Beth Watson

A Brief History of Men are Becoming Less Manly

🧵

Pals in the NORTH EAST this is for youuuu 👀

A collage of torn pink and blue paper with text in handwriting and typewriter-style font, alongside a photo of me (a white person with half-up long dark hair smiling into a mic holding a clipboard), and some magazines (green day on nme, George Michael on Smash Hits, Beyoncé in mizz, and Skin on keyring), with doodles of pritt stick, scissors, and a microphone. Plus the queer diary logo (a rainbow bursting from an open book). It says: Queer Diary, old fire station oxford, open mic, sign up to read your real teenage diary, old poetry, or fanfic Thu 11 sept, readings from 7:30. Zine-making: make your own mini-zine from real old teen magazines, sun 7 Sept, 2-4pm.

This week we're in OXFORD 📍

Zine-making on Sept 7th, Queer Diary readings on the 11th at the Old Fire Station!

Come & join us 🌈📖

linktr.ee/hasbianqueer...

Polari Prize saga shows us how the Overton window on Trans+ rights has shifted The Overton window on what is acceptable to say has shifted dramatically in recent years, especially when it pertains to Trans+ rights

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/

Last photos taken by Gaza journalists before they were killed in Israeli strikes ***

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Shows to See: Fringe 2025 — Bechdel Theatre Shows we think look good at Edinburgh Fringe 2025! Don’t forget, if you’re at the festival, you’re welcome to join our Dykes To Watch Shows With WhatsApp group, for finding friendly folks to watch...

ICYMI: 20+ shows to see at #EdFringe this year 👇

www.bechdeltheatre.com/blog/shows-t...

Another plea from my ((currently unfunded)) tour prep: I'm seeking free London rehearsal space for me + 1 other person on w/c Sept 8th.
Can u help??
Ideally SE, but beggars can't be choosers.

Another plea from my ((currently unfunded)) tour prep: I'm seeking free London rehearsal space for me + 1 other person on w/c Sept 8th.
Can u help??
Ideally SE, but beggars can't be choosers.

Going on tour!

We're making this happen on an absolute shoestring, doing all my own marketing, with no PR etc, so if u have links to any of these areas, pls help me spread the word 🙏🏻

I love the constant media protestations about the massive rise in shoplifting like "what could be causing this!?"
Meanwhile rent takes 3/4 of the average wage, energy and water bills take the remaining quarter and people are starving. Truly, what COULD be causing this spike?

The NHS are forcibly detransitioning trans kids in Brighton and calling it “managed withdrawal.” Their own impact assessment acknowledges trans kids will be at increased risk of harm as a result, don’t want this, and are likely to just use DIY hormones instead

I don’t need graphs about what jolly good citizens migrants are to justify why they shouldn’t be attacked. They shouldn’t be attacked because racism is bad and racists are cunts

Going on tour!

We're making this happen on an absolute shoestring, doing all my own marketing, with no PR etc, so if u have links to any of these areas, pls help me spread the word 🙏🏻

Opinion: Recognition of a Palestinian state should not be a pawn in a diplomatic game <article data-history-node-id="426570" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/opinion-recognition-palestinian-state-should-not-be-pawn-diplomatic-game" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/opinion-recognition-palestinian-state-should-not-be-pawn-diplomatic-game" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Opinion: Recognition of a Palestinian state should not be a pawn in a diplomatic game</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>On 29 July,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/uk" target="_blank">UK</a>&nbsp;Prime Minister Keir Starmer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-words-on-gaza-29-july-2025" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;would recognise a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/palestine-state" target="_blank">Palestinian state</a>&nbsp;at the UN General Assembly in September, "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long-term sustainable peace".</p> <p>Of course, any British recognition of the state of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/palestine" target="_blank">Palestine</a>, if and when it happens, would mark a historic moment. Britain bears a unique responsibility as the author of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/balfour-declaration-study-british-duplicity" target="_blank">Balfour Declaration</a>&nbsp;and the mandatory power in Palestine.</p> <p>If&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/why-is-britain-recognising-palestinian-state-what-does-it-mean-2025-07-29" target="_blank">recognition</a>&nbsp;does take place, it would reinforce the British government's stated support for a two-state solution, after decades of recognising only one state,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israel</a>, while denying the other.</p> <p>It would chart a trajectory that rejects Israel's attempt to impose a one-state apartheid reality across the whole of historic Palestine.</p> <p>It would set the terms for any future peace process, in which&nbsp;the end goal must include a Palestinian state, reaffirming the British government's stated commitment to a two-state solution, as outlined in its announcement.</p> <p>So why were Palestinians and others not out on the streets celebrating the British government's&nbsp;announcement that emerged from an emergency recall of the cabinet?</p> <h3>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-starmer-should-have-imposed-sanctions-israel">Recognition of a Palestinian state should not be a pawn in a diplomatic game</a>&nbsp;Opinion by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/chris-doyle">Chris Doyle&nbsp;</a></h3> <figure role="group" class="media-block"> <div class="group-inner"> <div alt="A protester displays a satirical sign targeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a demonstration in support of Gaza in London, 4 June 2025 (Adrian Dennis/AFP)" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6eb86022-ecf5-47d0-9892-684bb5cbebcb" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/images-story/protester-starmer-sign-london-4-june-2025-afp.jpg" width="1400" height="788" alt="A protester displays a satirical sign targeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a demonstration in support of Gaza in London, 4 June 2025 (Adrian Dennis/AFP)" typeof="foaf:Image" fetchpriority="high"> </div> <figcaption>A protester displays a satirical sign targeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a demonstration in support of Gaza in London, 4 June 2025 (Adrian Dennis/AFP)</figcaption> </div> </figure> <p><span style="background: url(&quot;https://www.middleeasteye.net/modules/contrib/ckeditor/vendor/plugins/widget/images/handle.png&quot;) rgba(220, 220, 220, 0.5); top: -15px; left: 0px;"><img height="15" role="presentation" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" loading="lazy"></span></p> </div> </div> </article>

Opinion: Recognition of a Palestinian state should not be a pawn in a diplomatic game - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/opinion-recognition-palestinian-state-should-not-be-pawn-diplomatic-game

Do you see what is happening here? This isn't news. They are laying the foundations.

First year in a while that neither of my companies are running any events at EdFringe (for reasons too long to go into). As a result, I find myself with a huge gap in my calendar for 3 weeks in August.

See u TONIGHT Basingstoke!

Queer Diary The night where LGBTQIA+ folks read REAL teenage diaries. Expect angsty poetry, thirsty fanfic, old tumblr posts + a throwback playlist

This Friday at Proteus Creation Space in Basingstoke: LGBTQIA+ folks read REAL teenage diaries, angsty poetry & thirsty fanfic live on stage 🌈📖

Tix are PWYC or FREE if you sign up in advance as a reader 👀

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queer-diar...

SO if you have either any fun/creative work going in Ldn OR a spare room/work in Ed, it'd be great to not spend my month withering from underestimulation & FOMO! TIA xx

First year in a while that neither of my companies are running any events at EdFringe (for reasons too long to go into). As a result, I find myself with a huge gap in my calendar for 3 weeks in August.

Logo of the Department of Education. Title: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. Subtitle: Statutory guidance for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, and teachers. Dated July 2025

🆕🚨 New statutory Relationships and Sex Education guidance published today will:

- Restrict schools from using materials that "encourage pupils to question their gender"
- Teaches children the laws about "biological sex"
- Removes all references to the word transgender

What we know so far 🧵

Britain’s Far Right is going mainstream Harry Shukman went undercover inside Britain’s far right. What he found is terrifying—and increasingly part of our politics

Something dark is happening on the British right

I spoke with Harry Shukman, who spent a year undercover with the far-right, for the latest Democracy for Sale live discussion

Story and interview here:

open.substack.com/pub/democrac...

Queer Diary - Take Part Take Part

Brighton! Queer Diary is back tomorrowwwww

Still time for last min sign-ups to share something from yr coming-of-age era on out mic 👀

www.queerdiary.org.uk/take-part

wes streeting wants to power the nhs with this.

a ½ gallon of neutral milk

They finally made the milk from that hotel

insane how Israel public messaging has flipped the narrative on this: any bit of food aid that gets through is billed as a special gift that proves how moral the IDF is

Play this video in every legislative chamber in every country still providing material support to these war criminals

Text says: What if someone tells me to leave the toilets? There’s a lot of confusion about our rights at the moment. Read our Know Your Rights resource for accurate, up to date info. transactual.org.uk/know-your-rights. Illustration of a person with short hair.

The Supreme Court ruling and the draft EHRC Statutory Code has left trans people in the UK feeling scared and confused.

To help you navigate this nightmare, we've created a Know Your Rights resource. Find it at transactual.org.uk/know-your-rights

#Trans #Transgender #Nonbinary #Queer #TransAlly

A collage of 10 people laughing, cringing & reading into microphones from notebooks, paper, phones. 1 person is showing off a sketchbook drawing of the necklace from the titanic, another is wrapped in a string of various pride flags. In the middle is our logo: a rainbow bursting from an open book, surrounded by doodled yellow stars.

MANCHESTER! Get in touch ASAP to secure a spot on our mic 🌈📖

We're seeking a couple more readers to read something REAL from your teens, childhood, or coming-of-age era on Friday 👀

No performing experience necessary: just tell us what u got & we'll be in touch to confirm ur spot

Never listened to fletcher b4 but now I'm puttin Boy on all my pride playlists to anger the biphobes 😊