Today's release: Speculation Publications' folklore/fairy tale anthology - Yule: Tales for the Winter Solstice.
During the cold winter months, we mirror the Earth as she lies quiet, waiting for the return of warm days. We gather around yule fires and perform rituals to lure back the sun. Drinking wassail...
"One of the weirdest and most convoluted Christmas stories that I have ever read, filled with surprises, suspense, thrills, fast paced action, danger, gore and grit... a crazy page turner, a roller coaster of a holiday ride."
a) It's timely and vaguely related to the Iowa transgender material,
b) It's about a psychology professor,
c) It mentions Univ. of Florida turning over to the state government the mental health records of transgender students (!!)
See below.
Thank you Dr. Pope.
--- Forwarded Message ---
Subject: Psychology Prof Brought Millions to FL State U, Now Warns of Unsafe "Hostile Environment" for Black & LGBTQ Students, Faculty, & Staff
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2023 07:01:51 -0800
From: [email protected]
The Tallahassee Democrat includes an article: “This professor brought millions to Florida State. Now he's leaving a 'hostile’ environment” by Walter R. Boot, Ph.D.
Here’s the author note:
Walter R. Boot, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Florida State University and has been a member of the FSU faculty since 2008.
Here are some excerpts:
In early 2022, “Don’t Say Gay'' became law based on the premise that the mere mention of LGBTQ people is dangerous. The run-up and aftermath of its passage involved hostile rhetoric painting queer and trans individuals as pedophiles and groomers, rhetoric that came not just from citizens but from state officials.
As it became increasingly clear that LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff at Florida State University had targets on their backs, I explained my concerns in an April 2022 email and made a simple request of FSU President Richard McCullough: give us a reason to stay.
<snip>
His response was something along the lines of, “If I say or do anything, I will be fired, and my replacement will be worse.” His office tells me that he disputes this account.
Later, I was told his refusal to express support was because “the University’s 501(c)(3) status limits the University’s participation in political advocacy.” My concerns were dismissed as mere politics. Since then, matters have only gotten worse.
In December 2022, the FBI alerted FSU to a threat of mass violence against gay people on campus. FSU has yet to acknowledge this threat publicly. We learned about it only through a newspaper article the next month after an arrest had been made.
Alarmed by this incident and concerned for campus safety, I again pressed President McCullough’s office to express support for queer and trans community members publicly. They did not.
Gov. DeSantis then demanded that universities turn over information about transgender students. Information requested included intimate information about treatments, surgeries, mental health diagnoses, and facilities that transgender students were referred to for care. FSU complied with this request, shifting its response from silence to active harm.
<snip>
Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign have issued travel advisories citing the very real perils of traveling to or living in Florida while queer or trans. At FSU, these perils are exacerbated by uncaring leadership.
I will be leaving FSU at the end of this year. The purpose of my message is not to change the mind of members of the administration. Any additional efforts seem futile. It is to foreshadow the experience of anyone considering FSU as their home, particularly individuals who are Black, trans, gay or lesbian, queer, or who belong to any other group currently under siege by the state of Florida.
I brought millions of dollars of funding to FSU, volunteered for service roles demanding significant commitments, and stepped up to teach classes no one else could or would. I went above and beyond what is required again and again.
Yet, President McCullough remains unwilling to even offer a few words of public support for queer and trans members of the FSU community.
If you are considering FSU as your home, do not expect them to make any effort to support or protect you in an increasingly hostile and dangerous environment for people like us. Consider your options carefully. You deserve better than what FSU has to offer.
Ken Pope
Ken Pope, Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, Hector Y. Adames, Janet L. Sonne, and Beverly A. Greene
Speaking the Unspoken: Breaking the Silence, Myths, and Taboos That Hurt Therapists and Patients (APA, 2023)
Hector Y. Adames, Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, Melba J.T. Vasquez, & Ken Pope:
Succeeding as a Therapist: How to Create a Thriving Practice in a Changing World (APA, 2022)
Ken Pope, Melba J.T. Vasquez, Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, & Hector Y. Adames:
Ethics in Psychotherapy & Counseling: A Practical Guide, 6th Edition (Wiley, 2021)
“When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”
—Maya Angelou
My audience is probably too old to be the main target demographic of #JamesSomerton's videos but it's still worth checking out #hbomberguy's video detailing his shameless plagiarism:
The wait is finally over. My gay romance/gaylit short story collection Love & Limitations has arrived, just in time for the holidays (with three holiday stories too):
Iowa Senate File 538- gender transition procedures related to minors strips providers of Medicaid funding from Sept 18 forward and doesn't allow Medicaid to be used by clients for gender affirming treatment. If a counselor has a transgender client, and has used the gender dysphoria code and many others (7 pages of ICD codes) then they will be retroactively stripped of funding. I am so angry for clients and for providers. As a clinician, I feel so mad that states are telling transgender youth in lower SES that they can't be who they truly are, and now they can't even talk to a counselor. I just can't. @socialwork@Email2TootBot#SocialWork#psych#psychology#iowa#lgbtqia#transgender#transgenderrights#counseling#counselor#therapist#therapy
Happy 2nd day of #DecRecs to those who celebrate! Today's recommendation is 'Even Though I Knew The End', by C. L. Polk. A thoughtful, wistful Chicago noir about a supernatural detective making deals with demons to sell (or redeem) her soul. Wonderful setting, clothes, mood, vibes; and a bittersweet approach to demon bargains that feels more real, somehow, than more traditional tales of this nature.
Today's release: Kim Fielding's MM holiday fantasy romance Regifted:
It’s December, and although Chrys Carvalho loves his home among the trees in the California Sierras, he’s a little lonely. While trying to find a new owner for a motorcycle—gifted by Chrys to his late husband—he meets ...
Today's release: Aaron Frale's queer LitRPG fantasy: My Three-Year-Old is a Barbarian and Other Parenting Problems.
Necromantic rituals, murderous ogres, battle-scarred rangers: not a typical Saturday detention for unsuspecting teaching assistant, Petra, and her delinquent teen charges. The Beaverton High School Breakfast Club...
Today's review! Barnabas Bopwright Saves the City by J. Marshall Freeman:
"Excellent writing, believable, relatable characters, a delightful coming-of-age story... Filled with adventure and angst, and a lovely cast of characters who were relatable, believable, and very charming."
Today's release: AJ White's queer YA fantasy Shard de Voor.
Their queen missing, the allied kingdoms of Sanquous have forged an uneasy alliance with the Ilfannde as war rages across the land. Far away, in another realm, a young woman awakens to find her memory gone, along with her freedom. Who is her mysterious saviour...
QSFer Kell Shaw has a new queer urban fantasy out (ace, bi, gay, lesbian, trans FTM), Revenant Records book one: Feral Night.
Lukie’s father is trapped in the Underworld and it’s all her fault. Twenty years after her murder, Lukie has returned to life and is ready to go home, but her father isn’t willing to believe his beloved...
Today's review! Jake Monroe & the Case of the Missing Mermaid by Arthur Griffin:
"Well written. The trials and tribulations of being a PI, especially one with a paranormal caseload, are vividly portrayed. Recommended for romance readers who like their mysteries spiced with a little paranormal."
"Damaged Saints has to prove that what happened last year did not stop them but made them more determined than ever. Sex, amazing characters, and rock and roll - how can you go wrong? 5 stars.
This is the only Black Friday deal I look forward to each year. Simply the best stay-at-home research resource. I've found many sexological gems over the years . . .
Linda reviews "Loose Strings" by Christie Gordon, Road to Rocktoberfest 2023:
"Two men from totally different backgrounds and careers come together with a chance of a HEA, but only if one of them can overcome his fear and open his heart to love. 5 Stars."
I loved collaborating with a dozen talented writers on this project. The stories will captivate you! All benefits go to the Trevor Project, a charity to support the well being of LGBTQ+ young adults.