The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the Horror Writers Association to correlate all its scandals this month.

The Sian from Atlantis@parthenoid.bsky.social · 10h ago

We're on our third scandal of the month. 1. A Trustee wrote a lengthy essay in the August newsletter accusing AI haters of being bullies and gatekeepers (and also shilled her AI writing app in the same newsletter). She was made to resign, but how did that even happen? 1/

Quick rundown of everything that's hit the HWA this month. This. Month.

The Sian from Atlantis@parthenoid.bsky.social · 10h ago

We're on our third scandal of the month. 1. A Trustee wrote a lengthy essay in the August newsletter accusing AI haters of being bullies and gatekeepers (and also shilled her AI writing app in the same newsletter). She was made to resign, but how did that even happen? 1/

I got to get know Nick a tiny bit after my own Stoker nomination, and he was one of the most enthusiastic, decent, funny and hard working guys I met in that period. Finding out that John Palisano treated him like that is miserable.

Nicholas Diak@nickdiak.com · 11h ago

I was the co-creator and co-chair of the AnnRadCon (Stokercon academic track). My last year doing the con (2021?) there were a lot of issues. I vented my frustrations to a friend on FB. The next day I got a nasty gram from then president Palisino saying “Unacceptable!” I quit immediately.

I think this part is important to understand about why the gentry get so rabid about trans people in particular. So, mini 🧵 1) Most trans organizing leans heavily radical, so that threatens the gentry's power. Organized working class trans communities also resist policing, labor exploitation...

David Forbes@davidforbes.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Trans people are an overwhelmingly working class demographic. Our communities, organizing and resistance poses a threat to the hierarchies the gentry (even the "progressive" ones, even the handful of gatekeeping trans gentry) rely on. The oppression of trans people is also a front in the class war.

Sama'a's daughters have grown up in the shadow of genocide, and they need our help to access food, medicine, clothes, and shelter. Please give what you can. chuffed.org/project/1575...

Help Baha and his family rebuild their home and meet their d

Lying on my back feeling helpless and powerless, I decided to tell you my story from the beginning.

chuffed.org

Cåråbine à Citron 🍋@carabinacitron.eurosky.social · yesterday

The war didn't just destroy Samaa's home; it stole her future and the future of her two little girls. All she dreams of now is providing them with a safe life, food, medicine, and hope for tomorrow. Every act of support makes a real difference in their lives. 🤍 chuffed.org/project/1575...

If you've, at any point, said you support trans people and our right to exist, great, now is when you put your money where your damn mouth it. Support our fundraisers. Give us jobs. Hire trans writers. Trans artists. Defend us when we're attacked. It's not hypothetical anymore, don't be a coward.

gofund.me/d52da2f75 I'm not OK right now. Been told by a therapist I'm in burnout. I'm going to share this one more time today and then withdraw for the day.

Donate to Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries, organized by Sian Penny

My name is Sian and I am crowdfunding for gender confirming surgeries. Not… Sian Penny needs your support for Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries

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If you're an english celeb silent on trans people being allowed to exist in 2026, I'm just assuming you don't think we're allowed to exist. Maybe that's unfair though. English celebs have their struggles too, presumably they've all had to be in a room with Jimmy Carr at some point.

I'm really scared.

Wales has stopped ALL gender affirming surgeries! Schools have just declared an end to social transition and inclusion for trans kids. I do not think enough people are paying attention to how utterly and quickly trans rights have been stripped away in the uk!

Heather Paterson@heatherpaterson.co.uk · 21h ago

Deeply concerning: referrals, assessments and scheduled gender-affirming surgery through the Welsh Gender Service have been paused pending an independent clinical review. Other parts of the service remain open.

A lot of my analysis was about how trans rights is by nature, the anti fascist struggle of our time, and the terf genocidal logic inherently unravels a society from top to bottom. It pisses me off that we have no real anti fascist movement that grasps this.

I am feeling desperately adrift.

transphobia as an explicit ideological framework originated with the Nazis. if you hear any rhetoric espoused by a transphobe and think “whoa that makes sense”, congratulations, you just agreed with Joseph Goebbels

No, it's not just you

Talia "ATTACK DOGS is out now!" Bhatt ⚢@taliabhatt.itch.io · 2d ago

So is the sheer dissonance of being the central fixation of right-wing propaganda campaigns while still being treated as a fringe or niche issue by putative "allies" eroding anyone else's sanity to a fucking nub Or just me

if i have to fight to educate even one more supposed cis ally about how all the things they’re doing are actually transphobic and harmful i swear i’m gonna scream-‘splode

Talia "ATTACK DOGS is out now!" Bhatt ⚢@taliabhatt.itch.io · 2d ago

So is the sheer dissonance of being the central fixation of right-wing propaganda campaigns while still being treated as a fringe or niche issue by putative "allies" eroding anyone else's sanity to a fucking nub Or just me

OK, so that's it. All gender affirming surgeries via the Welsh Gender Service have been suddenly "paused". We truly are in a nightmare era. I'm funding for some of mine, I'm sure other trans people in Wales are too. Help me out, Help someone else. Help if you can. gofund.me/c2944c5d9

Donate to Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries, organized by Sian Penny

My name is Sian and I am crowdfunding for gender confirming surgeries. Not… Sian Penny needs your support for Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries

gofund.me

Absolutely incredible that all of this is being done under the narrative of "independent review of studies." The studies find significant benefits and no harms! Children are not being rushed into irreversible procedures! An entire government and media apparatus buying in an urban legend

Well, that's me in a worse position than I was already

Michael Hobbes@michaelhobbes.bsky.social · yesterday

I have never seen a moral panic grip a country so quickly or thoroughly

Once again: this is considerably more extreme than many (all?) Republican-controlled US States have been able to implement. And without a single vote in any legislature. Don't kid yourself that this can't happen to equal marriage or abortion rights.

Michael Hobbes@michaelhobbes.bsky.social · yesterday

I have never seen a moral panic grip a country so quickly or thoroughly

OK, so that's it. All gender affirming surgeries via the Welsh Gender Service have been suddenly "paused". We truly are in a nightmare era. I'm funding for some of mine, I'm sure other trans people in Wales are too. Help me out, Help someone else. Help if you can. gofund.me/c2944c5d9

Donate to Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries, organized by Sian Penny

My name is Sian and I am crowdfunding for gender confirming surgeries. Not… Sian Penny needs your support for Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries

gofund.me

I need meds and groceries all my work is free (junoryleejournalism.com) venmo.com/u/junoschultz Paypal: juno(dot)stump(at)gmail ko-fi.com/junostump

Juno Rylee Schultz | @junoschultz

Venmo is a digital wallet that lets you make and share payments with friends. You can easily split the bill, cab fare, or much more. Download the iOS or Android app or sign up on Venmo.com today.

venmo.com

It doesn't stop. Round Trois of the Summer 2026 HWA Drama just dropped. I don't have the energy to go into it, but as far as I can make out, a board member is under investigation for, hell, I'm not even sure. Looks like some problematic business dealings on the HWA's behalf. ...

The Sian from Atlantis@parthenoid.bsky.social · last wk.

HWA drama took a surprising turn, NGL.

This is grim, but not the good sort.

Dr Rory MacLellan@rorymaclellan.bsky.social · 4d ago

Had to withdraw from this in the end as one of the organisers signed the letter supporting Nathan Cofnas. While the other organiser didn't agree with them, I just don't want to be associated with it, especially in a franchise that already has far-right elements in its fanbase. #warhammercommunity

Just got an incredibly generous donation on my fundraiser from someone who I haven't seen or heard from for 18 years, and who has, inevitably, also since transitioned, and looks fantastic, and... yeah, I'm just touched, is all. Oh yeah, and it's here gofund.me/d13ebc92d

Donate to Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries, organized by Sian Penny

My name is Sian and I am crowdfunding for gender confirming surgeries. Not… Sian Penny needs your support for Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries

gofund.me

and I'm very excited about that fact!

The Sian from Atlantis@parthenoid.bsky.social · 3d ago

I'll be talking about Atlantis in this event, curated by @laurenwrites.bsky.social on 5th. writingtheoccult.carrd.co

I'll be talking about Atlantis in this event, curated by @laurenwrites.bsky.social on 5th. writingtheoccult.carrd.co

Writing the Occult: Events

All about the "Writing the Occult" series of events, which look at various occult and esoteric topics through both a fiction and non-fiction lens. For both writers and non-writers alike.

writingtheoccult.carrd.co

I can't think of a better definition of privilege than 'can't imagine someone feeling obliged to continue to engage with a social institution that makes them feel unwelcome"

Oh come on, we haven't had time to process Dolly Parton

Just got an incredibly generous donation on my fundraiser from someone who I haven't seen or heard from for 18 years, and who has, inevitably, also since transitioned, and looks fantastic, and... yeah, I'm just touched, is all. Oh yeah, and it's here gofund.me/d13ebc92d

Donate to Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries, organized by Sian Penny

My name is Sian and I am crowdfunding for gender confirming surgeries. Not… Sian Penny needs your support for Help Sian Access Gender-Confirming Surgeries

gofund.me

And with apologies, plugging this GFM again because being disabled in the US is not a financially viable proposition, and moving is its own circle of hell. We are deeply grateful to everyone who donated so far! gofund.me/83a3fb44d

Donate to Help a disabled queer man achieve stability, organized by Kit Sedia

Help a queer couple achieve happily ever after! Ian is a disabled queer man … Kit Sedia needs your support for Help a disabled queer man achieve stability

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