#Activism Works

[ivygorgon]

Demanding Action: Stop the Assault on Transgender Rights!!

Tell YOUR elected officials to Stop the Assault on Transgender Rights by telling your friends to text SIGN PIPNQC to 50409 or share:

📱 Text SIGN PIPNQC to 50409

REDS! Let The Silly People Be Clowns! Protect the American Right to Free Speech!

If you hate to see drag be censored and your officials live in a RED STATE, or a state at risk of anti transgender legislation, tell your friends to text SIGN PHFSPG to 50409 or share:

📱 Text SIGN PHFSPG to 50409

Americans Celebrating Recent Court Victories & Upholding Free Speech Rights!

If you live in a BLUE STATE, or your officials are trans friendly, tell your friends to text SIGN PWUITK to 50409 or share:

📱 Text SIGN PWUITK to 50409

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Drive more attention by Relogging This Post and sharing these in your community!

💘 Q'u lach' shughu deshni da. 🏹 "What I say is true" in Dena'ina Qenaga

Read the letters under the cut:

AN OPEN LETTER to THE PRESIDENT & U.S. CONGRESS; STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES

Demanding Action: Stop the Assault on Transgender Rights!!

6 so far! Help us get to 10 signers!

I am writing urgently to address the alarming rise in anti-transgender legislation across our nation. Recent developments, such as the high-risk classification of Idaho for adults & Wyoming for youth due to a transgender care ban, demand immediate attention. The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated. As your constituent, I am terrified by the discriminatory bills prohibiting gender-affirming care & bathroom bans sweeping our states impacting my rights. These laws directly threaten the rights & dignity of transgender Americans, impacting individuals of all ages, especially cisgender youth, adults, women of color, & intersex persons.

A recent article by Erin Reed highlighted the insurmountable & still-rising risks faced by transgender Americans due to legislative actions in various states, particularly impacting cisgender youth, adults, women of color, & intersex persons. This onslaught of discriminatory laws, as outlined in Erin's updates, poses a direct threat to the rights & dignity of every transgender American, past, present, & future.

It is deeply troubling to witness states like Idaho escalating to a "high risk" level by passing bills that prohibit gender-affirming care for individuals of all ages. Similar trends across the nation, including bathroom bans & restrictions on identity documentation, create hostile environments that undermine the fundamental rights of transgender individuals to exist authentically & safely. Additionally, proposals like those in Alaska, which expose disadvantaged students to invasive scrutiny & domestic dangers, further exacerbate the urgency of this issue. Our transgender siblings in states like Florida also face immense challenges & danger due to discriminatory legislation by the ‘Sundown State,’ meaning ‘Do Not Travel.’

As a nation that values equality & justice for all, we cannot remain silent in the face of such discriminatory legislation. These laws not only perpetuate stigma & discrimination but also pose a grave threat to the well-being & dignity of all American demographics.

The respected Union Soldier Pvt. Albert D. J. Cashier should be honored for his service to our country, & it is shameful that our society refuses to recognize & affirm his value, sacrifice & American Rights. Any elected official who supports the bad-faith war on transgender Americans should be ashamed & embarrassed to champion & enforce unequal division rights.

I urge you to take a bold stand against any & all anti-transgender legislation & to introduce & support measures that uphold the rights & dignity of all Americans, regardless of their gender identity. Our elected officials have a responsibility to champion policies that promote inclusivity, respect, & equal rights for all Americans in our communities & across the nation, to include all our transgender, non-binary, gender-non-conforming, intersex, or cisgender Americans, regardless of their genital configuration or reproductive potential.

📱 Text SIGN PIPNQC to 50409

AN OPEN LETTER to STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES

REDS! Let The Silly People Be Clowns! Protect the American Right to Free Speech!

2 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

Recent court rulings in Indiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia have underscored the importance of upholding the rights of transgender Americans. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Indiana ruled against misgendering in schools, while a federal judge in Tennessee blocked a drag ban, citing likely unconstitutionality. The Supreme Court declined to reinstate a sports ban in West Virginia, allowing a young transgender athlete to continue participating. Both of these rulings do miracles in protect cisgender and transgender students alike from discrimination, bullying, invasive scrutiny, and sexual assault.

These victories are a testament to the power of the judiciary in safeguarding the rights of marginalized communities. It is crucial to uphold the American right to free speech, which includes the art and performance of drag. Drag is not inherently sexual or inappropriate; it is a form of expression deserving protection. Therefore, it is requested that all bans on drag be dismissed, in line with the spirit of these recent court victories.

Protect the American Right to Free Speech! Drag as an art form and performance is not inherently sexual and should be recognized as protected speech. Let us dismiss all bans on drag and protect the American right to expression. Many of us, including you and your peers, have engaged in light-hearted instances of cross-dressing, emphasizing the playful nature of this expression. For the sake of our constitutional values, let us embrace diversity and respect for all forms of self-expression.

For all that our constitution is worth, let the silly people be clowns!

📱 Text SIGN PHFSPG to 50409

AN OPEN LETTER to STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES

Americans Celebrating Recent Court Victories & Upholding Free Speech Rights!

2 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

I am writing to you again to share the inspiring news of recent court victories in Indiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia that underscore the importance of upholding the rights of transgender Americans and protecting free speech, including the art and performance of drag.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Indiana ruled against misgendering in schools, recognizing the harmful impact on transgender students. In Tennessee, a federal judge blocked a drag ban, citing likely unconstitutionality and defending the right to artistic expression. Additionally, the Supreme Court's decision not to reinstate a sports ban in West Virginia ensures that a young transgender athlete can continue participating. Both of these rulings do miracles in protect cisgender and transgender students alike from discrimination, bullying, and invasive scrutiny.

These rulings are a testament to the judiciary's power in safeguarding the rights of marginalized communities. Drag, as an art form, is not inherently sexual or inappropriate—it is a valid form of self-expression deserving of protection under the American right to free speech.

In light of these victories, I urge you to support the dismissal of all bans on drag and to stand firm in defending our constitutional values. As a meaningful gesture of support for freedom of expression, I encourage you and your peers to wear lavender, a color associated with drag in LGBTQ+ history, especially during transgender holidays (March 31 & Nov 28) and Pride events in June.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Let us continue to embrace diversity and respect all forms of self-expression in our society.

📱 Text SIGN PWUITK to 50409

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[reallybadblackoutpoems]

meditations on first philosophy (1641) - rene descartes

"who give a shit"

[thepeacefulgarden]

[july-19th-club]

seriously have been thinking about this all night long. call me autistic but the fact that 90% of workplaces the point is not to get your work done and then be done doing it but to instead perform an elaborate social dance in which you find something to do even when you're done doing everything you need to do in order to show your fellow workers that you, too, are Working . because you are at Work . disgusting why cant we all agree that if there is no work immediately to be done. we just dont do anything

[chittychittyyangyang]

Listen, you should never film strangers in public without their consent, but I swear there need to be fines or something for people who do that shit in some spaces. For example: I had to go to the ER last night, and some jerk filmed a woman who just came in and was clearly having an asthma attack. She immediately got to go back, and he was unhappy about that. Believe me, I get that it sucks having to wait when you're in pain, but you don't get to pick who deserves care when. The medical system in the US is a nightmare, and the ER could be the worst moment of someone's life. No one deserves to be recorded because some jack ass believes someone doesn't look like they need care.

This is fine to reblog. People who film strangers should be shamed if nothing else.

[chamerionwrites]

Also, there is so much hand-wringing over the ethics of BDSM and while obviously it is worth taking care about ...sensation seeking is a thing. Many, many people enjoy eating habanero peppers and/or watching movies that make them cry. The conceptual leap from there to the idea that it's possible for sex to hurt good is a very short one, and sometimes it REALLY is as simple as that.

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

[monstermonger]

I recently bought an art book on Caspar David Friedrich, whose emotional work stuck with me since I first saw it in a museum years ago. Over the course of a few weeks, I read about his life and at the same time did studies/interpretations of many pieces. It was a really enjoyable and fulfilling project; here's a good lot of them together :)

I was happy to see many people enjoyed Friedrich's work+my interpretations while posting them individually. It took way too long, but I FINALLY set up a print shop for some of these + some other pieces for those who expressed interest. Thank you so much!

[araekniarchive]

@mnvart // Kaveh Akbar, 'Calling A Wolf A Wolf' // @PinkRangerLB on Twitter // @kosmogrl // @devinsturk, '15 Proverbs for the Fellow Chronically Ill' // Jasmine Deporta // Anaïs Nin, House of Incest // the gentle wisdom uquiz by @inkskinned // Rora Blue, 'Sweet Dreams' // Hala Alyan, Dear Layal

[salsayz]

nikaido 💕 can never get enough of her

[madamemiz]

sad: falling out of a hyperfixation

tragic: watching your beloved friends and mutuals fall out of the hyperfixation while you're still in it

[ivygorgon]

End Gerrymandering! Pass the FAIR MAPS Act!

AN OPEN LETTER to THE U.S. CONGRESS

593 so far! Help us get to 1,000 signers!

Rep. Wiley Nickel has introduced a bill, the FAIR MAPS Act, to combat partisan gerrymandering by establishing independent, non-partisan redistricting commissions in every state. I’d like you to support it.

Across the country, partisan gerrymandering has been used as a tool by politicians to manipulate electoral outcomes with almost surgical precision. This leads to hyper-partisanship, a lack of trust in government, and disenfranchised voters. In America today, politicians too often choose their voters instead of voters choosing their elected officials. It's troubling and anti-democratic.

Independent redistricting commissions, which the FAIR MAPS Act promotes, are a common-sense solution to gerrymandering that puts power in the hands of the people – where it belongs. When districts are drawn fairly, all voters – Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike – have a fair shot to make their voices heard.

For that reason, please co-sponsor and work to pass the FAIR MAPS Act. Thanks.

▶ Created on April 25 by Jess Craven · 593 signers in the past 7 days

📱 Text SIGN PDXMVG to 50409

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[qweenofurheart]

timothy’s jokes don’t always land

[astraltrickster]

This post is your reminder that you are not obligated to blog about current events.

Things are bad. Really bad. Do not let people guilt trip you into tormenting yourself even further over the fact that things are bad. Doomscrolling is not activism.

If you're just on tumblr to blorbopost or reblog pretty pictures, you are not harming people by inaction.

You are not a bad person for not dedicating every aspect of your life and leisure space to whatever disgusting mask-off attack on human life and dignity some government has decided to enact.

Take action where you can, but don't confuse doomscrolling and digital self harm for action.

If you need to lose yourself in blorboposting, go for it.

If you need to log off for the day, whether it's to take irl action or to protect what little sanity any of us have left over the past 7 years, then by all means, do.

Morale is important. Hope is important. Small joys keep us from burning out completely in times like this. Do not let any "if you don't reblog this I'm judging you" guilt trip convince you otherwise.

[marzipanandminutiae]

why are skirts inherently evil and oppressive in historical fiction until men are wearing them

I've never heard anyone going on at length about how Universally ImpracticalTM the garb of a Scotsman or an ancient Roman politician are

suddenly everyone has a concept of situational practicality that previously was not there

[transformativeworks]

KOSA Moves to the House

KOSA is still moving forward and OTW Legal explains how fans can add their voices and who to contact. Read more at https://otw-news.org/37dhnd5a