malicethewriter

[malicethewriter]

I wish people would understand that it is actually a good thing when allegations of sexual misconduct are thoroughly investigated, leaving no stone unturned, and that most survivors of sexual assault who've come forward are not lucky enough to have people take their story seriously enough to look into it in good faith, verify it, and post a long, exhaustively researched researched article informing everyone that they're telling the truth.

[malicethewriter]

People in fandoms* associated with Neil Gaiman are not showing each other the grace they should be in a stressful time, and I would like to remind people of some things:

Not everybody knows about the allegations because it is not being reported widely in mainstream media. Gaiman has engaged a PR/crisis management firm that has done work with Marilyn Manson, Russell Brand, and Danny Masterson to actively squash coverage.

The story broke on a site unfamiliar to a lot of non-UK people. There was confusion as well as outright misinformation about whether the site was a TERF outlet (it is not). While Rachel Johnson, the lead reporter on the story, is a TERF who has publicly clashed with Gaiman about trans rights, she has behaved responsibly and ethically as a journalist regarding this. I wrote more in depth about these things here.

Everybody deals differently with finding out creators are problematic. The method you prefer is not the only correct way of coping. Some people are able to divorce art from the creator and some people are not. This is an attitude that can change over time. And if you feel like you need to express frustration that somebody else's method isn't the same as yours? I would recommend shutting your fucking trap.

If people know about the allegations, it's shitty to assume they're ignoring them or think they're false until somebody explicitly says so. There are many things people don't say online, and you are not owed disclaimers or explanations.

Fandom is more than the work itself. Some people find strength in the community that has formed around it, and rely on each other to help cope with and grieve this loss. The love you have for the work and your fellow fans is not something that belongs to the creator. It never has and that can't be taken away.

Your personal relationship with a creator's work will change over time. That's inevitable regardless of whether they turn out to be problematic or not. And when those works are deeply significant and formative, like many of Gaiman's works are to me** and countless others? That's fucking tough. Be kind to yourself and others when working through this. I love you all.

--

* I have seen this in Good Omens most prominently, although I am sure there are other places where it is happening as well.

** I have been a fan of Gaiman's work longer than some of you have been alive. It has not been a great month or so.

[malicethewriter]

With the release of Vulture magazine's feature (un-paywalled) expanding on the stories of the women abused by Neil Gaiman who had previously come forward, now more than ever it's important to continue to keep the PR machine from trying to bury the stories.

LINKS

updated transcript of the Tortoise Media podcast to include episodes 5 & 6.

Am I Broken- Survivor Stories Episode 4-2 Complete Unofficial Transcript

Courtnee Fallon Rex's account of ending their friendship with Neil Gaiman

muccamukk's link round-up of Neil Gaiman Assault Allegations

Reddit's r/neilgaimanuncovered forum

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Individuals providing testimonies of abuse is evidence.

When people say 'so we are just supposed to take her at her word?' the answer is YES.

If the only reason you take his word over hers is because you want to believe that someone whose work you admire isn't capable of such actions, then this is a reality check. You can never know what is it another person's heart and mind. You cannot judge them solely by their words. You can only truly take their measure by their actions.

Examine your internal biases and ask yourself why would someone come forward and share stories of abuse by someone with significantly more power at great personal risk if they weren't true? They have everything to lose, and yet they came forward anyway to try to prevent Neil Gaiman from harming any other vulnerable women the way that he harmed them.

Only 2-8% of sexual assault allegations are found to be false.

The myth of accusing the innocent of sexual assault as some kind of revenge is exactly that: a myth perpetuated by rape culture that persists because when one cares for or admires the accused, people want it to be true.

That fence that you believe that you are standing on is an invisible line drawn in the sand.

Believe survivors. Amplify their voices. Share their stories. Hold people accountable. Actions have consequences.

THINGS WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS

Repost articles and transcripts as they appear in the trades and the mainstream press, and tag them with the appropriate trigger warnings and content warnings.

Keep amplifying the voices of the survivors, and showing up with compassion and empathy and support for the untold numbers who have yet to come forward.

Keep talking about the allegations of abuse and sexual assault levelled at Neil Gaiman. Do not let it fade into the background, or be drowned out by vigorous promotion of his upcoming works. Boost the signal, particularly to raise awareness across fandoms so fans can do their best to protect themselves from potential abuse in the future.

Make donations to RAINN and The Survivors Trust, and find out what you can do on a local level to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse.

Do not tag fan works such as fanfic, fan art, quotes, gifsets, and meta discussions about Gaiman's work or live-action adaptations of Gaiman's work with #Neil Gaiman so that you are not doing the expensive PR team's work for them by helping to bury the story of Neil Gaiman's abuse of vulnerable women on social media.

Do not bully Neil Gaiman's peers in the industry, friends and family, or actors currently involved in live action adaptations of his work for not immediately making any kind of public statements.

Do not bully fellow fans. Everyone is working through their very complex feelings and relationships with both the text and the man at their own speed. Please give them the space to grieve that loss, but continue to center the stories of the survivors and express sympathy and empathy for all of the survivors who have yet to come forward.

As others have noted, The Tortoise Media Slow News podcast that initially broke the story is run by a group of well-respected journalists, and Ms Johnson is not a full-time member of the staff but was only given a shared byline on the story because one of the survivors contacted her privately which is what kicked off the year long investigation.

Filter out noise such as kink-shaming, anti-BDSM discourse, and other editorial comments and instead focus on the actual words of survivors recounting their experiences.

Remember that despite using the language of BDSM, what the survivors have recounted is in fact examples of coercive control and abuse cloaked in the language of kink. It's very important to note that BDSM nearly always includes extensive negotiation of consent to specific acts and partners check in with one another constantly, establish safe words, and engage in aftercare. That is absolutely not what was described by the survivors thus far.

Sexual assault is not about sex so much as it is about power. In every instance reported thus far, the common thread has been predatory behaviour toward vulnerable women. In more than one case, women who were employed in Neil Gaiman's households and were reliant on him for their housing and livelihood.

Do not guilt trip or shame people who are attempting to separate the art from the artist. allow people to love what they love about the novels, comics, and media adaptations, value the friendships that they have made because of them, and keep the joy that those projects brought them. Do not let Neil Gaiman's behaviour rob generations of fans of the stories that meant so much to them. He has already taken so much from so many; don't help him take more from you or others than he already has.

Do not invite him as a guest speaker to your events, a guest of honour at your conventions, or a guest lecturer at your institutions. without jeopardizing the financial future of your institution or theater, do not book speaking tours, book signings, launch parties, etc. as these events have proved to be a fertile hunting ground and provide ongoing income directly to Neil Gaiman.

If you reblog (and I sincerely hope that you will) please keep the tags intact. The goal is to continue centering the voices of survivors and attempt to limit Neil Gaiman's access to vulnerable women, particularly those in fandom.

[malicethewriter]

armand + mr. molloy ↳ bonus:

[malicethewriter]

Keeping up with tradition

[malicethewriter]

no but why hasn’t prime video, the streaming service from amazon which is a virtual store, invested a single dollar in merchandising for the rings of power???? they should be selling all kinds of licensed trop junk, maybe even selling stuff exclusively on amazon and yet we have nothing

[malicethewriter]

this & the next one inspired by this wotr post

Part: 151/?

[malicethewriter]

Far above the Ephel Dúath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.

The Return of The King, J.R.R. Tolkien

[malicethewriter]

btw this isn't a vague/subtweet (post?) or anything but just so y'all know, there's a way to mark things as "inspired by" on ao3

you don't have to just put it in the notes!! very cool under-utilized feature

[malicethewriter]

incubus or siren jaskier? 👀

geralt falls in love with tolerates him anyway

inbox is open for hotd or witcher requests /ᐠ. .ᐟ\ฅ

[malicethewriter]

Storm #4 - "A Flame in The Wind" (2025)

written by Murewa Ayodele art by Lucas Werneck, Ales Guimaraes, & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

[malicethewriter]

Storm #4 - "A Flame in The Wind" (2025)

written by Murewa Ayodele art by Lucas Werneck, Ales Guimaraes, & Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

[malicethewriter]

The Witcher Sirens of the Deep stills (source: Redanian Intelligence) 1/2

[malicethewriter]

Survival instincts

And Geralt - I won't let this beast hurt by bard - de Rivia

[malicethewriter]

Saw a post here recently that claimed that "trans men aren't victimized nearly as much as trans women"

Well, here's actual data on the issue, from actual researchers, who measured rates of rape, sexual assault, aggravated and simple assault among trans men/mascs and women/fems

Notice how trans men/mascs are victims of rape, sexual assault, and assault at a higher rate than trans women/fems? Kinda like what transandrophobia advocates have been saying all along?

Note that I'm not saying that this is a competition of who's oppressed more, as both groups have it pretty shit, and the rates of victimization between the groups are pretty close enough as is.

I'm simply pointing this out to dispel the myth that trans women/fems are overwhelmingly victimized more, like the poster claimed.

Source: Flores, A. R., Meyer, I. H., Langton, L., & Herman, J. L. (2021). Gender Identity Disparities in Criminal Victimization: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017-2018. American journal of public health, 111(4), 726–729. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306099

Press Release for study here

[malicethewriter]

LOWER DECKS

4x03 In the Cradle of Vexilon

[malicethewriter]

You just don't know it yet. 🤷

XMEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST 2014 — Bryan Singer