Non-binary singer Mila Jam says a ‘revolution’ is happening in the face of a ‘pushback’ against pronouns
Non-binary singer Mila Jam – having released their own version of disco classic It’s Raining Men called It’s Raining Them – says in the face of a “pushback” against pronouns a “revolution” is happening.
In London to promote their new music, the trans artist said: “There’s an evolution of vocabulary happening.”
“There’s just this pushback that keeps putting us in this box of not important not being discussed or seen, but there’s a revolution happening.”
The singer says changing the lyrics of a disco classic was about making a gay anthem more inclusive.
“The song is an anthem for the gay community, but there are more than just gay people in the queer LGBTQ+ community. So it’s for non-binary folk, trans folk, gender non-conforming folk, for they/them folk, it’s for the spectrum.”
From Demi Lovato confirming they were non-binary earlier this year through to Vice-President Kamala Harris showing solidarity with the trans community by introducing herself as she/her, society might be more accepting of gender diversity nowadays but the use of the pronoun “they” still causes divisions.
Demi Lovato confirmed they were non-binary earlier this year
Naomi Cunningham, an employment barrister and co-founder of Campaign Group Sex Matters, sees the use of pronouns as a belief system, not a fact, with real-world implications.
“I am not transphobic. Nobody I know is transphobic, but I do believe that biological sex is real.”
She believes employers who enforce the use of pronouns in the workplace might have a legal case to answer to.
“If you have a colleague who says ‘I don’t believe that anyone can literally change sex and I’m not comfortable using pronouns that seem to me to be wrong’, if employers seek to insist that employees… introduce themselves with their pronouns or put them on their signatures or wear them on a badge or whatever, then there will be religion or belief discrimination claims arising out of that workplace, for sure.”
Learning to use the singular “they” might not be easy but it’s certainly not a new phenomenon.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are examples of it being used in that way dating back to 1375.
Dr Laura Paterson, a lecturer in Applied Linguistics at Open University, says it’s important to remember that “language changes”.
“The pronouns we use now don’t look the same as they did 500 years ago and I think that gender is obviously a social issue.”
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“People might feel like they’re on the back foot if they don’t understand contemporary debates but that’s why we have these debates. It’s so that we can spread knowledge and people can learn more about what gender means in the 21st century,” Dr Paterson continued.
Mila Jam’s remake was launched on streaming site Deezer, with 100% of their revenue from the song going to charity Gendered Intelligence.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
Bruce Springsteen is to release seven albums of mostly unheard material this summer.
The US singer said the songs, written and re-recorded between 1983 and 2018, were being made public after he began completing “everything I had in my vault” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a short video posted on Instagram, Springsteen said the albums were “records that were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released”.
The 83-song collection is being released in a box set called Tracks II: The Lost Albums and goes on sale on 27 June.
Some 74 of the tracks have never been heard before.
Springsteen first teased the release on Wednesday morning with a short social media video accompanied by text which said: “What was lost has been found”.
Tracks II is the follow-up to the star’s first Tracks volume, a four-CD collection of 66 unreleased songs, released in 1998.
Bruce Springsteen at New York’s Carnegie Hall at a tribute to Patti Smith last month. Pic: PA
The New Jersey-born rocker, nicknamed The Boss, last released a studio album in 2022.
Only the Strong Survive was a collection of covers, including songs by Motown and soul artists, such as the Four Tops, The Temptations, The Supremes, Frankie Wilson and Jimmy Ruffin.
The late soul legend Sam Moore, who died in January and was a frequent Springsteen collaborator, sang on two of the tracks.
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Springsteen is coming to the UK in May to launch a two-month tour of Europe with his E Street Band.
The shows will include performances at the Co-op Live in Manchester and Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
The singer-songwriter has sold more than 140 million records since his debut on the music scene in 1973, according to his website.
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