Laura Kelly

@tortietabby.bsky.social

9.8K followers 1.1K following 230 posts

Historian of medicine and gender in modern Ireland. Professor at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. I work on #histmed, reproductive health, and activism. Cat lover. 🐈 she/her. Personal views. 🇮🇪🇵🇸🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

https://www.strath.ac.uk/staff/proflaurakelly/ .. more

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History 38%

Psychology 13%

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Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · Nov 12

Hello new followers! For those of you who don’t know me, I work on the history of medicine and gender in modern Ireland. My most recent book ‘Contraception and Modern Ireland’ came out last year and is free to read via this link: www.cambridge.org/core/books/c... (Cover image by Evelyn Hofer)

Contraception and Modern Ireland

Cambridge Core - History of Medicine - Contraception and Modern Ireland

www.cambridge.org

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 3d

I'm really relieved for you but I totally can see how this is bittersweet and must bring with it lots of complex emotions. Sending solidarity and again, so sorry you're all going through such a stressful time xx

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 4d

I’m so sorry, Sarah, this is awful.

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 4d

I bet it’s a brilliant thesis. I’d love to read it! Enjoy the celebrations and well done again ❤️

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 4d

Huge congratulations, Dr Ruane! Amazing news! 🎉

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 5d

Beautiful boy 😻

Reposted by Laura Kelly, Kevin O’Sullivan, Jonathan Harris

Niamh NicGhabhann Coleman @niamhroisin.bsky.social · 9d

Hello historians - there is a specific purpose role now advertised in UL’s history department - Title of Post: Assistant Professor in Irish History (specialism History of the Family) - all details are over on UL vacancies! Do share! #jobsky #skystorians #speirgorm #speirghorm

Reposted by Laura Kelly

Dr Hannah J. Elizabeth @sexhistorian.bsky.social · 10d

Very excited for the @cshhh.bsky.social upcoming seminar series. #HistMed & #HistSex folks should come along if they can! Keep an eye on the page as we've to come! www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/d...

The image is text reading 'Centre for the Social History of Health & Healthcare Seminar' with University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University and Wellcome Trust Logos on the right of the image.

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 10d

I wrote an article a while back about the phone line that provoked Alice Glenn’s wrath, Mary, but a book project on this and/or Alice Glenn would be amazing! academic.oup.com/hwj/article/...

The IFPA youth group, the Adolescent Confidential Telephone Service and Sexual Health Activism in Ireland, c. 1984–90

Abstract. In October 1984 the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) established a youth group of volunteers aged 16-20. One of the group’s main initiati

academic.oup.com

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 11d

For context: Irish Times, 8th Feb, 1985

Clipping from Irish Times newspaper. Article discusses Alice Glenn, TD's negative reaction to a sexual health counselling service run by the Irish Family Planning Association.

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 11d

Searching 'Alice Glenn sex hotline' on the Irish newspaper archives...totally normal Thursday morning for me here. 😂

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 12d

Congrats, Kylie, excited to read this! I hope all goes well with your move too. ❤️

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Laura Kelly, Lisa Diedrich

Kylie M. Smith @drkyliesmith.bsky.social · 12d

Today is publication day! The Open Access version is now online so you can read for free on @manifoldscholar.bsky.social With huge thanks to @uncpress.bsky.social @ecds-emory.bsky.social and @foxcenteremory.bsky.social Go to jimcrowintheasylum.com

Jim Crow in the Asylum | Emory Center for Digital Scholarship - Manifold Scholarship

<h3>Untangling the relationship between race and psychiatry in the American South</h3> There is a complicated history of racism and psychiatric healthcare in the Deep South states of Georgia, Alabama...

jimcrowintheasylum.com

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 16d

This is horrific and barely being reported on in the UK media. Shame on the British government.

www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/202...

Palestine Action hunger strikers near death ‘intent’ on continuing protests

Prisoners remaining on rolling hunger strike are suffering with dangerous symptoms, loved ones and a doctor say.

www.aljazeera.com

Reposted by Catherine Baker, Laura Kelly

Ruth Pearce @notrightruth.bsky.social · 18d

Incredibly important new study from Cal Horton @fiercemum.bsky.social - the first to look at England's post-Cass child/adolescent gender clinics. Dr Horton found patients and families are being actively harmed, with one young person describing appointments as "the worst thing I’ve ever experienced”.

“The worst thing I’ve ever experienced” – comparing experiences of affirmative and non-affirmative healthcare provision for trans adolescents in the UK

Within trans youth healthcare two fundamentally different models of care persist, with a significant difference between affirmative and non-affirmative healthcare services. To date there has been l...

doi.org

Reposted by Brian Keegan, Laura Kelly, Albin Wagener

Mark Reel @markreel.bsky.social · 21d

The first two hours this morning

A old advert that has the words What the heck is Electronic Mail? With a man looking very scared by a sparkling trail flying around his desk

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 26d

100% agree, Catherine! Very timely and important.

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 27d

On Irish gay youth organising and activism, this is a great chapter I came across recently by Patrick McDonagh and @paraickerrigan.bsky.social: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

“Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally”: Gay Youth Organisation and Activism in Ireland

Through a case-based analysis of gay youth organising in Ireland, this chapter broadens the current legalistic narrative of Irish gay history by repositioning gay Irish youths into national and gay Ir...

link.springer.com

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 27d

My MSc students last year really enjoyed this article by @moderndecorum.bsky.social too: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · 27d

On LGBTQI+ health history, these two publications by @sexhistorian.bsky.social are really great: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... and link.springer.com/chapter/10.1.... ‘Radical acts’ by @georgesevers.bsky.social is also brilliant.
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/radical-a...

Reposted by Laura Kelly

Willow Catelyn Maclay @willowcatelyn.bsky.social · Dec 23

Treat yourself today to this video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydvU...

Reposted by Mary McAuliffe

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · Dec 19

Thanks to @irishhiststudies.bsky.social for the opportunity to review this fantastic edited collection by @drmarymcauliffe.bsky.social & @jenniferredmond.bsky.social. It’s already been v useful for my research&teaching in Irish gender history -highly recommend! www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2024/t...

Reposted by Catherine Baker, Lesley A. Hall, Laura Kelly , and 2 more Catherine Baker, Lesley A. Hall, Laura Kelly, Farah Mendlesohn, Lucy Delap

Rosa Campbell @rosavcampbell.bsky.social · Dec 19

Here, for @historyworkshop.org.uk I discuss the history of a refuge for trans women.

I show women’s shared experiences of violence across the spectrum of cis and trans.

I highlight histories of solidarity against male violence by feminists and trans women.

academic.oup.com/hwj/advance-...

Reconsidering Violence Against Women through the History of a Refuge for Trans Women

Abstract. Both right-wing forces and gender-critical feminists currently frame cis and trans women’s needs as fundamentally different and conflicting. Viol

academic.oup.com

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Lesley A. Hall, Lynn Abrams , and 6 more Nandita Sharma, Lesley A. Hall, Lynn Abrams, Malcolm MacLean, Duncan Bell, Keith Lilley, Charlotte Taylor, Laura Kelly, Pratik Chakrabarti

Julia Laite @julialaite.bsky.social · Dec 11

When will this crisis get any attention whatsoever!? A THOUSAND ACADEMIC STAFF AT ONE INSTITUTION SERVED REDUNDANCY RISK NOTICES! And that's not counting what's surely being visited on professional services staff too. This is an economic catastrophe, to say nothing of the intellectual catastrophe!

lucynoakes1.bsky.social @lucynoakes1.bsky.social · Dec 11

Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:

Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.

Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

Reposted by Mary Bosworth, Richard S.J. Tol, Howard Williams , and 35 more Mary Bosworth, Richard S.J. Tol, Howard Williams, Dave O’Brien, Jonathan Wolff, Joanna Bourke, Elizabeth Stokoe, Martin Paul Eve, Charles West, Helen King, Lynn Abrams, Malcolm MacLean, John Foot, Jonathan Hopkin, Mike Rowe, Ben Worthy, Duncan Bell, Holger Nehring, Keith Lilley, Tom Griffin, Matthew Kelly, Adrian Vickers, Margot C. Finn, Michael H. Whitworth, Jonathan Birch, Laura Kelly, Pratik Chakrabarti, Stuart White, Katrina Navickas, Kathleen Kennedy, Mary Burke, Hayley Bennett, Pascale Aebischer, Kate Bradley, Stijn Smismans, Renaud Morieux, François Guesnet, Andrew Perchard

lucynoakes1.bsky.social @lucynoakes1.bsky.social · Dec 11

Laura Kelly @tortietabby.bsky.social · Dec 11

This looks amazing. 🤩

Voices of Motherhood @voicesofmotherhood.bsky.social · Dec 11

We are delighted to share the programme for our upcoming conference!

We will be running fourteen panels across two days in early February - all online and open to everyone 😊 please see our website for more details on speakers, panels and how to book.

‘The Politics of Motherhood: Maternalism, Maternity and Mothering’ Conference Programme – Voices of Motherhood

voicesofmotherhood.wp.worc.ac.uk

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Lynn Abrams, Laura Kelly

Voices of Motherhood @voicesofmotherhood.bsky.social · Dec 11

‘The Politics of Motherhood: Maternalism, Maternity and Mothering’ Conference Programme – Voices of Motherhood

voicesofmotherhood.wp.worc.ac.uk

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Lynn Abrams, Laura Kelly

Women’s History Association of Ireland @whaireland.bsky.social · Dec 3

We are delighted this afternoon to announced the CFP for the 36th annual WHAI conference 2026. The conference will be held at Mary I Limerick on 29 & 30 May 2026. Closing dates for submissions on the theme of 'Gain' is 31 Jan. 2026.
sites.google.com/view/whai202...

WHAI2026

Welcome to the homepage for the next Women's History Association of Ireland conference. Our next annual conference will take place 29-30 May 2026 at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The conferenc...

sites.google.com

Reposted by Smith, Amy W. Ando, Laura Kelly , and 2 more Smith, Amy W. Ando, Laura Kelly, Kate Starbird, Catherine J. Frieman

Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · Dec 1

“The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with the AIDS Quilt Touch team, presents all 50,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in an interactive experience so people around the world can experience the beauty of the Quilt and witness the love and stories stitched into each panel.”

Interactive AIDS Quilt

The National AIDS Memorial, through a partnership with the AIDS Quilt Touch team, presents all 48,000 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in an interactive experience People around the world can experie...

www.aidsmemorial.org

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Laura Kelly

Ciaran O'Neill @ciaranon.bsky.social · Dec 1

Required reading of the most welcome sort in IHS this morning.

'It is in the space between our divining and conjuring that the argument lies, the debate happens, history is written and the story gets its endless quality.'

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Encountering modern Irish history: historiography, archives and imagination in the twenty-first century | Irish Historical Studies | Cambridge Core

Encountering modern Irish history: historiography, archives and imagination in the twenty-first century

www.cambridge.org

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Laura Kelly

Rose Ruane @regretteruane.bsky.social · Nov 22

Grief created by Joan Wisdom, November 1967, in the art therapy studio at Netherne hospital, Surrey where she was compelled to live.
Her surviving works express distress & critique the psychiatric system which held power over her & the dehumanisation she experienced within it

Drawing of a human head in wax resist charcoal and paint, the head is greyish pink, bald with black and orange eye and an ambiguous expression floating amongst blue and purple lines the word grief is written abov, below the date 17367 and the initials JW

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