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Mary Leighton

@maryleighton.bsky.social
434 followers 606 following 363 posts

Therapist based in Chicago. Former Socio-cultural Anthropologist & STS scholar. Hosted the "What Democracy Looks Like In..." podcast.

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Reposted by Mary Leighton
Evanston RoundTable @evanstonroundtable.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
evanstonroundtable.com/2026/08/30/t...
evanstonroundtable.com
Evanston playwright to premier show based on her memoir - Evanston RoundTable
Tania Richard is an accomplished actor, playwright, author and inspirational speaker. She and her family live in Evanston. She is in rehearsals preparing
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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
This morning in Danbury, ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops. But it’s more sinister. ICE waited until the kids were on the bus so when they are dropped off at the end of the day, they are alone, scared to death they can’t find their parents. I’m heading to Danbury.
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Dr Robert Bohan @robertbohan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
There has been a lot of misinformation about ‘gender affirming care’ in the media & from politicians. They are wrong. A good parent listens to & observed their child; they want what is best for them. A parent who sees that their kid might be LGBTQ usually accepts that over time & worried for the …
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Ms. Rachel: As the American Academy of Pediatrics says, there is no safe amount of time for a child to be in detention. The Dilley immigration detention center must be shut down. We need to end the cruel policies of family detention and family separation.
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Melissa Nadia Viviana 🐸 @resistrebelrevolt.net · 12/06/2026
Albanian Protestors have named their movement The Flamingo Revolution. 🦩🔥 They’ve protested 10 straight days against Ivanka’s resort. This is a country of 2.7 million taking on entitled billionaires. 🤍 The EU has warned that environmental concerns might threaten Albania's application into the EU.
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The Princess of Verbal&B @eatpraythot.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
I’m really about to be telling folks how to sign “gay” all summer! I love this for me!
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Disability Rights UK @disrightsuk.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
🚨DR UK's Statement on the EHRC's New Code of Practice "We are appalled at implications that an adequate workaround is trans people using Disabled toilets instead. We will not be used as a loophole in the wider erosion of trans rights." Full statement👇 www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/disabil...
Disability Rights UK’s Statement on the EHRC’s New Code of Practice
As the makers of the original RADAR key and custodian of the National Key Scheme, Disability Rights UK issues our unequivocal solidarity with trans people, who should not be forced to choose between risking harassment in public facilities – or not using them at all. 
Image of Disability Rights UK logo in a purple box.
We are appalled at implications from the Code that an adequate workaround is trans people using Disabled toilets instead. It is a vain attempt to get two marginalised groups to blame one another for our lack of facilities, when the blame lies firmly at the feet of policymakers. We will not fall for it. We will not be used as a ‘loophole’ in the wider erosion of trans rights.  
Image of Disability Rights UK logo in a purple box.
Our RADAR key scheme began in 1981, rooted in the understanding that accessible facilities can be the difference between living the lives we deserve – socialising, travelling and working – and complete social exclusion.  

Our community knows how it feels to be scapegoated simply for trying to access the necessities we need to live. Trans rights do not come at the expense of Disabled, nor anyone else’s.
Image of Disability Rights UK logo in a purple box.
As is clear from this Code of Practice, it sets a dangerous precedent for the erosion of other protected characteristics. If the Equality Act can be up for debate in this arena, who is to say this will not be the case when it comes to disability in the near future? 

As a result, the Disabled-led movement must make a clear stand against this ruling, not to mention because 52% of trans people are Disabled themselves.  
Image of Disability Rights UK logo in a purple box.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
My husband was watching "Merrily We Roll Along" but all I could hear was
youtu.be
Charlie the Unicorn
YouTube video by FilmCow
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Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
We are losing our best and brightest. Trump’s immigration policies will have an effect on immigrant scientists like Shirley Meng. She is stepping down as director of Energy Storage Research Alliance and will be relocating to Singapore. 🧪 www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Pushed by Trump policies, top U.S. battery scientist is moving to Singapore
Shirley Meng explains why her passion for decarbonizing the global economy required her to relocate
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Isaac G. Bryan @ib2real.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Thousands are marching in Selma calling for a full restoration of the voting rights act.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
The UK rivals the US in making its immigration process as obtuse, racist, and petty as possible. Thousands of pounds and months spent on paperwork, just so you can make a flight connection. Not even to leave the airport!
theguardian.com
The bridesmaid ban: how the Home Office tarnished a British citizen’s big day – and cost them £2,000
Everything was in place for Andrea’s dream celebration in Barbados. Then her close friend was denied the right to walk across a British airport to board a connecting flight
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Meira Kensky @meirazk.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Have learned that my fellows do not know the tiger poem so here it is for you
One of the best poems ever
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Boolassa @dalassa.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Wake up babe, we are doing the Protestant Reformation but as farce
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Dan Immergluck @danimmergluck.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Brutal.
A WHOLE CIVILIZATION
WILL DIE TONIGHT
My son needs lunch, and I have to put his backpack together, but a whole civilization will die tonight, so I'm wondering if they've closed their schools.
Like, a snow day, maybe, except instead of snow it's
"keep your children home so if you die, you die together" — instead of "well open back up once the plows have cleared" it's
"we don't know if we'll be here tomorrow, hold your babies tight."
It's just "talk" I'm told, which I've been told before.
"It's how the president makes his deals." But I've never heard anyone talk about other human beings this way, and I'm not certain I can look my son in the eyes if we all agree to stomach it one more time.
A civilization will die tonight, but as I zip up his backpack and kiss him off to school I think: if this is what we call leadership then I'm not entirely sure ours isn't already dead.
@michaelfdubois
Mukad A QuBoy
@michacifdubois
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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
www.detroitnews.com/story/news/l...
detroitnews.com
UM Chinese researcher dies after alleged questioning by feds
China is calling on the U.S. to probe death of researcher after he was subjected to what they called 'hostile questioning' by federal authorities.
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Fiona Tribe @fionatribe.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
My Emeritus Professor Uncle is being surprisingly open about struggling with the decrease in attention he is experiencing now he is no longer teaching, speaking at global events, or generally being admired for his work on a daily basis. His rooms were removed, too (new policy). No campus for him.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Not only morally the right thing to do, regularizing the legal status of people currently paid "under the table" allows them to pay taxes. A study cited in this article estimates €4,000 in increased tax revenue per person, with no additional expenses.
lemonde.fr
On immigration, Spain moves against the tide of its European neighbors
Citing economic and moral arguments, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist government is preparing to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented workers, most from Latin America. The plan b...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 21/03/2026
THREAD: Cherise Doyley was in her 12th hour of contractions at the hospital when a tablet was brought to her bedside. On the screen was a Zoom call with a judge and several lawyers and doctors. She was in court, a nurse told her. The reason? For failing to agree to a C-section.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Every time I sit down to learn about a long-standing conflict, basically the answer is: the British that started it. Every damn time...
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Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
A heads down approach will not save science. We need to speak up, live our values, and demand integrity. www.statnews.com/2026/03/12/n...
statnews.com
I’m an NIH whistleblower. The scientific community cannot afford to avoid politics
“Scientists are often encouraged to avoid politics. But this advice is outdated, if it was ever correct in the first place,” writes Jenna Norton, NIH whistleblower.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Critiques for the ridiculous excuses to close depts: 1) A liberal arts degree is actually more flexible on the job market than a specialized STEM degree. 2) Small classes provide better education because of the improved faculty-to-student ratio. 3) Learning about the humanity of others matters.
austinchronicle.com
UT Head of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Speaks Out • The Austin Chronicle
On Monday, the Chronicle spoke with Lisa Moore, who has served since 2023 as the chair of UT-Austin’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department – a department that is now being collapsed with ...
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 26/02/2026
Kansas is sending letters to trans people telling them that their licenses will be revoked as of tomorrow and that they risk arrest for driving on a suspended license. This is pure cruelty. www.erininthemorning.com/p/kansas-sen...
An official letter from the Kansas Division of Vehicles dated February 23, 2026, with a redacted recipient address. The letter notifies the recipient that due to the enactment of Senate Bill 244, all Kansas driver's licenses and IDs must reflect the holder's sex at birth. It states that the recipient's current credential will become invalid immediately upon the law's publication on February 26, 2026, with no grace period. The recipient is directed to surrender their current ID to receive a new one matching their sex assigned at birth. The document concludes with instructions on how to appeal the notice if received in error, along with contact information for the department.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
“🇺🇸 agriculture is on the verge of widespread collapse… they’re asking for a rollback of virtually every policy Trump has introduced.” As Republicans try to distance Trump policies from🧑‍🌾 farmer struggles, the truth is clear: www.facebook.com/share/v/17Up...
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Mike Hixenbaugh @mikehixenbaugh.com · 13/02/2026
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast. The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me. But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
On Nov. 16, a mental health counselor recorded in Kamilla’s medical records that her mother reported the girl had lost her appetite after being “served food that contained worms.”

A week later, the couple said, children were told to gather in the gym for what they believed would be a Thanksgiving celebration. Excitement spread as families saw tables set with turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, they said. The children waited expectantly. But when a parent asked when the celebration would begin, Oksana said, staff told them the holiday meal was for employees, not detainees.

The children, she said, watched despondently as the feast was packed away.
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Labour has brought back section 28 against trans and non-binary individuals. I lived through section 28 last time. I suffered the harms of it. This will do the same thing. Not even allowing young people to socially transition is plain wrong. It prevents them finding their own identity.
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Omg. WTF is Happening? @lalahaenzy.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again. #Pinks #ProudBlue
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Rick CarBOOso’s Private Fire Crew @amandasmith.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
tfw when you want to have fun and chant too but you can’t because you’re at work
Screenshot of feed with MJF a white Jewish man with a closely cropped beard and longish slicked back hair. He is shirtless and greased up for his match, but the entire stadium is chanting “fuck ICE” so he is giving a Jim Halpert style look to the camera, eyebrows arched but otherwise deadpan.
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Warren Terra @warrenterra.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
So nice of The Times to make sure we finally get the other side of the story.
The parable of the Nazi Bar, a screenshot of a series of tweets by Michael Tager (in a screenshot from Google Images).

It's a long text and I'm not going to transcribe it here, but this Wiktionary explains it link and full Wiktionary definition below):
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Nazi_bar
Popularized by an anecdote shared by Michael B. Tager (@IamRageSparkle) on Twitter in July 2020. Tager recounted visiting a "shitty crustpunk bar" where he saw a patron abruptly expelled: the bartender explained that the man was wearing "iron crosses and stuff", and that he feared such patrons would become regulars and start bringing friends if not promptly kicked out, which would lead him to realize "oh shit, this is a Nazi bar now" only after the unwanted patrons became too "entrenched" to kick out without trouble.[1][2] (Instances of people noting that if a bar starts serving Nazis other customers stop going and it becomes a Nazi bar are older.)The screencapped tweet from the OP, Thea Sewell complains she's been told she's unwelcome in a local pub because of her bigoted views.
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Beth Popp Berman @epopppp.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
"In St. Paul, at least one-fourth of students from Spanish-speaking homes have missed every day of school since Dec. 12."
minnesotareformer.com
8 weeks under siege in Minnesota • Minnesota Reformer
Frank has a hard time explaining to his 8-year-old daughter why they rarely leave their home in the Twin Cities. Why she can’t go to school, and why he can’t work. “The only thing we tell her is that ...
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Sarah Lazare @sarahlazare.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
I'm not one for false optimism. But what I witnessed today in Minneapolis was tremendous, both in scale and exuberance. It was a stunning answer to the federal assault on Minnesota, a show of solidarity that gives us something to hold on to during times that are unforgiving.
inthesetimes.com
“Everybody Showed Up”: Stunning Crowds at Minnesota Day of Strike and Shutdown Against ICE
Extreme cold didn't stop the shutdown on Friday as some 100 faith leaders were arrested, residents stayed home from work, and an estimated 50,000 or more marched through downtown Minneapolis.
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Eric Holthaus @ericholthaus.com · 23/01/2026
Current temp in Minneapolis: -12°F (-24°C), -28°F wind chill (-33°C) Thousands of people are congregating downtown for today's General Strike march against ICE. Thousands more are on their way. Of course we are going to win.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Btw, its currently -23C in Minneapolis. Kneeling outside, saying the Lord's Prayer in -23C (-10F) temperatures.
migrantinsider.com
100 Clergy Arrested Blocking Minneapolis Airport Departures, Demanding Delta End ICE Complicity
Faith leaders target airline's major hub and private aviation company enabling Trump deportation flights as Minnesota religious resistance intensifies into second day.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Incredible (and slightly depressing) to hear that this argument has been going on for nearly 7 decades...
youtube.com
1958: Free Speech for Fascists? | Panorama | Voice of the People | BBC Archive
YouTube video by BBC Archive
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Indivisible Marching Buddies of Atlanta @indivmarchingbuds.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Our high school students across the metro area show what they're made of and stage a walkout to protest ICE.
decaturish.com
More than 1,500 Lakeside High students protest ICE
Between 1,500 to 2,000 Lakeside High School students walked out during a student-organized protest and march against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across the nation.
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Melissa Nadia Viviana 🐸 @resistrebelrevolt.net · 21/01/2026
Greenland's Cooperation Party: Tillie Martinussen says the people of Greenland flat out say NO to MAGA's bribery & propaganda. Turns out, it doesn't work on people whose government invested in educating their own citizens. 🙌🏻💪🏼 (Which is exactly why Republicans don't do it) / Pt1
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Everything about this is glorious
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 10/01/2026
In just seconds, an encounter with ICE agents turned deadly. The Star Tribune examined the video evidence frame by frame.
bit.ly
Breaking down the videos: A close examination of the shooting of Renee Good
In just seconds, an encounter with ICE agents turned deadly. The Star Tribune examined the video evidence frame by frame.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 08/01/2026
my second grader is *obsessed* with everything dave pikey does. our house is overflowing with captain underpants and dog man and all the spin-offs www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/b...
nytimes.com
The Man Behind ‘Dog Man’ Is a Pack Leader for Young Readers
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Anti-depressants save lives. We live in a world where most people are completely unaware that depression can be a terminal illness - and not just because of suicide. This is a very good thing. The rarity of depression at that level of severity is entirely due to modern medicine.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Guys, it's not just about oil. Don't be so cynical. After all, Venezuela also has gold and rare earth elements.
english.elpais.com
Oil, gold and rare earth elements: the backdrop to US political tension with Venezuela
The country’s enormous energy and mineral resources are consolidating as a key factor in the geopolitical dispute and in Venezuela’s institutional collapse
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Devastatingly on point editorial from Le Monde.
lemonde.fr
The return of the US's predatory imperialism
EDITORIAL. The US military attack in Caracas, Venezuela, and capture of Nicolas Maduro show that Washington now claims full rights over what it considers its backyard.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
politico.eu
When the interpreter wept: What automation erases inside Europe’s institutions
We are building a world that treats translation as a problem to be solved. But translation was never just a technical challenge — it is an act of witnessing.
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Samantha Michaels @samanthamichaels.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I've been reporting on the criminal justice system for over a decade and have lived in an authoritarian country overseas, but I've never seen anything like the police presence in ICE-occupied Memphis. Here's my dispatch: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
I'm a veteran criminal justice reporter. I've never seen anything like ICE-occupied Memphis.
“It’s about as sad as you can possibly imagine."
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Rep. Jamie Raskin @raskin.house.gov · 15/12/2025
After this weekend’s antisemitic terror attack in Australia, it is more important than ever that people assemble for Hanukkah. May the Festival of Lights shine brightly in Jewish homes and communities throughout the world.
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Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon @gurdeep.ca · 03/12/2025
True joy recognizes and acknowledges pain, tears, sadness, and every other emotion that exists within the spectrum of human experience. It is about discovering and finding balance, equilibrium, and a sense of steadiness even in the midst of difficult, trying, and turbulent times.
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Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon @gurdeep.ca · 13/12/2025
When the mercury plummets to -40° (where Celsius and Fahrenheit finally agree), most sensible creatures burrow inward. But not in the Yukon. Here, in this land where exhaled breath crystallizes mid-air and exposed skin stings within seconds, I found myself moved to dance Bhangra.
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Two wildly familiar issues highlighted in this article: 1) "polling showed that most French people backed the left’s ideas – investment in hospitals, fairer taxation of the very rich and multinationals – even if they didn’t vote left."
theguardian.com
‘We have to end the melancholy’: the French leftwing MP intent on resisting the far right
Clémentine Autain believes only a leftwing alliance united behind one leader can stave off the threat of a far-right president
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Miami DSA @miamidsa.org · 26/11/2025
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
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Mary Leighton @maryleighton.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Watch this space: I anticipate this being the next version of the the disastrously toxic myth of the 25 year old brain "mature" brain.
theguardian.com
Brain has five ‘eras’, scientists say – with adult mode not starting until early 30s
Study suggests brain development has four pivotal ‘turning points’ at around the ages of nine, 32, 66 and 83
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