Many people struggling this week with the perennial problem of a famous artist who was also a known groomer, warned about among young women. The fact that our lives are bound up with those of abusers is hard to deal with. We have been here before, we are never not here. Some writing has helped me:
Engineer Karen Leadlay working on the analog computers in the space division of General Dynamics, 1964
Really helpful detail on the range of approaches to conversion practices in the uk
Gareth Davies@garethtbij.bsky.social · last mo.Labour LGB's intervention comes a few days after LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop published a report- Still not illegal - into coversion practices in the UK, including emotional and psychological abuse, threats, forced marriage, or restriction and surveillance
When two words sound the same but have a different meaning it’s called a
Some news: my memoir, Little Oases, will be published in March! 🥳 It's about what mothering my identical twins taught me, an Irish feminist sociologist, about gender and sex. Preorders and shares very welcome! @eoinpurcell.bsky.social fullsetbooks.com/products/lit...
Little Oases. Carol Ballantine book, published by Full Set
Carol Ballantine book, Little Oases: A memoir, draws on Carol's personal and academic expertise to explore questions about gender identity in childhood as she raises her twins. Published by Full Set.
fullsetbooks.com
I performed my gender uphill both ways in the snow and damnit you will too
I found this 17 year old opinion piece on The Guardian from back when Benny 16 lifted the excommunications. It, ah, explains the ick that guy gave me to the point I stayed away from mass until a year before Francis passed. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Response: Lefebvre's religious sect is steeped in racism and hatred
Response: Archbishop Lefebvre's followers should have no place in the Catholic church, says Andrew Horn
theguardian.com
This is really good
Assigned Media@assignedmedia.org · last mo.It almost seems too obvious to say, but no, the Supreme Court is not being moderate and sensible on trans rights while being extreme and partisan on every other case. A new opinion piece addresses Helen Lewis-ism, by @evanurquhart.bsky.social assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
This is a fascinating discussion of laws named for people- often victims - like cocos law in Ireland. Might interest @jodymooreponce.bsky.social
Cllr Dr Alex Powell@apowelllaw.bsky.social · last mo.Great to speak with Anya Pearson of Political Quarterly about our Crick Prize winning article on 'Nominative Laws'. @leejarvis.bsky.social, @michaellister.bsky.social politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/it-give...
Fascinating stuff, has this crossed your radar, @aislingwalsh.bsky.social? Looks right up your street!
Ciaran O'Neill@ciaranon.bsky.social · last mo.A new coauthored article just out on open access. Written with Finola O’Kane and Chris Nikkel, it looks at the ways that Irish families with connections to enslavement elide, remember, or forget those connections www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
This is a piece that's very personal to me. Thanks a bunch to the greatly supportive editors and reviewers of the REACPOL network and Red Lines for making its publication possible.
Reactionary Politics Research Network@reacpolrn.bsky.social · last mo.🟥Red Lines🟥 'The right to mental and bodily integrity, the right to inviolability – that is autonomy.' @ajoellie.bsky.social reflects on the role of women's shelters and the need for autonomy. reacpol.net/abolish-wome...
On March 26, 2026, during a debate on violence against women in Germany’s Bundestag, left-wing MP Kathrin Gebel was repeatedly interrupted by AfD MP Martin Reichardt. She responded: “Mr. Reichardt, the clitoris has 3,000 nerve endings, and you’re still more sensitive. That’s quite an achievement.”
As someone who researches and writes in the trauma space (decolonial & post-conflict) this book is unavoidable and yet there are so many better texts written by feminist researchers without dubious professional records that deserve attention... I am so here for this takedown 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
If Books Could Kill@ifbookspod.bsky.social · 2mo agoEpisode 53: The Body Keeps The Score In 2014, a Dutch researcher revolutionized our understanding of trauma with insights like "don't talk about it" and "get a massage."
My twins are doing the Junior Cert so I'm reading the exams every day. Today was science. And look at this.... I'm assuming that points will be given for the following answers: Consent, autonomy, freedom, choice, violence, coercion, equality, force, oppression....
Loved this piece. @darach.bsky.social represented all that was best about Irish twitter, and judging by the first column, this new series could be a snapshot of that fascinating, surprising, funny, friendly space we used to have. 😮💨
Darach Ó Séaghdha@darach.bsky.social · 3mo agoDelighted to tell you all that I have a new series in @thejournal.ie where I get to grips with all things Ireland-coded! Have you ever stopped to think... what exactly is a parish pump? jrnl.ie/7040952
Dream PhD opportunity 🥰🥰
Dr Hannah J. Elizabeth@sexhistorian.bsky.social · 3mo agoDo you know someone interested in the history of health and/or activism who might want to do a cool funded PhD in an even cooler city (Glasgow)? Tell them about this #studentship on the history of unorthodox health activism in Britain! #HistMed www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/...
When my son was aged about 2-5yrs he had long hair & liked pink. I remember looking at children's books in a progressive bookshop in London & noted that too many of the "boy books" were things like "boys can like pink too" "stories for boys who are different because their hair has grown long"...
Crowd-sourcing question for cis people with trans +GD young people in their lives: What are the books, films or other creative outputs that you love, or recommend to others? It's for a presentation at a conference on the arts + healthcare. RT! @mams4transrights.bsky.social @mimmymum.bsky.social
I don't think it can compete with "aibohphobia", the fear of palindromes.
I think this is my favourite so far. Alice Knox in Blackrock, Co. Dublin who is very glad to be single. #1926census nationalarchives.ie/collections/...
Here's a link to the website for the Norwegian campaign against enshittificatiom, and below is the table of contents of the associated report: www.forbrukerradet.no/breakingfree/
Brilliant analyse by Jen Keane: I’d love to integrate this in a gender & public policy class…
Jen Keane@zenbuffy.bsky.social · 4mo agoI might not have the regular Irish Times column that Steen has, but I do have quite a bit more than a few anecdotes to back up what I say. Maria Steen thinks the #genderPayGap is a myth but that is a hopelessly basic and naive take. Here is why. paygap.ie/posts/maria-...
Imagine if we could have such an impact with our bicycles…
Eoin@eoinobrien.ie · 4mo agoHad the same thought the other day. It's maybe 100 vehicles blocking the majority of the cities public transport system