Portuguese turned Scot. Painter. Writer. Pro-Independent Scotland. LGBTQ+. Husband. Books. Games. MA Medieval Islamic History. Sweary. Owned by 2 cats. He/Him
Aug 18, 2020 β’ 11 tweets β’ 3 min read
[CW: abuse] Some utterly despicable takes on this platform today.
I was sexually abused in December 2011. It wasn't traumatic, to the point where I only realised this had been abuse after Me Too happened and I got the real meaning of consent. If I took that man to court, >>
>> I would have no substantive evidence to provide other than my account of how I was told that I had to perform oral sex, in his house, because I'd gone there to see a movie and we were supposed to have sex, according to him. I was a virgin and no, I didn't want to have sex. >>
Jul 13, 2020 β’ 9 tweets β’ 2 min read
Unpopular take on Scottish Twitter, but my bag of fucks is depleted so:
If we have unionist list MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, it's because people vote for them. "Gaming" the system to deprive a section of the Scottish electorate from representation is anti-democratic. 1/8
Many people were driven to support independence due to the resentment felt towards the corrupt, anti-democratic character of UK politics.
Will "gaming" the system help persuade any former No voters that the independence side has the moral high ground? No. It's underhanded. 2/8
Apr 6, 2020 β’ 22 tweets β’ 5 min read
Today, 6th of April 2020, marks the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320), one of the most important documents in Scottish history.
Here's a wee thread, from someone who had to study this document at university, in Lisbon, as part of my degree in History:
The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter, written in Latin, and signed by almost 40 Scottish barons & earls, addressed to Pope John XXII.
The Pope was a major political figure throughout most of the Middle Ages, and this was a bit like sending a letter to the United Nations.
Jan 23, 2020 β’ 24 tweets β’ 5 min read
Following that thread on the poisonous bile we've endured from my partner's mum, here's a thread on how I met him, my bestie and soon-to-be husband, on an online dating website.
Yes, it's possible to find the one on Tinder. Here's a positive story of hope:
Back in 2011, I was a morbidly obese 20-year old in Uni. I was insecure, unhealthy, an anxious mess, lonely and deeply unhappy.
So, I did something about my weight, and lost 6 stone in 6 months (nearly 40kg), and then a bit more, after that. This gave me newfound confidence.
Jan 21, 2020 β’ 24 tweets β’ 3 min read
Stuff my very homophobic mother-in-law says to her son, about him, or about me, his long-term partner - a thread. This is a Portuguese woman in her mid 50s, living in a cosmopolitan area.
Don't feel bad if some of these make you laugh. Her homophobia can be hilariously stupid.
1. "What you need is to be taken to a brothel and try a prostitute. You just haven't tried the right woman."
Jan 14, 2020 β’ 6 tweets β’ 2 min read
(Thread) Can we drop the "at least EU citizens will have a choice to move out", please?
You don't move countries like you shop for a new jacket. It takes years just to settle down, you create roots, you immerse yourself in a culture, you develop friendships, maybe even love.
Yes, as an EU citizen, I will maintain the freedom to move across 27 countries after the UK leaves. But what good will that do, when there's only one country I call home - Scotland - and I my right to live & work here removed from me, against my will?
Oct 14, 2019 β’ 11 tweets β’ 2 min read
Why I, a Portuguese-born guy living in Scotland support Scottish independence, in 10 very simple, condensed arguments. A thread:
1) I, like the majority of people across the world, was born in an independent country. It is by no means perfect nor the panacea to end all ills, but it is the means by which the people living in a country, born there or not, can truly shape their society in a democratic way.
Jul 19, 2019 β’ 12 tweets β’ 3 min read
Last night, I shared the most recent example of online xenophobic abuse I get for the crime of being a politically-minded immigrant in Scotland.
Here's a thread on why I love Scotland, and why no amount of bigoted fannies will change that:
#ScotlandIsNow#indyref2
From the moment I stepped out of the plane and onto Edinburgh, the vast majority of people have been nothing but kind, friendly, warm, and, above all, genuine. You can tell when a Scot doesn't like someone, and that's so refreshing in an era of fake cordialities.
Jul 16, 2019 β’ 11 tweets β’ 2 min read
A lot of talk today about drug-related deaths in Scotland. Any public debate and proposal of solutions to ameliorate this problem is welcome, so here's how Portugal's decriminalisation of personal drug possession/usage in June 2001 resulted in significant statistical changes:
In 2012, the drug-related death toll in Portugal was at a very low 3 per every one million, compared to the EU's average of 17 deaths per one million. According to a paper by C. Hughes in the British Journal of Criminology, drug use amongst adolescents declined significantly.
Jun 30, 2019 β’ 8 tweets β’ 2 min read
(THREAD) Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary since the Scottish Parliament reconvened. It has dramatically changed Scotland for the better.
1. It functions & exists on its own merit, not as an extent of Westminster, producing sound legislation w/out an unelected upper chamber.
2. It has given Scotland a platform on which to prove that we can lead the world by example, from tackling climate change with renewable sources of energy, to putting forward minimum unit pricing to fight the alcohol epidemic, to taking enormous steps towards LGBTQ+ rights.
May 13, 2019 β’ 4 tweets β’ 1 min read
Two years ago today, my marvelous aunt Isabel died after complications related to dementia. We never told her that I was gay because she was too old (stupid reason, I know), but during a Christmas at hers there was a beautiful moment of clarity amidst the cloud of confusion. 1/4
Me and my partner spent 2016's Christmas in Portugal, and spent part of the evening at my aunt's, as she was getting quite sick. He was presented as a "friend". When we left, she told my cousin, with the wit she had before dementia: "I know they're more than friends. *wink*" 2/4
Apr 29, 2019 β’ 10 tweets β’ 2 min read
(Thread) I've always felt inclined towards Scottish independence since the referendum of 2014. I watched from afar, back in Portugal, but all the arguments for it made increasing sense to me, even if the whole "nationalist" thing was hard to overcome, as it is a loaded word. 1/10
Now, when I moved to Scotland in 2015, I stayed away from the issue for a few months - I had too much going on with the big move. However, 2016 brought with it the ramping up of the debate around Brexit and, oh dear, wasn't xenophobia towards immigrants used as a hammer. 2/10
Mar 23, 2019 β’ 4 tweets β’ 2 min read
(THREAD) I understand the frustration of some who say that Nicola Sturgeon should also attend pro-Indy rallies, not just #PeoplesVoteMarch. But I personally believe she does well to stay away as FM. Until #indyref2 campaign starts, every Indy march should stay 100% grassroots.
If she were to attend, that's the only story you'd hear in the overwhelming majority of the Press. That this was all the SNP's doing. That independence is a party political issue (it isn't). It would do very little to gain 2014 No voters, and, we need a few of them for indyref2.
