iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 28/07/2026

Playing Splatoon Raiders... damn this game is colourful.

The image shows a background that is bright orange with blue-grey accents which are squiggly lines. The character is an octoling from the franchise, and is wearing RCA cables to keep their hair containers. They're holding a mint green book and wearing bright red trousers. It's clear they are in the air while striking a pose.

This is a stage clear screen (this might not be too obvious for those not seeing this ALT text)

Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 25/07/2026

It was great to get to speak at Newcastle Pride after being invited to do so by Curious Arts, who are the organisers of the event. It seemed like it was potentially going to rain at one point, but there was no raining on our parade!

A banner for "Newcastle Pride" in front of a crowd. To the right of the shot is a stage with equipment, with flags on the two microphone stands.
There is a lot of people, cameras and rainbow banners.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 25/06/2026

Oh, and we're just blatantly going to write this in such a way that gender affirming care can be deemed to be "conversion practices" with the clause b(i). Got it.

A screenshot of the government's draft bill on "ending conversion practices" which reads:

(2) “Conversion practice” means (subject to subsection (3)) any conduct carried out by a person towards an individual with the intention of—

(a) causing the individual—
(i) to have or not to have,
(ii) to believe that they have or do not have,
a sexual orientation or a particular sexual orientation; or

(b) causing the individual—
(i) to have or not to have,
(ii) to believe that they have or do not have,
a transgender identity or a particular transgender identity.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 25/06/2026

Oh so we're just blatantly allowing the NHS to do conversion practices if they just dangle the carrot of "health care services" in front of someone. Surely more analysis to come, but this draft bill is a joke. No bill would be better than this bill. Perhaps that's what Bridget Phillipson wants.

A screenshot of the draft bill to "end Conversion Practices". It reads:
(3) Conduct which (a) is carried out by a person towards an individual with such an intention, but (b) is carried out in the course of providing health care services to the individual concerned, is not a conversion practice unless the person acts in such a way that falls far below the standards reasonable expected of a person in their position.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 02/06/2026

Earlier this evening I visited the ONE Centre in Gateshead to speak to OUT North East and also did some t-shirt making with Gateshead Libraries.

Melissa in a black t-shirt standing in front of a background of squares of various shades of the pride flag and different languages.

Melissa in front of some artwork backgrounds with a t-shirt that has various different words on it such as "pride", "positive vibes only" "born this way" and hearts, rainbows, etc on. She is smiling as she holds the t-shirt up.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 08/05/2026

I won. I am Cllr Melissa Harker, councillor in Bridges, Gateshead. 👀

Melissa standing in front of a housing estate. In the front is the text "Cllr Melissa Harker" and underneath "Bridges, Gateshead". Imprint: Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 01/05/2026

I received this today from the postman. I appreciate Royal Mail work hard and do their best to deliver things within expected timescales, but damn. I am having flashbacks to losing my appointment because the post arrived two weeks late again. (This is just the letter to say I am on a waiting list.)

There is a letter with a plastic see-through window. Through the white envelope window you see "24 April 2026" in it with "Ms Melissa Harker". The address is covered by a thumb. The Return address at the top of the letter is the RVI in Newcastle.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 03/04/2026

A motion brought by Reform, and subsequent amendment of the motion by @darlingtongreens.bsky.social has shown that it was never really about "women's safety". Reform talks of a "dark day for women and girls in [Darlo]"... but we kept all the pro-women parts of the motion, so why are they upset? 😉

A dark green background with white text. The heading is: "Darlington has shown that it was not really about "women's safety".".

The body states: "Darlington Greens amended a motion which was brought to Darlington District Council that was inspired by the Bassetlaw motion. We flipped the motion’s intent, by removing exclusionary language, protecting trans people from blanket exclusion and doubling down on protections for women."

Then in bold: "Is that why Reform is so upset?"

Imprint: Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

An excerpt from the amended motion: "3. The Council will not introduce blanket exclusions of transgender individuals from services. Any restriction must be justified on a case by case basis as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, in line with the Equality Act 2010."

Commentary: "The above clause is one of a few clauses amended to Motion 10c, but it’s particularly rattled Reform.

Clause 1, as amended, still commits the council to implementing the Supreme Court ruling, but acknowledges that the Supreme Court ruling didn’t mandate blanket exclusions for trans people."

In bold: "Are Reform upset, simply because they can’t justify blanket exclusion from single-sex spaces and services for trans people?"

An excerpt from the amended motion: "6. To support the government's national ‘Violence Against Women And Girls Strategy’ and work in partnership towards halving violence against women and girls by 2030 with a focus on prevention and support for survivors through a whole systems approach by the following:
a. championing women’s safety;
b. thereby promoting respectful and inclusive public spaces;
c. working collaboratively with partners; and
d. supporting early intervention and prevention."

Commentary: "Clause 6 remains untouched. It commits the council to support the Government’s VAWG Strategy. Reform say it’s "a dark day for women and girls in Darlington""

In bold: "Is it a dark day, because protections for women were given, alongside guardrails for trans, non-binary and intersex people?"

A quote from Cllr Matthew Snedker, Green Group leader for Darlington:

"Gender is a symphony, not a harmony."

Imprint: Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 03/04/2026

On yet another CrossCountry train, and you'll never guess what seat I seem to have scored...

A photo of an external door of a Class 220 CrossCountry train (from the inside, obviously), and outside you see lovely County Durham fields through the window. Lovely day. Less lovely seating arrangement.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 03/04/2026

I am on a CrossCountry train (eww) but it is a newly refurbished one (yipee). They have USB-C! I can plug my MacBook Charger in directly! It's not super fast at 21W of charging, but it works in a pinch!

A braided MagSafe charging cable plugged directly into USB-C on a CrossCountry train.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 26/03/2026

A photo speaks a thousand words. A fellow councillor, head in hands, while the motion being moved by Cllr Dulston

Councillor Dulston speaking while his colleagues ahead of him have their head in their hands.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 26/03/2026

When your transphobic motion isn't supported by your Labour colleagues (Cllr Dulston in shot, the proposer of the motion. He is making faces that clearly shows his disappointment at times.)

In the distance, past the public gallery you see Cllr Dulston (Conservative) clearly frustrated and making faces in his disappointment.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 26/03/2026

I am getting ready to observe the Darlington Council meeting where the transphobic motion is being heard. Updates to come.

A photo of Matthew Snedker and Melissa Harker. Matthew on the left with a "pro-trans pro-trains" t-shirt on.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 09/03/2026

Thank you to everyone for placing your trust in me to be your Co-Chair in 2026 alongside @kathrynbristow.uk. I can't speak for Kat specifically, but I will look to further assist @transgreens.bsky.social, and to be fearless in our response to injustices as the @lgbtiqagreens.bsky.social.

White background, black text: "Thank you!" in big, "Thank you for placing your trust in me to be your Co-Chair in 2026 alongside Kat Bristow." A bar chart is underneath. Melissa got 201 votes, 179 in the first round. Kat Bristow got 181 votes, with 161 in the first round. Ash Routh got 149 votes, with 113 in the first round. Steve Braines got 77 votes and was eliminated, and Re-Open Nominations got 11 votes, and was eliminated. There were 18 Exhausted votes in round two.

Produced and promoted by Melissa Harker as part of their campaign for election to the LGBTIQA+ Greens committee. This is not an official communication from the Green Party of England and Wales or the LGBTIQA+ Greens.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 24/02/2026

I am running for @lgbtiqagreens.bsky.social Co-Chair. As a proven committee member that has delivered over the last year, I'd he honoured to see you rank me first on your ballot. Think I can do an excellent job and want to endorse me for this position? Let's chat. 🤙 Voting closes March 8th.

Behind a photo of the candidate, bordered with a rainbow, are the words "ELECT MELISSA".

Candidate statement excerpt: "Over the past year I have stepped up to organise our AGM. I have worked with Kris to deliver the LGBTIQA+ Greens hustings. I helped kick off these elections. When we have lacked administrative capacity, I have taken responsibility and initiative to deliver at critically important moments." Quote by the candidate for Co-Chair, Melissa Harker.

Produced and promoted by Melissa Harker as part of their campaign for election to the LGBTIQA+ Greens Committee. This is not an official communication of the LGBTIQA+ Greens or the Green Party of England and Wales.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 23/02/2026

I’d like to sincerely thank The Telegraph for the free national promotion of my amazing conference motion. Baby’s first attack piece — we’re growing up and glowing up 🥹 Marketing budget: £0 Telegraph outrage machine: priceless.

Telegraph article.

"Another motion put forward for consideration at the party’s spring conference would end all blanket bans on transgender athletes in women’s sport.

The motion was tabled by Melissa Harker, a press officer for the LGBTIQA+ Greens pressure group."

It then has a photo of me with the caption: "Melissa Harker, a Green trans campaigner, is calling for an end to the transgender bans in women’s sport"

It goes on:

"Ms Harker’s policy proposal warned that blanket bans have “serious consequences for gender-diverse and global majority [of African, Asian, Latin American and Arab descent] peoples’ mental and physical health”.

It went on to claim that “historical colonial and Eurocentric attitudes” have long affected elite sports and continued to have an impact.

If passed, the motion would be required to call on all sporting bodies to allow trans athletes to compete, working towards a long-term ambition to “undo the toxic environment around trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people in sport”."

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 19/01/2026

We'll just forget the 18 months that come prior to this moment, shall we? That instead of leadership, he's been scapegoating minority groups? Kissing up to, instead of sticking it to the man? Labour tribalism at its very worst.

Kier Starmer scrambling to pick up a bunch of papers detailing a US-UK deal at the G7 in Canada while Trump just stands there and lets him.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 06/12/2025

I had a great time meeting the cool people in @cumbria-greens.bsky.social at their new members event.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 02/11/2025

Was out today listening to the concerns and issues affecting residents in Gateshead today with my fellow @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social colleagues!

Five people standing outside with a new build housing estate in the background. From left to right: Pat, Mark, Melissa, Rachel and Patrick. Melissa, Pat and Patrick are holding bright green clipboards. All five people are smiling.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 20/10/2025

Litter: picked 🚮. We went out yesterday and picked litter near the Australia flats in Bridges yesterday. 💚 @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social

Six people with litter picks standing around a number of black bags that are full of litter. Two of those are Melissa and Mark who are campaigners for the Bridges ward of Gateshead.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 11/10/2025

It was great to see the turnout of green members in Gateshead this morning for our Green Tea! @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social

13 people surrounding multiple tables with teas and coffees on the table. There are various ages, races and genders of everyone surrounding the table, in the front is Melissa, wearing an #ElectTheDolls Tee

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 10/10/2025

YES ZACK! Finally a politician that answers the question and takes no shit. SO PROUD OF @greenparty.org.uk under @zackpolanski.bsky.social. 🤩 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️💚

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 11/09/2025

It was great to speak to some members after a business meeting. We went for pints at Microbus! Great policies, great social events. What’s not to love? join.greenparty.org.uk

6 people around a pub table with a lot of decorations on the wall. Caption at the bottom reads: Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 28/08/2025

It was nice to get out to Leeds today for a meet up with some folk from the co I work for. Lovely place! Will be back!

A shot of some canal boats in a canal, as well as the Leeds skyline. Hotel on the left, apartments on the right. Grey clouds above but very much sunny.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 25/08/2025

Myself and the @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social were out delivering leaflets earlier today to people in Village Heights and Coatsworth Road area. Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of the Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 12/08/2025

Solidarity with my trans and non-binary friends on this evening that I have to sadly decline a RSVP to a friends' wedding in the US, citing current hostility towards trans people there. Like, they get it, but it makes me feel shit every time I think about it.

A trans flag flowing in the breeze at a protest.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 10/08/2025

Earlier, @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social went on a litter pick of Coatsworth Road in Gateshead. Our efforts were greatly appreciated by some business owners and members of the public, who thanked us and even handed us some water bottles so we could stay hydrated. Now that's community spirit. 💚

From left to right: Ruth, Rachel, Melissa, Richard, Joe and Campbell with litter picks and blue bin bags pose together for a photo opportunity before heading out.

From left to right: Joe, Melissa, Rachel, Ruth and Campbell pose around nine full blue bin bags and some cardboard. They're all smiling!

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 10/08/2025

👀 Fly tipping spotted. 👮‍♀️ Fly tipping reported. 💚 I’ll keep you up to date with what the council does if they provide updates. Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of The Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

A microwave oven in a bush with components exposed.

Large items of wood and some metal bits on the grass. est some bushes.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 09/08/2025

I was out earlier with some of the @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social team introducing ourselves to new members of our amazing target ward. We heard plenty from residents, and hope we left a great impression!

Melissa, Joe and Pat from the Gateshead Green Team posing in Village Heights in Gateshead, with plenty of greenery among houses and fences in the background.

Tagline of "Promoted by Pam Woolner on behalf of The Green Party, c/o PO Box 78066, London, SE16 9GQ" at the bottom of the image.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 09/08/2025

Hustings and pledges are over and I feel that I can now very much talk about who I voted for in the Green Party Internal Elections. For leader, I voted for @zackpolanski.bsky.social as I really feel his vision for the Greens going forwards.

A poster from Zack Polanski's leadership campaign, title: I voted for Zack. Zack Polanski. Bold Leadership. Now.

promoted and produced by Zack Polanski as part of his campaign for election to the post of Leader. This is not an official communication from the Green Party of England and Wales.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 14/06/2025

I just finished speaking at the Trans Rights Rally in Keel Square Sunderland! Thank you for listening to my speech about the issues that currently plague all of us trans and non binary folk.

Melissa in white top and black trousers speaking in front of two microphones in Keel Square in Sunderland.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 01/06/2025

On this first day of #pridemonth I re-affirm that no matter where you stand on the #lgbtqia+ spectrum, I will always fight for you. My feminism is intersectional, and I stand by you no matter your race, disability or background. Happy Pride! #pride #transrights #transrightsarehumanrights

The various pride flags, from top left to bottom right:
the gay flag, in its various shades of green and blue;
the rainbow flag, in its classic rainbow colours;
the lesbian flag, in its various shades of orange and pink;
the bisexual flag, with its pink and blue, split by a purple stripe;
the asexual flag, with its black, grey, white and purple colours;
the pansexual flag, with the pink, yellow and blue tri-colour;
the bigender flag, with various shades of blue, purple, white and pink;
the agender flag, with various shades of black/grey/white and a light green stripe;
the non-binary flag, with its yellow, white, purple and dark grey colours;
the demiboy flag, with its various shades of grey, with blue and white stripes seperating them;
the transgender flag, with it's classic blue, pink and white colours; and
the demigirl flag, with its various shades of grey, with pink and white stripes seperating them;.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 23/04/2025

I've just sent a letter to my MP @markfergusonmp.bsky.social to outline concerns I have about last week's Supreme Court ruling (and the subsequent discussion in the House of Commons). I know plenty of trans and gender diverse people in Gateshead, and they're pretty angry and scared.

Dear Mark Fergusson MP,

Heading: Expression of Concern with Respect to Backsliding of Transgender Equality in the UK

My name is Melissa Harker, and I serve as one of the Lead Campaigners for the Bridges ward within the local Gateshead Green Party. Additionally, I hold the roles of Secretary and Elections Officer for the North East Young Greens, as well as Digital Communications Officer for the national LGBTIQA+ Greens. Professionally, I work as a Software Developer for a remote-first B Corporation that enables individuals to lease electric vehicles through salary sacrifice schemes. Most importantly - and particularly relevant to the purpose of this letter - I am a transgender woman.

I, like many, watched in horror yesterday as the House of Commons debated the recent Supreme Court ruling. I watched in horror as your colleague, Bridget Phillipson MP, instead of using her time to address parliament and put trans people at ease, instead chose to dedicate the time to political points scoring with the Leader of the Opposition on the other side of the benches. I watched as your colleague refused to reaffirm your manifesto promises to allow trans people to live and exist in dignity, especially after she earlier made a comment stating that myself and other people like me must use toilets that align with our gender assigned at birth (or "biological sex" as she put it).
I'm sure you are aware of your party’s record during the previous government. One key piece of legislation is the Equality Act 2010 (hereby referred to as the EA2010).

The EA2010 enshrined in law that the definition of "woman" was inclusive of trans people. This has been made clear by civil servants that drafted the legislation, as well as something that is easily looked up on Hansard, if you wish. It's disheartening to hear that, despite repeatedly praising the EA2010 as a groundbreaking piece of legislation that she and her government are proud to have implemented, your colleague made no commitment to restoring the original intent behind the definition of "woman" in the Act. I watched in horror as Bridget mentioned that the EHRC will be issuing updated guidance, subsequent to stating that nothing about the EA2010 has changed at all in the wake of the ruling. If the EA2010 has not changed, why are the EHRC needing to issue new guidance? Something doesn't feel right here.
I worry that myself and others in the trans community are going to be gaslit. Much Government messaging recently has followed the lines of:

"You should have never been able to have gained access to single-sex spaces, nothing has changed".

This is despite two decades of evidence of us safely accessing and using these spaces in accordance with our acquired sex without any issue or challenge, oftentimes from businesses and service providers with extensive legal teams, who could have made the case that we can not access single-sex spaces if they saw such provision in law. It's also not sufficient to say that we're protected by equalities law, especially considering that the way the Supreme Court judgement has muddied the waters. I am thankful that I get to work from home, but if I had to go to an office with my colleagues, and I was told I had to use the men's bathrooms despite being out as a

woman and using women's bathrooms for a long time without issue, would this not be discrimination on grounds of me being transgender, especially considering this company only knows I am transgender because I have been transitioning from the start while working there?
There were many questions asked by both sides of the House focusing on the impact of the trans community. Your colleague, The Women and Equalities Minister, talked about how the ruling gave "clarity" while consistently not giving a straight-forward answer to questions about what spaces that us trans people should use. It is obvious to see the contradiction here. I'm additionally very concerned by discussions of “solutions”; many of the solutions proposed basically segregate us from the rest of the population. These solutions would "other" us, and as a Lib Dem MP put it quite well, would "ghettoise" us into existing as a third, very distinct sex with segregated facilities and services. If we are forced into using third-sex facilities and services, I see many issues, namely that of provision: will many businesses provide a third set of toilets, and if so, would the provision be any good? If we needed third-sex domestic abuse shelters or NHS wards, how can we ensure that the provision given to us matches that of our cisgender counterparts? You can see where this quickly gets humiliating and demeaning for people such as ourselves. Anyone with a surface level knowledge of the Civil Rights campaign in the US during the 1950s should know the inherent danger in the phrase “separate but equal”.

Mark, I need you to realise that you and your colleagues have a unique position here: you are the ones that can end the fear and uncertainty that this ruling brings. My trans siblings are terrified of what happens next, and they remain this way all the time

that there is no clarity or leadership on this from you or your party. You and your party can end the terror that is felt in the trans community by doing one simple action: restoring the status quo. We've legally used the facilities of our acquired sex for decades now, and suddenly being thrust back into a position whereby we need to use facilities that cater to people that are not our gender feels completely out of the question. I can not tell you the fear that I feel in thinking that I, as a woman, may be forced to use the mens toilets, especially on something like a night out, where drunk cis men who may be opportunists may, at best, undress me with their eyes, or at worst... it doesn't bear thinking about.

I expect to hear back from yourself as to what you and your government intends to do to fulfill the promises made to trans people in your manifesto, the manifesto promises in which some trans people I believe regrettably voted you in on, thinking that perhaps maybe you'd actually be good for them and their friends.

Yours sincerely,  
Melissa Harker (she/they)
Constituent, Gateshead Central & Whickham

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 07/04/2025

Unsurprising to see JK Rowling posted this. Ace folk are absolutely oppressed. Almost half of ace people surveyed in 2015 (43.5%) report being victim of sexual violence. Notably, 35.4% reported being subject to non consensual sexual contact, and 18.5% were coerced into sexual contact by partners.

A tweet from JK Rowling that reads:
Happy International Fake Oppression Day to everyone who wants complete strangers to know they don't fancy a shag.

This tweet was accompanied by a photo from Switchboard (a LGBTQ+ support charity) that reads:
International Asexuality Day
April 6th
Asexuality is where a person experiences little to no sexual attraction. Asexual people can form deep emotional connections & relationships but don’t experience sexual attraction in the same way as others.

The tweet has 2.3 million views.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 05/04/2025

Today @gatesheadgreens.bsky.social members were out supporting a litter pick in the city centre!

Four people standing with litter pickers surrounding many black bags of which a good deal of those bags are full. From right to left: Mel, Rachel, Claire & Pat

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 17/02/2025

Happy Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! There is, like with asexuality and agenderism, plenty of different ways that someone can be on the spectrum of Aromanticism. I think given awareness is always needed, I thought I'd make a thread explaining some ways someone can identify as aromantic. 🧵

The Aromantic flag, the colours of which, from top to bottom: green, light green, white, grey and finally, black.

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Melissa Harker @melissa.green · 01/02/2025

Traumatic? I hope Wes is talking about the experiences the children had gone through, as opposed to the experiences parents had abusing their children. Hope these kids manage to grow up happy and manage to transition, and when their parents are old and need help they're reminded of what they did.

Screenshot of the article that reads: "Parents in the group were also engaged in anti-trans conversion practices on their children, as detailed in their private online forum. Some went as far as describing sending their children to non-affirming therapists, cutting them off from supportive friends and teachers, removing their internet access and destroying their gender-affirming medications, clothing and pride flags."

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