Latest Stories from Flo
New online tool allows teens to remove explicit images
‘Take it Down’ aims to give back agency to teens and victims of revenge porn. Young people are often vilified for sharing explicit images of themselves online. ‘Everything on the internet lasts forever’ is often the warning cry of older generations. The reality is that many teens are coerced into uploading explicit content – often under duress and by much older influences. Young people are also less likely to grasp the consequences...
Pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton refuses to compete alongside trans women
The American athlete has said she’ll boycott the World Surf League after it announced trans women would be allowed to compete. Pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton shared on Instagram that she would be boycotting surfing competitions by the World Surf League, due to changes in their policy that allow trans women to compete. In a video which now has over 150,000 likes, Hamilton referred to trans women surfers as ‘male-bodied individuals’, and stated...
Students turn to food banks during cost of living crisis
Universities across the country are supporting students by opening food banks, as the cost of living continues to disrupt the education of young people. Striking teachers have dominated the news cycle lately, as dire pay forces educators to join picket lines. The extent of their situation was highlighted by teachers’ use of food banks, as they struggled to feed themselves on such low incomes. Students and members of the wider community...
Opinion – Harry Styles’ win highlights complexities of privilege
After a career-pivoting and rather surprising ‘Album of the Year’ win sent fans into a frenzy for its ‘tone deaf’ claims of adversity. But is there a case for considering who Harry meant by ‘people like me’? Beyonce, Adele, Lizzo. Harry Styles was certainly up against some stiff competition for Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammys. But in a rather surprising twist, his album ‘Harry’s House’, a bubbly album...
Welsh government plan to make it easier to change gender
After England blocked a Scottish-backed gender reform law, Wales has announced plans to make it easier for trans individuals to legally change their gender. The Welsh government announced this week that it had a new LGBTQ+ Action Plan to make it easier for individuals to legally change their gender. The news comes after the UK government blocked similar legislation put forward by Scotland. Alongside enabled individuals to change their gender, Wales’ plan...
2023’s Oscar nominations fail to make meaningful progress
No Black actors were nominated for leading categories this year. Once again, they deserved better. When the 2022 Oscar nominations were announced, Black actors and directors ruled the roost. It was a comforting – and deserved – outcome after years of ‘#oscarssowhite’ protest, a nod to the academy’s consistent failings in diversity and inclusion. But this year, it seems that this positive shift was only a phase. Despite a slew of Black...
Opinion – Tate’s privacy ruling shows the rich can spoil everything
Residents of luxury glass-walled flats opposite Tate Modern’s public viewing platform have won a landmark ruling that their privacy is being impinged upon. It seems the rich have power to shape even our most public spaces. In 2021, affluent neighbours of the Tate Modern decided that the glass-walled luxury flats they’d chosen to live in weren’t offering enough privacy. Sitting adjacent to the Tate Modern’s famous public viewing platform, which offered...
Utah has banned gender-affirming care for young trans people
The new bill will deny vital surgery to America’s most vulnerable demographic. Spencer Cox, a Republican governor in Utah, has singlehandedly waged a war on America’s trans youth. This week Cox signed a bill which bans young trans people from receiving gender-affirming healthcare. That would include transgender surgery of any kind, as well as the use of hormone treatment for minors. The bill comes shortly after the UK blocked the Scottish...
Disney’s Splash Mountain closes amidst controversy
Disney’s world-famous water ride ‘Splash Mountain’ closed its doors for the last time this week. Its racist provenance highlights a disillusioned generation of ‘Disney Adults’ with much to complain about. Splash Mountain has remained one of the most popular and famous rides at Walt Disney World in Florida since it opened in 1992. But last week the attraction closed its doors for the last time, as Disney responded to long-term...
America faces 39 mass shootings in three weeks
Countless tragedies mark the start of 2023 in the USA, but conversations around gun violence and firearm laws remain stunted. When I set out to write this article last week, my intention was to focus on the mass shooting at Monterey Park, California, where 11 people were killed over Lunar New Year weekend. The suspect was a man of Asian descent and police are still investigating his motives. But just two days...
