iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Saw this being shared today 😒

Bloody, hairy hands with painted fingernails clutching a cloth with pink, white, and blue stripes

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Yes, this totally makes sense. Well done BBC for your usual excellent reporting /s

Screenshot of BBC News app. It reads:

Gender-affirming surgery was halted because of concerns from an NHS committee over whether patients had been "appropriately assessed".

After meeting Welsh government ministers on Friday the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) said data showed the rate of surgery referrals made by the Welsh Gender Service was "significantly higher" than in England.

It also said the proportion of Welsh patients progressing from referral for some types of surgery was "significantly lower" than across the border.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I was in Brownies, but I looked like this:

Photo of a woman with her right hand in the air in a three fingered salute, this is mirrored by the child standing in front of her. The child has very short hair and a brownie uniform. They are both standing in front of a brown flag representing the brownies which is held by two children with their faces obscured by emojis

Photo of a smiling child with short hair in a Brownie uniform

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Not my great-grandmother who was 92 in 1967 saying "kids these days"

Newspaper article with a picture of an old woman holding a baby.
Remarkable Skipton Woman of 92: Her Street is noted for longevity. Pictured with a great-grandchild is 92-year-old Mrs Lilian Paley, of 3, Brougham Street, Skipton. This happy photograph was taken on Friday, her birthday, by a Craven Heralad and Pioneer cameraman. The Brougham Street area of Skipton must be a healthy place in which to live for three nonagenarians reside within a few doors of each other. Mrs Dorothy Horner, of 63 Brougham Street, is 90, Mrs Annie Fowler, of 26 Westmoreland Street, is 91, Mrs Lilian Paley completes the trio. It was a happy day on Friday for Mrs Paley for among her many visitors was her six week old great-grandchild, Louise Smith, and she spent most of the afternoon nursing the baby. Among a large number of bunches of flowers was a bouquet from her garndson, Michael Titterington, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. Mrs Paley is remarkably fit and mentally alert for her yeats. She still cooks and does some housework, and she has lived in the same house for 37 years. Her recipe for long life is hard work, contentment, and a happy marriage. A native of Maryport, Cumberland, Mrs Paley came to Skipton on her marriage 67 years ago. Her husband, Mr William Paley was a farmer at Hetton, and subsequently worked at Mattocks' Cornmill and worked for Mr Arthur Shuttleworth, in Water Street, as a carter. She recalls the time when she had to bring up her family with only 18s. a week coming into the house. The children were given a halfpenny a week spending money. "For our holidays we used to pack a picnic basket and walk to Eller Beck and then on to Norton Towers. Young people don't know how well off they are. We had to make our own amusement," she added. Mrs Paley's husband died 12 years ago. She has three sons, four daughters, eight grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, and she says if she has any more great-grandchildren she will not be able to remember all their names.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Obligatory colander photo

Photo of the shadow of a colander on a wooden fence. The light is coming through the holes in a crescent shape due to the eclipse. There are leaves on the right side of the photo

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

lol the Times can’t even get the acronym right

Screenshot of The Times website
The headline reads: Law must be obeyed on trans rules, says ECHR chief
The text underneath reads: Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, of the equalities watchdog warned against the ‘performative’ defying of guidance that came into force on Wednesday

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Managed to get a pb even though I have shin splints

A graphic showing the stats of a 5km running race I took part in. It is titled ‘Craven Running’
The date under the title is 30 Jul @ 19:00
Distance: 3.21 miles
Average heart rate: 185 beats per minute
Average pace: 9 minutes 35 per mile
Total time: 30 minutes 44
Total calories 337

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

IMC 2027 CfP: Community and the Uncanny: Neurodivergent Inclusion and Exile in the Middle Ages #IMC #IMC2027 #CfP #Neurodiversity #Medieval

A call for papers for the International Medieval Congress (IMC).
There is a colourful medieval style header with 5 rainbow clad people dancing to a lute player. Underneath is a Neurodiversity infinity symbol.
Text reads:
Despite the importance of community for human wellbeing, the neurodivergent experience of what community has meant throughout history has often differed greatly from that offered by neuronormative societies. Building on the success of our 2026 series, Neurodivergent and Neuroqueer Temporalities, we once again invite scholars working in neurodiversity studies and neuroqueer theory within medieval studies to present papers on the IMC’s 2027 theme, ‘Communities’.

This series invites proposals for papers that examine aspects of medieval and medievalist communities through a neurodivergent or neuroqueer lens. This includes, but is not limited to:
-Exploration of the social interactions of neurodivergent individuals in medieval communities.
-Examination of the relationships between neurodivergent and neurotypical characters in medieval literature.
-Discussions of the experiences of neurodivergent scholars in medieval studies.
-Exploration of the formation of neurodivergent or neuroqueer communities across time with figures or concepts from the Middle Ages.

Paper proposals should be under 200 words and accompanied by a bio of no more than 150 words. Proposals should be sent to D.M.Coultas@leeds.ac.uk for the attention of Dan Coultas and Ash Paley no later than Monday, 14th September 2026.
Successful applicants are reminded that they remain responsible for their own conference registration and fees.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I love this creature, but she keeps getting me up at ungodly hours of the morning and then spending her days like this:

A small, brown dog (Shih Tzu) sleeping peacefully on her side on a sheepskin rug. The rug is under a bed.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

I’ll be giving my paper ‘Mystical Anticipation and Neuroqueer Longing in the Works of Hadewijch of Brabant’ at #IMC #s324 on Monday at 16:30

Digital drawing of an hourglass with rainbow sand

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

I may have fallen down a rabbit hole

A book with the title Middelnederlansch Handwoordenboek

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I emailed him in February and got an email back which included this, so he really should be signing it. I can’t point this out to him, though, because I no longer live in his constituency

The Government is continuing to consider the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practice.

At this stage, the draft code has not yet been presented to Parliament, or to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), of which I am a member. Therefore, I have not yet had access to a copy of it so that I can fully scrutinise it in detail.

I note that the Council of Europe’s Commissioner on Human Rights wrote to the JCHR and the Women and Equalities Select Committee to warn against the UK adopting “measures that could exclude transgender people from many areas of life”. I acknowledge the issues raised in the letter and aim to do what I can to resolve them as an MP and as a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

My firm belief is that any code must be compatible with the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and existing equalities law. It must not infringe upon the rights of transgender people.

The Minister for Women and Equalities may present the draft code unamended to Parliament, where it must sit for 40 days. If the proposed code infringes upon the rights of transgender people, I will support a motion pressing for a Parliamentary debate and vote.

I will not support a code that fails to respect and protect the human rights of transgender people.

The Minister also has the option to request that the EHRC revise the draft before it is presented to Parliament, or to reject it outright.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

These ‘inclusive toilet’ signs have appeared on the disabled toilets at the university of Leeds

Photo of the door of a disabled toilet with a small, round inclusive sign above the handle

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Or donate them to a good cause

Medieval nun harvesting penises from a penis tree

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Does anyone know what this means?

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Finally got around to doing my patch for the trans unity quilt

Large piece of blue material with the words “Quasi parturiens Clamabant
Iura transgenorum iura humana aunt” in blue, pink, and black letters”
To the left is a medieval inspired illustration of a king. To the right is a medieval inspired image of Hildegard of Bingen
In the centre is an illustration of the side wound of Jesus as found in medieval manuscripts

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

The Craven Bank issued notes with the Craven Heifer on them. The Craven Heifer (1807-1812) was and remains the largest cow ever shown in England. Her painting falls into the genre of large, square farm animal paintings of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I have have print of her in my bedroom

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Taken from Natasha Lodger's x account

Quote tweeting J K Rowling supporting her view of the Sandie Peggie trial

Reply congratulating Ted Cruz for unmasking an activist

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

This seems particularly ridiculous to me considering this is what my nonbinary self looked like when joking Brownies in 2003

Picture of a short haired child in a Brownie uniform

Picture of a short haired child in a Brownie uniform doing the Brownie promise facing a blonde woman and in front of of a Brownie flag he by two anonymised other children

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

There’s definitely filming under the name ‘Brown Cat’

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

I found a similar one from 1788. They were actually 50 and 17 according to their marriage license.

Newspaper article reading:
On Monday last was married, at Harewood church, Mr. John Craven, of King-Lane, near this town, aged 75, to Miss Lupton, of Huby aged 14.
"Thus round with'ring Oak the Ive 'twines."

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

The town for the strikers. The strike ended in October when the demand for an the restoration of wages was granted. Jonathan died suddenly 18 years later at the age of 68. This was reported in the Intelligencer on 6th January 1849. The cause of death was "visitation by God." 7/7

Newspaper clipping reading:
SUDDEN DEATH.-On Tuesday, the 26th of
December last, Jonathan Worsnop, who resided in Manchester Road, having occasion to go to Great Horton for the purpose of viewing some property, went for that purpose, and having returned home sat himself down in his chair, and while talking about the business he had been transacting, fell out of his chair and immediately expired. An inquest was held on his body before Mr. Dyson, coroner, yesterday week, at the house of Mr. William Galloway, the Fleece Inn, Manchester Road, when a verdict of "Died by the visitation of God" was returned.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

To shout "baa" and "black sheep" at him. A crowd gathered and "began to use him very roughly". The insults and the context pf the strike likely mean that Whitehead was a strikebreaker and that the crowd attacked him for that reason. According to Robert John Morris' "Class Sect and Party" (1990) 2/7

Newspaper clipping part 2 reading:
On the same day, Jonathan Worsnop, a moulder, was charged with having assaulted John Whitehead, another of Messrs. Gott's weavers. It appeared that the complainant was passing near the top of Marsh-lane, on Friday night, when some persons began to call out "baa," "black sheep," and a crowd imme- diately congregated, who began to use him very roughly. He swore that the defendant was very active in the affray, and not only assaulted him, but prevented him from going into a house for refuge. This the defendant denied, and appealed to the good character for quietness and peaceful behaviour given him by his employer, Mr. Zebulun Stirk, in refutation of the charge. The case was adjourned to Wed- nesday to procure additional testimony, and the defendant was discharged on entering into recognizances to appear. Yesterday, the parties again attended, and after hearing one or two witnesses the magistrates discharged Worsnop, saying they believed Whitehead to have been mistaken.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

🧵On 26th May 1831 it was reported in the Leeds Intelligencer that Jonathan Worsnop, my 5x great-grandfather, had been charged with assault. This was during the Gott's Weavers strike over low wages. The complainant, John Whitehead, stated that while he was passing Marsh Lane in Leeds people began 1/7

Newspaper clipping reading:

MESSRS. GOTT'S WEAVERS.-The strike of the weavers still continues without any probability of its speedy termination. Two or three breaches of the peace have arisen out of it, and have become the subject of judicial injuiry. On Tuesday Samuel Hodgson, a weaver, was charged before the sitting Magistrates with having assaulted George Smith. The complainant, who has been nearly 30 years in Messrs. Gott's employ, stated that on Saturday night he went with two comrades to the Turk's Head Inn, Briggate, to get some ale. They had not been there long when the defendant and two others came into the room, and began to upbraid him for continuing to work at Messrs. Gott's. In the course of the debate which ensued several other weavers entered the room, and the complainant many times at- tempted to go away, but was prevented. At this time one of the men who went in with him had disappeared, and the other was only a left-handed sort of friend. When the com- plainant succeeded in reaching the door of the room, the defendant and all the others set upon him with a view to drag him down the passage into the yard. He however managed to get into the bar for a little while, but was at lenngth dragged into the yard, where his coat was torn into several pieces, and he was much kicked and bruised. The defendant denied having taken any part in the affray, but being positively sworn to, he was convicted in the penalty of 50s. and costs, or be committed for two months.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Call for Papers: Leeds IMC 2026 Neurodivergent and Neuroqueer Temporalities Deadline: Monday 15th September 9am #CFP #IMC2026 #Medievalsky #Neurodiversity #Neuroqueer

Call for papaers poster. Medieval image of Hildegard of Bingen as header. Neurodivergent infinity loop behind text.

Text reads: Call for Papers: International Medieval Congress 2026
Neurodivergent and Neuroqueer Temporalities

Over the past decade, critical neurodiversity studies and neuroqueer theory have come to prominence. These new paradigms seek to explore differences in mind through an understanding that there are naturally diverse ways of being rather than through pathologisation. While the paradigms are beginning to be used in other academic disciplines, they are yet to be implemented in a significant way in medieval studies. This panel seeks to change this by encouraging medievalists to see the potentials in neuroqueer and neurodivergent scholarship and prompting discussion in these areas.
This panel is requesting proposals for papers which examine aspects of medieval temporalities through a neurodivergent or neuroqueer lens. This includes, but is not limited to:
• Application of contemporary neuroqueer or neurodivergent theory to medieval temporal concerns.
• Examination of non-normative experiences of time, e.g. in mystical ecstasy.
• Exploration of neuroqueer attitudes to normative lifecycles.
• Examination of the effects of time and age on the mind in medieval texts.
• Neurodivergent readings of medieval material relating to temporalities.

Paper proposals should be under 200 words and accompanied by a short bio. Proposals should be sent to A.T.Paley1@leeds.ac.uk for the attention of Ash Paley and Daniel Coultas by 9am on Monday 15th September 2025.

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Two of the dogs returned from their holidays today and everyone was very happy

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Ash Paley @ashpaley.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

This is the reply I got from the Cabinet Office. It seems they’re just sending a copy to everyone who emails about the Supreme Court decision

Dear Ash,
Thank you for writing about the implications of the Supreme Court’s judgment in the For
Women Scotland case.
The Government acknowledges the deep concern and anxiety many people are feeling
following the recent Supreme Court ruling and its potential implications for trans people.
For many, this decision has raised serious questions about rights, safety, and belonging.
The Government hears those concerns, and recognises the very real impact this moment
is having on members of the trans community, their families, and allies.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court announced on 16 April it had reached a unanimous
decision that the terms ‘man’, ‘woman’, and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological
sex. It ruled that a Gender Recognition Certificate does not change a person’s legal sex
for the purposes of the Act.
It stated the definition of sex in the Act “makes clear that the concept of sex is binary”. It
further noted that ‘although the word “biological” does not appear in this definition, the
ordinary meaning of those plain and unambiguous words corresponds with the biological
characteristics that make an individual a man or a woman.’
The Government welcomes this ruling, and the confidence and clarity it provides for
women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges and sports clubs. Single-sex
services based on biological sex are protected in law and will always be protected by this
Government.
Whilst the ruling has a range of implications that the Government is considering, it will in
the first instance work closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission - Britain’s
equality watchdog - as they deliver on their commitment to support providers with updated
guidance.

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