Owen Michael
@owenwmichael.bsky.social
Welsh and European. Biromantic Asexual. @UKLabour, @unisontheunion, and @thefabians. Data person and all round geek. He/him/o
Reposted by Owen Michael
This is a common thread with issues to do with racism; it's only when the story can be reduced to an internal party dispute, that the media is comfortable talking about. That means if a party closes ranks behind a racist, like Reform will, the media will struggle to keep returning to the story
November 26, 2025 at 9:15 AM
This is a common thread with issues to do with racism; it's only when the story can be reduced to an internal party dispute, that the media is comfortable talking about. That means if a party closes ranks behind a racist, like Reform will, the media will struggle to keep returning to the story
Reposted by Owen Michael
The thing I always wonder about this is is this "do you think aliens exist?" (even with my very pessimistic view of the Fermi Paradox, they statistically (probably) do) vs "do you think little green men travel around and pay us visits in flying saucers?"
New polling on aliens
% of U.S. adult citizens who believe the following definitely or probably exist:
Aliens 56%
Bigfoot 28%
The Yeti 23%
The Loch Ness Monster 22%
Chupacabra 16%
today.yougov.com/health/artic...
% of U.S. adult citizens who believe the following definitely or probably exist:
Aliens 56%
Bigfoot 28%
The Yeti 23%
The Loch Ness Monster 22%
Chupacabra 16%
today.yougov.com/health/artic...
November 25, 2025 at 10:34 PM
The thing I always wonder about this is is this "do you think aliens exist?" (even with my very pessimistic view of the Fermi Paradox, they statistically (probably) do) vs "do you think little green men travel around and pay us visits in flying saucers?"
Reposted by Owen Michael
Hmmm, anyone else not buying this heavily caveated response?
Nigel Farage says he's 'never directly racially abused anybody' after school racism claims
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Nigel Farage says he's 'never directly racially abused anybody'
The Reform UK leader was responding to reports he made racist remarks to his peers in school in the 1970s.
www.bbc.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Hmmm, anyone else not buying this heavily caveated response?
Reposted by Owen Michael
"Anti-trans activist Graham Linehan guilty of criminal damage" - This is how this story should be framed by any neutral outlet.
Father Ted co-creator and anti-trans campaigner Graham Linehan has been found guilty of criminal damage after clash outside a conference last year
Anti-trans writer Graham Linehan guilty of criminal damage but cleared of harassment
www.thenational.scot
November 25, 2025 at 1:12 PM
"Anti-trans activist Graham Linehan guilty of criminal damage" - This is how this story should be framed by any neutral outlet.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Never underestimate the hypocrisy of the Greens
November 25, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Never underestimate the hypocrisy of the Greens
Reposted by Owen Michael
And Zack Polanski was only 30 when the breast hypnosis thing happened. Shame on all of you for judging an effective teenager.
Adolescence lasts to 32, say brain scientists
Adolescence lasts to 32, say brain scientists
www.thetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
And Zack Polanski was only 30 when the breast hypnosis thing happened. Shame on all of you for judging an effective teenager.
Reposted by Owen Michael
I am somewhat sceptical of this new suggestion of going beyond the Leveson recommendations on reducing the number of jury trials, but I am getting a little annoyed at all the (IMO) excessive outrage on here over it
November 25, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I am somewhat sceptical of this new suggestion of going beyond the Leveson recommendations on reducing the number of jury trials, but I am getting a little annoyed at all the (IMO) excessive outrage on here over it
Reposted by Owen Michael
One of things that 'radicalised' me to embrace being gay was having str8 friends at uni act like being gay was layered on top of being str8 rather than being this core fundamental part of my existence I cannot explain.
I have no reason to believe the same isn't true for trans people.
I have no reason to believe the same isn't true for trans people.
yes I don't really see how you can go "oh yikes these people have changed their political views incredibly quickly, mostly because of what Very Online people talk about on social media" and also think that people who went from never talking about gender to calling trans women predators are....normal
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
November 25, 2025 at 9:07 PM
One of things that 'radicalised' me to embrace being gay was having str8 friends at uni act like being gay was layered on top of being str8 rather than being this core fundamental part of my existence I cannot explain.
I have no reason to believe the same isn't true for trans people.
I have no reason to believe the same isn't true for trans people.
One weird though I have started having on this is people who apparently never reached adulthood by this standard
Adolescence lasts to 32, say brain scientists
Adolescence lasts to 32, say brain scientists
www.thetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:19 PM
One weird though I have started having on this is people who apparently never reached adulthood by this standard
Reposted by Owen Michael
No. Strangle this idea in its crib, don't let it grow like the "brain not fully developed until 25" stat
Adolescence lasts to 32, say brain scientists
Adolescence lasts to 32, say brain scientists
www.thetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
No. Strangle this idea in its crib, don't let it grow like the "brain not fully developed until 25" stat
Reposted by Owen Michael
This is so important. This is a prime example of why having stasis/agreed-upon definitions/shared intelligibility matters in our collective resistance to toxic masculinity culture.
I’m tired of “asexual” being conflated with “incel” & I’m tired of asexuality being treated as an optional subject.
I’m tired of “asexual” being conflated with “incel” & I’m tired of asexuality being treated as an optional subject.
Aspec language being used by allo people in ways that erase their aspec meanings point to the necessity for expanding aspec literacy for allo people.
Allo people need aspec literacy, too.
There's value in extending our education efforts to catch allos up to speed on our lives and experiences.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:07 AM
This is so important. This is a prime example of why having stasis/agreed-upon definitions/shared intelligibility matters in our collective resistance to toxic masculinity culture.
I’m tired of “asexual” being conflated with “incel” & I’m tired of asexuality being treated as an optional subject.
I’m tired of “asexual” being conflated with “incel” & I’m tired of asexuality being treated as an optional subject.
Reposted by Owen Michael
no. The Magna Carta has language about judgement by peers, which in the context of 1215 meant 'nobles get judged by other nobles, not the king.' The connection to jury trials (and the idealization of the Magna Carta in general) is largely a post-facto creation.
November 25, 2025 at 7:31 PM
no. The Magna Carta has language about judgement by peers, which in the context of 1215 meant 'nobles get judged by other nobles, not the king.' The connection to jury trials (and the idealization of the Magna Carta in general) is largely a post-facto creation.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Agree with this. Ultimately the case on 'juries vs judges' really does depend on 'who are you, and why are you in court?'. We have good evidence that juries are less likely to hand out different sentences to minority groups than judges and mags, versus good evidence in the other direction on VAWG.
I am somewhat sceptical of this new suggestion of going beyond the Leveson recommendations on reducing the number of jury trials, but I am getting a little annoyed at all the (IMO) excessive outrage on here over it
November 25, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Agree with this. Ultimately the case on 'juries vs judges' really does depend on 'who are you, and why are you in court?'. We have good evidence that juries are less likely to hand out different sentences to minority groups than judges and mags, versus good evidence in the other direction on VAWG.
Reposted by Owen Michael
this is actually sort of interesting: this painting's name being translated to english as "thor" appears to have been confected some decades ago by someone who, in a moment of cultural cringe, decided no one knows who Perkūnas is
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
this is actually sort of interesting: this painting's name being translated to english as "thor" appears to have been confected some decades ago by someone who, in a moment of cultural cringe, decided no one knows who Perkūnas is
Reposted by Owen Michael
It's wild that you still see people acting like being trans is some newfangled concept. Even in the very skewed version of our history, medical transition has been a thing for decades
November 25, 2025 at 5:36 PM
It's wild that you still see people acting like being trans is some newfangled concept. Even in the very skewed version of our history, medical transition has been a thing for decades
Reposted by Owen Michael
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Owen Michael
the timeline for this extreme shifting of views has basically been the same, the ways in which the Overton window has been yanked have been similar, it's often coming from the very same people - it's all vv blatantly part of the same phenomenon!
November 25, 2025 at 12:57 PM
the timeline for this extreme shifting of views has basically been the same, the ways in which the Overton window has been yanked have been similar, it's often coming from the very same people - it's all vv blatantly part of the same phenomenon!
Reposted by Owen Michael
yes I don't really see how you can go "oh yikes these people have changed their political views incredibly quickly, mostly because of what Very Online people talk about on social media" and also think that people who went from never talking about gender to calling trans women predators are....normal
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
And few who are sympathetic to us, some who are friendly with me on here, will ever stick their head above the parapet
November 25, 2025 at 12:55 PM
yes I don't really see how you can go "oh yikes these people have changed their political views incredibly quickly, mostly because of what Very Online people talk about on social media" and also think that people who went from never talking about gender to calling trans women predators are....normal
Reposted by Owen Michael
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
Reposted by Owen Michael
It is genuinely insane to see a judge describe Graham Linehan as a “generally credible witness” in a trial where he claimed Sophia Brooks has been engaged in “trans activism” since 2013 (when she would’ve been 6 years old), then, when challenged, claimed her drivers license lied about her age.
November 25, 2025 at 12:34 PM
It is genuinely insane to see a judge describe Graham Linehan as a “generally credible witness” in a trial where he claimed Sophia Brooks has been engaged in “trans activism” since 2013 (when she would’ve been 6 years old), then, when challenged, claimed her drivers license lied about her age.
Reposted by Owen Michael
I don’t know enough about the situation with Lineham to opine on whether the judgement is valid or not, but everything about this paragraph in the BBC article makes me despair at how many institutions have been captured by the GC movement
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
I don’t know enough about the situation with Lineham to opine on whether the judgement is valid or not, but everything about this paragraph in the BBC article makes me despair at how many institutions have been captured by the GC movement
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Owen Michael
Today I learned that stalking a 17 year old girl, writing up a 400 page 'dossier' about her, falsely reporting her to the police and smashing her phone does not constitute 'harassment'.
One wonders what *would*.
One wonders what *would*.
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 11:40 AM
Today I learned that stalking a 17 year old girl, writing up a 400 page 'dossier' about her, falsely reporting her to the police and smashing her phone does not constitute 'harassment'.
One wonders what *would*.
One wonders what *would*.
Reposted by Owen Michael
‘I have no reason to identify Mr. Philby with the so-called third man or to conclude that he had betrayed his country.‘
That Nigel Farage investigation into claims of Russia links to Reform, in full: "I’ve asked everybody: 'have you ever taken money you shouldn’t have taken from anybody', and no one said yes.”
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/farage...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/farage...
Farage Mocked After Giving Bizarre Reason For Not Investigating Reform Russia Claims
"I haven't got a police force".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 9:40 AM
‘I have no reason to identify Mr. Philby with the so-called third man or to conclude that he had betrayed his country.‘
Reposted by Owen Michael
"My beloved working class" - i.e. the one that exists in his head, but in real life has always rejected this particularly ugly strain of 'you don't deserve commercial television, nice holidays or little luxuries' whenever Labour have taken it to the public.
November 24, 2025 at 11:44 PM
"My beloved working class" - i.e. the one that exists in his head, but in real life has always rejected this particularly ugly strain of 'you don't deserve commercial television, nice holidays or little luxuries' whenever Labour have taken it to the public.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Archetypal example is “capitalism ground me down so I quit my job and set up a small business so that I’m my own boss”. You didn’t dislike capitalism! You disliked authority!
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Archetypal example is “capitalism ground me down so I quit my job and set up a small business so that I’m my own boss”. You didn’t dislike capitalism! You disliked authority!