Matilda Bliss
@matildabliss.bsky.social
Trans femme anarchist. Criminalized for the act of journalism. Suing. More at @avlblade.bsky.social where I cover city hall, grab photos, design graphics, and write a little here and there.
Bicycle rider, cat lover, and Star Wars and geology nerd
Bicycle rider, cat lover, and Star Wars and geology nerd
Please support my friend by sharing this post and donating. She’s trying to do everything that she can to raise this money and keep her vision, and we should absolutely do all that we can to show up for her!
I’ve known Lentil for years, and she’s been showing up that entire time. Now she needs our help paying for a surgery that will hopefully lay her glaucoma struggles to rest for a very long time.
The nature of mutual aid is that we show up for each other.
The nature of mutual aid is that we show up for each other.
January 14, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Please support my friend by sharing this post and donating. She’s trying to do everything that she can to raise this money and keep her vision, and we should absolutely do all that we can to show up for her!
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Telling moment from last night's Asheville city council meeting. When cops (and most city officials) use terms like "community" they mean the gentry and well-off tourists. The APD are not popular among the broader public here, to put it mildly.
Like this was not that long ago. #avlnews
Like this was not that long ago. #avlnews
January 14, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Telling moment from last night's Asheville city council meeting. When cops (and most city officials) use terms like "community" they mean the gentry and well-off tourists. The APD are not popular among the broader public here, to put it mildly.
Like this was not that long ago. #avlnews
Like this was not that long ago. #avlnews
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Speaker is against ICE, talking about horrors they've unleashed in multiple cities.
"Is city of Asheville willing to go on the record, through legislation or statement," protecting locals from ICE. "Cities do have control of properties, power and oversight." Need to shut down Flock cameras. #avlgov
"Is city of Asheville willing to go on the record, through legislation or statement," protecting locals from ICE. "Cities do have control of properties, power and oversight." Need to shut down Flock cameras. #avlgov
January 13, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Speaker is against ICE, talking about horrors they've unleashed in multiple cities.
"Is city of Asheville willing to go on the record, through legislation or statement," protecting locals from ICE. "Cities do have control of properties, power and oversight." Need to shut down Flock cameras. #avlgov
"Is city of Asheville willing to go on the record, through legislation or statement," protecting locals from ICE. "Cities do have control of properties, power and oversight." Need to shut down Flock cameras. #avlgov
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Notably, Roney voted to let airbnb landlords rewrite the rules in late 2021: ashevilleblade.com?p=4116
That helped drive hundreds of locals out of their homes so they could get turned into party houses for tourists
#avlgov
That helped drive hundreds of locals out of their homes so they could get turned into party houses for tourists
#avlgov
The plot to sell Asheville to airbnb |
ashevilleblade.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Notably, Roney voted to let airbnb landlords rewrite the rules in late 2021: ashevilleblade.com?p=4116
That helped drive hundreds of locals out of their homes so they could get turned into party houses for tourists
#avlgov
That helped drive hundreds of locals out of their homes so they could get turned into party houses for tourists
#avlgov
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Thanks, Matilda. Roney's raising concerns about airbnbs in the property revaluation. City staff claim they crack down on illegal ones, which is a joke. Asheville city hall airbnb enforcement is laughably lax/nonexistent:
ashevilleblade.com?p=4467 #avlgov
ashevilleblade.com?p=4467 #avlgov
January 13, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Thanks, Matilda. Roney's raising concerns about airbnbs in the property revaluation. City staff claim they crack down on illegal ones, which is a joke. Asheville city hall airbnb enforcement is laughably lax/nonexistent:
ashevilleblade.com?p=4467 #avlgov
ashevilleblade.com?p=4467 #avlgov
Hey yall, we're started. Here's the video link www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziQV...
Mayor Esther Manheimer is reading her bullshit council rules of decorum after facing criticism for disproportionately enforcing the "no clapping rule" ashevilleblade.com?p=4964 as well as other cases more recently #avlgov
Mayor Esther Manheimer is reading her bullshit council rules of decorum after facing criticism for disproportionately enforcing the "no clapping rule" ashevilleblade.com?p=4964 as well as other cases more recently #avlgov
January 13, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Hey yall, we're started. Here's the video link www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziQV...
Mayor Esther Manheimer is reading her bullshit council rules of decorum after facing criticism for disproportionately enforcing the "no clapping rule" ashevilleblade.com?p=4964 as well as other cases more recently #avlgov
Mayor Esther Manheimer is reading her bullshit council rules of decorum after facing criticism for disproportionately enforcing the "no clapping rule" ashevilleblade.com?p=4964 as well as other cases more recently #avlgov
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
The Trump administration's claim that recording ICE agents is “illegal” is unconstitutional and dangerous to democracy.
Documenting government actions is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of the First Amendment
Read the letter we signed with 12 other rights organizations: ncac.org/news/free-ex...
Documenting government actions is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of the First Amendment
Read the letter we signed with 12 other rights organizations: ncac.org/news/free-ex...
January 13, 2026 at 9:51 PM
The Trump administration's claim that recording ICE agents is “illegal” is unconstitutional and dangerous to democracy.
Documenting government actions is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of the First Amendment
Read the letter we signed with 12 other rights organizations: ncac.org/news/free-ex...
Documenting government actions is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of the First Amendment
Read the letter we signed with 12 other rights organizations: ncac.org/news/free-ex...
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Hey y'all, our trans local journalism co-op is facing real struggles in the long aftermath of Helene. We're 65% of the way to our goal to ensure we can survive in 2026.
Independent journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support as you can. www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Independent journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support as you can. www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Hey y'all, our trans local journalism co-op is facing real struggles in the long aftermath of Helene. We're 65% of the way to our goal to ensure we can survive in 2026.
Independent journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support as you can. www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Independent journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support as you can. www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Asheville city council meeting starts at 5. @matildabliss.bsky.social and @davidforbes.bsky.social will cover live. No major items, though they will review the tax process, which hits Black neighborhoods hardest.
Anti-ICE outrage is running high, so that may come up too #avlnews #avlgov
Anti-ICE outrage is running high, so that may come up too #avlnews #avlgov
City Council Agenda - The City of Asheville
To access documents from previous city council meetings, go to our Meeting Materials page. Please note: Agenda items are current at time of posting. Items may be changed, updated or added after initia...
www.ashevillenc.gov
January 13, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Asheville city council meeting starts at 5. @matildabliss.bsky.social and @davidforbes.bsky.social will cover live. No major items, though they will review the tax process, which hits Black neighborhoods hardest.
Anti-ICE outrage is running high, so that may come up too #avlnews #avlgov
Anti-ICE outrage is running high, so that may come up too #avlnews #avlgov
I’ve known Lentil for years, and she’s been showing up that entire time. Now she needs our help paying for a surgery that will hopefully lay her glaucoma struggles to rest for a very long time.
The nature of mutual aid is that we show up for each other.
The nature of mutual aid is that we show up for each other.
January 12, 2026 at 10:45 PM
I’ve known Lentil for years, and she’s been showing up that entire time. Now she needs our help paying for a surgery that will hopefully lay her glaucoma struggles to rest for a very long time.
The nature of mutual aid is that we show up for each other.
The nature of mutual aid is that we show up for each other.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Thanks to some incredibly generous donations our winter fund drive is now over halfway to our goal. If we reach it our trans local journalism co-op can survive into 2026.
Please share and support to help us get there.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Please share and support to help us get there.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Thanks to some incredibly generous donations our winter fund drive is now over halfway to our goal. If we reach it our trans local journalism co-op can survive into 2026.
Please share and support to help us get there.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Please share and support to help us get there.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Thanks to everyone who has donated and spread the word! We are halfway to our mark. The Blade is a co-op made up entirely of working class trans people, and we are bringing leftist news coverage to a town that was devastated by Helene only last year and is still in many ways a disaster zone.
Thanks to some incredibly generous donations our winter fund drive is now over halfway to our goal. If we reach it our trans local journalism co-op can survive into 2026.
Please share and support to help us get there.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Please share and support to help us get there.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Thanks to everyone who has donated and spread the word! We are halfway to our mark. The Blade is a co-op made up entirely of working class trans people, and we are bringing leftist news coverage to a town that was devastated by Helene only last year and is still in many ways a disaster zone.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Our journalism co-op — all working class trans people — has faced an incredibly difficult year in a city that is still marked by disaster.
Our winter fund drive is almost halfway to our goal. Help us get there: www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Our winter fund drive is almost halfway to our goal. Help us get there: www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 27, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Our journalism co-op — all working class trans people — has faced an incredibly difficult year in a city that is still marked by disaster.
Our winter fund drive is almost halfway to our goal. Help us get there: www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Our winter fund drive is almost halfway to our goal. Help us get there: www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
The APD's had its on the ground repressive powers falter as cops leave (due to public outrage and defiance). So city hall's poured cash into surveillance.
After Helene they inflicted a tax hike to ramp it up even more, with the support of every single city council member. #avlnews #avlgov
After Helene they inflicted a tax hike to ramp it up even more, with the support of every single city council member. #avlnews #avlgov
December 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Hey y'all, if you'd like to support trans journalism this year, here's two ways to do it.
Back @transnews.network
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
Support @avlblade.bsky.social
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Every dollar goes to support worker-run trans news orgs.
Back @transnews.network
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
Support @avlblade.bsky.social
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Every dollar goes to support worker-run trans news orgs.
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Hey y'all, if you'd like to support trans journalism this year, here's two ways to do it.
Back @transnews.network
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
Support @avlblade.bsky.social
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Every dollar goes to support worker-run trans news orgs.
Back @transnews.network
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
Support @avlblade.bsky.social
www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...
Every dollar goes to support worker-run trans news orgs.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Local mayor/city coincil candidate filing wrapped just before holidays hit. There's two mayoral candidates (Mayor Esther Manheimer and Council member Kim Roney) and *20* council candidates (for three seats) #avlnews #avlgov
List available here: www.buncombenc.gov/199/Election...
List available here: www.buncombenc.gov/199/Election...
Election Services | Buncombe County, NC
Information about election services in Buncombe County.
www.buncombenc.gov
December 26, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Local mayor/city coincil candidate filing wrapped just before holidays hit. There's two mayoral candidates (Mayor Esther Manheimer and Council member Kim Roney) and *20* council candidates (for three seats) #avlnews #avlgov
List available here: www.buncombenc.gov/199/Election...
List available here: www.buncombenc.gov/199/Election...
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
AVL local heroes. Please donate if you can.
Four years ago today, Asheville police arrested fellow Blade journalist Veronica Coit and me for doing our job covering the eviction of a homeless encampment in a city park. While our legal suit plays out, the Blade’s work as a co-op goes on. We’re raising money to survive in 2026. Support us here
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
gofund.me
December 25, 2025 at 10:05 PM
AVL local heroes. Please donate if you can.
Four years ago today, Asheville police arrested fellow Blade journalist Veronica Coit and me for doing our job covering the eviction of a homeless encampment in a city park. While our legal suit plays out, the Blade’s work as a co-op goes on. We’re raising money to survive in 2026. Support us here
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
gofund.me
December 25, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Four years ago today, Asheville police arrested fellow Blade journalist Veronica Coit and me for doing our job covering the eviction of a homeless encampment in a city park. While our legal suit plays out, the Blade’s work as a co-op goes on. We’re raising money to survive in 2026. Support us here
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
The Blade's faced an extraordinarily difficult year. Our local journalism co-op's still done incredible work. We'd like your help to keep doing it.
Here's how: ashevilleblade.com?p=5360
Our city needs independent journalism — not yet more tourism industry marketing — more than ever. #avlnews
Here's how: ashevilleblade.com?p=5360
Our city needs independent journalism — not yet more tourism industry marketing — more than ever. #avlnews
December 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The Blade's faced an extraordinarily difficult year. Our local journalism co-op's still done incredible work. We'd like your help to keep doing it.
Here's how: ashevilleblade.com?p=5360
Our city needs independent journalism — not yet more tourism industry marketing — more than ever. #avlnews
Here's how: ashevilleblade.com?p=5360
Our city needs independent journalism — not yet more tourism industry marketing — more than ever. #avlnews
Please, please keep sharing, and if you haven’t already and you can, please donate. We’ve received some donations in the last week that we are really grateful for, but we’re still lagging a bit behind where we want to be to keep leftist journalism alive in Asheville, NC. Please support our co-op.
Like many in our city, the Blade has struggled in Helene's ongoing aftermath. We're a local journalism co-op of working class trans people. It has not been an easy year.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Please, please keep sharing, and if you haven’t already and you can, please donate. We’ve received some donations in the last week that we are really grateful for, but we’re still lagging a bit behind where we want to be to keep leftist journalism alive in Asheville, NC. Please support our co-op.
Closing in on a quarter of our goal aint bad, but we still need a lot more support. We’re tired, too, but we aren’t done ensuring the Blade’s survival in 2026. Our quality reporting doesn’t happen automatically. So please consider the role of local leftist journalism in this time, & donate or share.
Like many in our city, the Blade has struggled in Helene's ongoing aftermath. We're a local journalism co-op of working class trans people. It has not been an easy year.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Closing in on a quarter of our goal aint bad, but we still need a lot more support. We’re tired, too, but we aren’t done ensuring the Blade’s survival in 2026. Our quality reporting doesn’t happen automatically. So please consider the role of local leftist journalism in this time, & donate or share.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
Hey it seems like ten million years since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina but unsurprisingly, folks there are still struggling. That especially includes marginalized southerners like the ones here, so lend a hand if you can.
Like many in our city, the Blade has struggled in Helene's ongoing aftermath. We're a local journalism co-op of working class trans people. It has not been an easy year.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 14, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Hey it seems like ten million years since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina but unsurprisingly, folks there are still struggling. That especially includes marginalized southerners like the ones here, so lend a hand if you can.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
We cover a lot of ground in these short essays, but among other things I think they're a particularly honest look at our city post-Helene. With a lot of determination from folks otg, alongside immense grief...all while facing elites more openly greedy and exploitative than ever.
Hey y'all, our A Word About Our City radio essays — a collaboration with Asheville Community News on @ashevillefm.bsky.social — are now in one collection. #avlnews
If you want a radical, honest look at what's going on in our city, have a listen: www.patreon.com/collection/1...
If you want a radical, honest look at what's going on in our city, have a listen: www.patreon.com/collection/1...
December 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
We cover a lot of ground in these short essays, but among other things I think they're a particularly honest look at our city post-Helene. With a lot of determination from folks otg, alongside immense grief...all while facing elites more openly greedy and exploitative than ever.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
We're a co-op of working class trans reporters in a city that remains, despite the marketing, still a disaster zone in so many ways.
Independent, hard-hitting local journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support this so we can keep doing it.
Independent, hard-hitting local journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support this so we can keep doing it.
Like many in our city, the Blade has struggled in Helene's ongoing aftermath. We're a local journalism co-op of working class trans people. It has not been an easy year.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Amid exhaustion, illness, poverty and trauma we've still done important work. Please help us keep doing it.
Donate to Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath, organized by Asheville Blade
Like many groups in our city, the Asheville Blade has faced … Asheville Blade needs your support for Help the Asheville Blade survive Helene's long aftermath
www.gofundme.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
We're a co-op of working class trans reporters in a city that remains, despite the marketing, still a disaster zone in so many ways.
Independent, hard-hitting local journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support this so we can keep doing it.
Independent, hard-hitting local journalism is more important than ever. Please share and support this so we can keep doing it.
Reposted by Matilda Bliss
McBride's pr hacks are nonetheless, trying to jump on this failure and revive "she did so much lobbying behind the scenes!" (To...what end?)
Seriously, this is just blatant propaganda for a nepobaby pol with a terrible record. You should think less of any journalist or figure who falls for it.
Seriously, this is just blatant propaganda for a nepobaby pol with a terrible record. You should think less of any journalist or figure who falls for it.
This isn't even a case like the defeat of the trans medicaid ban earlier this year, where her pr flacks could try to jump on an actual grassroots victory and claim she made it happen with behind the scenes magic or some such hokum. This was a flat out loss due to Dems siding with the far-right.
December 19, 2025 at 12:25 AM
McBride's pr hacks are nonetheless, trying to jump on this failure and revive "she did so much lobbying behind the scenes!" (To...what end?)
Seriously, this is just blatant propaganda for a nepobaby pol with a terrible record. You should think less of any journalist or figure who falls for it.
Seriously, this is just blatant propaganda for a nepobaby pol with a terrible record. You should think less of any journalist or figure who falls for it.