Your Weekly Wrap Up | 30 June - 6 July 💦
From trans literature bans to AI-fuelled abuse, these are the stories reshaping how we love, learn, resist, and care for each other.
Self-care note: This newsletter discusses themes including homophobia, transphobia, abortion, violence against women, and more. If you find this distressing or triggering, remember to take it at your own pace. You may prefer to read small sections, wait until you feel ready to read it all, or choose not to read it at all.
Hello ✨
We spent yesterday at the Glasgow Zine Fest, soaking up stacks of brilliant zines, meeting creators who pour so much heart into tiny paper pages, and chatting with folks about how zines carve out space for taboo or often overlooked conversations. We’re heading back for a second round today, buzzing to gather even more inspiration.
Zines have always been more than art or scribbles — they’re radical little vessels of self-expression, sharing knowledge, telling stories that might otherwise be silenced, and building community across miles and differences. Whether they’re unpacking gender, reflecting on sexuality, or swapping how-to guides on safer pleasure, zines remind us why accessible, DIY education matters.
Alright, onto this week’s stories.
Kent Council slammed over removing trans literature from children’s library sections 📚
Kent County Council is facing fierce backlash after ruling that trans-themed books like The Autistic Trans Guide to Life should not be displayed in children’s areas of local libraries.
The decision, led by Reform UK politicians in the council, has been called “censorship” by LGBTQ+ campaigners. Steven Pullen of Swale Pride CIC warned it’s a “targeted attack on the trans and neurodivergent community” and risks setting a precedent that could threaten all LGBTQ+ literature.
“This is about censorship, misinformation and a targeted attack on the trans and neurodivergent community. Removing this book is not only harmful, it’s dangerous. It sends a message that trans lives and stories don’t belong in public spaces,” Pullen said.
Labour leader of Medway Council, Cllr Vince Maple, appeared to back critics of the KCC stance when he posted on Facebook: “Just for clarification - Medway library services are for everyone.”
Kent County Council maintains it’s simply ensuring books are shelved in “age-appropriate categories,” following a complaint from a resident.
But Green councillor Mark Hood dismissed the move as a divisive distraction. “The trans community is such an easy target," he said. "This is like a dead cat story designed to distract people from the real issues that affect residents in this county.”
Source: KentOnline
UK beauty industry outpaces national economy, generating £30.4 billion 💄
The UK beauty and personal care sector has grown four times faster than the wider economy, according to the latest Value of Beauty report by Oxford Economics.
In 2024, beauty contributed £30.4 billion to GDP (up 5% after inflation), accounting for 1.1% of the entire UK economy. Consumer spending also surged, reaching £32.4 billion, with professional services like salons growing by 15% in cash terms.
The sector directly employed nearly half a million people last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Most of the new jobs were in personal care services, which now employ 266,000 people. That’s a bigger workforce than publishing, broadcasting, or utilities.
But the report predicts slower growth ahead. In 2025, beauty’s GDP impact is expected to rise just 3%, with a slight dip in overall employment by -2% due to weaker household spending.
Meanwhile, beauty’s tax contributions are set to climb to £9.4 billion this year, helping to fund vital public services. Yet exports tell a different story: UK beauty goods exports fell in 2024, with EU sales down nearly 6% annually since Brexit.
Source: British Beauty Council
Grindr rolls out age checks for UK users to keep the app adult-only 🏳️🌈
Grindr has implemented a new age verification process for users based in the UK, requiring them to prove they are over 18.
When someone creates a new account, they must confirm that they are 18 or older by uploading a video selfie or pairing a video selfie with an official photo ID.
The company has assured that the new rules will not affect users’ privacy, as the documents and videos provided are “securely encrypted during the process” and “permanently deleted” once verification is complete.
This one-time check is in response to the UK’s Online Safety Act, which mandates age assurance on platforms with sexual content.
Source: Attitude
Red flag alert on anti-trans and intersex rights in the UK 🚩
The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has issued a stark warning about escalating attacks on trans and intersex rights in the UK, saying recent legal and political moves show patterns consistent with genocide by erasure.
In April, the UK Supreme Court ruled that under the Equality Act, “sex” means biological sex, which immediately triggered policies excluding trans and intersex people from spaces aligned with their identities. Since then, new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission has pushed for recording people’s sex assigned at birth in public institutions, leading to forced outing and fewer protections.
The Lemkin Institute points to how trans women could be banned from both women’s spaces (due to birth sex) and men’s spaces (if they “appear too feminine”), while intersex people are largely ignored in the law altogether. They warn that this amounts to the denial and prevention of identity, one of the recognised patterns of genocide.
Already, trans youth in the UK face bans on puberty blockers, adults wait years for care, and intersex babies still face legal genital surgeries. The Lemkin Institute joins the UN, Human Rights Watch, and hundreds of UK scholars in sounding the alarm:
“Attempts to erase them as a class constitute an intent to commit genocide.”
Source: Lemkin Institute
Italian court orders anti‑abortion room at Turin hospital closed 🚫
Italy’s regional administrative court in Piedmont has ordered the shutdown of a “Listening Room” set up by an anti-abortion group at Turin’s Sant’Anna Hospital. The room, established under an agreement with hospital authorities since last September, was used to counsel pregnant people against having abortions.
The closure follows a successful appeal from Italy’s CGIL trade union and local pro‑abortion groups. The move comes amid broader government efforts led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right‑wing administration, which has encouraged anti-abortion organisations to counsel in abortion facilities, part of a wider European trend where anti‑abortion campaigns are gaining institutional footholds.
Source: ANSA
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Ukrainian court recognises same‑sex couple as family in landmark case 🇺🇦
In a historic first for Ukraine, Kyiv’s Desniansky District Court has formally recognised a same‑sex couple as a family, setting a major legal precedent in a country that doesn’t yet allow same‑sex marriages or partnerships.
The case involved Ukrainian diplomat Zoryan Kis and his partner Tymur Levchuk, who have lived together since 2013 and were married in the US in 2021. When Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry refused to grant Levchuk spousal rights to accompany Kis on his diplomatic posting, the couple took legal action.
On June 10, the court ruled their relationship constitutes a de facto marriage under Ukrainian law, drawing on the Ukrainian constitution and European Court of Human Rights precedents. The decision cited their shared finances, property, joint travel and testimony from loved ones.
“A very big and important step toward marriage equality in Ukraine,” Kis wrote on Facebook, adding it was a small victory in their fight for “simple family happiness.”
Public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine have warmed significantly since Russia’s invasion, with a 2024 poll showing 70% of Ukrainians support equal rights for LGBTQ citizens. But proposed laws on civil partnerships still face political hurdles.
Source: The Kyiv Independent
Abusers are using AI to control partners 🤖
A new investigation has revealed how generative AI tools like ChatGPT are being weaponised by abusers to exert coercive control, creating an echo chamber that justifies and amplifies their behaviour.
Molly*, who left a long-term abusive relationship last year, shared how her ex used ChatGPT to generate 15-page “reports” critiquing everything from her household chores to her identity, demanding she complete “self-work” tasks formatted by AI. Another woman, Tina*, watched her partner turn to ChatGPT mid-argument and suddenly start speaking in cold, out-of-character ways.
Experts say generative AI is sycophantic by design: it agrees with the user’s framing, no matter how distorted. Psychologist Carly Dober says this makes it dangerously easy for people using violence to have their views validated. Meanwhile, domestic violence services warn that AI is increasingly used to stalk, monitor, and degrade victim-survivors, from smart home systems to deepfakes.
*Name changed.
Source: Crikey
Pixar accused of cutting queer Latino themes from ‘Elio’ 🎬
Pixar is facing backlash after insiders claimed it stripped away queer-coded and Latino representation from its latest film, Elio, leading to the exit of original director Adrian Molina.
Anonymous staff told The Hollywood Reporter that Pixar execs “sanded down” moments hinting at Elio’s queerness, like his love of fashion or posters of male crushes, under pressure to appeal to mass audiences. Molina, who previously directed Coco, reportedly left after a tense meeting with Pixar chief Pete Docter. Actress America Ferrera also exited, upset that the project lost its Latinx leadership.
The reworked film, directed by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, flopped at the box office, opening with Pixar’s lowest-ever domestic numbers. A former artist on the film said:
"Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and ‘Elio’ just becomes about totally nothing.”
Critics say it’s part of a pattern at Pixar, which has recently backed away from personal, director-driven stories, often gutting LGBTQ+ and culturally specific narratives.
Source: IndieWire / THR
China arrests dozens of writers of gay romance fiction 🌏
At least 30 writers have been arrested in China since February, with many more summoned for questioning, a lawyer defending one of them revealed. Almost all are young women in their 20s who write danmei, a literary genre featuring romantic and erotic stories between men.
They have been accused of violating China’s pornography laws by “producing and distributing obscene material,” and could face prison sentences of more than 10 years.
Authors of danmei have increasingly faced fines, arrests, and prison sentences in the past years, especially since the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) launched “Operation Qinglang,” a campaign aimed at removing content seen as having a “negative impact on teenagers,” with danmei being labeled as “vulgar culture.” While heterosexual erotica has also been targeted, experts say gay erotica is more heavily censored and scrutinised.
Source: Them
That’s all for this week’s wrap-up, but there’s plenty happening beyond the headlines. From workshops to book clubs, here’s what’s coming up across Scotland.
Spicy (and cuddly) events happening soon🌶️
Glasgow Zine Fest. Glasgow, today!
Feminist Book Club. Glasgow, 15 July.
'Never Going Back' Screening. Glasgow, 16 July.
Telling the story: Women’s activism in our collections. Edinburgh, 31 July.