Anyone else got ‘hot take’ fatigue?

🙃

Undoubtedly will have good connections into the Labour Party.

It’s Lesbian Visibility Week!

An important week the celebrate queer women and non-binary people.

Follow @divamag.bsky.social and seek out events. I’m looking forward to attending a few myself.

…that also means it’s only two weeks until Trans+ History Week. Eek! 😅

Alt Text: Primeval Beast by Uche Okeke An oil painting on wood titled "Primeval Beast" (1961) by Uche Okeke. The artwork features a massive, stylized creature inspired by Igbo folktales, set against a solid black background. The beast is rendered in earthy brown tones with a dense, circular scale-like texture across its skin. It is depicted from a low angle, filling the frame to suggest immense scale. Its head is turned in profile, featuring a single large, spiraling eye and a massive, wide-open jaw filled with sharp, white triangular teeth. Dark red, curved horn-like shapes emerge from behind its head, and large, sharp red claws are visible at the bottom of the composition. The style blends modern Nigerian art with traditional cultural influences, conveying a sense of looming, mythical power.

Saw the Nigerian Modernism exhibition at the Tate this afternoon.

One for anyone interested in histories, erasure and reclamation of culture and heritage through art.

This is oil pant on wood is “part toad, part mythical brute” - one of my favourites.

Primeval Beast (1961) by Uche Okeke

Workplace rights for British Trans+ people were once better than people thought. Not any more Tracing Trans+ workers rights back to an unlikely Cornish case, which set out how Trans+ people can be discriminated against based on sex

The legal landscape for employers of Trans+ people – particularly after 2026’s High Court ruling – has become increasingly fraught. 

Understand how we got here 👇

I'm very proud that I worked on a TV show that did depict this.

"Tales of the City"

A screenshot of Freddy McConnell’s Instagram post featuring a photograph of Jacob’s Transition Goals freddy.mcconnell: This book made me emotional. Football mad 8yo me would have been transformed by it. Not only should it be in every child’s home, but every school and nursery. Some books tell a good story, some have a message. It’s surprisingly hard to nail both. Trust me, I’ve tried! It’s even harder to nail both *whilst also* writing rich characters. Coach Sanchez… 🥹🥹🥹 Bravo, Arthur, what a debut. Back of the net.

Won’t share every review of my book I get on here because that would be annoying (and I’m sure there will be some less nice ones) but this one from the Freddy McConnell has made my day and it’s 9am 😭😭😭

Alt Text: Primeval Beast by Uche Okeke An oil painting on wood titled "Primeval Beast" (1961) by Uche Okeke. The artwork features a massive, stylized creature inspired by Igbo folktales, set against a solid black background. The beast is rendered in earthy brown tones with a dense, circular scale-like texture across its skin. It is depicted from a low angle, filling the frame to suggest immense scale. Its head is turned in profile, featuring a single large, spiraling eye and a massive, wide-open jaw filled with sharp, white triangular teeth. Dark red, curved horn-like shapes emerge from behind its head, and large, sharp red claws are visible at the bottom of the composition. The style blends modern Nigerian art with traditional cultural influences, conveying a sense of looming, mythical power.

Saw the Nigerian Modernism exhibition at the Tate this afternoon.

One for anyone interested in histories, erasure and reclamation of culture and heritage through art.

This is oil pant on wood is “part toad, part mythical brute” - one of my favourites.

Primeval Beast (1961) by Uche Okeke

If you don’t think I’m driving change that’s your right to hold that opinion.

But I do think this back and forth has reached its conclusion with what you’re insinuating here.

I often say I’m not here to police how anyone else chooses to drive change in the ecosystem of change making.

The changemaking methods anyone chooses all work in concert.

And legal challenges, community support and direct action are all important.

By this logic it is pointless to sign any petition directed at government or write to your MP

The question to ask is: what is most effective?

I’d argue that refusing to speak with government ministers is an ineffective way to advocate for your community.

Advocacy toward the government of the day is part of my job.

Convincing an anti rights group to change their ways is not.

Agree to disagree

I advocated for my community directly to the Prime Minister whose government has the power to improve our lives or make them worse.

That is different to ‘finding common ground’ with orgs like LGB Alliance, For Women Scotland etc which is what I’m talking about.

Yeah a couple of months ago. Mid Jan.

How is it that “removing indignities for trans people" is a core commitment from the UK Labour Party's 2024 general election manifesto.

Yet Self ID is not a priority for Stonewall according to the new Chair?

I’d expect Stonewall’s position to at least be as progressive as the 2024 Labour manifesto

The pivotal riot that shaped modern LGBTQIA+ rights, you don't hear about enough Before Stonewall, Pride, or the rainbow became a symbol for the queer community, a group of trans women started a revolution that history almost forgot

The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot was one of the earliest recorded queer uprisings in the United States - despite it rarely appearing in mainstream LGBTQIA+ history

Anyway, I look forward to meeting with Stonewall’s new Chair. It’s not an easy job. And if she is serious about progressing Trans+ inclusion she will be an asset with the connections she has to the party in power.

There will always be unpersuadable people who campaign for your exclusion.

Our job is to spotlight the intention behind such groups and the bad outcomes of the policy they propose.

In order to win the argument with the moveable middle who rarely engage in the issues but are live and let live types

But can common ground be found on policy with someone who is anti your existence? I don’t believe so. Nor is it desirable.

The job to be done is to persuade the masses of the need for policy to remove your discrimination.

I honestly don’t know how you find common ground with people on policy with groups who want you segregated from society?

I can understand finding common ground in order to attempt to deradicalise someone. Plenty of research on that.

It is very odd to not utilise manifesto commitments to apply pressure for follow through in order to progress policy change.

Indeed it’s Stonewall’s standard MO. The continued pressure to see Conversion Practices banned is because we should be close to it actually happening because it was promised.

How is it that “removing indignities for trans people" is a core commitment from the UK Labour Party's 2024 general election manifesto.

Yet Self ID is not a priority for Stonewall according to the new Chair?

I’d expect Stonewall’s position to at least be as progressive as the 2024 Labour manifesto

True. I just think the Conservative brand is very damaged.

Especially if the electorate are primed to be thinking about improper conduct in high office. I don’t think people have forgotten about ‘party-gate’

It feels like if that’s the lens through which the electorate might go to the polls.

The parties that project more of a moral/ethical stance in public consciousness atm seem to be Greens, Plaid and Lib Dem’s.

So could we see a surge from them?

The Westminster polling is going to get really interesting next week isn’t it.

If the locals end up being focused - not just on a change from the traditional two parties - but on a reaction against what public view as more improper conduct in office… which parties come out better?

A person - Marty - wearing a purple Nike tank top, a grey and black hydration vest, and tortoiseshell sunglasses takes a selfie in a lush park. They are wearing a white headband, have a septum piercing and a vertical labret piercing, and are making a peace sign with their hand. The background shows a paved path winding through green grass and large, leafy trees under a bright sky.

I’m running again.

For the first time since I was sexually harassed while in my zen flow state running around the common.

I’ve missed this mind emptying feeling.

Go running! It doesn’t matter that your pace is crappy and you stop three times on the way round. Just do it.

That call will come one day. We best be ready for it. It’s our one shot of this planet!

I’m going to have to be cryptic about this but I need to share!

This morning I received an invite to a room I never imagined I’d be in. And, honestly, one I had stopped trying to strive for a few years ago now.