By Devin Valentine. For those who don’t know, I’m a transgender man. My life and the lives of everyone in the trans community and under the broad umbrella of gender diversity is politicised every day. I don’t get the comfort of saying “I don’t do politics”. This has been...
Reader’s letter: When looks become the law: why the Supreme Court ruling harms every woman
By Paul Bickmore. Imagine waking up on a normal Tuesday, stepping out for a coffee, and realising there’s nowhere you can safely use the loo. Not the women’s room, because on paper you “don’t pass,” and not the men’s room, because you’ll be accused of intrusion. This isn’t a...
Review: Frank Turner, O2 Southampton Guildhall
By Graham Hiley. Back in 1996 a young Frank Turner came to the Southampton Guildhall to watch a Battle of the Bands contest. There and then he vowed he would one day be standing on that stage taking part in the competition. Although he never actually got to...
Places We Fear campaign highlights locations where violence against women and girls has occurred
A Southampton woman has launched a campaign in the city to protest against violence against women and girls (VAWG) and will be holding a march in the city on Saturday (April 19th). Megan Parker explained: “Through my campaign, I have been mapping locations in Southampton where women have experienced...
Reader’s letter: has any thought gone into Supreme Court decision?
By Ben Cooke. The UK Supreme Court’s decision today is legally incomprehensible and morally deeply questionable. More than that, it’s just very stupid: like all anti-trans ideology, barely any thought seems to have gone into it. By insisting that sex-based rights are assigned solely to biological sex, we’re left...
Opinion: Trans women are women, whatever the Supreme Court says
By Mabel Wellman, director of Trans Pride Southampton. On the 16th April the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling on the definition of what a woman is in UK legislation. This has been something I had on my radar for quite a while. This ruling originates from an appeal...
The Young’uns come to Turner Sims, Southampton
Image by Michael Hughes. Acclaimed North East folk act The Young’uns are celebrating two decades of singing together with a spring 2025 UK tour, bringing them to Southampton’s Turner Sims this month. The much-loved trio – comprising Sean Cooney, Michael Hughes & David Eagle – will also each be...
Review: The Baddies, Mayflower Studios, Southampton
By Melanie Adams. They may be The Baddies, but this show is definitely a goodie! This Easter week, Mayflower Studios welcomes the brand-new stage adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler 2022 book. Although one of their lesser-known tales, it was perfect for my superhero-loving four-year-old, who loves...
Interview: Graphic Novelist Craig Thompson On Ginseng Roots
By Laura McCarthy. Craig Thompson is a graphic novelist, well known for titles such as Blankets and Habibi. Now that his serialised comics Ginseng Roots are being released in the UK as one larger graphic novel, I spoke to Craig about the project and his inspirations behind it. ...
Art review: Work & Play at The Winchester Gallery
By Lucy Taylor. Stepping into the bustling opening of The Winchester Gallery’s new Work & Play exhibition, I was struck firstly by a real live head lying on a plate in the middle of a cardboard table installation (don’t fear, it was still attached to a living breathing body),...