Rob Mullins's Avatar

Rob Mullins

@robertmullins.bsky.social

Associate Professor, University of Queensland.

673 Followers  |  674 Following  |  2,587 Posts  |  Joined: 06.11.2023
Posts Following

Posts by Rob Mullins (@robertmullins.bsky.social)

I'm also interested in direct discrimination on the basis of perceived gender reassignment. It seems like a cis person who was kicked out of a toilet on basis of appearance would have decent prospects of winning a case but I think it's totally untested?

05.03.2026 11:56 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

This is the problem and the Supreme Court didn't address it. They seem to suggest at one point that you could just refuse to disclose your "true sexuality" and sue in your presented sexuality even if you don't "pass". But it's really tenuous.

05.03.2026 11:50 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I also like the fact that if you follow the logic of the Supreme Court you get the very special "Stock theorem": bisexuals are gay and straight at the same time.

05.03.2026 11:47 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

No "intermediate zone" here. Nothing to see please move on.

05.03.2026 11:38 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Because I'm cis and oblivious, I hadn't really processed that the whole rationale for the "spousal veto" is that your spouse's sexuality changes when you transition. So a partner's sexuality now changes for one purpose but not the other.

05.03.2026 11:31 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Read my accessible analysis of Goodwin v UK – why it still matters, and what the courts are getting wrong – here:

04.03.2026 16:21 β€” πŸ‘ 259    πŸ” 92    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 3

It's worth calling this sort of thing out, even if it doesn't change the outcome this time.

05.03.2026 09:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I'm my limited experience this sort of bias is just as common as the opposing sort of "pro trans" bias. I don't know what norms are like in your discipline, but it might be worth a polite note to the editor.

05.03.2026 09:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I'm sorry, Rafe. I wish it were easier.

04.03.2026 11:51 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

you can take it from me, almost everyone in society would prefer that you be a masc cis lesbian or femme cis gay man rather than a trans person, and the way they treat you when they are forced to confront the fact that you're trans leaves you in zero doubt about that

04.03.2026 10:19 β€” πŸ‘ 67    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

I can't for the life of me imagine paying to read this guy's transcription of a Scottish judicial review hearing, but the sickos are doing it.

04.03.2026 09:49 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I also think the substack/subscription model means it is a good grift. There's dozens of these types on substack now and they seem to get good (not great) numbers off of it.

04.03.2026 09:46 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

This is claude whenever I share a draft.

04.03.2026 05:56 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I have been trialling claude with research papers and it's wildly and delusionally supportive. It keeps asking me why I'm asking it to check new drafts when what I've written is already good to go. Then I'll find some basic error it didn't spot.

04.03.2026 05:51 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

I think people are missing the potential to build a broader coalition against medical gatekeeping.

03.03.2026 22:45 β€” πŸ‘ 68    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

"Clearly what parliament intended here is an exhaustive taxonomy of sexual orientation into its three basic forms, defined exclusively by an individual's attraction to small or large gamete producing potential."

03.03.2026 20:58 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

The least coherent part of a very poor judgment, I think.

03.03.2026 20:08 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

It’s also worth repeating that, as of April 2025, it is the position under UK equality law that the actual sexualities and genders of binary trans people must be reversed. A straight trans woman is now only really protected by equality law if discriminated against as a gay man.

03.03.2026 19:49 β€” πŸ‘ 48    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

I have published in rights theory, by the way, and I really don't understand what Michael was saying there. Perhaps he expanded on it but I have my doubts about "sex-based rights" as a concept (and with "group rights" generally).

03.03.2026 02:24 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah. It's out of vogue in online circles, but feminist scholars having been warning about this for a long time.

03.03.2026 02:15 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
The Central Mistake of Sex Discrimination Law: The Disaggregation of Sex from Gender Contemporary sex discrimination jurisprudence accepts as one of its foundational premises the notion that sex and gender are two distinct aspects of human identity. That is, it assumes that the identi...

I've recommended it before on here but this piece really sums up the problem with the "sex-based rights" framing (though it doesn't use that language): scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scho...

03.03.2026 01:52 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Daniella Lock: In Defence of the Divisional Court’s Palestine Action Ruling This post responds to important issues raised by Dane Luo and Gabriel Tan with regard to one of the grounds upheld by the Divisional Court in the judicial review of Palestine Action’s proscription …

Daniella Lock: In Defence of the Divisional Court’s Palestine Action Ruling ukconstitutionallaw.org/2026/03/02/d...

02.03.2026 09:01 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3

If I were a world leader, I would simply govern in defiance of the Gods, safe in the knowledge they could never punish me for my hubris.

02.03.2026 10:32 β€” πŸ‘ 120    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0

It's great when you are the last one on. It feels like you're getting special attention.

02.03.2026 02:38 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Two children killed in a hospital.

The target may have been the state broadcaster, which is presumptively a civilian object and not a lawful target.

01.03.2026 22:42 β€” πŸ‘ 67    πŸ” 30    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4

I quite like Rugby, but whenever I watch I find myself thinking about how it would be better with 13 a side and uncontested scrums.

01.03.2026 08:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

It will be weird when the world ends and we are down here on the other side just trucking away.

01.03.2026 03:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Alright I finally finished and I found it informative in the sense that I think it shows what a problem it is that guys like this can only keep their little conservative sinecures if they don't speak out.

27.02.2026 11:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Who do you think are the real prospects?

27.02.2026 09:27 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Stanzas Written in Dejection, nearΒ Naples Alas! I have nor hope nor health, Nor peace within nor calm around, Nor that content surpassing wealth The sage in meditation found, And walked with inward glory crownedβ€” Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure. Others I see whom these surroundβ€” Smiling they live, and call life pleasure; To me that cup has been dealt in another measure.

Some thoughts on Percy Shelley's 'Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples

26.02.2026 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0