bearwith

£15 minim wage doesn’t seem so crazy next to a £10 pint does it

I wanted to share a bit of personal news: I became a dad recently.👨🏼‍🍼 The last few weeks have completely changed my life. Becoming a father is something I’ve hoped for as long as I can remember, and now this little human is here, I love them more than I ever thought possible. 🥰

The moment has come to stop calling it "student loans:" it's not a loan, it is not repaid in full, and there are no fixed T&C. It's a graduate tax that applies only to young workers. And it allows governments to increase taxes on a single generation while protecting the others.

The govt's Student Loan Plan 2 repayment freeze in April 2027 must be reversed. It isn't moral. I'm concerned that my debate with Kemi Badenoch this morning distracts from the most immediate problem. In April 2027 Rachel Reeves will freeze the Plan 2 student loan threshold until 2030 which by then will increase graduate repayments by £300/yr more. This is effectively a unilateral negative breach of the student loan contract. Students were told the threshold would rise with average earnings. No commercial lender would be allowed to do this. The govt shouldn't do it either. Changing the terms of future students loans is a political decision - people may not like it but it is transparent. Negatively changing the terms of contracts already signed, and long in place, is a breach of natural justice.

@jan_murray LGBTQ+ people exist, and their lives are valid and deserve to be celebrated. Coming out, transitioning, celebrating queer relationships by weddings or civil partnerships and commitment ceremonies, the birth of a child to queer parents, all big life events that can be celebrated.

Spotted in a mainstream UK card shop - Card Factory - this week. Not a niche retailer. Just an everyday high street business selling a card celebrating “transitioning” as uncomplicated empowerment. Another example of how easily commercial spaces slide into ideological messaging - often without fully considering how it might land with a broad customer base. Many of whom - like me - would simply like to buy a greetings card, a bath bomb or some bedding plants, without being drawn into gender identity politics.

Wembley Arena. Let’s go. 💚 I’m proud to be speaking alongside performances from Adam Lambert, Beverley Knight & so many more! It's a moment to stand in solidarity with our trans siblings. Because when any of us are under attack, we show up. Join us: ovoarena.co.uk/events/detail/…

@bbcquestiontime @BBCiPlayer @BBCSounds @BBCOne How on earth is it acceptable to only have 2 of the 3 parties competing for the Gorton and Denton by-election a week before the vote? Where is a green? Or even a green voice? It looks intentional.

I really hope she wins. What a breath of fresh air. #GortonAndDenton #GortonandDentonByElection

Chuffed to be the most popular leader with young people! Thanks, guys! 💚 itv.com/news/2026-02-1…

Don’t talk to me about how anti-homophobia campaigns in football are unnecessary. I don’t give a fuck how it makes you feel.

Let me make this very clear @ALLIANCELGB following your email to me today. I am a trans rights activist. My party is categorically a supporter #LGBTQI rights. I will not be effectively lobbied into denying people their basic human rights. #TransRightsAreHumanRights END OF.

@MaxineH91775285 @roisinmurphy Oh god, not... Universities. 😱

@roisinmurphy It’s from Queer Theory an ideology promoted at universities

OK so “queer” was reclaimed. It went from a slur - to a political slogan - to a broadened identity - to a market - to a HUGE industry. The first rule of markets is expansion, and I have seen the expansion firsthand, and the cynicism behind it in my industry; the music industry. As long as a market is expanding, it is very hard to to fight its negative effects. While the money is pouring in nobody wants to critique it, even its worst excesses, even authoritarianism and child safeguarding get a slide.

@roisinmurphy I guess you've made enough money from queer people, so you're an authority on exploiting that demographic, right?

Oh. Seems like she’s lying to justify her transphobia. Surprise surprise.

@roisinmurphy @proudbiwoman @Brig_333 @daniellismore He then says "when did you realise it was a two way Street - that not only did you love it, but actually that the QUEER community adored you, which they do, and have for so long" And you replied "it's a joy" You say it just here @roisinmurphy: open.spotify.com/episode/4r6l01…

@simonlevans @roisinmurphy Looks like Roisin might be a little bit of a hypocrite. x.com/i/status/20203…

Hi @roisinmurphy I used to go to a gay club night called Queer Nation in Brixton in 1990. Try again.

@_the_bears_den @Alecaticus @roisinmurphy @proudbiwoman @Brig_333 @daniellismore Indeed

@Alecaticus @_bear_with @roisinmurphy @proudbiwoman @Brig_333 @daniellismore And your mind automatically went to imagining him naked. Looks like he made a very good point, about you.

New Suicide Data Shows Disproportionate Risk for LGBTQ+ Children in England Newly released data highlights a significant disparity in child suicide deaths affecting LGBTQ+ young people in England and raises questions about how policy decisions impact child safety and wellbeing. Figures obtained by QueerAF through a Freedom of Information request to the National Child Mortality Database show that between April 2019 and March 2025, 647 children in England died by suicide. Of those children, 107 were identified as LGBTQ+ and 46 were identified as transgender. This means approximately 16.5 percent of the children who died by suicide during that period were LGBTQ+ and approximately 7.1 percent were transgender. These proportions are significantly higher than estimates of LGBTQ+ representation in the general child population, indicating a disproportionate impact. Preventable deaths campaigner Lucy Brisbane said that every preventable death of a child is unacceptable and that understanding contributing factors is essential to reducing risk. She stated that protecting all children, including trans children, requires removing political considerations from policymaking and focusing on evidence-based prevention. Research and clinical reporting consistently link elevated suicide risk among LGBTQ+ children to external factors rather than identity itself. These factors include bullying in school environments, family rejection, social isolation, exposure to stigma and hostility in public discourse, and coercive practices such as conversion therapy. The data does not suggest inevitability. Instead, it identifies conditions that can be changed. Evidence shows that safer school environments, supportive families, access to appropriate healthcare, and policies grounded in established research are associated with improved mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ young people. Gay, lesbian, and transgender adults were once children. The outcomes reflected in this data arise from experiences during childhood and adolescence rather than from identity alone. Early environments play a critical role in shaping long-term wellbeing. The policy question raised by this data is direct. Should systems prioritise support, acceptance, and safety for children as they are, or should they maintain conditions that evidence shows increase the risk of harm and death. Any comments on this? @roisinmurphy @jk_rowling thepinknews.com/2026/02/02/tra…

@roisinmurphy @proudbiwoman @Brig_333 @daniellismore Is that right @roisinmurphy? funny you didn't mention that on this podcast "Homosapiens: The world from a QUEER perspective" The host asks you repeatedly about your experience in QUEER clubs & QUEER culture - you felt you'd "come home" on the QUEER scene. open.spotify.com/episode/4r6l01…