The Week on Twitter | Amber Heard, JobBridge, and #iPropose
This week, the USI proposed some changes, Leo Varadkar proposed an end to the JobBridge scheme, and everyone proposed that we celebrate some turtles. It was also reported that Amber Heard was filing for a restraining order against Johnny Depp following domestic abuse allegations.
Students celebrate the anniversary of #MarRef with #iPropose campaign
Monday was the official anniversary of the marriage referendum. Since May 23rd 2015, there have been 412 same-sex marriages and countless more proposals all around the country. In light of this, the National Union of Students in Ireland took to Leinster House with some of their own proposals – specifically ones about legislation that would end other forms of inequality and discrimination against the LGBT community that the marriage referendum did not address.
These proposals included ending the blood ban – an outdated restriction which bans any man who has had sex with another man from ever donating blood, introducing hate crime legislation, promoting marriage equality in Northern Ireland, and extending the Gender Recognition Act to those under 18 years of age.
With the #iPropose campaign, the USI are not just emphasising the discrimination and struggles that still exist for members of the LGBT community one year on from the marriage referendum, but also the fact that young LGBT people and students are twice as likely to self-harm as their heterosexual peers, and four times more likely to report severe levels of anxiety and depression.
#iPropose #LoveEqualityNI with @NUS_USI @Love_EqualityNI because love is love 🌈 pic.twitter.com/PxavaVnrGS
— Union of Students in Ireland (@TheUSI) May 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/trotbae/status/734812531785621504
#IPropose tampons to be available in all bathrooms, not just female ones
— Marz (@Feckinq) May 23, 2016
#iPropose end the MSM blood ban. pic.twitter.com/zwontSjjFy
— Aoife Ní ShúilíHooly (@Aoifva) May 23, 2016
#iPropose trans and non binary recognition within hospitals… it wasn't fun being admitted and hearing your birth name CONSTANTLY
— Marz (@Feckinq) May 23, 2016
#JobBridge scheme to be scrapped… And replaced by something else
In 2011, the JobBridge internship programme became a thing, and lots of people worked a tonne of hours for a virtually non-existent wage. This year, new Minister for social protection Leo Varadkar has decided that JobBridge should be scrapped entirely, and simply replaced by something else.
According to Varadkar, JobBridge “served its purpose” for the past five years, but now it is time for the scheme to be replaced by something more “appropriate” for the current job climate. Supposedly, JobBridge worked well during a time where graduates couldn’t get work experience, and companies couldn’t find employees, and was definitely, definitely not abused by anybody at all. Definitely.
The new scheme is set to be launched in September and will probably feature a shortened internship period of six months. All interns still working under the JobBridge scheme at that time will be expected to complete their placements.
Controversial free internship scheme Jobbridge is to be scrapped after 'abuses'https://t.co/FCkv3ZXha1
— Newstalk (@NewstalkFM) May 22, 2016
A bold move by Fine Gael replacing JobBridge with indentured servitude. Ballsy
— Garrulous (@JurassicArse) May 22, 2016
https://t.co/fwkC3Nnw8f
JobBridge scheme not widely abused, says ex-welfare ministerReally? ☺#Ireland
— BenMarial (@NeloMarial) May 25, 2016
"Cool Jobbridge is being scrapped" pic.twitter.com/9ZTMCR85xB
— Ellen Tannam (@incogellen) May 22, 2016
Jobbridge will be the gift that keeps on giving right to the bitter end pic.twitter.com/mwUoOmb9Nb
— squid (@squidlimerick) May 25, 2016
#AmberHeard files for restraining order against #JohnnyDepp following domestic abuse allegations
Yesterday, it was reported that actor Amber Heard had been granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband Johnny Depp. The news came after it was revealed that Heard had accused Depp of violently abusing her multiple times during their marriage.
In true social media fashion, lots of awful people did what they always do when a woman claims to have been abused by a man – shouted about her being an attention seeking, lying whore. Except this time, the firing line was not just aimed at Heard’s allegations, but at the fact that she is a bisexual woman who has a few lesbian friends. Yep, according to more than a few publications and plenty of Twitter users, Amber Heard is only divorcing Johnny Depp because her evil lesbian mates told her to. Makes sense.
Thankfully, lots of nice, intelligent people on the internet recognise that neither Heard’s sexuality, nor that of her friends’, has absolutely anything to do with the case, and they took to Twitter to express this fact.
1 Her name is Amber Heard not Bisexual Wife
2 Sexualities relevant how??
3 Blame everyone but Depp
4 These are gross pic.twitter.com/JWbgA5TZPp— Taylor $adlowski (@taylorsadlowski) May 28, 2016
Can the media stop referring to amber heard as depp's "bisexual wife"? Theyre playing on society's subconscious hatred+mistrust of bisexuals
— Memesha (@misha_devi) May 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/hcrley_/status/736409778503684096
https://twitter.com/LeanneWoodfull/status/736300759004893185
amber heard: i divorced my husband bc he physically and emotionally abused me
amber: *has proof*
media & women: OMG JOHNNY DEPP IS SINGLE— Mans not hot (@angristova) May 28, 2016
Twitter celebrates #WorldTurtleDay
May 23rd marked the first anniversary of the marriage referendum, but it also marked the celebration of World Turtle Day – a day dedicated to recognising how cute turtles are, looking at pictures of cute turtles, appreciating turtles and everything they do for us via being cute, and also to encourage humans to help cute turtles live and thrive on earth for as long as possible.
World Turtle Day has been a thing since 2000 when it was decided that people needed to learn more about turtles, save them from dangerous situations, and wear green clothing in support of them.
This year, some people celebrated World Turtle Day by tweeting cute pictures of turtles, etc. Here are their tweets.
From open ocean to inland desert, turtles are awesome! Happy #WorldTurtleDayhttps://t.co/jxk9u7Y4mj
— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) May 23, 2016
In the face of habitat destruction and global warming, turtles need more protection than ever: https://t.co/AZ7zOg6ule #WorldTurtleDay
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) May 23, 2016
Shore diving with @yesaccasey for #WorldTurtleDay 🐢 https://t.co/EU1kMGLWeR pic.twitter.com/onJN1JZXuj
— Instagram (@instagram) May 23, 2016
Happy #WorldTurtleDay! Tips to share the road with them and give them a boost: https://t.co/Atou0gQn3a pic.twitter.com/kcOkrzxQLb
— US Fish and Wildlife (@USFWS) May 23, 2016