Cis people: just nip over to your GP to feel a little perkier by taking some T.
Trans people: just spend 5 years on a waiting list, go through a few psychiatric assessments, and if you survive that then you might get a prescription for exactly the same HRT.
I don't even like beans and this makes me mad.
Ironically, this would be far closer to the kind of case s.35 of the Scotland Act 1998 was supposedly for than its use in 2023. I bet many in Westminster will have selective amnesia over the fact that this legislation exists if Scottish Labour ever brings forward a bill on this...
Every candidate for Scottish Labour is running on an explicit platform of trans segregation, even the ones you like, do not vote for a single one of them
You'd think they would remove your socials before they started going all scattergun approach on anyone you ever interacted with... thanks for this, handy to know. 🙏
I know the tweet is Al generated when they use " ," before and.
“I will NOT sacrifice the Oxford comma. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They assimilate the em dash and we fall back. They capture ‘not just X but y’ and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!”
Ghouls. Humanising a trans child? Can't have that. Better to misgender her, and imply she's mentally unwell.
Sometimes, when people ask me why it is important that we care about people rambling about "biological sex" I point to stuff like this. It's a gateway to more dehumanising language.
They get so close when they say it is "a decision that will split opinions between both motorists and non-motorists"... Yeah, of course non-motorists will see this positively - a slower speed means crashes are less likely to seriously harm them.
Hard agree. As a society we have this idea that growth is good, but growth without any criticality is what's caused Twitter to become the cesspit it became.
"But we have more MAUs this month!"
But what is the cost of those MAUs? How many are bots, that just inflate KPIs and annoy actual users?
I was going to ride my bike to a party event we had this morning but when I arrived I realised that there was a carnaval happening near the Millenium Bridge...
There were portaloos blocking off the bike racks.
Oh Gateshead, why. Glad I took my car instead, then.
An amazing sign that you've got to them when a new account appears to argue about an amendment you helped propose.
Still - no blanket bans. The statement released by Darlington Borough Council reaffirms that.
That doesn't quite fit their narrative though does it?
You dismiss your own trans reporter and then you platform Wes Streeting... someone who has systematically removed care from trans youth, and is doing an immense amount of harm to everyone else.
Get in the bin. Like literally, anyone who isn't boycotting you I will actively side-eye.
A dark green background with white text. The heading is: "Darlington has shown that it was not really about "women's safety".". The body states: "Darlington Greens amended a motion which was brought to Darlington District Council that was inspired by the Bassetlaw motion. We flipped the motion’s intent, by removing exclusionary language, protecting trans people from blanket exclusion and doubling down on protections for women." Then in bold: "Is that why Reform is so upset?" Imprint: Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ
An excerpt from the amended motion: "3. The Council will not introduce blanket exclusions of transgender individuals from services. Any restriction must be justified on a case by case basis as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, in line with the Equality Act 2010." Commentary: "The above clause is one of a few clauses amended to Motion 10c, but it’s particularly rattled Reform. Clause 1, as amended, still commits the council to implementing the Supreme Court ruling, but acknowledges that the Supreme Court ruling didn’t mandate blanket exclusions for trans people." In bold: "Are Reform upset, simply because they can’t justify blanket exclusion from single-sex spaces and services for trans people?"
An excerpt from the amended motion: "6. To support the government's national ‘Violence Against Women And Girls Strategy’ and work in partnership towards halving violence against women and girls by 2030 with a focus on prevention and support for survivors through a whole systems approach by the following: a. championing women’s safety; b. thereby promoting respectful and inclusive public spaces; c. working collaboratively with partners; and d. supporting early intervention and prevention." Commentary: "Clause 6 remains untouched. It commits the council to support the Government’s VAWG Strategy. Reform say it’s "a dark day for women and girls in Darlington"" In bold: "Is it a dark day, because protections for women were given, alongside guardrails for trans, non-binary and intersex people?"
A quote from Cllr Matthew Snedker, Green Group leader for Darlington: "Gender is a symphony, not a harmony." Imprint: Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ.
A motion brought by Reform, and subsequent amendment of the motion by @darlingtongreens.bsky.social has shown that it was never really about "women's safety".
Reform talks of a "dark day for women and girls in [Darlo]"... but we kept all the pro-women parts of the motion, so why are they upset? 😉
A photo of an external door of a Class 220 CrossCountry train (from the inside, obviously), and outside you see lovely County Durham fields through the window. Lovely day. Less lovely seating arrangement.
On yet another CrossCountry train, and you'll never guess what seat I seem to have scored...
A photo of an external door of a Class 220 CrossCountry train (from the inside, obviously), and outside you see lovely County Durham fields through the window. Lovely day. Less lovely seating arrangement.
On yet another CrossCountry train, and you'll never guess what seat I seem to have scored...
A braided MagSafe charging cable plugged directly into USB-C on a CrossCountry train.
I am on a CrossCountry train (eww) but it is a newly refurbished one (yipee). They have USB-C! I can plug my MacBook Charger in directly!
It's not super fast at 21W of charging, but it works in a pinch!
I am once again down in Darlington today to have a catch-up after last Thursday's council meeting.
It might be Easter weekend, but still on that grind, and working hard for my trans siblings in Darlington and beyond. 💚🏳️⚧️
The background is a gradient of a trans flag. In the middle there is a photo with a person holding up "I'm just as real as you" with a trans flag painted onto the cardboard behind the text. The foreground reads "Reflections on... Trans Day of Visibility 2026" and has a prompt to swipe (though this is more for Instagram's sake). The imprint on the bottom states the photo is from What The Trans!?. Many thanks again for them letting us use their photos. We also have the legal imprint: Promoted by LGBTIQA+ Greens (Green Party), c/o PO Box 78066, London, SE16 9GQ
A trans flag gradient border, with black text on a white background. This is page one of the statement. The statement reads: "It’s the 31st March 2026. Trans Day of Visibility. In a bygone era, it was a day where our trans siblings would rejoice, because they finally have a day to be visible. For some, it’s a great day to finally come out to family members - a day to share who they are and to celebrate joy in being themselves, free from parental or societal expectations. This year, it feels very different. Visibility, it would appear, is a double-edged sword. The same visibility that brings us joy is the same visibility that has made us a target of vitriol and hate, and the subject of political points-scoring. The same visibility that shines a light on our community and our struggles brings us news article after news article, desperately and zealously pushing the public to turn on their peers. Trans Day of Visibility has become talked about by mainstream politicians, media outlets and institutions, and the consequence is that the day is hollowed out. Some politicians, media outlets or institutions might have good intentions, but a deeply rooted suspicion now exists within the trans community that when it comes to trans rights, it’s a matter of when, not if, the betrayal comes." At the bottom, the imprint: Promoted by LGBTIQA+ Greens (Green Party), c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ
A trans flag gradient border, with black text on a white background. This is page two of the statement. The statement reads: "Visibility has given us so much, but in the current political climate, it’s brought us grief. We observe Trans Day of Visibility despite the attacks that exist on our community. Some of our committee members have spent the lead-up to Trans Day of Visibility desperately trying to prevent a motion brought to Darlington District Council that seeks to use the Supreme Court ruling to justify a ban on some women entering women's spaces. Visibility was not the reason for this attack - prejudice is, though sadly visibility can mean we feel the impact of these attacks more. As a newly elected committee, on Trans Day of Visibility, we re-affirm our commitment to trans rights. Our trans, non-binary and intersex peers massively depend on the ability for our elected politicians in Council and Parliamentary chambers to deliver for LGBTIQA+ people. Visibility itself is not liberation. We must protect our rights from erosion, and we absolutely will. Your LGBTIQA+ Greens Committee Kat, Melissa, Amy, Arran, Branwen, Charlie, Christyn, Em, Jamie, Kenzie, Kris, Sara, Skye & Tiffany" At the bottom, the imprint: Promoted by LGBTIQA+ Greens (Green Party), c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ
On Trans Day of Visibility, our committee reflects on the day, and how this year it feels very different, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, among other very well documented attacks on our community.
lgbtiqa.greenparty.org.uk/2026/03/31/r...
You absolutely read my mind! Love the report by The Canary on this.
I said getting fifty would be a Herculean effort.
I clearly forgot an extra zero.
I am the proposer of this motion, so no co-proposal from me, but I would like to just thank the hard working people who have worked on both the gender-based sports ban motion and this emergency motion.
We're all hard grafters. We see opportunities to improve or clarify our positions and we take it.
I hate that we've internalised the idea that asking to participate in sports was somehow "too much". Sports bans are one of the reasons we're in this position. They have been used to justify further exclusion. By saying sports participation is "too much" we're accepting a limit on our liberation.
Following the IOC sports ban. Members of the Green Party are looking to get an emergency motion to the conference to oppose it.
But they need 50 signatures!
If you are a member you can sign for it here:
springconf2026.greenparty.org.uk/std/Opposing...
Yeah, it adds guardrails that state that no blanket exclusion can happen - it must be done on a case by case basis. It also states any blanket change in provision requires equality impact assessments.
It also removes references to "biological sex".
I remember when the final vote happened. Maybe a couple Tory councillors actually voted against the motion, all others abstained. They could not in good concience vote against a motion that still protects women and girls after spending a while talking a big game about how they care.
I am home now and a whole wave of emotion washes over me. We did it.We defeated this. We weaponised a motion against those who wished to use it against us.
I just wanted to scream on the way back home. I don't even live in Darlington, but I feel something good has happened today, for all of us.
MOTION 10c IS CARRIED AS AMENDED.
Very well done to everyone involved in making this happen.
Some effing and blinding happening in the public gallery. I'm now going to head off. It's been a long one, today.
@matthewsnedker.bsky.social now closing the debate with a speech. Vote on the substantive motion will be coming soon.
"When they came for the trans community, I spoke out because I have heard the poem before", he says.
I'm having déjà vu again. Cllr Dulston says once again that nobody has done more for the LGBT community than him. He gets heckled. He speaks over women when they correct him when he tries correcting them.
Says the Tories have been a huge LGBT ally. Laughs from the public gallery.