Trump's trans persons army ban

Besides the military ban#MilitaryBan towards trans folks, USA citizens need to reevaluate how their army works and recognise its imperialistic function.#
You can't expect equality for USA trans persons whilst allowing your army to murder innocent ppl, attack countries posing no threat and play "God."
You need to change the whole USA army culture, eliminate its imperialism and recognise all lives are important, not only USA ones.#
Only then, you can expect visible change, change of attitude and a positive shift of culture. But that won't happen whilst Trump is president.
Right now, USA's most dangerous enemy is Trump. Enemy to the people, marginalised social groups, the poor, women, lgbt+, POC, people with disabilities etc.
As long as this man and those who benefit from his governing are in power, USA will not see positive change.
So, even though trans rights are human rights, and that cause is extremely important, the ban is not the root of the problem.
As long as you don't eliminate the root of an issue, the issue will keep coming back in various forms.
Similarly to Hydra growing multiple heads even if you cut one of them off, Trump will continue to create more and more problems as long as you allow him to govern your country.

Good luck my USA friends, you will most definitely need it.

Sending you light & Love,
L

Making the same mistake over and over again

I think most of the time people don't realise their own behavioural patterns, falling into a spiral, or a loop if you'd like.
Most of us can't disassociate and observe our own actions.
Changing one's approach is a hard thing to do.
Especially in a capitalist society where being mechanic and repetitive is promoted and being critical and unique is discouraged.
Even when creativity and thinking out of the box are promoted, it's within certain boundaries.

One's reality is another's nightmare

Some of us have never experienced life without mental illness.

To only get to know the world and reality through the prism of mental illness is debilitating, painful and traumatising.

And to try to explain that to someone who has never suffered from mental illness is near to impossible.

Random Thoughts XXXXXVIII

It's hard and painful when you realise that the best years of your life have already passed.

When you know that, what do you have to live for?

What should you hope for?

How can you motivate yourself to keep going?

Goodbye Legend...

Tonight I'm going back in time: 
Weird posters on the walls, angry teen, shut door, headphones on.

RIP Chester Bennington

I'm still in shock.
Today I found out Chester Bennington committed suicide.

For anyone who doesn't know who he is, Google Linkin Park and listen to some of their music.

Approximately 14 years ago I somehow discovered Linkin Park.

Some of their cds I had were authentic, some copies friends gave me.

I remember buying their Live album off Virgin Stores (it was a cd/dvd store chain in Greece). I remember going to the mall to buy it; I remember how excited I was I got it; and how disappointed I was that the guy I was dating at the time -who had borrowed it- "lost" the case and the dvd.

I remember being at school with my headphones on, listening to Linkin Park and being able to ignore the world.
I remember finally feeling I belonged somewhere; I was not alone. Someone got me.
I also felt encouraged to express myself more through my style, and started making bolder and darker choices. I was discovering my identity.
I remember as I grew older, grasping the meaning behind their lyrics under a whole different light. I was mesmerised as a lyricist, as an artist, by the pain contained in their lyrics and the strength one had to have to live with such demons, let alone expose them to the world.

It's sad that Chester couldn't handle his demons anymore. But I can understand.
Sometimes mental health gets the better of you.
He was battling for a long time.
I hope now, at least and at last, he can rest in peace.


Some of my favourite songs:

 

The mask of Internet Anonymity

I don't get people who say "it doesn't matter what you say on the Internet."

They use this as an excuse to be horrible, cyberbully and say things they'd never say in real life. They claim "It's not serious," "It's a joke," "It's not real," etc.

And they fail to realise that because of anonymity what they say matters more, as it shows their true colours.

If you want to see someone's true face give them a mask, isn't it?
And the Internet serves as the biggest and most opaque mask that one could ever choose.

Random Thoughts XXXXXVII

When someone tells you they suffer from depression, anxiety or any mental illness and you choose to talk to them in a way that you know will hurt them, you're a criminal.

Because your words towards a person who suffers from mental health can have a detrimental impact on their health, and even their life.

Your words hold power. And you're responsible and should be held accountable for the ways you choose to use that power.

Rant: Why do religious people try to convert others?

Seriously, why do many religious people try to convert others?

I'm an Atheist. No matter what you say or do to me I'm not going to believe in what I consider to be fiction.

I don't come to you and use facts and science to force you to be an Atheist, I leave you be and respect your faith, regardless of my opinion on it.

So leave me be and mind your own business.

Rape victim suffers 30 year imprisonment for miscarriage

See the whole story here: 
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jul/06/el-salvador-teen-rape-victim-sentenced-30-years-prison-stillbirth


In short, a teenage girl was raped in El Salvador. El Salvador prohibits abortion under all circumstances (including rape and insest). 
So the teenage girl had to keep the fetus.
At some point she had a miscarriage/still birth. 

She "was convicted on the grounds that failing to seek antenatal care amounted to murder."
30 years in prison for "murder" of a... fetus! Not even a person! And not even real murder, but because she didn't manage to not have a still birth.
The judge, Nury Velasquez is female as well! Internalised misogyny on a whole new other level...

I haven't read anywhere that the gang member who raped her has been arrested, so I presume the rapist hasn't been arrested.

Plus, gangs rarely get arrested.

But, their Catholic morals condone imprisoning a rape victim for a miscarriage whilst the rapist is at large.

Is that your religion El Salvador? Are these your morals? 
Misogyny and sexism?

The President of the country should be ashamed, the judge who ruled this despicable decision should be ashamed, Catholic Church should be ashamed.

How dare you impose religious beliefs/morals on people, and punish them when they're victims of crime?

How dare you deprive women and persons with female reproductive systems of the right to choose whether they want to become parents or not! 

How dare you not give them free, safe and legal contraception and abortion!

The judge's ruling (who was a female judge as well!!!) is a crime towards all women, it is a crime against humanity!

Free Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz!

Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-evelyn-beatriz-hernandez-cruz

Slaying Demons

I faced some of my demons tonight.

It seems they weren't as scary once I exposed them, exposed me, and accepted my vulnerability.

And I can't help but wonder, are most demons scarier in our minds than when we bring them to light?

Will they always burn in the light? Are our inner demons mere imaginary vampires?

I guess we have to face them out in the open to find out...

Που μπορείς να βρεις προϊόντα που δεν έχουν δοκιμαστεί σε ζώα στην Ελλάδα

Τα καλλυντικά, τα προϊόντα περιποίησης σώματος/προσώπου, τα καθαριστικά σπιτιού και πόσα άλλα προϊόντα δοκιμάζονται σε ζώα πριν βγουν στην αγορά.

Ίσως παλαιότερα αυτό να ήταν απαραίτητο (;) αλλά στη σημερινή εποχή και με την τεχνολογία που έχουμε είναι απαράδεκτο και απάνθρωπο.

Στην Ευρώπη η νομοθεσία απαγορεύει αυτή την πρακτική, αλλά σε χώρες όπως η Κίνα η νομοθεσία απαιτεί το να γίνονται δοκιμές εις βάρος των ζώων.

Οπότε όταν μία εταιρία επιλέγει να πουλάει στην Κίνα, αυτομάτως επιλέγει και την κακοποίηση των ζώων.

Σε χώρες όπως οι ΗΠΑ και το ΗΒ είναι πολύ εύκολο να βρεις εταιρίες που επιλέγουν να μην πωλούν στην Κίνα και είναι cruelty free ή και vegan.

Cruelty free: τα προϊόντα δε δοκιμάζονται σε ζώα
Vegan: τα προϊόντα δεν περιέχουν τίποτε ζωικό (πχ. κερί, γαλακτοκομικά, έντομα -ναι, πολλές φορές το κόκκινο χρώμα σε προϊόντα μακιγιάζ προέρχεται από έντομα)

Όμως, σε χώρες όπως η Ελλάδα που και δεν έχουμε κάποιους οργανισμούς (βλ. Peta, Leaping Bunny) που να αναλαμβάνουν να πιστοποιήσουν αν μία εταιρία είναι vegan και cruelty free, δεν έχουμε και πάρα πολλές επιλογές -ή έστω οικονομικές επιλογές- τέτοιων προϊόντων. Και μιας και ακόμη κι οι εταιρίες που είναι  cruelty free πολλές φορές δεν το αναγράφουν στα προϊόντα τους, είναι τραγικά δύσκολο να γνωρίζουμε τελικά τι είναι ασφαλές -και τι όχι- να αγοράσουμε.

Έτσι λοιπόν αποφάσισα να ξεκινήσω μία έρευνα στο διαδίκτυο και να σας παραθέσω εταιρίες που είναι cruelty free και είναι Ελληνικές ή διαθέσιμες στην Ελλάδα.


Μακιγιαζ/Καλλυντικά:

Gosh
Korres
Golden Rose
Yellow Rose
MUA
Sleek
Makeup Revolution
NYX
Body Shop
The Balm
Real Techniques
Urban Decay
Too Faced
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Elf
Eco Tools
Inglot
Jordana
Kryolan
Milani
Wet n Wild  (όχι πια cruelty-free)
Bio Aroma
BioSelect
Elotia
Euthalia
Essence
Pixi
Youth Lab
W7
Natura Siberica
ΤΟΠΛΟΥ
Paul Mitchell
Jane Iredale
Fouka organic Cosmetics
Rona Ross


**Εννοείται πως υπάρχουν πολύ περισσότερες εταιρίες, αλλά επικεντρώθηκα σε αυτές που είναι σχετικά εύκολα διαθέσιμες στην Ελλάδα, είτε σε φυσικά μαγαζιά, είτε σε ηλεκτρονικά.


Ηλεκτρονικά Μαγαζιά:

- a4b λίστα cruelty free προϊόντων

- Σελίδα στο facebook του Organic Brands

- Beautycom (Μπορείτε να βρείτε Gosh-Copenhagen)

- Ελληνικό ηλεκτρονικό μαγαζί της MUA

- Ευρωπαϊκό site και ηλεκτρονικό μαγαζί της Sleek

- IshopOnline (μπορείτε να βρείτε Makeup Revolution)

- Βeautyinc (μπορείτε να βρείτε NYX και Sleek)

- Ελληνικά Sephora (μπορείτε να βρείτε αρκετές cruelty free εταιρίες)

- Cherry Box λίστα cruelty free προϊόντων

- Beauty Test Box λίστα cruelty free προϊόντων

- Makeup House λίστα cruelty free προϊόντων

- Makemeup (Μπορείτε να βρείτε την TheBalm)

- Living cruelty free gr

- Οrganicbrands λίστα cruelty free προϊόντων

- Jane Iredale

- Buyaboo (Μπορείτε να βρείτε Milani, The Balm, Natura Siberica)


Καθαριστικά/Προϊόντα για το σπίτι:

MyPlanet
Astonish
Sodasan
Almacabio
Green Bay
Lympha


Ηλεκτρονικά Μαγαζιά:

- Bamboo Vegan.com

- Astonish

- Myplanet

- Οικολογικά Απορρυπαντικά

- Οικολογικά προϊόντα για το σπίτι


Ενημερωτικές Ιστοσελίδες:

- https://www.facebook.com/NO.To.Animal.Experiments.GoCrueltyFree/

- https://www.facebook.com/cruelty.free.products.greece/

- http://thesecretrealtruth.blogspot.com/2015/04/blog-post_3865.html

- http://www.269lifegreece.gr/etairies_pou_kanoun_peiramata.html

- http://veganbeautyandlifestyle.blogspot.gr/2016/07/cruelty-free-etairies-kallyntikon.html


Ελπίζω να σας βοήθησε αυτό το άρθρο/λίστα! 
Πολλές από τις πληροφορίες που σας παραθέτω τις βρήκα στους παραπάνω συνδέσμους!
Αν γνωρίζετε κι άλλες εταιρίες/μάρκες που είναι cruelty free και διαθέσιμες στην Ελλάδα, αφήστε ένα σχόλιο! Επίσης αν κάποια από τις μάρκες/εταιρίες που ανέφερα δεν είναι πλέον cruelty free, ενημερώστε με!

Άνδρας χτύπησε τη σύζυγό του στο Καλλιμάρμαρο

Εδώ και κάποιες ώρες έχει δημοσιευθεί στο διαδίκτυο ένα βίντεο με έναν άνδρα που χτύπησε τη γυναίκα του δημόσια.
Εκείνη προσπαθούσε να τον ηρεμήσει, μιας και ήταν και τα παιδιά τους εκεί.

Το βίντεο δεν έκρυβε πρόσωπα, και φαίνεται ότι έχει τραβηχτεί δήχως συναίνεση.

Τα σχόλια κάτω από το βίντεο στην πλειοψηφία τους κατηγορούσαν τη γυναίκα που ανέχεται το συζυγό της και που έκανε αυτή την επιλογή στη ζωή της κλπ.

Έχω εξοργιστεί!

1. Έχει παιδιά, δεν είναι απλά τα πράγματα. Προφανώς και δε θέλει τα παιδιά να έχουν άσχημη εικόνα για τον πατέρα τους.
2. Πολλές φορές είναι επικίνδυνο να φύγεις ή να αντιδράσεις όταν είσαι το θύμα σε κακοποιητική σχέση (για τη σωματική σου ακεραιότητα -πόσες έχουν δολοφονηθεί- αλλά και για παιδιά -αν υπάρχουν).
Και γι'αυτό υπάρχουν ειδικές γραμμές που σε συμβουλεύουν να κάνεις πλάνο σε βάθος χρόνου για να δραπετεύσεις από τη σχέση και πάντα με βοήθεια.
Αλλά ακόμη και τότε είναι δύσκολο. Και φυσικά πολλές γυναίκες δεν έχουν πρόσβαση σε αυτή τη γνώση και βοήθεια.
3. Δημοσιεύσανε το πρόσωπό της χωρίς την άδειά της, το οποίο ισούται με δημόσια "διαπόμπευση." Ήδη στα σχόλια την έβριζαν και την κατηγορούσαν(!), φανταστείτε πώς θα της φερθούν συγγενείς και γείτονες όταν δουν το βίντεο.
4. Όχι άλλο victim blaming! Φτάνει! ΔΕ ΦΤΑΙΕΙ ΤΟ ΘΥΜΑ. Φταίει αυτ@ που κακοποιεί το θύμα. Πάντα. Σταματήστε να βγάζετε λάδι τ@ν κακοποιό και να λέτε ότι έτσι είναι και δε θα αλλάξει ή ότι είναι ευθύνη του θύματος να μην αφήσει τ@ν κακοποιό να το βλάψει.
Ποτέ κανένα άτομο δεν επιλέγει να γίνει θύμα. ΠΟΤΕ.
Βάλτε το λίγο στο μυαλό σας αυτό.
Ο μόνος που φταίει εν προκειμένω είναι το καθίκι ο άντρας της και η κοινωνία που του έδωσε το δικαίωμα να θεωρεί ότι ως άνδρας μπορεί να επιβάλλεται σε γυναίκες με τη βία.

Το πρόβλημα είναι κοινωνικό, κι οι απαντήσεις αυτών που κατηγόρησαν το θύμα δείχνουν πως στην πατριαρχία οι γυναίκες δεν μπορούν ποτέ να βρουν το δίκιο τους, ακόμη κι όταν κακοποιούνται/βιάζονται/δολοφονούνται. Ο κακοποιός δεν τιμωρείται ποτέ, είτε δεν τιμωρείται αρκετά, ενώ το θύμα υποφέρει και ως θύμα του κακοποιού και ως θύμα της κοινωνίας.

Σκατά.

υγ. Η λέξη "διαπόμπευση" χρησιμοποιείται εδώ ελείψει καλύτερης λέξης.
Δε χρησιμοποιείται με την έννοια της πομπής και δεν υπονοεί ότι η γυναίκα που κακοποιήθηκε φταίει.
Χρησιμοποιείται με την έννοια της δημόσιας έκθεσης, παραβίασης ιδιωτικότητας και προβολής χωρίς άδεια.
Ευχαριστώ τη Daphne που το επεσήμανε, κι ελπίζω οι αναγνώστες να βρίσκουν ξεκάθαρη αυτή την επεξήγηση. 

Fun fact από τα παιδικά μου χρόνια Νο. 1

Όταν ήμουν 4 χρονών με είχε πάρει μαζί της η μητέρα μου στο ΛΑ (Λαϊκή Αγορά). Με είχε βάλει στο καρότσι με τα ψώνια για να χαζεύω.
Όπως μου έχει πει, είχα εκστασιαστεί με το ότι οι πωλητές φώναζαν τις τιμές των προϊόντων, κι άρχισα να φωνάζω κι εγώ "Οι πατάτες το κιλό όλα 5 όλα 5!"
Ένας πωλητής ενθουσιάστηκε με το τάλαντό μου και ζήτησε από τη μητέρα μου να με πάρει βοηθό και να φωνάζω τις τιμές των προϊόντων. 
Δυστυχώς, η μητέρα μου δε με άφησε, κι έτσι τελείωσε άδοξα η καριέρα μου στο ΛΑ.

Revenge Porn

A couple of days ago, Rob Kardashian decided it was a good and fair idea to post nude pictures of his ex, Black Chyna online.
Apparently she was (and I'm paraphrasing): having sex with multiple guys in the house he paid for, with the body he paid for, did drugs using the money he gave her, and all that when their child was in the house.
He slutshamed her routhlessly, posted explicit videos and pictures of her on Instagram and went on a rant telling us the financial and other details of their relationship.

Now, this isn't a first time Rob K is disrespectful and demeaning towards women (remember his slutshaming towards Rita Ora?).

I understand that this man is suffering from depression, eating disorders and some sort of agoraphobia. He may also be suffering from other things we aren't aware of.
But that doesn't excuse his behaviour.

Of course it's infuriating when your ex is moving on in life, and if she did actually do drugs and have sex with their child in the house, that's unacceptable. Not sure if she cheated on him as he says, as I was under the impression they separated sometime ago.

However, if that is the case, you gather evidence and give it to a lawyer. You don't expose your ex's naked body on social media for the whole world to see.

When someone is sending YOU a picture, this picture isn't intended for the whole world to see (unless stated otherwise by the sender).

We all suspected Chyna used Rob for his money. I mean, it doesn't take an astrophysicist to see that her getting pregnant so early was way too convenient.
Many claimed she was a golddigger.

Nevertheless, no one, NO ONE, should ever be victim of revenge porn. And when you expose graphic material that your ex had sent YOU when you were together, that is revenge porn.

My understanding is that the state of California has laws against revenge porn in place, so Rob K may actually face time (depending on how good his lawyer is and who Kris Jenner knows).

And I do believe he deserves to serve time.
Men need to stop using a woman's body to degrade and humiliate her.

I once saw men in a thread saying that once you send a picture to someone it's your fault if it goes viral.
Well, no. Because if you're in a relationship, you trust that your partner isn't an asshole and a scumbag who will use your intimate moments to hurt you.
Even if you're not in a relationship, it should be expected that men have the decency to delete pictures of women they are not currently seeing, or at least keep them private forever.
Otherwise, what's your message? That no man can ever be trusted? That all men would use revenge porn to hurt an ex?
I would like to believe that this is false. Not all men are assholes and not all men would do what Rob did.

So, if you're a man and you see your friends, acquaintances, relatives etc. supporting revenge porn in any way, or degrading/slutshaming/hating women you need to take a stand. Don't let them think it's ok.

Way too many women and femme persons have been traumatised forever due to revenge porn. Some even lost their lives.

To sum up, on one hand I feel bad for Rob, as he was financially and emotionally exploited. But on the other, I feel he lost his right to complain or demand justice the moment he used revenge porn and slutshamed Chyna.

What a woman does in her sex life is no one's business. So to use slutshaming and revenge porn (knowing the horrific backlash it will have on her) is a crime.

In my opinion Rob should have contacted a lawyer to settle this, rather than act like an entitled misogynist brat.

I feel extremely sorry for their child, Dream, as she will have to deal with all this in the future, and that isn't healthy for a child, or anyone, to have to deal with.

You can't change the world

So, tonight, a stranger messaged me on a social media platform to give me advice.

Apparently he saw my comment under an article/post and he came into conclusions about how I live and how I should live my life.

His message looked something like this:
"I see you waste your time on things you can't change, letting them affect you and consume you. Why bother when you can't change the world? Just accept things are bad and move on. I apologise if my advice is unwanted, but I saw your comment somewhere and I took the liberty of messaging you."

I didn't respond to him, nor do I plan to.

Why?
You may ask.

Because his advice was unwanted and flawed.

1. I don't need anyone mansplaining how I should and shouldn't live my life.
2. He was a stranger, not a friend, not family, not a loved one. So his opinion on how I live my life doesn't matter.
3. But above all, he said that I should tolerate injustice (as I'm sure I know which comment he was referring to; it was a comment under a misogynistic meme). He said I should tolerate injustice, because I can't change the world.

Well...

Dear Stranger,
Watch me as I change the world.

I may not change it drastically, but I will change it -even a little bit.

Every person who reads my blog, every person who watches my videos, every person I have ever had a conversation with, I had an impact on. On some less, on some more. Nevertheless, the level of the impact is irrelevant, as what's important is the impact in itself.
Because that little seed I planted will slowly blossom to chain reactions that one day will cause a bigger change. Hopefully a positive one.

So, when you tell me that I can't change the world, I have one thing to say:

I already have.


Your trully,
L