On a train home from #BSA #britsoc2026 Thanks to so many folk for such rich stimulating conversations. Thanks for all the supportive engagement with my own work. It was great to hear about so many cool creative projects and some great work in sociological approaches to trans and disability studies.

I’ve had the same Kindle since Christmas 2013. Still works absolutely fine. I use it for train journeys. I guess I’ll use it until I’ve read all the books currently on it. Unless it breaks before then. I have no intention of replacing it with an ad-filled one designed to be replaced every few years.

This is also what I’m doing this week! The only difference is my chapter in Yvette’s book is a co-authored conversation on an ethnodrama about trans & intersex activism. I didn’t bring that leaves shirt so people don’t think I only own one shirt. Anyway say hi if you’re at BSA (or in Manchester)

Got a free coffee this morning. But then I got misgendered by the person who gave it to me so I still paid the trans tax of socisial interaction. Still free coffee!

Went to London. Still big and busy and overwhelming. Don’t care for it. Saw the Tracey Emin ‘A Second Life’ exhibition at the @tate.bsky.social Tate Modern. Worth it. Feminist, political, moving. I hope “I Watched Myself Die and Come Alive” haunts me forever.

ALCS statements are up. Happy free money day to all who celebrate. Nice to get money from stuff I’ve written. Also very nice to know that someone somewhere is reading my work (and photocopying it?!). Thanks @alcs.co.uk for all the work to make this happen.

I am on holiday for the next 10 days. So far I have eaten ice cream for breakfast. One of those Lidl versions of a Mars bar ones. I will continue to make excellent life choices and not check my email. I’m going to read fiction! I’m also going to visit my family and see some feminist art with my Mum.

I wrote a post about the extremely unexpected award I received recently, and the context in which I received it. From the stress, exhaustion, and overwhelm of academia, to the power and joy of social movements and coming together with other women.

The GLINTS patch for the trans unity quilt is coming along nicely. @harveyhumphrey.bsky.social made me laugh when we were trying to pose with it😅

It says everything you need to know about @notrightruth.bsky.social that her quote celebrates the work of others and that trans and women’s liberation need each other. And that she is celebrated for her kindness and generosity as much as her research. An honour to call her a friend and a colleague ❤️

Everyone should stop what you are doing and read about @notrightruth.bsky.social receiving an important award for her excellence in trans and feminist scholarship and action. Ruth has been setting the bar for years & its great to see that recognised: www.scenemag.co.uk/trans-femini...

We went to a local steam powered pumping engine that had been used to drain the fens. We also had a day in Stibbington in an old school pretending to be WWII evacuees. We were given characters in advance we were to remain in throughout. Had a mock air raid we had to sing through. Tried on a gas mask

Today I got to hang out at the MakerSpace @uofgarc.bsky.social for the first time. Such an excellent space to work on a GLINTS patch for the @transunityquilt.bsky.social. Very up for future research and teaching plans that involve using this space again.

Great listening to @joshuaidehen.bsky.social chatting to @laurenlaverne.bsky.social on 6 music just now. Two people chatting about music and the world having a lovely time. This is the kind of joy we need just now.

I love reading other academics’ out of office replies. I do not have an urgent question about Russian but now I really want to know what kinds of urgent questions about Russian you get. No one has urgent questions for me about methods.

Looking afresh at these reviewers' comments on our paper on trans disabled people, it's even more obvious that the paper was rejected because of transphobia

It’s an honour to be asked to review fab manuscripts about queer things ahead of their publication. One of the books I’ve had the pleasure of endorsing is Yvette Taylor’s edited collection, “Queer in a Wee Place: Small Nations, Sexuality and Scotland.” Pre-order: www.bloomsbury.com/au/queer-in-...

It’s March. That means it is the right time of year for ice cream meetings. (For a long time I believed it was ice cream season all year round but also I live in Scotland). It will be ice cream meeting season for approx 6 months. Please invite me for ice cream meetings. Work chat optional.

Coming in November from @brisunipress.bsky.social, In the Aftermath of Empire explores the impact of British imperialism on gender and sexuality law in four jurisdictions. Please tell your libraries to pre-order! bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/in-the-after...

Such a nice day at work today. Hearing @kevinguyan.bsky.social talk about his work for a GLINTS event; catching up with some of my favourite colleagues; meeting new colleagues for interesting research & teaching plans; & being called out on my fashion choices /dressing smart by @kenglish.bsky.social

My work Outlook added Text Predictions. When you type “Hi” it suggests the name of a person in a ‘to’ line. I had to turn it off because every time I sign off an email it suggests Heather as my name. I don’t even have any colleagues called Heather. Kinda miss Microsoft Clippy. Probably knew my name.

'Early findings from the first National Disabled Staff Survey (NDSS), completed by 837 disabled staff across 127 institutions in 2025, expose deep structural barriers that undermine wellbeing, career progression, and retention.' 1/2

My excellent academic pal @carolineleicht.bsky.social (former colleague now working elsewhere) has students working on zine assessments for a queer & feminist class. It will be submitted & they will share them in a zine party(omg!). So I just submitted to one because that’s true academic friendship.

Call for book chapters: abstracts by 16th March 2026 Rethinking queer ageing: The significance of geo-temporal contexts. Edited by Linn Sandberg, Rebeka Põldsam and Rebecca L. Jones (me!) Academic understandings of LGBTQ+ ageing are dominated by Anglo-American contexts, which means that [...]

Sociology of class lectureship @uomsociology.bsky.social www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQL973/l...

Our @sgsss.bsky.social Advanced Training is here! Help me and @drfigtree.bsky.social reach the PhD researchers looking for creative tools, supportive practices, and new ways of imagining scholarly life. Apply by 10/03/26: forms.gle/GD7ixJ4JDvpx... @uofgsociology.bsky.social @uofgsocsci.bsky.social

@uofgussp.bsky.social has a fab community of participatory researchers. Now advertising for RA w participatory methods experience to join us and work across two of our large grants: @healthmod.bsky.social and @changingrealities.bsky.social

Rest / Free time / Leisure & #Disability If you know UK-based Disabled People's Organisations or other community groups / collectives that are currently interested in exploring the topics mentioned above from a 'political' perspective, please recommend! #DisabilityStudies #DisabilityRights

📣 Today @felicitycallard.bsky.social and I have published the first peer-reviewed response to the 'Sullivan Review' of research and data on sex and gender. doi.org/10.1111/tran... The Review could threaten trans rights and inclusion, erode academic freedom, and undermine research quality.

Ok because I’m a nerd who keeps everything have 5 essay titles I wrote in uni (only ones I titled myself) across multiple subjects: 1. The impossibility of ending 2. “More than a woman, more than a man” and other “words that don’t fit”: exploring transgender in Hedwig & the Angry Inch and Trumpet 🧵1

Ok 5 classes I took in university (across different degrees, universities & subjects but in some kind of chronological order): 1. Meaning and Representation 2. Writing and Identity 3. Epic 4. The Cultural Politics of Gender and Race 5. Equality and Human Rights Stirling had the best course titles.

My partner (who’s an AHP) is on a course at work today. He has just messaged me: “So this course is about outcome measures but it looks like it’s mainly quantitative. I would’ve thought healthcare would want to look at qualitive too”. I am so proud. But also expect he is going to be disappointed.

I’ve been writing a very silly creative submission for a feminist law journal about the FWS Supreme Court judgement. It might never see the light of day and it might not be funny. But I really recommend making jokes in the face of the rolling back of trans rights. If nothing else I had a nice time.

We've just launched the Trans Unity Quilt Project, a campaign by and for trans people across the UK to bring joy and hope by making a quilt that will stretch over 50m long 🎨 Make your own patch 👇 goodlawproject.org/campaign/the...

Super excited to share the cover of my children’s book Jacob’s Transition Goals! Jacob’s Transition Goals is about an 8 year old transgender boy who starts playing football for his local boys team. It’s a joyful story that I wish I’d been able to read when I was a trans kid. Out April 21st! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

Who are the cool, up-and-coming early career trans women and transfem non-binary people doing scholarship in women's and gender studies - particularly outside North America? I'd love to hear about their work!

These tactics – which mirror the anti-trans politics of the Trump administration – is about changing something within trans people rather than changing the signage on toilets and changing rooms. Read here (open access): doi.org/10.1080/0958... #data #trans #gender #queer #research #LGBTQ #UK

Time is weird. I’m tired. I’m going to bed. When I wake up the year will be new and I may or may not still be tired. May your tomorrows be better than your yesterdays.

NEW Tressa Burke of Glasgow Disability Alliance turned down MBE over ‘scapegoating’ of people with disabilities www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Annnnnnd breathe. My out of office is on. I will be doing no more work for the rest of the year. In fact until the 12th of January. If anyone needs me I’m sorry I’m far too busy eating chocolate. Pictures of your pets are alway welcome though.

Pleased to be interviewed for this much needed piece on the rising transphobia in higher education. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/trans-s... (Archive link: archive.is/oYqXS)

It’s my last campus day before Christmas (will still be at work next week but from home). Please enjoy my excellent rainbow Christmas shirt.

I’ve been coughing and losing my voice for months (currently unexplained but I don’t have an infection). We’ve reached the point where lovely students are emailing me with home remedies because they are concerned. These are some of the joys of teaching. Not the coughing. We’d all like that to stop.

Applications Now Open for the University of Glasgow Library Visiting Research Fellowship scheme - supporting scholars from across academic disciplines to come to Glasgow to work on our unique research collections. Please RT or pass on: www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/li...

Happy BSA @britsoci.bsky.social abstract decision day to all who celebrate. Don’t know where I’ll work in April. Do know I’ll be in Manchester for BSA conference. That in itself feels like a comment on where sociology is as a discipline. Excited for conversations with colleagues old & new in April.

Can anyone point me to any public health campaigns (ideally video) from during Covid19 which in some way say "stay apart to stay safe" or similar messaging? I know the UK ones, but I want an example from further afield (reposts appreciated)

Ready to merge sociology with art? Applications to the 2026 cycle of the Image-Maker in Residence series are now open! We seek to commission four online residencies that showcase experimental methodologies and ways to disseminate research beyond plain text. APPLY NOW – buff.ly/TD5raNw

Qualitative research isn't a consolation prize for when we can't get 'real' numbers. It's a different way of knowing; one that captures complexity, context, and meaning that statistics alone cannot provide.

An excellent resource from one of my favourite colleagues. And students on our Media Research Methods course get to hear from @kenglish.bsky.social with their lecture on questionnaires and surveys next week! (Please don’t ask me about numbers. Kirstie Ken is here for numbers. I only do words).