Professor Stephen Whittle OBE, Ph.D is a Manchester Metropolitan University Professor, and trans activist for the Press for Change organization.
Dr Whittle was born in the Altricham Cottage Hospital in Altricham, Cheshire on the 29th of May 1955, and spend his childhood living as a female. He was the middle child of 5, and lived in Wythenshaw, Manchester.
His pre school life was a hard one developing Rickets for most of the first 5 years, although he was considered well enough for school and started school at the age of five. In 1963 the Whittles moved to Withington Village, and he attended Old Moat Junior School.
His Mother Barbara Elizabeth Whittle became concerned by how diffeent he was from his sisters, and in 1966 enrolled him into the examination for Withington Girls School, He was one of the highest 11 plus scorers in Manchester that year, and won a scholarship to the Public School. It was at school he started reading about transgenders having surgerys.
in 1974 Whittle came out as a trans man, after returning from a women's liberation conference. He was then a member of the Manchester Lesbian Collective. He has been active as a transgender axctivist ever since, and in 1975 co-founded the Manchester TV/TS group.
During the 70s and 80s he worked for the Gender Trust, and the Beaumont Society, and then in 1989 he founded the FTM network of which he co-ordinated until 2007. In 1992 he co-founded Press For Change with Mark Rees, Myka Scott (an actress) and Krystyana Sheffield. In 1994 Press for Change was praised as "one of the most important lobby groups" by Lord Carlile, at the reading of the Gender Reassignment Bill which was rejected. He married Sarah Rutherford in 2005, following the passing of the Gender Recognition Act, and they have four children (via artifical insemination).
He received an OBE in 2005, for services to gender issues and Human Rights award from Liberty in 2002. He was also awarded Virginia Prince Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Federation for Gender Education.
He still works tirelessly for Press for Change, and still campaigns for transgender rights. He is a truly great man.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Friday, 12 November 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi: Burmese Politician
The Myanmar government are about to release Aung San Suu Kyi from prison, the political prisoner has been under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years. In 1990 She won the Burmese general election, but was arrested before her big win, and thats when her problems started.
She was born in Yangon on the 19th June 1945, her father negociated independence from Britain in 1947. She was raised by her mother with her two brothers, and was educated at Methodist English High School. She had a penchant for learning languages, and is a Theravada Buddhist.
Her mother Khin Kyi, who was also a politician and a hig ranking member of the Burmese Government. Khin Kyi was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960.
Aung San Suu Kyi graduated from Lady Shri Ram College with a degree in politics in New Delhi in 1964. She Continued her education at St Hugh's College, Oxford obtaining a B.A. degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 1969. She then moved to New York City with a family friend, and spend 3 years working for the United Nations. Originally she worked on budget matters writing to Dr Michael Aris daily, and she married Dr Aris in 1975. Dr Michael Aris was a scholar of Tibetan culture, living abroad in Bhutan.
In 1976 she gave birth to their first child, Alexander Aris, in London. Then in 1977 Kim was born, and she eventually earned a Ph.D at the school of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1985. In 1990 she was elected an honourary fellow, and for two years she was a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies in Shimla, India. She also worked for the Government for the Union of Burma. In 1988 she returned to Burma to attend to her ailing mother, and later chose to lead the Pro-Demoxracy movement. Her husband Aris visited her in 1995, while under house arrest, this would be their last meeting. In 1997 Aris was diagnosed with Prostite Cancer, and became terminally ill, The Myanmar dictatorship would not allow the ailing man a visa, at this time she was released from house arrest.
Aris died on the 27th March 1999 (his 53rd birthday), and she still remains seperated from her children.
In 2008 Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, and she lost her roof (having to live in darkness when her electricity supply broke down. Her Lakeside residence was only refurbished in August 2009.
Periods Under House Arrest
20 July 1989: Placed under house arrest in Rangoon under martial law that allows for detention without charge or trial for three years.
10 July 1995: Released from house arrest.
23 September 2000: Placed under house arrest.
6 May 2002: Released after 19 months.
30 May 2003: Arrested following the Depayin massacre, she was held in secret detention for more than three months before being returned to house arrest.
25 May 2007: House arrest extended by one year despite a direct appeal from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to General Than Shwe.
24 October 2007: Reached 12 years under house arrest, solidarity protests held at 12 cities around the world.
27 May 2008: House arrest extended for another year, which is illegal under both international law and Burma's own law.
11 August 2009: House arrest extended for 18 more months because of "violation" arising from the May 2009 trespass incident.
Awards
Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize (1990)
Sakharov Prize (1990)
Nobel Peace Prize (1991)
Simón Bolívar International Prize (1992)
Jawaharlal Nehru Award (1993)
Prize For Freedom of the Liberal International (1995)
Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (1996)
Freedom of Dublin City, Republic of Ireland (1999)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2000)
UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance & Non-Violence (2002)
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights (2004)
Olof Palme Prize (2005)
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Memorial University of Newfoundland (2004)
Freedom from Fear award (2006)
Honorary Canadian citizenship (2007)
Honorary President of the LSESU (2007)
Doctorate of Letters (honoris causa) from Colgate University (2008)
Congressional Gold Medal (2008)
Premi Internacional Catalunya (2008)
Freedom Of Glasgow (2009)
Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation (2009)
Honorary Doctor of Laws from University of Ulster in recognition of her services to human rights (2009)
Ambassador of Conscience Award (2009) from Amnesty International
As we speak shes still under arrest, and it is still unclear whether she will be.
She was born in Yangon on the 19th June 1945, her father negociated independence from Britain in 1947. She was raised by her mother with her two brothers, and was educated at Methodist English High School. She had a penchant for learning languages, and is a Theravada Buddhist.
Her mother Khin Kyi, who was also a politician and a hig ranking member of the Burmese Government. Khin Kyi was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960.
Aung San Suu Kyi graduated from Lady Shri Ram College with a degree in politics in New Delhi in 1964. She Continued her education at St Hugh's College, Oxford obtaining a B.A. degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 1969. She then moved to New York City with a family friend, and spend 3 years working for the United Nations. Originally she worked on budget matters writing to Dr Michael Aris daily, and she married Dr Aris in 1975. Dr Michael Aris was a scholar of Tibetan culture, living abroad in Bhutan.
In 1976 she gave birth to their first child, Alexander Aris, in London. Then in 1977 Kim was born, and she eventually earned a Ph.D at the school of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1985. In 1990 she was elected an honourary fellow, and for two years she was a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies in Shimla, India. She also worked for the Government for the Union of Burma. In 1988 she returned to Burma to attend to her ailing mother, and later chose to lead the Pro-Demoxracy movement. Her husband Aris visited her in 1995, while under house arrest, this would be their last meeting. In 1997 Aris was diagnosed with Prostite Cancer, and became terminally ill, The Myanmar dictatorship would not allow the ailing man a visa, at this time she was released from house arrest.
Aris died on the 27th March 1999 (his 53rd birthday), and she still remains seperated from her children.
In 2008 Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, and she lost her roof (having to live in darkness when her electricity supply broke down. Her Lakeside residence was only refurbished in August 2009.
Periods Under House Arrest
20 July 1989: Placed under house arrest in Rangoon under martial law that allows for detention without charge or trial for three years.
10 July 1995: Released from house arrest.
23 September 2000: Placed under house arrest.
6 May 2002: Released after 19 months.
30 May 2003: Arrested following the Depayin massacre, she was held in secret detention for more than three months before being returned to house arrest.
25 May 2007: House arrest extended by one year despite a direct appeal from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to General Than Shwe.
24 October 2007: Reached 12 years under house arrest, solidarity protests held at 12 cities around the world.
27 May 2008: House arrest extended for another year, which is illegal under both international law and Burma's own law.
11 August 2009: House arrest extended for 18 more months because of "violation" arising from the May 2009 trespass incident.
Awards
Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize (1990)
Sakharov Prize (1990)
Nobel Peace Prize (1991)
Simón Bolívar International Prize (1992)
Jawaharlal Nehru Award (1993)
Prize For Freedom of the Liberal International (1995)
Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (1996)
Freedom of Dublin City, Republic of Ireland (1999)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2000)
UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance & Non-Violence (2002)
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights (2004)
Olof Palme Prize (2005)
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Memorial University of Newfoundland (2004)
Freedom from Fear award (2006)
Honorary Canadian citizenship (2007)
Honorary President of the LSESU (2007)
Doctorate of Letters (honoris causa) from Colgate University (2008)
Congressional Gold Medal (2008)
Premi Internacional Catalunya (2008)
Freedom Of Glasgow (2009)
Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation (2009)
Honorary Doctor of Laws from University of Ulster in recognition of her services to human rights (2009)
Ambassador of Conscience Award (2009) from Amnesty International
As we speak shes still under arrest, and it is still unclear whether she will be.
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