The BBC should join the growing number of broadcasters to boycott Eurovision if Israel is involved. The UK should not take part in Eurovision Song Contest as genocide continues in Gaza. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Polari Prize saga shows us how the Overton window on Trans+ rights has shifted 👇 https://www.wearequeeraf.com/polari-prize-saga-shows-us-how-the-overton-window-on-trans-rights-has-shifted/

This is a link to the contact form if anyone wants to make a complaint auth.nls.uk/contact/feed...

The National Library become the latest of our literary institutions to surrender wholesale to anti-trans campaigners. "We will always be inclusive, and we will always welcome everyone to the library." This, unfortunately, simply is not true as they promote bigotry. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Today, along with over 80 partner organisations, we are writing to MPs across the UK calling for robust Parliamentary scrutiny of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) forthcoming Code of Practice. Read the full statement on our website: www.scottishtrans.org/scottish-tra...

Introducing Jommo Calley who will be reading their work for those lucky enough to be coming to our QUEER Riot literary cabaret event in just 4 days! 🤯 See you on Sun 24 @lighthousebks.bsky.social Jommo is a Malawian/Scottish poet exploring the intersectionality of identity, inequality & injustice.

Grab a pal and come along to our Queer RIOT event @lighthousebks.bsky.social this Sun 24 Aug, 1pm, to hear Nyla Noor read their work!🌈 Nyla is a queer South Asian artist weaving storytelling, poetry, and visual arts into deep explorations of queerness, intergenerational trauma, and radical healing.

Sol Vardi is reading at our Queer RIOT event happening this Sun 24 Aug, 1pm @lighthousebks.bsky.social! Sol is a writer & spoken word poet who explores queer & immigrant experiences. Their poetry weaves political issues, humour & queer joy, alongside everyday experiences of life in Edinburgh.

With this debacle finally over let us hope that this is a lesson to all who seek to represent our community - we will not accept those who would divide us and assault our rights to be rewarded on our behalf. Solidarity means something. Solidarity delivered. Thank you to all who took a stand.

I wrote about the decision myself and other authors took to withdraw from the longlist of the Polari Book Prizes for LGBTQ+ writers www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"It was not a difficult or painful decision – I felt misled about the principles underpinning the organisation and I no longer cared to be awarded by it." "The swell of public support is behind those who are supportive of the entire LGBTQ+ community." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Looking forward to the riot!

Join us in Edinburgh next Sun 24th August as readers from the queer community bring you their rage, revolution, and renewal, breaking free with a riotous round of readings with a Q&A to follow! 🌟 ⏰ Sunday 24th August, 1-1.45pm 📍 @lighthousebks.bsky.social, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh

Assigned Media tracked down every single queer author who withdrew from the Polari Prize after they longlisted a self-proclaimed TERF, and linked to all their books. These authors showed solidarity and our story is blowing up with traffic from people who want to support them in return.

Finally, far from least, the transgender people in this country who have been made to feel monstrous and inhuman by a constant barrage of misinformation and slander. How do they feel? It is awful that anyone feels broken by this situation, but is there space for their feelings? I fear not. /13

Irrespective of how John feels, his words are simply not compatible with an inclusive prize that celebrates all LGBTQ+ people. Just like a racist statement would not be allowed in a prize for writers of colour, or a sexist statement tolerated for a prize for feminist writers. /11

Time and time again our media deliberately excludes the voices of our community when it speaks out in solidarity of trans people - whilst handing a loud speaker to the few who seek to divide us.

Losing everyone to keep a transphobe. Was it worth it, Polari Prize? The community believes in solidarity among us, even if you don't.

UK readers, if you can't afford to buy any of these books, order them from your local library. The authors will see your support through loan figures and PLR. You don't even have to finish reading them if you don't want!

15 of 24 authors, and two judges, have now withdrawn. First Book: Curtis Garner, Jason Okundaye, Sacha Coward, Sanah Ahsan, Amy Twigg, Mae Diansangu, Eleanor Medhurst, Hanako Footman, Ciara Maguire, June Thomas Main: Olumide Popoola, Robert Hamberger, Andrew McMillan, Rhian Elizabeth, Jane Traies

EXACTLY as trans people predicted... Cis women & non-binary people are being harassed & assaulted in toilets since the supreme court misjudgement. @libbybrooks.bsky.social in the Guardian. I'm now working on a way to monitor, document and record incidents like these. Attn @cliveefford.bsky.social

3 books out of 12 left on the Polari First Book longlist, 7 out of 12 remaining on the main longlist. a colossal show of solidarity esp from debut authors

Looks like we need a truly-inclusive LGBTQ+ literary prize, lads.

“The hurt and anger caused has been a matter of deep concern to everyone associated with the prize... despite these events, we are committed to going forward with the prize this year... undertaking a full review... ahead of next year’s awards.” The Polari Prize doesn't understand the situation.

These authors didn't ask for this, and we cannot and should not extrapolate their stance on trans rights by whether they stay or go. This is a highly pressurised and impossible situation. There is no objectively correct thing to do, and they are likely having a terrible time without you having a go.

I think we are very much losing the sight of the fact that it is not the authors we should be mad at. The only person we should be angry with is the organiser who has created this horrific situation for a group of LGBT writers due to their own transphobic ideology.

14 of 24 authors have now withdrawn. First Book: Curtis Garner, Jason Okundaye, Sacha Coward, Sanah Ahsan, Amy Twigg, Mae Diansangu, Eleanor Medhurst, Ciara Maguire, June Thomas Main: Olumide Popoola, Robert Hamberger, Andrew McMillan, Rhian Elizabeth, Jane Traies Judges: Nicola Dinan, Bob Hughes

New update on author withdrawals from the Polari Prize in protest of the inclusion of a proud transphobe From the First Book longlist: Jason Okundaye, Sacha Coward, Amy Twigg, Mae Diansangu, Ciara Maguire From the main award longlist: Rhian Elizabeth

On Monday - Mon 11th Aug, 4-6pm at Urban Jungle Brunch Room in Edinburgh. Cabaret For A Cause - a performance fundraise from @fabulousphoenixboy.bsky.social Buy tickets at: www.tickettailor.com/events/fabul... Enjoy performances from Jude & friends 💛🧡❤💖💜💙💚

X marks the spot, where "spot" means "excellent book you should buy immediately, ideally from your local queer bookshop".

Keeping track of people withdrawing from the Polari Prize Longlist over the inclusion of proud self-described "TERF" John Boyne. Let me know as we get updates on authors pulling their books in protest.

I will be asking to remove 'Queer As Folklore' from the long list for the Polari Prize 2025.

"Describing Boyne’s proud bigotry and support for a hate campaign as just a ‘radically different position on substantive issues’ is insulting and greatly downplays the situation." Withdrawn: @vavapoetry.bsky.social, @jaseokundaye.bsky.social, and @aetwigg.bsky.social www.pajiba.com/miscellaneou...

Coming to the Fringe from QUILL collective member @fabulousphoenixboy.bsky.social! Made of Magic - poetry of rage & (be)longing www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2025/m... A powerful love letter to the odd ones out, delivered against a backdrop of original paintings, drawings and photographs.

Open letter on the Polari Prize longlist and the inclusion of John Boyne, who openly expresses his transphobic and misogynistic views. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

And the Fierce Salvage crew celebrate current LGBTI+ Scottish writing, from memoir to poetry, edited by @hrfmichael.bsky.social and @ryanvance.bsky.social: www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

“There seems to be a culture just now that has shifted back in time, when it’s cool to be cruel again. The rise of the so-called “manosphere” online and normalisation of hate has had an impact on young people.” 📰 Our long-read interview in @scotnational.bsky.social

Next month catch our second readings event at @lighthousebks.bsky.social! lighthousebookshop.com/events/queer...

The fall-out will continue because there is no appeasing anti-trans campaigners. They will happily see our institutions forced to closed and staff forced to conduct arbitrary "gender checks" on everyone attending to enforce their bigotry. www.thenational.scot/news/2534402...

We know that organisations like 'Collective Shout' and other conservative lobby groups consider our community to be, by nature, obscene. They see our lives and identities as adult content by nature and attempt to eradicate our presence in society on that basis. quill.scot#/News/VisaAn...

From us in The Guardian yesterday: "You look at the bathroom ban that’s being proposed and you sort of realise that, although we may consider the UK quite different from a country like America, it’s a bathroom ban that would make someone like Donald Trump proud" www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Join the pushback on the silencing of queer creators online by Mastercard and Visa. Faceless payment processing organisations shouldn't be able to eradicate our work from the internet worldwide at the whim of reactionary groups. chng.it/s5vvfnfN6z

NHS National Services Scotland are consulting on new Children and Young People’s Gender Identity Health and Wellbeing services until Wednesday 20th August: neu-www.sway.com/nSaxBjBlgL14... Read more on our website: www.scottishtrans.org/children-and...

Last 12 hours and this bundle has outperformed just about everyone’s wildest dreams. One person in the bundle commented about how the money they’re getting could cover rent on a modest apartment for 8-9 months This is the kind of impact y’all have made. Thank you so much ❤️ itch.io/b/3065/queer...

“Transphobia is not f**cking feminist” Kate Nash's powerful speech during her performance at Glastonbury.

Our third performance to share from our Trans Day of Visibility readings night - Jude FireSong! You can pick up tickets for his fringe show now: www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2025/m... www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWNl...

We're proud signatories of this call. If you cannot stand with us when action is needed you shouldn't be able to pink wash your exclusionary politics at pride. Earn your place.

Our statement on the decision by the Scottish Government to drop the bill to ban conversion practices in this parliament.