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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

@jrberkeley.bsky.social

1.3K followers 580 following 590 posts

John (he/him) aka. John Berkeley; Leovinas. UK-based writer of SFF, player of RPGs, Classics/archaeology/ancient history PhD, process/telecoms specialist. The sort of gay lefty Liberal your mother warned you about. Views my own, etc. (no TERFs or AI, ta)

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · Nov 16

I'm still not over seeing my name in print - and yes, this is a shameless plug for the IWTTO collection from @bonabooks.bsky.social, which includes my first published short story.

It's a very fun collection of the queer pulp SFF stories you never realised you needed. And it's now on sale! 😁

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 1h

Jays literally sound like dinosaurs too.

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 2h

Thriplow.

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 18h

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 1d

"The Human Centipede of content" - welp, that's what I'm calling it now.

Robin Williams' daughter pleads for people to stop sending AI videos of her dad

The filmmaker said it is not what her dad, who died in 2014, would have wanted.

www.bbc.co.uk

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 2d

It's flies.

There's a buzz at Conservative conference, says Kemi Badenoch

The Conservative leader says the conference is no longer

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

Aieee-Iain Clark @iainjclarkart.com · 2d

Part of Russell T Davies' speech on being awarded Outstanding Contribution to Television at the Bafta Cymru awards. (via www.instagram.com/baftacymru)

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 5d

Found one:
youtu.be/bSYZSFiLKJY?...

Kitty 3 - with Patricia Routledge - BBC

YouTube video by maxinebendix

youtu.be

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 5d

Look up the Kitty monologues, written for her by Victoria Wood. Iconic.
youtu.be/bSYZSFiLKJY?...

Kitty 3 - with Patricia Routledge - BBC

YouTube video by maxinebendix

youtu.be

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 5d

Patricia Routledge. What a gem. Everyone knows about Hyacinth Bucket, but look up the Kitty monologues from the Victoria Wood show - you're in for a treat if you've never seen them before. Iconic.

PinkNews @pinknews.bsky.social · 5d

Patricia Routledge, who played camp comedy icon Hyacinth Bucket, dies aged 96
https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/03/patricia-routledge-who-played-camp-comedy-icon-hyacinth-bucket-dies-aged-96/?utm_content=1759502404&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

Patricia Routledge, who played camp comedy icon Hyacinth Bucket, dies aged 96

Much-loved Keeping Up Appearances star Dame Patricia Routledge has died, her agent has confirmed. She was 96. In a statement, Routledge’s agent said:

www.thepinknews.com

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 6d

Well, those pearls won't clutch themselves, you know.

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 6d

Curses, alt text didn't work. Picture is a meme of Quark (Armin Shimmerman) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, with a slightly creepy expression saying "Females..." in the way Ferengi often did on that show. It's not unproblematic but it's always the first place my brain goes to when I hear the term.

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 6d

The new Archbishop of Canterbury is a woman, which is great, but am I the only one who finds the constant use of "female" a bit creepy? She's not a holly bush and you're (probably) not a Ferengi.

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 6d

There's a wonderful chain called Home Sense that often stocks this sort of thing. They had a fuzzy velvet magenta Buddhai one year.

Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

Fiona Campbell-Howes @fortrenn.bsky.social · 9d

Excellent news for independent researchers. Great to see academic work made more accessible.

Warwick History Post-Doc Club @post-doc-club.bsky.social · 9d

Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month

www.jstor.org/action/showL...

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Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

Laura Gordon @lauragordon.bsky.social · 13d

I am a liberal, and I am against this sort of thing

Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · 13d

Liberal Democrats cannot support mandatory digital IDs. People shouldn't be criminalised just because they don't want to hand over their private data.

“Liberal Democrats cannot support a mandatory digital ID where people are forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives... People shouldn’t be turned into criminals just because they can’t have a digital ID, or choose not to.” — Victoria Collins, Liberal Democrat Science, Innovation and Technology Spokesperson.

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 14d

This.

David Green @davidgreenwriter.bsky.social · 14d

After seeing more bile coming from the UK government, I just wanted remind my trans friends - and trans people who are yet to be my friend - that you always have a safe space with me ♥️

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 15d

Very thoughtful of the @libdems.org.uk to switch their colour scheme to match my jumper this year!

I even got slagged off by Quentin Letts in the Daily Fail for this speech - made my week! 😅

Lovely to see everyone. See you at the next one. 🧡

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 19d

Two hours in, and we've already had a successful Move to Next Business and an attempt to suspend the standing orders.

It's definitely #LDConf.

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Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @pluslibdems.bsky.social · 19d

Glad to see that @libdems.org.uk Conference had no more patience for hate on the agenda than it did last time. We, and Conference, saw that amendment for what it was. Thank you to everyone who voted.

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Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

🦇🤘 Rigg-or mortis 🔶️🏳️‍🌈 @rigg.lgbt · 27d

This is an incredibly important thread, and I wish more "normal" people understood that this is how many minorities are feeling at the minute.

James Bennett @jamesbennett.bsky.social · 27d

Living in fear is exhausting. It causes depression and fills the space where you should be living with anxiety and anger. The barrage of hateful media is designed to spread fear through society. It's the barking loudspeaker on a pole.

No one should have to live in fear.
It's a human right.

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · 28d

Okay, this is an excellent use of a Bluesky account.

*applause*

Big Ben @bigbenclock.bsky.social · 28d

BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG

Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @pluslibdems.bsky.social · 28d

A huge well done to Rebecca for her work on this, and thank you for JPAC to listening to her concerns.

While the NHS is complaining of blood donation shortages, it should not be inventing barriers for LGBT+ folks who are willing to donate.

Rebecca Jones 🔶 @rebeccajones03.bsky.social · 28d

BREAKING NEWS:

I am thrilled to be able to report that after a discussion with JPAC, JPAC has agreed to update it's position statement to make it clear that trans people haemoglobin levels should be tested against their hormonal levels, not their Sex at Birth.

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Rebecca Jones 🔶 @rebeccajones03.bsky.social · Aug 22

Attention UK Based people, I need YOU to help me challenge NHS Blood & Transplants policies towards Trans & Non-Binary people.

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · Sep 8

But British judges don't use gavels... 🙃

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · Sep 2

Indeed. Important to not look like a tit.

John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶 @jrberkeley.bsky.social · Sep 2

Heartily agreed. SRB is excellent in it. Everyone raves about Isaacs (who is great too), but SRB carries the film, at least for me.

Reposted by John Berkeley Grout 🏳️‍🌈🔶

May “Bunny” Peterson 🦄 (Mostly Updates ) @goddessblade.bsky.social · Sep 2

IMO almost every popular view of gender massively downplays the intensity and virulence of anti-effeminacy as a form of gender violence and prejudice.

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