Beyond Victoriana wins “Best Blog” in the 2012 Steampunk Chronicle’s Readers Choice Awards

Click for to see the list of full results on the Steampunk Chronicle's website

Wow — quick announcement here. I checked my email this morning to find out a delightful surprise about the results from the Steampunk Chronicle: Beyond Victoriana had won in their Reader’s Choice Awards.

That is such an honor in itself (not to mention they informed me after the nomination session had ended that readers had written me in for “Best Multicultural Steampunk”), but scrolling down the list, I noticed this mention below:

A Special BEST OF STEAMPUNK Award is given this year to  Diana M.Pho, a.k.a. Ay-leen the Peacemaker She was the most nominated person in the SteamLife Category as was uncontested in the areas of Feminist Steampunk and Most Politically Minded Steampunk. We congratulate her on the great strides she has made in the areas of Multiculturalism and Fashion.

Now I swear up and down the Thames and the Mekong that I didn’t rig this award! XD

So onto the thank yous, because, obviously, so many of you readers showed your outstanding support for creating a more imaginatively diverse and actively critical community of doers, thinkers, and artists. This award shouldn’t be about one person, but also should go to every single Beyond Victoriana contributor and commentor, every aethernetz friend of the blog, every follower on Facebook and Twitter, and every convention goer that I have met these past four years during my involvement in the steampunk community.

Last week, I saw George Takei speak at the Pop Culture Association/ American Culture Association National Conference and he said many things that struck me, but particularly this: “All of us can be change makers in advocacy and lobbying.”

So, not to be too soap-boxy, but I really believe this. And I believe that progressive and idealistic people can be change-makers if given the right platform. That is what Beyond Victoriana is: a space for people to make change.

And I look forward to continuing to do this. With you.

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