Former Scottish Labour leader says she understands that expressing respect for author caused ‘worry, anger and upset’

The incoming chair of the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall says she is “truly sorry” after she expressed “huge respect” for JK Rowling in an interview with the Guardian. Kezia Dugdale, the former leader of Scottish Labour, said she understood that her words had caused “worry, anger and upset and I am truly sorry about that”.

In an interview for the Today in Focus podcast in Edinburgh to mark her appointment as Stonewall’s chair, Dugdale was asked what she thought of the way in which Rowling has talked about transgender people.

“I started doing photography as a way to express things I don’t understand or to convey a message I’m having a hard time explaining,” Austn Fischer says. “I often work in quite a backwards way, knowing exactly what I want to arrange in front of the camera but struggling to understand the significance in my life until I am able to reflect on it after.”

The Wisconsin-born, London-based photographer taps into fashion as performance, considering how our garments, style, and gestures convey parts of our identities. Contrast is key in Fischer’s work, and it emerges through unusual pairings like lace ruffs atop athletic garb or an angular, black gown with a dainty, horse-shaped wire armature. Whether a portrait or a more conceptual composition, each work harnesses an exuberant sense of play and homes in on our ability to remake ourselves anew.

“Growing up, I had a lot of questions around my sexuality and my own experience as a man. I naturally gravitated towards fashion because of the story clothing can convey in an image,” he adds. “The colours, shape, fabric, and the way clothing wraps around a model create a unique conversation around identity and the body.”

Fischer has collaborated with a range of editorial and commercial clients, shooting Ai Weiwei with a milkshake for The New Statesman, for example, and David Byrne seemingly under oath for Crack Magazine. Whether working on a personal project or a commissioned series, the photographer transforms a largely black-and-white palette that could appear harsh into scenes exuding warmth and softness.

Better understanding his own emotions is Fischer’s priority at the moment, following a series of painful experiences, both personal and professional, that have influenced what and how he’s creating. “Recently, I spent two weeks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. painting a wall in a church white over and over to understand patience and reflect on myself. I’m working a lot on understanding emotion and myself through putting my body through different tasks or challenges,” he tells Colossal.

Explore more of Fischer’s portfolio on his website and Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Contrast Reigns in Austn Fischer’s Conspicuous Black-and-White Photos appeared first on Colossal.

Petition started by workers gained more than 7,300 signatures after CEO said flags would be removed

A San Francisco-based coffee chain that sparked backlash with a policy to remove Pride flags from their stores has reversed its decision over a week later.

“I made a mistake and I am sincerely sorry,” said Mahesh Sadarangani, the chief executive of Philz Coffee, in a statement on Friday. “The Pride flag is a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world, and that is not something I want to take away from anyone who walks into a Philz.”

The prime minister was not aware that the former US ambassador had failed the vetting process, according to Downing Street

Swinney says this is a manifesto for the whole of Scotland.

He confirms that the SNP would argue for the Scottish power to have more control over energy policy (still largely reserved to Westminter). He says:

The problem is not that we do not have the energy. The problem is that Westminster has the power. This election is our opportunity to take those powers and put them into Scotland’s hands.

A Hong Kong court has sentenced a university student to 10 days in prison for the indecent assault of two women on the MTR.

Wong Chun-ho, a student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), appeared before Magistrate Amy Chan at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault, according to local media.

Chan said that the 20-year-old student touched the buttocks of one woman and the hem of another woman’s skirt in an MTR carriage within the span of 10 minutes, noting that his actions would have gone unpunished if they had not been exposed.

According to case details read out in court, one of the victims, X, was standing in a Tuen Ma Line train carriage on March 22 at around 10pm, when she felt someone touching her buttocks for about five seconds.

She turned around and saw the defendant, Wong.

See also: ‘I am not alone’: Victims of ‘hidden’ sexual violence on Hong Kong’s streets find solace in sharing, mutual support

Another victim, Y, was leaning against a handrail when she noticed the defendant standing close behind her and felt someone touching the hem of her skirt. X saw this and recorded the incident on video.

The two women reported the case to the police and posted the footage online, after which the defendant gave himself up to the police.

Wong said under police caution that he grabbed Y’s skirt because he was “curious” and claimed he touched X because he lost his balance, but did not move his hand away immediately as he “could not control himself.”

‘Bright future’

In mitigation, the defence cited probation and community service reports, saying that the defendant had witnessed his father’s domestic violence against his mother during his childhood. He “had a lot of trauma” and struggled to express his emotions, his lawyer added.

The defence also said Wong surrendered to the police, pleaded guilty, and was willing to seek professional help.

Wong, a student at CUHK, had a “bright future” and was “only 20 years old,” the lawyer told the court.

The defence noted that the probation and community service reports recommended an 18-month probation order rather than a custodial sentence.

However, the magistrate rejected the recommendation, saying the court wanted to send a message that “there is zero tolerance for indecent assault on public transportation.”

Chan adopted a starting point of three weeks in prison but reduced his sentence to 10 days after considering his guilty plea and surrender.

Gender-row boxer Lin Yu-ting’s coach said the Taiwanese Olympic champion would target Asian Games gold after stepping up in weight and winning bronze in her first event since the Paris Olympics.

Lin, who won gold at 57kg at the 2024 Games, was cleared last month by World Boxing to resume competition at the Asian Elite Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, after passing a gender test.

She reached the semi-final of the 60kg class but lost to North Korea’s Won Un Gyong.

Her coach, Tseng Tzu-chiang, told AFP that Lin would aim for a second Asian Games gold in Japan later this year after her comeback “breakthrough” this week, having won the 57kg class in Hangzhou in 2023.

“Changing weight class is inherently a challenge. Having new competitors is a great way to challenge yourself,” Tseng told AFP in a phone interview from Ulaanbaatar.

“It’s definitely a fantastic opportunity because we’ve never encountered any opponents in this weight class before.

“It’s a breakthrough.”

The medical committee of World Boxing, the governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), last month finally cleared the 30-year-old Lin to return to the ring.

“It’s a new weight class and she hasn’t been able to compete on the stage for a long time,” said Tseng.

“Of course, the gender test is also a challenge and now that we’ve passed that hurdle, we’ll focus on doing our best in the Asian Games.”

Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were embroiled in a gender-eligibility row at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where they won golds in separate weight classes.

Both had been barred from the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) 2023 world championships for failing eligibility tests.

The IOC allowed them to compete in Paris, saying they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”.

World Boxing subsequently introduced a policy that fighters who want to participate in the women’s category need to take a one-off genetic test.

Lin was tested last year, but World Boxing did not reveal the results. She missed the world championships in September after reportedly failing to get a response from World Boxing.

Taiwan’s boxing association began an appeal process, submitting medical documents to World Boxing that were analysed by its medical committee.

In March she was finally cleared to compete “in the female category at World Boxing competitions,” said its secretary general, Tom Dielen, in a statement.

Tseng said it had been a drawn-out process.

“We spent a lot of effort communicating and coordinating with World Boxing and the IOC to define the gender test policy, which took a lot of time,” he said.

“When we found out we could compete, there were less than two weeks left (before the tournament). We were prepared but our overall condition wasn’t perfect.”

Lin will next compete at the World Boxing Cup in Guiyang, China, in June, Tseng added, before training in South Korea in preparation for September’s Asian Games.