Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
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nicomaramckay.com
Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
@nicomaramckay.com
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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Unban Link.
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)
Things are grim right now but as a reminder of who we are and why we fight, this is the US Women’s figuring skating champion.
January 10, 2026 at 11:43 PM
At any given moment on earth, there are perhaps a dozen people alive who can perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

I am not one of them.
January 10, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Bumble BFF is wild.

I joined, made a profile, uploaded a couple pics of my face, and got blocked from the app the next day.

I hadn't even matched with anyone yet. Didn't message anyone. I don't understand it.

Guess I'll try to make new friends elsewhere??
January 10, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
Octavia Butler. Parable of the Sower (1993)

2026
_________
January 5, 2026 at 3:24 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
I will never post AI slop images because I reported on AI image generation lawsuits for ARTnews and used to be a photographer. It's not hard to have this policy as a writer and reporter.
January 10, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
This is what I mean when I say the fetishization of queerness by (largely) straight women writing for an audience of (largely) straight women is harmful to queer people.

They like getting off to the idea of us.

They hate us.
The latest HR nonsense: A gay man in Utah attends a watch party for the gay hockey show wearing a “Gay AF” t-shirt & is forced to leave the bar because multiple women complained to management about the presence of a man who they feared might get turned on by the TV show.
January 10, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
I think it's a bad sign that every major news media outlet has spent days asking whether or not murder is bad and how much child porn is an okay amount
January 10, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Found an art treat in my library book.
January 10, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
hi poets, I'm taking poetry submissions over at Strange Horizons this month

strangehorizons.com/submit/poetry-submission-guidelines
January 9, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
If you are in Saskatoon / Saskatchewan, follow @surjyxe.bsky.social. I'm on the coordinating team, and we publicize action opportunities on the ground in the community.

#yxe #saskatoon #treatysix #saskatchewan
Unsolicited advice for anyone on Bluesky who wants to fight fascism in 2026 - don't stress about following big national accounts.

Instead, follow LOCAL groups and people who are doing actual work on the ground. Join them and do stuff right in your community. THAT'S where the real action is. ❤️💪
January 9, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
We all should be doing gay boy things instead
January 9, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
it’s come to my attention that my tumblr post has been crossposted to bluesky, so I’m posting it on my account here #AntiAI #GenAI
January 9, 2026 at 5:07 PM
A study funded by Mount Royal University is looking for Alberta-based participants for the TransAthletics study, which examines the impacts of anti-trans ideology on sport in the province.

Honoraria available.

(no affiliation)
January 9, 2026 at 5:36 PM
My proposal for a journal article on community consultations and participatory engagement was accepted for a special issue on trans topics. 🎉

It feels good to be working on something academic again.
January 9, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
Y'all still won't let "sanewashing" go? Y'all still comparing the most powerful man in the world to some of its most vulnerable, the mentally ill? Fuck y'all.
January 9, 2026 at 4:16 PM
The ArQuives is hosting a queer trivia event at Church Street Garage in Toronto on Thursday, 22 January.

No cover, no registration required.

Teams are encouraged, but not required. You can even go solo.

More info:
Queer Trivia Night - The Year in Queer – The ArQuives
Join us for our next queer trivia night at Glad Day Bookshop! First question at 7pm. Come early to ensure you get a seat!
arquives.ca
January 9, 2026 at 1:45 PM
A Windows update made clicking weird??

Tabs and windows now close randomly and there are no new updates to install that will fix it.🙃
January 8, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
Would you like to see my cat.
January 8, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
Timeline cleanse

Would you like to see my cat.
January 8, 2026 at 4:10 PM
The Biyuti Project: Queer and Trans Filipinx Youth in Catholic Education is an arts-based research project that explores the experiences of former students through art production and storytelling.

Reception RSVP: textilemuseum.ca/event/the-bi...

#QueerHistory #QueerArt

(no affiliation)
January 8, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
Good morning. I'd like to invite anyone who is interested to make a small gesture of kindness today. It's up to you to decide what that can be. The key is for you to act on the idea. With so much out of our control, we can choose how to be with each other today and every day.
January 8, 2026 at 11:36 AM
In September, Health Canada released its "Guidance for Indoor Air Quality Professionals," but as of right now, there is no IAQ policy at any level of government that ensures indoor air is clean and safe to breathe.

Clean Indoor Air Toronto has put together a petition and draft motion:
Toronto Board of Health Advocacy-CIATO
We have over 600 signatures, help us get to our next goal of 700! Join Clean Indoor Air Toronto in sending a clear message to the City of Toronto that you want a city that’s healthier, more…
docs.google.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Sapphics Raise the Bar is putting on a free screening of The Watermelon Woman at @arquives.ca in Toronto on Sunday, 18 January.

Please note that this is a masked event. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you.

Register for your free ticket: arquives.ca/event/sapphi...

#QueerFilm
January 8, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
Would you like to see my cat.
January 8, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Reposted by Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel)
I'm organising a trans history workshop session as part of the @mbsbirmingham.bsky.social conference in July. Details below. Do get in touch by end of next week if you have any questions or would like to register your interest, and pass on to anyone you know who might be keen to participate.
January 8, 2026 at 12:32 PM