Tantrums win again.

The Guardian:

Ten authors nominated for this year’s Polari prizes, a set of UK awards celebrating LGBTQ+ literature, have withdrawn from the awards over the longlisting of John Boyne, who has described himself as a “Terf” – the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

Two judges have also withdrawn from the prize process, and more than 800 writers and publishing industry workers have signed a statement calling on Polari to formally remove Boyne from the longlist. Boyne, who was longlisted for the main Polari book prize for his novella Earth, is best known for his 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

Author Nicola Dinan, who won the Polari first book prize last year for her novel Bellies, resigned from this year’s jury for the debut prize. Guardian journalist Jason Okundaye asked for his book Revolutionary Acts to be removed from this year’s first book prize longlist, while Andrew McMillan withdrew his book Pity from the longlist for the overall Polari book prize for non-debuts.

Heartstopper author Alice Oseman along with the writers Nikesh Shukla, Julia Armfield, Naoise Dolan, Seán Hewitt and Kirsty Logan are among the hundreds to have signed the statement.

“We are profoundly disappointed by the Polari prize’s decision to include John Boyne on the longlist for this year’s Polari book prize,” it reads. Boyne “has publicly and unequivocally associated himself with trans exclusionary sentiments”, it continues, citing an Irish Independent article in which Boyne expresses support for JK Rowling and describes himself as a “fellow Terf”. Boyne declined to comment.

Boyne doesn’t believe that men can be women or vice versa, and for that all these people are campaigning hard to block him from being eligible for a prize?

It’s such shameless bullying for such a contemptible reason I can hardly believe what I’m reading. He knows that people can’t change sex, therefore we inquisitors are going to make sure he cannot win this prize, and what’s more we’re going to do it in public! We think we’re fabulous!

Boyne’s “public statements on trans rights and identity are incompatible with the LGBTQ+ community’s most basic standards of inclusion”, the statement continues. “In any year, the decision to include Mr Boyne on the longlist would be, in our view, inappropriate and hurtful to the wider community of LGBTQ+ readers and writers. That the decision has been made this year – in the context of rising anti-trans hatred and systematic exclusion of trans people from public life in the UK and across the world – is inexcusable.”

What’s so special about this year? Nothing; they’re just making shit up in an attempt to sound less crazy and mean than they obviously are.