Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

1.9K followers 370 following 360 posts

PhD student at IMS - University of Leeds. Neuroqueering medieval mystics.
Trans masc. Autistic 🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸
He/they

Posts Replies Media Videos

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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

November 8, 2025 at 12:41 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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

October 7, 2025 at 8:48 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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."

September 28, 2025 at 3:02 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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.

September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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.

September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

🧵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.

September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

Like this?

July 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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.

July 17, 2025 at 3:41 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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

June 14, 2025 at 9:23 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

June 9, 2025 at 9:19 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

June 7, 2025 at 12:37 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

Alt text 2

Please be assured that the Government remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold
the Act which protects everyone, including trans people, from unlawful discrimination,
harassment and victimisation in the workplace and wider society. The Government is
committed to protecting trans people, ensuring that they are treated with dignity and
respect. The Government is proceeding with its manifesto commitments to deliver a full
trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, to equalise all existing strands of hate crime,
reform the Gender Recognition Act, and improve adult gender identity services, so that all
trans people get the high-quality care they deserve.
Yours sincerely,
Correspondence Officer
Public Correspondence Team

May 15, 2025 at 9:47 AM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

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.

May 15, 2025 at 9:45 AM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

This is Rosie

May 12, 2025 at 10:30 AM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

Did it, lads

May 11, 2025 at 4:36 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

He tried to come for me once and failed lol

Tweet from Graham Linehan saying “misogynistic AND antisemitic?”

And a reply from Ash Paley saying “Jesus Christ, Graham, get a hobby”

April 29, 2025 at 5:30 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

I definitely enjoyed the march

A sign with blue and pink bubble lettering on a white background reading “Every TERF’s doorstep is a gender neutral toilet”

A sign with blue and pink bubble lettering on a white background reading “we will not comply!”

April 19, 2025 at 3:54 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

What about second puberty?

April 17, 2025 at 7:17 PM

Ash Paley

@ashpaley.bsky.social

I actually moved 20 miles today! During the first 3 I thought I was going to give up because my legs were hurting so much, but I did it! There were some lovely encouraging people along the way too. I went to the double bridge pictured and came back.