Australian comic and TV writer Tom Taylor announced last night on Facebook that he's not going to attend Emerald City Comicon this week in Seattle. In fact, he's not coming to the United States at all this year. Why? Well, I'll let him speak for himself:

...America, through no fault of most of its citizens, doesn’t feel like a safe or welcoming travel destination at this moment.

There have been reports of interrogation, phone data downloads, requests for social media accounts, returns and five-year travel bans and everyone from children to the elderly being detained. All of this has many people I’ve spoken to reconsidering or cancelling their US travel plans.

I’ve had friends and people I work with suggest I leave my phone at home, or delete my twitter account for a month before I come.

I refuse those terms.

This is bad news for Seattle comics fans, but Taylor is doing the right thing here by making his decision public. Remember when Mike Pence promoted a batshit anti-LGBT law in Indiana and then businesses and performers announced that they were boycotting Indiana? Remember how Pence backed down? Boycotts might suck for fans, but sometimes boycotts work.

I'd advise comics fans to get used to this kind of post; I bet we'll be seeing more of them in the months and years to come.