my kid's school says kids aren't allowed to have their phones switched on until the end of the day, and exceptions can be made for specific reasons. a government-mandated ban won't have that flexibility.
For clarity: "banned," they're not allowed onsite at all, or kids aren't allowed them out during the day, or something else? are exceptions made for kids with special circumstances?
one of the reasons I (tediously, exhaustingly) push back every time I hear some variation on "phones/screens are bad, we should all be living in the moment etc." is that, enticingly stupid as it is, sooner or later it ends up becoming policy
Oh, then I'll have it, please!
A very over-the-top social media graphic featuring two books: The Haunting of Avis Lovelock and The Needfire, both by MK Hardy. The graphic has large pink glowing text reading "They're both gay!" and a variety of 'lesbian' graphics from canva.com, including several frogs, and a selection of brightly-coloured sparkles and stars.
In honour of #lesbianvisibilityweek, an updated graphic now that we've got 2 books on offer. Support your local lesbians and buy/pre-order these books this LVW!
Both available from @solarisbooks.bsky.social wherever good books are sold.
...but if they acknowledged that, then they would have to accept that gender isn't binary either, and there would be nothing to enforce. So they have to insist both that gender doesn't exist *and* that sex is always perfectly binary.)
(It's also why transphobes are so insistent on sex being an absolute binary, of course. Logically, believing that your gender is defined by your reproductive traits isn't mutually exclusive with acknowledging that those traits aren't binary...
And defining and enforcing gender isn't just a tool of transphobia, it's the whole point of it. Harassing tall or short-haired cis women in toilets isn't an unintended side-effect, it's the goal.
This is really crucial, and why transphobia isn't and can't be a feminist position.
Because acknowledging that gender is subjective and internal also means that it can't be defined or enforced, which liberates all of us.
A text-heavy graphic on a blue background features a looped squiggle representing autism awareness
A question at @easterconuk.bsky.social had @davidgreenwriter.bsky.social pondering why neurodivergent creatives seek out other neurodivergent creatives: It’s all about acceptance.
britishfantasysociety.org/searching-fo...
Some of us run away and become editors.
Well…yes…
Emin is an unorthodox artist, but she's technically accomplished, thought-provoking and playful.
Her sketches and paintings are wonderful, her photography is great, her installations are a hoot. Big love for her here.
Her stuff is smart, engaging, accessible, pointed, and often a tonne of fun. "Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995" is brilliant, "I've got it all" is wonderfully provocative, I even love "My Bed."
My controversial take on Tracey Emin is that I *do* like her art. I feel like everyone always feels the need to say they like her but not her art, but to heck with that, I think she's great.
motherfucker, i had like six plums in that ice box, i was fkn looking forward to them too
A thorough and informative thread.
Almost every "excessively punished because of woke" story turns out this way (see also every "fired for not using pronouns" story ever).
"look, they're waving"
"i think those are spears"
"they're here to trade ❤️"
"they seem friendly"
i'd be very content being known as Empathy. Em for short.
correction to previous post: bronze age societies now understood to have been pointing and saying "see? peoples!"
It's all so horrendous. If the *less* awful party in a two party system acts like this, what the fuck does anyone with any capacity for empathy do?
I don't want to "crack down" on asylum seekers, at all, in any way. If we're letting in ten frauds for every genuine refugee it's not too many.
re: the recent discussion about the pope @thebrainofchris.bsky.social
what... what do they think the word "pope" means
Who gets to matter (or, problematic tropes in the stories we love)
It's taken me an age to come to writing this. I've not even been sure why it's taken me so long until very recently. I've been reflecting on Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson and why I always found a whole range of media my white friends…
It feels like a direct (and sadly predictable) consequence of his obsession with triangulation and evasion. If you've convinced yourself the way to do politics is to give no-one anything to object to, you'll discover you've given no-one anything to approve of.
If you're at fantasycon this year or last, or are a BFS member, GO VOTE! Support the weird & curious & beautiful sffh you've enjoyed, and the people creating it! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
THE SALT ORACLE is eligible, but MORE IMPORTANTLY so is its amazing cover designer, Sam Gretton & Solaris Books for indie press 🖤
The world of @pennyvixen.bsky.social 's THE GOBLIN EMPEROR continues to grow with our release of the UK special edition, signed, limited run hardback of THE ORB OF CAIRADO - a new novella in the same world where a disgraced scholar is given a chance to clear his name.
Buy https://geni.us/orbcairado
ROLL UP! ROLL UP!
Our very own @dtmooreeditor.bsky.social and @shaykauwe.bsky.social (author of THE KILLING SPELL) will be appearing @britfantasysoc.bsky.social 's next event day, focussing on Language in SFFH!
Sat 18th April 2026, 10am to 6pm (BST).
Grab your £5 ticket now FREE for BFS members!
"but the hobgoblins speak Common, they could overhear us and work out what we're planning"
"I would rather stay a prisoner than listen to you murder my language again"