12 cups. Cups, milk and sugar included.
3 scrambled eggs with potato, bacon, sausage, ham and cheese on a hero.
3 egg whites, spinach, turkey, tomato and Swiss cheese on a wheat roll.
Egg, onions, peppers, jalapenos and salsa.
2 eggs any style, any meat, choice of side and toast.
Made with two eggs and served on choice of bread with choice of Boar's Head meat.
Made with two eggs and served on choice of bread.
Served with choice of home fries or hash brown patty and choice of toast.
2 eggs, bacon, sausage and home fries with choice of side.
Choose of 2 veggie, 1 meat and 1 cheese.
Choice of side with toast.
Made with granola and fresh fruit.
Low fat vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit.
Served with fresh fruit and brown sugar.
Mixed greens with tomato, onion, carrots and cucumber.
Romaine lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and avocado and croutons.
Spinach, avocado, almonds, strawberries and Gorgonzola cheese.
Spinach, tomato, mozzarella and roasted peppers.
Mixed greens, apples, walnuts, goat cheese, raisins and dried cranberries.
Romaine, tomato, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, feta, olives and hard-boiled eggs.
Mixed garden with rolled ham, turkey and Swiss.
Call for choice of three daily soups.
Iceberg, avocado, egg white, tomatoes and almonds.
Romaine. mesclum spinach, iceberg. Choice of toppings.
Grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and pesto.
Roast beef, Swiss cheese, onion rings and horseradish mayo.
Served with choice of meat, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut with choice of sauce.
Fried eggplant, sun-dried tomato, fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar.
Grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella and broccoli rabe and balsamic vinegar.
Chicken cutlet, crispy bacon and cheddar cheese with ranch dressing.
Grilled eggplant, peppers, carrots, portobello, mushrooms and fresh mozzarella.
Chicken salad, melted American, bacon and honey mustard.
Buffalo grilled chicken with pepper jack, avocado and chipotle mayo.
Our oven roasted turkey breast with cranberry, mashed potato, gravy and stuffing .
Grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, croutons and Parmesan cheese with Caesar dressing. Served on choice of wrap.
Ham, turkey, roast beef, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Served on choice of wrap.
Turkey, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. Choice of wrap.
Marinated portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, grilled red onions, mixed greens with balsamic and goat cheese.
Pepper turkey, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and spicy mustard. Served on choice of wrap.
Chicken cutlet, fresh mozzarella, hot cherry peppers and balsamic vinegar. Served on choice of wrap.
Chicken salad with cranberries, scallions, raisins, celery and mayo. Choice of wrap.
Prosciutto, fried eggplant, fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers. Choice of wrap.
Healthy tuna with lacy Swiss and roasted peppers. Choice of wrap.
Teriyaki chicken, avocado, mixed greens, tomatoes and red onions. Choice of wrap.
Crispy Buffalo chicken tenders, celery, tomatoes, chopped and tossed with blue cheese. Choice of wrap.
Our oven roasted turkey breast, tomatoes, avocado, spinach and lemon garlic aioli. Choice of wrap.
Fried or grilled eggplant, peppers, carrots, portobello mushrooms and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinegar. Served on choice of wrap.
Chicken cutlet, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers.
Ham, prosciutto, capicola, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, olive oil, vinegar and oregano.
Grilled roast beef, white American cheese, onions and mushrooms.
Chicken cutlet, pepper jack cheese, bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes and ranch.
Chicken cutlet, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo on pressed ciabatta.
Half steak, half chicken, sauteed onions, bacon, peppers, provolone and chipotle mayo.
Grilled roast beef, Swiss cheese, onions and mushrooms.
Grilled eggplant, feta, tomato and spinach.
Sliced buffalo chicken, curly fries, avocado, bacon, mayo and ketchup.
Chicken cutlet, provolone, bruschetta and pesto salad.
Chicken cutlet, bacon, egg, cheese, hash brown and hot sauce.
Chicken cutlet, pepper jack cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo.
Grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, spinach and Swiss with Cajun mayo on club roll.
Grilled ham, roast beef, turkey with sauteed onions and melted American cheese on toasted garlic hero.
Served with grilled onions, mushrooms, roasted and bell peppers and provolone cheese.
Served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, Swiss and ranch dressing.
BBQ mayo, grilled pickles, onion rings, lettuce and cheddar cheese.
Sauteed red onions and mushrooms with spinach and Swiss cheese.
With spinach, onion, feta and tomato.
With avocado, mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes.
Bacon, cheddar, onion rings and BBQ sauce.
Grilled chicken, melted mozzarella cheese, avocado and chipotle mayo. Served with side of salsa and sour cream.


I just sat there quietly staring at that little "Add Friend" icon.
I had just jumped over to a friend's page only to discovered I had recently been "Unfriended". And I was sad.
Why was it asking me if I wanted to be her friend? I AM her friend. Well, I guess I was her friend. And now this stupid little icon is telling me I'm not. In fact, it's screaming to all of our mutual friends that we are not. Upon seeing that belligerent little button on her wall, my emotional state went from "excited to pop over and say hi" to "I must be like the gum stuck to the bottom of one's shoe. Still stuck on a person, but able to be stepped on, scraped off, and thrown away." I had been downgraded. Demoted. Unfriended. And what's worse? I didn't even know why.
My mind raced over all of our past conversations as I wrestled to figure out if I had said anything offensive. Or could anything I have said even been interpreted as offensive. Cause you know women, we can interpret all sorts of wrong things. But shoot, that could be anything. I am a little Jesus-freaky. And I don't always get it right. In fact, let's just all agree and safely say I rarely get it right. And I never actually call anyone. Well, mostly never. And I'm not much on the going out to lunch thing. I just sorta like being around my family. And my Bible study girls. And anything ministry related that doesn't involve calling anyone or meeting for lunch. Because, well you know, like I said - not exactly a fan of those things. (I CAN however text the letters right off a phone - just so ya know. I'm not totally incommunicable. Just saying.) But I was convinced it had to be my fault. After all, I couldn't remember anything she had done to offend me. Blast it, I was aggravated with a side dose of hurt.
So here I was. Agonizing over what to do. I certainly couldn't click on the "Add Friend" button. I mean she would figure out that I 'now knew' that she had Unfriended me and well, and that would just be all sorts of embarrassing. For both of us. Especially considering I had no idea what had happened to trigger such a demotion. Oh man - and then what if I did click on it and then she might message back something like "We need to talk." Oh THAT'S THE WORST! (Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.) And gosh, I didn't want to embarrass her. Nor did I want to expose my own vast insecurities. So in a world where our self esteem is now wrapped up in "Likes and Shares", I did what any 40 something woman would do. I just stared at it. And it stared back.
And then it hit me. Why in the world would I give that button so much control over my emotional well being? Why did I allow a person having "Unfriended" me control what I thought of myself or who I am becoming? In truth, I'm confident that lots of people would like to "Unfriend" me. Shoot - there are days I want to "Unfriend" my own darn self. Not everyone is going to agree with me. Not everyone is going to think like I think. I get it. And it's ok. For real though. It's.OK.
But what I didn't want to have happen was to have bitterness rise up in me. Because that's what happens you know. Our sick and twisted little insecurities creep up and play mind games with us. They lie and bring about a hardening of our hearts that will ultimately affect all of our friendships. "You don't like me? Really? Well, let me tell you sister, I never liked you...MORE!" Which of course, wouldn't be true. But it's a lie we would believe to make ourselves feel less vulnerable. And then of course it deteriorates from there. Because we're women. No. Because we're human. And we're great at lying to ourselves. Masters of it actually. And deep down....deep, deeeeeep down...we want to be liked. We were made for community and as such, a desire to be liked. So that whole "Unfriending" thing? Admittedly, it stings a little. For all of us.
As I slowly chose to click away from her page and praying over how best to handle my mangled emotions, I began to think of how grateful for a God who is known as a "Friend" to others. And not just to others. But to sinners specifically (Matt. 11:19). People like me. People who fail other people unintentionally all.day.long. A God who doesn't allow for His popularity to be based on how many people "Like" Him. Or "Share" a meme with something really crazy wonderful that He said. I'm grateful He's a God whose confidence is not found in man's approval. A God who calls us to be like Him - even in matters like these. And friends, just like He began to remind me, even now I am reminding you - the moments when we find ourselves rejected by others, we can know that we are not rejected by Him. And He's who matters the most. In all our imperfections, in all of our failures, in all of our shortcomings, we are accepted by Him. A friend to Him. Loved by Him. And yes, even LIKED by Him.
In the end friends, it is in Him we find our true acceptance. HIS acceptance nullifies the rejection by the world. He is my friend and I am His. Even now I can hear Him calling for you to be His friend too!


The NEFE24-0516GRW Cinema Glass Series Electric Fireplace with Whitney Mantel by Napoleon provides a beautiful fireplace insert option to give a boost to your favorite indoor living space. The unique Whitney fireplace mantel offers a up to date fireplace surround to house the 24 inch Cinema Series electric fireplace. The elegant grey wash finish enhances the overall appearance at the same time as the brushed aluminum accents, smoke tempered glass doors and top, and the semi gloss finish combine to create a one among a kind fireplace unit. The flush mount design allows for an absolutely recessed installation for a up to date built in finish. The enhanced ember bed accents the topaz glass set for a brand new flame appearance at the same time as the exclusive Night Light⢠backlighting offers (4) unique color settings for an enhanced ambience. The fireplace features a 5,000 BTU heater that plugs into a regular 120V household outlet to operate and doesn't require any special venting at the same time as the front facing heat vents allow this unit to be built in near combustibles. Each and every component of the fireplace may also be operated remotely with the included remote regulate unit for added convenience, including flame intensity adjustment and thermostatic regulate. Switch from a traditional gas or wood fireplace and enjoy the cost savings and convenience provided by an electrically powered fireplace – perfect for remodeling or new construction.


text:
Ronda Rousey working to become 'the female Rock'
Prior to her blistering 16-second TKO win over Alexis Davis at UFC 175, UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey sat down with the Hollywood Reporter to lay out her plan on becoming a true female action star.
I never thought that being an action movie star was in the cards for me, said Rousey. My agent, [WME's] Brad Slater, kept telling me, You're going to be the female Rock. Then I started to believe it could be a reality. I don't half-ass anything. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it to be the best in the world at it. A lot of actresses appear in action movies, but there aren't any female action stars. I love Angelina Jolie, but … it's about believability for me. Milla Jovovich is one of my favorite actresses — The Fifth Element really opened my eyes, and the Resident Evil franchise was amazing. So definitely a mix of Milla Jovovich and The Rock is what I'm going for. People love chick fights. They love tough, empowered women. And there is a demand. People just don't know it.
With roles in Expendables 3, Fast Furious 7 and Entourage, Rousey could be on a collision course with another fighter turned actress. UFC president Dana White has made it clear he intends on bringing former star Gina Carano back into the fight game to book the biggest women's MMA bout in history against Rousey.
Rousey underwent a knee scope Tuesday, but also suffered a broken a thumb in her bout on Jul. 5 against Davis. According to Rousey, neither injury would hinder a year-end bout with Carano if the fight could be booked.
http://www.mmafighting.com
2014/07/20 -- Nathan Cleverly wants to dish out another defeat to Tony Bellew
Nathan Cleverly has vowed to inflict another defeat on bitter rival Tony Bellew, but first he must get past Alej...
2014/07/19 -- Rustam Nugaev to fight Shafikov
Russian lightweights Rustam Nugaev and Denis Shafikov will meet in a world title eliminator in the main event of...
2014/07/20 -- Tapology Gives Insight To The Early Odds Of The Upcoming Legacy FC 30 Event
In just a few short weeks, the Legacy FC promotion will travel for the very first time to New Mexico where they ...
2014/07/20 -- AWE TV picks up Fury-Chisora grudge match
The July 26 heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury (22-0 16 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (20-4, 13 KOs) at the Phones 4...
2014/11/04 -- Standing Room Only at Freestyle Combat Challenge 9
Racine, WI. The new year in mixed martial arts was, for the second year, brought in with a standing room only cr...
2014/07/20 -- Willie Nelson opponent named: Luis Grajeda
On August 8, DiBella Entertainment and Dynasty Boxing, in association with Rumble Time Promotions, will head to ...
2014/07/20 -- Hawaii's Rumble On The Rock: The Tournament That Carlos Condit Could Have Fought Anderson Silva
The time was late-January of 2006 and a Hawaiian promotion was about to start a tournament that included one of ...
2014/07/04 -- Fightzone Finishing The Year With A Bang
Toledo, OH. Dave and Lori Gomez have consistently proved that their abilities to market mixed martial arts to th...
George Groves targets world championship title before the end of the year Hawaii's Rumble On The Rock: The Tournament That Carlos Condit Could Have Fought Anderson Silva

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Discounted Books and Free Stories!
But I'd be remiss if I didn't share some good news with you guys! First, Dreamspinner Press is having a 25% off sale on everything in the store from now until Monday, April 20th. But even better, for the rest of April, Dreamspinner is selling all in-stock paperbacks at 50% off! My DSP page is here, if you are interested in big savings!
Looking for a great beach read? For a limited time only, A Summer Fling is free at Amazon and Barnes and Noble! In A Summer Fling,Daniel falls hard for a guest staying at the hotel where he works. Ryan McFarland is working frantically to finish his latest novel and shouldn't be distracted. The attraction, however, is mutual, and all too quickly their time together passes. At the end of the week, will this have been just another summer fling?
Bite the Dust is a short story based on one of Ryan McFarland's characters, the enigmatic and deadly vampire detective, Mikhail Frost.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged announcements, contemporary romance, discounts, Dreamspinner Press, free read, gay romance, M/M romance, paranormal, Sarah Madison, vampires, writing by Sarah Madison. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Investor moves on from Boulevard Mall after major redevelopment
By: KTNV Staff
The investor who brought the Las Vegas valley's largest movie theater screen, escape rooms, and other developments to the Boulevard Mall says it's time to "move on" and let future investors take the mall to the next level.
Roland Sansone, president and founder of Sansone Companies, purchased the Boulevard Mall in 2013 for $54.5 million.
Sansone Companies spent years redeveloping the mall, moving away from the traditional retail model and transforming it into an entertainment complex.
The mall now houses escape rooms and a 3D trick art museum at HeadzUP, and the valley's largest movie theater screen at Galaxy Theatres Luxury+ Boulevard.
There is also one of the valley's largest Goodwill stores and an Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance.


text:
How to Join the BCPSG
Application Form (PDF)
More about the BCPSG
Renew Membership Online
Recent Journals
BCPSG Major Awards
E-mail Addresses of Officers and Members
Welcome to the official home page of the British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group (BCPSG). Whether you are a current member of the Group or a visitor interested in British West Indies philately, we invite you to explore the site.
On our web site you will find information regarding our area of specialization, basic information about our Society, a membership application form and contact information.
The countries listed below are the British Caribbean, but in addition we are also interested Maritime Mail and British Post Offices in and around the Caribbean.
Belize (British Honduras)
Cayman Is.
Guyana (British Guiana)
Turks & Caicos Is.
This site is organized according to the Table of Contents to the left. Click on any one of the links and you will be taken to that page.
The entire contents of this site and its subsidiary pages are copyright 2015 British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group. All rights reserved. Any part of the official BCPSG home page and/or its subsidiary pages may be copied and used, provided the source is acknowledged and cited in full.


Dakar, Senegal during February 1999.
organization as well as the symposium.
fees), and two major motions concluded the meeting.
as exhibitions, publications, and multilateral partnerships.
resolutions made during the Board Meeting.
the web, and branching out to other kinds of representation and traditions.
season for it! We will follow the developments with you.
nature of the relationship between the arts and technology.
ISEA symposium, as it is known, will be biannual from 1998.
accordance with the revised guidelines.
approval by the HQ to the Board.
ensure the continued smooth operation of the HQ.
calendar of events on the ISEA website. This calendar will be updated weekly.
will continue to be sent exclusively to ISEA members through the INL.
visuals. We encourage you to add your artwork to this showcase for members.
Contact ISEA HQ for a user's guide.
survey will give you the chance to win a year's subscription to Mute magazine !
Sue Gollifer, and Annette Weintraub.
1, from 5 - 8 pm.
appear, mirror-like, as pools of plasticity scattered in a frozen ocean of color.
sudden violence on the street.
getting down to work, pigeons on the pavement like touches of the brush.
tactile qualities of drawing, printmaking and collage in a multi-layered process.
complementary subsidies from the Agence de la Francophonie.
quickly as the host organization in Dakar.
and an exhausting but positive experience for the leaders!
press conference, and a    public demonstration of the web art projects.
was, from the beginning, quite inexperienced with   digital media.
ideas and technology from elsewhere.
quebecoise in Montreal in tandem with the Vues d'Afrique Film Festival.
cancelled: we hope this snag is only a postponement until next year.
up-dates and reports on the sessions.
to the development of new communication and creation technologies in Africa.
and social impacts of the networking of Africa.
Digital and electronic technologies as creation tools and conceptual relays.
flowing bits of data through phone lines that is then translated back into audio.
addresses a completely new set of tastes and expectations.
topologies, loops, stars,rings, clusters, and pyramids."
content to make up for the loss.
college/community stations that we've held as bastions of counterculture.
archived in realaudio and there is even an occasional presentation in realvideo.
drive and copied over to the player.
and player that is used away from the computer, and the list goes on ad libitum.
system into a real communication apparatus.
Conference on Tactical Communications Culture held in Amsterdam this past March.
the Paradiso Theatre, De Balie, and De Waag-Society for the Old and New Media.
(Cyberfeminist International and Insular Technologies).
warehouse squat serviced by the coolest red chrome 50s shuttle bus I've ever seen)?
planned only in the *last* five minutes.
advance the discussion at hand beyond introductions and surface commentary.
that there can only be radical *decisions* in using software.
denationalizing" of all kinds of state structures and organizational capacities.
many ways, only a snapshot of lively and continuing discourse.
moment, B92 continues its broadcast streaming via the Amsterdam server xs4all.
techniques or the latest technology of electronic image.
traditional film techniques or the     latest  technology of electronic image.
completed in Croatian or  English, along with supporting documentation.
value, cultural exchange only. Please allow ONLY ONE item per tape.
PREVIEW TAPES & DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
for competition (or other programmes), the international juries will award prizes.
procedures for transporting screening copies.
conditions. Transport of the copies is at the risk of the sender.
otherwise). The cost of return shipment will, as a rule, be paid by the Festival.
promotional reasons, or in Festival's catalogue.
where the entry form can be downloaded, completed and sent back.
environment ensuring top of the line screening and reception quality.
sections: features; short and medium-length films and videos; and new media.
of cinema, video and new media.
documents will not be returned.
and white, horizontal format); aphoto of the director; payment of the entry fee.
that cheques are not accepted).
for the press bureau;   one Betacam SP NTSC video tape of excerpts (for television).
"FILM / VIDEO / MULTIMEDIA FOR FESTIVAL PURPOSES ONLY - NO COMMERCIAL VALUE"
18, 1999. Outfest is seeking short and long feature35mm, 16mm, et vidéos.
soon as possible after winter 98-99.
(support screen arts, join dLux now! AUS$30).
- Australian entries: personal cheque, bank cheque or money order.
although, just using technology is not sufficient enough to generate new ideas.
d'émergences is the place of those attitudes.
communicate with us and send their proposal right away.
animac welcomes submissions of films that   animators wish to present.
tool, an instrument, and a medium for the artist.
keeping with the expansion of the category as well.
work may be entered per participant.
you to please fill out a separate entry form.
Electronica, Sound & Media, Computer Compositions.
one piece, which has been created/realized within the last three years.
performances, audio/visual habitats, etc as a video document (VHS 3-10 minute).
elements explore in the whole piece.
artists fee of $10,000 plus travel and lodging money.
studies often disregard these results in their arguments and final statements.
and indifferent as a method of research?
with the intention to raise issues about the archaeological image of our present.
about the close of 20th century?
uncovered for the BEST VIDEO ARCHAEOLOGISTS.
TransHudson Gallery, New York/US, FACT, Liverpool/UK.
Arts/Sofia, USIA American Center, Sofia, National Archaeology Museum/Sofia.
the Arts/Sofia, Trust for Mutual Understanding/New York.
linear editing and custom software.
Deadline is ongoing as screenings are ongoing.
the countries of the former Soviet Union.
take place at Cimelice Castle during May.
leads to a neighboring castle in Rakovice.
through with permission of the owner.
international artists working in visual, performing andliterary arts.
Experimental as well as interdisciplinary approaches will be encouraged.
UNESCO-ASCHBERG bursary covers all expenses.
residency. For the UNESCO-ASCHBERG bursary use their application form.
the arts and discover the amazing world of Sound.
address scanned in at least 600dpi in either JPEG or TIFF format.
<http://www.sound.nf.ca/2000/2000_application.html>  in the provided space.
The non-refundable application fee of $25.00 must accompany your application.
On the outside front of the envelope please write the word "Application."
marked)! Any late arrivals will be returned to you unopened!
Please comply with above outline, otherwise we may not consider your application.
the programme still exists. This is a preliminary programme.
Contemporary city: Between   architectural project and   informational net.
infrastructure which comes into actualization again and again can be found.
- What will the  millennium city be like?
energy, communications, mass media) and brand new information technologies?
to some local hierarchies, the new zonal division of the city will be conducted?
New values in the situation of the global order disintegration.
the masses. The threat of informational collapse.
the real. Socio-symbolic relations and identification.
1) The algorithms of the city formation and development.
2) Contemporary order  mirrored by megapolis.
3) The figures of communication in the informational environment.
4) Virtualization and memorialization of the city landscape.
5) City as an artistic action/provocation/experiment.
- staircases, roofs and other premises of Pushkinskaya 10.
connected to what is at stake in contemporary culture!
spaces and urban issues. Entries are welcome from now on!
leading forms of documentary reflections of architecture and urban spaces.
aided spatial analysis and present new designs and projects.
Greg Lynn, Winy Maas and Toyo Ito.
within the scope of the European Coordination of Film Festivals (ECFF).
experimental contributions to applied urbanity.
Entry form for the International Competition available on line!
might be interested or could help spread word of this residency program.
mind, befuddlement for conspiracists, personal highlights and urban low-lights.
envy the capacity to make a strong point with 200 words!
based mail is just as good. Currently we are not able to pay contributors.
Every contributor will receive ten copies of Crash Media.
middle of March 99. Printed on tabloid paper, each issue has a print run of 5,000.
issue normally consists of 12 pages.
conference in amsterdam. thanks a lot and keep it real!
Media on-line will beselectively reprinted in the next issue.
"ZAYAC" - Zine About Young Art  Culture.
short texts related to Macedonian and International exhibiting activity.
Magazine withcontributions, donations, ideas, reflections and projects of yours.
not later than 25th of every month.
- Public Art, Sculpture, Glass and New Media Art (NOT including Virtual Reality).
Closing date for applications: 20th April 1999.
Available in the Winter semester 1999/2000 or later.
integration of digital and conventional media from conceptual points of view.
integrate three dimensional platforms in interactive media projects.
of which must have been completed outside of applicant's academic studies.
Providing otherwise equal qualifications, handicapped people are preferred.
president of the FACHHOCHSCHULE AUGSBURG before 19 June 1998.
1999 SEEKING ANIMATION/3D VISUALIZATION. FULL-TIME,TENURE-TRACK, RANK OPEN.
technology, film, video, sound, painting, sculpture, etc. AA.EOE.WMA.
knowledge and enthusiasmfor contemporary media practice.
the new Clinical Services building at Chailey Heritage in East Sussex.
severe, complex and multiple physical disabilities.
equipment and techniques to meet the groups special needs.
necessary and there is a budget for purchasing equipment for the project.
Applications from artists with disabilities are particularly welcome.


text:
Britain changes tack in its treatment of trans-identifying children
It may not be in time to prevent lawsuits
Britain | Body of evidence
Is Britain tiptoeing away from a medical scandal? Until recently, many gender specialists in the National Health Service (NHS) treated trans-identifying children by broadly following an "affirmative" approach which accepts patients' self-diagnosis as the starting-point for treatment. That can mean the prescription of puberty blockers from early adolescence, followed by cross-sex hormones.
But Britain now appears to be changing tack. Next spring the NHS will close its specialist youth gender-identity clinic in England, the Gender and Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock foundation trust in London. It will be replaced by eight regional centres in which gender services will be integrated with other mental-health services. That is partly because GIDS had long waiting lists. But it also reflects concerns that in the hurry to affirm gender identity, other conditions were ignored. Children with gender dysphoria often experience comorbidities, including autism, depression and eating disorders.
The impetus for the closure of GIDS was a review by Hilary Cass, a former head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Her interim report, published in February, said there was too little known about the effects of blockers, which prevent the development of secondary sexual characteristics. Dr Cass also warned that "social transition"—when a person changes their name and clothing to fit with their gender identity—is no "neutral act" but can effect "psychological functioning".
Dr Cass's report seems to have prompted the NHS to rethink its wider approach to gender ideology— which holds that gender identity is as important as biological sex. The affirmation model is predicated on the idea that being trans, like being gay, is innate. Yet in draft guidelines published in October the NHS cautioned that in children "gender incongruence...may be a transient phase". This suggests that prescribing blockers to some children may have harmed them. The vast majority who take blockers proceed to cross-sex hormones; this combination can lead to sterility and an inability to reach orgasm. It is unclear when the guidelines, which could be altered, will come into effect.
Beyond the NHS, too, things are changing. This month a group of education organisations published guidance on "provision for transgender pupils". Apparently aimed in part at protecting schools from lawsuits, it warns that making all toilets open to both biological sexes can raise safeguarding concerns and that requiring a pupil to sleep or undress "in the presence of members of the other sex" could break equality law. Its straightforward, scientific language stands in contrast to literature and training produced for schools by Mermaids, an activist charity which is also coming under increasing fire.
The Charity Commission has launched a "regulatory compliance case" over Mermaids following reports it has promoted the use of chest binders to girls (who identify as boys) without their parents' knowledge. Separately, a trustee of Mermaids resigned after he was found to have attended a conference for a group that supports paedophiles; a "digital engagement officer" employed by the charity was later discovered to have posted explicit photographs of himself dressed as a schoolgirl. Such revelations can be particularly distressing for trans people. Some say they fear a backlash against extreme trans activism will provoke discrimination against them.
The way politicians speak about gender ideology is also beginning to change. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has long tried to sidestep a furious row between trans activists and "gender-critical" feminists within his party. But in October he said that "children should not be making these very important decisions without the consent of their parents". Trans-rights activists were livid.
Three big concerns remain. The first is that more young people may try to buy blockers online. The NHS may be on to this: its new draft guidelines say that obtaining such drugs outside "the established protocols" may spark child-safeguarding investigations. Second, some doctors are concerned that gender specialists at the new regional clinics may continue to operate as they did at GIDS. It can be difficult to say "no" to giving medication that people have been told is life-saving.
The third is that, although the NHS is already curtailing the use of hormone drugs for the under-18s, they are sometimes prescribed to adults with insufficient care. Bob Withers, a psychotherapist who has worked with young people who have regretted medical transitions, says he is particularly concerned about those in their late teens and early 20s, who may be more impulsive than older adults. A significant number of those who identify as trans are unhappily gay, he adds.
Ritchie, a 35-year-old civil servant from Newcastle, shares that concern. Having grown up in a former mining town in the north of England where "hyper masculinity" was valued, he reckons he would have come to terms with his homosexuality had he not, when deeply unhappy and suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, stumbled across a trans forum where members told him he was "uber trans". He went to a gender-dysphoria clinic, one of seven in Britain that serve adults. At the age of 26 he was prescribed hormones; aged 30, he had surgery to remove his penis and testicles.
It did not take him long to realise this was a terrible mistake: "I was like, what the fuck have I done?" This feeling intensified as the surgery's long-term side-effects became obvious. Emptying his bladder takes ten minutes. He is often in pain. At first, he assumed the responsibility was his alone. But later, reading his medical notes, he saw they were peppered with indications of mental illness. He is suing three parties involved in his transition. Further legal action seems likely. At least one law firm says it is hoping to bring a group negligence claim against the Tavistock.
Though the NHS has signalled a change of course, Mr Withers says it has more to do. It is, for example, still listed as a signatory to a memorandum of understanding on conversion therapy, published by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, which appears to conflate trans conversion therapy (which could simply mean talking therapy for gender dysphoria) with gay conversion therapy, the cruel practice of trying to turn a gay person straight. An ideological reversal is under way, but is far from complete.
© [Nov 2022] The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved.
From The Economist, published under license.
The original article can be found at: https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/11/17/britain-changes-tack-in-its-treatment-of-trans-identifying-children