#I'm an extremist now)

[ohnoaname]

So LGBTQ+ is now completely illegal in Russia. I wonder if anyone going to talk about that. I'm so tired

#I'm an extremist now) #yay #fuck this country honestly #russia #news #lgbtqia #lgbt #ohnotalking

[kittyprincessofcats]

ICJ Ruling

Okay, let's get into this.

First of all, I get the frustration at the court not ordering a ceasefire. I was disappointed and frustrated at first too, since a ceasefire was the biggest and most important preliminary measure South Africa was requesting - and of course we just all want this horror to finally end for the people in Gaza. So I get the frustration and disappointment, I really do.

However, I do think this ruling is still a major win for South Africa, Palestine, and international law as a whole and here's why:

The court acknowledged that it has jurisdiction over this case and completely dismissed Israel's request to throw out the case as a whole. It will now determine at the merits stage (that will probably take years) whether Israel is actually commiting genocide.

The court acknowledged that Palestinians are a "distinct national or ethnic group and therefore deserving of protection under the genocide convention". Pull this out next time someone tells you "there's no such thing as Palestinians, they're all just Arabs".

The court acknowledged very unambiguously that "at least some" of Israel's actions being genocidal in nature is "plausible". South Africa has a case, officially. Israel is accused of genocide, in a way the ICJ deems "plausible", officially. This is huge. (And seriously, how freaking satisfying was it to hear all of those genocidal statements by Israeli politicians read out loud and used as justification for this rulling?)

The court might not have ordered a "ceasefire" in those words, but they did order Israel to "immediately end all genocidal acts" (which includes killing and injuring Palestinians) and submit proof that they actually did. How are they going to comply with this ruling without at least severly reducing or changing what they're doing in Gaza?

In fact, this wording might actually be more appropriate for a genocide (vs a war), as author and journalist Ali Abunimah notes on Twitter:

He's completely right. Israel lost today, by overwhelming majority (I mean, 15 to 2? I heard people predict the rulings would be very close, like 9 judges vs 8, but instead we got 15 to 2 (and even 16 to 1 on the humanitarian aid). Holy shit.) The court disimissed almost everything Israel's side of lawyers said, while acknowledging that South Africa's accusations are "plausible".

And this is important especially because of Mr Abunimah's second tweet there^. Because the question is, where do we go from here?

This ruling means that Israel is officially /possibly/ commiting genocide and that should have huge international consequences. The rest of the world now HAS to take these accusations seriously and stop arming and supporting Israel - and if they won't do it on their own, we, the people, have to make them. This is THE moment to rise up all around the world, especially in the countries most supportive of Israel (the US, the UK, Germany): Protest, call your representatives and demand a ceasefire and an end of arms deliveries to Israel.

We now have a legal case to back our demands: If Israel is, according to the ICJ, "plausibly" commiting genocide, then all of our governments are, according to the ICJ, "plausibly" guiltly of aiding in genocide. And we need to hold that over their heads and demand better. We need to do that right now and in huge numbers. Most politicians only care about themselves and saving their skin. We have to make them realize that they could be accused of aiding in genocide.

(As a German, I'm thinking of Germany here in particular: After South Africa's hearing, our government dismissed their case as having "no basis" - how are they going to keep saying that now that the ICJ officially thinks otherwise? Over the last months, people here have been arrested at protests for calling what's happening in Gaza a genocide. How are the police supposed to legally keep doing that now that the ICJ has officially deemed this accusation "plausible"? I used to be scared to use the word "genocide" at protests or write it on my protest signs - not anymore, have fun trying to arrest me for that when the ICJ literally has my back on this one 🖕🏻.)

So yeah - don't be defeatist about this, don't let Israel's narrative that they "won" (they didn't) take over. This might not be everything we wanted, but it's still a good result. Don't let what the court didn't say ("ceasefire"), distract you from the very important things that they did say. Let this be your motivation to get loud and active, especially if you live in any country that supports Israel. Put pressure on your governments to not be complicit in genocide, you now officially have the highest international court on your side.

#ICJ #ICJ ruling #ICJ hearing #South Africa vs Israel #Free Palestine #Palestine #Palestinian genocide #Gaza #Germany #I get why Palestinians are disappointed and I don't want to devalue those feelings #(but maybe this can give you hope) #But thinking about this as a German this is huge #Most politicians and people here still deny (or at least strongly doubt) that there's a genocide happening #Calling it a genocide is seen as an 'extremist' position #And some of our politicians have been borderline gaslighting us and calling anyone who calls it genocide 'crazy' #So I'm just feeling immense vindication and a newfound fearlessness and motivation to be louder and more active than ever #and I hope others here feel the same #I hope the quiet masses stop being scared to say something now

[bootdork]

Sorry but as a Christian you cannot possibly be siding with Israel. Israel is bombing the oldest churches in the world, shooting at people inside their parish, exterminating the oldest Christian community in the world, bombing congregations during mass. You cannot claim to follow Christ's teachings if you condone this immense violence.

Exodus 22:21 "Do not oppress or mistreat a foreigner."

Psalm 11:5 "God tests the righteous, but those who love violence, he detests."

Psalm 68:30 "Scatter those people who delight in war."

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."

Habakkuk 2:9-13 "Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. ‘Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime!'"

#speaking into a wall when it comes to extremist evangelicals #Jesus was a palestinian refugee and now you all turn your backs on the very same people #The american evangelicals funding and cheering on this genocide are a poison #frankly i think they're so far removed from Christ that it's silly to even call them Christians #yeah I'm sure the Christ who taught compassion and peace and nonviolence would LOVE that you're burying children under rubble. #free palestine #free gaza #free west bank #Palestine will be free and the land will heal. #christianity #catholicism

[white-bow-tie]

That's fun to own things that are equal to 6 years in jail

#you know these scary fanzines and charms #i also wonder if i am an extremist now?? #i figured out that I'm a Schrodinger's extremist #i mean #there's f64 diagnosis but no people diagnosed with it #which means we exist but we don't #and if we existed we would be..extremists bc.. just because #like the rest of lgbt community #but technically we don't exist #so uh #yeah #it's funny to not even know what you are in your country #nothing i guess

[stairset]

Love the idea here that the other rebels' problem with Saw is just that he blows shit up and not the whole "torturing prisoners and endangering civilians" thing

#the death stars were both military targets the only people killed in those explosions were military personnel #whereas saw and the partisans have demonstrated multiple times that they have zero regard for civilian life #they got a bunch of civilians at a festival killed on inusagi just to kill one imperial governor and put civilians in danger on jedha #he interrogates people with a telepathic squid monster that mind rapes you and leaves you insane #either that or he electrocutes you and threatens to shoot the queen egg that can save your nearly extinct species #and for every time he gets results there's also an instance of him accomplishing absolutely nothing #he bombs tarkin's base on eriadu and doesn't even succeed in killing him or any of the other officers #he just killed a bunch of easily-replaceable stormtroopers #and if tech really is dead then the only actually noteworthy person he got killed that day was someone that was technically on his side #even if he did kill tarkin or krennic or hemlock they can also be replaced cause everyone in the empire is expendable except palpatine #the empire has no shortage of other officers like them that could continue their work #saw just wants to hurt the empire right here right now and doesn't care about the consequences #he says sacrifice is required for the greater good which isn't wrong but doesn't care who makes those sacrifices for his cause #and no i'm not saying he's some evil monster with no redeeming qualities #we know his backstory we know why he is the way he is and i do think he's sympathetic #but i also think the whole mentality that he was Always Right Actually and the other rebels are hypocrites for no approving of his methods #is really fucking stupid #of course this all stems from tumblr logic that you can't have any characters who fit the ''well-intentioned extremist'' trope #cause if you have a character who has good intentions but goes about the wrong way #then according to tumblr that automatically means you're Demonizing Violent Resistance #even though the characters who disapprove of those extreme methods are in fact ALSO violently resisting #they're just not committing war crimes while they do it #i didn't think these tags were gonna be as long as they were but yeah #bad batch spoilers #in the tags #shut up tristan

[sinfullyrosey]

When you’re currently working on finishing up one of your many drafts instead of studying for your final, but the catch is you’re writing for a character that’s going to make a majority of the fandom Big Mad(TM).

#Rosey Rambles #I got a whole week to study so I'm good #and this draft has been haunting me for half a year now #I'm still debating whether or not I'll have the balls to actually post it #on one hand pissing off like 99% of the fanbase is hilarious to me #but on the other hand the fandom scares me and I fear I'll get called out by the extremists with zero chill #but on the third hand I don't think anyone has ever written for him in this manner and I kind of want bragging rights #ya know what if anyone can guess who the fuck I'm talking about I'll just post it and watch the possible chaos unfold #after all the fanbase has written far worse than what I'm currently writing so /shrugs/

[tenok]

.

#so lgbt extremism kaw us official now (not like anyone expected lawmakers make any sence) #glad to inform you all that my threshold of fucks to give was reached earlier with gender affirming procedures ban #so now I'm calm and a little amused #'this law makes leaders of lgbt organization extremists' which one?? lady gaga?? #*law #*is #oh my god me not misspel things on my phone challenge

[jimkirkachu]

thought I had finally found a group of people I almost fit in with/could be myself with (an lgbtqia+ discord that's actually all local people) but after a month and a half of feeling okay and accepted for the first time in... idk how long, I ruined everything for myself by being "out" as a Christian, which apparently makes me The Enemy

#not trek #alone again‚ naturally #jtkchu's landing party #spent six weeks getting to know people and trying to muster the courage to go to one of their monthly meet-ups #but big surprise it turns out i'm not wanted after all 👍 #guess i'm glad i found out before i ruined anyone's lives in person for once #i was told there is no such thing as a 'real Christian' because we have all bastardized Christ's teachings and are all evil #and that there is no such thing as an lgbtq+ Christian (even though that's... precisely what i thought i was) #and any Christian who claims to support lgbtq+ folks 'should rename themselves' because of extremist bigots spreading hate in Christ's name #so despite all the people at my church who know i'm non-cis/het being totally fine with it and supportive of me #generally speaking it seems i'm too non-cis/het for most Christians‚ and too Christian for most non-cis/hets #good to know that there is still nowhere i can be my full self #complaining #never belonging #back into the chamber turning‚ at least for now i guess #forever alone #soul sick #exhausted #no spoons #sorry for being depressing #tw religion #tw gender #what is it like having a friend group? #yes i am fully aware that this is all my own fault for having aligned myself with the oppressors #i just still don't understand how to 'do enough to stop these people & solidify love' and 'get rid of the bigots in [our] ranks' #it's not as though i have the power to kick extremist bigots out of the church. and i'm not going to assault people in the parking lot #i don't know what to do anymore (not that i ever did) #jtkchu's brain #personal log #stfu jtkchu

[paleontaxi]

Thoughts on Lola aka The Lola Giga Post™

➭ Lola never looked much like Jarod at all, the spitting image of her mother, with slightly wavy caramel brown hair and green eyes.  Jarod never resented her for looking too much like her mother, though.  She was his little girl, and he thought she was beautiful and perfect at every point in her life.

➭ She was taller than Jarod by the end, standing at 5′7″, getting her height from her mother as well.

➭ Lola was very competitive, about a lot of things, to a fault.  Anytime there was even a perceived competition, she wanted to win.  When she was 4 or 5, she cheated at board games, and Jarod would let her because she was adorable when she thought she was being slick.  Eventually, she tired of the lack of challenge, though, and started playing games right.

She even came to despise cheating in others, especially when it resulted in her losing something, and she was extremely vocal in calling it out.  One year, at her school’s book fair, there was a book about dinosaurs that she wanted, and when she dragged Jarod in to buy it for her, she found it missing.  Not a moment too late, she spotted a boy from her class bringing it up to the desk to buy it and peered over his shoulder, only to see that he had swapped the price tag with one from a cheaper book so that the teachers would think he could afford it.  And she did not take that one lying down, screaming that he had cheated and stomping through the book fair to find the book with the dinosaur price tag on it.

This early competitive spirit and subsequent obsession with fairness and justice is a small part of what drew her into the Brigades.  Tyrak had been winning elections by intimidating voters, and once she thought about it for too long, that method of cheating started to get under her skin.

➭ Her favorite dinosaur when she was very little, around 4-6, was the Iguanodon, which she liked for its funny little thumb spikes.  Instead of doing the T-Rex arms when she played dinosaur, she went through a phase where she would walk around with two thumbs up, pretending to be the Iguanodon.  The thumb spikes were used to ward off predators, and as such, she would make Jarod play the T-Rex and “stab” him with her thumbs in order to “defend” herself.

As she aged, her love of the Iguanodon specifically started to wane a little, but only because her love of other dinosaurs grew.  By the time she was 10 or so, she stopped even trying to tell people what her favorite dinosaur was because she liked so many of them.

The Iguanodon is the dinosaur in Jarod’s icon border on this blog.

➭ I mentioned in this post that Lola basically held Jarod at gunpoint and forced him to learn how to dance with her, but the truth is that she liked dancing well before that, anyway.  Both before and after the competition, chores would always take her a little bit longer to do because she would dance her way through them instead of doing them in the most efficient way possible.  They didn’t have a lot of money for formal lessons, especially since the costumes for dance lessons rack up pretty quickly, and they were a one-income household.  So, both she and Jarod are self-taught through things like music videos, improv, and a lot of determination.

Although Lola is very competitive and wanted to win the father-daughter dance competition against the girl she didn’t like, she might have eventually lost steam if she didn’t already have some interest in the art to begin with.

➭ Lola was in karate lessons from the ages of 7-9, and she had a fat little dinosaur plushie that served as her karate buddy, which would get a new ribbon of a matching color tied around its stomach every time she earned a new belt.

She did lose a lot of her karate / self-defense knowledge once the lessons stopped, but she was retrained how to fight a little by some of the Brigades, who also taught her how to fire a gun.  However, she was still a very novice shooter by the time they sent her to the wall in 1986.

➭ She knew how to cook fairly well.  Jarod did hire a lot of sitters in the earliest years of her life, of course, since he worked such weird hours.  But he also wanted to make sure that she learned how to cook early on in her life in the event that she did find herself home alone.  And going into her late childhood / early teenage years, she didn’t have the sitters anymore, so it did help her, being able to feed herself.

She would often cook and leave dinner out for Jarod when he came home from working late.  He did cook for Lola as often as possible because he felt bad leaving her on her own, but she didn’t actually mind it too much.  She came to enjoy cooking to some extent, especially after she made it a goal to get better at it than he was and force him to admit to it, too.  She rather liked coming up with new combinations and fancy-ish ways of presenting things.

She never did have any qualms leaving Jarod with the dishes afterwards, though, regardless of which one of them cooked.

➭ She was a fan of movies, a bunch of different ones, including - maybe even especially - campy, cheesy, silly, over-the-top horror movies.  Jarod would put them on for himself after she went to bed, but she would hear the screaming and get curious and come out of her room to see what he was watching.  She scared him more than once, standing behind him in silence, not alerting him to her presence, until something happened, and she would let out a quiet ‘oh no!’ and make him jump out of his skin.

After she sneaked out of her room to join him enough, he started openly inviting her to watch them with him.  When she would bury her face in his chest, he would ask if she wanted to go to bed while he finished it by himself, and she would immediately protest and pull her head back up, determined to tough it out and stay up late.

Because of this, she acclimated to gore and other creepy morbid shit at a young age, and she was at least moderately more difficult to gross out than a lot of her other peers.

➭ She did well in school, averaging As and Bs, because of course - what was the point if she couldn’t outdo her classmates just a little bit?  However, she did struggle more with algebra and basically anything that was math just for the sake of math.  She did love applied math, like the math involved in science, such as in chemistry and physics, for example.  When she could see the use for the math, she was decent at it.  But when solving for x for “no reason,” she floundered a little bit.

➭ Just like she liked to dance, she liked to sing, although she wasn’t very good at that, just a little bit tone-deaf in that regard.

She liked music in general, really, and was able to connect with her peers about that, when she wasn’t being kind of morbidly weird or annoyingly showy.  She listened to a bunch of different stuff, with a special fondness for pop and jazz, although she would never admit to the latter.

The jazz was picked up from Jarod who played it often because it helped him relax, and she was far too fond of ripping on him for his “bad / boring taste,” unwilling to admit that she enjoyed it, liking it especially because it made her think of him.

➭ Lola did ask Jarod about her mom a handful of times since she was too young to remember her.  He tried his best to answer her questions patiently, but she could tell that they got under his skin, regardless.  She did ask him at one point why her mother had left them.  And at another point, whether or not her mother loved her, and if not, then why not?

Jarod did not have a good answer for any of those, not one that he could think of that wouldn’t hurt Lola’s feelings in some way, so he gave her a somewhat noncommittal response and then assured her that she still had him and that he loved her and that was what mattered.  And it worked a little bit.

However, despite his efforts, Lola’s feelings were hurt.  Because Jarod could not articulate Lola’s mother’s reasons for leaving, Lola started to feel like there weren’t any reasons, that she and her father had done nothing wrong to warrant the abandonment.  And whatever curiosity she had about her mother dissolved into a bitter resentment, a deep hatred of the woman, although she never mentioned this more than a few times.  She kept her hatred of her mother close to her chest and resolved, simply, to stop talking about her altogether, to spare her father from any more questions that might rip open old wounds.

➭ When she turned 15, Lola started to struggle with her identity, developing new insecurities and no longer feeling wholly comfortable in her own skin.  Had they lived a while longer, they would have found that this disconnect between their perceived self and their current body was an issue of gender identity.  Lola would have, at some point, ended up identifying as either nonbinary or a trans man.

However, because Petria does not really have any easily accessible LGBT+ resources, she never had the terminology to express it.  They never would have been able to pinpoint why they were feeling bad, not without trying on a lot more things, over the course of the next several years, which they never got to live to see.

I will be referring to Lola using both she/her and they/them pronouns interchangeably from now on.  I do not consider referring to Lola with she/her pronouns to be misgendering them because at the time of their death, they still identified as a girl.  In her mind, she was still fully a girl, a confused one who felt bad about herself, but a girl nonetheless, nowhere even close to thinking of identifying as trans as an option.

➭ Lola’s internal struggles with their identity did cause them to pull away from Jarod, feeling exhausted and repulsed by the notion that they had to live up to the expectation of being “daddy’s little girl.”  This was almost completely subconscious on Lola’s part.  They had no idea where their sudden lack of interest in interacting with their father came from, just that they felt he “no longer understood” them, but they could not put a finger on what they wanted him to understand.

This is yet another thing, a big thing, that drew her into the Brigades - the desire for a sense of belonging that her home life no longer provided for her.  Bob was able to take her and her complaints that her father “didn’t understand” and make her believe that he did understand, even if she was unable to articulate anything to him as well.  He was incredibly charismatic and someone Lola looked up to as a role model and as someone who would accept them as a person rather than a daughter.

So, she joined the Brigades and latched onto that as an identity and a community, to try to work her way through her confusion.

➭ Lola had a tendency to externalize her problems, to project outward and find other causes for them that she could latch onto, instead of turning inward and reflecting, which is a trait that she picked up from her father.  (See: him going on a revenge quest instead of sitting down with himself, working through his problems, and healing properly.)  As such, their displeasure with themself was easily twisted into a hatred for Petria’s government.  All that they knew was that Something Felt Wrong, and seeing few other options, they pointed at President Tyrak - with some guidance from Bob - and assumed that that must be The Thing That Is Wrong.

Externalizing problems in this way made her feel less confused, at least temporarily, because she had a clear path forward to solving what she perceived to be The Problem.  In reality, even if Brigades succeeded in dismantling Petria’s government entirely, Lola never would have been fully satisfied until they came to terms with who they actually were, which, as mentioned, would have taken a lot more years.

➭ Their codename with the Brigades was Fossil, obviously alluding to their interest in paleontology.  It was, of course, used so that the Brigades could talk to and about her without the authorities finding out her real identity.  Pretty much all Brigades use codenames with each other, such as John going by the name Ursus or Mr. U.

However, Lola’s codename, which they picked for themself, served another purpose in that it helped them start to explore some of their identity issues.  “Fossil” allowed them to shed “Lola” and some of the baggage that came with it.  They never acknowledged “Fossil” as their real or even preferred name consciously, knowing that it was just code, but it did give them a rush, being able to be known as somebody else.

They spent a lot of time with the Brigades, more comfortable living as Fossil than as Lola, although they filled up a lot of time with training and plotting, too much so to really sit down and examine what their Fossil identity meant to them.

➭ Lola got her hair cropped short about a week or two before her death, as part of her experimenting (even if she didn’t call it experimenting).  Jarod never got a picture of her with her new short hair, so the picture on the tribute he set up for her depicts her with long hair, a little bit past her shoulder blades.

➭ To be added to, as I feel like it.

#🚕 ☲☲☲ ✘ i have some anger management issues . . . now you know 【 headcanon 】 #🚕 ☲☲☲ ✘ it's a tribute to my beautiful daughter 【 lola 】 #//AUGH THEY MAKE ME SO SAD #//lola & jarod end up with so many issues just bc they live in a pretty transphobic/homophobic country #//and i'm like :( i want them to go to pride together :( damn :( #//lola as a case study in how extremist groups target the vulnerable got me like 💔 #//also i do hope you enjoy as this took me 4 or 5 days to cobble together and ended up being over 2000 words

[blacksurvivalnostalgichanges]

How about HyunWoo's worse half, Isol?

on the one hand i will not stand for isol slander, on the other hand i did once say hyunwoo's attached to the one guy who doesn't give a fuck about him so i guess i can't say you're wrong lol

isol is a horrible person but i forgive him. he hasn't had a chance to be a person yet

#answering asks #fr tho 'hyunwoo's worse half' is SENDING ME #i think isol just had horrible friends for his entire life and he needs better ones for like a year before he turns into a person #the moment you read that acquaintance interview you realize why he's Like That #francisco is not only a poor representation of brazilians for having this italian-ass name but he's also a horrible guy #hyunwoo's really simple but isol's like his complicated counterpart tbh #isol's backstory is so layered. it's a series of unfortunate events and the damn events overlap #first orphan. bad start. then he has this shitty friend. then he gets recruited into an extremist group #so now he has ptsd trauma too like the first trauma wasn't enough #i think the saddest part is just that francisco was likely the main contributing factor to him becoming.... THIS #and isol still wants to unarrest him and help him. like holy shit i feel so sad for him #they don't write things often but connecting the fact that he knows about rozzi makes me have so many thoughts #mainly that i hope the way that realization ends is by him accepting the power of friendship and found family #that's where i was going with all this btw. i'm mentally ill about him but in the opposite way to hyunwoo #obcessed with the idea of him improving

[gorkaya-trava]

so, today we, russian queers, may become "extremists" by decision of russian supreme court and thus our existence will be silenced and erased. any queer activism will be impossible for us. I don't know what to do anymore. I was heartbroken when they passed the laws about "gay propaganda" and transgender people, now I'm just numb. I don't want to escape. I just want to live safely in my own country.

please hear us.

#lgbtq #lgbtqia #lgbtq community #lgbtqia rights #lgbtq rights #lgbt+ #lgbt rights #russia #russian lgbtq #lesbian #gay #bisexual #trans #transgender #queer #queer rights #russian queers

[the-lady-general]

Election poster of the Nazi party (AFD) in Thüringen (via spiegel.de): "The [Nazi party] keeps the promises of the [conservative party]!"

And that's why we don't vote conservative either 🙃

#the lady general rambles #random thought but when martok ds9 said he regrets that he didn't get to kill more civilians i understand now. sane & measured reaction #1 in 5 germans would vote for right extremist anti-democrats #and don't think i'm letting nrw off the hook just bc of thuringen they did this vote nazi shit back in 2017 #if people really hate human life why don't they at least vote liberal

[batboyblog]

2024 Senate Elections: You'd Better VOTE!

Yes it's election year yet again in America! but not just for President, almost as important will be the US Senate!

I'm not gonna lie this is a rough map for Democrats, we're playing a lot of defense in some pretty red states with even our best hopes for a pick up being pretty long shots. But even with narrow control of the Senate we've managed the biggest climate bill in American History a huge infrastructure bill thats bring high speed rail to America capped the price of insulin changed the law to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices bring savings to everyone, and put over 160 federal judges on the bench, 2/3rds of whom are women and/or people of color the first time white men haven't been the majority of nominees by a President. So let's keep progress going by voting for, supporting, donating, and volunteering for the following candidates in the races that will decide the US Senate this year.

Arizona

Ruben Gallego (Hold)

After frustrating Democrats by repeatedly voting against major Democratic priorities, supporting the filibuster and putting donors over voters, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party to become an independent in 2022. Democratic congressman Ruben Gallego was running to primary Sinema before she left the party and is now the likely Democratic nominee to unseat her and give Arizona the Democratic Senator it deserves. Gallego is a former Marine, combat veteran, Harvard grad, a former state representative, and since 2014 a member of Congress. Gallego is a member of the Progressive Caucus and is known for his blunt and combative style standing up to Republicans. In Congress Gallego has been a strong supporter of native rights advocating for tribes on health care and child welfare issues. Gallego is also the sponsor of a bill to bring about nation wide, free, all-day kindergarten which isn't available in many states. If elected Gallego would be Arizona's first hispanic Senator. Republicans hope that the Democratic vote will split between Sinema and Gallego allowing them to win this important seat. The Republican front runner is conspiracy theorist and Trump super fan, Kari Lake. Lake rose to national fame in 2021 for pushing conspiracy theories about Trump having won the 2020 election, as well as anti-mask and anti-vaccine Covid conspiracies. Lake was the Republican nominee for Arizona governor in 2022. During that campaign she ran on an aggressive anti-LGBT platform, saying she'd ban drag, and was against trans rights. Lake also is against Abortion in all cases. After losing to Democrat Katie Hobbs, Lake refused to concede, and still pushes the conspiracy theory that she's the rightful governor of Arizona. If you live in Arizona please make sure you vote, but more if you have any time between now and November, volunteer to help Gallego! and if you don't live there you can still Donate or buy a pro-choice shirt from his campaign!

Vote Volunteer Donate Shop

Florida

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Flip)

Florida's current Republican Senator Rick Scott is a right wing extremist pushing dangerous ideas even by the standards of the Modern GOP. During his first term as Senator Scott has pushed to defund the IRS, and the Department of Education. He's sponsored bills to punish schools that allow students to use preferred pronouns, to ban affirmative action, bans teaching critical race theory, and ban trans people from women's sports. Scott is against abortion in all cases. Most alarming Rick Scott proposed a radical plan that would "sun-set" ANY and all federal laws after 5 years, including Social Security and Medicare, Scott would place all federal programs and agencies on the chopping block every 5 years for a radical Republican minority to block their renewal and leave us without Social Security, or the EPA, to name just two examples. The likely Democratic nominee is former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Born in Ecuador, Mucarsel-Powell immigrated to the US when she was 14 and had work to help support her family. When she was elected to Congress in 2018 she became the first South American born immigrant and first person of Ecuadorian heritage to be elected to Congress. In Congress Mucarsel-Powell was a member of the Progressive caucus, she fought to expand medicare, and secured $200 million for Everglades restoration. After a narrow defeat in 2020 Mucarsel-Powell joined the gun control advocacy group Giffords to fight for gun control a personal issue for her after her father was murdered when she was 24. If you're in Florida please make sure you vote, and Volunteer to help remove on of the most extreme Senators, If you're not in Florida you can help Debbie win by donating.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE

Michigan

Elissa Slotkin (hold)

Long time Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow is retiring this election, so there will be a tough fight for control of this important swing state Senate seat. The likely Democratic nominee is Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin. Slotkin is a former CIA analyst, after retiring from the CIA she worked in the State and Defense departments during the Obama administration. Slotkin was first elected to Congress in 2018 winning and being re-elected in a tough swing district. In Congress she's fought for common sense gun control, supported the cap on insulin prices and Medicare drug price negotiation, she helped pass a law on drug price transparency, she championed the CHIP act to bring high tech manufacturing jobs back to America, and was a big supporter of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Slotkin is centering a pro-choice message in her campaign as well as gun control and bring down medical costs. Who the Republicans will pick isn't totally clear, it seems like it's between Former Congressman Mike Rogers and former Detroit Police chief James Craig. Craig ran for Michigan governor in 2022 before he was disqualified for fraudulent signatures on his nominating petition. Craig has listed cutting off US support to Ukraine as one of his top priorities, and endorsed Trump's 3rd run for President early in the primaries. Mike Rogers is also trying to win over Trump voters and has attacked the rights of LGBT students in schools calling it "social engineering". If you live in Michigan make sure to get out and vote, and also volunteer! And for everyone outside the state you can donate or buy some merch.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP

Montana

Jon Tester (re-elect)

In most contexts Montana is a deep red state going for Trump in 2020 57% to 40%. This makes the reelection of Montana's only Democratic member of Congress and only statewide elected Democrat, Jon Tester maybe the toughest election for Democrats this year. A Senator since he was first elected in 2006 Tester has won a series of upset wins in Montana over the years. A 3rd generation farmer Tester has been as strong for small farmers and ranchers in Washington. Tester has always been a champion of accountably and transparency in government pushing ethnics and campaign finance reforms. Tester is rated one of the most effective senators and managed to pass more bills last year than any one else in Congress. He's never been afraid to stand up for the Democratic side even if it'd be an unpopular vote in Red Montana. Tester voted to impeach Trump twice, and he voted against all 3 of Trump's nominees to the Supreme Court. He supported President Obama on The Affordable Care Act and Dodd-Frank, and has supported President Biden on the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Republicans seem likely to nominate right wing influencer and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy. Sheehy promises to get drag queens out of schools and the Lord's Prayer in to the classroom. He also hopes to repeal Obamacare calling for a "total privatization" of health care and made statements against the very idea of health insurance, insisting people should pay full price at point of use. If you're a Montanan make sure to vote to re-elect a champion of the little guy, and also volunteer! if you're not please think of donating what you can, if you can only give to one campaign this cycle this one, or Ohio are the most important!

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP

Nevada

Jacky Rosen (re-elect)

First elected to Congress in 2016 Jacky Rosen moved up to the Senate in 2018. In her first term as a Senator Rosen has championed green energy for Nevada. Together with fellow Democratic Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Rosen has gotten millions for solar manufacturing in Nevada as well as millions to replace the state's school buses with electric, and programs to study new groundbreaking green technology. Senator Rosen has been a supporter of gun control, is in favor of banning assault weapons. She sponsored a bill, the Background Check Expansion Act, that would require background checks for all gun sales closing loopholes for on-line sales and gun shows. Rosen is pro-choice and has sponsored a bill to protect doctors from being prosecuted across state lines for providing reproductive care, and is a co-sponsor of a bill to codify Roe V. Wade into federal law. Rosen will likely face Republican celebrity and army veteran Sam Brown. Brown ran and lost a race for the Texas State House in 2014 and ran and lost for Nevada's other Senate seat in 2022. Brown stated he was in favor of getting rid of the Departments of Education, Transportation, and Energy. Brown is against Red Flag gun laws that allow police to temporarily remove fire arms from the home of someone deemed a danger to themselves or others. Brown also has refused to say if he supports a national abortion ban, but does say he's pro-life and wouldn't support any judges that weren't. If you live in Nevada make sure to get out to vote and volunteer to protect the state's green future and the right to reproductive care. If you're not in Nevada consider donating or buying some merch.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP

Ohio

Sherrod Brown (re-elect)

Ohio together with Montana represents the toughest re-elect for Democrats this year. The state went for Trump twice, elected a right wing radical, JD Vaince, to the Senate in 2022 and has had a Republican governor since 2010. To complicate thing more Democrat Sherrod Brown is one of the most progressive members of the Senate, regularly scoring along side Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for the most left wing in the Senate. From the time he was first elected to Congress in 1992 Brown refused to take the Congressional Health Insurance until all Americans could be covered. Brown first supported a Medicare for all bill in 2006 and has supported different efforts to expand Medicare and health coverage. He was a key supporter of the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Brown is a strong supporter of unions and has struggled his whole career to protect unionized manufacturing jobs in Ohio. He was one of the first Senators out on the picket line during the UAW strike of 2023. Brown's hard work has help make Ohio the center of a new booming lithium battery manufacturing in America, a green manufacturing future for the state. Republicans look likely to nominate former used car dealer and father-in-law of Republican Congressman Max Miller, Bernie Moreno. Moreno's main qualification seems to be having been endorsed by Donald Trump. He lists among his priorities "End Socialism in America" and "End Wokeness and Cancel Culture". If you're in Ohio make sure to vote to re-elect a progressive giant and volunteer too! If you live out of Ohio donate, if you're looking for the race where your dollar will matter the most, this one or Montana guys.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE

Pennsylvania

Bob Casey Jr. (re-elect)

First elected in 2006 Bob Casey famously beat incumbent Republican homophobe Rick Santorum by 17 points. Since first entering the Senate Casey has moved leftward on a number of issues. First elected as a pro-Gun Democrat since 2012 Casey has sponsored a number of bills to expand background checks, ban assault weapons, ban extended magazines, and well as supporting mental health funds for victims of gun violence. For a number of years Casey was called the last pro-life Democrat in the Senate, however in 2022 he came out in support of Roe V Wade and voted twice on bills that would have codified the right to an abortion into federal law. Casey voted against all 3 of Trump's Supreme Court picks and has long supported Planned Parenthood's contraception efforts with federal funds, seeing easily available birth control as key to reducing the number of abortions. In 2021 Casey published a plan he called "The Five Freedoms for America's Children" modeled after FDR's famous speech. He proposed automatically enrolling all kids in Medicaid, an expanded child tax cut, a federally supported college fund for all kids who's parents make under $100,000, expanded free school meals, more funds for head start and abuse prevention programs. Republicans are rallying behind Mitch McConnell's hand picked candidate, hedge fund CEO David McCormick. McCormick worked for the Bush administration during Bush's second term. McCormick's wife Dina Powell also worked for the George W. Bush administration and was a senior aid to Trump as well. If you're in Pennsylvania make sure to get out and vote for a solid Democrat out to solve child poverty in America and keep the Hedge Fund guy from Connecticut out, and Volunteer if you can. Remember you can donate where ever you are.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP

Texas

Colin Allred (flip)

Texas is currently represented by likely the most hated man in Washington, Ted Cruz. Republicans hate him, Democrats hate him more, he has a very punchable face, he might be the zodiac killer (thats a joke and meme). From shutting down the government in 2013 to try to overturn Obamacare, to leading the charge in Congress to overturn the 2020 election on January 6th Ted Cruz is a greatest hits of the worst parts of the Republican Party of the last 10 years. When Texas lost power in the middle of a historic ice storm in 2021 Ted Cruz and family ditched the state to go on vacation in Mexico, classy. Cruz in the Biden years has cast himself as a culture warrior fighting against "woke" publishing a book "Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America" in 2023 to kick off his re-election campaign. Texas is a traditionally red state but things are starting to shift and in 2018 Cruz narrowly won re-election over Beto O'Rourke. Democrats hope with the right candidate they can turn Texas blue and beat the most hated Senator in America. Democrats think Congressman Colin Allred is the man for the job. Allred is a former NFL Linebacker for the Titans. After the NFL he went on to get his law degree from UC Berkeley, and work in the Obama administration. Allred was first elected to Congress in 2018, unseating a Republican who'd been in office since 1997 and becoming the first Democrat to represent the area in Congress since 1968. In Congress Allred has supported bills to expand voting right and protect abortion rights, as well as gun control. In the Senate he promises to address Texas' shaky power grid and make sure Texas is never left in the dark again with its leaders missing. Lets do this Texas, make blue Texas a reality if you live in Texas remember to vote and volunteer, if you're an American who hates Ted Cruz you can donate to make in unemployed.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP

Wisconsin

Tammy Baldwin (re-elect)

When Tammy Baldwin first ran for Congress in 1998 she was the first openly gay person elected to the US House and the first open Lesbian to serve in Congress. In 2012 she became the first openly gay person elected to the US Senate and the first Lesbian to be a Senator, she is still the only openly gay Senator. Through out her time in office Baldwin has been a tireless voice for LGBT rights, in 2022 she helped spear head the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act to help protect gay marriage, she's also a sponsor of the Equality Act to protect all LGBT people from discrimination. Baldwin is a progressive who was a member of the House Progressive caucus, opposed the Iraq War and supported impeaching Dick Cheney. In the House she introduced bills for a single payer healthcare system in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In the Senate Baldwin is regularly listed as one of the most progressive members, voting against tax cuts for the rich, supporting a bill to require companies to have workers on their boards, she sponsored a bill to create a public option in Health Care, and has supported gun control efforts. The Republican field to challenge Senator Baldwin is uncertain, but former Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke dominates the polls if he decides to run. Clarke's sheriff's department is accused a number of human rights violations from his time as sheriff, including allowing a prisoner to die of dehydration after 6 days without water in the Milwaukee County Jail. Clarke is a Trump super fan who has pushed conspiracy theories about mass shootings being fake, attacked Black Lives Matter, called Planned Parenthood "Planned Genocide", and called for the mass detention without trial of Americans because he believed there were a million ISIS supporters in America. If you're in Wisconsin make sure to get out and vote for a trailblazing icon and also volunteer if you can, all Americans can donate and support Baldwin wherever they are.

VOTE VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP

If you're an American citizen and will be 18 years old (or older) by November 5th 2024, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! make sure you're registered to VOTE please check Vote.Org to find out what you need to do, what deadlines there are and act NOW

If you're an American living outside the US, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. Please checkout Vote From Aboard they have literally all the information you need to get registered and get your ballot wherever in the world you are, and Check out Democrats Abroad to take part in the global primary

Where ever you live in the US, there is an important life changing election happening! Get off your phone or computer and get involved, There are Events happening all around you right now Volunteer

Finally if you're a US citizen of any age any where on earth you can donate, donate to elect Biden/Harris donate to elect Democrats to the Senate, To the House, to Governorships, to local office

and the smallest thing you can do is reblog this very long post, thank you!

#2024 elections #politics #american politics #us politics #voting #democrats #Joe Biden #Republicans #donald trump #go vote

[startrekmemequeen]

CW: Politics, homophobia

I live in the part of Ukraine which is currently occupied by R*ssia. Right now i don't have any means to leave this territory. Today r*ssian government enacted a new law. According to it, LGBT+ is a "forbidden extremist organization" (i know it sounds ridiculous but it's what the law says) and any "LGBT activity" is now a crime. Even having a pride pin on your backpack can cost you at least 6 years in prison.

I can't post about this on any other social media because it would reveal my identity which would put me in danger. I'm posting this for awareness. I'm posting this so people from other countries would know what sick shit is happening here. I'm not asking anybody to do anything. I don't know what can be done to stop this. I don't think anything can be done at this point. R*ssia is going down. They've criminalized LGBT+, they're about to criminalize abortions. They've started a fucking WAR, they're killing my people. They're oppressing their own citizens.

I don't know what to do, i can't leave, i have no money, no education yet, and i have a family, i can't just leave them. I didn't ask to live in this insane country with inhumane laws, they came here and fucking occupied the place where i live.

If you're from another country, please spread awareness, educate yourself and don't support r*ssian government. If you're from r*ssia, hold on. I know you're scared, i'm scared too. But you're not alone. Just hold on.

#russia #russian government #politics #lgbt #lgbtq #activism #serrious issues #important

[spacelazarwolf]

Hey there! I’ve really appreciated your posts and perspective over this past month, I’m having a hard time (as so many Jews are) and your voice helps.

I’m hoping you can help me with reliable resources. A friend of mine condemned the Hamas attacks etc (as they should, to my relief) but is under the impression that Israeli govt is doing genocide to the Palestinians. I’ve no idea how to approach that to verify (or not), I don’t even know where to start looking. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you.

thanks! this is a really tough question, but i'm going to do my best to break it down. also if anyone's thinking of clowning on this post without reading it, inb4 "omg ur denying genocide!!!!!!" bc this post is literally outlining, in detail, all the ways the israeli government is, by definition, committing genocide.

this is really long, just a heads up.

a big frustration i have with a lot of progressive or leftist spaces is the tendency to throw around words like genocide without being able to define the term or properly apply it to the situation in question. this isn't just a semantics issue. if all you're doing is repeating the buzzwords you've heard on social media, your "activism" is going to be less than useless. it is crucial that if you are going to talk about the current genocide in gaza, you must be able to define exactly what a genocide is and how it applies to what's happening in gaza.

i'm paraphrasing from this article by the united nations. the word "genocide" was coined in 1944 by raphael lemkin in his book "axis rule in occupied europe." it was developed partly in response to the shoah, but also to previous instances of what we would now define as genocide. it was recognized as a crime under international law in 1946, and codified as an independent crime in the 1948 convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.

the definition of genocide

(from article II of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide):

in the present convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

a. killing members of the group; b. causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; c. deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; d. imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; e. forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

the 10 stages of genocide

a model created by gregory stanton, the founding president of genocide watch

classification - people are divided into "them and us"

symbolization - when combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups.

discrimination - law or cultural power excludes groups from full civil rights: segregation or apartheid laws, denial of voting rights.

dehumanization - one group denies the humanity of the other group. memmbers of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects, or diseases.

organization - genocide is always organized... special army units or militias are often trained and armed...

polarization - extremists drive the groups apart... leaders are arrested and murdered... laws erode fundamental civil rights and liberties.

preparation - mass killing is planned. victims are identified and sepaarated because of their ethnic or religious identity.

persecution - expropriation, forced displacement, ghettos.

extermination - it is 'extermination' to the killers because they do not believe their victims to be fully human.

denial - the perpatrators... deny that they committed any crimes.

application to the crisis in gaza

to start with the first definition from the united nations:

a. killing members of the group - YES

the death toll in gaza has risen above 8,000 according to the associated press. as far as i know, as of writing this post, there has been no ceasefire so the death toll will continue to rise.

b. causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group - YES

over 20,000 people in gaza have been injured, and gazans - particularly children - suffer incredibly high rates of ptsd.

c. deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part - YES

the israeli blockade of gaza has had devastating consequences for gazans. they are running out of food, water, fuel, and medicine, and this is costing additional lives.

d. imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group - unclear but leaning toward YES

whether or not it is the explicit goal, the current bombardment of gaza has put the lives of 50,000+ pregnant women in gaza at risk, along with their babies. babies who need incubators are also in danger as generators begin to run out of fuel.

e. forcibly transferring children of the group to another group - as far as i am aware, NO

according to the us embassy in israel, the palestinian authority ministry of social development is the only authorized entity regarding adoption of palestinian children. this doesn't mean it isn't happening, it just means i was not able to find any credible sources.

the 10 stages of genocide

classification - YES there is a long history in israel of othering palestinians, both socially/culturally and legally. former israeli minister of interior and minister of justice ayelet shaked shared a racist quote from netanyahu's former chief of staff explicitly framing palestinians as "the enemy."

symbolization - not yet there are no overt symbols palestinians, even within israel, are required to wear to outwardly identify themselves, but there are identifying features on their ids. in fact, the opposite has been happening, with far right members of the israeli government attempting to pass legislation making it illegal to publicly display palestinian flags.

discrimination - YES there is, again, a long history of discrimination against palestinians within and by the state of israel. it is difficult for palestinians from the west bank or gaza to gain status in israel, israeli work permits are used as a form of control, and often forcibly separate palestinian families.

dehumanization - YES former israeli deputy minister of defense eli ben dahan said of palestinians, "to me they are like animals, they aren't human."

organization - YES israel is currently carrying out an organized and brutal attack on gaza.

polarization - YES from extremist groups like hamas, to the corruption in the likud party in israel, there are very clear signs of extreme polarization. israel's siege against gaza has caused polarization across the entire globe.

preparation - YES gazans in particular are unable to leave gaza without a permit, and now with the blockade from both israel and egypt they are essentially trapped.

persecution - YES gaza in particular could absolutely be likened to a ghetto. as stated above, (in "usual" circumstances) they are unable to leave without a permit, and since hamas took control it is nearly impossible to get an israeli work permit.

extermination - GETTING THERE if the siege continues and gazans are unable to get out of gaza, there will be catastrophic casualties.

denial - YES i often hear that "israel has a right to defend itself" but i cannot possibly find a way to frame the current siege as "self defense."

so in conclusion, israel is - by multiple definitions - committing genocide against gazans. and it's very important to be able to identify specifics, especially if you are planning on having discussions about it. and i've said it in the past, but if you are not directly affected by what's happening - palestinians in particular, but israeli citizens and jews and muslims in the diaspora are also getting hit hard - it is IMPERATIVE that you are able to talk about this with a level head. escalating tensions and pushing away potential allies is only going to make things worse. find common ground, form connections, and then have a productive discussion.

#ask avishai #i/p

[opudont-donut]

EMERGENCY COMMISIONS

I'm currently in a dangerous situation. Russian government proclaimed LGBTQ+ an "extremist" movement this year. In 2013 they banned "gay propaganda" to minors then in 2022 to both minors and adults but queer people were still allowed to be queer. Now we can't be queer or else we will be chased and put in jail for being who we are.

I'm scared and stressed right now. People I can't trust know that I'm pan and trans, and I can't get a job, right now I only can afford food. I need to urgently run from my country because organisations helping queer people are close to be banned so I'm opening emergency commissions and donations to get visa and leave as fast as possible.

My price list:

Every dollar is helping so if you can donate, please do. I really need help.

My ko-fi

My boosty

Contact me via tumblr's DMs, Ko-Fi or my discord: mropudont. If you don't have money, please consider sharing this post. Thank you.

More examples of my works are under the cut:

#emergency commissions #help me #ask to reblog #russian lgbtq