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nicomaramckay.com
Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
@nicomaramckay.com
12K followers 670 following 18K posts
Historian in Tkaronto (Toronto). Likes bats, monsters, sincereposting, alt text, and DEIA. Genderqueer. Trans. Autistic. 40s. 👬 🧛 nicomaramckay.com

There will be typos.

Ephemeral Record of queer and trans histories: patreon.com/ephemeralrecord
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nicomaramckay.com
Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · Oct 15
Unban Link.
nicomaramckay.com Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · Oct 6
tl;dr: Bluesky began with genuine promise: a new social media platform where users could feel safer, but inconsistent moderation quickly eroded trust.

When systemically marginalized users pushed back, Bluesky’s leadership minimized concerns and began to target them for bans.
Bluesky’s CEO meltdown: How leadership continues to fail its most marginalized users
tl;dr: Bluesky began with genuine promise: a new social media platform where systemically marginalized users could feel safer, but…
plutopsyche.medium.com
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
angus.bsky.social
But it requires not only a willingness to flunk students, but also a willingness to construct your course—and your pedagogy, and your professional persona—around an overt, articulated, emphatic set of ethical commitments.
November 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
angus.bsky.social
I am allowed to fail students for AI use, and I do, and I say I will, repeatedly and emphatically. As a result, I wind up having to fail very few students for AI use.
itsthebrandi.bsky.social Brandi, Adebisi's Tiny Santa Hat Hatter😾 @itsthebrandi.bsky.social · 10h
I read the thread and know why they're not failing the students. They gotta let colleges fail the students for the sake of the curriculum and other students
jesbattis.bsky.social Jes Battis @jesbattis.bsky.social · 1d
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
November 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
philippaeast.bsky.social
If you’ve been thinking about applying for the EHRC Commissioner roles, please, please do!

Falkner and Reindorf will soon be out and there is a real desire for representatives of our 🏳️‍⚧️ community on the Board.

Be quick though — the deadline is midday on Monday 1st December
philippaeast.bsky.social Philippa East (Author) @philippaeast.bsky.social · 6h
It’s not too late, and there is a real desire for people from the trans community to apply

archive.ph/UQia8

Application details here:
apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9026?b...
It is understood that some Labour MPs as well as figures in the wider policy sector believe the current impasse is a distraction from other pressing issues, including the rise of the far right and its impact on the communities served by the EHRC. They have been encouraging applications for the commissioner roles from those they feel take a more nuanced approach to trans inclusion. One Labour backbencher said: “As these posts are coming up, it’s important to have that broad range of experience and expertise on the board, and within those discussions we’ve been saying please do encourage people from the trans community to consider it, or have you thought of applying? “That broad range was essential from when EHRC was first set up but may have been narrowed with more political appointments under the Conservatives. “When a group of us met some of the current board members and the current chair, we felt very strongly that an understanding of the impact of the supreme court ruling on the trans community wasn’t there.” Another Labour backbencher said they hoped more people would apply: “We need commissioners with real world experience of the issues they grapple with.” Stonewall said the arrival of the new chair and commissioners was an opportunity “to rebuild an EHRC that re-establishes fairness, balance, and respect at its core”. CEO Simon Blake said: “We are living in a time of uncertainty and turbulence for many; this is an opportunity to review the strategic approach of our National Human Rights Institute so everyone – including trans people – can benefit from the rights and freedoms the EHRC is constituted to protect and defend.”
November 29, 2025 at 5:58 PM
nicomaramckay.com
introduce yourself with five animals you've seen in the wild

raccoon
beaver
loon
moose
squirrel
fallonturing.bsky.social Fallon [holiday shop sale until 12/15, comms closed] @fallonturing.bsky.social · 20h
introduce yourself with five animals you've seen in the wild

moose
whale
mouse
rat
snakes
ultralaser.bsky.social clyde bruckman free link's ghost of xmas future's last repost @ultralaser.bsky.social · 20h
introduce yourself with five animals you've seen in the wild

- bald eagles
- a MOOSE
- mama black bear and cubs
- LOONS
- whales just off the coast, not sure but maybe humpbacks
November 29, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
rachelneedsanap.bsky.social
LRT: This is an unpopular opinion rn, but until NT society makes even a minimal effort to understand & accept #autistic communication styles, I refuse to spend my time policing “rude” autistic people, or handing out NT etiquette advice.
July 11, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
ali-alkhatib.com
whenever a youtuber *chooses to put into the video* that they asked chatGPT something, i close the video lol.

as if i'm interested in hearing about the journey you took talking to a fucking chatbot about a problem you were trying to solve 🥴
astrokatie.com Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 1d
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
paleofuture.bsky.social
It’s fun to think about the surgeon who will botch your surgery 20 years from now and what he’s doing at this moment. He just ran all his homework through ChatGPT. He just read that article about vaccines and autism at the CDC website. He just watched an Instagram video about the moon landing hoax.
November 21, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
motherjones.com
Police didn’t believe a 12-year-old who said she'd been raped. Then she hit record.
Police didn’t believe a 12-year-old who said she'd been raped. Then she hit record.
“If I didn’t find the evidence for them, I wasn’t too sure they would find it.”
www.motherjones.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
julieslalonde.bsky.social
"To disavow the label [feminist] while pursuing the substance creates a strategic inconsistency — one that weakens Canada’s credibility with partners who are doubling down on feminist approaches, including the EU, Germany, and most Nordic states."
Does Canada have a feminist foreign policy? Actually, we do. And we are proof it works - Equality Fund Fonds Égalité
Jess TomlinCEO of the Equality Fund Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, since leading a new government formed earlier this year, has been focusing on investment, financial growth and diversifying tra...
equalityfund.ca
November 28, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
nicomaramckay.com
"International legal experts have argued that the US actions constitute a war crime."
US strikes against boats in Caribbean ‘disregard international law’, French minister says
G7 foreign ministers questioned Marco Rubio about the attacks on what the Trump administration claims are drug smugglers
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
rachelgilmore.bsky.social
Trudeau-era environment minister Steven Guilbeault has published a resignation letter detailing the reasons for his departure from Carney's cabinet.

He directly cites today's MOU:
Statement by Steven Guilbeault This afternoon, it is with great sadness that I submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, Minister of Nature and Parks Canada, as well as his Lieutenant in Quebec. As you know, I chose to enter politics to champion the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment. Over the past ten years, our country has made historic progress in reducing climate pollution, protecting nature and the environment, while our economy continued to grow. I believe I have contributed to these advancements, and I remain deeply proud of the achievements I have helped bring forward: • Standing up to tech giants and major polluters • Implementing Canada's first emissions reduction plan, slowing their growth and placing them on a downward trajectory • Establishing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation • Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act • Developing the country's first national climate adaptation strategy to protect our communities • Eliminating harmful single-use plastics • Implementing the most ambitious nature conservation plan in the country's history • Continuing the modernization of the Official Languages Act • Making historic investments in arts and culture, including during the COVID-19 crisis and in the most recent budget Changes in our relationship with the United States have led to profound disruptions affecting the global order, diplomatic relations, and the economy. I understand and share the Prime Minister's efforts to ensure our country First, there was no consultation with the Indigenous nations of the West Coast of British Columbia or with the provincial government, who would be greatly affected by this agreement. Furthermore, a pipeline to the West Coast would have major environmental impacts, particularly as it could cross the Great Bear Rainforest, contribute to a significant increase in climate pollution, and move Canada further away from its greenhouse gas reduction targets. Lifting the tanker ban on the West Coast would also significantly increase the risk of accidents in the region. This moratorium was established in 1972 following a unanimous vote in the House of Commons, notably because navigation in the Hecate Strait is highly dangerous. Its removal would also hinder the creation of a marine conservation area in the Great Bear Sea, a project our government has been actively developing with Indigenous partners and the government of British Columbia for several years, protecting more than 100,000 km of this ecologically sensitive region. We cannot hope to decarbonize our economy without decarbonizing the electricity sector. The proposal to exempt Alberta from the Clean Electricity Regulations in exchange for stricter industrial carbon pricing rules and the Pathways project is, in my view, a serious mistake. As shown in the analysis submitted to the House of Commons, without this regulation, the electricity sector-which has halved its pollution over the past 20 years-would return to an upward emissions trajectory. This regulation also saves lives by reducing air pollution, generates over $3 billion in healthcare savings, and ultimately reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 182 million tonnes. Finally, over the past few months, several elements of the climate action plan I worked on as Minister of the Environment have been, or are about to be, dismantled: the consumer carbon pricing, the Zero Emission Vehicle standard, the oil and gas sector emissions cap, the framework to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and the Clean Electricity Regulations. In my view, these measures remain essential to our climate action plan. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the citizens of Laurier-Sainte-Marie for the trust they have placed in me since 2019. I will continue to represent them as their Liberal Member of Parliament with dedication. I also thank the Prime Minister for the honor of serving in his cabinet and as his lieutenant in Quebec. When I entered politics, it was because I had a deep conviction that I could make a difference in fighting climate change and protecting our environment. My commitment to leaving a better world for the future of our children and our planet remains unchanged. Steven Guilbeault Member of Parliament for Laurier-Sainte-Marie
November 27, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
willpooley.bsky.social
What makes historic collections difficult? And how do researchers work with “difficult” collections?

New CFP from Paper Trails here:

blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...

Deadline for proposals 31/1/2026
🗃️
Call for Papers: Difficult Collections | UCL UCL Special Collections
UCL Homepage
blogs.ucl.ac.uk
November 27, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
minibubbly.bsky.social
42 Merry, Bright And Made-In-Canada Gifts #Canada

From decadent fudge to quirky pottery, there's something to surprise and delight everyone on your list.

chatelaine.com/holiday/made...
The Best Made-In-Canada Gifts For Everyone On Your List - Chatelaine
Check holiday shopping off your list with these delightful homegrown treasures.
chatelaine.com
November 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
theautisticcoach.bsky.social
There is a suicide epidemic in the autistic community.

We are 11x more likely to take our own lives.

35% have tried.

Suicidal thoughts happen to most of us (66%)

Let’s remember that & support each other and work together to fight the stigma against us neuronormative society.
November 27, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
ashleighweeden.bsky.social
Dan Levy openly says that Schitt's Creek would not have survived anywhere except the CBC because it was weird and took a season or so to find its feet... Just for reference if you wanna know the ROI on this approach to supporting creative things.
coelasquid.bsky.social Kelly Turnbull @coelasquid.bsky.social · 3d
Canada made weird tv shows because it was all being done with government funded art grant money so they fell in this wacky middle ground between “shoestring budget” and “no expectation to generate shareholder value” which is really the best way to make art
November 27, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
nicomaramckay.com
(In case you wonder why I always use the slightly awkward phrasing of "people in/from the US" instead of "Americans," it's because there are 35 countries in North, Central, and South America, and it seems absurd to suggest there's only one, especially when it's not even the biggest.)
September 18, 2023 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
virginiagewin.bsky.social
Scientists: have you been the target of an online harassment campaign, doxxing, or weaponized FOIA requests? I'd like to talk to you about steps you had to take to protect your digital security for an upcoming Nature story. (You can be anonymous if necessary.)

RTs appreciated.
November 26, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
alyssaharad.bsky.social
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
blipstress.bsky.social violet allen @blipstress.bsky.social · 5d
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
helenm40.bsky.social
The thing about the Linehan case is that either the Judge is sympathetic to 'gender critical' ideology or British law thinks it's perfectly acceptable for a 57 year old man to stalk, doxx and physically attack a 17 year old girl.

Both explanations are horrifying.
November 25, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
miriamgrace.bsky.social
Hello network. This is real shit. I’m looking for transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming front and back end web designers for a project to help trans people get housing in NJ. This is a paid opportunity.

Please share this if you see it, and my DMs are open for more information. Tysm 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
November 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
derek.bike
when we say we want more streets to be pedestrianized, this is what we mean
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
popeguilty.bsky.social
I do think young people should have access to puberty blockers if they want them but they should also have access to full, normal HRT if they want. Trans people should be able to go through puberty at the same age as and alongside their peers.
November 25, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
notablyuncool.bsky.social
Let’s make it Trans Joy Tuesday again!

For the trans people out there, please share something happy going on with you to offset all the bad stuff.

Whether it’s big or small, trans related or not, please share your joy!
November 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
nicomaramckay.com
Every allistic review of the Murderbot Diaries: A stunningly human portrayal of robot interiority!

Every autistic reading the Murderbot Diaries: This robot is autistic.
November 23, 2025 at 6:50 PM