Jess ~ Bettyoctopus (She/Her)

Today is 2025-04-19, the sun sets at 19:32:55 (20:32:55 with DST!) and the grand auld stretch tonight was 3 hours, 27 mins and 12 secs. #GrandStretch #SpringStretch

Trans rights supporters rally outside UK parliament Thousands of people rallied in central London in support of trans rights, after a landmark court ruling on the definition of a "woman".

Thousands of people rallied in central London in support of trans rights, after a landmark court ruling on the definition of a "woman"

Wellness Robocobra Quartet · Living Isn't Easy · Song · 2022

I highly recommend listening to Wellness by Robocobra Quartet who get this nonsense spot on

open.spotify.com/track/7dHtMj...

An intro to designing accessible data visualizations by Sarah L. Fossheim 10 dos and don'ts for designing accessible data visualizations, including real-life examples and resources

People often ask what accessibility considerations to keep in mind when creating data visualizations. For guidance and advice, check out Sarah L. Fossheim's list of 10 things to do (or not do) when designing accessible data visualizations.

fossheim.io/writing/post...

Reminder: Kennys Bookshop delivers for free in Ireland. Easons have free delivery over 10 euros (and also sell toys and games and stationary). Lots of lovely booksellers in the actual stores too, like Books Upstairs, Gutter Bookshop, Hodges Figgis.

They're lying to you about transgender women and girls in sports Michelle R. Martinelli For The Win

They’re lying about transgender people in this world. They’re lying about what LGBTQ+ inclusion in society really means, and they’re lying about trans people in sports. They’re lying about a “transgender cult” and “transgender insanity,” about teachers indoctrinating kids with “transgender ideology” and about “making mice transgender.” Right-wing activists, anti-trans bigots, many politicians, the president — they’re lying to you about many things but especially trans women and girls in sports. They’re lying about transgender athletes supposedly ruining women’s sports, and they’re lying about this being a ubiquitous “problem.”

They are deliberately and strategically lying about trans folks’ lives, about trans athletes and about their own disingenuous motivations for pushing these lies. They don’t care because they keep doing it. Worse, it’s working.

They're lying about trans people, especially trans women and girls in sports, probably, in part, because the actual data doesn't support their arguments. Yet several states have their own bans against trans athletes competing in sports consistent with their gender identity, despite expert estimates of fewer than 100 trans high school athletes nationwide. In 2022, Utah's Republican governor, Spencer Cox, vetoed an anti-transgender bill - it was eventually overruled by the legislature - and outlined his rationale. Along with the high suicide rates for trans youth, he noted that of 75,000 high school athletes in the state, four identified as trans and just one student was playing girls' sports. A whole state bill targeting four athletes, but really, one.

I can't remember the last time I saw an article just focus on this. Not that they've bent the truth or misrepresented a few facts a little, but that every single solitary thing that the GOP says on the topic is a stone cold lie with absolutely no basis in reality.
ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports...

Amazon rainforest cut down to build highway for COP climate summit The infrastructure required to host climate talks in Belém is undermining the cause, campaigners say.

A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém... hosting more than 50,000 people - including world leaders - at the conference in November 😳
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Black and white cartoony drawing of Devlin McAliskey speaking into a microphone

Photograph of Devlin McAliskey sitting on a stage with her fist in the air

First #MiniMná is Bernadette Devlin McAliskey - civil & human rights activist, shot by paramilitaries, clattered the Home Secretary when he said British soldiers on Bloody Sunday acted "in self-defence", and all-round legend. (There's a less cartoony print here www.ciaraioch.com/artprints/p/...)

Word of the day is ‘lickspittle’ (17th century): a person who fawns upon someone in power for personal gain.

European Access Network Conference 2025 - Inclusion by Design Abstract Submission We welcome proposals for 20-minute presentations, 60-minute workshops, panel discussions, lightning talks and poster presentations that resonate with the broad theme of designing inclusive and accessi...

#UDL folks!
The European Access Network Conference (Galway, June 2025) is still accepting abstract submissions. Deadline extended to Monday 4th 6pm (GMT) ean.clr.events/event/137513...

TransAction 2025 Conference SUNY Cortland invites you to TransAction 2025, the 7th annual conference about the needs and experiences of transgender and gender queer individuals in the college environment.

This is this week and has a virtual option. Looks like a great opportunity to support trans students in #HigherEd and beyond.

www.reddragonnetwork.org/s/1612/19/in...

When using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, don't just make text bigger and bolder to make it a heading. That will work for sighted users, but screen reader users will miss that and just hear it as normal paragraph text. Use actual heading styles, like level 1 through 6.

He’s a dote! New favourite here

Really heartbroken, Michelle was phenomenal in Buffy. RIP

Same.

I was always obsessed with Meg’s capsule wardrobe in this movie

A painting of King Louis XIV of France. He's wearing an opulent outfit made of furs, lace, and gold. He's also wearing white buckled shoes with a high red heel.

A close-up of the white buckled shoes with a high-red heel. There appears to be a red lace at the top of the shoes.

Fashion influencer Luka Sabbat wearing a black leather suit and black boots with a very high heel.

James Baldwin wearing a white, short-sleeved button-down shirt, white cotton pants, and brown Cuban heeled side-zip boots. He also has chunky gold and turquoise jewelry (bracelet and ring).

We should first recognize that gender codes are socially constructed. Clothing is not inherently masculine or feminine—codes are contextual and can change over time. Aristocratic men once wore bright red heels. Then they became womenswear until that notion was challenged again.

Lisa Sterle's incredible Ten of Swords tarot card from the Modern Witch tarot, depicting a woman with long hair lying on a jagged landscape under an ominous sky. She's stuck full of swords and looking at her phone. It's captioned EVERYTHING IS FINE.

Word of the day is ‘arsle’ (19th century): to have a distinct sense of going backwards.

Google Calendar removes Black History Month, Pride and other cultural events Company says listed holidays were not ‘sustainable’ for their model in latest move to roll back diversity efforts

Google Calendar removes Black History Month, Pride and other cultural events
Of course they did, like all the tech companies, their support of Pride etc was always conditional! The backlash continues www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Capitalization affects how people read hashtags or how people hear them on screen readers. Use #camelCase or #PascalCase in hashtags instead of lowercase. You could have #SuperBowl ("Super Bowl") or #superbowl ("superb owl.") And while owls are indeed superb, confusing hashtags are not.

He’s an absolute gem. Protect him at all costs

European Citizens' Initiative Give your support !

Hey! HEY! WE are at 77% of target right now and we ought to be at over 80% by now.

This is evidence of Slacking.

Whattaya want, Poland coming up behind us and taking the next spot?

Think of somewhere new to share that link.

Go on, tell em I sent ya.

eci.ec.europa.eu/043/public/#...

A stunning aerial dance in Fedamore this evening #murmuration

We're just 3,775 signatures away from Ireland becoming the third country in the EU to reach its threshold!

To be successful, a European citizens' initiative has to reach one million statements of support as well as minimum thresholds in at least 7 countries.

A murmurations of starlings over a field on a clear evening

My zen space where I forget all the troubles is a field in county Limerick where I can watch the incredible show of a murmuration of starlings

Hahaha incredible

If anyone claims that the current anti-trans panic was caused in any part by trans people advocating for our human rights, that person is lying through their teeth.

The religious right lost on marriage equality, and immediately started going after trans people instead. That's what happened.

Here's something that takes seconds and could have actual positive outcomes.

There is an official 'citizen's petition' system in the EU. There's one open at the moment to ban conversion therapy for LGBT+ people in the EU.

Ireland can be 1 of the 7 nations needed

eci.ec.europa.eu/043/public/#...