Everything's shit at the moment, so here's 46 seconds of Sweep playing a bell along with a brass band:

I am one of the 14 authors who chose to leave the Polari Prize, and I find myself frustrated and saddened at the way this entire story has been represented. 1/

Also great to see Kate Nash, albeit partially, clinging onto a fence!

🏳️‍⚧️Wonderful day at @transpridebrighton, city full of love & solidarity! This year it felt hugely important to join the march as an ally & friend, at a time when trans rights are being brutally dismantled & people made to feel unsafe & unwelcome in their own community. #transrightsarehumanrights

A 90-minute masterclass for our Raising Voices Project and for Give Peat A Chance.

www.mklitfest.org/digginginthe...

@clareshawpoet.bsky.social
@betarish.bsky.social
@jessmookherjee.bsky.social
@calebparkinpoet.bsky.social
@bloodaxebooks.bsky.social
@ninearchespress.bsky.social

Ah, he left his nerve pain meds behind, didn’t he! Slightly different from treatment of the condition, but something that might help manage the symptoms. I found plenty of resonance myself, but everyone’s different.

But he didn’t “reject medical treatment”: there is no treatment for CBD. He walked (not always in a jolly way) because they were homeless. She’s just posted drs letters mentioning diagnosis of atypical CBD/CBS. 🤷‍♀️ Obvs the money issues were glossed over (!) but it’s best not to add to misinformation.

It’s worth reading her response! It’s been bothering me that there was no actual evidence that Moth’s diagnosis was made up (except for him still being alive), and that seemed the worst bit of it all, and has garnered the most fury.

www.raynorwinn.co.uk

Disabled will lose £3,000 a year in 'stain on the Labour Party' plans, MPs told Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell told the Commons that welfare reforms that would cut the Universal Credit health aspect would be a 'stain on this great party'

Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell tells Commons welfare reforms that would cut the Universal Credit health aspect would be a 'stain on this great party'

Stripped-down welfare Bill will still see hundreds of thousands of disabled people lose £3,000 a year by 2030
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

www.raynorwinn.co.uk I’ll be interested to hear what people make of her statement.

I don’t know what’s wrong with people who still use X. You’re getting your breaking news and sports chat from a Nazi site. Draw a line

Yes, exactly! The Tebbit test has gone into the lexicon and may well be the only thing he’s remembered for in years to come; you can’t just airbrush the racism.

Whereas I fail visual captchas constantly! Hydrants, what hydrants?!

Yep, me too.

Rosie Duffield should not be using derogatory, childish language when talking about trans people, or walking out of sessions that concern trans rights. Appallingly inappropriate. Please sign & share.

Yeah, they’re not fools, and it’s odd you’d think they weren’t doing it on purpose! They were making the point that holding a sign supporting PA is not terrorism. Illegal now, obviously, thanks to Labour, but not terrorism or anything remotely like it. The law is an ass.

Hungary banned anything that “promotes homosexuality,” which means Pride.

However, today over 500,000 people in Budapest told the government to fuck off. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

What’s so heinous abt Starmer compared to the Tory clowns is that while they were in power we had hope they’d be toppled by Labour. Here we are & Starmer has, as J.Alice says, broken the party we desperately needed to fight for us. Labour is now pointless. Obsolete. He’s handed us over to Reform.

Judgement Day for the EHRC How the equality watchdog turned into a culture war campaign group

A very well-written and perceptive article.

iandunt.substack.com/p/judgement-...

What’s wrong about listening to *all* women, with their many and various views, experiences and feelings (including those of inclusive feminists, trans & NB folk) and finding a solution that works for *everyone*? It should not be this hard to make sure everyone’s needs get met & concerns are heard.

But that’s exactly how solidarity works! Effective left-wing movements find common cause with each other through solidarity; it’s not you granting a favour!

And it should not have to be requested from an MP, who is BEING PAID to work on behalf of his constituents.

Also: it’s trans *people*. 🙄

The Supreme Court ignored trans voices. I’m ashamed of what our law has become | Good Law Project The Supreme Court’s decision to exclude trans voices has harmed trans people – and harmed the fairness of their ruling.

I've put on my hob nailed boots and given the Supreme Court decision the kicking it deserves. goodlaw.social/vd3a

Dick Van Dyke: Hank Tough, you come back here right now!

Hank Tough:

Oh Brainiac! ❤️

Good for you Sian! It was a ridiculous judgment: universities need to be free to set clear guidance about bullying not being tolerated without being fined. That some have to "self censor" their views would be a reasonable consequence if we were discussing racism, but it applies to transphobia too.

How to Think (and Act) Like a Dissident Movement AOC, solidarity, and people power.

This piece from @jvl.bsky.social is one of the most important insightful I have read since January 20th 2025.

But this is how people protest what they perceive to be a damaging & bigoted narrative: they're direct and loud but also surely understandable, even if you disagree with them? The power in this equation (in terms of media & government) is with those opposing trans rights, so protest is what's left.

NOT an order to support or protect women, despite some columnists' take on it:
“For this initiative surely undermines the ideals for which feminism has always stood: overcoming discrimination and inequality, and refusing offensive notions of who measures up as a woman and who fails in that regard.”

British workers might keep more wages relatively, but OBVIOUSLY most sane people would rather pay more income tax & live somewhere with functioning education, transport, housing, health services. The UK isn't that place. This whole thread is peculiarly stupid & point-missing. 🙄

A thread about the why the police raid on the Westminster Quaker Meeting House was a violation of Quaker space - it wasn't just "a room hire".