Sci-fi magazine pulls story by trans writer after 'barrage of attacks'
A science fiction story that repurposed the transphobic meme “I Sexually Identify as an Aattack Helicopter” as its title has been removed from the magazine Clarkesworld following a “barrage of attacks” on its transgender author.
Isabel Fall’s story, which was published in Clarkesworld earlier this week and quickly went viral, opens as the narrator describes how they “sexually identify as an attack helicopter”. “I decided that I was done with womanhood, over what womanhood could do for me; I wanted to be something furiously new,” Fall writes. “To the people who say a woman would’ve refused to do what I do, I say – Isn’t that the point?”
Some readers felt the story was transphobic, with some accusing Fall of being a troll. There was also a raft of positive reactions from writers including Carmen Maria Machado and Phoebe North, who wrote an essay praising the story: “Thank you for making me feel seen and heard. We don’t get a lot of ourselves in fiction. We often only get scraps. This was more than that. A mirror.” However, due to the criticism, Fall asked Clarkesworld to remove the story from the monthly science fiction and fantasy periodical.
In a lengthy statement, editor Neil Clarke clarified that the story was not a hoax, and Fall had “honestly and very personally wanted to take away some of the power of that very hurtful meme”, which is intended to parody the evolving gender spectrum. The story, he added, had been through multiple revisions, and had been seen by sensitivity readers.
But Clarke said that “the recent barrage of attacks on Isabel have taken a toll”, and she needed the story to be pulled for her safety and health.
The only information initially provided about Fall was her year of birth, 1988. Clarke said that this had been intentional, to protect Fall from attacks by anti-trans campaigners, but “unfortunately, the same shield used against them opened her up to an unexpected attack from others”.
The author was not out as trans when the story was published, but felt pressured into publicly outing herself, as a defence against the attacks. Clarke said: “That should never be the case and is very disturbing to me.”
The editor apologised “to those who were hurt by the story or the ensuing storms”, adding that he had learned that even with sensitivity reading, it is “still possible to miss something”.
“In this case we can see two groups of trans readers with directly opposing views that are deeply rooted in their own experience and perspectives. In some cases, what made the story speak to some is also what alienated others. Neither perspective is wrong, but they appear to be incompatible with one another on some level. Knowing that this was a potentially controversial story, we should have employed a broader range of sensitivity readers,” said Clarke.
He said he had also privately apologised to Fall, who is donating her payment for the story to the trans charity Trans Lifeline. “Inspired by her actions, I have decided to match the gift,” said Clarke.
