I'm Publishing My First Poetry Chapbook, Poems For Justice!

i wish i was a cishet guy so that i could start a podcast and go to the gym and allow that to fulfill me spiritually. but instead i have these visions

I'm publishing my first poetry chapbook, Poems for Justice!

I've been writing poetry in the English langauge since I was in high school. As of late, I have begun writing my first Welsh langauge poetry as well. This bilingual chapbook is the result!

Available in my online shop for £2.50 (link in bio)

There are four poems in this small chapbook, which is published on white paper (eight pages, two Welsh poems and two English poems)

Every sale helps me to live and create - thank you to anyone who buys my art, poems and academic work!

Dw i'n cyhoeddi fy nghydymaith barddoniaeth gyntaf, Cerddi Cyfiawnder!

Dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu barddoniaeth yn yr iaith Saesneg ers ysgol uwchradd. Yn ddiweddar, dw i wedi bod yn sgwennu fy marddoniaeth gyntaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg hefyd. Y cydymaith dwyieithog hwn yw'r canlyniad!

Ar gael yn fy siop ar-lein am £2.50 (dolen yn fy mhio)

Mae pedair cerdd yn y cydymaith bach hwn, a gyhoeddir ar bapur gwyn (wyth tudalen, dwy gerdd Cymraeg a dwy gerdd Saesneg)

Mae pob gwerthiant yn fy helpu i fyw a chreu - diolch i unrhyw un sy'n prynu fy nghelf, cerddi a gwaith academaidd!

I thought so at least! And it seems to flow in sentences well imho

Welsh Gender Neutral Terms Tournament #3 - (Neutral) Niece/Nephew

Following on from this post I made yesterday, in which I listed some possible gender neutral Welsh terms for family brainstormed in the discord, I'm going to make a series of polls to find out which terms people prefer for each concept. In each poll I'll have two options and example sentences using each term (you are welcome to create your own as well). Your feedback is very much appreciated too! Reblog with tags or send an ask- either is fine!

And of course, please reblog for a larger sample size. Diolch!

(Neutral) Niece/Nephew:

(There is no gender neutral equivalent in English, though some use Nibling for this. Nibling was apparently coined in 1951!)

Naith f. - Niece/Nephew - “Bydd eich naith yn gwisgo'r siwt las” (Your nibling will wear the blue suit)

[‘nith’ (niece) + ‘nai’ (nephew) ]

Naib f. - Niece/Nephew - "Pryd mae eich naib yn cyrraedd?" (When is your nibling arriving?)

[‘nith’/’nai’ + Eng. ‘Nib-’, from Nibling]

Project Update

Bore da! Coming to you today with a little update

As explained in my September Update, I have been focusing on my mental health these past few months due to various life events I've been dealing with, namely;

In mid-March my long-term relationship came to an end and I had to make an emergency move into a new flat due to no longer being able to afford the rent. I was then in hospital due to ketoacidosis (a buildup of ketones in the body which causes the body to be too acidic, which can be life threatening). In April I lost my job due to whistleblowing health and safety concerns (and also experienced direct disability discrimination. I will be taking my former boss to tribunal over this). In July I briefly had a new job, however, due to poor mental health I could not carry on in the role. And in July I was informed that a family member has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Despite all these major life changes, I'm still determined to keep on doing what I love (my research) and sharing it with you all. These events have taken their toll, however, and I'm struggling to make ends meet without a job (I have enough in savings for three months of rent, excluding bills and food). I have applied to many jobs in and around Aberystwyth and I hope to hear from one soon.

August was exhausting, after the events of the past few months. But I'm finally feeling well enough to write and create again. I had struggled for months to format my undergraduate dissertation but as of last week I was finally able to finish making edits. I'm happy to announce that I have made it available on a pay-as-you feel basis (you can pay as little as £1!) to help support me in the interim. The link to get a copy is here:

Gumroad

What drove the development of Welsh-language LGBTQIA+ terminology 1972-2022?

After a long wait, I'm finally ready to share my undergraduate dissertation on Welsh-language LGBTQIA+ terminology! It's pay-as-you feel, bu

Researchers are welcome to email me at lub57@aber.ac.uk for a free copy.

In addition to this, I'm going to be launching some Welsh-language/Welsh themed LGBTQ+ prints! If you enjoyed my queer Welsh county pride flags, my Welsh Gilbert Baker flag design or my Cardiff pride flag mashups, I will be making these into physical prints (UK, EU and US shipping available) very soon, so do please keep an eye out for that!

Hwyl a diolch yn fawr am darllen,

Luke

Thank you so much for all of this! I think being tested to see if I have developed allergies is a good idea. I live in rural Wales so there aren't any dermatologists around, but I could try asking my GP - hopefully I'll luck out and they'll listen!

Hello there - I had a question which I think(?) you might be able to help with. Or at least point me in the direction of more information.

I have a few chronic illnesses and disabilities and as such there's many gremlins I deal with. One thing that crops up a lot are comorbidities between my conditions.

I'm trying to be more vigilant with regards to my health - as a child there were many, many missed opportunities to get my symptoms seen to by a doctor (all squandered due to my parents nor believing me about my symptoms).

Anyway, I wanted to ask about MCAS and if you know it's possible to have it but not realise it?

I've had a few incidents like this, but mostly forgot them or ignored them. But yesterday I ate some basil from my windowsill plant and I had what can only be described as an allergic reaction. I'm not allergic to any foods (as far as I know) but I've eaten from this exact plant before and been fine. I have mint growing next to it which I also ate and it caused the same reaction. Again, I've eaten from this exact plant before. It was like my mouth was burning or stinging and the leaves felt, spicy? In my mouth. I'm not sure how to describe it but I hope you know what I mean. Today I ate from the exact same plants and had no reaction whatsoever.

I've definitely had similar things happen before- but events like yesterday are few and far between. But utterly confounding when they do happen. I have urticaria (diagnosed since age 18) which I suspect is relevant, somehow.

I'm starting to wonder if a lot of my symptoms I've written off have actually been MCAS. But I'm not sure. Do you have any advice around talking to a doctor about this or if I have a leg to stand on so to speak?

Sending my best wishes!

Hey friend, sorry to hear you've been dealing with some neglect.

And considering MCAS was only really recognized as a condition in the last 15 years, it's absolutely possible to have it and not know until symptoms get worse. I was experiencing anaphylactoid reactions my whole childhood, but because I tested negative on IgE tests (I still do), it was dismissed as anxiety right up until I hit my 30s and I experienced my first episode of full-blown idiopathic anaphylaxis.

(Note: anaphylaxis is not a requirement for diagnosis, and not everyone experiences it.)

You should discuss your inconsistent allergies with your doctor or allergist. I would also advise pursuing allergen testing, as new allergens can develop at any time, even if you don't have mast cell instability.

If you suspect some form of mast cell instability may be the root cause of your issues, I'd suggest checking out The Mast Cell Disease Society. (Their website is in the process of being updated, still. But they have good resources there.)

Their signs and symptoms (and triggers) page has recently been updated and is fairly concise:

If any of that rings a bell, it might be worth bringing up with your allergist, but fair warning, not everyone is receptive to the idea of mast cell disorders outside of mastocytosis. (And even then some doctors gaslight their patients to hell and back.)

If you do find yourself in this situation, try joining a couple of support groups to see if there are any MCAS aware doctors in your area, or alternatively, try the TMS physician finder tool:

TMS - The Mast Cell Disease Society, Inc

Find a Physician - TMS - The Mast Cell Disease Society, Inc

Find a Physician Loading store locator from Stockist store locator…

Sorry if it seems like I'm just throwing a lot of links at you, but they are very useful links and I'm not at my best right now to explain things.

I hope this is helpful and if I missed something, please let me know.

I wish you luck in remedying your chronic health issues <3

lledr-neidr-lleidr -> y-ddraig-arian

EMERGENCY COST OF LIVING FUND

Prynhawn da - I hate to have to do this again, but as I mentioned in my last post, I'm at serious risk of going into debt because of the cost of living crisis.

I have £35 in combined overdraft and upcoming bills to pay before the 7th of March or I will get into debt with my bank. Which is something I want to avoid at all costs.

If you see something on my gumroad (link in bio) you'd like, please email me at llyfrenfys@gmail.com and we can sort out payment through PayPal (same email).

I wouldn't ask unless it was a crisis - if you cannot buy something, please share. I currently have no money for food - I'm having to prioritise my bills so I don't get into debt. So anything you can spare will make a world of difference to me.

I wish it wasn't this way - that artists and writers like me weren't constantly stifled by living costs. But if you don't support small artists - we will go under. Queer art and writing is needed in the world and I hate that those of us who are most marginalised are the most vulnerable to these problems.

Please share and donate if you are able. Thank you

£0/35 raised

Commissions are currently open.

As I’m Russian, every commission means a lot to me due to price differences. Also I need to pay for my VPN and medications. Please. Someone help me survive in this hellhole.

Payment available via my boosty page - https://boosty.to/liryspectre

If you are in Russia, payment can be done via Sberbank + I have a different price sheet for you.

Y llyfr heddiw yw 'A Little Gay History' gan R.B. Parkinson, a gyhoeddwyd yn 2013.

Mae'r llyfr hwn yn gasgliad o enghreifftiau o hanes LHDT+. O'r Oes Efydd yn Ewrop i Edo Japan - mae'r llyfr hwn yn dangos cariad hoyw a rhywedd amrywiol yn hanes y byd.

Prynais y llyfr hwn o'r hyfryd Gayberystwyth Books - siop lyfrau hoyw a lleol yn Aberystwyth!

Ydych chi wedi darllen y llyfr hwn?

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Today's book is 'A Little Gay History' by R.B. Parkinson, published in 2013.

This book is a collection of examples of LGBT+ history. From Bronze Age Europe to Edo Japan - this book shows gay and gender diverse love within world history.

I bought this book from the lovely Gayberystwyth Books - a local gay bookshop in Aberystwyth!

Have you read this book?

New Dissertation Chapter! Read my newest dissertation chapter just released on the Association of Celtic Students' Blog

Mis Tachwedd Hapus pawb! I am happy to announce the publication of one of my next dissertation chapters on the Association of Celtic Students blog here:

celticstudents.blogspot.com

The AIDS Crisis and the Welsh LGBTQIA+ Community

(Chapter excerpt from Luke Blaidd's undergraduate dissertation, "“What drove the development of Welsh-language LGBTQIA+  terminology 1972-20

This is my fourth dissertation chapter (the third will be released on my patreon next month) and focuses on the development of Welsh-language LGBTQ+ terminology during the AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions - either on here or at llyfrenfys@gmail.com.