Imagine saying this to the person who was the head writer of The Wire. Shakespeare could come back from the dead tomorrow and the first question these people would ask him is dOnT yoU wIsH yOu HAd AI!?!?!?!? 🤪

It cannot be made clearer. If you continue to support the Harry Potter franchise in any way, you are directly funding the removal of trans people's human rights in the UK.

It has begin.

“Sally Rooney could be arrested as a terrorist supporter if she enters the UK” Like read that sentence over and over and reflect on the state of this country

The Jimmy Kimmel firing, Colbert's show, what's happening at WaPo, CBS... legacy journalism is slowly but surely coming under state control. It is more important now than ever before that we support the independent journalists out there doing the work not beholden to a fascist's bidding.

In many ways this Kimmel thing is the least of the shit going on in the US, but it’s a frightening marker of how bad things are. That a widely popular, wealthy, white man who is by no means “radical” can be punished like this for not toeing the party line demonstrates how far they’re willing to go.

Tomorrow's front page 📰 Is sharing this image a crime?

Can anyone explain why the Government is still doing most of its communications through a website whose owner is now openly rallying the far right to trigger a violent insurrection on our streets?

There's so much handwringing about whether violence is acceptable that ignores the fact that violence is utterly normalized - normalized one way only. If violence was unacceptable, Palestine would be free, almost all guns would be outlawed, and Trump wouldn't be president. Violence is daily.

That is not to suggest all violence is equal. Violence comes in many forms, and should be judged on its necessity, the power dynamics at play, and the precision of it: not by the influence or wealth or fame or political reach of the person or persons it is committed against.

"Political violence" is a term that exists to suggest a moral distinction between "violence against politicians" and "violence by politicians" - so that one can be condemned while the other can be normalized. Obviously, no such distinction exists in reality: violence is violence.

Reminding me that ‘A League of Their Own’ got cancelled after one season is actually a hate crime

To be fair this probably is how he’d react if his one of his family members got shot. Melania who?

Honestly, I find every part of this pathetic. It’s a recurring theme for Scottish politicians to act like things that are happening within Scotland aren’t interesting enough on their own terms without making them about events 3000 miles away in the USA. Social media is making this worse.

We are increasingly alarmed at the way women’s rights and safety are being weaponised to demonise minorities across the UK. This kind of distortion of the facts only causes harm to individuals and communities and does nothing to end violence against women and girls.

The cast of The Guest was so good. It looked good. It even felt good. But… what was that plot? I feel like a hardened criminal myself because when it got to the (extremely obvious) Big Reveal, I was like… “is that it?” Truly a case of the coverup being worse than the crime, and for what!? 🤯

🌒 🏊

This is the logical conclusion of the weirdness routinely spouted by self-described “gender criticals”. That by virtue of having a vagina, everything we do is magical & sacred ✨ Nah, we’re just people who buy stuff in shops. Speaking to us won’t, in fact, make us implode into a pile of pixie dust.

I have this in the Herald today (archive version in comments) ‘When context is missing, minds are easily swayed, and humanity often forgotten.’ www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

This is the person Scottish Labour is lining up to defend, and who the entire GC movement has turned into their hero

Thinking about the hypothetical question: “what would you have done if you were alive in the 1930s?” This is what our Scottish Government would have done.

It's like a protection racket. The Scottish Government is offering tribute, kissing the ring and letting Trump shake them down. Embarrassing and a waste of public money.

In new statutory guidance, ­teachers in England are told to avoid using materials which “encourage pupils to question their gender”. Welcome to the Gender Agenda, just like the Gay Agenda, except Labour and the Tories are united over it. Me in The National 👇 www.thenational.scot/politics/253...

We've moved from 'don't say gay' to 'ban trans'. But this time, it's the policy of a 'Labour' Government.

On a wealth tax, cuts to lifeline support for disabled people, and the increasing influence of big money in politics. It's been a bleak week in UK politics. My column in @scotnational.bsky.social today www.thenational.scot/politics/253...

This video could be word for word from an old myth-busting ad from a VAW campaign, yet here we are in 2025 and people (women) are openly saying this shit. 🙄 I wish I could pretend this is a few random people but… Hampden holds 50k.

Next week the UK government is moving to ban Palestine Action under anti-terror laws. 5 things that could put you at risk of a terrorism charge ⬇️ 🧵

It's your last chance to respond to the EHRC consultation. It closes at 11.59pm tomorrow. Get it done tonight. Tell them about the personal impact. Better to do something short and quick than not at all. Don't let them claim we didn't tell them.

Anyone use Letterboxd? Can we be Letterboxd friends!? 👀🎬 boxd.it/bmE1R

New hair selfies yesterday versus new hair selfie in March 2022. Blondest I’ve been since about age 8. I can’t tell if the blonde is making me look older or younger. I do have the feeling like I suddenly became OLD in the space of 3 years 😲 But I do like the hair… 🤔

🚨 Last night JK Rowling attacked The National as an "anti-woman newspaper". I think that is absolutely ridiculous chat. Here's my open letter setting out why this kind of attack does not work on our team. www.thenational.scot/news/2525321...

The Traitors US really said the cast made a mistake last time giving Dorinda Medley - of all people - only one episode so she’s coming back to make it nice!

I keep wanting to post about this and putting it off, because personal announcements that aren’t “good news” feel weird, but I also want to be able to reflect on my 9 years writing for the media, because that’s been a part of my life, so. My last piece in The National was published on 11th May. 🧵

So on a serious note…about Ginny & Georgia (😅), Max’s story this season was a tough watch as someone who relates so strongly to it. The start of ep9 made it fairly obvious to me that they were leaning into the idea she’s neurodivergent. I’ve now read the creator say that. And they did it SO well 🪡

🧵 As @iododds.bsky.social has already pointed out, the EHRC and the "supreme" court seem to want to create a historical/legal fiction that, in 2009 and 2010, parliament was proposing that The Equality Act (2010) was in fact a national toilet ban for trans people. As someone who was involved... 1/5

“But also, is murder really that bad?” — Max saying what we’re all thinking in the new season of Ginny and Georgia 🤣

We won a pub quiz for the second week running last night and I feel like I’ve reached the pinnacle of accomplishment in my life. Turns out @mothsprimkle.bsky.social, @sagalauren.bsky.social, James and I make a great team — and together together we are… The Sherlock Homos. 🕵️

Kate Fucking Nashhhhhhhhh — the absolute coolest since 2007 😭 (Context: this is about the transphobia and misogyny disguised as “feminism” which is a defining feature of our cultural moment, yet this is the first time I’ve heard a recognisable name sing about it 💯) youtube.com/watch?v=q2Mo...

Given the predictable reactions of annoying - and sometimes worse than annoying - men on the internet to this series & game, I obviously wanted to have nothing but praise for it. But having watched this game played 3 times I know enough to feel a bit “meh” about the portrayal of Ellie this season.

Members of the Scottish Parliament from four of the five main political parties at Holyrood have written to the Presiding Officer protesting her unlawful and (we believe) transphobic guidance. Please add your name to theirs. goodlaw.social/3fpq

My latest for @heckle.scot:

ICYMI “The pushback has been really strong. Some stakeholders are saying they can no longer work with us. Loads of staff say they’re looking for other jobs”

Heads up🚨 Coordination needed. The EHRC consultation on updated Statutory Code of Practice opens this Monday 19th May & will run for 6 weeks. The EHRC will be holding Q&A sessions with stakeholders representing affected protected characteristic groups. www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre...

A few points from my feature with domestic abuse advocacy organisations which I think are worth highlighting (now I’m back from low/no signal) 🪡 📊 Domestic Abuse Scotland Act (coercive control) charges make up a small % of domestic abuse charges. It’s felt the patterns are still often being missed.

UK now ranking alongside Russia and Hungary - tremendous work by the Labour party.

Yesterday I had 2 pieces in @scotnational.bsky.social about how Scotland’s criminal courts are working for victims of domestic abuse. 1️⃣ First is this feature on the impacts of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, 6 years on, and how far we still have to go. www.thenational.scot/news/2515355...

The most baffling political reaction to the FWS judgment is that which goes “oh, you’ve decided against 20 years of practice and understanding and the express wishes of the government and parliament that passed the legislation, thank you for clarifying” rather than “uh we should legislate”.

I imagine since this culture war began 99.9% of us have never had a negative interaction with a trans person. In that time, there have been devastating wars, an extreme rise in the cost of living, nazis winning office. But policing bathrooms is all the UK has talked about.