3rd year attending the @sserc.bsky.social Summer Research Placement celebration event! Great seeing all the students’ hard work! This year due to having Dr Niccole Pamphils on board we were able to take on 4 placement participants to introduce them to quantitative social sciences.
Dr Kirstie Ken English (they/them)
@kenglish.bsky.social
Quantitative Methods Lecturer & researcher in survey representation of LGBTI+ populations https://kenglish95.github.io
Got some lovely post from @rainbowr.org as a thank you for the workshop I ran with @nrennie.bsky.social on visualising the UK’s LGBTQ+ population. Really enjoyed contributing to rainbowR’s conference being a big fan of their work. Hope to engage in more rainbowR activities in the future!
This is the most fucked up and immediately harmful policy decision I think I've ever seen in adult trans healthcare in the UK, and that's saying something. The Welsh Gender Service is one of the best in the country. It is widely praised by the patients it helps. That is why it is being targeted.
🚨🆕 @wearequeeraf.com and @whatthetrans.com can reveal that the NHS has cancelled all gender-affirming surgeries for adult patients of the Welsh Gender Service Some trans patients received the news just days or even hours before they were due to take place 👇 www.wearequeeraf.com/nhs-cancels-...
I’m so angry about this & worried for everyone down in Wales. The impact this is going to have is horrific. The notion that the (relatively good) Welsh system has to refer at the same rate as the broken English system is simply cruel.
Statement on NHS Wales pausing gender surgeries: TransActual is deeply concerned by the decision to pause gender affirming surgeries for people referred via the Welsh Gender Service (WGS). Trans people using their service are now left without any NHS pathway to receiving the surgical care they need.
Just as well I already booked a long weekend of annual leave since I need it for queer mourning now for all the icons we are losing. RIP Dolly Parton & Tim Curry 😭
It's really, REALLY annoying when Google scholar takes you to a piece of work which misrepresents your work so egregiously. Our work did NOT show that access to lesbian space is declining, nor does it support the claim that access to lesbian space stops people "mistaking" themselves for trans men.
This was part of the anti-trans playbook, “big pharma is banking it”. Bad faith shit. Zero interest in what happens to intersex kids, no interest in what the effects of diethylstilbestrol. Just endless persecution & scapegoating of those who disrupt hegemonic norms. Nazi shit.
This is something the 'rising #ADHD diagnoses are just big pharma wanting to sell more meds' arguments seem reluctant to explain. If the whole thing is a huge complex plot to sell pills, why would those pills be so rare and hard to get? Like advertising a restaurant only accessible via jetpack
Never mind co working, anyone want to co scream?
Struggling with Arday's death because of (a) proximity to issues with plagiarism and hate in academia, (b) how much his work impacted and moved me on the two occasions I had the opportunity to see him speak. While also knowing I probably cannot comprehend the pain of my Black colleagues right now.
I feel nothing but rage at this racist island with our racist press & racist academia. It’s taken Jason Arday’s life.
Just finished my third year facilitating a @sserc.bsky.social Summer Research Placement. The immensely impressive participants got me this lovely card. Introducing young people to social research is one of the highlights of my job.
Obviously I teach social research but think I will include one of the chapters from this in my Understanding Data course as @chanda.blacksky.app provides a great account of why thinking reflexively about methodologies & challenging oppressive assumptions within them is important for STEM as well.
Ended the week by updating some of my teaching materials. Made me smile that my past self had time & energy to not only design all the slides but also illustrate some of them…doubt there will be space for that this coming academic year 🙃
This is horrific and what’s particularly appalling is while deliberating over the theoretical threat of trans women the real violations of all incarcerated women’s rights are being ignored.
“We think the decision will place trans prisoners at very real risk of serious harm and in many instances violate their human rights,” 🗣️ Valentine of @scottishtrans.bsky.social https://www.wearequeeraf.com/understand-the-lgbtqia-news-31/#%F0%9F%8F%B3%EF%B8%8F%E2%80%8D%E2%9A%A7%EF%B8%8F-prison-ruling
The Court of Session has ruled today that the Scottish Prison Service’s policy of conducting a risk assessment for each trans prisoner and then deciding whether to place them on the men’s or women’s prison estate, is unlawful. Read our initial thoughts here: www.scottishtrans.org/statement-on...
Trans-exclusionary data activism has, over the past decade, gained considerable ground. Its impacts are deeply consequential - yet often unrecognised. transactual.org.uk/blog/2026/06...
I'm currently trying to assemble as comprehensive as possible an account of extant academic research in post-1700 British & British imperial trans history! I'd welcome suggestions of citeable work that might have escaped my notice - e.g. unpublished PhD theses, recorded talks, ephemeral print/zines.
I’m dyslexic, I live in fear of someone giving me a words task meant for Harvey 😱 The most complex thoughts I have about poetry are “ I like/dislike this one” & I can count on one hand the plays I’ve seen, one of which being Harvey’s outstanding ethnodrama “As Is”
I was telling a colleague in my corridor about how people confuse @kenglish.bsky.social & I. He didn’t believe me. I go downstairs to fill my water bottle & someone asks me about teaching awards & quants teaching (chat meant for Kirstie Ken in both cases). I’m the words one, they are the numbers one
Bit sad how excited I was to get this in the post. Perked me up after being ill the last few days😅 Thank you @messagetgi.bsky.social !
If anyone is following this and thinks that EHRC chair Mary-Anne Stephenson hasn't met trans people - she has. A bunch of us, myself included. She knows perfectly well that you cannot tell whether or not someone is trans based on their voice. She is just a bigot who cares not a jot for our safety.
Stephenson: Its a problem there is no official certificate of sex. 'Most people follow the rules' so therefore it shouldn't be a problem. Jardine: Pushes back about proof. Stephenson says: Once they open their mouth people will 'know' if they're right sex
Oh some reading for later in the week 😁
I wrote a short post about my new article co-authored with @fiercemum.bsky.social and others. It's all about the questionnaires which are in common use internationally in trans youth healthcare, what's often wrong with these, and how we can do better.
Was so happy to hear @joedsonferrie.bsky.social won the Career Excellence Award. Across her work in human rights and methods training she has had tremendous impact. At the same time Jo has helped support students and staff alike. Her mentorship helped get me to where I am now ✨
Delighted to see that two of our wonderful colleagues have been recognised in GU's Teaching Excellence Awards: @kenglish.bsky.social, in the Early Career Category, and @joedsonferrie.bsky.social, who is a richly deserved recipient of the Career Excellence Award.
Started the week on a high note as I found out I won a College Teaching Excellence Award! Was really grateful to be nominated for this and dead chuffed with the win. Have some exciting teaching plans for the year ahead! @uofgsociology.bsky.social @uofgsocsci.bsky.social
I am now describing myself as a JEDI data expert 🤣
Today I was introduced to the acronym JEDI for Justice Equality Diversity and Inclusion and I will be adopting it for everything. Thanks to the Physics department at Glasgow uni for being the exact right kind of nerds.
There is lot that is dire with how universities have responded to genAI, but a massive issue is AI guidance that fails to make clear to students that they do not need to use AI. Another is the focus on responsible use without engaging with the irresponsible development and deployment of genAI.
Writing day…do you think I have to include this lot as co authors?😅
This is easily a new favourite. Fantastic from start to finish.It's absolutely beatiful. Ella is one of my favourite characters ever. Nothing beats a wee weegie granny! Also learnt a lot about crofting communities.
Check out my talented pals work!!! They have also kindly included my Pat the Pigeon comics and the Greyhounds Against Gender Critical stickers. All money from the stickers is going to Trans Harm Reduction.
Hiya! We're going to be at Glasgow Zine Fest at the Briggait again today, 11-6 - come say hi and buy a wide array of queer and incredibly niche zines, comics, prints and stickers from us today!
Started listening to this today. There is a wee sweary weegie granny in it. Douglas Stuart is going to have me greeting again 😭