May 10“Free Speech” Isn’t a PanaceaElon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter was accepted by the board on Monday, April 20th, 2022. There was immediate response by both Musk fans and the right that this is a great thing, because it will restore “free speech” to Twitter. Any suggestion that the sort of “free speech” they…Free Speech6 min read
Apr 1817 Things You Need to Know About Owning a HuskySomeone asked me to summarize what having a husky is like. They’re like no dog you have ever had, and in my 45 years I’ve had a lot: shi-tzus, poodles, labs, dobermans, Australian kelpies, and Australian cattle dogs. I described owning a husky as having a mildly brain-damaged wolf as…Dogs13 min read
Mar 4Techniques for Trans Youth to Resist Conversion TherapyThis article is the basis for the video above WHY WE’RE MAKING THIS: Conversion is increasingly being applied to trans youth. It doesn’t work, is considered harmful and unethical by every major health organization in the US (including the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, and…Conversion Therapy11 min read
Published in Prism & Pen·Dec 4, 2021Exiled for Telling the Truth About What Will Happen to LGBT PeopleI see no clear road to breaking out of our illiberal death spiral — I lived in Ohio from 2006 to 2015. I began transitioning in 2009, and I tried to be a good trans activist. I put out hopeful messaging and did the public speaking stuff to spread visibility and positive images of trans women. I did call banks and even sat on…Fascism8 min read
Jul 16, 2021The Ministry Decree for the Education of Lycanthropes(The following is a transcript of remarks delivered by Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic Dolores Jane Umbridge to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Board of Governors on August 8th, 1997, one week after Voldemort overthrew the Ministry and replaced its senior members) Good evening. It’s wonderful…Harry Potter4 min read
Jul 8, 2021Why Should I Stay?“It’s like watching a murder in slow motion,” my son said. “There’s nothing I can do but just watch as they target kids like me with a smile on their face and a Bible in hand.” Like me, my son is trans. Unlike most trans youth in the US, my…Transgender4 min read
Jan 28, 2021In Defense of the Y-WingHardly anyone loves the Y-Wing. The early-Clone Wars-era-relic is subject to online ridicule, and no one dresses up as a Y-Wing pilot at cons. When introduced to fans in the first Star Wars movie, it was basically fodder for TIE fighters to blow up in order to emphasize to the…Clone Wars23 min read
Jul 13, 2020The Dis-ingenuousness of the Harper’s LetterWhen Harper’s published a letter signed by over 100 writers and academics decrying attempts to stifle freedom of speech, I initially paid little attention. Usually, cries about censorship have come from the right wing, either attacking the American University system, or complaining that social media is somehow unfair to them…Harpers Magazine10 min read
Jun 19, 2020Everything Wrong with JK Rowling’s Open LetterThis document is meant to address inaccuracies, omissions, and logical errors in JK Rowling’s statement dated 10 June, 2020 and titled “J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues.” 1. Maya Forstater Forstater routinely tweeted her views about transgender people. After 150 of these…23 min read
Nov 30, 2018Manafort: The Judas GoatThere has been a lot of speculation about what is going on in the Russia investigation, and what this means for the White House. It’s a huge, confusing story arc with a rogue’s gallery of players involved in all sorts of (clumsy) cloak and dagger intrigue. …Donald Trump6 min read