#lgbtq urges fr

[b1ackbunny]

the undying urge to make some of the most toe curling table biting yelena belova x fem!reader x kate bishop oneshots (mostly smut ngl i wont deny but some fluff and angst yk) based on almost every song from my playlist... someone stop me pls!!!!

[lokiinmediasideblog]

If you care about activism and DON'T WANT TO USE YOUR GOVERNMENT ID TO ACCESS THE INTERNET please contact your representatives.

THEY WILL BLOCK CRITICISM OF ISNOTREAL, SEX ED, LGBTQIA+ TOPICS, CRITICAL RACE THEORY, HISTORY, NSFW CONTENT, ETC.

FOR REPUBLICAN REPS:

FOR DEMOCRAT REPS:

Image captions credit to @fr0ggs

[image id 1: black text on a white background reading:

"My name is (blank underlines) and I'm one of your constitutents. I'm calling to urge you to vote NO on KOSA - the Kids Online Safety Act. The bill's sponsors claim it will protect kids by placing a duty of care on online platforms to prevent anything that could be harmful, but who decides what's harmful and what's free speech?

(next line) The power to decide has been ceded to the FTC. FTC leadership is made by presidential appointment. Current president Lina Khan, a Biden appointee, will have one agenda, but what happens when the someone even farther left than Joe Biden is in the Oval Office?

(next line) Imagine a President Gavin Newsom or Letitia James: Do you trust their appointee not to abuse this enforcement power to scrub information about your children's second amendment rights from the internet?

(next line) KOSA claims to protect kids, but it's poorly designed and will absolutely, without question, (underlined) harm (end underline) children, adults, and anyone who values free speech online. Vote No on KOSA." /end id.]

[image id 2: black text on a white background reading:

"My name is and I'm one of your constituents. I'm calling to urge you to vote NO on KOSA - the Kids Online Safety Act. The bill's sponsors claim it will protect kids by placing a duty of care on online platforms to prevent anything that could be harmful.

(next line) The power to decide what's harmful has been ceded to the FTC. FTC leadership is made by presidential appointment. Current president Lina Khan may proceed fairly, but what happens when the next Donald Trump is in the Oval Office? What if it's Trump himself? Do you trust a Trump appointee not to abuse this enforcement power?

(next line) KOSA claims to protect kids, but it's poorly designed and, given time, it will absolutely and without question, (underlined) harm (end underline) LGBTQ children, adults, and anyone who needs information on reproductive health or abortion.

(next line) KOSA author, Senator Marsha Blackburn, said she introduced KOSA in part - and I quote - "to protect minor children from the transgender in our society." The Heritage Foundation proudly said they'll apply pressure through KOSA to block information about abortion, reproductive health, & LGBTQ issues.

(next line) Vote NO on KOSA."

[audristarzz]

KOSA SENATE VOTE ON 7/30/24

hello everyone!! I am back with an update for KOSA. @super-firepaw119 made a recent post about this update so most of my information will be based on her recent post and thank you also for speaking on this update :)

On 7/25/24, KOSA was put on the senate’s procedural vote, meaning that they put an end to debating and will be going forward into voting.

As of today 7/27/24 KOSA has NOT passed the Senate. There still is opposition between senators and representatives, which is good. So until Tuesday (7/30/24) which is the Senate vote, im urging and begging you to call/ email and fax your reps and senators. Senate or House yet I recommend moving onto House now, (not trying to be a debbie downer!!)

the House has yet to vote , I don’t believe there is a date set for House vote yet but let’s try to stall and push it back for as long as we can and keep calling / emailing and faxing. With election year and what’s been going on in the presidential race I want to assume it might take a bit for it to get signed to the President and depending on what state your in it will take 18 months to go into effect. Kosa is also very unconstitutional so I recommend you to remind that to your senators and representatives as well as it being a danger to LGBTQ youth and will be a danger hazard when it comes to the government ID upload. And in August the senate will go into break , this is not over and I urge you to once again, call/ email and fax and spread the word around. Do not panic I know it’s scary right now but if we voice our opposition we can stop this bill. Thank you again to @super-firepaw119 again for the information and update. If I got any information wrong or accidentally spread misinformation please politely let me know and I will change this post asap

[mollyjimbly]

🚨🚨ATTENTION🚨🚨

Another Disgusting anti-LGBT bill, planning to censor queer content online.

Yet again another law that infringes on privacy. and anonymity.

The bill is KOSA

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1409

KOSA is a threat to LGBTQ+ youth.

It allows right-wing AGs to censor LGBTQ+ content in the name of "protecting kids".

This doesn't protect kids. This actually hurts kids even more.

It will snuff out LGBTQ+ spaces and makes the internet more of a dangerous place for them, more or less...

"Of course, like so many of these “bipartisan” anti-internet bills that have bipartisan support, the support on each side of the aisle is based on a very different view of how the bill will be used in practice. We went through this last year with the AICOA antitrust bill. Democrats supported it (falsely) believing that it would magically increase competition, while Republicans were gleefully talking about how they were going to use it to force websites to host their propaganda."

"Now, with KOSA, again you have Democrats naively (and incorrectly) believing that because it’s called the “Kids Online Safety Bill” it will magically protect children, even though tons of experts have made it clear it will actually put them at greater risk."

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/05/24/heritage-foundation-says-that-of-course-gop-will-use-kosa-to-censor-lgbtq-content/

KOSA will also undermine privacy in the name of "protecting children".

"This bill would effectively place many internet services behind an age verification wall, prevent anonymous surfing, and would require all users – adults or teens – to verify their age before they can access information or content.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association supports the enactment of comprehensive privacy legislation at the federal level, but has concerns about KOSA’s duty of care, vague requirements that would prevent teens from accessing critical information, and compliance provisions that conflict with current trends toward data minimization."

https://ccianet.org/news/2023/05/ccia-statement-on-unintended-consequences-of-kosa-legislation-would-place-most-internet-services-behind-age-verification-wall/

Age verification technology is just not secure enough for usage at the moment, leaks are likely to happen, it will be especially dangerous if the leaked Age verification information has a government ID linked to it. That would mean that malicious individuals may get a hold of personal addresses, bank details, basically you'll get doxxed by the government...

You may be asking, "well is there anything to do about it?"

Of course there is, but we really need your help spreading awareness around, because the bill is most likely to pass this July!

This website was put together by Fight for the Future. It has everything, from petitions to calls scripts. It's very easy to understand and use and one of the best links to spread. I urge you to use this when calling your members of congress. All you need to do is put in your phone number once and read off the script provided and it does the rest for you.

https://www.badinternetbills.com/

Signable petitions and open letters;

If you live in the states, call your state representatives;

Joinable Discord server;

More information;

I have to say again and I am not exaggerating, this is URGENT the bill could be passed THIS MONTH!

I am begging you, please OPPOSE KOSA!!

[itsbansheebitch]

!!!CALL YOUR LAWMAKERS!!!

Make it clear that KOSA is a controversial bill!!!

Lawmakers don't want to vote for controversial bills before people vote for them again!!!

KOSA would

Eliminate ANY queer content under their "duty of care" clause

Censoring of lifesaving resources

This IS NOT a privacy bill!!! This is a censorship bill!!!

There is hope!!!

Last week, Senators Schumer and Blumenthal took to the Senate floor to talk about their commitment to moving this dangerous bill forward. There are a few Senators keeping the vote from happening right now, but we need to make sure they keep up their opposition to block the vote unless it is fully fixed to stop it from becoming a censorship bill.

On the House side, the House Energy and Commerce Committee could consider the bill as soon as this week. If it gets voted out of this committee, the next stop is a full House vote. We still have the opportunity to win significant changes to get rid of the part of KOSA that would let government officials decide what content they think is “dangerous” for young people. And if we can’t, we need to keep raising opposition to keep KOSA from passing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Script:

When someone answers, say your name, be polite, and then say, “I'm calling to urge you to oppose the Kids Online Safety Act. Because of its duty of care model, this bill would be a threat to free speech online and puts LGBTQ+ kids at further risk by incentivizing social media companies to censor lifesaving resources, in an already scary time for them. If you care about kids' experience online, Congress should pass remove the duty of care from KOSA completely and pass comprehensive privacy legislation that would actually protect kids.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The petition is below! If you can't call, sign!!!

Call Now!!! They will connect you directly to your lawmaker's office!!!

[decibelcoatl]

Senators: You should support the Kids Online Safety Act so we can protect the kids and totally not force them to be outed.

Everyone who has the brains to know that KOSA is actually a censorship bill that will make kids less safe, NOT more safe:

Yes, it sucks that KOSA passed the Senate today, but there's still hope to kill it in the House, especially with the amount of opposition against it (not to mention AOC recently joining Maxwell Frost in coming out against it and standing up to protect LGBTQ+ kids, among other issues). I doubt anyone will be able to budge regardless of the pressure of the Senate urging them to pass this shoddy excuse of a "safety" bill. Now is a better time than ever to call your House reps to boost their opposition even further.

The Senate will be taking a break on August, but it's not currently know when KOSA will be called up again. Still, it's best to keep those calls rolling non-stop. And then, when November comes, vote out every single idiot who ever thought online censorship was ever a good idea to begin with. Especially Blumenthal and Blackburn, who should be your primary targets for being voted out and replaced!

[liminalweirdo]

If you are not in the US, you can sign the above petition.

KOSA is censorhip and targets LGBTQ+ and trans youth.

If you are in the US, the resources will help you find your reps so you can call or email them.

change is possible, but activism is called activism because you must act. Don't wait for others to do it for you.

Scripts for email, fax, or telephone below the cut:

DEMOCRATIC VERSION:

Hi, I am urging you to VOTE NO on KOSA, s.1409. Nearly 200 human rights and LGBT organizations total came out in an open letter opposing it in 2022 and 2023 because of how dangerous it is. The new language does NOT meet any concerns brought up, in fact many organizations were ignored. Major news have reported that this bill actively harms kids. When you look online through social media, you will find thousands of posts by Gen Z who are opposed to this bill. We do not want this. 

The rewritten bill would still allow any state attorney general, and now the FTC, to sue any website for “harmful” content. When you have Republicans calling anything LGBT “sexual exploitation” or anything about race “CRT” to successfully ban books and teachers, then they will use any justification to censor the internet. The Missouri attorney general used “mental health” successfully to ban gender-affirming care with backed up research. Suicide rates will skyrocket for marginalized youth with this bill restricting content.

Multiple experts agree this bill pushes age verification, even with the new language. KOSA hands more private data of children to third party companies. Furthermore, updated language threatens encryption the same way the Earn It Act does. How is this protecting children’s privacy? 

KOSA actively harms kids by taking away educational resources they need right now. Do NOT support this bill. Thank you.

REPUBLICAN VERSION:

I am urging you to VOTE NO on KOSA, s.1409. This is a dangerous bill that will harm children. Many news organizations have reported that this bill actively harms kids by exposing their private data to strangers under the guise of protecting them. We need to hold Big Tech accountable, but KOSA is not the solution.

The rewritten bill would still allow any state attorney general, and even thr FTC, to sue any website for “harmful” content. Do we really want blue state lawyers deciding what can and can’t be allowed online and continue to censor people? This is massive government overreach. We need a bill that actually protects people by creating better security measures instead of bringing about more censorship.

Multiple experts agree this bill pushes age verification, even with the new language. KOSA hands more private data of children to third party companies, which would put them in further danger. How is this protecting children’s privacy? What parent would want their child’s private data in the hands of strangers like this? KOSA is actively putting kids in danger. Do NOT support this bill. Thank you.

[velvety-world]

i just finished watching maurice

actually i finished it a couple hours before but i was letting it sink in....haha that movie omfg

i really want to know and read the book now....i wanna see how the author has described maurice and clive and their relationship..i mea this urge could also be because i am in the mood to read books nowadays but can be also because i watched the version in which the deleted scenes were there too and i am shocked is an understatement as to why those were deleted in the first place....ESPECIALLY the last one where maurice confronts clive....i mean....DIRECTOR...WHY!?!?!?!?

i realy found it as a good representation of the lgbtq community and how it would have been in the 80s and maybe in some places is. it was gut-wrenching actuallly, i did not find maurices and alecs love pure or i do not know...it did not just fit the ending....it would have been nice if they ended it with maurice moving on...individually and saying that last speech to clive......i might get attacked for this.....but it is what it is

wow....this movie was actually very nice and fr the most sensual scene for me was that hair sttroking scene between maurice and clive....PEAK CINEMA...PEAK CINEMETOGRAPHY...PEAK INTIMACY...PEAK EVERYTHING....and tbh....it had so many kiss or naked scenes...i legit did not expect that....maybe i have not seen enough retro movies...hahahaha

yes....i think so that was it...i might come back to write more.....

ALSO

i would like to associate illicit affairs with this movie

it fits so seamlessly (crying emoji)

[threadsun]

Fr !! I usually just try to talk to people in discord but idk people are weird there sometimes, also I can’t— I have like two friends I talk to there but then again, rarely occasions, I simply have discord either for servers of artists I like or just random games I also like ! Tho it is easier to talk there cuz I mean, it’s like WhatsApp just all black???

-JDA here-

The fish thingy sorta reminded me of like a stock image and I like it cuz I like those they are like my comfort thing to look up.

Ooo I love when games have canon lgbtq characters !! Rn the only one coming to my mind is Undertale, it’s got pretty characters !! And a really nice story !

Also yeah I get it, playing new stuff is always fun ! Tho from time to time you just feel like replaying the same uh viddy games over and over, it’s like a sense of comfort uwu or at least for me—

Oh !! I’ve seen those !! They look super fun !! I only have like one of those pop thingys and a stress ball and I carry them everywhere cuz I can’t handle the urge to keep my hands busy, either that or moving like my legs or feet in strange ways I just like moving while doing nothing idk, also sorta going back to the sound thingy, I also like doing like “pop” but like the sound is more watery??? Idk it’s nice I like it

Oh I met one of my best friends because I begged them to share their smutfic about a priest and a thief fucking and then joined their discord server for the ship (love y'all flambrown crew <3) and we ended up going to a museum together the last time I went back to visit my family in the UK :3c

Stock images are nice to look at, the fish thing definitely has the vibes of a stock image. But yeah, queer games are my jam!!

Exactly, you get it!! It's comforting to replay things where you already know what's gonna happen and don't have to worry about sudden twists or thinking too hard about things.

Yeah, it's nice to just slowly fold over and over in my hands! I love stim toys, but my biggest stims are leg bouncing, playing with my hair, and tapping on things so most stim toys don't quite do what I need them to in terms of motion. Stress balls are nice though!!

[mylifeiskindacrazy]

me after cutting my hair: now that's it's healthy again i'm gonna let it grow

me after my hair grows 1 mm past my shoulders: ✂️✂️✂️✂️

[genderqueerpositivity]

COLUMBIA, SC – Today the South Carolina legislature announced that a hearing will be held next week on H3477, legislation that would prohibit transgender youth in middle and high school from participating in student athletics. The Special Laws subcommittee has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, February 23 at 11:00am. 

South Carolina United for Justice & Equality, a coalition of more than 30 LGBTQ and allied advocates across the state, from the Upstate to the Low Country, issued a joint statement today:

“We oppose H3477, a bill that cruelly targets transgender youth and that distracts from essential issues the legislature should be focused on. Even as South Carolina continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of the pandemic, some lawmakers are instead prioritizing legislation that targets transgender youth for exclusion after a year that has already been especially isolating for young people. Participation in athletics is central to students’ physical, social, and emotional health, providing important growth in leadership, confidence, and teamwork. Every student should be able to access the opportunities and lessons of school athletics. To categorically deny transgender students the freedom to play alongside their peers is completely at odds with lawmakers’ duties to care for and protect our youth.”

“We will fight this bill every step of the way. Should this bill be allowed to pass, it would harm transgender youth, send a disturbingly clear message that South Carolina prioritizes discrimination over inclusion, and open the state to potential lawsuits. Our coalition urges our elected officials to reject this bill, which is opposed by a broad array of South Carolinians, including faith leaders, business leaders, parents, teachers, medical providers, and more.”

“We also send this message of strength and love to our resilient transgender young people: You are loved, you are seen, and we are fighting for you.” 

[letamreviews]

The Point

I made this profile because I decided to finally start blogging. Not about philosophy or politics, though, just movies (and maybe series) because fuck it.

What to expect:

Articulately used swear words, somewhat controversial opinions/topics, and overall decent formatting at the least. I’m far less likely to review mainstream movies or anything that’s got plenty of reviews already unless I feel an urge to do so (e.g.: Mortal Engines, Them That Follow, Gemini Man, etc.)

Content: Primarily, reviews. Secondarily, thoughts and essays. Tertiarily, data (uninteresting info to most).

Genres: All kinds, baby, lemme tell ya. My favorites are probably drama, documentary, and thriller. As of today, below are my general genre stats according to Letterboxd:

Action - 308

Adventure - 203

Animation - 86

Comedy - 158

Crime - 116

Documentary - 68

Drama - 368

Family - 41

Fantasy - 122

History - 31

Horror - 117

Music - 15

Mystery - 72

Romance - 69

Science Fiction - 224

Thriller - 235

TV Movie - 2

War - 30

Western - 18

Format: I’ll say what I have to say, make a list of things I liked/loved about it, and use tags to get certain things across (feeling rating, race/lgbtq+/gender/etc. tests it passes/fails, categories it belongs in, where I saw it, etc.). I expect the tags to keep the blog from turning into a complete scroll-down. Expect (somewhat) long reviews unless they’re “mini reviews”. The first paragraph should give you the gist of my thoughts, though.

Spoilers: I’m so anal particular about spoilers that I’ll give a fair warning before I say anything that I feel would be even a slight spoiler and label it as such (slight, minor, moderate, major). Usually, I give the spoilers their own paragraph. I try not to include any type of minor spoiler in the tags. If there be any in there from here on out, I’ll make the first tag “spoilers in the tags.”

Disclosures: If there’s anything that I feel impacts my review in a way that would affect its credibility or reflection of my own thoughts, I’ll mention it in its own paragraph at the bottom. Such things include attending/watching a Q&A, talking to the cast, and discussing the movie with an influence group before writing the review.

Review System:

Star Rating: SR is 1-10 stars, with 10 being the highest. Bear in mind that this is intentionally used as an “objective” score. What’s going to tick some people off is how I go about this. Are you ready?

Did I enjoy it?

Yes? 10 stars

No?

How much did I not enjoy it? -x stars

Did it do anything so well that it deserves stars back?

Yes?

How well? +x stars

No? +0 stars

Total score: x stars

Now you know. I have no intention to explain why I gave the individual ratings, though.

Feeling Rating: FR goes like this: I quit it, I did not like it, I like it enough, I like it, I really like it, I love it, I fucking love it. It’s the subjective part and entirely based on how I feel. In other words, how the media impacts me. This is subjective as hell because I fully allow my personal biases to take over when it comes to this part. Biases include my experiences, demographic, beliefs, etc. If you’re curious to know my FR for something that I haven’t reviewed yet, venture to my MUBI lists. If it’s not in there, ask me.

Examples of Review System: Human Lost (2019) is a recent CGI anime released in the US (before Japan for some reason). In my review, I gave it a rating of 4.5/5 and “I like it.” It has obvious flaws, especially being “some teenage shit”, but I still stuck by the matter of how much it could be enjoyed, especially for the age group I think it was designed.

Them That Follow (2019) is an American film that plenty of people didn’t care for (for some reason). In my review, I gave it a rating of 5/5 and “I love it.” Even without any mentioned problems in the review, it still didn’t get the highest feeling of “I fucking love it” because it didn’t hit me that strongly. So far, none of my reviewed movies have. Example of Review System Failing: I was so disappointed by Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum (2019) and bothered by some of its characters that I initially gave it a 3/5 rating. Watching the Q&A with the director and cast led to me better understanding what the director’s intentions were with its main character. This earned it half a star. I officially gave The Beach Bum a rating of 3.5/5 and my first “I like it enough.” The problem with this is that I let my personal feelings get in the way of deciding how enjoyable the movie was. Then again, it can be argued that the movie itself accomplished the feat of bothering me that way and therefore earned its SR. Meh.

Thoughts on People Taking Rude Issue With My Reviews or Ratings:

Why do you people think I care? Why do you feel the need to say things like "bad movie" or "lmao" at someone's love of something you don't like? What does it do? Does it make you feel like you're better than someone else because of the fact ya don't like something they love? All it does is make you look like a prick and people you're talking to think less of you as a result. Do me a favor, same with anyone else thinking of doing something similar, kindly FUCK OFF — Arielrocks5 (comment on her Alita: Battle Angel review)

About me:

I’m told I like everything. I don’t think it’s true, but I mightest well warn you. My philosophy is “the more you enjoy the more you enjoy.”

If you’d like to see my portfolio up ‘til this point, venture forth, fair traveler, and behold... my stuff.

[queertheology]

Faith Based Activism Starter Kit

When I was 21, a conversation with my parents about health insurance devolved into an argument about my queerness.

I had come out as gay three years earlier and they had a mixed response. They checked a few of the right boxes: they were quick to assure me that I was still their son, they made it clear they would still help me with college, they loved me and wanted me to be happy. But they also had their stumbles: they asked that I go see a Christian counselor, they never asked about my dating life, they were uncomfortable  talking about anything LGBT.

So I waited.

I did what I thought was the “good Christian thing” to do: I was patient and gracious. I tried to not ruffle any feathers (though I did have a few outbursts of frustration). I was “giving them time and space” for their “process.”

And then three years later we were sitting in the kitchen arguing about whether it was OK for gay people to be camp counselors and youth leaders, whether gay relationships were valid, whether anyone even expected gay people to get married in the first place. And I realized, in that moment, that they hadn’t changed. My parents were, for the most part, in the exact same spot they were three years ago when I came out.

All of my grace and patience and gentle reading suggestions and subtle attempts to talk about LGBTQ topics had done nothing. My parents hadn’t changed because, frankly, I hadn’t asked them to. I thought I was being kind, gracious, patient; I thought I was giving them time and space. But what I was really doing was being silent, tacitly approving the status quo.

The night of that argument, when I realized that my parents hadn’t changed because I hadn’t asked them to, I also realized that if the Church and America are to change, someone is going to have to ask them to change also. And not just ask once, meekly. We are going to have to force the issue. In his Letter From A Birmingham Jail, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. explains,

“Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.”

That day, I decided I would be an “angelic troublemaker,” as Bayard Rustin said. I applied for (and was later accepted to) Soulforce’s Equality Ride and spent 2 months studying nonviolence and theology, including in-person training with civil rights leader John Lewis, and then 2 months traveling the country engaged in activism and speaking at schools, churches, and communities around the intersections faith, justice, gender, and sexuality. In the decade since, I’ve dedicated much of my time, passion, and energy to social justice causes. I do this because of my Christian faith, not in spite of it.

I’m sure you’ve had some similar experiences. Parents who need a little more time, a church that’s still discerning their stance, pastors who have a good heart but don’t quite get it. Whether it’s around LGBTQ issues or something else like race, sexism, police brutality, Islamophobia… I bet there’s been someone in your life who is “not quite there yet” (maybe you have been that person).

And perhaps you’ve even wanted to be more active in creating change in your life, family, and community. If you have a similar stirring in your soul to do something, I see you. Here’s a bit of what I’ve learned from my past decade of faith-based LGBTQ activism.

In Romans 12, Paul says,

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.”

Putting your body on the line — literally — is a spiritual act of worship.

A faith-based pursuit of justice is found throughout the Bible.

Micah tell us that what God requires is “to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Amos tells us that God “hates” and “despises” religious festivals, but instead desires that “justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.”

On Palm Sunday, Jesus stages a massive nonviolent direct action by riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, and later that week even goes so far as to destroy property by turning over tables in the temple.

Imagine what our community, our churches, our world would look like if Christians rolled up our sleeves a little more and worked a little more fervently for the Kingdom of God, on earth as it is in heaven?

How to get started with faith-based activism

Read

Activism doesn’t happen in a vacuum and simply being LGBTQ (or loving someone who is) doesn’t automagically make you an expert (if only!). Take some time to learn about the issues you find yourself in the midst of, issues that you are connected to, issues that you can work in solidarity with. And learn from those who have gone before about the tactics that worked — and those that didn’t. Innovation is important, of course, but so is learning from those who have already been doing the work, when possible.

Here are some book recommendations to get you started:

Jesus & Nonviolence: A Third Way by Walter Wink

Jesus Acted Up by Robert Goss

Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King Jr. (the published version of Letter From A Birmingham Jail)

How Nonviolence Protects The State and The Failure of Nonviolence by Peter Gelderloos

Color of Violence by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence

The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Leo Tolstoy

When We Rise by Cleve Jones

I got my start as an activist with Soulforce, which is committed nonviolent direct action as a means of sabotaging Christian supremacy. Why nonviolence? Here’s how they put it,

It is effective for the kind of work that we do

It is open and accessible in the sense that it provides tools to everyday activists and “pre-activists”

It contains a call to action

And finally, it offers a path of personal transformation. Our goal is always first and foremost the internal healing, reconciliation, strengthening, and transformation of the individual and community.

This is the nonviolent process that I learned:

Experience the nature of the problem and be with the people most affected

Research the problem and the adversary; understand the facts and the cultural texture of where we are located

Negotiate with the adversary directly on what justice can look like

Use direct action to elicit a re-dedication to moving toward justice when negotiation fails

Use tools of communication and media to bring more people into the conversation to lean into the strength of social accountability to work towards cultural change

Return to negotiation when the adversary is willing; the question is not whether we shall move toward justice but how and how soon

Soulforce has a detailed and accessible guide to nonviolence which I highly recommend.

Stay Current

In order to be effective activists, we have to know what’s going on! Some of these groups and resources are not specifically Christian but are doing work around issues that we think are important for Christians. It can be powerful for Christians to work alongside non-Christians on issues that matter to us.

Black & Pink – supporting LGBTQ prisoners

@prisonculture on Twitter

POWER an interfaith activist organization based in Philadelphia (but who is engaged with issues of national and international significance)

National Immigrant Justice Center

@BreeNewsome is a fierce Black, Christian activist. Follow her on Twitter to stay connected to current events + be blessed by her keen insight

Queer Theology – on our Facebook and Twitter, we regularly share information about issues that are important to LGBTQ Christians and supporters as well as actions you can take to make a difference

Connect Locally

Groups meeting at your local LGBT Center are a great place to start. Look up who is there and get involved in one that resonates with you

Everytown for Gun Safety has actions you can take — digitally and in-person — to make a difference in your community

Soulforce has opportunities to educate yourself and take action digitally and locally.

Trans Day of Action is an annual event organized by Audre Lorde Project in NYC and has local actions in some cities. It’s a great way to offer your body as a living sacrifice by showing up for trans justice

Black Lives Matter has chapters across the country. If there’s one in your town, you can link up!

Practice Activism in Your Daily Life

Activism isn’t only being part of an official organization, it also happens in your personal life.

Speak up when a family member says something homophobic, racist, or otherwise prejudiced

Ask your pastor to use examples of LGBTQ people in their sermons

Start a group at your church — maybe it’s something simple like an LGBTQ fellowship, or more active like an activist group

Ask your church leaders to read our article on how to tell if your church is welcoming for transgender people and go through our Inclusive Church Checklist

You don’t have to be outspoken and in your face to practice activism. Fr. Shay wrote an article on how introverts can get involved with activism in a way that feels safe and sustainable.

Take Care of Yourself

If you want to be an effective activist, helping make the world a better place… then you need to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself too.

We have a bunch of resources on self-care including An LGBTQ Christian Guide to Self-Care

There may be a peer support group you can join at a local nonprofit that centers around your experience (in major cities, healthcare nonprofits often have these, as well as community- and issue-specific groups such as LGBTQ, veterans, immigrants, etc).

You may find therapy to be helpful in taking care of yourself (I know that I do!). If you have insurance, you may be able to see a therapist for relatively cheap. If you don’t, there might be a nonprofit that offers those services to you at no or lost cost. You can also look into virtual counseling with a company such as BetterHelp. We can’t recommend enough that you work with a licensed therapist who does not have a religious agenda. This type of therapist will be much more helpful than a “Christian counselor” through your church or a religious organization.

Get Started

I know there’s a lot here and the last thing I want you to do is get stuck in analysis paralysis. I know that a fear of doing or saying the wrong thing can take keep many of us from ever taking action.

What sort of world would we live in if we were always ruled by fear of failure? You may mess up along the way and that’s human. The key is to graciously admit your mistakes, learn from the experience, and commit to making things right. We’re in this together.

So today, pick one book to read or one organization to connect with. Take one step today, and another tomorrow, and a third next week. Keep on with the work until that day when justice rolls down like a river. Because together, we’re gonna change the world.

We’ve got more resources for Christian activism coming, if you want to make sure you get ‘em all, you can signup here and we’ll send ‘em your way

[audristarzz]

KOSA SENATE VOTE TOMORROW!!

Guys just a reminder that tomorrow is the day that KOSA gets voted on in the SENATE. I’m not trying to scare you guys at all but.. guys😭 the KOSA tag on tumblr has been like SILENT. ITS GOING TO THE SENATE TOMORROW!! and considering how it passed the first “phase” (?) with a 86-1 vote then unfortunately there’s probably a high chance of it passed the senate, again not trying to scare you guys but CMON!!! THIS IS THE DAY WE NEED TO BLOW UP THEIR PHONES (do it respectfully ofc) AND TELL THEM WE DON’T WANT KOSA!! There is more opposition in the House than Senate but still!! call your representatives and senators and tell them how this bill is an anti LGBTQ censorship bill that specifically targets the transgender community (said by senator marsha blackburn) and it will be a danger hazard if we’re needed to upload our government ID to access sites which can possibly be easily accessed leading to doxxing, (please correct me if I’m wrong about that) I don’t hear a lot of people talking about the ID part which is concerning.. to my fellow minors who see this!! you can still call and email, they’re not going to ask you for your age or anything like that. Guys if we stay quiet and not do anything other than reblogging then that’s how we loose!! Don’t let them take away the internet from us because I know it’s a way of feeling safe and comfort. Again, I’m not trying to scare you guys but I URGE you to go to StopKosa or just CALL/ EMAIL/ FAX!! WE HAVE ONE MORE DAY GUYS!!! also I know it’s scary but please don’t panic!! We’ve stopped this bill before we can do it again. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CALL!! AND DO NOT PANIC

[bongoideas]

"Homosexuals were created by God, hate their sin but don't hate them" – Catholic priest Father Campell on LGBTQ

“Homosexuals were created by God, hate their sin but don’t hate them” – Catholic priest Father Campell on LGBTQ

Parish Priest of Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra, Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell has urged Ghanaians not to harbour hate against homosexuals since there are recognized creations of God. According to him, God does not hate homosexuals even though what they do is to his dislike. He added that homosexuals should not be condemned but prayed for. In a conversation with Johnnie Hughes on TV3, Father…