#Youth Media Alliance

[gme-news]

RENDON LABADOR UMIYAK SA SOCIAL MEDIA! NEGOSYO NILANGAW!

via IFTTT

[peppermint-cardboard]

hey. hello my friend. i am grabbing you by the shoulders oh so gently. do not become hopeless. that is exactly what they want. blue state governments will give them hell over the next presidential term, and you can rest assured there will absolutely be people in our government fighting for democracy.

the thing we can all do that will have the most direct immediate impact and will lay the groundwork for cultures of help, creativity, and love is to get involved at the local community level.

i’m talking especially to my fellow teens here!!! may not be able to vote but that doesn’t mean we’re not able to help.

for my fellow Angelenos!

Hollywood Food Coalition - free food! you can sign up to volunteer and do meal prep (cooking), meal service (serving food), or help at their food bank. locations are on their website. thanksgiving is coming up and HFC will need volunteers!

My Friend’s Place - free aid for youth homelessness, especially queer youth homelessness. volunteering is for 18 years and older

Los Angeles LGBT Center - exactly what it sounds like. offers a wide range of wonderful services and opportunities for volunteering. also works with school GSAs!

Moonwater Farm - a community farm in Compton with great opportunities for education and sometimes paid fellowships

for people everywhere else! just some general recommendations:

The Trevor Project - queer youth services that have saved my ass a number of times. i don’t know if they call the police as part of their responses or not (offers a single-click-to-leave button in case of emergency)

TrevorSpace - a great queer youth-centered website and a very safe place for queer community and discussion

Debate Me, Bro - a great anarchist newsletter/advice column run by a friend of mine!

The Child And Its Enemies - anarchist child rights-focused podcast also run by that same friend of mine :)

Neocities - make a website! learn some HTML! it’s fun, it’s pretty simple, and it’s a way to get a message out if that’s what you want but it’s also just a great de-stresser

Queer Liberation Library - need i even elaborate on the importance of libraries and access to queer media over the coming few years? (offers a single-click-to-leave button in case of emergency)

American Civil Liberties Union - an activism and aid organization that gave the Republicans absolute hell last time and will continue to do so this time

Blackline (800-604-5841) - a crisis and help hotline prioritizing BI&POC and black queer people. will not call the police!

Trans Lifeline (US: 877-565-8860, Canada: 877-330-6366) - a helpline run by and for trans folks. has a quick escape button and will not call the police!

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line (888-407-4515) - a warmline to chat with trained therapists and professionals. will not call the police!

StrongHearts Native Helpline (844-762-8483) - a domestic and sexual violence helpline prioritizing Native Americans and Alaska Natives. has a quick escape button and will not call the police!

Thrive Lifeline (313-662-8209) - a live crisis warmline prioritizing marginalized people. also offers text messaging! will not call the police!

LGBT National Health Center (888-843-4564) - exactly what it sounds like! warmlines for queer people if you need help. has a quick escape button and will not call the police!

Transfeminine Science - a fantastic resource for... transfeminine science. exactly what it says on the tin.

Planned Parenthood - an incredibly prolific and important organization that offers a very wide array of vastly important services. if you live in an at least semi-urban city in the U.S., Planned Parenthood probably has a clinic near you. you should find out if they do!!!

please feel free to add more resources if you know any!!

other recommendations: say hi to a neighbor. bake someone a pie. start a garden. treat homeless people like your neighbors (because they are). propose a community movie night. have a party in your apartment building. call a friend. text a friend. draw something. cook something good. go to a restaurant you like. buy some DVDs. get a new stuffed animal. compliment a stranger’s shirt. ask for a hug. offer someone a hug. listen to music. KEEP LIVING!!!!!!!!!

don't just survive, keep living <3

[miraculouscriticismshub]

Is Chloe Bourgeois a senti-being? Season 6 theory explained

Introduction

As season 6 is only a couple of months away from being released, it’s time to discuss some interesting and bizarre theories surrounding different characters among the main cast. Today we will be discussing the controversial character of Chloe Bourgeois who is making a comeback in Season 6. This post will analyse the theory that claims that she is a senti-being which has gained traction among MLB tiktok, Twitter and Reddit after the release of Season 5. I am neither supporting nor denying this claim but providing evidence,ideas and theories I found on social media that props up both sides of the argument. I will be analysing evidence that supports the idea of her being a senti and of her not being one.

Evidence supporting this claim

Revolution

On the plane ride in Revolution, after Chloe has been exiled from Paris and sent to live with her abusive mother, Audrey says 

“ I will take control of your life again starting with your education”.

What did she mean by “again”? Did she use to control Chloe when she was younger with an amok and it was only when Audrey left for NYC that she finally experienced freedom? Control has always been associated with senti-beings with Gabriel and Colt both controlling their sons using rings. When Audrey is saying this line, there is a specific emphasis on the ring on her finger.

We know rings in this show are synonymous with senti-beings and amoks based on how the three confirmed senti's in the show (Adrien, Felix and Kagami) all have their amoks embedded in their rings. So are the writers implying that Chloe could be Senti based on this?

The Tsurugi, Agreste and Bourgeois families - possible alliance?

From the first 4 seasons of the show, it was speculated among the fanbase that the phenomena of senti-beings and creating a child using “magic” was only limited to the Agreste/Graham de vanily family with most of the fandom believing only Adrien and Felix to be senti’s. However, Season 5 revealed that there is another senti-monster in the cast which is Kagami Tsurugi meaning more families knew about the peacock miraculous and used it to create their senti’s. This changed how the concept of senti's were seen by the fanbase now with the possibility of theorising that characters outside of the Agreste/graham de vanily families are possible senti-beings. One reason why fans believe Chloe could be one is because of The Bourgeois family’s close ties to Gabriel Agreste.

Audrey and Andre both knew Gabriel in their youth so it isn’t a stretch to assume that he told them about the peacock Miraculous and allowed them to use it for certain reasons. The Tsurugi family is also another family close to the Agrestes and it is confirmed that Kagami is a senti meaning Gabriel gave the miraculous to Tome to use. If Kagami is a senti, then Chloe could be one too as both of their families are associated with Gabriel and are part of the elite.

We see Audrey, alongside Tomoe (who we know has an alliance with Gabriel) watching the news about the rediscovery of the Guardian's temple. Why would the writers focus on Audrey unless she knows about the Miraculous because of Gabriel and Emelie? If Chloe is a senti-being, why would the writers want to make all the rich kids of Paris senti’s? Do they want to imply that all the wealthy families in Paris are part of some secret cult and that all the rich kids we saw in the diamond dance in Emotion are all senti-beings?

Evidence debunking this claim

Andre Bourgeois

If Chloe is a senti , (and I know this will sound horrible)  why didn’t Andre just use the amok to discipline Chloe and keep her in line since he had so much difficulty in keeping her well behaved and well mannered ? We know he wasn’t a good person and didn’t care much for Chloe especially at the end of S5 where he disowned Chloe , sent her off to live with Audrey who he’s know will abuse Chloe , replaced Chloe with Zoe (another man’s daughter) and let her be scapegoat for the fiasco in Revolution when he know Tomoe and Gabriel were pulling the strings. If he is capable of being this lazy with his daughter when it comes to raising her, why didn’t he bother using the amok to keep Chloe in check if she is a senti ? Does he not know where the amok is or does Audrey have the amok? Either he drew the line at controlling people against their will or Chloe is not a senti .

The writers

It’s obvious that the writers are not even trying to hide their hatred towards Chloe especially after watching S5. They have no desire to redeem her or at least write her to be a decent villain. If Chloe is revealed to be a senti then that would mean she would have limited control over her actions in S4-S5 if someone like Audrey had her amok in S4-S5. That would imply Chloe isn’t to blame for some of her behaviour and that she is sympathetic which is the last thing the writers want her to be portrayed as. We know Felix who initially started off as a villain later became a little bit sympathetic as it was revealed he was A senti and that his father was horrible towards him by abusing and controlling him. Why would the writers make Chloe a senti in order to make her look sympathetic and redeemable when they made it clear Chloe would never change ? Therefore there is a possibility that she couldn’t be a senti.

If Chloe is a senti, why and how was she created and where could her amok be?

If this theory is true, One reason I could see Chloe being created was that one of her parents was likely infertile. The infertile parent would be Andre as we know Audrey is fertile because of her accidental pregnancy with Zoe. However, it is a coincidence that all the wealthy parents were infertile and would look like bad writing. Another reason why the Bourgeois could’ve used the peacock miraculously was because it was easier than getting pregnant. Audrey maybe didn’t want to get pregnant as it would ruin her physical image and Audrey is the type of person who prioritises herself and cares a lot about looks.

She thought creating was child using magic was much better than ruining her own body with pregnancy. However, this idea is debunked with the character of Zoe. We know Zoe is younger than Chloe so she was born after Audrey used the miraculous. Why would Audrey use the miraculous to create a child to preserve her body if she ended up ruining her body anyway when she biologically had Zoe? Why not abort? Did Mr Lee threaten her? Either both Zoe and Chloe are senti-beings or none of them are. 

Unlike the other senti-kids who has either One parent dead or absent, Chloe still has both of her parents alive. We know Colt used the miraculous to create Felix while Emelie used the miraculous to create Adrien. Because of using the broken peacock miraculous, both Colt and Emelie eventually got sick and died. However, Andre and Audrey are alive and healthy so if Chloe is a senti, somebody else must’ve used the miraculous instead. Either Audrey paid somebody to use the miraculous to prevent herself from getting sick or one of Chloe's grandparents used it and their death could’ve been passed off as old age.

Another theory suggests that Audrey did use the miraculous to make Chloe however instead of losing her life, she got lucky and the miraculous only corrupted her psychologically making her lose her empathy and morals instead of her life. This theory is related to the Tsurugi family, where the fans speculated that Tomoe was the one who created Kagami instead of her absent father however instead of losing her life, she got fortunate and only lost her eyesight. The idea of Tomoe surviving despite using the miraculous caused fans to speculate Audrey also used the miraculous and survived as well.

If Chloe is a senti, where could her amok be? It isn’t in her teddy bear as that was broken in Despair bear yet Chloe did not disappear. It is either in Audrey’s ring or her sunglasses as Chloe doesn’t go anywhere without her sunglasses.

Conclusion

To conclude , both sides of the “Is Chloe a senti ? “ debates have compelling arguments backed up by lot’s of evidence. However , I  haven’t officially picked a side yet and have just analysed and presented suitable evidence for and against this theory. It would be interesting if Chloe is a senti as honestly, Chloe being revealed as such might be the only thing that would save her character and redemption arc. However , the writers could also decide she isn’t a senti but a regular human . Now I want to hear your opinion. Do you like theory or hate it ? Here is a poll on the Chloe being a senti theory if you're interested.

Comment you thoughts below and let me know ?

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alex Bollinger at LGBTQ Nation:

Former Fox host Tucker Carlson said that it’s so obvious that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is gay that it actually proves that it’s Democrats who are the real homophobes because Walz doesn’t feel comfortable coming out. Carlson was on Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM show, where she played a clip of Walz gesticulating energetically at the end of a rally. Walz has gotten media attention for his animated presence at campaign events. “I’m just gonna say, I don’t know any man who behaves like that,” Kelly said.

“Come on, I mean, come on,” Carlson responded, apparently frustrated at something. “I don’t want to be mean and also I don’t want to say things I can’t prove, but like, let’s- let’s be real.” “Let me just say, not connected necessarily to Tim Walz, I’m never going to take another lecture about gay rights from these people, like, ‘Oh, you hate gays and you keep them all in the closet or whatever,'” Carlson ranted as Kelly giggled. “Any party… Stop with the, with the lectures about that stuff. Do you know what I mean? If you’re so for, in general, if you’re so for gay rights then that would mean that any member of your party who’s gay would feel free to say so in public and would not be pretending not to be gay. I’m just saying.” Carlson then said that he doesn’t dislike Walz for being gay, but he’s mad at “the falseness of” his pretending to be straight. Walz is married and has two kids with his wife. He has never said that he identifies as anything under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

[...] Pundits have noted that “masculinity” has become a subtext this election, with the Republican ticket positioning itself as “strong” candidates who will “protect” women by upholding conservative gender roles. Harris has painted Republicans’s anti-abortion policies as a threat to women’s bodily autonomy and the right of all Americans to make personal medical decisions. Walz is a father, a hunter, a former military servicemember, and a former football coach who has steadfastly supported LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive, and workers’ rights, but many on the right define masculinity now as the opposition to women’s equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun control measures. Walz, on the other hand, is now best known for his supporting role in Harris’ candidacy as well as his past advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, including helping his school establish a gay-straight alliance in the 1990s and making Minnesota a sanctuary state for trans youth.

Former Fox host Tucker Carlson, appearing on fellow former Fox colleague Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM Triumph show Wednesday, pushed the homophobic rumor that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is “gay”.

See Also:

MMFA: Right-wing media figures are spreading salacious and unsupported accusations against Tim Walz from an account known for creating viral hoaxes

From the 10.16.2024 edition of SiriusXM Triumph/Devil May Care Media's The Megyn Kelly Show:

[pagesfromthevoid]

Glitch | k.h. | 3

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: none

Author’s Note: Kicking my feet and blushing

Talk to me! | Series Masterlist | AO3

Following the Announcement of the Chunin Exams

The jonin quarters of the Hokage’s office were bathed in the soft glow of afternoon light as Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Guy and her gathered to discuss the decision that they had all just made: nominating their genin for the chunin exams. It was a right of passage for them, and she knew that well enough. But Iruka had been right when he stepped in earlier: it was too soon. And she was starting to worry that maybe she shouldn’t have recommended her team after all.

She sighed, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm, her expression a blend of doubt and concern. The sigh broke the silence of the room, and she finally spoke. 

“I think I may have made a mistake, recommending my team for the exams,” she admitted. Her voice was tinged with uncertainty, and her gaze shifted between her fellow jonin, searching for understanding.

Kakashi, his singular visible eye locked onto her, remained silent, his mask of indifference firmly in place as he watched her carefully.

Kurenai seemed surprised by the admission, brows raised and questions in her crimson eyes. "Is there something specific bothering you?"

Asuma, casually puffing on his cigarette, interjected, "Your team has been making progress, hasn't it?"

“I mean, they have.” She nodded, her eyes briefly falling to the table in front of her where she rested her arms. “But my training as a shinobi has been more focused on diplomacy and preventing conflict –not so much being directly involved in conflict.”

She was quite proud of her accomplishments as a shinobi, of course. And by the village’s standards, she was exceptionally strong in all styles of jutsu. But when she became a jonin, Lord Third –her uncle –determined that the best way to show allied villages that he was serious in trusting them was to send his own flesh and blood to broker peace and maintain alliances. She understood why he did it; it made sense. By sending her, he was telling the other villages that he trusted them enough to not cause harm to his own family. And again, she was thoroughly proud of her accomplishments as a shinobi.

But that meant her genin were getting trained in what she knew best, not necessarily what should be best for them.

Kakashi sighed, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface as he heard her explanations. 

"Look," he began, trying to keep his tone level. "I understand your concerns, but you've already recommended them. It's not about what you've focused on in the past; it's about giving them a chance to prove themselves."

She shook her head, her voice tinged with frustration as well. "I haven't given them the applications yet, Kakashi. There's still time to reconsider."

Asuma and Kurenai exchanged glances, realizing that this conversation was becoming increasingly heated. Asuma knew better than to get in between an argument with his cousin and anyone –let alone Kakashi. They decided it was best to make a discreet exit, leaving her and Kakashi to resolve their differences.

As they left, Guy, who had been oblivious to the growing tension, spoke up enthusiastically. "Well, it looks like you two are really passionate about your teams! That's great! What dedication to our youth!”

In the midst of their argument, she and Kakashi were so engrossed in their exchange that Guy's presence became almost inconsequential. Neither of them even acknowledged his statement, instead focusing in on one another.

Kakashi, his eye narrowing with frustration, couldn't suppress his retort any longer. "You've got to trust in your team's abilities. They've come a long way under your guidance."

She countered, frustration evident in her tone, "But Kakashi, this isn't just about trust. It's about ensuring they're as prepared as possible. I don't want them to face unnecessary danger unless they’re ready.”

Guy, standing beside them, tried to mediate, "Hey, guys, let's not—"

Kakashi interrupted, his voice tinged with impatience, “If you wanted to coddle them, you shouldn’t have recommended them in the first place.”

She bristled at his comment. "Coddle them? I'm trying to make sure they're capable."

Their argument was escalating, each of them deeply entrenched in their beliefs. Guy sensed the tension in the air and decided to make another attempt at diffusing it. "Come on, you two, there's no need to—"

But before he could finish, Kakashi and her exchanged a volley of pointed remarks, the intensity of their disagreement growing by the second.

"If you wanted to disappoint your team," he said, his voice sharper now, "you should have sent them back to the Academy when you had the chance.”

“You don’t get it, Kakashi.” Her eyes flashed with a mix of frustration and hurt as she stood, pointing down at him. “You’re a prodigy; you’re a genius. Your team consists of an Uchiha and the son of the Fourth Hokage. Even more so —you’re a good teacher. And I’m…I’m just…”

Kakashi realized then that she wasn’t questioning her students' abilities as shinobi; she was questioning her own . He eased back into his seat, the anger he felt just moments ago dissipating. Her breath caught, and her eyes widened for a moment —then she stormed off, refusing to give into her emotions any further. 

Guy’s hand on his shoulder brought Kakashi back to where he was, and he looked to his friend with a deep frown. 

“Leave her be, Kakashi,” Guy warned, looking at him thoughtfully. “To be young and starting out, it isn’t easy. This is her first team —she has every right to be concerned about her abilities to teach them. Not everyone can be as good as you and I are.”

Kakashi deflated some at Guy’s warning, but nodded once. “I suppose you’re right.”

Guy gave him a thumbs up, smiling brightly. “Excellent. Now what do you say we have a friendly competition? 100 laps around the village? That always makes me feel better!”

“I —what?” Kakashi looked at Guy in confusion before he shook his head. “No, not right now.”

“Have it your way! Until we meet again, Kakashi!”

*****

The clouds had rolled in shortly after she stormed out of the jonin quarters. While nothing more than a summer shower, it was enough for her to find her way to her mother’s grave. Her mind was conditioned by the rain at this point, it seemed. Even in the midst of her anger and stress, as the clouds were graying and the air was growing a little wetter than usual —she was at the cemetery.

“I don’t know what to do, ma,” she murmured, running her fingers over the headstone gently. Her lashes dropped raindrops like tears —or maybe they were actual tears. She couldn’t tell the difference.. “I’ve never been so unsure of myself.”

There was no response, of course, but that didn’t stop her from trying to imagine what her mother would say. 

“I know you had your own team,” she continued, using her free hand to wipe her eyes. “How did you…gods, how did you hold their little lives in your hands like that? They’re so young, and I’m barely twenty-six —what if they die? People die in the chunin exams, ma.”

“No one’s died in the exams in nearly five years.”

She stiffened at the voice, just as the rain suddenly stopped soaking through her clothes. Perhaps they knew each other too well if Kakashi knew he could find her here. After a moment, she swallowed and patted the spot next to her. Kakashi sunk down beside her, holding the umbrella between them. 

“There haven’t been rookies in the exams in five years,” she reminded him gently, though her eyes stayed glued to the headstone. 

“Oh —well, I guess you’re right.”

“You’re terrible at comforting people, Kakashi.”

Kakashi huffed, masking the chuckle he held back, and rubbed the back of his neck as he crossed his legs under him. “I’m more of a problem solver, truthfully.”

“I know.” She nodded in understanding, picking at a stray string on her pants. A blush crept its way up under her skin, and she cursed herself for being so ridiculous.  “But I don’t need someone to solve my problem; I know what’s wrong. I understand that my anxiety is… irrational , and I know that I should just trust my students and their capabilities.”

She could feel his gaze on her, steady and curious, as she spoke. “I just…I needed to vent, that’s all. Asuma and Kurenai are great at that –listening, and offering me a place to complain for a minute. Guy isn’t; he’s like you. Wants to solve every problem. But I don’t need a solution –I just need a friend to listen to me bitch for a little while.”

Kakashi hesitated a moment, his dark eyes flickering with a mix of regret and realization. As he replayed the heated exchange in his mind, he came to understand the uselessness of the argument he started. They were among friends, gathered to share their worries about their students, and all she had wanted was to share her concerns without the weight of judgment. Instead, his words had only succeeded in upsetting her, and that realization weighed heavily on him, like a leaden lump in his chest.

Feeling like a complete fool, he released a heavy sigh. His usually guarded demeanor had cracked, revealing a rare vulnerability. Without overthinking it, Kakashi tentatively extended his arm, reaching out to wrap it around her shoulder in an awkward, hesitant gesture. She stiffened initially, her body reacting to the unexpected contact, especially from him of all people. But the tension in her gradually ebbed away, replaced by a sense of reassurance as she relaxed into his side. Her temple came to rest against his shoulder, neither of them speaking as the rain pattered against the pink umbrella that shielded them.

It was the closest to an apology she would probably get from him, but it was far more meaningful in her opinion. 

“Wait,” she suddenly announced, pulling away from him to look up at the umbrella. “Did you break into my house to get my umbrella?”

Kakashi dropped his arm, following her gaze up to the canopy above them, before he nodded sheepishly. A blush creeped up above where his mask rested on his cheeks and he chuckled. “Oh, yeah. You should put up stronger protection seals.”

Her laughter erupted suddenly, a melodious sound that echoed in the quiet cemetery. She covered her heart with her hand, as if to contain the burst of emotions that surged within her. The absurdity of Kakashi breaking into her home just to retrieve her mother's umbrella was almost comical, but it stirred something deep within her. Gratefulness, perhaps, but it felt even stronger than that. In that moment, she couldn't help but feel an unexpected warmth, realizing that his actions spoke volumes about their friendship. 

“Oh my gods, Kakashi.”

[the-light-of-stars]

Multiple palestinian, jewish, german and international leftist organisations, among them members of the BDS movement and Jewish Voice for a Just Peace, have been organising an event for the discussion and education on matters of palestinian liberation and human rights under the title 'Palestine Congress'.

German politicians and media have been repeatedly calling this event things like "terror event" or "event to spread 'imported antisemitism'" (a racist term common in the current german discussion referring to the idea that antisemitism in germany stems from and is being spread by immigrants and not from ethnically german citizens) and have been calling for a boycott and ban of the event and repercussions against its participants, and have already enacted repercussions against jewish organisations like Jewish Voice in the name of supposedly 'fighting antisemitism' , an argument the german government and media keep bringing up as a moral pretense to justify their continued support of Israel as their second biggest supplier of weapons, and which in the past months and years has lead to the arrests of many protestors, a very large part of them jewish.

"Broad resistance against 'Palestine Congress'"

A broad alliance [of people] from politics and civil society has called for a protest against the 'Palestine Congress' that is supposed to happen in Berlin at the end of the week.

"Berlin must not become the center of terror glorification", emphasized the alliance and explicitly referred to an appeal by the youth organisations of the political parties Grüne [greens/progressives], SPD [social democrats], FDP [liberals] and CDU [conservatives] as well as the youth forum of the German-Israeli-Society (DIG) and the Jewish Student Union Germany.

Famous supporters of the alliance are among others the parliament members Alexander Throm (CDU), Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP), Kevin Kühnert (SPD), Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) and the former Berlin senator of culture Klaus Lederer (Linke [the left]).

This sentiment and call for protest was shared by the president of the Central Council of Jewish People in Germany who was quoted on the organisation's twitter account:

" Dr. Schuster regarding the planned Palestine Congress in Berlin: 'This event is a parade of anti-zionism and very certainly will not find any answers for the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza. On the contrary: Those who disregard the terror of Hamas and with it also the murderous strategy of the organisation against its own civilian population discredit themselves."

This of course is referring to the popular (in german media and politics) talking point that the deaths and otherwise suffering of civilians in Gaza was not caused by Israel but by palestinians themselves, specifically this argument states that Israel is only defending itself and is intentionally being tricked or forced into killing and starving civilians and breaking human rights conventions by Hamas as some sort of palestinian strategy to discredit the israeli government and that it is not doing this out of its own volition, and that the Gazan civilian populace acts as 'shields' for Hamas that Israel is forced to attack against its will for the sake of self defence.

German media and politicians love calling Israel the victim and treating palestinians as both the perpetrators and collateral damage , at most offering a fake 'oh the situation for the civilians is not good' while cutting off aid to Palestine and increasing weapons sales to Israel.

Of note for this particular situation:

The Palestine Congress is organised by multiple palestinian, jewish, german and international leftist organisations, among them also the jewish organisation Jewish Voice for a Just Peace.

Just recently a german state bank had frozen the organisation's bank account, thus freezing thousands of euros the organisation had meant to use as funding for the Congress. The bank also had demanded a detailed list of all of the organisation's members, including data such as their names and home adresses.

"The repression of the german state against the Palestine solidarity movement are escalating daily, they range from prohibition of demonstrations to police raids, and now the bank account of a jewish organisation was frozen in the name of fighting antisemitism - by the Berlin Sparkasse, a financial institution under public law." , said Wieland Hoban, chairperson of 'Jewish Voice' to jW on wednesday.

The unconditional support of Israel, that may be sold as a moral imperative but that serves real political purposes, leads to a 'dehumanisation of palestinians' and a declaration of war against everyone who calls for equality and freedom for them. "Who thinks they're ensuring jewish safety by doing this is gravely mistaken." so Hoban."

[someone-will-remember-us]

A government-ordered review has dismissed claims that suicide rates in young people with gender dysphoria have risen sharply since the NHS restricted access to puberty-blocking drugs.

A report by the government’s adviser on suicide prevention also found that the claims – made by the campaign group the Good Law Project – were not supported by data and could prompt children under the age of 18 to take their own life.

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, last week asked Prof Louis Appleby, a leading authority on mental health at Manchester University, to look at suicide rates among current and former patients of the now-discontinued gender identity development service (Gids) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS trust.

And in his paper, published on Friday, Appleby said he had found no evidence to back up the claims.

“The data do not support the claim that there has been a large rise in suicide by young patients attending the gender services at the Tavistock since the High Court ruling in 2020 or after any other recent date,” his analysis concluded. It covered the care received by and outcomes seen among patients of the London-based specialist mental heath trust.

The Good Law Project’s executive director, Jo Maugham, said in response: “I was not contacted in advance of the statement being released and will obviously need time to respond. I do have difficulties with the figures and analysis and will respond in due course.”

Appleby also advised patients, NHS staff and campaign groups to not see the provision of puberty blockers “as the touchstone issue, the difference between acceptance and non-acceptance [of gender dysphoria]. We need to move away from this perception.”

He was asked to examine the evidential base for claims that the NHS’s decision to limit access to puberty-blocking drugs after the high court’s ruling in the Keira Bell case in December 2020 had led to a “surge” or “explosion” in suicides among young people with gender dysphoria. Three judges ruled that those under 16 lacked the capacity to decide whether or not to give informed consent to take the drugs.

As well as finding no evidence to support the suicide claims, Appleby also highlighted “the way that this issue has been discussed on social media has been insensitive, distressing and dangerous, and goes against [Samaritans] guidance on safe reporting of suicide”.

“The claims that have been placed in the public domain do not meet basic standards for statistical evidence,” he added.

He flagged up the possibility of “already-distressed adolescents hearing the message that ‘people like you, facing similar problems, are killing themselves’, leading to imitative suicide or self-harm”.

Appleby, an expert in mental health statistics, found evidence of 12 suicides among current and former Gids patients in the six years between 2018-19 and 2023-24. Six of them were among under-18s.

Five suicides occurred in the three years before 2020-21 and seven in the three afterwards. “This is essentially no difference, taking account of expected fluctuations in small numbers”, he said.

Kate Barker, chief executive of the LGB Alliance, said: “It’s distressing that the completely unevidenced claims of increased suicidality were allowed to take root, and given credence by people in public life who should have known better than to play politics with such an emotive issue.

“Now the whole world can see these claims for what they are: a cynical attempt to spread misinformation to serve a dangerous and homophobic ideology.”

[accio-victuuri]

Sharing excerpts from this article about YAYA and their cooperation with Yibo. It’s pretty long and talks a lot about the brand and their marketing strategy in recent years but of course, what I have included is about Yibo:

On the eve of Double 11, when all brands are sprinting for Double 11, the national down jacket brand YaYa officially announced the brand’s chief spokesperson Wang Yibo.

This "strong alliance" is not only good news for fans and consumers, but also a pioneering attempt for old domestic products to take advantage of new idols to rejuvenate them, helping national idols to strengthen and upgrade national brands' brand images, and consolidate and enhance their existing market positions provides a reference template for win-win cooperation.

On November 8, national down jacket brand YaYa officially announced Wang Yibo as the brand’s chief spokesperson. On the day the official announcement was made, the entry #王一博就是吃鸭夜# became a hot search topic, and resonated with consumers who are facing the onset of cooling.

After relaunching, Yaya's first task is to create a youthful image of the brand, and choosing the right spokesperson is undoubtedly the most effective way to clearly convey the brand label. Youth is Wang Yibo’s background. As a new generation artist born after 1995, Wang Yibo has shined in many fields over the years. With his trendy appearance and "cool" personality, he has become a national artist in the hearts of young people.

More importantly, whether it is Yaya or Wang Yibo, diversity is their most obvious label.

Actor, singer, professional racing driver, skateboard, hip-hop... Wang Yibo can switch freely among multiple identities, and his development path is multi-dimensional, which has accumulated a huge fan base for him. After Yaya restarted in 2020, it has always focused on national positioning. There are more than 1,000 new SPUs launched every year, with various styles and comprehensive styles.

Such a "top-quality" and suitable spokesperson also allowed Yaya to devote all its resources. In order to fully unleash the brand potential brought by the spokesperson, YaYa not only combined the brand super symbol Y-bill IP created by the well-known brand consulting company Hua & Hua with Wang Yibo's official announcement, but also customized multiple content such as videos, graphics and text for the spokesperson.

Take Wang Yibo, who is cooperating this time, as an example. His traffic effect and fan conversion rate are strong enough, and his versatile style provides solid confidence for multiple popular products to be released at the same time. Cooperating with the traffic management of e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and Douyin, and adding the traffic of social media such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu, the potentially explosive products have accumulated enough potential energy before they are officially launched.

[tieflingkisser]

Anti-Trans Bills Keep Citing the New York Times

“By any objective measure, the paper seems clearly devoted to advocating against this care.”

New York Times columnist Pamela Paul argued in a 4,500-word op-ed earlier this month that transgender health care procedures amount to “unproven treatments for children,” despite major medical associations’ support for gender-affirming care and the widespread view that it is lifesaving. The piece, which builds upon Paul’s record of espousing anti-trans views in the pages of the country’s most important paper, was roundly condemned by trans journalists over what they alleged was an argument rife with inaccuracies.  Yet for all the criticism it unleashed, or precisely because of that very criticism, conservative groups seized upon Paul’s piece to pursue anti-trans legal maneuvers. In Idaho, the Alliance Defending Freedom, the powerful conservative legal group known for its critical role behind the strategy that overturned Roe v. Wade, specifically cited Paul’s Feb. 4 column as evidence of the “ostracism, pain, and lifelong regret” young people experience after receiving gender-affirming health care. The legal brief, which aimed to overturn a federal judge’s December ruling that blocked the state from enforcing a ban on gender-affirming health care, was ultimately unsuccessful. But it underscored the right’s enthusiasm for including New York Times pieces that have been accused of cherry-picking data and citing problematic sources in their defenses of anti-trans legislation across the country.  “It’s not surprising that the ADF would cite Paul,” Gillian Branstetter, Communications Strategist from the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, told Mother Jones. “They have been working to manufacture doubt around the safety and efficacy of this care.” My colleague Madison Pauly has reported on this very effort. In May 2023, Pauly uncovered leaked emails that showed ADF working behind the scenes to pressure Republican lawmakers to create some of the most restrictive bills in the country. That strategy often involved citing misinformation and experts some view as unqualified or biased.  Paul appears to follow a similar tactic. In her February piece, Paul claims that some professionals who question the gender-affirming care model feel silenced, afraid that airing public concerns over procedures would get them labeled as transphobic. Paul references Stephanie Winn, a therapist in Oregon who primarily works with parents of gender non-conforming youth “worried that [their] child’s new ‘identity’ may be influenced by peers, media, underlying mental health issues, or trauma.” But Paul failed to mention that Winn is not a neutral professional: She has promoted invasive techniques for parents to encourage their children not to be transgender; and supported theories like “RODG” and hormone imbalance caused dysphoria, both of which have not been supported by science; and testified against Oregon’s ban on conversion therapy. 

[keep reading]

[digitalagepulao]

Pardal/Sparrow or Digital, whichever is your fancy sie/hir/they/them - adult (+21)

welcome to my JttW and chinese animations and mythology sideblog! my focus on it comes and goes so i'll let you know when turning on notifications to know when i'm posting again might be a good idea.

while this blog is mainly focused on JttW, I'll bring up other stories and legends, like Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi) or Lotus Lantern (Bao Lian Deng). this is also for Chinese animations and series as I find and explore them, and i'll occasionally do livereads of books, especially academic ones.

follow me over at my main @sparrow-in-boots if you'd like my more assorted interests <3

COMMISSION INFO | KO-FI | TWITCH

THIS BLOG IS +21 and will contain: fantasy and realistic violence, gore, body horror, discussion of mental illness and suicide, sexual themes, and other sensitive subjects. They will be tagged appropriately as cw but please be advised and proceed with caution.

PLEASE DO NOT TAG MY AUs AND CONTENT AS LMK unless i do so! LMK content is tagged with #not a lmk blog (head on over to my LMK sideblog @digitaldoeslmk if you want my art and aus)

AU info and tags below!

#Expedition to the West au

my take on JttW if it was (more or less) rooted in the real world and the historical Xuanjang's journey. follows mostly the plot beats as outlined by @journeytothewestresearch's article, so giving it a read will help contextualize where I diverge or fill in empty spaces with my own takes and ideas. full props to OP, their research has been an immense help and inspiration!!

#Sun clan au

[CHARACTER DIRECTORY] started as my own version of giving Wukong a mother figure, now it's me fleshing out the monkey population of Huaguoshan with ocs to explore Wukong's bonds and filial piety, as well as the repercussions of his actions. expect a lot of family fluff AND angst!

note that both AUs are somewhat connected but I'll tag them separately as needed.

#Havoc in Midgard au

God of War/JttW crossover AU. Linked to my Fimbulvintr Blues AU where Atreus and Mimir are kicked back into the far past of Kratos' Spartan General days, and have to catch up to his current time the long way. I'm focusing mostly on his trips across the continents and pantheons as he retrieves the giants hidden there by Týr and slowly but surely acquires a veritable arsenal of magical artifacts, special powers and baffling alliances. And of course, his short but chaotic stint in the Three Kingdoms during the time of both Wukong's youth and the entirety of the Investiture of the Gods.

#bell dragon art

my art tag regardless of AU or fandom

MEDIA TAGS (in no particular order)

1986 series - 1996 series - Conquering the Demons - Demons Strike Back - A Chinese Odyssey movies - Monkey King: Hero is Back - Monkey King Reborn - New Gods movies - NG: Nezha Reborn - NG: Yang Jian - Jiang Ziya - Nezha 2019 - White Snake movies - Tian Zhen Pai: Xiyouji 2019 - Havoc in Heaven 1961 and related movies - Chang'an 2023 - Luoxiaohei - Fei Ren Zai

ASSORTED TAGS

jttw liveread: quotes and tidbits from the novels i felt like sharing

fsyy liveread: same as above, but for the Investiture of the Gods (Fengsheng Yanyi)

oedipal god liveread: comments and quotes of the book "Oedipal God: The Chinese Nezha and his Indian Origins" by Meir Shahar

jttw book club: chapter reviews and comments by myself and others who have joined the reading group over at @/journeythroughjourneytothewest

[kisilinramblings]

To the people complaining about lila not having an interesting motivation, lila ‘s been firmly established as being someone who enjoys to hurt people.

She doesn’t need a complex reason to want to hurt someone other than, “this person said no to me “ and her ego.

Can we let women just be evil and not always have to make them have a complex sob story on why they do bad stuff? Let women be villains for the evilulz.

I personally don't think Lila loves hurting people because she doesn't care about people to begin with. To her, they are all stupid and potential pawns to help her reach her objective. But you cannot attract flies with vinegar. And people are more willing to "help" if you are sweet and helpless after all or if they hear what they like to hear.

However, Lila cannot allow herself to not deal with potential threats getting in her way. As they say, it takes years to build an image but only a moment to destroy it. And hurting people is a tool in her arsenal when she has to deal with obstacles she encounters. It is not her goal.

No, Lila just loves it when everything goes her way. She loved having her face being everywhere with the Alliance ring. She loves the special attention. To me, it feels to be her way of being in control of her environment.

Anyway, I even wonder if Lila sometimes even gets thrilled by challenging herself on what she can do. Like what is her deal to pretend to be (at least) 3 different women's daughter at the same time? What is her deal to have at least two lives in two different school? That must be exhausting, yet she does it. Why? For the women, I suspect she has a use for each of them (like the one works in a country embassy). But for being in two schools? Not so sure. Unless there are students in each of those insitutions who are valuable for her to get to or to use.

It feels like, for Lila, all doors can be open with patience, diligent work and with the right puppet. This is her way of living and she is embracing it because she is getting what she wants and no one is allowed to say no to her.

The people who dare get in her way? People who lecture her about right and wrong? People who treats her like a nobody and throwing her away? Oh be prepared. Lila is a vengeful spirit.

But you are right, Anon, Lila doesn't need a complex reason. A lot of villains in other media don't actually.

Take Cruella from the 101 Dalmatians. She loves fur and wants a coat made of spotted puppies skin to add to her collection. If the protagonist was a human, she would not be as much as a menace, but since the protagonists are dogs, well, she is endangering their litter's lives directly.

Sidenote I especially love the 1990s live action interpretation because it leans on making her an artist at her core and as a fashion designer, she simply loves using fur as a material to work with.

Yzma from Emperor's New Groove? Wants to kill the emperor out of pure revenge because Kuzco dared fire her from her royal advisor's spot.

Mother Gothel in Rapunzel? Wants to keep the source of her youthful appearance for herself.

They all don't need to have complex nor sad backstory. But they still each have a motivation to oppose or endanger the protagonist in some way. Even so, just because their motivation is simple doesn't mean that the villain cannot be compelling, fun or be an actual threat.

I think some people believe they have to care about what the villain is trying to do, but I do not believe it is the right question. To me, the question should be how the villain is relevant to the story and how they clash with the protagonist. Especially when there are at least 50 episodes in which they will be the main antagonist to defy and mess with the heroes.

[iwoll]

The Rhetoric of @LibsOfTikTok: Unveiling the Tactics of Online Influence

Just like any other modern 19-year-old, I often find myself doom-scrolling Twitter. It's a bizarre mix of tweets that goes something like this: a cute cat with a funny caption, then a complaint about the current political climate, a tragic story of the murder of yet another transgender individual, then a meme about something I'm sure is very relatable, anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda, then another cute cat, a horribly transphobic headline, and then—of course—another cute cat. However, in this vast sea of tweets and retweets, there's one account that stands out to me: @LibsOfTikTok.

Chaya Raichik, the mastermind behind this account, wields a potent arsenal of tactics to captivate her 2.9 million followers. She employs specific names of people and institutions, a sarcastic—almost hate-mongering—tone, and fear as tools to persuade her audience to attack LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies.

In the social media sphere, where a tweet can reach millions of people in seconds, the power of influence is undeniable. However, in the wise words of Spider-Man, with this great power comes great responsibility, a responsibility that @LibsOfTikTok often seems to disregard. Raichik's tweets are not merely expressions of personal opinions but calculated attempts to stoke fear, anger, and prejudice among her followers.

A prime example is the situation that occurred between Raichik and ItGetsBetter. ItGetsBetter is a non-profit organization that helps uplift LGBTQ+ youth around the world. The “50 States, 50 Grants, 5,000 Voices” initiative gives $10,000 to elected schools, the grantees, to improve the lives local queer students (itgetsbetter.org). This initiative gained wide media coverage after Columbia’s Rock Bridge High School’s GSA (gender and sexuality alliance) received this money for a project titled “Coming Out of the Closet in Style Clothing Closet” which would allow students to change into gender-affirming clothing in school to better express themselves (Muñoz, 2022). When Chaya Raichik found out about this initiative, she took to her Twitter account and posted the following:

“This org [ItGetsBetter] is giving grants to teachers so they can get more LGBTQ+ books and make “gender affirming closets” in schools. The closets usually offer “trans” and “nonbinary” kids clothing, tucking tape, and chest binders to use in school and typically is kept secret from parents. These are the people teaching your kids” [@LibsOfTikTok]

This tweet employs loaded language to create a negative image of the situation. Phrases like "typically kept secret from parents" suggest a nefarious intent, insinuating that schools, teachers, and organizations are hiding something from parents. The use of scare quotes around "trans" and "nonbinary" implies skepticism or disdain for these identities, furthering the negative tone.

Raichik does not only target children and schools, she also targets fully grown adults. Mark Bryan is a 61-year-old grandfather of four and has been happily married to his wife for over 10 years. Bryan works in robotics engineering and coaches a local soccer team along with having an Instagram with over half a million followers. According to Interview Magazine, he “loves cycling, fast cars, and beautiful women” (Katz, 2021). The only main difference between him, and let’s say, your grandfather, is that Mark Bryan wears skirts and heels to work nearly every day. Bryan makes it very clear in all his Instagram posts that he is a cisgender, heterosexual man, and his audience has no reason to doubt him. His posts are in no way lewd, sexual, or suggestive; however, Chaya Raichik seems to disagree.

“This man [Mark Bryan] is being celebrated for flaunting his f*tish [sic] for wearing women’s clothing to work. Would you hire someone like this?” [@LibsOfTikTok]

The tweet uses a rhetorical question to prompt a response from the audience, implying that Bryan's choice of clothing is a fetish. This choice of words aims to cast Bryan's actions in a negative light, appealing to societal prejudices and stereotypes. By suggesting that simply wearing clothes that do not align with traditional gender norms is a fetish, Raichik perpetuates the harmful idea that clothing determines gender and gender determines sex. This stereotype not only affects transgender individuals but also impacts gender non-conforming cisgender people. The tweet is designed to provoke a negative emotional response, painting Bryan's behavior as derogatory and judgmental. It seeks to discredit him without offering any substantial evidence, relying instead on societal biases against those who challenge gender norms.

It is understandable why one might be confused when it comes to gender expansive people, fear comes from a place of ignorance. But that is why the Trans Youth Equality Foundation exists! The Trans Youth Equality Foundation (TYEF) is a non-profit organization that provides essential education, advocacy, and support for transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming youth and their families. Their website hosts a wealth of information on crucial topics such as chest binding, tucking, gender-affirming surgery, queer sexual education, protesting, transitioning to college, and coming out (transyouthequality.org). These resources are invaluable for individuals navigating their gender identities, offering answers to often uncomfortable and uncommon questions. It is vital to recognize that queer children deserve the same level of knowledge, comfort, and support as cisgender/heterosexual children, especially when they feel unable to confide in their parents. However, this message of support seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as Chaya Raichik tweeted a troubling accusation against TYEF.

“BREAKING: LGBTQ youth advocacy organization @TYEFofficial offers to secretly send 13-year-old a chest binder behind her parents’ backs. We posed as a teen girl and they encouraged her to choose another family, get a job to pay for s*x [sic] change surgery, and bashed her Trump supporter parents as “brainwashed.” This is grooming 101. Cut out the parents, isolate the child, and coax the kid into turning against their parents. How many kids has this organization already harmed?!” [@LibsOfTikTok]

Here, Raichik falsely accuses TYEF of encouraging a 13-year-old to get a job to pay for "s*x change surgery." This claim is entirely baseless, as no such discussion of surgery occurred in this so-called interview. Raichik's narrative of "grooming" and "cutting out the parents" is not only unfounded but also dangerous. It demonizes organizations like TYEF that work tirelessly to support LGBTQ+ youth and creates a harmful narrative of victimhood and conspiracy. This misleading rhetoric from Raichik encourages her followers to distrust reputable organizations like TYEF, despite their critical work in providing safe and affirming spaces for young individuals. Following the publication of her tweet, Susan Maasch, the director of TYEF, became the target of doxxes, bomb threats, and death threats. These threats not only put Maasch's safety at risk but also undermined the vital work that TYEF does in supporting vulnerable youth.

Raichik seems to have no issue undermining the hard work of a non-profit organization, but it did not stop after TYEF. The #pridebelongsinpreschools initiative emerged in June of 2021 from a small organization—approximately 200 followers in total—called Resilience Together (also known as Rise to Resilience). This organization shared infographics expressing their belief that pronouns and gender identities should be supported by teachers and administration. Somehow, New York native, Chaya Raichik, discovered this initiative and tweeted:

“SCOOP: This resource called “Pride Belongs in Preschool” was part of a teacher training in Providence Schools in RI. It encourages teachers to discuss gender neutral pronouns, gender norms, and explore gender identity with toddlers. They’re after your kids.” [@LibsOfTikTok]

For context, the Resilience Together infographic states the following:

“Children begin to be able to stereotypical gender groups between 18 and 24 months. Children can often categorize their own gender by age 3. Children may begin to “perform” their gender based on adult expectations, despite their authentic gender identity. Educators and school staff are responsible to support children’s health development. Healthy development is supported by children seeing their identities represented.” [@resiliencetogether]

As mentioned previously, this organization has a small following, so the likelihood of an entire school district adopting this "training" is minuscule. Therefore, not only is Raichik's tweet factually incorrect, but it is also misguided in its reasoning. If this information is indeed backed by science and social psychology, then what is the issue with implementing these practices in a classroom setting?

The final line, “They’re after your kids,” is a prime example of exploiting parental fears. Raichik insinuates that the teacher training program encourages discussing gender identity with toddlers, framing it as a threat to children. By preying on the fears of parents who may not fully understand or be comfortable with these discussions, she aims to incite panic and resistance to progressive educational initiatives.

Finally, and most outrageously, Raichik targeted Boston’s Childrens’ Hospital. Why, you may ask? Because, on their website, there was a picture of a young child under the “gender affirming cares” tab. So Raichik took to Twitter, stating:

“If a hospital has the words “gender affirming care” with a picture of a 3-year-old, that’s a sign to run the other way as fast as possible. Why would a doctor need to “affirm” a 3-year-old’s gender? Boston’s Children’s Hospital chemically castrates and mutilates children.” [@LibsOfTikTok]

Raichik uses extreme language, accusing doctors of "chemically castrating and mutilating children," which aims to evoke horror and disgust. Raichik suggests that if a hospital promotes "gender-affirming care" using an image of a 3-year-old, it is a reason to avoid the hospital entirely. She questions why a doctor would need to affirm a 3-year-old's gender and accuses Boston's Children's Hospital of performing hysterectomies on minors. This inflammatory rhetoric not only misrepresents the hospital's practices but also contributes to a climate of fear and misunderstanding around gender-affirming care.

These baseless accusations led to harassment campaigns, including bomb threats. In February 2024, NBC News reported that at least 33 instances of bomb threats were made against organizations that Raichik had previously targeted in her posts. Alarmingly, in at least 3 instances, these bomb threats resulted in criminal charges against at least 9 individuals (Brochstein, 2024). This demonstrates the dangerous real-world consequences of spreading false information and using social media platforms to target organizations and individuals.

In conclusion, the rhetoric of @LibsOfTikTok is not just about expressing opinions; it's a strategic campaign to manipulate and radicalize followers against the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Raichik's use of targeted tweets, misinformation, character assassination, and fearmongering is a dangerous cocktail that can and do have real-world consequences, as stated previously. It fosters a climate of intolerance, division, and hostility, undermining efforts for inclusivity and acceptance. As responsible consumers of social media, it is crucial to approach such content with critical thinking and awareness of the rhetorical tactics at play. By understanding the strategies used by influencers like @LibsOfTikTok, we can better navigate the online landscape and work towards a more well-rounded, informed, and empathetic society. It is not just about exposing the tactics of online influence; it's about actively resisting and countering the harmful narratives that seek to divide us.

[luckloveandwaterfalls]

hi :> are there any characters from other media you think would thrive in the aouv world?

hi!!

i feel like lila bard from the shades of magic series would be pretty chill with the aouv world. she'd be like, i can control magick with just rings on my fingers? sick. plus if she ran out of spellrings she would pull out her many knives and just solve her problems that way.

idk if anyone has seen the tv show leverage, but sophie devereaux would be perfect in the tournament (if she was a lot younger ofc). she's a grifter and would be perfect at forming alliances and convincing ppl not to betray her/betraying others so cleverly that they don't realize they're walking into a trap.

also i recently finished reading the priory of the orange tree and i think ead would thrive in the aouv universe! niclays would be the exact opposite and it would be so funny. he would be grumbling next to the spellmaking society about the youths and getting pissed off abt the blood moon affecting his daily routine.

[haggishlyhagging]

Radical feminism rejected both the politico position that socialist revolution would bring about women's liberation and the liberal feminist solution of integrating women into the public sphere. Radical feminists argued that women constituted a sex-class, that relations between women and men needed to be recast in political terms, and that gender rather than class was the primary contradiction. They criticized liberal feminists for pursuing "formal equality within a racist, class-stratified system," and for refusing to acknowledge that women's inequality in the public domain was related to their subordination in the family. Radical feminists articulated the earliest and most provocative critiques of the family, marriage, love, normative heterosexuality, and rape. They fought for safe, effective, accessible contraception; the repeal of all abortion laws; the creation of high-quality, community-controlled child-care centers; and an end to the media's objectification of women. They also developed consciousness-raising—the movement's most effective organizing tool. And in defying the cultural injunction against female self-assertion and subjectivity, radical feminists "dared to be bad." By 1970, there was such enormous interest in radical feminism that some have even argued it was on the verge of becoming a mass movement.

Radical feminists succeeded in pushing liberal feminists to the left and politicos toward feminism. By September 1969 Betty Friedan, founder of the liberal National Organization for Women (NOW), declared that "those people who think NOW is too activist may be less important in the future than the youth." While she criticized the younger women for failing to see that "the gut issues of this revolution involve employment and education and new social institutions and not sexual fantasy," she nonetheless urged NOW to "form a power bloc or alliance" with women's liberation groups "whose style, origins, structure and general ambience may be quite different from ours." NOW did move in this direction. On August 26, 1970, NOW joined with women's liberation groups to stage a national women's strike, the Women's Strike for Equality, and demanded twenty-four-hour child-care centers, abortion on demand, and equal employment and educational opportunities for women.

Similarly, many socialist-feminists, who in their earlier incarnation as "politicos" had repudiated radical feminism, began incorporating elements of radical feminism into their analysis. For instance, in May 1970, in the wake of the American invasion of Cambodia, a ten-woman delegation from Bread and Roses, a Boston-based "socialist women's liberation organization," delivered a speech at a National Student Strike rally at Harvard Stadium. Although the women from Bread and Roses did not entirely jettison the politico analysis, they did speak of male dominance as "the original and basic form of domination from which all others flow," and they did identify themselves as part of an "independent women's movement to destroy male supremacy."

But by the early '70s radical feminism began to flounder, and after 1975 it was eclipsed by cultural feminism—a tendency that grew out of radical feminism, but contravened much that was fundamental to it. With the rise of cultural feminism the movement turned its attention away from opposing male supremacy to creating a female counterculture—what Mary Daly termed "new space"—where "male" values would be exorcized and "female values nurtured." Although this woman-only space was envisioned as a kind of culture of active resistance, it often became instead, as Adrienne Rich has recently pointed out, "a place of emigration, an end in itself" where patriarchy was evaded rather than engaged. Concomitantly, the focus became one of personal rather than social transformation. Feminist activist and writer Meredith Tax recalls that as early as 1971 some feminists seemed to be defining their politics completely in terms of their lifestyle. Tax remembers women boasting, "we worked on our car all weekend," as though it were an act of great political significance. She “worried about what else was going to happen. This wasn't going to be the whole thing, was it?” But as the '70s wore on this was, if not the whole thing, then a large part of it. And by 1975 radical feminism virtually ceased to exist as a movement. Once radical feminism was superseded by cultural feminism, activism became largely the province of liberal feminists. According to Washington, D.C. women's liberationist Frances Chapman, radical feminism was "like a generator that got things going, cut out and left it to the larger reform engine which made a lot of mistakes."

-Alice Echols, Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America: 1967-75

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Nathalie Baptiste at HuffPost:

WASHINGTON ― Hundreds of mostly white women gathered at a swanky downtown hotel to hear prominent conservative speakers and strategize with other moms about how to spread their message across the country. Decked out in everything from stylish pantsuits, light-up American-flag jackets and, obviously, Donald Trump swag, the crowd at the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors National Summit cheered and hollered as speaker after speaker spewed hate about transgender people ― all under the guise of protecting children.

[...] At the 2024 summit this week, the focus was on fearmongering about trans kids and criticizing school employees who support them. “There’s no such thing as a transgender child,” Tiffany Justice, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, told HuffPost in an interview. Her position is a common one among conservatives, who have taken to attacking trans rights around the country ― even as less than 1% of the U.S. population identifies as trans. The right wing has attacked gender-affirming care as “child abuse,” though the American Pediatrics Association says such care can be lifesaving by reducing the risk of suicidal ideation.

Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative satire website Babylon Bee, talked about “gender madness” when he addressed the crowd. Actor Rob Schneider, who had a prime-time speaking slot on Thursday night, claimed that children were getting “mutilated.” Texas state Rep. Shawn Thierry, who lost her primary this spring, announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party in part because of members’ views on transgender youth. Maud Maron, a former New York City community education council member who was removed from her post for sending anti-transgender text messages, claimed men were playing in women’s sports. “I think the federal government pushing child abuse really concerns American parents,” Justice said when asked why there was so much focus on trans issues at the summit. “Cutting off the healthy body parts of children is pretty extreme, right?” she said. “We’re cutting off the healthy body parts of girls.” She was referring to gender-affirming surgeries such as mastectomies, which are very rarely performed on minors.

At a panel on writing laws that protect parental rights, the session was laser-focused on transgender children. The speakers addressed the audience about how, through legislation, they can put a stop to “secret social transitions,” or schools transitioning children without telling their parents.

“We’re getting calls from parents saying this is happening at our school,” claimed Matt Sharp, senior counselor at Alliance Defending Freedom, a right-wing legal group. (It is not uncommon for transgender children to be out at school but not at home if they don’t feel safe telling their parents.)

[...] January Littlejohn, a Florida mom, had a similar story. She said her daughter wanted to transition after some of her friends did. The school held a meeting with the child, Littlejohn said, but refused to tell her the details of the meeting. Littlejohn had a warning to the parents in the room. “Parents of young children and grandparents, you need to be actively inoculating your children against this,” she said, claiming that “the faucet of gender ideology is free flowing” on social media. She also railed against allyship, claiming that children were being “indoctrinated” into being allies. “If you see buzzwords like ‘inclusivity’ and ‘safe and welcoming,’ that means gender ideology is alive and well in that school,” she warned.

At the Moms For Liberty’s Joyful Warriors National Summit this weekend, numerous speakers, including Tiffany Justice, Seth Dillon, and Rob Schneider, uttered out anti-trans statements.

[mashawisotsky]

What You Need to Know about "Sound of Freedom"

A blockbuster seems to have come out of nowhere - but it hasn't. How a based-on-a-true-story movie shelved in 2018 has become a conspiracy touchstone.

TW: discussions of child sexual abuse, hysteria, and moral panic. A good summary may be found here. The bedrock There is currently a moral panic sweeping the United States. It had been building in crescendo for a number of years and this film shows the culmination of years of work - activists and politicians and concerned citizens rallying around a simple idea: children are a risk.

However, their concern is at best misplaced and at worst being used against them. It's not entirely wrong to be concerned about sexual abuse and the exploration of children. The numbers passed around appear terrifying. The English-speaking world has seen the growth of grassroots organizations like the UK's "pedo hunters" and the (popular in the 80s) Faye Yeager's Children's Underground. What are the numbers?

The film has grossed $40 million at the box office.

A report from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative states that 67 percent of children trafficked are between the ages of 15 and 17 - while the film proposes that idea those trafficked are usually much younger. The 2020 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons shows that 50 per cent of detected victims in 2018 were trafficked for sexual exploitation, 38 per cent were exploited for forced labour, six per cent were subjected to forced criminal activity, while one per cent were coerced into begging and smaller numbers into forced marriages, organ removal, and other purposes. The detected forms of exploitation vary widely across different subregions. The share of detected victims trafficked for forced labour has steadily increased for more than a decade; most of these are boys.

The U.S. State Department has reported that traffickers transport 600,000 to 800,000 people across international borders each year, and less 50 percent of these victims are minors. Child trafficking victims often know and trust their traffickers, according to Teresa Huizar, CEO of the National Children's Alliance. Some victims are throwaway kids who are forced to trade sex for food and shelter, often with the trafficker calling themselves their boyfriend or girlfriend. Research shows that many child trafficking victims are LGBTQ or gender nonconforming youth who have been forced into the sex trade by someone close to them. The movie suggests that abductions occur more frequently in public places such as parking lots and playgrounds, and that young children are at a greater risk from strangers then people they know.

What is OUR? Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), founded in Utah in 2013, gained popularity on social media due to its focus on rescuing innocent children. It has gained attention from parenting groups, lifestyle influencers, and fitness enthusiasts due to its muscular approach. OUR says on its website and social media it has rescued and supported “thousands of survivors in 28 countries and 26 U.S. states,” including 3,000 around the world in 2019 alone. The charity’s annual report said it took in more than $21 million in donations for that year. They popularised raids of supposed trafficking by filming them and inviting journalists, influencers, and even Glenn Beck. What does a raid look like? Well, in 2014 a writer joined OUR on one of their raids. Here is an except:

Ballard and I are both Mormon... My dad, who loved my work, kept a few cards with my blog information in his wallet. [This is] how Ballard knew I was a writer.

When Ballard called, I didn’t ask many questions. I didn’t wonder why he thought it was appropriate for me—the writer of a mommy blog—to chronicle anti-trafficking work. At the time, I was a 28-year-old stay-at-home mother in Utah. I was lonely and grieving: My dad, my best friend, had died not long before. As I changed diapers, managed tantrums, and sat in the playground, I felt unmoored from my past and unsure about my future. I suppose, in my grief and my search for meaning, I wanted him to be called by God, because maybe that meant finally, I was too. ...

I was told Ballard’s team coordinated with local authorities who were too overwhelmed or ill-equipped to do this work on their own. Members of the OUR jump team found people willing to traffic kids and set up a date to “party” with however many kids they could provide, the more the better. The authorities were told where and when the party was happening. When they arrived, the girls would be sent outside, where I would be with them, while Ballard and the traffickers would stay inside. The police planned to wait outside until the OUR team had undercover footage of a trafficker accepting upfront cash for sex with the kids. After the cash changed hands, Ballard would give a signal, and the authorities would rush the house to make arrests. They would be armed.

The issue - expect note that OUR creates a demand for child sexual abuse victims where care is not provided and entrapment is common. In 2015 a tech-investor paid to fund a raid and streamed it live. Who is the man behind this? His name is Tim Ballard. As Operation Underground Railroad’s founder and president he sees this as his Godly mission to save the children.  

What happens to the children? Most of the children trafficked in OUR stings are first-time; meaning that OUR may create the demand for a crime it seeks to stamp out. OUR also promotes, there is little evidence of placement, a private adoption agency OUR also claims to run. Additionally, none of these children were kidnapped by strangers on the raid the writer attended - they were trafficked by family members or people they knew. What does trafficking really look like?

Young women between 15 and 18 are often lured by a man who promises romance but forces them to do sex work due to his control over their immigration status, legal documents, and threats of harming their family.

"In the U.S., immigrant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the deceptive and coercive tactics of traffickers," the ACLU has written, "because of their lower levels of education, inability to speak English, immigration status, and lack of familiarity with U.S. employment protections. Further, they are vulnerable because they often work in jobs that are hidden from the public view and unregulated by the government."

What is the "true story"? Well, in a word, it's not true at all.

The film's website acknowledged altering Ballard's biography and “took creative liberties in depicting the different methods of child trafficking.” The film's central plot point, that of a brother and sister lured to a photo shoot in Honduras, is not an event that Ballard has claimed actually happened. Ballard stated that "Some things are definitely overreported". He did not go into the jungle by himself to rescue a little girl nor did he kill a man to rescue the child. Operation Triple Take, an island rescue, saved both minors and adults from labor trafficking, with the film portraying victims as children. Ballard's team claimed to have rescued 123 individuals at two locations. Operation Triple Take accounted for 53 individuals.

How are people seeing for free? At the end of the film, there is a call to action. A QR code appears and promotes viewers to "pay it forward" pre-buying tickets so that others may see the vital message of the film for free.

You can buy bulk tickets at 50% off and encourage pay it forward - millions of tickets are bought without attending, pushing it up the Boxoffice.

Why was this film shelved in 2019? While online rumours say 2019 - the film was completed in 2018. It was shelved because it was produced by 20th Century Fox, which then was bought by Disney; when this occurred the project was shelved. Then the release was delayed by the pandemic.

Why does your mom/dad/grandparent/uncle know about this movie and not you?

It is being heavily marketed on Facebook and tictok by age, religious and political affiliation, and region. The key points are Christian, rural, and older - the average age of the viewer is above fifty and appears to be common among white, Black, and minority Christan groups.

Why is Ballad not CEO anymore?

After an internal investigation OUR Ballad stepped down in 2023. Aletter claims that an OUR employee who accompanied Ballard on an undercover operation abroad filed a complaint against him with OUR’s human resources department after the trip, and that a followup investigation culminated in his resignation.

The Producers Eduardo Verastegui, a Mexican soap opera actor and Catholic activist, has expressed interest in running for Mexico's 2024 presidential election. Support from deep right groups and Spanish deep and alt-right groups, including Vox, is viewed as an infiltration attempt by radical right-wing groups. Verastegui's hardcore homophobia and links to pedophilia have been criticized.

He is using the film to run a complex, multi-state presidential campaign over the summer. Jim Caviezel, as seen here, discusses the Sound of Freedom, transitioning from that to rescuing children from underground bunkers (DUMS) run by the elites, how the elites extract and consume adrenaline from terrorized children, and how these elites are in the entertainment industry and how "there will be no mercy for them."

Additional Resources The Boston Globe, 2023 "America's Summer of Fake Savours"

The Washinton Post, 2016, "Hunting for sex traffickers abroad by posing as johns"

Mormon Stories, 2020 "Investigating Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad"

The Atlantic, 2021 "THE GREAT (FAKE) CHILD-SEX-TRAFFICKING EPIDEMIC"

Ministry Watch, 2023 "“Sound of Freedom” Doesn’t Tell True Story of Operation Underground Railroad" Salt Lake City Weekly, 2021 "UTAH'S OPERATION UNDERGROUND RAILROAD DONATIONS LOOK ODD."

FOX13 Salt Lake, 2020 "Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Utah prosecutor"

VICE, 2020 "A Famed Anti-Sex Trafficking Group Has a Problem With the Truth"

American Crime Journal, 2023 "OUR Quietly Exposes Tim Ballard’s Big Lie"