#abortion survivor resources

[st-dionysus]

What is transandrophobia and why is it called that? By the guy who coined it and is kind of tired of seeing it defined in the opposite of what it's meant to describe.

In it's most simple definition. Transandrophobia is the way that the fear of men impacts the material reality and mental/physical health of transgender men.

Transandrophobia, is the way that the fear of men and/or masculinity effects transgender men’s ability to access queer and transgender spaces, sexual assault survivor resources, and reproductive health care.

Transandrophobia, is the way that the fear of men and/or masculinity holds back transgender men from transitioning or from presenting as masculine.

Transandrophobia, is the way the fear of men and/or masculinity results in the disowning of transgender men from previous found families and the isolation of transgender men in general.

Transandrophobia, is the way the fear of men and/or masculinity has resulted in people using their trauma as an excuse for abusing transgender men, physically, sexually, and emotionally.

Transandrophobia, is the way the fear of men has resulted in people refusing admittance to “male identified people” to certain queer events and safe spaces.

Transandrophobia, is the way that the fear of masculinity has led to people assuming that butches across the gender spectrum are inherently violent and hyper-sexual.

Transandrophobia, is the way that the fear of men and/or masculinity results in the forced feminization of transgender men in queer spaces, with the insistence that those who refuse to feminize themselves to make others more comfortable should not be allowed entrance to certain queer spaces.

Transandrophobia, is the way that the fear of men has led people to assuming that butches who were assigned female at birth, are at risk of becoming the enemy (a man) and should not be given the same amount of trust as a feminine presenting cis woman.

Transandrophobia, is when that the fear of men being in women’s spaces prevents trans men and non-binary people who present as male from accessing gynecological care, abortions, and birth control.

Transandrophobia, is when transgender men must make themselves smaller to be seen as “one of the good ones” and it is when a trans man who is loud or sexual or Black or Brown or too masculine is seen as a threat to the safety of other transgender people.

Transandrophobia, is when transgender men who speak up about how the normalized way of speaking ill about men in feminist and queer spaces has made them activity suicidal, de-transition, or prevented them from transitioning, are told to “shut up and sit down” or “good.”

Transandrophobia, is not when trans men face misogyny – that is just a trans man facing misogyny (which all trans men face, because misogyny and sexism effects everyone, not just women). However, transandrophobia is when someone says that trans men don’t face misogyny because they are men, make claims that trans men benefit from misogyny since they are men, or insist that trans men’s experiences with misogyny aren’t as valid or as bad as when a woman or non-male person faces misogyny.

Transandrophobia, is when trans men’s struggles are dismissed as being less important, because men don’t need help or men already have help or men don't face real struggles.

Transandrophobia, is when people refuse to acknowledge that the patriarchy see’s transgender men as failed women and not men, which is why transgender men do bot benefit from the patriarchy but are instead violently and systematically punished by it.

Transandrophobia is that and a whole lot more, I would need a book to describe the entirety of the issue, I have been writing a book on it for over six years and re-writing it over and over because if I say it wrong, or say it with too much emotion, or not enough emotion, or with too many numbers, or not enough numbers, and publish it without using perfect wording, trans men might not get another chance to speak up for a long ass time and we will once again have to find new words to say "Pretty please treat me like a human being and let me have access to the things I need in order to survive." and "Pretty please consider that if a large group of people from a minority are telling you they are being oppressed by these actions and fears, then maybe you should believe them or at least the material statistical evidence of that oppression, since you probably trust journals more than us describing our reality and lived experiences."

[toxicanonymity]

I want you to know I love and care about y'all and am deeply sorry and disturbed about how the u.s. election turned out.

I love those of you who are immigrants, trans, POC, non-binary, gender fluid, gay, bi, pan, two-spirit, gender nonconforming, intersex, disabled, unhoused, struggling with addiction, mental health, bad home life, abuse, SA survivors, childfree, women, people who can get pregnant, and anyone who doesn't fit sick fascist ideals. And I Iove all of you who love them. You're all special and I value you.

We have 2.5 months until inauguration. I understand the sense of dread, and I feel it too. Even if I don't feel hopeful, I'm staying open to the possibility of hope. We need it. Maybe we need anger, too. These things can coexist.

abortion resources

Let's be kind to ourselves rn. You deserve kindness. No judgment if you have a history of self destructive behavior. I've been there. Terrible events don't have to derail us. We persist in spite of them. I'm proud of you for hanging in there and finding healthy ways to cope right now.

I always want this blog to be a safe space. I block liberally. I won't allow judgmental comments on posts or debate in my asks.

Need an appearance from your favorite morally dubious or murderous man? I will be open to requests for blurbs/microfics. Update: See pinned post for the fics.

[erotetica]

Fuck Trump, here’s all the civil rights orgs I know:

(Most have education pages and/or socials to follow and boost if u can’t donate right now)

LGBTQ+

Trevor Project—queer crisis hotline/counseling (NOTE THAT THEY CALL POLICE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS)

List of Crisis Hotlines/etc compiled by Inclusive Therapists .com which DON’T CALL POLICE

Point of Pride—helps trans folks having trouble accessing gender affirming healthcare

Trans Lifeline—community support/resources/financial aid for trans folks

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

National Network of Abortion Funds—financial assistance/transport/childcare for people in ban states seeking abortions.

Brigid Alliance—same

Sister Song—reproductive justice for WOC

Indigenous Women Rising—helps Indigenous families access abortions/menstrual hygiene/midwifery/etc

Afiya Center—reproductive justice/HIV care for Black womxn in Texas

Abortion access orgs for Americans in the

Midwest

South

Appalachia (they also offer free emergency contraception/support services/etc)

RACIAL JUSTICE

NYU Law Center on Race Inequality—self-education resources on racism & antiblackness/how to contact elected officials/how to protest safely.

List of orgs protecting Black Americans, compiled by NYU (incl NAACP, Audre Lorde Project, BLM, Black Voters Matter, etc)

National Immigration Law Center—fighting for asylum seeking/DACA; helping immigrants access healthcare/worker’s rights/etc

American Civil Liberties Union—working on many intersectional initiatives

Southern Poverty Law Center—same

GLOBAL AID (While we Americans wait for shoes to start dropping, let’s not forget others in need, and that Trump’s atrocious foreign policies will affect everyone!)

World Central Kitchen—hunger relief

Action Against Hunger—same

War Child—supports and educates children in conflict zones, like Yemen and DRC

Medecins Sans Frontieres— medical aid

Islamic Relief USA—emergency aid

PALESTINIAN AID

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund— medical aid for kids

Anera— emergency relief & long-term development resources for Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan

United Nations Relief and Works Agency—aid for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon/Syria/West Bank/Gaza/Jordan

Palestine Red Crescent Society—medical aid

SUDANESE AID

List of humanitarian orgs working in Sudan, compiled by 500 Words Magazine

CONGOLESE AID

Panzi Foundation—supports assault survivors & their families

Eastern Congo Initiative—supports ands funds local/community-based Congolese efforts

Please reblog, & add any legitimate humanitarian organizations you know of! I love all of you!!

[blueikeproductions]

So with TFONE now on streaming, it’s now number 1 on P+, and introduces audiences to the modern version of the origins of the Great War.

But how did the Great War start before hand?

For the most part, it’s pretty simple: Most series revolve around both factions fighting over energy sources when we first meet the Transformers. This power struggle would more often than not depict the war stalemating due to an energy crisis or the energy crisis being part of the reason the war started to begin with.

Occasionally the question is brought up why the Autobots and Decepticons can’t get along…

The Decepticons are pretty typically war mongering villains, wanting to pillage and plunder the galaxy to rule over it, while the Autobots oppose them for the good of Cybertron and other innocent lifeforms caught in the conflict.

For the most part, the cartoons don’t divulge too much into any deeper ideological differences, the Decepticons want power and will hurt people to get it, the Autobots want to protect. That’s about the long and short of it.

The original cartoon and some comics would later explain this is a genetic difference due to their creation. The Quintessons built the robots to be Consumer Goods and Military Hardware, with the Military robots desiring power and conquest some time after the Quintessons were chased off Cybertron. The comics would suggest the Decepticons are a natural yang to the Autobots’ Yin, futher established with the ancient evil mechanoid, Liege Maximo, being the one who the Decepticons descended from. Unlike today, most media would cast Megatron and Optimus as simply being the current leaders of their respective sides, with Optimus coming into the battle a little later after Megatron was established. Likewise, both would have successors, like RatBat and Bludgeon in the comics or Deathsaurus and Violenjiger in anime while the Autobots had Grimlock, Rodimus Prime, Star Saber and Dai Atlas. There clearly was an intent for a line of succession that today is mostly ignored.

Anyway, the 80’s cartoon was very consistent that the Decepticons were the cause of the conflict, and that Cybertron was plagued with several wars prior to Optimus and Megatron’s time, with each side declaring victory at various points.

Curiously, an aborted concept prior to the 80’s movie would’ve explained the Decepticons were a separate alien robot race that invaded Cybertron in its prehistory, which would’ve greatly changed things had that been retained.

While the Marvel Comics would mostly retain ideas from the carton, the earlier issues would reveal Transforming was a war time invention of the Decepticons, which the Autobots would later copy. This was of course retconned later with the Primus origin story, while the cartoon would show Transforming as an Autobot invention during the war.

The UK comics would attempt to elaborate the origins of the Decepticons by depicting the athletic Megatron and his early followers being survivors of their destroyed city states during early conflicts over dwindling energy resources on Cybertron. While Optimus and Megatron were former athletic rivals, their connection and rivalry became more solidified during war time.

Cartoons would largely stick to the simpler direction of Autobots and Decepticons being morally opposed, one Heroic and Good, the other Dastardly and Evil.

Japanese media in particular goes pretty hard in this direction where the Autobots and their Maximal descendants are pretty firmly established as peace keepers and heroic ambassadors of justice, helping other races evolve and grow by pooling technology and resources, resulting in Autobot City on Earth, Earth Defense Command and collaborations with other organic and mechanical races. The Decepticons meanwhile are a corrosive force aiming for wanton destruction and power lust, led by various so called Emperors of Destruction like Scorponok and Deathsaurus post Galvatron. The only real exception to this in Japanese media was the reveal Deathsaurus’ Decepticons were only fighting to keep their families alive aboard Deathsaurus’ fortress. His wife kept tabs on things there and was actually kind of a sweetheart, though this is only unique to the manga. Anime Deathsaurus had no family and was hellbent on wanting to blow up Earth to prove a point out of spite.

Armada is pry the only time where the question was asked as to why both sides are fighting, to the point the modern Autobots and Decepticons ask this themselves and show uncertainty as to what both were originally fighting for in the first place. The show would establish that while the war started similarly to G1, the sudden appearance of the evolution granting Mini-Cons aggravated things further.

The anime would later explain the Mini-Cons, and his Acolyte Sideways, were created by Unicron as a means to keep the war going, as the anger and hatred of the war sustained him.

Unicron somewhat rightly called out both factions as merely being war machines that loved fighting and wouldn’t know what to do with themselves outside of that environment. It gave Optimus pause, and Galvatron seems to silently acknowledge this is true to some extent, but Optimus still values what he feels the Autobots have been fighting for thanks to the humans and Mini-Cons: peace for all. Optimus will fight, to eradicate the evil plaguing Cybertron in Unicron and those among the Decepticons who won’t quit.

Thanks to a time paradox that saw Rad, Carlos and Alexis travel to the era of the Mini-Cons’ creation and bond with them back then, this ensured Unicron and the Decepticons’ ambitions would unravel in the future, seeing the Mini-Cons gradually evolve into beings celebrating peace rather than just being “smart tools” for war time.

What makes it funnier for Armada, is the Dreamwave version of events featured a short comic about peace ambassadors coming to Cybertron to attempt to diffuse the situation.

The surviving ambassador hoped it would work itself out and got the heck out of Cybertron.

While the Great War was still the main war, other series would state Cybertron was constantly at war, with the Great War simply being the current one. Past wars, like the cartoon, were either waged by the Autobots and Decepticons’ ancestors or caused by an alien invasion by the Quintessons or other races with an axe to grind with Cybertron.

The Bay films would famously introduce the life giving Allspark which for a lot of media, became the primary reason why the Autobots and Decepticons went to war. The Decepticons wanted to abuse its power for their own gain, like the Skeksis wanted with the Dark Crystal, while the Autobots couldn’t let that happen, seeing the relic ejected from Cybertron, condemning it to a slow death until the relic was found on Earth, prompting both sides to go there to fetch it. While Earth’s inclusion in the war originally was to both explain why the Transformers turn into vehicles and Earth animals, and that our planet is abundant in resources the Decepticons would seek to use, that became secondary as the Allspark was viewed as more important. Ancillary movie material would start to lay the foundation that Megatron started the war out of jealousy and growing idealogical resentment at Optimus.

Today, thanks to TFONE, but also the Bay films and Aligned, the Great War caused by the Decepticons started instead by a falling out by Optimus and Megatron who originally were former friends with similar ideals for Cybertron. The duo had managed to stop the initial corruption plaguing Cybertron, but Megatron’s anger, hated and growing resentment and superiority saw him break ties and start a new War to eradicate the Autobots and to fully remove any trace of the false Primes and leaders he felt Optimus now represented.

This concept had shaky ground though, as I feel it unintentionally painted the Decepticons being in the right, and the Autobots being in the wrong. IDW (and later WFC & Cyberverse) milked this for all it was worth, painting the Decepticons as misunderstood freedom fighters who lost their way, while the Autobots while still trying to uphold peace and justice, did appear to come off as simply defending the system some of them benefited from. Megatron would later become more of an antihero, painting his current EarthSpark counterpart being reformed and working with Optimus once more, but still clearly struggling in areas due to Optimus’ view points to keep Megatron in check.

This modern idea isn’t super popular with veteran fans, with Autobot Megatron being a particular point of irritation due to how unbelievable Megatron would change his mind is based on the writers making both factions irredeemably awful and gray in IDW, WFC and Cyberverse.

TFONE is the only thing to come out that far better articulates the idea, though not without some parts feeling a little forced, it’s still the only thing that makes it far more believable Optimus and Megatron used to be close friends. In this version of events, Optimus was more of a thrill seeking, reckless adventurer type wanting to prove his worth, while Megatron fully believed in the system and was content to be a cog in the machine that benefited Cybertron. This is much more understandable as older stuff tended to cast Optimus as a quiet book worm while Megatron was the more loud ambitious one, which felt at odds with the modern political nature of the war. TFONE Megatron’s hero worship of Sentinel and belief in the system shattered and turned into part self loathing and full on anger and frustration makes so much more sense, and his growing resentment at Optimus for dragging him on wild goose chases in their youth also fits the modern ideas better.

Chief among them, TFONE fixes the problem Aligned had, by instead having the Decepticons originate as the entitled upper class (like Airachnid and Darkwing) and disgruntled, power seeking High Guard led by Starscream, while the Autobots originated as the oppressed Miner class. I think the key difference going forward is Optimus still sought equality and brought it by both proving what the Miners can do at the Iacon races and by providing the Miners with their T-Cogs and restoring flowing Energon to the energy starved planet that Sentinel created. Megatron meanwhile is still stewing in his loathing and hatred born from his disbelief at what his hero Sentinel has done, and what he feels is Optimus contributing to it (when he’s clearly not). It’s fairly simple for what it is, and it works perfectly.

The energy crisis is also brought back in the film, a problem Sentinel caused, which I think helps better explain further stress on why the war broke out. Considering the Quintessons have a stake in Cybertron’s Energon, the continued need for energy I would assume would still play a role in a potential sequel. Skybound also returned to energy being a driving factor, though it’s unclear as if typing if Optimus and Megatron were former friends here, I’m leaning towards no. What context we do get with him leans towards his older G1 cartoon self, wanting to completely eradicate the Autobots as well as having a corrosive, manipulative personality, shaping those like Starscream into the monster he is today. No trace of the modern lingering hope the two have that they could go back to being friends seems to be here.

How newer versions of the Great War are shaped post TFONE, within CyberWorld and during Skybound we have yet to see, but however it works in the future will likely depend on which version the creators want to go with Megatron…

[secularprolifeconspectus]

Hello! Sorry if it’s too political, but how do you think reproductive rights will change for women as Trump became a president again? Is it THAT bad or you think it’s mostly propaganda from mainstream media?

And what will change about abortions? Will they be banned or maybe some reforms? Is it better for pro-life movement or not? I’d be glad to hear your thoughts!

Great questions! This is a very political blog, so no worries about that lol.

I doubt that the reproductive landscape will change much because of Trump directly. He and Melania have both made it fairly clear that they are pro-choice (Melania explicitly in her memoir; Trump through his support of the abortion pill, opposition to a federal abortion ban, support of embryo destruction in IVF, and distaste of first-trimester state bans. Oh, and also the *rapist misogynist* thing). Now, what our GOP-lead senate will do? That's a little more promising, and frightening.

I strongly doubt that Trump (or even Republicans) will try to ban birth control/contraception, or to regulate sterilization; and if they do, they likely won't do it successfully. Those simply aren't popular takes. He might take a whack at surrogacy though, and he'll probably keep expanding the coercive power of the domestic infant adoption industry. It's also doubtful that he will do anything to support birth justice, especially in POC communities; if anything, his healthcare policies will probably cause further reproductive care deserts. And his immigration policies will cause thousands of abortions among refugees. It would be nice if he actually helped tackle sex trafficking. Maybe he will help protect pregnancy resource centers.

Trump seems pretty disgusted by later abortion, so he may swing his weight to help push through some state-level limitations. I hope he puts his money where his mouth is and signs off on the Born Alive Abortions Survivors Act, which will give the Born Alive Infant Protection Act some enforcement power to mandate life-saving care for abortion survivors. And perhaps he'll be vocal about regulations to end the dissection of live micropremies for research. If he's really as disturbed by "after-birth abortions" as he says he is, he'll support these initiatives.

My biggest hope is that he'll follow through on his word and pardon the abortion rescuers in prison, and that he'll rally his people to repeal the FACE Act, and then that he'll make a fuss about a congressional hearing for the DC Five. Those would be game-changers. We could actually bring back Rescue and get Justice for the Five.

Overall, is Trump better for the pro-life movement than a different right-winger? No, I think he's done massive damage to the reputation of the movement that will take years to overcome. The public doesn't trust us because of him. We must cut ties with Trumpism if we ever want to see a nonpartisan, popular pro-life movement. (We write about this in our book, btw.)

But is Trump better for the movement than Kamala? I'd say so. Kamala exhibited, not the least through her treatment of David Daleiden, but also through her remarks, that she was more than willing to suppress freedom of speech, press, and religion to protect Big Abortion. As well as to take away conscience protections for medical providers, and to eliminate the Hyde Amendment, thus not only forcing people to commit human rights violations, but also to pay for them through their taxes. That all sounds like fascism to me.

So, I'm aggrieved to have an overt fascist like Trump as our incoming president. He's going to get people killed and to ruin lives, and be an incompetent embarrassment for four years, no doubt. He does put democracy in danger. But, perhaps his overt threat will be enough to incite the people to organize against his fascism. Had Kamala won, I believe the people would have settled into complacency and accepted her covert fascism with open arms. I was truly terrified of this election, no matter the results. America has chosen the familiar threat.

If there's any other facets of reproductive justice that I missed and you want to hear about, feel free to send another ask.

[mollyjimbly]

🚨🚨🚨DANGEROUS INTERNET CENSORSHIP/SURVEILLANCE BILLS WILL NUKE THE INTERNET AS WE KNOW IT🚨🚨🚨

WE WILL BE SPIED ON DUE TO NO ENCRYPTION

LGBTQ CONTENT WILL BE WIPED FROM THE INTERNET

SEX WORKERS WILL BE CRIMINALIZED

The EARN IT Act of 2023 threatens to undermine online encryption by punishing companies that provide encryption services. And by repeating the same mistakes as a previous bill called SESTA/FOSTA, it would lead to widespread Internet censorship and crackdowns on marginalized communities. When EARN IT was previously introduced in 2020 and 2022, it was shelved in the face of overwhelming public outcry and opposition from human rights groups. Now, lawmakers are introducing EARN IT for a third time, hoping to pass it and break the internet while we’re distracted.

KOSA claims to make kids safer, but it’s really a dangerous censorship bill that would give the government unprecedented control over the internet. This would put youth in danger by preventing them from accessing potentially life-saving resources. Lawmakers concerned about online safety should reject KOSA and instead work to protect all internet users from abusive tech companies by passing a Federal data privacy law.

Lawmakers claim the RESTRICT Act addresses privacy and security concerns around TikTok. But this is about so much more than just TikTok. RESTRICT gives Biden (and all future presidents!) extraordinary new powers to ban Americans from using entire apps simply by claiming they pose a “threat to national security,” outside of any democratic process. Politicians are pushing this bill to show they’re “tough on China”—but instead of protecting us, this law would lead to an internet censored by the president.

Regressive states across the country are taking away teenagers’ online rights. It started in Utah with two laws that create a mandated social media “bedtime” and give parents complete control over their kids’ accounts, messages, and passwords. Utah lawmakers claim their curfew-and-control bills help children, but these bills actually make children less safe by increasing state and parental surveillance and restricting access to community. To make matters worse, legislation like this is spreading. Arkansas has passed a copycat bill. Louisiana and Texas are trying to follow Utah’s lead, and it’s been introduced federally in Congress.

STOP CSAM wouldn’t actually stop CSAM. Instead, it would make CSAM cases harder to prosecute—like SESTA/FOSTA before it—while reducing privacy protections in ways that would harm vulnerable people. Like EARN IT, STOP CSAM undermines end-to-end encryption, a technology that’s vital for LGBTQ+ youth, survivors of interpersonal violence and stalking, abortion seekers and providers, and activists. Weakening E2EE as a means to funnel more information to law enforcement also sets an alarming precedent for government surveillance. All of us, including children, need to be able to communicate in the digital age without our conversations being spied on.

ALSO WE CAN TACKLE ALL OF THEM TOGETHER, LINKS BELOW

DISCORD THAT YOU CAN JOIN

[mousedetective]

Organizations To Help Indigenous People

I've been reblogging three separate posts for a while now and I thought I'd combine them all into one for maximum ease. Please reblog this list and help these organizations if you can!

Warrior Women Project

Sitting Bull College

First Nations COVID-19 Response Fund

The Redhawk Native American Art Council

Partnership With Native Americans

Native American Heritage Association

National Indigenous Women's Resource Center

Indigenous Women Rising (abortion access fund)

Indian Residential School Survivor’s Society

Stop Line 3

Honor The Earth

The Lakota People’s Law Project

Amazon Frontlines

‘Āina Momona

The Native Wellness Institute

The Native Americans Rights Fund

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation/University of Manitoba

First Nations Child & Family Caring Society

Native Women's Association of Canada

Indspire

Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre

Micmac Benevolent Society

Mawita'mk

Advancing Indigenous People In STEM

Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment

The Association on American Indian Affairs

First Nations Development Institute

American Indian College Fund

Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment (CARE)

Hopa Mountain

Indigenous Values Initiative

Native American Disability Law Center

People’s Partner for Community Development 

If anyone has links to other organizations that help indigenous people, please feel free to add them!

[yuri-for-businesswomen]

women are misogynistic too

women who mock women who wear or dont wear makeup. women who slut-shame. women who maliciously call other women bitches and whores. women who hate the other woman instead of their unfaithful partner. women who raise their daughters to be submissive and dependant on men. women who treat their daughters like a resource, women who have themselves been forced into marriage now forcing their own daughters. women who hate women so much they isolate themselves from others, and have no female safety net. women who judge other women for having or not having children. married women who belittle single women and the other way around. women calling other women arrogant or ugly. women who are against abortion rights. women who victim blame female survivors of sexual or domestic violence. women looking away from other women and girls being mistreated or abused by men, or justifying it. women who are unabashedly and publically supporting the sex industry. women who prefer their sons and partners over their daughters.

so why should we not hate on women who support the patriarchy just as much as the men? why should feminists still reach out hands even to women who contribute to female oppression?

because it does matter and actually changes the whole meaning whether a woman or a man is misogynistic. misogynistic women dig their own grave while men are unaffected and even profit from being misogynistic.

it‘s like working people hating on the poor and homeless, blind to the fact they are more likely to become like them then become rich. misogynistic women hate on other women not realising how quick the tables can turn, and they become the target. men dont risk that.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution

* * * *

As once-in-century hurricane heads for Florida, major media is silent about Trump's disaster relief lies

Hurricane Milton threatens to hit Florida on Wednesday as a once-in-century storm. FEMA and the National Guard are already stretched thin in their response to Hurricane Helene. And Trump continues to spew his disinformation about their response in North Carolina—creating an aura of distrust and the potential for vigilante violence by misguided storm victims who believe Trump's lies about the disaster relief.

The good news is that many responsible Republican elected officials have criticized or condemned Trump's lies. The bad news is that the criticism hasn’t stopped Trump. He as at it again on Monday. See The Guardian, Fema chief warns ‘dangerous’ Trump falsehoods hampering Helene response.

While the major media outlets are rightfully focused on the potential damage from Hurricane Milton, they have already lost interest in Trump's disinformation campaign. It has disappeared from their platforms—even though Trump has not relented. His lies continue unabated.

Never before and never again in the history of our Republic will we witness a presidential candidate leverage the lives and safety of victims of natural disasters into pawns in a campaign. Kamala Harris condemned Trump's statements on Monday—and the major media yawned (except for The Guardian). Harris said, in part,

People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games at this moment, in these crisis situations – these are the height of emergency situations – it is utterly irresponsible and it is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.”

And I cannot stress enough to all the folks in Florida in the Tampa area, please listen to evacuation orders. Please listen to your local officials because I know a lot of folks out there have survived these hurricanes before; this one is going to be very, very serious and I urge you to grab whatever you need. The other point I’d make is there’s a lot of misinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, particularly for the survivors of Helene. First of all, it’s extraordinarily irresponsible. It’s about him, it’s not about you. The reality is Fema has so many resources that are available to those who desperately need them.”

Trump is subordinating the lives and safety of hundreds of thousands of Americans to his partisan political interest. That is a scandal unmatched in American history—and it is missing from the front pages and websites of nearly every major news source. Shameful!

Florida threatens local news stations with jail time for running political ads supporting ballot initiative

If you want a view into what a second Trump presidency would look like, check out Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to prosecute local news stations for running political ads in support of the ballot initiative to protect reproductive rights in Florida. The threats are plainly unconstitutional, but the fact that the state is threatening jail time for political speech is beyond the pale. Let’s hope that all Floridians are outraged by this abuse of power and government overreach—and motivated to turn out in massive numbers on November 5. See Talking Points Memo, DeSantis Threatening Jail Time for Running Abortion Rights Ads in Florida.

Again, the fact that the major media has not come down on DeSantis like a ton of bricks bespeaks an inexplicable quiescence in the face of an onrushing fascist threat.  

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[mariacallous]

Hours after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, refugees began pouring over the border to Moldova. Ludmila Popovici, the executive director of RCTV Memoria, a Moldovan nonprofit that works with survivors of war and torture, was in Romania at the time undergoing cancer treatment. But with the beginning of what some would now call an “endless war,” Popovici and her team immediately got to work.

They reached out to refugee centers and scoured Facebook groups for those in need of help, including sick children and women experiencing high risk pregnancies. Aided by small donations from partners overseas, they created food packages, delivered medicine, and provided direct cash assistance to the most vulnerable.

“We were all scared that we [Moldova] were going to be the next target for the Russian army,” Popovici explained. “But we knew our help was needed.”

However, more than two years into the war, organizations like Popovici’s are overworked, underfunded, and in many cases, at risk of collapse. Over-reliant on volunteers and facing staff burnout, they are struggling to meet the needs of the women and children they serve.

Every conflict is gendered—whether it’s the nature of conscription or the use of gender-based violence as a weapon of war. But the impact of the war in Ukraine, especially on forcibly displaced persons, has been more gendered than most, largely because of the country’s martial law which prohibits men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country.

As a result of this policy, women and children comprise a remarkable 80 percent of the 5.9 million Ukrainian refugees who have left the country since 2022. Many of them have faced gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation, human trafficking, or domestic violence, which has skyrocketed since the war began.

These risks persist today. Our organization, VOICE, has been working with women-led groups across the region since early 2022 to ensure they have access to the resources they need to participate in and lead the humanitarian response. Earlier this year, we conducted a survey of our partners across Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and Romania, regarding the challenges they were facing and what they were seeing on the ground. They reported high rates of gender-based violence.

Many refugee women and children continue to reside in collective shelters with nonsex-segregated facilities, and limited oversight of who is entering and exiting the buildings. Another key challenge for forcibly displaced women both in Ukraine and abroad is lack of access to financial resources and employment.

In Ukraine, regular shelling has shuttered many schools, businesses, and childcare centers, making it difficult for displaced women to secure employment. Elsewhere in the region, factors such as language barriers, lack of childcare, and an absence of clear information about refugees’ right to work have made it hard to achieve a decent standard of living and put Ukrainian women at risk of exploitation.

For many Ukrainian women, who are grappling with the impacts of trauma and displacement, the war has only exacerbated low access to health care. All this is happening against the backdrop of a broader crackdown in the region, which has seen abortion rights rolled back in countries like Poland, Hungary, and Romania; direct budget cuts to organizations serving domestic violence survivors; a weakening of institutions advocating for gender equality; and an elevated risk of violence for LGBTQI+ people.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, women-led organizations like RCTV Memoria in Moldova, Martynka Foundation in Poland, and NGO Fulcrum in Ukraine have mobilized rapidly across the region. In our survey, 78 percent of respondents reported that they have expanded their teams and operations, all while continuing to fulfill their original missions.

Like Popovici, they did this both because the situation required it, and because their expertise and credibility allowed them to take action swiftly while understanding cultural nuances in ways that larger, international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) and U.N. agencies could not. But they have done so without consistent resources and financial support, often forced to draw upon their own reserves or volunteer labor in order to deliver their services.

In 2022, Ukraine received almost $30 billion in humanitarian funding. However, less than 1 percent of that made its way to local women’s rights organizations, movements, and institutions, according to a report by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change (IJSC).

Organizations cite onerous funding requirements and red tape delays including heavy paperwork and narrow application windows (One large INGO, for example, required applicants to submit no less than 30 items for accountability checks.) Many organizations simply struggle to find the time to apply for funding opportunities while simultaneously meeting the needs of their communities. Often, they feel they are not trusted by mainstream funders like U.N. agencies and INGOs—not viewed as having the right accountability systems, or perceived as being too political for their public support for reproductive rights and LGBTQI+ rights.

These challenges are not unique to Ukraine. They play out in conflicts around the world—from Afghanistan to Sudan. As the IJSC report details, only about 2 percent of all humanitarian funding goes to local NGOs and civil society organizations based in the developing countries aid is being delivered to. The proportion of that funding that goes to organizations led by women and girls is even smaller. Only 12 percent of the leaders that responded to our survey reported that their organization has sufficient funding to operate and implement their planned work in 2024.

“Our biggest concern is that by the end of 2024, there will be no Ukrainian-led organizations providing GBV services in Ukraine,” said Nastya Podorozhnya, founder of Martynka Foundation, a Polish-Ukrainian NGO that supports victims of human trafficking, war, rape, and domestic violence.

Almost three-fourths of the organizations we surveyed reported that if the resources were available, they would further expand their services for survivors of gender-based violence. As one Moldovan respondent explained, “Often, the lack of resources prevents us from effectively addressing [gender-based violence]. Even when resources do become available, they may come too late, rendering the problem obsolete or causing survivors to withdraw, lose hope, and cease engaging in dialogue.”

Even by the U.N.’s own measures, response to gender-based violence remains underfunded. But it did not have to be this way. Unlike in typically new conflict or disaster settings, the U.N. had fostered strong relationships with local Ukrainian organizations which have dealt with the threat of a Russian invasion since 2014. Similarly, though Ukraine’s neighbors had not previously seen a large U.N. presence, they had fostered a dynamic women’s sector.

Together, this meant that the international community had a unique chance to innovate and reimagine the way it engaged with local stakeholders. They should have prioritized engaging with local women’s movements and networks and encouraged their active participation in decision making processes. Based on the information provided by the women’s rights organizations we surveyed, however, this chance has largely gone unseized.

Despite pledges toward localization, women-led organizations continue to find themselves on the outside looking in. The initial phase of the war may have ended, but the crisis it triggered has not. Ukraine continues to fight back against Russia’s assaults with insufficient international support. Millions of Ukrainians continue to be displaced across the region, struggling to meet their basic needs in the face of ongoing trauma and loss. The question of what happens after the war is over continues to loom over Ukrainians.

Popovici’s organization, RCTV Memoria, worked with over 300 survivors each year before Russia invaded. In 2023 that effort increased by tenfold, and the organization was working with over 3,000 Ukrainian refugees alone. To do this, they have had to work essentially nonstop, serving survivors during the day and doing administrative work at night, mobilizing volunteers, and working without vacations or weekends.

RCTV Memoria has increasingly transitioned its activities with Ukrainian refugees to not just providing essential services to the vulnerable, but also to providing the psychosocial and economic support that displaced Ukrainians will need when they return home. “They are the most precious resource of Ukraine and they are in a safe place here,” Popovici said. “They will have to mobilize themselves to be ready to go back home and contribute to the reconstruction of their country.”

More than two years into this conflict, it is time the world started approaching it as the crisis that it is. This means giving the organizations that are working on the frontline the sustained, flexible, and long-term funding they need to increase their capacity and meet the needs of the populations they serve, instead of forcing them to compete for scraps and keeping them in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

Organizations like Popovici’s were there before the war, and they will be thereafter. They have proven they understand the needs and aspirations of the constituencies they serve, and that they have the skills and expertise to meet those needs. It is time the international community gave them the respect—and the funding—they deserve.

[confessions-official]

As a woman and abuse survivor myself, I'll never understand American women complaining about being sexualized while also dressing in clothing primarily worn by sex workers until the last decade or so (crop tops, booty shorts, etc), selling photos of their bodies online to sleazy men instead of getting the jobs that they fought so hard for 50 years ago, and almost manically having sex with any guy who's nice to them for a night to the point where they need entire abortion, AIDS and STD resource centers in the USA. I honestly thought prostitution was legal in New York the first time I visited a few years ago with the way so many girls and women were dressed at tourist sites; it was so sad and degrading. I couldn't even go to college a decade ago in my country, yet American women complain about having to be more respectful to their bodies so they don't have to have over 5 million abortions per month and sex-related diseases killing so many of their young people! I've never seen such a sex obsessed culture, and then you question how an accused rapist was elected as president twice?

 

[marveltrumpshate]

Women's Rights

As the saying goes, women’s rights are human rights. Despite growing threats to autonomy and agency, women are forcefully declaring their place in the world and actively working to ensure equity for themselves and future generations. The following are organizations whose focus is on doing just that. 

For more information on donation methods and accepted currencies, please refer to our list of organizations page.

Center for Reproductive Rights

The Center for Reproductive Rights is the only global legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights for the dignity, equality, health, and well-being of every person. With local partners across five continents, they have secured legal victories before national courts, UN Committees, and regional human rights bodies on issues such as access to life-saving obstetrics care, contraception, maternal health, and safe abortion services and the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage.

Global Fund for Women

Global Fund for Women is the largest global organization for gender justice. They support grassroots feminist movements and organizations around the world for maximum local impact and have provided over $184 million in grants to 5,000+ women’s funds in 176 countries over the past three decades. Their recent focus has been providing mobilization and networking resources for women and girls in their own communities and amplifying those voices so they’re heard in the global community.

National Network of Abortion Funds

The National Network of Abortion Funds builds power with members to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access by centering people who have abortions and organizing at the intersections of racial, economic, and reproductive justice. They provide their grassroots base of over 100 autonomous, diverse organizations/abortion funds in the U.S. and abroad with leadership development, infrastructure support, and technical assistance. Some fund procedures while others cover abortion pills, transportation, lodging, childcare, doula services, and other forms of support.

The Pad Project

Period stigma and lack of access to affordable, safe, and effective menstrual products are a global problem. The Pad Project partners with local communities internationally to serve people of all genders who menstruate through funding the placement of pad machines and implementing washable pad programs. They also pair menstrual product access with education—workshops on menstrual hygiene management and sexual and reproductive health and their award-winning documentary, Period. End of Sentence.

Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network

RAINN is the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S. and operates a 24-hour national phone/online hotline as well as a DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense that provide support for survivors. They partner with over 1,000 local organizations nationwide and coordinate with state and federal departments to ensure that sexual assault is prevented, perpetrators are held accountable, and survivors get justice. They also educate the public, media, and entertainment industry about sexual assault. While we put RAINN in this post because women and girls experience sexual violence at high rates, people of all genders can be victims and RAINN helps everyone regardless of gender.

[stonebutchery]

i think we need to have a conversation about dysphoria and triggers again as a trans community (particularly the younger-than-25 crowd) because i think it's actually a little worrying how many trans people say they're triggered by the mere mention of trans pregnancy, by masculine features, by breasts or by flat chests, by certain body types, and other unchangeable parts of the varied trans existence. whatever you do online for yourself and for your own peace of mind is your business. but you can't be telling trans people you're triggered by their 'non passing' features or bodily choices because they make you personally uncomfortable. you need to deal with that, privately, on your own.

as someone who worked for a while with an advocacy program for rape survivors, something that came up, even with trans clients, was "i'm triggered by men and masculine features" or, also troublesome, "i'm triggered by men of a specific race." this is something we infrequently (but frequently enough to warrant writing up an entire protocol on referrals to specific in-network therapists) had to discuss with clients because, as an advocacy program that advocated for everyone who came to us for help, i can't ban 'men' from the waiting room. it would be a violation of their rights if we were to accommodate someone's desire for comfort, a desire that comes from the fact that they are 'triggered by men'. we could move someone who is 'triggered by men' to another room if another room were available but, ultimately, it's going to be beneficial for that person to deal with their trigger. because it's just not acceptable when a client comes into the office and accuses a trans woman in the waiting room of being a predator because "[she] looks like a man, i'm triggered by men, i was assaulted by a man," nor is it acceptable when a transmasculine client says he wants the cis man in the lobby to leave because he's triggered by the presence of a cis man, also as the survivor of violence by a cis male perpetrator (both of these examples coming from my experiences as an advocate). both of those people these clients pointed a finger at were fellow sexual violence survivors seeking resources, only to be accused of being perpetrators for sitting in a waiting room to seek those resources, made to feel humiliated by other survivors in a space that's supposed to be fucking safe for them.

whether they've carried a fetus to term or gotten an abortion, i've also known several pregnant trans people. in the christofascist west, pregnant people have historically been banished to the confines of their homes. there's a reason why the united states and other western countries have (sometimes tenuous-at-best) laws prohibiting the discrimination against workers who are pregnant or become pregnant. trans pregnancy is already incredibly stigmatized and censored. outside of, like, online kink-related or fetish-related content pertaining to impregnation or pregnancy where people are well within their right to curate what they see and engage with, i find it especially disappointing when all mention of pregnancy, sometimes specifically singled-out trans pregnancy, is requested to be censored, and to once again banish the mere acknowledgement of the existence of pregnant people, especially pregnant trans people and trans parents who have biological children, to the out-of-sight, out-of-mind nowhere-land. like they don’t exist and don’t deserve recognition or acknowledgement.

and yes, i am actually very well aware that there are countries with bans in places which carry criminal penalties for abortion. i happen to live in one. the fact that there are trans people who want to be parents and who want to have biological kids is just as important to me as all of the trans people who deserve safe and legal abortions whenever they want, for any reason. censoring and silencing trans people for talking about being pregnant, in any context, and requesting censorship of trans pregnancy, including the acknowledgement and de-stigmatization of trans pregnancy and trans abortion-seeking... because it makes some trans people dysphoric...? i'm sorry but you're kind of getting in your own way. and if you end up making it random pregnant trans peoples’ problem, you are then doing harm. this is one of those cases where censoring the object of your trigger is not going to end up being conducive to healing and growth. and it risks substantially harming others.

"my body, my choice" is not just empty words in a slogan. someone else’s autonomous bodily decisions do not concern you. at all. other people are not fucking responsible for your dysphoria or the reactions you are having to their body; their bodily autonomy, their autonomous bodily choices, literally just existing. i think you should challenge yourself to dig deep and ask how and why someone else's completely benign existence triggers you.

i am not responsible for my existence ‘causing you dysphoria’. that is your problem. you deal with that.

you may get triggered but how you choose to respond and react is something to work on because your reactions can be harmful.

[gatheringbones]

[“Historically, our law enforcement and criminal legal systems have fixated on fundamentally white-supremacist notions of protecting the virtue and innocence of white women and girls, primarily as justification for enacting horrifying acts of violence upon non-white, non-citizen men. Simultaneously, police and the prison system have always regarded women and girls of color with skepticism and hostility.

The VAWA was enacted within a context and legacy of women of color and especially Black and brown women experiencing such prevalent state and police violence in their communities that seeking help from law enforcement isn’t an option. In this sense, the law embodies white feminism. As author and activist Rafia Zakaria notes on the very first page of her 2021 book Against White Feminism, white feminists aren’t defined by their race but by their refusal “to consider the role that whiteness and the racial privilege attached to it have played . . . in universalizing white feminist concerns, agendas and beliefs as being those of all feminists.” It’s an ideology that universalizes white women as all women, and consequently harms women and femmes of color through the carceral “solutions” that it asserts will protect (white) women. Per the 2012 Rights4Girls study “The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline,” 76 percent of incarcerated survivors in the Oregon prison system experienced sexual assault by the age of thirteen and are predominantly women and girls of color.11 The same study found criminalization and incarceration of those who had experienced early sexual traumas often stemmed from being unable to access crucial resources and supports to cope with their trauma.

In many communities, lack of resources for victims is a direct result of overinvestment in policing and incarceration. White women–led survivor justice movements exist in sharp contrast with historically Black women–led reproductive justice advocacy, which has always recognized how criminalization and incarceration are inherently anti-feminist. From policing the pregnancy outcomes and self-managed abortions of women of color, to the prevalence of Black families and families of color being torn apart by the prison system (one in nine Black children has an incarcerated parent, compared with one in twenty-eight white children), abolition is requisite to reproductive justice—and consequently, survivor justice.”]

kylie cheung, from survivor injustice: state-sanctioned abuse, domestic violence, and the fight for bodily autonomy, 2023

[dirt-apple-productions]

I can say with certainty that you're going to dismiss this entire anon because I'm "not being nice," but your entire account disparages me, my rights, and my community, so I'm not going to be fucking nice to someone who doesn't think I deserve to be treated decently.

Fuck right the hell off for telling people they should be ashamed for wanting suicide after this election. You're WHITE, and clearly straight and abled, so you have literally no idea how Trump's policies affected any marginalized groups because they've never targeted you.

People want to commit because they have no other options. Because Trump has shown VISIBLE signs that he's going to ACTIVELY make life hell for queer people, disabled people, poor people, and people of color or with a uterus, and you have the gall to act like everyone has the ability and the resources to just "deal with it"?

Moreover, the FIRST post I see on your page is this stupid "well if you don't want pregnancy just don't have sex!!!!1!!1!" bullshit.

Hey, fuckface. I'm a CSA survivor.

Look me in the eyes and tell me that rape victims should "just not have sex!!"

The next one I see is "people who are mad about others prioritizing groceries over OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES are privileged!!!"

I should not have to explain how fucking deplorable that is.

"Why are the people I love most posting the ugliest political shit on their blogs???"

BECAUSE PEOPLE SUFFER UNDER REPUBLICAN POLICIES.

You cannot possibly call other people privileged when you get to sit on your fucking high horse and not worry about how the next election is going to affect YOUR FUCKING HUMAN RIGHTS.

Your worst case scenario in this election is oh god FORBID queer people love who they love and marginalized people be safe.

Mine is that Trump and most of his followers want me DEAD and I'm not fucking kidding. It would take me thirty seconds to find five examples of someone spouting bullshit about how queers should die.

"Never forget that children are people!!!!!!!" But you're comfortable with them giving birth, apparently?

"Pro-choicers are spreading dangerous DIY abortion methods!!!!!" BECAUSE YOU CUNTS BANNED ABORTION AND ABORTIONS NEED TO HAPPEN.

"And you choose DANGEROUS & ILLEGAL!!!!"

YOU FUCKING CHOSE IT FOR US.

There is no way you don't realize how unbelievably fucking stupid you sound when you complain "oh well NOW there's UNSAFE abortions!!!!!!!!!!!!!" after BANNING SAFE ONES.

You want to fucking bitch and moan about "oh please be kind to white cis abled people!!!!!!!" when literally no one is attacking your rights like you're attacking others'.

Wanna call people shameful for not knowing what else to do? Okay, I'll match your energy. You are a fucking disgraceful example of a Christian and a completely heartless person. You obviously don't think about anyone but yourself, because literally any amount of empathy would mean this blog wouldn't be how it is.

You are genuinely cruel to the extent that I have to wonder if you've been touched by Satan, and I mean that with all of my heart. I truly hope that maybe God leads you to actually think about other people and their struggles rather than calling yourself a Christian.

Have the day you deserve and I fucking hope you never have to experience the dehumanization that me and my loved ones face on the daily from people like you. How disgusting.

sir this is a wendy’s

[trashbirdthoughts]

For everyone: I need a lot of eyes on this.

If you haven’t signed the END BAD INTERNET BILLS petition I urge you to do so. These bill will deeply affect our internet and makes it worse for everyone. There are many in the website feel free to sign all of them but know these are so incredibly important to keeping the future of the internet safe and secure.

Sign the petition here :

If you’re wondering why you should sign it here is a much longer and exactly what these bills are doing:

We need to make a lot of noise and it’s important to complain to senators. Here are all the bills that are lined up. A lot of these are seemingly to protect kids - they are not. They are meant to make the internet easier to patrol and take privacy rights away and deeply affect LGBTQ youth.

EARN IT - undermines end-to-end encryption, making everyone less safe. Privacy can be invaded and less security in communication.

KOSA - harms kids and teens’ access to lifesaving LGBTQ resources and sex education. It will censor these and make it where sites that are pro-lgbtq cannot exist without it being 18+.

RESTRICT ACT- gives the president unprecedented power to police the internet RESTRICT gives Biden (and all future presidents!) extraordinary new powers to ban Americans from using entire apps simply by claiming they pose a “threat to national security,” outside of any democratic process. Politicians are pushing this bill to show they’re “tough on China”—but instead of protecting us, this law would lead to an internet censored by the president.

AGE-GATING BILLS- limit teenagers’ online access and force everyone to give ID to use social media. If you watch NSFW content it means you will have to give an ID to view it. Deeply affects SWer. Also huge privacy violation with having to give your id to watch 18+ content.

STOP CSAM - weakens end-to-end encryption and gives new surveillance powers to law enforcement. Instead, it would make CSAM cases harder to prosecute—like SESTA/FOSTA before it—while reducing privacy protections in ways that would harm vulnerable people. Like EARN IT, STOP CSAM undermines end-to-end encryption, a technology that’s vital for LGBTQ+ youth, survivors of interpersonal violence and stalking, abortion seekers and providers, and activists. Weakening E2EE as a means to funnel more information to law enforcement also sets an alarming precedent for government surveillance. All of us, including children, need to be able to communicate in the digital age without our conversations being spied on.

COOPER DAVIS

The Cooper Davis Act is a misguided attempt to address the public health crisis caused by fentanyl in many communities in the US. The bill does more harm than good: opening the door for increased surveillance of messaging and damaging encryption that ensures digital security online, another EARN IT Act copycat bill. More surveillance will not solve a public health crisis. End-to-end encryption is not a public safety threat. Secure, private messaging protects people’s privacy and should be protected.