Thea Drake, Author at The Orbital

27Feb

By Thea DrakeNo Comments

Features

What’s happening in Myanmar?

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in a military imposed crisis. Following the November 2020 general election, won by the National League of Democracy Party (NLD), the armed forces demanded a recount and claimed widespread fraud. (This is eerily reminiscent of certain recent events in the United States.) The leader of the NLD party, Aung San Suu Kyi, has had several charges filed against her accusing her of rigging the election; she has been detained and the power of the country has been given to commander-in-chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing. The would-be leader Aung San Suu Kyi began her work as a revolutionary, aiming to restore democracy in the country, and spent nearly 15 years in detention from 1989 for organising rallies which called for democratic reform. The NLD leader came into power i...

27Feb

By Thea DrakeNo Comments

Features

The Best LGBTQ+ Shows To Watch Now

It’s A Sin Where to watch: All 4: Channel 4’s free on demand service. About: Russell T Davies’ new drama focuses on the lives of a queer group of people in 1980s London, navigating the HIV/AIDS crisis. This heart-breaking and raw series depicts the way this crisis took over the lives of everyone in the queer community. It explores the ignorance and homophobia with which the public treated this disease in a truly tragic way. Pose Where to watch: Netflix About: Another show set in the 80s, this time in the world of ballroom in New York. The series dives into the glamorous (and not so glamorous) lives of queer people living in the Big Apple. The show features the largest cast of trans actors in television history, adding another to the reasons to watch this revolutionary revis...

25Jan

By Thea DrakeNo Comments

Features

Coup of the Capitol

If you feel like you’re witnessing a still from the Hunger Games, you wouldn’t be far wrong. On January 6th, a riot of Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. The supporters gathered around the building in the morning, having flown in from states all over America. Trump has repeatedly stated that he doesn’t accept the result of the US election, where he has been voted out of the White House, beaten by Joe Biden who is to take his place on 20th January. Trump has repeatedly made comments about the integrity of the election results, where he has gone so far as to accuse Biden of rigging the election to aid his win. These statements have created much confusion and suspicion amongst his followers, who have been fed false information which led them to believe t...

18Dec

By Thea DrakeNo Comments

Features

Eating Sustainably

Thea Drake When you think of how you can be sustainable, you probably imagine recycling your rubbish, not littering, and trying to use less plastic, but you might not think that one of the biggest ways we can be sustainable is by changing our diet. All aspects of food production contribute to the emissions that are causing climate change. The planet we live on and depend on is suffering because of the way we eat. If we all chose to eat less animal products, it could have the impact needed to save our planet. Research has shown that by reducing consumption of animal products, we can cut down on the impact that we have by reducing the energy required, land and water used, pollutants produced, and overall greenhouse gas emissions. The impact of the meat industry Greenhouse gas em...

23Oct

By Thea DrakeNo Comments

Lifestyle

Women, Doing It For Themselves

I think we’ve all been there, while glaring at the smooth, perfectly toned model in barely-there underwear we feel a blanket of self-loathing surrounds us. For me, the questioning always begins with, ‘How on earth am I meant to get my boobs in there without them dangling down by my knees?’ I find myself in a difficult battle with saucy underwear. Sometimes it feels so badass to be wearing something that makes me feel sexy. But then I question myself. Who am I wearing it for? and Why does shopping for it make me feel so sh*t? Ever since we were little we’ve been told to strive to look like the ideal woman: tanned…but not too dark, skinny…but not too skinny, big boobs…but perky, curvy…but only in the right places, hairless…but without any signs of removal. All in all we must be eff...

23Oct

By Thea DrakeNo Comments

Features

Refugees in Crisis

Imagine the country you know as your home being so unsafe and war-torn that you are only left with one choice; to leave everything you know behind and seek asylum in a country that is safer but so far away. Imagine that you manage to survive the dangerous journey across the ocean. You hope to find a better way of life for you and your family. Imagine you arrive at the shores of the UK, only to be met with hatred and hostility. This is the reality of so many asylum seekers coming to the UK. The media in the UK has villainized the people who travel so far to get to the safety of our land. The headlines we are so used to have instilled a sense of hostility towards these people. The reality of the situation is that they have every right to look to us for help. The UK is a signatory of t...