Labour Laws".

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/russian-activist-and-putin-critic-alexei-navalny-dies-in-prison

Both expected and shocking in equal measure. Can't wait for nothing to be done about it.

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Hero. Gave his life for his beliefs, returning to Russia knowing his fate.

A Bow Street bastard?

Well, that’s one way to stay in No.10 I suppose..

returning to Russia

Can't help think that wasn't a great move tbh.

Finger prints all over it 🙄

He's less concerned about how dangerous the knife is than how small it might make him look.