iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Amy Stanley

Miffythegamer @miffythegamer.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

I’m going to put together the Polari long listers (sans Boyne) who were deprived of their chance to win the Polari Prize, along with their nominated books. Once I’ve done it I’ll post it up on here and on Twitter. Boyne’s gloating at book sales while others have suffered is a bit tacky tbh.

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floot the gender woo gerbil 🇵🇸 @flootzavut.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Unfriendly reminder: the Polari is a prize one submits one's book to (correct me if I'm wrong, but this is from listening to nominees & looking up the procedure), which means Boyne or someone acting on his behalf submitted to an LGBTQ+ prize not believing LGBTQ+ is a community then got mad about it.

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Dr. Manhattan @thenewthinker.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

what a ridiculous statement. in the liberal mind the only thing that you can ever do is vote. so wildly ahistorical. so wildly self-defeating.

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m @keptsimple.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

normal people don't say "triggered" or "heteronormative," they say they gave their life to christ in a cracker barrel parking lot

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Masked raids are tools of fear, not freedom. Despite what this administration wants you to believe, they are not about “safety.” They are about letting ICE agents hide from accountability while carrying out inhumane acts.

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Kathy O'Donnell @kathyodonnell.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

www.reddit.com/r/transgende... Guess what? The story about the trans M&S employee and the bra fitting is a pack of lies and distortions. Want to know what really happened and how colleagues stood up for her? Read her own account here.

reddit.com

From the transgenderUK community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the transgenderUK community

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Natalie Washington @transsomething.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Basically I am still incredibly angry with M&S even if they're supposedly supporting the trans woman here and not actually making any negative policy changes, because they've avoidably allowed a piece of propaganda to fester which, despite being a lie, has indelibly entered people's consciousness

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Esheru @esherukweku.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Terrorism used to be when you killed people. Now terrorism is when you try to stop people being killed.

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TACC @tacc.org.uk · 19/08/2025

Information relating to the M&S complaint, reportedly from the trans woman whom the complaint was about. Almost everything claimed in recent articles is extremely inaccurate. 1/

Text post screenshot. A transgender M&S manager addresses recent articles about them. They recount an interaction in the lingerie section where they offered help to a woman and teen. The customer declined, and the manager, who isn't a bra fitter, proceeded to put away returns. Weeks later, a complaint was filed citing the manager's "deep booming masculine voice" and "masculine facial features." The manager clarifies they never offered bra fitting advice and that their colleagues are supportive. The manager's boss dismissed the complaint, affirming their support. The manager expresses distress over the complaint's personal attacks.

A screenshot of a text post from a trans woman detailing her positive experiences working at M&S after undergoing Facial Feminisation Surgery. She describes receiving support from colleagues and management, including gifts and messages, after the surgery. The post addresses a newspaper article that insinuated M&S was not supportive, clarifying that the company has been overwhelmingly supportive. The author emphasizes that M&S allows any colleague to train as a bra fitter and any customer to book an appointment, regardless of gender identity. She also clarifies that the lingerie department and walkway to menswear are not "women only" spaces and that she does not enter occupied fitting rooms. The author concludes by stating that M&S respects her as a trans woman and a valued colleague, and that the real issue is tabloid newspapers twisting stories for profit.

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Casket Based @cineblah.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Free speech to someone like this really just means "you should be forced to listen to what I say and can never disagree".

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Aidan Comerford @aidancomerford.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

The Polari Prize is fundamentally damaged, because Paul Burston, the founder of the prize, is a "gender critical" movement supporter. No trans person can accept or take part in this award as long as Paul - or anyone with so-called "gender critical beliefs" - remains a part of it in any capacity.

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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Again, I am begging the libs to notice who it is that has been invading and shittifying their institutions and celebrations for years, and turning them all into weapons of bigotry and hatred, and to look at who has been supporting and encouraging them throughout. These people are your adversaries.

John Boyne
Here's what happened when they tried to cancel me
My nomination for the Polari Prize led to this year's award being abandoned entirely - we're supposed to believe in free speech

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KateW @kateweb.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Since John Boyne having said "all I will ever say" had the lifespan of a mayfly, here are the other Polari Prize longlist authors, with links to their books (article by @evanurquhart.bsky.social). Click the link in the opening para to go straight to the list.

assignedmedia.org

Queer Authors Withdraw From Writing Prize En Masse Over Inclusion of Self-Proclaimed TERF — Assigned

A UK LGBTQ+ writing prize seems to be crumbling as the queer community protests the inclusion of an anti-trans writer on the long list. Trans prisoners in Georgia accuse the state of cruel and unusual...

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ᚔᚅᚄᚓᚏᚈ ᚄᚉᚐᚏᚍ ᚅᚐᚋᚓ @ciara2001.eurosky.social · 19/08/2025

Oh look, Johnboy is doing the "I've been cancelled" meme, while being interviewed yet again. I saw one other author from the Polari prize write their own piece, I don't think I've seen any of the other authors or judges being interviewed People not liking you is not being cancelled John

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Dr. Damien P. Williams, dread portent down from a mountain cave @wolven.blacksky.app · 18/08/2025

There is not yet wide evidence that "gen AI" actually enhances researchers' and developers' results. Some of the most headline-grabbing work that claimed it does is now actively disavowed by the institution under which auspices it was done. That is a MASSIVE ding on the reliability of that research.

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Bevis Musson @bevismusson.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

I really hope the people who were "just asking questions" about trans rights are happy now the questions that are being asked are "do trans people have the right to any life outside their own homes", "who exactly gets to decide that someone doesn't look like a women" and "do trans people even exist"

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Kaz Cooke @kazcooke.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Here’s a star Australian writer & speaker that would grace any arts event. Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah has been targeted by unnamed people in a pressure group intent on censoring her, damaging her career, & restraining other writers. Any organisation which bows to this discrimination will be disgraced.

Media headline ‘Pro Israel group pressured Bendigo Writers’ Festival over Palestinian Writer’, picture of the author, id of the group as 5A.

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Matthew Hodson @matthewhodson.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

The UK Supreme Court took representation from anti-trans groups but none from trans groups or people, before ruling that even trans women with a GRC can not access women’s spaces. This creates unenforceable, dangerous and cruel restrictions on trans access to public space. It must be reversed.

theguardian.com

UK’s first transgender judge seeks rehearing of supreme court case on biological sex

Exclusive: Victoria McCloud says court undermined her rights to a fair trial when it refused to hear her evidence

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Kim Crawley (she/her) 😷🍉 @stopgenai.com · 18/08/2025

William Lavelle is launching Haven, a Gen AI-free video social media platform! Stop Gen AI blog: stopgenai.com?p=446 The Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/hav... Help him get to $100k USD. Donate or share! Share, share, share!

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Sophie 🐕‍🦺🐩 + 🌈Papito🐶🏴‍☠️🌈 @papitoislove.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

The Covid pandemic is not done with us! Please wear a mask to protect those in your community with compromised immune systems*. 😷 * cancer patients, the elderly, asthmatics, diabetics, etc.

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Daniel Kennedy @fliglman.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

going to go out on a limb and imagine this guy's not actually very good at conversations

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Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

"When I entered Gaza the Israeli military had a rule: I was only allowed to bring in seven pounds of food As I was weighing out protein bars, trying to get under the limit, I said to my husband ‘How sinister is this? I’m a humanitarian aid worker'" via Misan Harriman www.facebook.com/misanharrima...

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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Quite literally ‘mob rule’

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Randy Fair @southerngayteacher.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

“Once Israeli leaders realized that they would face no consequences for killing one of the Arab world’s most prominent journalists, who also happened to be a US citizen, is it surprising they would later conclude that they could get away with killing many more?” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.com

Western journalists are failing to stand up for their colleagues in Gaza | Mohamad Bazzi

This hypocrisy of western media has been laid bare by Israel’s targeting of journalists since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack

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Amy Stanley @adstanley.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Imagine a small or medium business pricing themselves so incompetently, and then having other users talk about how the business is a victim 👀

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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Former Conservative Attorney General diagnoses the current Conservative Shadow Home Secretary a ‘rabble rouser’ over his comments on trial by jury

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bleddwgan🦑 @radekllundain.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

"If it wants to be a prize that is inclusive of trans-exclusionary views and writers, Polari is free to do this and must accept that large swaths of the community will find this intolerable and disengage." Exactly! No one is required to like any institutions, and disliking something is not abuse!

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Adam L. @tsalmoth.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Fascinating how news organizations just let "gender critical" stand without scare quotes, even though it's a made-up term designed to obfuscate transphobia, but insist on putting "terf," which is a literal description, in scare quotes.

The Telegraph
1h
Gender-critical author hits back at trans boycott of queer writing award
A gender-critical author has hit back against “bullying” attempts to cancel him for criticising transgender activism. John ...

Yahoo News UK
1d
Authors pull out of prestigious literary prize over inclusion of Irish "terf" John Boyne
The Polari Prize, a major UK literary award celebrating LGBTQ+ writing, is facing mounting criticism after nominating Irish ...

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'Nathan Burgoine (he/him) will be at Can*Con! @nathanburgoine.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

I’ve had a few really lovely reminders lately of the impact of my writing/bookselling career, and that’s helping. Also? Rage over the Polari Prize has been super-helpful for reminding me why we can’t forget how often the calls come from inside the house (and how that’s worse). #WeeknightWriters

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Sacha Coward @sachacoward.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Nothing about this is pleasant, nobody is enjoying this or doing it for ‘woke points’. People have principles by which they stand, and 14 of us have decided that these no longer align with the Polari Prize. I stand by my decision, and every author that was called to make a similar choice. /12

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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

What happened with the Polari Prize is that queer authors, many of them cisgender gay men and lesbians, were disgusted at the idea of an LGBTQ+ prize honoring an anti-trans author, and the community rose up in support of them.

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Shellraiser B Woke - Living Saint of Purity🏳️‍⚧️🖤💜🤍 💛 @shelleybwoke.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

All authors and judges who've withdrawn from the Polari Prize are now official members.

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elliart7 (Commissions open!!) @elliart7.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Share 4 years of your art! 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025 #DigitalArt #LGBTQart #SamAndMax #OFMD #SweeneyTodd

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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 14/08/2025

If you've been keeping track, 16/24 longlisted authors have withdrawn from the Polari Prize and Polari First Book Prize over the inclusion of an author who claims trans rights are in conflict with women's rights.

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ᚔᚅᚄᚓᚏᚈ ᚄᚉᚐᚏᚍ ᚅᚐᚋᚓ @ciara2001.eurosky.social · 14/08/2025

The only good thing about the Polari prize fiasco is the amount of new people each day who find out that the eejit who is best buds with glinner and a moldemort bootlicker is also the same guy who got into a fight with the holocaust museum and unknowingly used a Zelda recipe in one of his books

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pausa de hateration @thatguywasfly.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Learning that "guy who plagiarized a recipe from a Zelda game for his non-Zelda book" and "TERF who got nominated for the Polari Prize and is now playing the victim about pushback" are the SAME GUY has taken me out.

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Them Fatale, @mxthemfatale.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Snitches? Book burning? That is some amazing DARVO from her, in defence of a holocaust denialist who supports present day genocidal acts. Also, his book i read was SHIT. That's not snitching or book burning, its a review.

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Darach Ó Séaghdha @darach.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

"Some people complaining about the Polari longlist hadn't even heard of the Prize 2 weeks ago!" That's not quite the zinger you think it is. It's more of a testament to how badly they've fucked up their comms on this. Don't be surprised to see this used as an example in PR textbooks next year.

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Dr Robert Bohan @robertbohan.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

‘Withdrew from Polari Prize’ would be enough to make any LGBTQ person know what happened as well as raise interest of ppl who are unaware of what happened. The bookshop can fill them in. Short & snappy is the only way to go 😉 Now there are 10 real winners!

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Izzy Kamikaze @izzykamikaze.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Whenever I hear someone calling for "an end to left/right divisive politics", it turns out to be a right winger who thinks people on the left should abandoned their entire belief system & join with the right in persecuting minorities (whose mere existence is framed as "divisive.")

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Aidan Comerford @aidancomerford.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

It's three years this week since the UK media reported that 1000 families were going to sue the Tavistock (Gender Identity Clinic) for medical mispractice. There wasn't one "family", let alone 1000. It was clear, at the time, that it was bullshit propaganda, and even clearer now. 1/

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