7 minute read
the issue with tax
Breaking ‘Heteronormativity’ in today’s society
by Lucy Carlile
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“Asking us to push away the very walls that are constantly crushing us into small, confined boxes is toxic.” ― Jamie Windust, In Their Shoes: Navigating Non-Binary Life.
Heteronormativity is a term that describes the ways in which society views LGBT+ people vs heterosexual people. It is the idea that being ‘straight’ (also known as romantic and sexual relationships/ marriages between a man and a woman only) is the default and that relationships between same-sex couples should not be of a sexual nature, like that of homophobia, a term used to describe hatred or dislike towards the LGBT+ community.
So what is the difference between heteronormativity and homophobia?
Homophobia can be linked to heteronormativity because laws and negative opinions surrounding LGBT+ people are a prime example. The two are in fact very similar. However, if someone was to assume a person’s sexuality, this does not necessarily mean that they are homophobic. Society has almost shaped the way that we view others and their identities. Heteronormativity can also affect a person’s views or future views of LGBT+ people, perhaps coming as a surprise to them that people have different kinds of relationships, and not just same sex either. Obviously, this is where homophobia could come into play.
The issue with it
It can result in depression and/or anxiety amongst those feeling that they do not fit in or that they are invisible and some way. It is very uncomfortable if, for example, a person who happens to be bisexual is asked: “Do you have a boyfriend?”. Firstly assuming that this person identifies as cis female and is therefore attracted to cis men- and vice versa with many other possibilities. It is a fixed belief that can be difficult to change/ solve around the world, but it is an important one to change so that the right attitudes are present within society.
So how can we break this for good?
There are many ways in which we can change future attitudes towards heterosexual normality in society. Firstly: education. Teaching sex education relating to LGBT+ relationships will help children to feel more ‘normal’ and like a part of society if these lessons take place and that they are not completely dominated by heterosexual relationships. Secondly, ensuring that assumptions are not made about who a person wants to go out with or sleep with and that pronouns are checked if someone is not sure of them. This way, an individual will feel more accepted and not feel pressured to correct a person, especially if they are worried that the person will not actually accept them for who they are. Lastly, just having a conversation with those around you and being a good listener in the process. Perhaps that person is not sure about their sexuality yet and does not want to speak up until they have it figured. It is important to keep an open mind and invest in a bit of self-education. The overall goal with heteronormativity and breaking it is to help the world feel connected and accepted. There is no one way to be and no one should feel like they have to sit in a closet and stay there unless they raise their voice. It is about shaping the world to accept all for who they are and not having stereotypes and assumptions put in the way of others. u
Let’s talk about the issue with tax
It isn’t rare to find large corporations who don’t pay tax. Even though they are making billions and billions of pounds every year, they still manage to find loopholes in the system to avoid making any contribution to tax. Some of the world’s largest companies have found to be abusing the system by using tax havens, loopholes and schemes to legally avoid paying UK corporation tax. The Guardian found that nine out of ten people in the UK who were asked, said that it is morally wrong for big companies to avoid paying tax. One in four of the people surveyed are boycotting a company’s products or services because it does not pay its fair share of taxes. Therefore, people see that this is a real issue, so then why has nothing been done to stop this? It is argued that the government could do much more to fix this by insisting that UK companies publish the taxes they pay and other key indicators, in every country in which they work.
AMAZON
Amazon being one of the biggest, if not the biggest company in the world, were able to avoid paying as much tax as they should by using Luxemburg as a location to dramatically reduce their obligations in the UK. They made £3.35bn in UK sales and somehow only paid £1.8m in tax… They used the excuse of only making £74 million profit.
Google is yet another big company that avoid paying UK corporation tax. Their excuse is similar to Starbucks- that they are not big enough (even though they have employed just under 3,000 people in the UK) to count as a ‘permanent establishment’. They believe they should pay most of their taxes elsewhere. Google paid £36 million in tax last year elsewhere, whilst making £1 billion in revenue. They are constantly slammed by opposition parties for not paying their fair share.
The government are not forcing these companies to pay tax. They are making a clear political choice by cutting benefits and privatising, rather than going after the big corporations which would bring in nearly £25 billion a year. The government would rather go after single mothers, disabled, etc than the big rich business people.
Let’s talk about the issue with
tax $$$
t isn’t rare to find large corporations who don’t pay tax. Even though they are making billions and billions of pounds every year, they still manage to find loopholes in the system to avoid making any contribution to tax. Some of the world’s largest companies have found to be abusing the system by using tax havens, loopholes and schemes to legally avoid paying UK corporation tax. The Guardian found that nine out of ten people in the UK who were asked, said that it is morally wrong for big companies to avoid paying tax. One in four of the people surveyed are boycotting a company’s products or services because it does not pay its fair share of taxes. Therefore, people see that this is a real issue, so then why has nothing been done to stop this? It is argued that the government could do much more to fix this by insisting that UK companies publish the taxes they pay and other key indicators, in every country in which they work.
STARBUCKS
To think Starbucks coffee can make a dent in our banks when we buy one, you would think they’d be able to pay their taxes with the price they charge. The business only paid £5.4 million in UK corporation tax last year, despite making a gross profit of £95 million. Also, Starbucks – which is run by billionaire Howard Schultz – made a global profit of $4.9 billion (£3.7 billion). However, according to the coffee chain’s tax advisor, Steve Anderson, Starbucks made no profit, the reason why they don’t pay taxes.
The government are not forcing these companies to pay tax. They are making a clear political choice by cutting benefits and privatising, rather than going after the big corporations which would bring in nearly £25 billion a year. The government would rather go after single mothers, disabled, etc than the big rich business people. u
Most people use Facebook on a daily basis, it is just one of those apps we happen to find ourselves scrolling on. However, they were found not to have paid little UK corporation tax, even though they had a 70% increase in income. They only paid £1 million in UK corporation despite making half a billion pounds in revenue. When asked about this issue, the press spokesman just happened to claim the company pays all the taxes required by UK law.
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