The UK government ceasing automatically to support almost anything the government of Israel does is a major shift. The next step should be to rescind the ban on #PalestineAction, to stop treating protesters as terrorists, and to acknowledge that those seeking to disrupt a genocide may have a point.

Bill Bryson’s words seem appropriate to post right now

And so, you’ve not governed for the good of everyone. You’ve risked the wellbeing and prosperity of the whole country, legitimised racism and brought fascist thuggery onto our streets, because you’d rather pander to prejudice than stand up to it. What a price we’re all paying for your failure.

I simply do not understand what's going on in Labour that renders its leaders incapable of finding a TV camera and speaking out against street violence. Even if you assume they agree about immigration, violence is wrong, unpopular AND against the interests of any even vaguely left wing govt.

“I believe that transgender people, including those who have transitioned, are living out real, authentic lives. Those lives should be celebrated, not questioned.” - Gloria Steinem 1934-2026

I feel like boycotting Harry Potter stuff is such bare minimum shit that it just fucking exhausts me that it's such a constant subject of discourse. If you give a shit about trans people, don't give JK Rowling your money. There's really no further productive discussion to be had about it.

Under a UK Labour Gov we have: The forced cancellation of all Adult trans + surgeries in Wales The ongoing enforcement of a puberty blocker ban for all trans U18s. A don't say trans style ban on teachers/support staff discussing trans + issues with pupils in English schools.

TRANS PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONFINED TO THE SHADOWS I’ve heard from people who are now scared to go out in public, or are avoiding drinking water because they’re worried about using a toilet. Whatever the legal debate around the EHRC guidance, we can’t ignore its human impact. #TransRights #EHRC

It will lead to requiring "transgender persons to disclose their gender identity, risking harassment, while exposing all women to scrutiny based on gender stereotypes, intrusive questioning or demands for personal information," UN experts say 👇

This would be a very good move. Crucial to think deeply about what model we should use but also to allow a big open process for how we arrive at it. Otherwise we make it easier for critics to brand it a stitch-up. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Labour MPs will push Burnham to back voting reform in first 100 days

Exclusive: Nearly 100 Labour MPs support commission on changing the system used for Westminster election

theguardian.com

It's hard to see the BBC's decision to quote JK Rowling as anything other than a calculated insult to Dolly Parton's memory.

@cancelled-by-elon.bsky.social · 2w ago

How the BBC is reporting Dolly Parton's passing.

The Anti-Gender Movement Is an Anti-Rights Movement! Together with friends and allies across the continent, we are launching a joint, Europe-wide call to reject anti-gender politics in all its forms.

Feminist, human rights and democracy organizations call on all sectors of society to reject anti-gender politics in all its forms - Inclusive Feminism

A platform for democracy.

en.inkluderendefeminisme.no

Indeed. SS embodies the whole sorry mess, in that hardly anyone in it ever saw Arday as a person. For Cambridge he was a way to buff their credentials, to be discarded when he became embarrassing. For Sodha he was a prop to air grievances about “gender ideology”.

Jason Sinclair@jsinclair.bsky.social · 4w ago

Also... it didn't? Even if there was a monolithic worldview that exists only in her imagination then it didn't.

After London Trans Pride the UK government issued a statement saying “Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of *all* children and young people in education. This is why we have issued updated keeping children safe in education guidance”. This is a lie and they know it. Not trans children.

The EHRC Code of Practice comes into force this week. This is an attack on trans+ people. It is guidance, not law. It does not remove rights or make harassment legal. UCU stands in solidarity with the trans+ community. Join the lobby for trans equality, 9 September with Trans+ Solidarity Alliance

Imagine owning a cafe and trying to understand what you are being asked to do here. It's simply not possible.

Channel 4 News@channel4news.bsky.social · last mo.

EHRC chair challenged on how to enforce single-sex toilet rules www.channel4.com/news/ehrc-ch...

The government’s transphobic code of practice is now up and running. But we’re not going to stand still and take it, we're supporting a legal challenge led by a trans person and a trans inclusive organisation. But we can only do this together. Will you join us?👇 goodlaw.social/ldco

“Anti-gender and anti-rights narratives ultimately undermine the rights of everyone, but their focus on so-called traditional norms around sex, gender and expression is particularly destructive of the rights of trans people” - European Commissioner for Human Rights, 2024. www.coe.int/en/web/commi...

Human rights of trans people: increased visibility and legal recognition contrast with lived experience of discrimination, violence

Strasbourg 14/03/2024

coe.int

This is pretty god damn bleak. Amnesty has withstood pressure from murderous dictators and genocidal regimes and yet they caved to lawfare from JK Rowling. This effectively means no domestic UK organization can criticize Rowling or GC orgs without risk of being destroyed by endless lawfare.

The proscription of Palestine Action remains one of the most politically stupid decisions of the Starmer government. There was no need for it. It gained nothing. It generated bad feeling and put hundreds of people into already overcrowded prisons.

Defend Our Juries@defendourjuries.bsky.social · last mo.

NEW: Sir Jonathon Porritt, arrested under Terrorism law outside Westminster Magistrates Court. As police escorted him away he said "I am a supporter of Palestine Action, trying to save lives is not terrorism, exposing this Governments complicity in genocide is not terrorism." www.wedonotcomply.org

Nope. I don’t accept this position — that we are powerless to change the outcome of this mess. We have a small, time-critical window where we can collectively navigate through this. Also don’t forget, these are commercial entities that are selling products/services that are subject to laws.

Private companies could ruin the night sky for the entire world, and international law can't stop them

"The regulatory environment and regulatory framework has significant gaps and holes in it. Essentially, the technology is outpacing the regulatory environment."

space.com

I'm absolutely devastated for colleagues at Jodrell Bank who found out this morning that funding for the UK's e-MERLIN radio telescope array will be terminated. This is a short-sighted move, to save a tiny fraction of the overall UK science budget. #SaveJodrellBank 🔭🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands

Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.

bbc.co.uk

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2mo ago

“What will the Lovell Telescope discover/enable 20 yrs from now? I can’t tell you, and that’s the point. It will either be something extraordinary that none of us can yet predict, or we will defund it and leave Cheshire with a rusting monument to unfulfilled potential and discoveries never made.” 🔭🧪

150,000 people joined London's biggest ever Trans+ pride and protest to show solidarity and strength with the Trans+ community 🏳️‍⚧️ Ki Griffin reports 👇

150,000 marched yesterday in London for trans rights. Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing. BBC News app. Nothing. Guardian app. Nothing. This is what actual silencing looks like.

Share share share www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Mother of trans woman who took own life issues stark warning at Pride march

Tens of thousands of people marched through London for Trans Pride on Saturday

independent.co.uk

We don't have a billionaire backing us. We only have you. Please help us keep fighting for trans human rights 🏳️‍⚧️

Good Law Project@goodlawproject.org · 2mo ago

We need you 🏳️‍⚧️ The new Code of Practice comes into force on 5 August. It is harmful. It encourages discrimination. And it will make life so much harder for the trans people in our community. We’re fighting back. But we can’t do it without your support. Will you join us? 👇 goodlaw.social/qmhp

I reckon everybody has something that brings out the puritan in them. For me it's not drink or drugs or smoking or teenage social media use, etc. It's the astonishing spread of sports betting and prediction markets. Just seems really bad for individuals and society to turn the world into a casino.

In the UK, while a far-right racist party has gained a lot of clout, power has remained in the hands of well-educated people who speak in reasonable tones. Announcements of segregation or forced detransition are accompanied with an empty mouthing of principles of dignity and respect

Please share widely. transgenderreport.com/amnesty-reve...

Amnesty reveals the true nature of anti-rights gender criticals. J.K. Rowling goes ballistic. - Transgender Report

Amnesty International recently published a report on what they call the “anti-rights movement” in the UK, which also includes gender critical activism. It did not take long before the gender critical ...

transgenderreport.com

@andyburnham.bsky.social talking to Gary Lineker today: "I don't want to come in and... pitch people against one another." Then you need to stop the Code of Practice from instituting segregation, Andy.