Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 4h

I still have the letter I got back from William Hague when I wrote to him as a queer teenager arguing for the end of Section 28 and the equalisation of the age of consent - he confidently asserted that Section 28 would never be repealed and age of consent never equalised.

Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 10h

Not once have I seen an explanation for why teenagers must hear things that upset them in virtue of the unspecified speech-acts being upsetting, nor have I ever seen an explanation for why teenagers will be forbidden to express displeasure with upsetting things.

William Hague: Why I’ll banish ‘safe spaces’ at Oxford
The new chancellor tells Cheltenham Literature Festival that there will be no ‘cancel culture’ and students should expect to hear things that upset them
October 14 2025, The Times
The new chancellor of Oxford University has said there will be no safe spaces for students and warned would-be undergraduates that they will “hear things that will upset and offend them”.

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 4h

That actually made me tearful - this is how you do it

Reposted by CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️

Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 4d

Mamdani talking lucidly and passionately about trans rights and history in a video that should frankly shame every politician who has hemmed and hawed and triangulated and said, "Well, but sports..." It's not that hard to tell the truth and stand for what's right. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEvV...

Until It's Done: Sylvia Rivera

YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC

www.youtube.com

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 12h

Tomorrow night! Cannot wait for this - an in conversation with the phenomenal @bschillace.brandyschillace.com about all about trans histories, Dora Richter, Magnus Hirschfeld, and resistance under fascism. London people - see you at Waterstones's Gower Street, Thursday at 6:30pm

Brandy Schillace @bschillace.brandyschillace.com · 14d

Apologies! My link to the event eith @cnlester.bsky.social was broken!

allevents.in/london/brand...

Brandy Schillace in conversation with C.N. Lester - Gower St

Find tickets & information for Brandy Schillace in conversation with C.N. Lester - Gower St. happening at Waterstones, London, EN on Thu, 16 Oct, 2025 at 06:30 pm. Register or Buy Tickets, Price infor...

allevents.in

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 12h

Tomorrow night! Cannot wait for this - an in conversation with the phenomenal @bschillace.brandyschillace.com about all about trans histories, Dora Richter, Magnus Hirschfeld, and resistance under fascism. London people - see you at Waterstones's Gower Street, Thursday at 6:30pm

Brandy Schillace @bschillace.brandyschillace.com · 14d

Apologies! My link to the event eith @cnlester.bsky.social was broken!

allevents.in/london/brand...

Brandy Schillace in conversation with C.N. Lester - Gower St

Find tickets & information for Brandy Schillace in conversation with C.N. Lester - Gower St. happening at Waterstones, London, EN on Thu, 16 Oct, 2025 at 06:30 pm. Register or Buy Tickets, Price infor...

allevents.in

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 1d

Just back from an ten day writing retreat in Paris, thanks to the kindness of people who love books and their authors. No social media, no news - just writing and music and asking myself 'what would Camus do?' Very hard to come back.

CN Lester, looking down, in a sunny square in Paris. They're a white genderqueer person with short brown hair, large square black glasses, and dark eyebrows.

A view of the Pont des Arts from the furthest point of the Île de la Cité - the sky is opalescent and the river is grey - the view is framed by willow leaves.

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 15d

Stopped doomscrolling, took myself on a walk with the amazing new episode of @ologies.bsky.social and learnt about revolutions - and even for someone who's done a fair bit of activism, there were vital new things to learn. Feeling grateful for all the other people who give a fuck and make it count.

Ologies with Alie Ward @ologies.bsky.social · 20d

Y'ALL LIKE REVOLUTIONS?

Storming the Bastille. Facing off with tanks. Canceling a streaming subscription.

Here's a breakdown of why they happen -- and how -- with the world's foremost expert in revolutions and social change. (And yes there are tips.)

www.alieward.com/ologies/revo...

Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE) with Dr. Jack Goldstone — alie ward

Storming the Bastille. Facing off with tanks. Canceling a streaming subscription.  We’re talking protests, boycotts, insurrections, and demonstrations. Scholar, professor, and actual real life R...

www.alieward.com

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Disco Elysium Quotes @discoelysiumbot.bsky.social · 15d

And above all, you let life defeat you. All the gifts your parents gave you, all the love and patience of your friends, you drowned in a neurotoxin. You let misery win. And it will keep on winning till you die -- or overcome it.

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 15d

Stopped doomscrolling, took myself on a walk with the amazing new episode of @ologies.bsky.social and learnt about revolutions - and even for someone who's done a fair bit of activism, there were vital new things to learn. Feeling grateful for all the other people who give a fuck and make it count.

Ologies with Alie Ward @ologies.bsky.social · 20d

Y'ALL LIKE REVOLUTIONS?

Storming the Bastille. Facing off with tanks. Canceling a streaming subscription.

Here's a breakdown of why they happen -- and how -- with the world's foremost expert in revolutions and social change. (And yes there are tips.)

www.alieward.com/ologies/revo...

Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE) with Dr. Jack Goldstone — alie ward

Storming the Bastille. Facing off with tanks. Canceling a streaming subscription.  We’re talking protests, boycotts, insurrections, and demonstrations. Scholar, professor, and actual real life R...

www.alieward.com

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 15d

regular reminder that "he wants" ≠ "he will"

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 15d

the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!

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Drow Paweł Włodkowic 🇺🇦🇱🇹🇵🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @dov.bsky.social · 15d

Britain invested a /lot/ of energy into telling the world that's what it is. That's the purpose of soft power institutions like the British Council - selling a Cool Britannia of Bend It Like Beckham, Blur versus Oasis, Amy Winehouse and green and pleasant landings.

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Drow Paweł Włodkowic 🇺🇦🇱🇹🇵🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @dov.bsky.social · 15d

The tragic thing about the nativistisation of UK politics is that it is the direct opposite of how Britain sells itself - /mostly successfully/ - to a huge chunk of the world. If you go to /even many former colonies/ of this island youll find they genuinely roughly believe in London Olympics Britain

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 15d

Sums up this most dismal moment.

JVG 骨 @jasonv.bsky.social · 15d

Absolute all-timer sentence in today's @nytimes.com

"some legal experts have called it a crime to summarily execute civilians" says today's New York Times, continuing their long tradition of whitewashing fascism

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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 15d

Don’t worry, once we’ve helped them come for immigrants and trans people, they’re sure to be appeased and dedicated to solidarity in our great big tent and not come after anyone else, as history teaches

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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 15d

We need a bigger tent, that’s why we must betray and expel the following types of people:

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 16d

Any of those public figures who say the words "Western civilization" all the time now should be immediately disregarded and also has a type of porn on their laptop that cannot be legally described in any known human language.

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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 16d

It certainly appears the United States murdered an innocent fisherman who was a husband and father to four children, claimed he was a "narco-terrorist," posted a video of the execution, and then made jokes about it

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 16d

when he's right he's right

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 16d

it’s certainly true that PEOPLE haven’t changed - we’ve always wanted to be validated, we’re always enjoyed having our prejudices and resentments confirmed, we’ve always liked to be told our social or political enemies are responsible for everything. but the information economy has changed, a lot

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 16d

London people - on October 16th I'll be talking to the phenomenal author @bschillace.brandyschillace.com about trans history, fighting fascism, and what happens when you shine a light on the research the Nazis tried to burn. Could you help us to spread the word? www.waterstones.com/events/the-i...

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Micah @rincewind.run · 17d

we should take away all their money so they can’t do this

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 18d

Larry Ellison envisions a surveillance state in which techbros rule. '“Citizens will be on their best behavior, because we’re constantly recording and reporting everything that is going on,” Ellison said in an hour-long Q&A during Oracle’s Financial Analyst Meeting last week.'

Larry Ellison predicts rise of the modern surveillance state where ‘citizens will be on their best behavior’ | Fortune

Oracle's Larry Ellison believes citizens and police alike will be under constant surveillance of each other.

fortune.com

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Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 16d

In case we forget because so much happens every day, I think it's pretty clear they knew EXACTLY whom they blew up because Vance said as much and I hope someone will report on this

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 16d

As an addendum to Mallory's excellent thread on therapy: it's essential for me that my therapist understands what it's like to live under real threat. I'm incredible lucky to have that, and also had to go through a lot of bad therapists before I found her.

Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 16d

It’s really hard to find a therapist who can counsel people with actual real threat scenarios, like this one.

For example, I don’t think I have “haters”. I have actual coordinated attacks on my safety and wellbeing, sir or ma’am.

Same with political conflicts like these.

Calvinboo Congress @emericanjezebel.bsky.social · 16d

was going through the covid/blm era with my therapist, mostly about how many friendships ended during that time, and she said "I'm sensing a pattern here" and I'm just like...ma'am, a bunch of people in my life openly said they hated Black people and didn't care about spreading a deadly disease.

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Mallory Moore @sexabolition.blog · 16d

Often one complaint won't be enough to stop a but a therapist that treats you like this will hurt others, and if enough people complain the complaints will be taken seriously eventually.

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Mallory Moore @sexabolition.blog · 16d

If the therapist or counsellor has a professional licensing or accreditation body they will usually publicly have a code of conduct. Many ban this kind of behaviour and you can write to them to complain.

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