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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto
@cthompto.bsky.social
300 followers 410 following 79 posts
Artist and Assistant Professor of Creative Technologies @ Virginia Tech Art+Trans Studies+Technology Transwoman(she/her) making/thinking about the politics of visibility, trans embodiment, & sustainably. Opinions are my own. https://chelsea.technology/
chelsea.technology
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Jan 17
I have been thinking a lot about what this next administration will bring and about how universities can be proactive in protecting and supporting trans faculty, staff and students. I wrote about here:

#academicsky #academia #transrights #transgender #lgbtq

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/care...
How to be a trans ally in academia today (opinion)
What it means to be an ally has changed, Chelsea Thompto writes.
www.insidehighered.com
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · 19d
Running through some Elden Ring to get images for my talk at @qgcon.bsky.social this coming week. What an amazing game, maybe time for another full play-through?
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · 26d
Well worth the wait!
cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · 26d
International mail service to the US might be fucked, but somehow my new “A.I. Sucks” print from @sonnyross.bsky.social landed on my doorstep this morning! Great way to start the weekend :) . If you don’t know their work you should check them out and support real human artists!

#antiai #fuckai
Two posters, a sticker, and two pieces of paper on a wood table. The main poster is an illustration that reads “I don’t use A.I. I’m not a fucking loser”, the second poster is mostly hidden and has a white background and green line art of a plant, the sticker is medieval inspired and says “shut up”, and the two pieces of paper are white with a personal note in black.
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Sep 8
“Politics and aesthetics have an uneasy alliance. Too often, trans art—whatever it might encompass, and whatever form it might take—is on the losing end. Creating good work requires time, space, funding, and the motivation to keep showing up.”
emotrophywife.bsky.social
Grace Byron @emotrophywife.bsky.social · Sep 8
For @newyorker.com I wrote about the censorship of trans art. I spoke to many of my favorite artists from Puppies Puppies to Creighton Baxter, thought about strategic opacity, Amy Sherald, and whether or not we have had great trans artists.

www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
The War on Trans Art
Politics and aesthetics have an uneasy alliance. Too often, trans expression is on the losing end.
www.newyorker.com
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Reposted by Chelsea Thompto
freedcproject.bsky.social
Free DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · Sep 6
People from all over are showing up for DC. This is not a moment. It’s a movement. We are united in our demands. We are all DC! #FreeDC
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Sep 3
A good place to start is to gather examples of art in the medium you are learning that you do like. Then, try to find and describe what they have in common that you are into. That can help narrow down places to focus your learning and development.

(My two cents as an art prof. :) )
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Reposted by Chelsea Thompto
maricohn.bsky.social
Mari Cohn @maricohn.bsky.social · Aug 25
Transgender studies professor Dr. Susan Stryker tears Gavin Newsom a new one while accepting the Transgender Legacy Award from the California state legislature 🔥🔥🔥 @susanstryker.bsky.social
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 25
Me: *trying to have a normal first week of class.*

Student: “Why haven’t there been any major successful lawsuits about AI and copyright?”

Me: “Well the thing you have to understand is that the law in the US serves capital not the working class…”
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 25
First day of the semester hits different as a transwoman and professor in 2025 in the US.

More prepared and capable than I ever have been, but also more anxious to be in public and in front of students than ever.

#academicsky #academia
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Reposted by Chelsea Thompto
benpatrickwill.bsky.social
Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · Aug 23
21 arguments against AI in education in thread form below or my post here: codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/2024/02/22/a...
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 23
As a trans person who came out over 15 years ago and as a an artist making work about trans visibility, I was especially moved by how the depictions of transness and queerness felt like they were for me (for us). Seen but not sanitized.
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 23
Every now and again you read a book, watch a movie, hear a song, play a game etc, that fundamentally broadens what you think a medium can do or be.

Last week I read @scumbelievable.bsky.social ‘s “Cuckoo” and it did just that. Seriously stunning, especially the handling of transness over time.
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 23
A screenshot of the game “Shadowgate Classic” for gameboy color. With action options across the bottom of the screen, a map on the right, and a large illustration of the grim reaper in the center.
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Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 23
Shadowgate Classic for the Gameboy Color.

Probably because I stayed up late playing it alone and because of the grim reaper art.
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 21
As the executive editor, I am happy to answer questions! Abstracts are due 10/31/2025.
cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 21
Media-N: Journal of the New Media Caucus, a peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to scholarly research and critical dialogue on new media art, has a new open call for their next general issue:

iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/med...

#academicsky #newmedia #opencall #academia #openaccess
Media-N: Journal of the New Media Caucus invites submissions for a general issue. | Media-N
iopn.library.illinois.edu
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 20
Yes absolutely! Thanks for asking and I am glad it resonates :)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
The one exception to this rule is that if you desire to make work that critically engages with AI, you should consult with me before using any such tools. If approved, the use of AI tools must be properly cited and acknowledged in all submissions.

🧵 (8/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
So, in this course we will not be using AI tools. If you are caught using AI for any class work, it will result in a zero on the associated assignment and perhaps referral to the Office of Undergraduate Academic Integrity depending on severity.

🧵 (7/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
AI flattens and streamlines this process, ironing out all the wrinkles that make art interesting and robbing you of the opportunity to cultivate yourself through your practice.

🧵 (6/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
The Essence of Art: At its core, art is about cultivating one's own personal point of view and process. It is about making thousands of small choices that culminate in works that reflect who you are and what you care about.

🧵 (5/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
Negative Impacts on Learning: Multiple studies have shown the AI use can erode creative and critical thinking skills, the very things you are here to cultivate.

🧵 (4/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
Ethical Problems: All publicly available high profile LLMs are built using stolen data, exploitative labor practices, and require vast amounts of natural resources which worsens our climate crisis.

🧵 (3/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT

While the use of AI tools (including ChatGPT and other AI powered writing or image technologies) may be tempting, it is important to understand the following:

🧵 (2/8)
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cthompto.bsky.social
Chelsea Thompto @cthompto.bsky.social · Aug 19
🧵 (1/8)
New semester new AI policy for my syllabus. Drawn from my prior policy, @melhogan.bsky.social 's very clear and concise recent post about AI's problems, and reading "Empire of AI" this summer. For context, this is for a creative coding class in an art department.

#academicsky #criticalai
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