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Sylvia de Mars

@sylviademars.me

1.5K followers 320 following 4.1K posts

She/her, trans rights are human rights. Legal academic, D&D fanatic. Things I coherently honk about: Brexit & NI, Title IX, sovereignty. President of the Judge Ana Reyes Fanclub. See http://sylviademars.me

sylviademars.me

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · May 3

🧵 I recently used a Bluesky list to block transphobes and was surprised to see a few people who I'd never seen take any position on trans rights disappear from my feed.

I've gone back and unblocked but muted because a) I don't want to see transphobes, but b) I do want people to be able to learn. 1/

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Reposted by Sylvia de Mars

Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · 11h

Woah! So Labour's position really is, 'telling us off for breaching human rights undermines the case for human rights'? Proper Trumpian stuff from Labour's answer to Suella Braverman.

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 11h

Can't wait for the English themselves to also master A-level standard English, to be honest.

The Independent @the-independent.com · 18h

Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

www.independent.co.uk

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 23h

They can join the club, I guess.

Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 1d

Shoutout to strong humanities education. As the government bangs on about how we're not delivering enough on the "skills" agenda, we're over here yelling at young adults about why critical thinking and fact checking are existential, which should be a huge priority for any non-fascist government.

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

There are no quick fixes. As a start on long term fixes I think we need political focus on the crisis, limits on the wealth & power of individuals, more regulation of social media & genAI, enforcement of laws on monopolies & mergers in media, strengthening of watchdogs, strong humanities education.

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 1d

Ps: no, bluesky doesn't escape these effects because it's not ex-Twitter. It's in the system design. Regulate your exposure. Go breathe some air or play a video game (offline, avoid that culture like the plague!!!!)

Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 1d

I'm genuinely not at risk of radicalisation as far as I can tell, my politics are pretty mainstream left and have been there forever, and I'm highly educated so *should* be able to sieve bullshit well but a) it's mental health draining and b) overload of data has an impact!

Tldr; close the app!

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 1d

I've been on here less and I will continue to be on here less because there's no such thing as being smart enough to avoid these effects. The system design breeds addiction, feeling paranoid and overwhelmed, and being convinced that feeling that way just means we haven't read the *right thing*.

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 1d

I bang on about this a lot: I think the combination of a global pandemic, underregulated internet/SM, collapse/corruption of trustworthy media, plus now unregulated genAI, is a wildly toxic environment for radicalisation & mental health. We see the results of that in our politics & lives every day

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 2d

Everyone knows at least one person (normally, but not exclusively, a guy) whose gone properly mental due to net rabbit holes.

We see public figures regularly go mad and destroy themselves.

And we have, at a policy level, just decided to put our fingers in our ears and go nahnahnah

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Aoife Nolan @aoifenolan.bsky.social · 2d

Conor Gearty died a month ago yesterday. He was deeply committed to human rights law without idealising it. He recognised its power & value while acknowledging its limitations (& those of the people engaging with it). He was also an exceptional lawyer. This is a fitting final piece in the @lrb.co.uk

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 2d

Anyway, this comment that I made to correct facts has gone down the path only only academic union discourse can, so that's me done on this subject forever.

Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 8d

Only if you're already well-paid. 😉 (They're honoring the bands covered by the national pay structures. Not those above.)

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

😂

Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

(it's notional because I left Labour years ago, to be clear)

Reposted by Sylvia de Mars

Elizabeth Taylor @elizabethtaylor47.bsky.social · 13d

Right Labour members, I know some of you weirdos follow me.

Your task is simple: please vote for Lucy Powell

Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 13d

"The new trans rules are “not right” and should be reviewed by MPS, one of Labour’s deputy leadership candidates has said.

"Lucy Powell appeared to criticise the (EHRC) guidance on transgender issues, which has advised that workplaces provide protected single-sex spaces." [Telegraph]

Trans guidance ‘not right’ and in need of shake-up, says Powell
Party’s deputy leadership contender suggests EHRC advice should be subject to ‘robust conversation’ ‘When we’re looking at applying the law as parliamentarians, we should have a say on that’

Ms Powell suggested that MPS should review the full guidance before it is published later this year, opening the door to a veto in Parliament for the protection of women-only spaces.

She said: “I think we have got some of the language not right on this, and particularly around some of the guidance that’s coming forward.

“I really strongly feel like we need a robust and transparent parliamentary conversation about that, because when we’re looking at applying the law as parliamentarians, we should have a say on that and that’s something I’ll be pushing for as well.”

Sources close to Ms Powell said she believed MPS should have the power to influence the rules because they will become law. But her suggestion raises the prospect of a protracted debate in Parliament over the trans ruling, which has already divided parties and MPS.

The Conservatives accused Labour of “siding with radical trans activists” and warned against interference in the guidance from Parliament. Claire Coutinho, the shadow equalities minister, said: “The Supreme Court was crystal clear – biological sex matters, and women have a right to single-sex spaces.

“Time and again, Labour has sided with radical trans activists instead of the women fighting to protect their changing rooms and toilets from biological men. Labour cannot be trusted to protect the privacy, dignity, and safety of women and girls.” The row comes in the run-up to a deputy leadership hustings between Ms Powell and Ms

Phillipson at the Labour Party conference today.

In a combative interview yesterday, Ms Powell also argued that Labour was “pleasing no one” by tacking to the Right.

The former leader of the Commons, who was sacked in the latest reshuffle, also took a swipe at Ms Phillipson over an “ill-advised” tweet that suggested Ms Powell would bring infighting to the party if she got the job.

Speaking to the Politico website in front of an audience at the conference in Liverpool, Ms Powell said party members should vote for h

Sir Keir Starmer’s attempts to see off the threat of Reform UK by moving to the Right on immigration and digital ID meant “we are losing more voters the other way”, she said, while failing to win back Labour voters who have abandoned the party for Nigel Farage.

“If you think everything is going great and swimmingly, don’t vote for me,” she said. “If you think we need a course correction, then vote for me.”

Earlier in the day Ms Phillipson posted on X that: “The choice is clear. Labour’s heart and soul in government with me as deputy leader. Or more distractions, infighting and noise.”

Although she did not name Ms Powell, it has been interpreted as a clear message that her rival, who is backed by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, would be a disruptive influence. Ms Powell said: “It was an ill-advised post, to be honest. Debate is not dissent.”

She was again clear that she would challenge Sir Keir behind closed doors if he is not representing the views of members.

“I think we can be better than what we have been and more successful,” she said.

“Part of doing that will be that we have broader voices at the table and if we hear from those broader voices we will make better decisions.”

Article Name:Trans guidance ‘not right’ and in need of shake-up, says Powell
Publication:The Daily Telegraph
Author:By Tony Diver and Gordon Rayner
Start Page:6
End Page:6

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

Well, she already had my notional vote, but now I actually feel like I'm not just rooting for anyone but Bridget. Interesting.

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

Glutexo sounds like an industrial strength adhesive tbh

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

Joke's on you - they have completely different names!!!!

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

You're German, you'll find it's actually more like Zolvia, richtig?

Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 13d

Now imagine your name is Sylvia!

Reposted by Sylvia de Mars

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 14d

Read our response to the Government’s announcement that university maintenance grants will be reintroduced for certain courses, funded through a levy on international student fees
https://bit.ly/4gPz7uO

British Academy responds to government announcement on university maintenance grants

The British Academy has issued a response to the government's announcement on using a proposed levy on international students to fund maintenance grants.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 14d

James. No.

(Flashback to discovering Snivy is Sny-vee, which is also unholy and wrong.)

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Daniel Kibblesmith @kibblesmith.com · 14d

Dude if the Democratic Party has a place for anti-trans and anti-abortion candidates then I’m not a democrat and I won’t vote for one

I don’t know what to tell you man, there’s already a political party who believes these things

It’s not a “big tent” to have zero fixed values in pursuit of power

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Sylvia de Mars @sylviademars.me · 14d

Reposted by Sylvia de Mars

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 15d

oh it's time to post the Tetris story again. (short version: reporter goes to cover early e-sports, discovers that his wife is, unknowingly, the greatest Tetris player in the world)

archive.boston.com/news/globe/m...

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Kate Jackson @katejackson.bsky.social · 14d

I don’t talk about this publicly, but hegseth drives me out of my silence.

I attended West Point from 1998-2000. I left, along with about 5 other young women, as a direct result of the military’s then-shameful (non) policies addressing sex harassment and assault.

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