Kestral Gaian
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kestr.al
Kestral Gaian
@kestr.al
460 followers 110 following 610 posts
Writer. Still working out what I want to be when I grow up.

I wear a lot of different hats. Some of them even fit me. You may know me from software, startups, books, plays, or music. I do too much.

Press/PR: @literallypr.bsky.social
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kestr.al
Today is Trans Day of Remembrance.

Annually we observe this day to remember the lives lost to violence and transphobia in the last year.

Hug your trans+ friends and family today. And to my trans siblings: remember that just existing is an act of resistance, love, and radical self care.
An illustration of a raised fist, colored in with the trans flag colours.
November 20, 2025 at 7:25 PM
kestr.al
16-bit Sundays
A steam deck running Phantasy Star IV
November 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
kestr.al
Bluesky allows fascists but doesn't allow a frequently asked questions hashtag. This is the danger of automoderation in place of actual policy and real humans.
A screenshot of the original post that says "bluesky allows fascists but doesn't allow the #faq hashtag. Seems sensible." with a red platform error saying "unacceptable slur in record" at the top.
October 19, 2025 at 10:32 AM
kestr.al
Did you know @supernote.com made cat beds?
A black and white long haired cat sits atop a Supernote manta device
October 1, 2025 at 12:49 PM
kestr.al
I’m here, I’m queer, I’m the bringer of existential fear. #DevOpsDays @devopsdays.london
An empty auditorium with a screen showing a slide which reads “code is never neutral, why all software is political” with my name under it. Time to give a talk, baby!
September 23, 2025 at 8:26 AM
kestr.al
Alright #DevOpsDays, I’m excited to chat with you all about how software has a duty of care to its users. Catch you for the opening @devopsdays.london talk at 10!
A photograph of my eink tablet, on which I’ve written “let’s create software that elevates + supports its users!”
September 23, 2025 at 8:06 AM
kestr.al
This place is not a place of honor. C:\Windows\System32. No highly esteemed deed is commemorated here.
August 13, 2025 at 8:47 AM
kestr.al
Public toilet cubicles are often festooned with the poetry of the proletariat, but this is the first time in my life I’ve walked into one and the pen was provided.
A photograph of a lonely biro pen sat atop the toilet paper dispenser in the stall of a public toilet. The walls are white tile, and the toilet paper dispenser has a blue window showing how much is left inside.
May 30, 2025 at 2:52 PM
kestr.al
Finally worked out what's been happening to my planters in the back garden...
May 20, 2025 at 4:49 PM
kestr.al
Really lovely to have been invited to speak at the Pridewide Summit at Canada House in London today as part of an event highlighting the importance of global LGBTQ+ storytelling.
A graphic which contains the PRIDEWIDE LGBTQIA+ LIBERATION WORLDWIDE organisation logo. Below it there is a photo of three people on stage. Below that is a quote from the person speaking on stage which reads “Amplifying trans and NB voice is so important. Have the hard conversations, but have us in the room to have them with you.” - Kestral Gaian
May 14, 2025 at 2:45 PM
kestr.al
Time to stock up on my emotional support pickles.
A Supermarket signpost which shows aisle three contains both “health and wellbeing” and “pickles”.
April 23, 2025 at 2:05 AM
kestr.al
Me, walking into any room.
March 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
kestr.al
They don’t make baddies in games like they used to.

Incidentally, replaying Phantasy Star III and I think I just remembered what gave me my gay awakening.
A pixellated baddie from Phantasy Star III. It is a very muscular androgynous silver robot that looks a lot like David Bowie, with red hair and red sinews all over its tight, muscular robot body. It crouches in the sand with a finger raised in the air. I want it.
March 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
kestr.al
Realised today that, tonally, the 'done cooking' tone on my air fryer is the same as the line "Meet George Jetson" from The Jetsons theme tune.

Perhaps that's why cooking with it always feels so futuristic, in spite of the fact that the tech inside is actually decades old.
March 24, 2025 at 9:22 PM
kestr.al
Thanks, Apple. What a great and totally accurate voicemail summary.
A notification from the phone app saying that I have a voicemail. Dad: “Hi Brian, it's dad. Just ringing up to find out how. You are in hell your mother is dying.”
March 9, 2025 at 11:08 PM
kestr.al
It's pancake day. Yes it's pancake day. Yes it's pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pancake day.
March 4, 2025 at 9:18 AM
kestr.al
Cause of death: Irony.
A Member-only story on Medium titled "The Anarchist Information Community" which begins "Free sharing of information across diverse populations is the most vital component of anarchist organization." The rest of the article is then hidden behind a paywall, with the remaining text saying "Create an account to read the full story. The author made this story available to Medium members only. If you're new to Medium, create a new account to read this story on us." Free sharing of information indeed.
March 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM
kestr.al
Are you as open as the great Ususal?
A road sign that reads “Businesses open as ususal” which is an interesting way to spell usual.
February 19, 2025 at 5:32 PM
kestr.al
“Please don’t look at my browser history.”
A black and white long-haired cat sits with a front paw on a laptop from the 1990s. He looks guilty.
February 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
kestr.al
It’s banjo maintenance day! #NotAEuphamism
A banjo is in pieces, and a person holds a pair of long-nose pliers whilst fixing it.
February 8, 2025 at 5:25 PM
kestr.al
Happy #Caturday from... wait, where's he hiding? All I see here are plushies.
A photograph of a stash of plushies under a sofa, with one plushie that looks exactly like a long haired black-and-white cat. Or maybe it IS the long haired black-and-white cat? Spoiler alert: it definitely is.
February 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM
kestr.al
Happy #Caturday from this ball of fluff. He wants you to know that it's all going to be okay.
A black-and-white long-haired cat sat on a bannister, looking up into the camera. His face makes you want to give him a big hug, and his eyes tell you that all is ok with the world.
January 25, 2025 at 9:35 AM
kestr.al
January 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
kestr.al
Cleanup job a success: it’s aliiiiive!
A Toshiba 490XCDT Pentium 2 laptop from the late 1990s, with its screen on, showing Windows 98 setup. A closeup of the laptop’s screen showing Windows 98 setup.
January 12, 2025 at 2:50 PM
kestr.al
This aired on the BBC in 1994 and described the internet as "an anarchic cooperative with no central authority, effectively owned by its 15 million worldwide users."

It's been 31 years - can we make 2025 the year we return the internet to these humble roots?
January 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM