Women, Classics and Oxford: aRound-Table

Posted on Mon 21 April 2025 in Trans • Tagged with women, gender, Oxford, Classics

I am just getting ready for tomorrow's round-table event at Oxford, discussing women's experience of Classics and of Oxford specifically, as part of their Athena/Swan process. Thanks to the organiser, Emma Greensmith, for inviting me, especially in this atmosphere of whipped-up hostility to trans women, now of course further …

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The Crucifixion of Trans People

Posted on Fri 18 April 2025 in Trans • Tagged with trans, history, classics, religion

Since the UK Supreme Court have seen fit to rewrite the Equality Act in this Easter week (at least in the Western Christian calendar), it seems fitting to think about the crucifixion of trans people. Before the far-right who have never entered a church, still less opened a Bible, yell …

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When Masks Slip

Posted on Wed 25 May 2022 in comedy • Tagged with tans, comedy, classics

Another week, another culture war/comedy crossover. This time it is the arrival of a hotly, er, anticipated return to the screen of one Ricky Gervais, in what has been billed in some quarters as Netflix's most transphobic show yet. Still, I'm not just interested in this phenomenon as a …

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Cambridge, We Have a Problem

Posted on Fri 30 April 2021 in trans • Tagged with trans, Classics

I've been on Twitter, technically, for about a decade, but hardly ever used it. I did the whole flamewar thing in the 1990s on mailing lists and newsgroups, and the appeal of doing that kind of thing again in a short form-factor just seemed too exhausting. And yet, I've lately …

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