A difficult few days for #Gaelic speakers on social media. Glad to see some of the #IsMiseGaidhlig posts make a return, detailing the positivity around Gaelic and the richness of life and loved experience through the language. Indeed, there are so many positives which never seem

to make the headlines, so many achievements personally and within organisations, many of whom are offering real, enriching opportunities to use Gaelic, to create through it and with projects which have positive impact, leave lasting legacies and spur other members of the

community to do more. Hopefully those interested in or currently engaged in learning are inspired to do more. I hope so. It feels like this is drowned out this week so follow these accounts and others to recharge your batteries.

@emmsicles96
@JosieDuncanSong
@nicualraig

@fion_argh
@alisonlang
@Maigheach
@guektiengieline
@molach95
@wgsaraband
@WilsonMcLeod
@aonghasphadraig
@DailyGael
@mogibarra
@Gaeliconsultant
@gaelic67
@am_broc
@deborahmoffatt
@PadraigMacaoidh
@CatrionaBlack
@coinneachpeutan
@BettyWrote
@Gillechriost
@Cruithneach
@MalcolmCombe

@AnndraADunn
@sweenyness
@euan_dickson
@lordofthelaings
@Evertype
@natgharr
@EaglaisML
@EilidhC_
@EosSanders
@herringtweets
@ScotsGaelicfor
@MoFloMoJo
@GaelicInFife
@Fi_Dunn
@MarionFMorrison
@BrianO_FionaM
@juliefowlis
@Gille_Ruadh
@gordonmaloney
@Anndra27
@MacBheatha

@IainSMacPherson
@IsmiseA
@anghyflawn
@maclighiche
@jeltzz
@jwjustice73
@sandynicdjones
@Uibhisteach
@KateForbesMSP
@robbiekerr21
@IndStateHapp
@lanapheutan
@catrionalexy
@TMacailpein
@MacNaBracha
@cananballs
@NiallBartlett
@nickyrannoch
@BrochanNoBas
@NicolaParty

@PadruigMorrison
@poilghael
@lituainianach
@A_M_Q
@ronaruadh
@RuairidhMaciver
@Steaph_Risnidh
@Gille_Ruadh
@DavidMunro1869
@richwestsoley
@brogandearg
@Uigeach1
@AmFearUaine
@uilleam_beag
@wodieskodie
@RachelWlkr
@whytetheband
@caileansiar

This list isn't exhaustive. I just

populated it by going through the alphabet and seeing who my phone responded with. Some are native speakers, some fluent learners, some on a learning journey. You'll find a mixture of perspectives here which demonstrates how rich the Gaelic community is online.

Of course, many like me will be a bit blue today. The BIG BOOK will be interesting reading for us all, but potentially heartbreaking for those living in the marginalised rural communities now in the spotlight, who have been up against it for decades trying to get the successive

governments to recognise their needs and put necessary infrastructure in place. Gaelic is just one of a matrix of issues, at play here but the ups and downs of local industry, communication, transport, aging populations, education, and support for young people all come into play

when we're talking about the future of Gaelic. And it's worth remembering that many of these issues also affect those of us trying to live through Gaelic in urban settings, which don't feature in the analysis, too.

Whilst these reports offer us the opportunity to ask questions,

demand better, be more aspirational in our hopes for the language, I don't expect that today. After all, the press has really enjoyed the opportunity to paint a negative picture for Gaelic and provide the initiated with a warped perspective.

So many of them, like me will take a

while to recharge and align their thoughts.

What is always worrying is the depth of the depravity on social media that such reports seem to unearth. The personal attacks on speakers, the lies about public spending, the opposition to piecemeal current position that doesn't

reflect anything like the full equality that the Gaelic Language Act of 2005 afforded us with that nebulous co-national status. Today, for me, it feels even more of a challenge to galvanise the powers that me into action, given the negativity from fellow Scots we've seen, so, to

those of you that stuck up for us, questioned the negative spin and expressed interest in knowing more - MÒRAN TAING.

In a lot of ways we need you to step this up and to add your voices to ours as we step up, and shout out, in order to drown out the bullshit.

There is a marked

difference between the structural racism we have seen countered in recent weeks following the murder of George Floyd. I'm not going to draw too many parallels between Gaelic experience and that of BAME communities. After all, we are coded as a white community, benefit from

white privilege too, though we do have BAME speakers whose voices we too need to work with in emancipating and amplifying.

But xenophobia and racism do walk hand in hand. So, if you're one of those people that does call Gaelic funding into question, likes to peddle the myths

that Gaelic was 'never spoken here' or that Gaelic speakers aren't there living alongside you in your local communities, please think twice before airing these in public. They contribute to an anti-Gaelic culture that pales in comparison to other injustices most of the time, but

nonetheless leaves that niggling question in the back of the mind:

IS IT OK TO USE GAELIC HERE?

Ultimately all most of us want is the opportunity to use Gaelic within a wider range of situations. We don't think we're better than people who don't speak it, but it would be nice

to take a little more pride in this language which, fundamentally is a gift. We have a lot to offer, as a community and we welcome opportunities to engage with other communities and bring newbies in. Initiatives like Duolingo are important and important to us. That is why much of

the work that has been done for Gaelic, and continues to be done, is on a voluntary basis.

But this work takes a lot of time and energy, so please be aware, if you're learning and expect there to be a full range of resources. There is a lot of good stuff out there, but if there

are omissions, that is largely because someone's great idea didn't receive the funding, the person with that idea doesn't have the personal income, time or energy to do more than what they are doing currently.

Please also be aware that many of us will have been told on many

occasions to switch from Gaelic into English. In fact, we've been told this so many times that, in a group of ten Gaelic speakers, we will make this switch, naturally, without second thought, in order to accommodate the one person without, on arrival. We have called this good

manners. Perhaps we now need to be looking at it as capitulation. But for the time being, please consider the impact of your presence in our spaces.

Please also consider that an absence of pro-Gaelic policy, official or otherwise, or a reticence to put it into practice or extend

and active offer to engage with it equates, realistically, to English-only policy.

So, if you expect us to be using Gaelic in situations where we aren't, maybe today, or even regularly, this is probably why.

In short, encourage us and we'll encourage each other.

#Gaelic

In short - which is rich at the end of this thread - if you think Gaelic isn't spoken here, question why, and even how the utterance of that lie, and it is a lie, might itself be an obstacle to Gaelic being spoken here.

But make no mistake, #Gaelic speakers are here amongst you.

SEALLADH DHÙN EIDEANN

Na speuran:
Glas, gruamach, bruthainneach.
Conchur is a leabhar, pàipearan naidheachd, Twitter.

An togalach:
Grinn, tionnsgalach, maireannach.
Ar cultar, ar n-eachdraidh.

A' ghrian:
Bòidheach, brìoghmhor, òrail.
#Gàidhlig
Ar n-òrain, ar bàrdachd, ar gràdh