And the award for joke of the week goes to...

I want to physically recreate this image, but with a cigar and a glass of whiskey (for those that get the reference). The problem is really *good* cosplay wings are (a) insanely expensive and (b) often weirdly proportioned. Oh, and I don't look that good. #weirdAmbitions (Image by Nicole Cadet)

I thought growing up that if I showed I could be creative and expressive, then people would support and encourage me to be creative and expressive. Instead it turns out you have to fight for every little freedom, pay for each project and ask for permission to exist. That can't be right, can it?

Asking the right questions - and we should demand answers and change, not just vague hand waving.

Sometimes it all just catches up with me, and I just feel.. not enough.

10/10 No notes.

I'm very nervous of the new myth that Mandelson single handedly destroyed the Labour party, which would have been fine under Corbyn. Nope, the party was already a mess and suffered (suffers) from a lack of clear strategy to establish meaningful changes. "Not the Tories" is not enough.

Whenever it's pointed out politicians have screwed up - or outright deceived us - they only ever walk it back far enough to satisfy the easily pleased. The damage is done and more damage will be done... but here's a small sign we've heard your complaints after we pushed things as far as we could.

One of my working theories is: nearly a century of relatively stable democracy has allowed the whole system to gum up with 'process'. Want to accuse someone? There's a process for that. Want to oppose a politician? There's a process for that. Want to change the system? There's a process for that.

So a certain childrens' author who has spent the last decade making carefully deniable insinuations that people she doesn't like are abusers and perverts... is currently the subject of insinuations that she enjoys the company of abusers and perverts. Ain't karma a bitch? No sympathy whatsoever.

If wearing femme clothes is "pretending to be a woman", then is wearing makeup "pretending to be pretty"? Or perhaps is writing long articles in the Sunday papers "pretending to be clever"? I'm going to put some heels on later and pretend to be tall.

Major gender euphoria last night trying on a few new shopping wins. My wardrobe is beginning to make sense (to me!). My partner says, "You're looking quite gothic" - nah, that's just the contrast with all the pink. I contain multitudes. Really need to afford a photoshoot to show it all off...

Thiel is a "pull up the drawbridge" libertarian. He abuses the system to acquire freedom for himself, and then does all he can to remove freedom and priviledge from anyone who might challenge him. His social theories are typical for someone who does not get challenged by anyone around him.

Wouldn't it be nice to be talking about something else?

My personal life is deeply confusing. In a good way. There's lots of things I'm still working on, and I still don't know where I'm going. But how I think about myself has changed so much in the last six months. It's... better.

Random train of thought. The goth/alt/queer 'super cool' genius character in a lot of science fiction and edgy detective fiction isn't a representation of any of those subcultures because it requires the intersection of two 'identities' that individually require extremely high maintenance... 🧵

Worth reading this letter for the details of the campaign of harassment inflicted by this woman.

New wig just landed. It's *really* blonde. Think I can work with it. It has an amazing hairline. Oh wow... forehead! It is poker straight and doesn't want to curl. Ah... this is going to be a learning experience. Or a disaster. Already thinned it to stop major tangling, but I've got work to do.

I've found a new source of free energy! I'm in a lovely group chat of genderqueer folk, not one of whom is under 30. Talking about role models, and the 20-something online trans influencers who declare themselves to be "Trans Elders" and watch those eyes roll! If we could just harness that power!

Heads up!

Worth noting that ten of the UK representatives voted for the ban today (thank you) - and one didn't. Step forward 78 year old Sir Christopher Chope, famous for opposing same sex marriage, being for the death penalty and fillibustering bills that would protect workers, tenants and carers.

No organisation existing solely to eliminate trans people should be a charity. #DeregisterSexMatters

Cargo cult behaviour as we approach the popping of the bubble. "If I just believe hard enough, I too will be rich like the guys wringing every last breath out of us to preserve their vast fortunes!"

The weirdest thing about this phase in the political cycle is having people who obviously have zero experience of being trans or queer lecture you on what your feelings and emotions are. OK, not the weirdest thing, but honey I see what you're doing, and it ain't working.

How have I got a 22" waist cincher? It's a nice one in black and red from Westward Bound, but my waist - even in the most optimistic of times - has never been remotely near 22". I *think* I swapped it for this one, which was a more sane 26" (?)... but... why?

Given the driving force behind all this is the Christian Right, this is indeed a religious war. Evangelical Christians against all the rest - they see this as a global crusade not just within America. And if they want war then the only outcome must be secular governments with no religious control.

Tsk. Want to be able to buy tops without doing careful calculations about the neckline. Option a: boob job. Pro: looks good. Con: surgery, complicated life, money... Option b: breastplate. Pro: convenient. Con: Only in the right light/circumstances. Want something decent, not cheap.

On the one hand, AI images are weirdly plastic and homogeneous, riffs on a strangely narrow slice of imagery... On the other hand, damn, why can't anyone make that dress... and that one... and that one... Skip the physically impossible stuff and there are still some fantasy outfits to die for..

This has to be said: I'm seeing quite a few posts hoping for someone to be put out of our misery. It's not enough for the cheerleader in chief to go. The whole project has to be discredited and dismantled, or they'll just put a new cheerleader in place. It's the people who support him who must go.

The MAGA end of the American Right view the UK as a legitimate target for manipulation - both as a virtual state of America, and as a bridgehead to Europe.

You want the world to be a better place? Clicking likes and reading articles has absolutely no effect whatsoever. The assholes don't care how many friends you have, or how well educated you are on the subject. They care where your money goes, and how far they can intimidate you.

Lots of people using polite words to hide intolerance. That's worse than lazy bigotry - it's going out of your way to say: "I respect you and support your rights, but I believe you should not be given the respect or rights that I have claimed." Activist groups 'politewashing' prejudice.

Very tired of posts that read: "We finally tell you how to deal with/who to blame for the current global bullshit".. and then link to a paywalled article. If you really do care about the current global bullshit, don't make me subscribe to your dollar a word newsletter.

🔴 Last week the Free Speech Union got a High Court writ to prevent the publication of a list of its donors So we decided to investigate who *does* fund Toby Young's outfit Wanna see? 🫣 New on Democracy for Sale: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-funds-...

Preaching to the choir here, but the response to Renee Good has made it clear (if it wasnt before) that the whole anti-trans thing from the right isn't about "protecting women and children" but just a thin veneer over traditional homophobia and hatred of minorities. We're all queer here.

Going through that periodic phase of wanting to get a really good wig. This looks incredible, but who can spend a couple of hundred dollars on the off-chance it's as good as it looks? Anyone have any experience of Geeta, or other convincing/affordable wigs? #wig #shop geetahair.com/collections/...

The Under 16 ban for social media has things the wrong way round. We should ban social media for the over 16's. As in, "OK, you're an adult now, put away that crap and have a normal life away from the noise."

Oh wherefore art though, Brian Cox?

So... where's the room where it happens? It used to be that you made a difference by showing up online and raising your voice. But now everyone is shouting, and the people making the difference have retreated to another place. We changed the world once, can we do it again?

There we go... Twitter account deactivated. It feels bad not to be able to support the people standing up to the bullies, but it's worse to support a site that is designed from top to bottom FOR the bullies. We really need better ways to talk about stuff online.

It's a housekeeping day - in the real world and online.

Presented without comment. Gender care for young people in the UK. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Deeply scientific experiment. I had to boymode for Christmas and... it takes three weeks before I'm shopping online for a gothic lolita outfit. Lesson one: don't bottle up your gender. Lesson two: no-one makes good dresses in "Western trans" sizes.

My one takeaway from the leak of Free Speech Union's donors is that being an opinionated ***hole is very profitable. (a) This explains why there's so many of them. (b) It seems nice guys don't got money. (c) This is all so depressing. Just remember: unmarked notes only in the usual place please.

I don't know how many people realise that when Starmer talks about closer alignment with Europe, he's not talking about any form of social benefit. He's talking about appeasing the large corporates, surveillance and trying to sell American crap into Europe.

The increasingly intrusive actions in the Church pushing politics of intolerance both in the UK and US should be a wake up call for anyone who believed we had a secular government.

Who else is really, really looking forward to going back to work tomorrow? Me neither.

At last, a crisis I can wrap my head around.

The apparent dishonesty about this change is a serious breach of trust.