Michel Maksimova
@michelmaks.bsky.social
phd student at uic. they/them. queer game studies, crip theory, digital media, decoloniality, intersectionality & interdisciplinarity.
avatar ID: a mirror selfie of a vaguely masc person in a floral shirt
banner ID: hand-holding photos (also paws)
avatar ID: a mirror selfie of a vaguely masc person in a floral shirt
banner ID: hand-holding photos (also paws)
Pinned
Michel Maksimova
@michelmaks.bsky.social
· Mar 19
Hi #AcademicSky, happy to join everyone on another social media hub 👋 I'm currently doing a PhD in Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. My main area is queer game studies, but I'm also actively discovering various interdisciplinary intersections 🏳️🌈
Among many things happening all at once, I continue seeing queer and/or erotica artists being kicked off platforms due to payment processor pressure. Games, books, illustrations, everything is under attack even more so than it was before.
September 20, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Among many things happening all at once, I continue seeing queer and/or erotica artists being kicked off platforms due to payment processor pressure. Games, books, illustrations, everything is under attack even more so than it was before.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
I know we're upset about itch, but they're not the only ones
Payment processors harassed companies bc of a 1,000 email hate campaign
But we can EASILY top 1,000!
I prewrote an email + got the contact info - you just have to send!
↻💬♡ to boost
We CAN make a difference 💕
#itch #censorship
1/🧵
Payment processors harassed companies bc of a 1,000 email hate campaign
But we can EASILY top 1,000!
I prewrote an email + got the contact info - you just have to send!
↻💬♡ to boost
We CAN make a difference 💕
#itch #censorship
1/🧵
July 24, 2025 at 2:19 PM
I know we're upset about itch, but they're not the only ones
Payment processors harassed companies bc of a 1,000 email hate campaign
But we can EASILY top 1,000!
I prewrote an email + got the contact info - you just have to send!
↻💬♡ to boost
We CAN make a difference 💕
#itch #censorship
1/🧵
Payment processors harassed companies bc of a 1,000 email hate campaign
But we can EASILY top 1,000!
I prewrote an email + got the contact info - you just have to send!
↻💬♡ to boost
We CAN make a difference 💕
#itch #censorship
1/🧵
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
Complaint letter! You can copy/paste or edit
You can use the same info for a call!
Paypal:
Phone (US): 1-888-221-1161
Phone (outside US): 1-402-935-2050
Hours: 6am - 6pm PT
Online (for non-users or logged out - UK bc US site ONLY allows logged in users): www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/co...
2/🧵
You can use the same info for a call!
Paypal:
Phone (US): 1-888-221-1161
Phone (outside US): 1-402-935-2050
Hours: 6am - 6pm PT
Online (for non-users or logged out - UK bc US site ONLY allows logged in users): www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/co...
2/🧵
July 24, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Complaint letter! You can copy/paste or edit
You can use the same info for a call!
Paypal:
Phone (US): 1-888-221-1161
Phone (outside US): 1-402-935-2050
Hours: 6am - 6pm PT
Online (for non-users or logged out - UK bc US site ONLY allows logged in users): www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/co...
2/🧵
You can use the same info for a call!
Paypal:
Phone (US): 1-888-221-1161
Phone (outside US): 1-402-935-2050
Hours: 6am - 6pm PT
Online (for non-users or logged out - UK bc US site ONLY allows logged in users): www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/co...
2/🧵
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
NITW gonna get delisted from search results due to being "too full of that slutty bear with the hat who can't stop staring at me and then ignoring me, like not in the game i mean irl Im speaking to the gay temptation bear and he's not talking back like hes too good for me" and also too socialist
July 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
NITW gonna get delisted from search results due to being "too full of that slutty bear with the hat who can't stop staring at me and then ignoring me, like not in the game i mean irl Im speaking to the gay temptation bear and he's not talking back like hes too good for me" and also too socialist
Here's a resource to tell payment processors to stop censoring queer art and sex work. Includes phone numbers, emails, petitions, some extra tips for Australians. Please tell them to keep their hands off queers 🏳️⚧️
yellat.money
yellat.money
Protect Queer Creators and Sex Workers - Tell Payment Processors to STOP
TELL VISA, MASTERCARD, STRIPE, and PayPal to STOP
yellat.money
July 25, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Here's a resource to tell payment processors to stop censoring queer art and sex work. Includes phone numbers, emails, petitions, some extra tips for Australians. Please tell them to keep their hands off queers 🏳️⚧️
yellat.money
yellat.money
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
HELLO COMRADES
Could anyone affected by Itch removing items please send any evidence they may have to myself? I am filing a report with the Australian Consumer Commission, as I have reason to believe that Itch removing access may be a violation of Australian Consumers rights!
Drop em below or DM!!
Could anyone affected by Itch removing items please send any evidence they may have to myself? I am filing a report with the Australian Consumer Commission, as I have reason to believe that Itch removing access may be a violation of Australian Consumers rights!
Drop em below or DM!!
July 24, 2025 at 6:21 AM
HELLO COMRADES
Could anyone affected by Itch removing items please send any evidence they may have to myself? I am filing a report with the Australian Consumer Commission, as I have reason to believe that Itch removing access may be a violation of Australian Consumers rights!
Drop em below or DM!!
Could anyone affected by Itch removing items please send any evidence they may have to myself? I am filing a report with the Australian Consumer Commission, as I have reason to believe that Itch removing access may be a violation of Australian Consumers rights!
Drop em below or DM!!
Supported ACLU a bit as this feels like the most immediate efficient thing I can do. Will look into it more tomorrow.
July 24, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Supported ACLU a bit as this feels like the most immediate efficient thing I can do. Will look into it more tomorrow.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
Trans Joy Jam has wrapped with over 40 new works of fiction (short stories and games) celebrating trans joy brought into the world! Thank you everyone who entered and shared the jam around 💖
Check out all of the entries here: itch.io/jam/trans-jo...
Check out all of the entries here: itch.io/jam/trans-jo...
February 25, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Trans Joy Jam has wrapped with over 40 new works of fiction (short stories and games) celebrating trans joy brought into the world! Thank you everyone who entered and shared the jam around 💖
Check out all of the entries here: itch.io/jam/trans-jo...
Check out all of the entries here: itch.io/jam/trans-jo...
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
I don’t agree with the folks saying “lay off Itch they’re just smol beans trying their best” but I do absolutely believe the focus should be on giving payment processors and shitty right wing swerf n terf groups so much fucking hell they can’t function for the next month or six.
July 24, 2025 at 6:38 AM
I don’t agree with the folks saying “lay off Itch they’re just smol beans trying their best” but I do absolutely believe the focus should be on giving payment processors and shitty right wing swerf n terf groups so much fucking hell they can’t function for the next month or six.
With limited information that I gleaned, I believe the blame firstly lies with the group Collective Shout and with the the payment processors. That said, itch's response has been dogwater so far.
July 24, 2025 at 6:43 AM
With limited information that I gleaned, I believe the blame firstly lies with the group Collective Shout and with the the payment processors. That said, itch's response has been dogwater so far.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
leafo could've just fucking posted in the discord "this was not our call, statement coming shortly" but no, he had to fucking hit that "haha o7" in response to you bending the knee to puritan censorship, directly leading to people losing their ability to make money off of their work. shame on yall.
July 24, 2025 at 6:22 AM
leafo could've just fucking posted in the discord "this was not our call, statement coming shortly" but no, he had to fucking hit that "haha o7" in response to you bending the knee to puritan censorship, directly leading to people losing their ability to make money off of their work. shame on yall.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: In a dangerous evening escalation of the anti-porn war on the gaming industry, indie platform @itch.io has banned a number of NSFW titles and delisted thousands of others.
Trans authors are caught in the crossfire.
MasterCard, Visa, and anti-porn group Collective Shout drove the ban.
Trans authors are caught in the crossfire.
MasterCard, Visa, and anti-porn group Collective Shout drove the ban.
Major Indie Marketplace Itch.io Shadowbans NSFW Content, Trans Authors Impacted
A dangerous escalation against free speech and literary preservation from a longtime haven for transfeminine literature.
thetransfemininereview.com
July 24, 2025 at 6:02 AM
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: In a dangerous evening escalation of the anti-porn war on the gaming industry, indie platform @itch.io has banned a number of NSFW titles and delisted thousands of others.
Trans authors are caught in the crossfire.
MasterCard, Visa, and anti-porn group Collective Shout drove the ban.
Trans authors are caught in the crossfire.
MasterCard, Visa, and anti-porn group Collective Shout drove the ban.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
To connect the recent Steam and Itch situation to another ongoing bit of news: Visa and Mastercard (and other US companies like PayPal, Stripe, and Meta) clearly believe they are entitled to dictate how people spend money not just through their services, but anywhere at all
archive.ph/jigm3
archive.ph/jigm3
July 24, 2025 at 3:46 AM
To connect the recent Steam and Itch situation to another ongoing bit of news: Visa and Mastercard (and other US companies like PayPal, Stripe, and Meta) clearly believe they are entitled to dictate how people spend money not just through their services, but anywhere at all
archive.ph/jigm3
archive.ph/jigm3
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
more than ever, games media and bloggers should write and report on queer indie games. we need more attention than ever.
July 24, 2025 at 4:12 AM
more than ever, games media and bloggers should write and report on queer indie games. we need more attention than ever.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
itch.io banning nsfw/adult terms from its searches with absolutely no warning is a good reminder that the people who make the porn games are ALWAYS more on your side than payment processors and corporations. always. you don’t have to like the games they make, but you do have to stand on their side.
July 24, 2025 at 2:21 AM
itch.io banning nsfw/adult terms from its searches with absolutely no warning is a good reminder that the people who make the porn games are ALWAYS more on your side than payment processors and corporations. always. you don’t have to like the games they make, but you do have to stand on their side.
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
* Complain en masse to PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, etc
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
July 24, 2025 at 4:28 AM
* Complain en masse to PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, etc
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
* Loudly and openly blame specific payment processors on social media
* Flood the replies of Visa, MasterCard’s posts
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
Some starting points on how to organize against payment processor censorship (in the US):
* Contact your local politicians
* Contact the ACLU & other free speech orgs
* Send tips to reporters abt this issue
* Create infographs and spread the word
* Get the word out via TikTok shorts, YouTube videos
* Contact your local politicians
* Contact the ACLU & other free speech orgs
* Send tips to reporters abt this issue
* Create infographs and spread the word
* Get the word out via TikTok shorts, YouTube videos
July 24, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Some starting points on how to organize against payment processor censorship (in the US):
* Contact your local politicians
* Contact the ACLU & other free speech orgs
* Send tips to reporters abt this issue
* Create infographs and spread the word
* Get the word out via TikTok shorts, YouTube videos
* Contact your local politicians
* Contact the ACLU & other free speech orgs
* Send tips to reporters abt this issue
* Create infographs and spread the word
* Get the word out via TikTok shorts, YouTube videos
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
so itchio has shadowbanned any games tagged with 'nsfw', 'adult', or 'erotic' so they don't show up in searches, and several devs have reported that their r18 games have been removed from the site with no warning
July 24, 2025 at 1:14 AM
so itchio has shadowbanned any games tagged with 'nsfw', 'adult', or 'erotic' so they don't show up in searches, and several devs have reported that their r18 games have been removed from the site with no warning
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
Also worth noting: Jenny Jiao Hsia's autobiographical opus Consume Me, which won the Grand Prize at this year's Independent Games Festival along with a few other awards, is also delisted in itch search (but also has a searchable Steam listing)
Can confirm that most of the works by @radiatoryang.bsky.social, as well as my own card game (but not the extras, ironically) no longer show up in itch.io search results, much like anything else tagged NSFW, it seems. Good enough art for museums... But not payment processors!
itch.io/search?q=Rob...
itch.io/search?q=Rob...
Search results for 'Robert yang'
itch.io
July 24, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Also worth noting: Jenny Jiao Hsia's autobiographical opus Consume Me, which won the Grand Prize at this year's Independent Games Festival along with a few other awards, is also delisted in itch search (but also has a searchable Steam listing)
Reposted by Michel Maksimova
Can confirm that most of the works by @radiatoryang.bsky.social, as well as my own card game (but not the extras, ironically) no longer show up in itch.io search results, much like anything else tagged NSFW, it seems. Good enough art for museums... But not payment processors!
itch.io/search?q=Rob...
itch.io/search?q=Rob...
Search results for 'Robert yang'
itch.io
July 24, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Can confirm that most of the works by @radiatoryang.bsky.social, as well as my own card game (but not the extras, ironically) no longer show up in itch.io search results, much like anything else tagged NSFW, it seems. Good enough art for museums... But not payment processors!
itch.io/search?q=Rob...
itch.io/search?q=Rob...