Sandy Ernest Allen
@sandyernestallen.bsky.social
journalist. author. trans guy. mostly cover mental health.
📝: The Believer, Eater, Cosmo, Esquire, The Cut, TAL, 99PI
📖: akomp.info (Scribner)
https://whats-helping-today.beehiiv.com/
https://www.sandyernestallen.com
https://linktr.ee/hellosandyallen
📝: The Believer, Eater, Cosmo, Esquire, The Cut, TAL, 99PI
📖: akomp.info (Scribner)
https://whats-helping-today.beehiiv.com/
https://www.sandyernestallen.com
https://linktr.ee/hellosandyallen
Pinned
What's Helping Today
A newsletter about the daily work of staying alive on earth, by author Sandy Ernest Allen.
whats-helping-today.beehiiv.com
I encourage folks to subscribe to my newsletter, which are my reflections as a trans, mental health-focused journalist:
whats-helping-today.beehiiv.com
and heck, if you wanna give me a few bucks, it's very appreciated and helps me to continue doing the work I do:
buymeacoffee.com/sandyallen
whats-helping-today.beehiiv.com
and heck, if you wanna give me a few bucks, it's very appreciated and helps me to continue doing the work I do:
buymeacoffee.com/sandyallen
January 5, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
Imagine having your parents brutally murdered and then having to do this because the fucking President of the United States is so disgusting.
Colin and Sophie Hortman, the children of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, are asking Trump to remove the false posts about their parents' killing:
January 5, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Imagine having your parents brutally murdered and then having to do this because the fucking President of the United States is so disgusting.
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
The first two hours this morning
January 5, 2026 at 11:21 AM
The first two hours this morning
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
Grateful to @literaryhub.bsky.social for publishing this one, after all these years ... and with such care. I'm really proud of how the final turned out.
The link again:
lithub.com/burn-harry-b...
The link again:
lithub.com/burn-harry-b...
Burn Harry Burn: Reckoning With My Harry Potter Fandom as a Trans Person
During the spring of 2020, as the world locked down and people were dead and dying and breaking apart and mourning and afraid and hiding, the British author J.K. Rowling decided to publish an open …
lithub.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Grateful to @literaryhub.bsky.social for publishing this one, after all these years ... and with such care. I'm really proud of how the final turned out.
The link again:
lithub.com/burn-harry-b...
The link again:
lithub.com/burn-harry-b...
I'm going through some immensely tough stuff, in my own little life. If my vibes seem especially bad lately, that's why ...
January 5, 2026 at 1:24 PM
I'm going through some immensely tough stuff, in my own little life. If my vibes seem especially bad lately, that's why ...
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
As an abuse survivor, I periodically remind aloud into the void that it's important to *never* believe the words the abuser is saying, per se ... Many politicians and the press have still never figured this out, all these years into this abusive administration ...
January 4, 2026 at 12:34 PM
As an abuse survivor, I periodically remind aloud into the void that it's important to *never* believe the words the abuser is saying, per se ... Many politicians and the press have still never figured this out, all these years into this abusive administration ...
the point is: these folks don't think with their brains. they're just doing what the cult leader wants.
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
January 5, 2026 at 11:59 AM
the point is: these folks don't think with their brains. they're just doing what the cult leader wants.
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
We reported this at @translash.org in 2022 with people from the inside if the paper telling us this story which we profiled in Season 2 of the Anti-Trans Hate Machine limited series podcast. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Capturing The New York Times
Podcast Episode · The Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality · S2 E5 · 1h 28m
podcasts.apple.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:45 PM
We reported this at @translash.org in 2022 with people from the inside if the paper telling us this story which we profiled in Season 2 of the Anti-Trans Hate Machine limited series podcast. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
For more on this story, listen to @imarajones.bsky.social 's @translash.org podcast built around an interview with a trans Times reporter, back from 2023.
translash.org/podcasts/the...
translash.org/podcasts/the...
January 2, 2026 at 3:00 PM
For more on this story, listen to @imarajones.bsky.social 's @translash.org podcast built around an interview with a trans Times reporter, back from 2023.
translash.org/podcasts/the...
translash.org/podcasts/the...
It was *never* about protecting children ...
Decades of morally outraged "protect the children" rhetoric & now???
Elon Musk chatbot repeatedly making CSAM on demand should be one of the single biggest stories right now and it's effectively a collective shrug instead
January 5, 2026 at 11:55 AM
It was *never* about protecting children ...
Psychotic people are people.
People experiencing full disassociation are actually quite vulnerable.
Those with severe mental illnesses are much likelier to be covered by the media if such folks commit violence.
In reality: Those with such challenges are likelier to be *victims* of violence.
People experiencing full disassociation are actually quite vulnerable.
Those with severe mental illnesses are much likelier to be covered by the media if such folks commit violence.
In reality: Those with such challenges are likelier to be *victims* of violence.
I had to block a few people who said obnoxious crap at me.
Again my point is: I do hope media types who lean into ableist prejudices (even when discussing AI) will rethink ... that.
You can say AI is bad without for example advancing your bigoted belief all psychotic people are bad and murderers.
Again my point is: I do hope media types who lean into ableist prejudices (even when discussing AI) will rethink ... that.
You can say AI is bad without for example advancing your bigoted belief all psychotic people are bad and murderers.
My *point* is when media types say the word "psychosis" itself as if it's synonymous for somebody becoming a murderous monster, that's a problem for everybody who actually has to deal with such, in their daily life. Myself included. Anybody who wants to fight me about this, please just unfollow.
January 5, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Psychotic people are people.
People experiencing full disassociation are actually quite vulnerable.
Those with severe mental illnesses are much likelier to be covered by the media if such folks commit violence.
In reality: Those with such challenges are likelier to be *victims* of violence.
People experiencing full disassociation are actually quite vulnerable.
Those with severe mental illnesses are much likelier to be covered by the media if such folks commit violence.
In reality: Those with such challenges are likelier to be *victims* of violence.
Well, we shouldn't have passed and then never repealed the AUMF ...
The Constitution does say that war powers belong to Congress. But there are important exceptions, like if the president really, really wants to go to war. Or it’s the weekend. Or it’s January. Or he thought he saw a spider. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
President Trump Totally Meant to Ask Congress Before Attacking Venezuela
Oops!
www.theatlantic.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Well, we shouldn't have passed and then never repealed the AUMF ...
I had to block a few people who said obnoxious crap at me.
Again my point is: I do hope media types who lean into ableist prejudices (even when discussing AI) will rethink ... that.
You can say AI is bad without for example advancing your bigoted belief all psychotic people are bad and murderers.
Again my point is: I do hope media types who lean into ableist prejudices (even when discussing AI) will rethink ... that.
You can say AI is bad without for example advancing your bigoted belief all psychotic people are bad and murderers.
My *point* is when media types say the word "psychosis" itself as if it's synonymous for somebody becoming a murderous monster, that's a problem for everybody who actually has to deal with such, in their daily life. Myself included. Anybody who wants to fight me about this, please just unfollow.
January 5, 2026 at 11:40 AM
I had to block a few people who said obnoxious crap at me.
Again my point is: I do hope media types who lean into ableist prejudices (even when discussing AI) will rethink ... that.
You can say AI is bad without for example advancing your bigoted belief all psychotic people are bad and murderers.
Again my point is: I do hope media types who lean into ableist prejudices (even when discussing AI) will rethink ... that.
You can say AI is bad without for example advancing your bigoted belief all psychotic people are bad and murderers.
"Even in their PR, it seems the Times can't stop denigrating our lives and communities."
We have published the following update to our article following an email response from the New York Times.
Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
January 5, 2026 at 11:37 AM
"Even in their PR, it seems the Times can't stop denigrating our lives and communities."
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
final stage of US empire sees us capturing several presidents, putting them in a house, and making a show. we will watch the presidents fall in love. we will watch them hate and despise and reconcile with each other. a thrilling conclusion to the american project. well then there's All Stars
January 4, 2026 at 4:36 PM
final stage of US empire sees us capturing several presidents, putting them in a house, and making a show. we will watch the presidents fall in love. we will watch them hate and despise and reconcile with each other. a thrilling conclusion to the american project. well then there's All Stars
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
I have been definitely guilty of using this language when talking about AI but this thread from Sandy is a great example of how nuanced criticism of AI has to be part of whatever pushback exists.
As ever: I just wish people who said phrases like "literally psychosis machines" knew ANYTHING about what they're talking about.
As someone who's both a survivor of psychosis and who's written one-going-on-two books on this topic ... I find this sort of language offensive and misguided.
As someone who's both a survivor of psychosis and who's written one-going-on-two books on this topic ... I find this sort of language offensive and misguided.
For all that the media has spent years freaking out about what social media does to our brains, I don’t understand why there appears to be little effort to grapple with the fact that these chatbots are, for some not insignificant portion of the population, literally psychosis machines
January 4, 2026 at 4:40 PM
I have been definitely guilty of using this language when talking about AI but this thread from Sandy is a great example of how nuanced criticism of AI has to be part of whatever pushback exists.
If you read this and somehow think I've said "AI is good for mental health" please, again, fuck all the way off.
My *point* is when media types say the word "psychosis" itself as if it's synonymous for somebody becoming a murderous monster, that's a problem for everybody who actually has to deal with such, in their daily life. Myself included. Anybody who wants to fight me about this, please just unfollow.
January 4, 2026 at 4:35 PM
If you read this and somehow think I've said "AI is good for mental health" please, again, fuck all the way off.
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
New euphemism for "bottomless corruption and naked abuses of power" just dropped
January 4, 2026 at 11:35 AM
New euphemism for "bottomless corruption and naked abuses of power" just dropped
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
Some journalists get into it because they want to hold powerful people to account, while others just want powerful people to take their phone calls.
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Some journalists get into it because they want to hold powerful people to account, while others just want powerful people to take their phone calls.
journalists exist I assure you, whether we can make a living is of course another question
The amount of after-the-fact consent manufacturing, shameless regime stenography, and gutless both-sidesing on every single media outlet right now is genuinely worse than 2001-2002. Absolutely pathetic. We have no journalists. We have no opposition party.
January 4, 2026 at 2:34 PM
journalists exist I assure you, whether we can make a living is of course another question
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
🧵 Big News:
Today was my last day at work. I resigned to completely dedicate my time to trans activism as long as it's financial feasible
I'll be writing a book debunking anti-trans attacks that falsely claim to be founded in "biology" and making educational resources at @beyondxandy.bsky.social
Today was my last day at work. I resigned to completely dedicate my time to trans activism as long as it's financial feasible
I'll be writing a book debunking anti-trans attacks that falsely claim to be founded in "biology" and making educational resources at @beyondxandy.bsky.social
January 2, 2026 at 11:43 PM
🧵 Big News:
Today was my last day at work. I resigned to completely dedicate my time to trans activism as long as it's financial feasible
I'll be writing a book debunking anti-trans attacks that falsely claim to be founded in "biology" and making educational resources at @beyondxandy.bsky.social
Today was my last day at work. I resigned to completely dedicate my time to trans activism as long as it's financial feasible
I'll be writing a book debunking anti-trans attacks that falsely claim to be founded in "biology" and making educational resources at @beyondxandy.bsky.social
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
Ok 9th grade history teacher you win on me having to know what the Monroe Doctrine is
January 4, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Ok 9th grade history teacher you win on me having to know what the Monroe Doctrine is
Reposted by Sandy Ernest Allen
you can fax your rep & senators for free at faxzero.com :)
January 3, 2026 at 7:32 PM
you can fax your rep & senators for free at faxzero.com :)
Yes. Exactly.
it would be very nice if folks could stop comparing things to mental illness like that yes :') just makes it sound like fear mongering over the people who actually suffer from those conditions.
January 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Yes. Exactly.