Kathy O'Donnell
@kathyodonnell.bsky.social
Journalist, parent to two grown-ups, LGBT+ rights campaigner, trustee Equality Network, former night editor of The Times, Scotland. Lives in France. [she/her]
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
Quick analysis of The Times today:
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Quick analysis of The Times today:
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
I read about this ages ago. It was buried in a piece about Alison Bailey ranting about Starmer gawping at her.
Labour Together's "Red Shift" strategy document published in 2023 made an argument on pure polling group basis that trans women were to be attacked to gain socially conservative votes.
Labour Together's "Red Shift" strategy document published in 2023 made an argument on pure polling group basis that trans women were to be attacked to gain socially conservative votes.
November 27, 2025 at 7:59 AM
I read about this ages ago. It was buried in a piece about Alison Bailey ranting about Starmer gawping at her.
Labour Together's "Red Shift" strategy document published in 2023 made an argument on pure polling group basis that trans women were to be attacked to gain socially conservative votes.
Labour Together's "Red Shift" strategy document published in 2023 made an argument on pure polling group basis that trans women were to be attacked to gain socially conservative votes.
metro.co.uk/2025/11/26/k...
Why are we hearing about this now if it happened a few years ago?
Since coming to office AFTER the attack on his niece, Starmer's culture war anti-LGBTQ+ words and policies have got him and Labour banned from every Pride. He has personally made ...
Why are we hearing about this now if it happened a few years ago?
Since coming to office AFTER the attack on his niece, Starmer's culture war anti-LGBTQ+ words and policies have got him and Labour banned from every Pride. He has personally made ...
Keir Starmer's fury after niece and wife 'beaten by blokes for holding hands'
'I thought the days of beating up people because they were gay were well behind us.'
metro.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 7:51 AM
metro.co.uk/2025/11/26/k...
Why are we hearing about this now if it happened a few years ago?
Since coming to office AFTER the attack on his niece, Starmer's culture war anti-LGBTQ+ words and policies have got him and Labour banned from every Pride. He has personally made ...
Why are we hearing about this now if it happened a few years ago?
Since coming to office AFTER the attack on his niece, Starmer's culture war anti-LGBTQ+ words and policies have got him and Labour banned from every Pride. He has personally made ...
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
I consider myself lucky at my age that I've only been gay bashed twice tbh, still have the scar on my forehead from one. The idea it has ever been behind us is such a privileged, ignorant, irresponsible thing to say.
November 26, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I consider myself lucky at my age that I've only been gay bashed twice tbh, still have the scar on my forehead from one. The idea it has ever been behind us is such a privileged, ignorant, irresponsible thing to say.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
The war will end when Russia stops fighting. Therefore, pressure has to be put on Russia, so that they stop believing that they will win. Why is that so hard to understand?
November 27, 2025 at 1:49 AM
The war will end when Russia stops fighting. Therefore, pressure has to be put on Russia, so that they stop believing that they will win. Why is that so hard to understand?
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
I know it is just the law and all that , but it still jars to see ‘Graham Linehan cleared of harassment’ when I think of just how much he has harassed (and spread lies about) friends of mine and never been shy of bothering me either .
November 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
I know it is just the law and all that , but it still jars to see ‘Graham Linehan cleared of harassment’ when I think of just how much he has harassed (and spread lies about) friends of mine and never been shy of bothering me either .
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
Most parents aren’t trans. When we have babies we don’t consider we may have a trans child. When we find out we do, most admit to a moment or period of ‘What? Why? When? Help! Then we get on with caring for our child.
But our affirmative care is being challenged.
Here a mum shares her thoughts.
But our affirmative care is being challenged.
Here a mum shares her thoughts.
What Is Happening to Our Trans Children
How thriving children were pushed into fear by systems meant to protect them.
open.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Most parents aren’t trans. When we have babies we don’t consider we may have a trans child. When we find out we do, most admit to a moment or period of ‘What? Why? When? Help! Then we get on with caring for our child.
But our affirmative care is being challenged.
Here a mum shares her thoughts.
But our affirmative care is being challenged.
Here a mum shares her thoughts.
CW: use of racist 'N' words.
I have not blanked them because the context and intent is crucial.
Thank to @ottoenglish.bsky.social for this 2014 interview with UKIP founder Alan Sked, where Sked talks bluntly of Farage's racism:
I have not blanked them because the context and intent is crucial.
Thank to @ottoenglish.bsky.social for this 2014 interview with UKIP founder Alan Sked, where Sked talks bluntly of Farage's racism:
November 26, 2025 at 9:22 AM
CW: use of racist 'N' words.
I have not blanked them because the context and intent is crucial.
Thank to @ottoenglish.bsky.social for this 2014 interview with UKIP founder Alan Sked, where Sked talks bluntly of Farage's racism:
I have not blanked them because the context and intent is crucial.
Thank to @ottoenglish.bsky.social for this 2014 interview with UKIP founder Alan Sked, where Sked talks bluntly of Farage's racism:
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
As for Farage’s use of racist slurs being confined to his childhood - well, that's not what Alan Sked, the founder of UKIP, claimed in this 2014 interview.
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
Ukip founder Alan Sked: 'The party has become a Frankenstein's monster'
He may have founded Ukip, but Alan Sked's moderate, Brussels-boycotting party has gone rogue. Stuart Jeffries meets the academic who's desperate to stop the bandwagon he first set rolling
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM
As for Farage’s use of racist slurs being confined to his childhood - well, that's not what Alan Sked, the founder of UKIP, claimed in this 2014 interview.
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
He says here that Farage was using the "n" word as late as 1997.
Farage would have been about 33 at time.
www.theguardian.com/politics/201...
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
new allegation concerning Farage’s behaviour when he was 18 years old
November 26, 2025 at 7:59 AM
new allegation concerning Farage’s behaviour when he was 18 years old
Trial by jury and the right to appeal are inefficient and expensive in an age where all evidence is available and heard, where judges are never wrong or ignorant and prejudiced, where police, prosecutors and counsel are never dishonest.
Not our age, though.
Ask any minority.
Not our age, though.
Ask any minority.
November 26, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Trial by jury and the right to appeal are inefficient and expensive in an age where all evidence is available and heard, where judges are never wrong or ignorant and prejudiced, where police, prosecutors and counsel are never dishonest.
Not our age, though.
Ask any minority.
Not our age, though.
Ask any minority.
This is the point.
Removing the possibility of justice from the system in an attempt to make it cheaper is mad.
Removing the possibility of justice from the system in an attempt to make it cheaper is mad.
Best understood, Labour's attack on juries, as a further lurch towards authoritarianism. Who, now, will stand in the way of a State that wants to imprison its opponents?
November 26, 2025 at 8:04 AM
This is the point.
Removing the possibility of justice from the system in an attempt to make it cheaper is mad.
Removing the possibility of justice from the system in an attempt to make it cheaper is mad.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
New research shows trans kids on hormone treatment have less suicide ideation
A new report has shown that transgender youth who are on hormone treatment have a reduced level of suicide ideation.
The research builds upon earlier work, but this time examined a much larger cohort.
A new report has shown that transgender youth who are on hormone treatment have a reduced level of suicide ideation.
The research builds upon earlier work, but this time examined a much larger cohort.
New research shows trans kids on hormone treatment have less suicide ideation
A new report has shown that transgender youth who are on hormone treatment have a reduced level of suicide ideation.
www.outinperth.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:27 AM
New research shows trans kids on hormone treatment have less suicide ideation
A new report has shown that transgender youth who are on hormone treatment have a reduced level of suicide ideation.
The research builds upon earlier work, but this time examined a much larger cohort.
A new report has shown that transgender youth who are on hormone treatment have a reduced level of suicide ideation.
The research builds upon earlier work, but this time examined a much larger cohort.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
I was once sceptical about the value of juries but I've learned through the trans work how shabbily our institutions treat those without privilege and fear their passing.
Like the Supreme Court's judicial roll back of human rights, this change to our justice system will hit the weakest hardest.
Like the Supreme Court's judicial roll back of human rights, this change to our justice system will hit the weakest hardest.
November 25, 2025 at 7:28 PM
I was once sceptical about the value of juries but I've learned through the trans work how shabbily our institutions treat those without privilege and fear their passing.
Like the Supreme Court's judicial roll back of human rights, this change to our justice system will hit the weakest hardest.
Like the Supreme Court's judicial roll back of human rights, this change to our justice system will hit the weakest hardest.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
"The former BBC director general Tim Davie misled the public in suggesting BBC news reporters had a leftwing political agenda, Good Law Project can reveal." goodlaw.social/vyyj
Tim Davie misled audience about the BBC’s supposed leftwing agenda | Good Law Project
Speaking at a book festival, the former director general suggested the BBC newsroom was full of BLM T-shirts and Kamala mugs. But that’s fake news.
goodlaw.social
November 24, 2025 at 2:52 PM
"The former BBC director general Tim Davie misled the public in suggesting BBC news reporters had a leftwing political agenda, Good Law Project can reveal." goodlaw.social/vyyj
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
The BBC’s own “impartiality briefing” for freelancers included not doing anything to annoy the DM. So - not impartial! Also not great for freedom of speech.
November 25, 2025 at 10:25 AM
The BBC’s own “impartiality briefing” for freelancers included not doing anything to annoy the DM. So - not impartial! Also not great for freedom of speech.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
You can literally say what you want about trans people and the UK courts are fine with it.
This was a *child*
This was a *child*
Graham Linehan cleared of harassment but guilty of criminal damage to trans activist's phone
Graham Linehan cleared of harassment but guilty of criminal damage to trans activist's phone
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has been found guilty of criminal damage to the phone of a trans activist but not guilty of harassment.
news.sky.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:37 AM
You can literally say what you want about trans people and the UK courts are fine with it.
This was a *child*
This was a *child*
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
![[Scene is a MEDIEVAL PLAGUE PIT with all the bodies inside it. On the edge of it is a young peasant woman, in a sack cloth dress, covered in boils. She is lounging glamorously next to the pit. Her boyfriend is standing a few feet away, photographing her with an anachronistic mobile phone]
GIRL:
OK so I'll sit here...
With my hair like this…
Rubbing my cyst with the corpse's hand.
[She produces a whithered severed hand and starts rubbing it on her face.]
[We are treated to a revolting close up of her rubbing the severed hand on her disgusting massive cyst.]
[Her boyfriend takes a photo of her.]
SNAP
GIRL:
OK, now write this:
"Hanging out at the burial pit, rubbing my sebaceous cyst with a severed corpse hand from
#BurtsGraverobbers…”
And then: #selfcare, #metime, #BurtsGraverobbers…
... nails emoji, heart emoji, cyst emoji.
BOYFRIEND:
Um...
Should we really be promoting this?
I mean… does rubbing a corpse's hand on a cyst actually work?
GIRL:
Look, Burt's done research, OK?
And he's paying us four groats.
BOYFRIEND:
Hmm.
[Boyfriend dutifully taps out the post on his phone]
TAP TAP TAP
BOYFRIEND:
Cyst emoji?
GIRL:
Just use a fried egg.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreifyvq2vzehtutrj7ild2dd7kkljmkbcby7yompicekbbpa2bqpluq@jpeg)
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
If you receive legal threats from Nigel Farage for your reporting of Reform, please get in touch.
We have employed a defamation lawyer specifically for this purpose and would love to help (and we do so on non-commercial terms). www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
We have employed a defamation lawyer specifically for this purpose and would love to help (and we do so on non-commercial terms). www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform’s ‘Trumpian’ legal threats hint at more aggressive approach to media
Ultimatums sent to publications appear to intensify as Nigel Farage’s party rises in polls
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:29 AM
If you receive legal threats from Nigel Farage for your reporting of Reform, please get in touch.
We have employed a defamation lawyer specifically for this purpose and would love to help (and we do so on non-commercial terms). www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
We have employed a defamation lawyer specifically for this purpose and would love to help (and we do so on non-commercial terms). www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
I want to comment on extreme racism and fascist views in schools in the 1970s.
Farage is my contemporary.
I went to a similar school.
There were a handful of people in my school who said and did similar things - racist, antisemitic, pro Nazi etc.
Farage is an outlier, but by no means rare.
Farage is my contemporary.
I went to a similar school.
There were a handful of people in my school who said and did similar things - racist, antisemitic, pro Nazi etc.
Farage is an outlier, but by no means rare.
November 25, 2025 at 9:18 AM
I want to comment on extreme racism and fascist views in schools in the 1970s.
Farage is my contemporary.
I went to a similar school.
There were a handful of people in my school who said and did similar things - racist, antisemitic, pro Nazi etc.
Farage is an outlier, but by no means rare.
Farage is my contemporary.
I went to a similar school.
There were a handful of people in my school who said and did similar things - racist, antisemitic, pro Nazi etc.
Farage is an outlier, but by no means rare.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
Trans Safety Network are extremely concerned that DHSC are continuing to solicit input on trans healthcare from Bayswater and other anti trans groups after a reply to our previous concerns stated they would not work with groups who promote harmful practices or discriminatory views
Wes Streeting continues to ignore safeguarding concerns about parents group linked to abusive practices
Trans Safety Network has seen evidence Wes Streeting and the DHSC solicited feedback on a “puberty blocker risk form” from Bayswater Support Group and other anti-trans groups in September 2025, 6 mont...
transsafety.network
November 24, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Trans Safety Network are extremely concerned that DHSC are continuing to solicit input on trans healthcare from Bayswater and other anti trans groups after a reply to our previous concerns stated they would not work with groups who promote harmful practices or discriminatory views
If you didn't know that Trevor Philips is an old man with some truly horrible right-wing views, chew on this...
Trevor Philips in the Times, calling for a Trump/Miller-style of random deportations based on skin colour.
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 25, 2025 at 8:31 AM
If you didn't know that Trevor Philips is an old man with some truly horrible right-wing views, chew on this...
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
I guess it’s a compliment that the top story on BBC London’s TV/online output today is a direct lift of a month-old London Centric story? But once again the BBC is consistently the worst news outlet for actually remembering to credit others.
November 25, 2025 at 7:52 AM
I guess it’s a compliment that the top story on BBC London’s TV/online output today is a direct lift of a month-old London Centric story? But once again the BBC is consistently the worst news outlet for actually remembering to credit others.
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
Still can't quite believe that "I only said 'gas the Jews' in a non-hurtful way" was the strategy Nigel Farage opted to go for
November 24, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Still can't quite believe that "I only said 'gas the Jews' in a non-hurtful way" was the strategy Nigel Farage opted to go for
Reposted by Kathy O'Donnell
![[Scene is JESUS sat behind a boss’s desk in his office on a cloud in HEAVEN]
1
JESUS [speaking into intercom]
Hi can you send in Saint Nicholas please
2
SANTA [entering in full Santa garb]:
Hi boss
JESUS:
Hi Nick
3
JESUS:
Listen - about this ‘my birthday’ thing...
SANTA:
Ohh not this again boss
4
JESUS:
Nick, it’s out of hand. *You’ve* got out of hand.
5
JESUS:
I mean when I hired you, you was all humble, hiding under windows, lobbing in dowries…
And now you’re like…
6
JESUS [gesturing disdainfully at Santa’s clothing]:
I mean - what’s this.
7
SANTA:
This is my get up! I’ve had this since the Coca Cola deal in the 30s
JESUS:
*That’s what I mean.*
8
JESUS:
You’ve just gone too -
SANTA:
Oh no, oh no -
9
SANTA:
Sorry boss but waaay back in the Reformation, right, Martin Luther said: “why don’t we have Jesus delivering the presents?”. And when he prayed to ask you, do you remember what you said? Eh?
10
SANTA:
You said: “I ain’t going back there”
11
SANTA:
If you wanna take over -
JESUS:
Oh yeah! Kids coming downstairs to find me resurrected in their living room going "I got you an Xbox"...
12
SANTA:
You’re just feeling threatened cos I’m doing a bloody good -
JESUS:
*WATCH IT NICK*.
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayhglimve4fbwilzyfjedpa56xwmjq4oriqqs62atkospprs6x5y@jpeg)