#legal defense fund

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A federal judge has suspended partial enforcement of Florida's "Stop WOKE Act," a bill backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts how companies and schools discuss race.

DeSantis signed the bill into law in April. It would limit race-based teachings in schools, and the way that private companies carry out mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings. Companies that have 15 employees or more could face civil lawsuits if they're accused of violating the law.

In his opinion, Chief US District Judge Mark Walker blocked the employer portion of the law, saying it violated free speech. He compared the law to Netflix's blockbuster science-fiction hit, "Stranger Things."

"In the popular television series Stranger Things, the 'upside down' describes a parallel dimension containing a distorted version of our world," Walker, a nominee of then-President Barack Obama, wrote in his opinion. "Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down."

"Normally, the First Amendment bars the state from burdening speech, while private actors may burden speech freely," Walker continued. "But in Florida, the First Amendment apparently bars private actors from burdening speech, while the state may burden speech freely."

The Governor's press office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. When DeSantis signed the bill into law he issued a statement likening the trainings and teachings to "indoctrination," saying, "no one should be instructed to feel as if they are not equal or shamed because of their race."

The law targeted what many Republicans call "critical race theory." Formally, critical race theory examines racism in US institutions stemming from slavery and the Jim Crow era. Democrats have argued it's mostly taught in law schools, and defenders of DEI trainings say they're necessary to prevent implicit bias, discrimination, and racism.

The term became more widely used after schools and businesses across the US began openly discussing and addressing topics of systemic racism following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

In the wake of the murder, several large corporations issued statements saying they were committed to fighting racism and supporting social justice.

But Republicans have used the term "critical race theory" as a shorthand for race-based discussions and trainings that they say are tied to Marxism.

The Florida law, formally known as House Bill 7, says that schools and businesses can't implement policies or teaching materials saying that members of a specific ethnic group are inherently racist or that they should feel guilty for actions committed by their predecessors. They also are barred from promoting the view that people are privileged or oppressed, or inherently racist or sexist, because of their race or national origin.

Plaintiffs in the case were Honeyfund.com, a Florida honeymoon registry technology company, Ben & Jerry's franchisee Primo Tampa, and workplace diversity consultancy Collective Concepts and its co-founder Chevara Orrin.

The plaintiffs said in their lawsuit that Florida's law infringed on workplace training programs regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as trainings to prevent harassment.

Honeyfund said in its lawsuit that private employers should be able to "engage in open and free exchange of information with employees to identify and begin to address discrimination and harm" at their workplaces.

Shalini Goel Agarwal, counsel at Protect Democracy, one of the legal firms representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the law would have chilled "a wide range of speech in the workplace."

"We look forward to proceeding to trial, winning, and seeing this law permanently overturned," Goel Agarwal said. "It is a direct attack on American free speech values as well as on free enterprise in Florida."

Several other organizations including the ACLU, the ACLU of Florida, and the Legal Defense Fund filed suit against Florida's law on Thursday.

DeSantis is up for reelection in November and many believe that he'll run for president in 2024. During his tenure the Governor has embraced controversial culture-war issues, including a law called the Parental Rights in Education Act.

Dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay Bill," the legislation bans discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, particularly in kindergarten through third grade. Critics say the bill may extend further because it contains ambiguous language banning such instruction "in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate."

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Hamilton Labor Member Asks Questions About Trial of the Convicts,” Kingston Whig-Standard. February 22, 1933. Page 1. ---- OTTAWA , Feb. 22— Humphrey Mitchell, Labor member for Hamilton East, has given notice of a aeries of questions he will ask the Government relating to the riots at Kingston Penitentiary. He asks if the Government will provide counsel for the prisoners who have been committed for trial on rioting charges, and if Col. Keiler MacKay has been retained as prosecutor. 

The Hamilton Laborite wants to know who recommended Col. MacKay for the prosecutor’s work and how much he is paid.

[curtvilescomic]

Painkiller Jane cover by Amanda Conner for CBLDF No Justice/No Peace

[cock-holliday]

A trans man in Ohio is being charged with assault for using mace to escape brutality from nazis. Show your support for his legal fund and the community at risk from this assault.

Gofundme link

Original Post

Tweet thread on NeoNazis present

[tomoleary]

Frank Quitely’s poster for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Source

[fandomtrumpshate]

FTH 2023 Supported Organization: Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund

Although the legal and social landscape for trans people is better than it was ten or even five years ago, trans people still face discrimination, and in some cases even violence, in many dimensions of life. Trans people are far more likely to be confronted with unjust eviction, denial of medical treatment and employment discrimination. Trans people of color are particularly vulnerable, and are among the most frequent targets of violent hate crimes.

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s mission is to end discrimination and achieve equality for transgender people, particularly those in our most vulnerable communities. Transgender people have been subject to pervasive discrimination that has kept them, with rare exceptions, hidden from public view.

TLDEF’s strategies include path-breaking trans rights cases and “friend of the court” briefs regarding the key issues of employment, health care, education and public accommodations. They seek to coordinate with traditional civil rights organizations and other LGBT civil rights organizations. They also provide public education on transgender rights.  

In addition, TLDEF’s Name Change Project provides pro bono legal name change services to community members through partnerships with some of nation’s premier law firms and corporate law departments.

You can support TLDEF as a creator in the 2023 FTH auction (or as a bidder, when the time comes to donate for the auctions you’ve won.) 

Signups are open!

[downthetubes]

Caliburn Prize to encourage new, unpublished British comics talent, has "underwhelming" response

Applications for The Hooded Man Caliburn Prize for Comic Creation (aka The Caliburn Prize) close at the end of this month – but, unfortunately, you may never have heard of it. The Caliburn Prize is a UK comic-based literary grant that aims to recognise new and unpublished voices in the world of comic and graphic novel creation, sponsored by the author Tony Lee through his digital-first…

[ghoul-haunted]

get the fuck outta here with this shit

[givemearmstopraywith]

bail funds for pro-palestine activists

a15 bail and legal defense fund (supporting community members criminalized in the us for solidarity with palestine)

university of texas at austin students bail fund venmo @ psc_atx (livestream)

columbia students bail fund venmo @ bcabolitioncollective

as of april 15 ct dissenters (new york and connecticut) need bail funs for arrested activists: zelle: ctpalestinesolidaritycoalition@gmail.com cashapp: $BristolAntiRacism (use "april gift" in your memo so contributions can be tracked)

the palestine legal defense fund supports acitvists across the united states

palestine legal defence also supplies free legal support for activists

the national bail fund network may update with local bail fund efforts as events continue to unfold

this list is updated as of 24 april 10pm EST. i'll try to update as i find further bail funds and legal supports: if you know of other funds or if information shared here is incorrect, please reblog with updated info (+ a timestamp) so people can give and access support.

palestine will be free, solidarity forever 🍉 🇵🇸

[graphicpolicy]

Around the Tubes

While you start the day, here's some comic news and a review from around the web. #comics

It’s a new week and we’ve got a lot coming at you. While you start the day, here’s some comic news and a review from around the web. CBLDF – Part 4: U.S. v. Comics – Don’t miss this comic history. CBR – Frank Grillo Joins Peacemaker Season 2 as the DCU’s Rick Flag Sr. – Cool. Comicbook – Revival: Syfy Orders TV Series Based on Image Comics Hit – Cool. Review The Beat – Essentials

[deadpresidents]

"What emerged in two interviews with Trump, and conversations with more than a dozen of his closest advisers and confidants, were the outlines of an imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world. To carry out a deportation operation designed to remove more than 11 millions people from the country, Trump told me, he would be willing to build migrant detention camps and deploy the U.S. military, both at the border and inland. He would let red states monitor women's pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans. He would, at his personal discretion, withhold funds appropriated by Congress, according to top advisers. He would be willing to fire a U.S. Attorney who doesn't carry out his order to prosecute someone, breaking with a tradition of independent law enforcement that dates from America's founding. He is weighing pardons for every one of his supporters accused of attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, more than 800 of whom have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury. He might not come to the aid of an attacked ally in Europe or Asia if he felt that country wasn't paying enough for its own defense. He would gut the U.S. civil service, deploy the National Guard to American cities as he sees fit, close the White House pandemic-preparedness office, and staff his Administration with acolytes who back his false assertion that the 2020 election was stolen."

-- "How Far Would He Go", TIME Magazine's interviews with Donald Trump, April 30, 2024.

I know we're saturated in coverage of Trump and it's easy (and probably better for our mental health) to usually ignore most of the articles when we see them, especially since he's so full of shit and infuriating. But it's also important to recognize that he is going to be the Republican nominee for President and he could absolutely be elected in November, and if you thought his first term was scary and dangerous, you need to understand that in a second term he's going to have people around him that are better prepared and VERY willing to do the crazy shit that he wants to do to this country. They aren't even hiding the fact that they are seeking vengeance against political opponents whom they feel have wronged them, and are ready to fundamentally dismantle the democratic foundations that are barely holding this country together after nearly 250 years.

Just look at what Trump says about the people who he incited to attack the United States Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election and halt the peaceful transfer of power that has happened every four years since 1789:

"Trump has sought to recast an insurrectionist riot as an act of patriotism. 'I call them the J-6 patriots,' he say. When I ask whether he would consider pardoning every one of them, he says, 'Yes, absolutely.' As Trump faces dozens of felony charges, including for election interference, conspiracy to defraud the United States, willful retention of national-security secrets, and falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments, he has tried to turn legal peril into a badge of honor."

Oh, and please note that Trump -- a former President of the United States and possible future President of the United States -- said on the record in these interviews with TIME: "There is a definite antiwhite feeling in the country and that can't be allowed either." We are at a point where political leaders are outright saying that in this country again, and it's because of Donald Trump.

So, take the time to recognize that Trump is straight-up telling us the country we're going to be living in if he wins again in November. And understand that your vote matters -- and WHO you vote for matters -- because, as I've been saying for years now, ELECTIONS HAVE FUCKING CONSEQUENCES.

[redsnerdden]

CBLDF Interm Director Weighs In On The New Scholastic Policy

CBLDF Interm Director Weighs In On The New Scholastic Policy #Scholastic #Books #CBLDF #Politics #GraphicNovels

Following up on a previous story regarding Scholastic’s newest Book Fair Policy and Collection that has gotten the attention of the Mainstream News Media, the CBLDF (Comic Book Defense Fund) has shared their opinion on the new policy in a new interview with ICv2’s Brigid Alverson. Scholastic has always been a part of our lives growing up, whether it has been through their Pop Up Shops (aka Book…

[palipunk]

Armenians have lived in Jerusalem for 1,600 years and Armenian Palestinians are the oldest group in the Armenian diaspora. From their indigenous land in Artsakh to the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem, Armenians have been facing ethnic cleansing and persecution on multiple fronts. With the escalating genocidal violence in Gaza and the West Bank, armed settler encroachment into Armenian holdings in Jerusalem has fallen under the radar of some pro-Palestine activism and it is critical we do not allow this to happen.

Some context:

( In 1948, Armenians in Jerusalem numbered about 16,000. Today, that number has shrunk; estimates range from 700-1000, with a smaller community in Bethlehem. )

“We are not the objectives of the Israelis, but we occupy a huge chunk of Jerusalem. The fact that we’re here is an obstacle for them, but we’ve been here for 1,600 years and we’re not going anywhere.” "These are only the most visible of the challenges facing the community....Israeli discrimination, economic decline, and political insecurity have taken a toll on Armenians, encouraging emigration. A century after the community was nearly annihilated, Armenian Palestinians today say they feel deeply at home in the Holy Land, but fear how much longer they will be able to hold on."

“Don’t ask me about the massacres that happened 100 years ago [1915],” Annie Guluzian said when asked about her experiences as an Armenian Palestinian. “I won’t open [up about] those topics. Because if I do, I will start talking about my brother who was martyred by the Israelis in the [second] Intifada.” The toll of the Israeli occupation in Palestine is what defines her life today, Guluzian added. Source

Since October 26th, 2023, when the leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced it would cancel a once-secret 2021 land lease deal with a real estate company that has alleged links to settler interests, the company, Xana Gardens, has sent in armed settlers and bulldozers to steal the land (including Armenian Chruch property and several Armenian families). Armenians have been resisting the occupational forces day in and day out.

From November 5th:

Link to tweet and video

November 5th:

Link to tweet and video

November 22nd:

Link to tweet and thread

November 25th:

Link to tweet and thread

In response, Armenians have created an account on Twitter called SaveTheArq which has been documenting and updating on social media the recent land demolitions by Israeli settlers in the Armenian quarter, they have also launched a fundraiser for legal actions to protect the Armenian quarter and I highly recommend donating, if you can't, please share it around:

[alleycatallies]

Getting Your Paws on More Money: Overcoming Fundraising Phobia

No matter how much we may wish it wasn’t so, money is essential to achieving our goals for the animals. You need to bring financial resources in on an ongoing basis.

As with so many things, a lot of the difficulty with fundraising lies in our perceptions and attitudes. Our beliefs can prevent us from seeing what needs to be done and can make getting the job done seem impossibly difficult. In other words, we can defeat ourselves.

There are two commonly held attitudes that can cripple your efforts. But if you can recognize them, you can break through these myths:

Myth #1: “If we just work hard and do the right thing, the money will come.”

Good intentions, warm and fuzzy feelings, and hard work alone will NOT make your organization a success. The truth of the matter is that your nonprofit organization will succeed or fail as a business. Although your organization has a charitable purpose, you’ll need to employ sound management principles and good business practices to achieve that purpose.

The growth of a successful organization doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by understanding what needs to be done and applying oneself to that task with the same fervor that we bring to caring for the animals.

Myth #2: “One day we’ll arrive and the struggle of fundraising will be behind us.”

Successful fundraising is not a point that you arrive at, it’s a process, an ongoing one. There is no magic answer, no secret key to eternal prosperity, no one-shot solution. But take heart! As soon as you accept fundraising for what it is and begin to plan for it, it gets easier! REALLY!

Your success will build on itself and you’ll reach an ever-increasing number of supporters with your message. And while you will never be done with fundraising, you may discover that successful fundraising is rewarding.

Download this white paper to learn more.