#inclusive voting process

[townpostin]

Voter List Draft Set for July 25 Release in Jharkhand

Electoral office urges citizens to verify registration details Jharkhand’s election machinery prepares for crucial voter list revision phase, emphasizing citizen participation in verification process. RANCHI – The state’s electoral office has made an important announcement regarding the progress of the voter list revision process. K. Ravi Kumar, the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand, announced…

[solarpunkwarlock]

Ways to Live in Direct Opposition to Capitalism

I am by no means an expert in any of these things I’m gonna talk about, so keep that in mind! I am just making a compilation of things I know of that we can do to lessen the stranglehold the capitalist lifestyle has on us while enriching our lives, our surroundings, and the lives of others. Please add anything I miss or correct anything I may be getting wrong! Anyway here goes!

Use what you have, fix what’s you can, make what you can, accept from others, thrift what you can, and finally purchase as a last resort.

This is advice I have seen float around here a couple of times that can apply to a lot of things including clothing, furniture, food, and more besides. It’s meant to be done roughly in that order as it applies to what you’re wanting/needing/doing. It’s about preventing waste, promoting self-capability, having a heightened reliance on your community, and consciously rejecting the ingrained habit many of us have to just purchase things or services.

Here’s where you can read about growing an indoor garden!

Here’s where you can read about sewing things yourself!

Here’s an online site for giving and receiving items for free!

Here is where you can find a local Mutual Aid to get things from, learn skills from, give do, volunteer for, etc. (in the U.S.)

Be politically active! (from a U.S. perspective)

Vote for every election. Know your representatives and those who will be competing in the next election. Vote without ignorance and without falling for unfounded claims. While operating within the system that actively oppresses us will not bring about the future we want, it can serve as damage control (preventing worse candidates from taking office) and it can potentially create a national atmosphere more open to change.

Here’s a good article about getting more involved in the U.S. political process.

Here’s a site that will show you how to register to vote, when and where elections are held, and more!

Here’s good advice on finding protests in your city!

Here’s some readings on unionizing! It’s your legal right to unionize!

Here’s a more user friendly site for learning about unions!

Be active within your community!

Developing strong, motivated, capable, knowledgeable, and inclusive communities is the ultimate way to combat the relentless and bleak present and future. When you’ve worked on the things above and have gotten good at it (or even if you haven’t gotten good at it yet), start spreading what you know and what you can do with others!

Give your neighbors, coworkers, and friends some of the vegetables you’ve grown.

Invite your community members to volunteer events.

Talk to folks about how to vote, when you’re doing it, etc.

Take part in Mutual Aids to teach what you’ve learned or whatever you may be an expert in! Invite neighbors, friends, and coworkers when you take part in the Mutual Aid!

Accept your community. Take them for who and what they are. Discrimination is the enemy of cooperation. You have much more in common with everyone in your community than a single billionaire or corporation. We’re all passengers on this spaceship earth.

Do it one step at a time!

Obviously we can’t do all of these things at once. Do what you can when you can, and you’ll start to notice real change in your life!

Our online communities where we talk about our visions and hopes are fantastic, but they have little impact if we don’t actually get up and do the real work that change requires.

Want to be better, and keep hope for the future!

Harbor and nourish that desire to be a better person and to be the change you want to see in the world. You need to be hungry for a better future if you plan to make it through the rough times when everything feels pointless and without hope. Reach out to others when you’re down, and be someone others can lean on when their lives get hard.

That’s it! Please interact with this, spread it to others, and add your own thoughts and ideas! It’s important that we do the real work to get the change we crave!

[etz-ashashiyot]

I'm sorry, but actually I'm not over that comment whining about how several of the JVP ritual, uh, practices and bastardization of Judaism are being excluded and how we can't police people's identities.

Actually yes we absolutely can.

[Rant incoming]

Listen, I hate exclusion, alright? Inclusion is always the answer when it comes to people knowing who they are. Every obnoxious identity policing thing in the queer community that has divided us and ripped apart communities has been cruel, counterproductive, given platform to bigots, a distraction from the real issues bearing down on us, and honestly just dumb as a box of rocks. Okay? Okay.

But Jewish identity works differently, because it isn't about YOU. Becoming Jewish is about taking on Jewish culture and religion, a closed ethnoreligious culture, through the narrow path consented to by the collective Jewish people. There IS a path, but it is a highly supervised one. Otherwise it's just appropriation and cultural theft; something Jews have been subjected to for millennia. And if you do legitimately convert you do so because you love the Jewish people - the whole Jewish people - and want passionately to be a Jew for its own sake. You want to join our nation-tribe. You want to join our family.

And the crazy thing to me, the thing that still blows my mind, is that this is allowed! Even after millennia of appropriation, oppression, violence, expulsions, and genocides, Am Yisrael still accepts genuine gerim. It would be so understandable if they had closed the path entirely and tried to shut out outsiders who might bring in danger on their heels even if they themselves were not dangerous.

But they didn't. We didn't. To me this is a miracle, a blessing, and sign of true faith and hope. It is a privilege to be here.

Yet in the same turn, you gotta respect the process! You can't just declare yourself a Jew simply because you feel like it — it doesn't work like that. You can't just declare yourself an Argentinian one morning either without becoming a citizen first, even if you have Argentinian ancestry. And sure, if you do have some of that ancestry, you are connected to the nation, but that's different from being given a vote y'know?

Using a totally unsupervised, totally unsanctioned, brand-new neo-pagan ritual to unilaterally declare your membership in a tribe does not make you one of us. If anything, it proves why you never will be.

Now! Let's assume for a moment that we are referring only to the provably halachic Jews whose connection and backgrounds are beyond reasonable questioning.

You can never really leave the tribe, but you absolutely can apostasize. Plenty of Jews do it. There are plenty of Jews who find that Judaism is not spiritually fulfilling for them but something else is, and they convert out. There are halachic Jews who have walked away from Judaism in order to practice any other number of religions: Christianity, Islam, Neo-paganism, Hinduism, etc.

That is their prerogative, but by doing so they turn away from their people in a serious way and cannot be said to be practicing Judaism. There is of course room for many different types of Jewish practice, but conversely, there are practices that are too far removed from Judaism to meaningfully be considered as such. Otherwise, it's no longer a coherent group identity. And because Judaism is a collective identity, that actually matters.

The Jews as a people have decided that worshipping gods that are not Hashem is not within the realm of Judaism, which is why messianic "Jews" are not practicing a valid form of Judaism even if they are halachicly Jewish and/or have Jewish ancestry. Worshipping Jesus makes you a Christian or at least adjacent. That is a hard boundary.

And yeah — if you change the basic meaning of holidays, if you bring in lots of practices that are brand new and have no halachic or even historical basis, are often highly individualistic, and would not be accepted as Judaism by the vast majority of Jews, then it absolutely falls outside it. If I started practicing a religion that made little icons of Muhammad to pray to once a day and celebrated my ingenuity with pork roast and a nice glass of wine, I don't get to say that I'm practicing Islam.

These people are doing the Jewish equivalent. It is something else entirely. Especially because so many of these practices spit in the face of major tenets of Judaism and go against Jewish values.

To treat it otherwise is to treat it as an absolutely meaningless aesthetic rather than a living breathing ethnoreligious tribe of people who get to decide our own community's boundaries and practices collectively.

And for the naysayers who still disrespect Judaism and Jewish identity and peoplehood so much that they think that they get to define Judaism more than actual rabbis? Look, we can't physically stop you from calling yourself Jewish, but by the same turn, YOU can't force US to recognize you as one of us. You can be mad, but that's the thing about group cultural identities — that cultural group gets to decide whether they claim you or not.

[To be clear: this is not about politics — there are plenty of Jewish non-Zionists and anti-Zionists who are 100% Jewish. This is about this one specific shitty organization and this particular type of behavior.]

[shalom-iamcominghome]

Jewish women and folks who feel this also applies to them, I want your thoughts and opinions.

I ask this because I hold jewish women's thoughts and feelings in high regard, and am genuinely curious about their thoughts on this. I do not use this term for anybody, and do not plan to ever, this is solely to see the opinions of you all because I have seen this term defined as derogatory by plenty of sources, and I also notice some jewish women embrace jewess as a term. I am interested in the potential nuances of this conversation.

This poll is for anybody who feels it applies to them. However, please don't vote just to see the results when it doesn't apply. I'm queueing this post for after the poll has concluded, as even I won't know the results until this poll is concluded. I genuinely want to have somewhat of an idea about the diversity of jewish women's thoughts.

This poll is inclusive to jews of trans and/or intersex experience, or experiences that aren't solely in the binary womanhood sphere. Those who genuinely are in the process of becoming jews, feel free to weigh in if this applies to you. This poll will not be used to judge or shame jewish women or justify what terms you should or should not use for yourself or what terms you ought to be comfortable with. Anything that is derogatory to jewish women and their feelings is not tolerated and you will be Banished.

Feel free to share this post if you'd like. If you want to see the results but cannot vote, please queue this post, like this post, or wait for this blog to reblog this poll. I cannot emphasize this enough.

And if nobody has told you: jewish women, you are amazing. You deserve love and respect, and your thoughts matter in every conversation you are in.

[beardedmrbean]

Black Lives Matter has criticized the Democratic Party for "anointing" Vice President Kamala Harris as the expected Democrat presidential nominee without a public vote.

President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he was leaving the presidential race and endorsed Harris to replace him at the top of the Democratic ticket to face Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in November. Biden had faced pressure to step aside after a disastrous debate performance last month magnified concerns about the 81-year-old's age and ability to beat Trump and serve a second term.

By Monday evening, Harris had secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party's nominee, The Associated Press reported.

Responding to the development, Black Lives Matter criticized Democrats for not giving voters a say—and called on the Democratic National Committee to host a virtual snap primary ahead of the party's convention in August. Newsweek has contacted Black Lives Matter, the Harris campaign and the DNC for comment via email.

"Democratic Party elites and billionaire donors are attempting to manipulate Black voters by anointing Kamala Harris and an unknown vice president as the new Democratic ticket without a primary vote by the public," Black Lives Matter said in a statement. "This blatant disregard for democratic principles is unacceptable. While the potential outcome of a Harris presidency may be historic, the process to achieve it must align with true democratic values." The organization added: "We do not live in a dictatorship. Delegates are not oligarchs. Any attempt to evade or override the will of voters in our primary system—no matter how historic the candidate—must be condemned. We demand an informal, virtual snap primary now that the incumbent president is no longer in the running."

Harris is the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. If she becomes the Democratic nominee and defeats Trump in November, she would be the first woman to serve as president.

Black Lives Matter said any process that does not include voters could undermine Harris, or another Democrat, if they win the White House in November.

"Let us be clear: This is about the Democratic Party following a process that protects the legitimacy of any future Democratic president following this unprecedented moment," the statement said.

"Installing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and an unknown vice president without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites. It would undermine their credibility on issues related to democracy.

"Imagine our first Black woman president not having won some sort of public nomination process. The pundits would immediately label it as affirmative action or a DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] move, and any progress made by a President Harris would be on shaky foundations. If Kamala Harris is to be the nominee, it must be through a process that upholds democratic principles and public participation."

Some Republicans have already sought to cast Harris as a DEI hire.

"The incompetency level is at an all-time high in Washington. The media propped up this president, lied to the American people for three years, and then dumped him for our DEI vice president," Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

[cassolotl]

The UK sucks for trans people at the moment 😔

So, I'm considering whether or not to vote Labour in this general election (4th July), and here's what I've got so far.

Today Labour said that they wouldn't undo the Westminster veto over Scotland's change to its gender recognition law (👎).

In their manifesto, trans rights come up on page 89. Basically, they say they will do a trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban (👍). They also say they will improve the gender recognition process in vaaaague ways, while retaining the requirement for a gender dysphoria diagnosis (👎). That's all.

The Conservative manifesto doesn't mention trans people at all, which makes it really hard to make a decision. Obviously out of the two I would rather go for Labour, but I just hate to make decisions when I don't have all the information.

So if Labour are just like, "we won't make things worse and we might make things a little bit better"... I guess I'll have to go for that? In my area there's no one else who has any chance of winning. :( I hate it.

[crossdreamers]

On how Scottish anti-trans activists are trying to censor a debate on the benefits of puberty blockers for youth

Sophie Mollie (photo) writes over at X:

So yesterday, an article was released by the @TheScotsman expressing the danger of depriving trans kids of life saving puberty blockers. The TERF'S pilled into the comment section and started abusing the author and those who contributed to the article. A few hours later the article was removed from the @TheScotsman website. As a contributer to the article I have been given no reason as to why this was the case. My suspicion is TERF @DalgetySusan who is a columnists for the @TheScotsman has got it removed. Of course I'm basing this on conjecture but all signs point to the newspaper removing an article that journalist Rachel Amery was brave enough to put out. An article that platformed trans people's feelings towards the puberty blocker ban. Here is the article that has been removed from the @TheScotsman website.

Here's the text Rachel Avery wrote:

Why Scotland trans kids are at 'serious risk of harm' because of court ruling on puberty blockers

The High Court has ruled the decision to ban prescriptions of puberty blockers was lawful

Campaigners opposed to a ban on puberty blockers have claimed a High Court ruling has put children in Scotland at “serious risk of harm”.

Mrs Justice Lang ruled on Monday the ban introduced by the Conservative government with emergency legislation was lawful. UK health secretary Wes Streeting said he welcomed the court’s ruling, claiming children’s healthcare must be “evidence-led”.

However, campaigners north of the Border have claimed the court ruling would lead to an increase in child suicide.

Former health secretary Victoria Atkins used emergency powers to stop the drugs being prescribed to under-18s, in one of the final pieces of legislation passed by the previous Conservative government - a move carried out on the back of the Cass Review findings. Scotland subsequently introduced a pause on the prescription of puberty blockers in April.

Campaign group TransActual took legal action against the decision at a UK level, saying Ms Atkins failed to consult patient groups and misused the emergency process.

But Justice Lang dismissed the challenges, saying the the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland “were entitled to rely upon the precautionary principle when making their judgments” with a “rational and balanced approach to the assessment of risk in this context, where there remains scientific uncertainty”.

However, one Scottish campaigner warned the decision could have serious side effects.

Sophie Molly is a trans woman who has a petition going through Holyrood calling on the Scottish Government to reverse the ban north of the Border.

She said: “I feel today’s High Court verdict will put children at serious risk of harm. This will lead to an increase in child and adolescent suicide.”

She said the decision to pause the prescriptions in Scotland was “deeply discriminatory” and “goes against the inclusive values of the NHS”.

“A lot of trans children will suffer as a result of a knee-jerk reaction to pause puberty blockers,” she said. “Unfortunately I was never fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to have them. I was born during section 28, which effectively made it impossible for anyone to come out as gay or trans.

“It was never presented to me, but I would have taken them in a heartbeat to have avoided the torture of male puberty. It was horrendous.”

The 37-year-old has since been prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to undergo female puberty and said the differences had been “night and day”.

She described the ban on puberty blockers as a decision “driven by party politics”, and criticised Mr Streeting’s decision not to overturn the decision of his predecessor.

“When he was trying to get votes during the election, he said Labour would be on the side of trans people,” she said. “This is unjustifiable and he is putting his own personal career above that of his constituents.”

Speaking after the High Court ruling, Mr Streeting said: “Children’s healthcare must be evidence-led. Dr Cass’s review found there was insufficient evidence that puberty blockers are safe and effective for children with gender dysphoria and gender incongruence.

“We must therefore act cautiously and with care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people.”

TransActual UK said would aill attempt to appeal the court decision.

Chay Brown, the group’s director for healthcare, said: “Defence evidence makes it clear that they decided on an emergency ban first and sought ways to justify it second. The judgement leans heavily on the widely discredited Cass Review - the work of someone with no experience of trans healthcare.”

A spokesperson for LGBT Youth Scotland's Trans Youth Commission said: “For trans and nonbinary people, the journey to happiness in their own body may include gender-affirming care, something that comes in many forms such as voice training, hair removal, and in some cases – puberty blockers and/or hormone therapy.

“Unfortunately, for many transgender individuals, this life-saving healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult to access. The ban on puberty blockers has created yet another barrier, and is putting further pressure on trans young people, a group that already experiences many extra difficulties and discrimination within society.

“The Trans Rights Youth Commission were incredibly disheartened to see the Sandyford gender clinic decide to stop prescribing puberty blockers to the young people accessing their service, despite the already low prescription rate. We do not agree with the ruling that the original ban was lawful, and hearing that the new Labour government is seeking to make the ban on puberty blockers permanent is frightening beyond words.”

Copied from the Wayback Machine version of the original article.

[sgiandubh]

The 28th Amendment?

After a long silence, Sleeping Beauty's social media seems to be (somewhat) back to life, with this story:

This is part of a national public awareness and lobby campaign organized by a US NGO, Equal means Equal, aiming to promote the formal inclusion of a 28th Amendment (the Equal Rights Amendment) in the US Constitution.

This is the current state of play: what is needed, according to Equal means Equal, is a final push, in order to make something started in 1972 a reality. This state of play is unthinkable, to an European, by the way: gender equality became effective on our ravaged, postwar continent for many reasons, including the most practical you could think of. Those are usually related to voting rights, the acknowledgement of women's contribution to the war effort, the economic and social reconstruction process and even a faux-equalitarian ideology, like in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (loudly promote gender equality, but at the same time, take away any legal guarantee and protection of private ownership of anything, from houses to shops to banks).

The final push for success is a public appeal to POTUS to act on it, launched as a side event at the New York FOCUS Art Fair, a contemporary art rendezvous' with a strong Gen Z flair:

C is a part to this event with a signed copy of Reserved, an independent media outlet with a clear progressive flair and all the bells and whistles of a Gen Z future icon:

I was particularly intrigued by this: 'Once a magazine, Reserved has evolved into an annual hardcover print edition collector’s item'. It immediately made me think of one of my favorite things in the art world, Franco Maria Ricci's FMR Magazine (https://www.francomariaricci.com/en). A mythical thing, the stuff of legend - to each generation its own, I suppose.

Time to make an important point, though: the Reserved copy up for silent auction was not donated by C herself, but by Jules Wood:

Meet Jules Wood, editor-in-chief of Reserved and fashion director of Ellen von Unwerth's VON Magazine :

Pretty much sure this is an old acquaintance, too.

In the couple of hours since I began writing this post, bidding started from 500 USD and has now risen to 2000 USD, thanks to a generous soul, who wishes to remain Anonymous:

You don't say. Anonymous, huh?

Cue in the Stans who will surely bitch it's 'just her US friends' (primarily BIF barking and/or Anon being dropped in Fascist inboxes in 3, 2, 1...) But hey, we have a different view, don't we?

And it's quite alright.

PS: Pics in that Reserved copy are taken from C's photoshoot for Ellen von Unwerth , sometime before June 2021:

[end-otw-racism]

2023 OTW Board Election Review

The election is over, and we'd like to congratulate (in alphabetical order) Anh Pham, Kathryn Soderholm, and Qiao Chu, who have been elected to serve full terms on the OTW Board of Directors, and Jennifer Haynes and Zixin Zhang, who have been elected to partial terms. We recognize that this is a turbulent time for the OTW, and that running for Board at any time takes guts and a lot of hard work, but especially so now, and we appreciate the time and labor you all have put into answering questions about how you envision your time serving on the Board and guiding OTW policy.

It really was a rollercoaster of an election season. With an original ballot of seven candidates for three seats, the field eventually narrowed to five candidates, and then unexpected resignations led to the opening of five total seats, creating an uncontested election. Still, voting mattered, as the number of votes each candidate got determined if they won a full term (three years) or a partial (two years), and we want to thank everyone who showed up to #VoteToEndOTWRacism.

Through their prepared bios and platforms, the Q&As posted to the Elections site, and the four Candidate Chats, OTW members and stakeholders had ample opportunity to get to know the candidates and learn about their ideas for improving the OTW, and we're excited to see how they might implement their plans once they take their seats.

Today we're going to take a look at how their stated priorities might guide the new Board, specifically in addressing our three main demands: 

Terms of Service (TOS) updates that address racist and bigoted harassment.

Hiring a Diversity Consultant within the next 3 months.

Committing to a policy of transparency on this topic.

As candidates, all five stressed the importance of updating the TOS (or the way the current TOS is enforced) to better protect fans from harassment on AO3, with Anh, Kathryn, and Qiao all listing it as a priority. 

All five also spoke of hiring and working with a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant, with Anh, Kathryn, and Qiao all speaking of filling the position soon, and Kathryn expressly calling it a priority.

And, continuing the positive trend, all five offered multiple ways the OTW could improve transparency within the organization and with stakeholders outside the organization! We are particularly interested in Zixin’s suggestion to increase the section on Board work in the monthly newsletters (something Qiao also mentioned!) as well as improve the Board Meeting process to have it better moderated and more efficient, as this would be a great step towards that transparency and engagement with the user base, and her idea to set up clearer internal guidelines on crisis resolution and make them accessible to all volunteers would be a tangible way of increasing transparency within the org.

Kathryn is also concerned about documentation and believes the OTW needs to establish: clear org-wide standards for when to use Constructive Corrective Action Procedures (CCAP), an org-wide crisis communication plan, and org-wide standards for moderating comments on news posts, and that these standards can, and should, be created within the first year.

And, finally, Anh discusses having the group tasked with implementation of the OTW's strategic plan develop infographics to better communicate that plan as a means of fostering outreach to OTW members and users to bring them in to contribute to the OTW’s processes. Unfortunately the strategic plan does not currently reference any of our goals, but if updated, this could be a great path of dialogue between users and the organization.  

The new Board will be seated October 1, 2023, and we look forward to seeing what they can accomplish by working together to make the OTW and its platforms a safe and welcoming place for fans of color.

[thelordofgifs]

The Obscure Tolkien Blorbos Tournament!

@mistergandalf's incredible Ultimate Tolkien Blorbo tournament has just wrapped up with our beloved Sam Gamgee taking the final trophy. But! Earlier rounds in the tournament were filled with a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth from Silmarillion fans as our favourites were UNFAIRLY ELIMINATED by people who DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM. So, I would like to present: the ultimate obscure Tolkien blorbos tournament!

Submit as many of your dubiously canonical, little-known faves as you'd like to - with a catch: characters with the fewest submissions are most likely to qualify for the bracket! With exactly one exception who is qualifying anyway because I say so.

Rules:

The character you submit can be part of Tolkien's legendarium in any way possible - discarded characters from earlier drafts, adaptation-only characters (RoP inclusive), etc.

No OCs.

Canonically unnamed characters (for example Curufin's wife) are eligible. But don't submit fan-invented names for them, or I won't know whom you're talking about!

If they're very obscure, do consider writing a couple of lines to tell me who they are! I'm not a HoME expert and won't be familiar with everyone you send in.

I reserve the right not to include characters who I don't think really count: you can't, for example, submit "Maidros" and then argue that that's a completely different character to the more well-known Maedhros.

Actual voting will just be a straightforward "vote for whomever you like more" process, nothing to do with how obscure the blorbos are at that stage.

Let's... tentatively say the bracket will contain 64 characters? I'll keep the form open at least until Sunday 21st May and potentially longer, depending on how much interest this gets.

This is my first time running a tournament and I have no idea what else to actually say or how to do this lol. Tag will be #obscure tolkien blorbo, feel free to follow/block it as you prefer.

Let me know if you have any more questions, reblog for visibility, and happy submitting! And feel free to drop your submissions in the tags to this post so that people can avoid double-nominating their faves :)

[badbirdnews]

Voting Rights Corrupted from Inclusion of Noncitizens in our Census!

It is a travesty that noncitizens hold the power to determine the composition of Congress and the presidency. The very essence of our electoral system is under threat as the Census includes illegal aliens and other noncitizens as residents. This egregious error must be rectified immediately if we are to salvage the integrity of our democracy.

The principle behind Congressional and Electoral College apportionment is simple: it should be based on the number of American citizens residing within each state. Yet, we find ourselves in a situation where noncitizens, who lack the legal right to vote, are being counted as equals in determining our nation’s leaders. This is an affront to every American citizen who believes in the power of their vote.

If we continue down this treacherous path, we risk diluting the voices of American citizens and compromising the very foundation upon which our democracy stands. By allowing noncitizens to play a role in apportionment, we diminish the influence of those who have earned the right to participate in our electoral process. It is time to take a stand and demand that our elected officials put an end to this injustice.

The Census must be barred from including noncitizens in apportionment. We must prioritize the voices of American citizens—the only population who can and should vote in U.S. elections. It is our duty as patriotic Americans to fight for a system that upholds the principles of fairness and ensures that those who have earned the right to vote are the ones picking America’s leaders. Let us rise together and reclaim our democracy from the grasp of noncitizens.

https://badbirdnews.com/voting-rights-corrupted-from-inclusion-of-noncitizens-in-our-census/

[feudalconnection]

Hi! I’m sorry, but why can a work nominated for two different categories? And why can an author be nominated twice?

I’d heard that the awards were rigged, but didn’t believe it. Then i looked at the nominations list and the same people keep popping up. This is probably why it looks rigged. Maybe you should consider asking people who keep getting nominated to skip once a year or something.

I’m not going to bother nominating anyone because it’s obvious who’s going to win.

no wonder the IY fandom gets labeled toxic in general and not just because of shipping wars. I thought that was wrong, too.

Hello, anon!

Back when FC was just a baby, the mod-team put limits in place so that the nominations weren't flooded by the same creators or the same pieces. Having ten nominations for one piece wouldn't be fun, and wouldn't be inclusive. Thus, the limits were put into place so that no creator could have more than 4 nominations total per term. This has done well to keep nominations in check and allow other creators and pieces to be nominated. I'm sorry that you've heard such bad feedback regarding FC. The mod-team has done their absolute best to preserve FC's integrity, the nomination phase, the voting period, and those involved. We process each nomination to make sure it adheres to all requirements in place. The Inuyasha fandom is a wonderful community, filled with a plethora of creators who are constantly putting out content (for free!) for our little hearts to enjoy. We are so blessed by how creative this community is. Some creators put out more content than others, meaning they have more chances of being nominated. We never have and never will ask anyone to refuse a nomination. These creators work hard on their writing and art, and the only payment they receive is appreciation from the community they create for. These awards are just another way to give them that appreciation. As said in the past, the mod-team has no say who gets nominated or who wins except by the public rules in place. If you don't want to nominate, that's okay. We understand. Nominating lesser known creators so their piece receives more love and more of the spotlight is not for everyone. However, for those who do want to nominate, please: nominate those hole in the wall creations, the creators who only have one creation posted, the ones who are having a rough start to the year, the ones who need a little extra love, and everyone in between. As long as it adheres to the guidelines set, we wholeheartedly welcome all IY creators to be nominated! You want to see a wider net of creators? Nominate them! Nominate those who aren't on our list yet! We would love to see it! As stated in this post here, and in several others before, the awards have never been and will never be a popularity contest, nor will it be about "winning". It is simply about showing appreciation to the creators who keep this fandom thriving. As always, the mods are available to hear out concerns and listen to feedback. You are more than welcome to reach out to us independently, with a mod you feel comfortable with. And if you want to see for yourself how inclusive and wholesome our community is, we have an open discord that's available for anyone to join. We hope this quells your concerns. If not, we've done our best, and FC is not for everyone. We send blessings your way that you're able to find a niche in the IY community that suites your needs, and we hope you've had a wonderful start to the year. Much love, FeudalConnection

[codes-and-stuffs]

also also while researching i did see bbc published an article about which parties are saying what about gender identity and single-sex spaces and (while some of the wording in the intro is... interesting, imo) they do cover most major english parties + the snp and plaid cymru. i think it is worth a read, especially as this is a huge topic on this website for uk politics rn!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nng2j42xro

tldr (tho i still encourage reading the article for details, explanation, and the sake of not just going off what one tumblr user is saying) below (also cw for discussion of trans rights that at times veers into blatant transphobia)

conservatives

pledge to rewrite the Equality Act in order to clarify 'sex' to mean 'biological sex'

have drafted a bill to prevent schools from teaching 'contested' material such as 'the view that gender is a spectrum', and to require schools to tell parents if a child wishes to identify as a different gender at school

labour

pledge to 'protect female-only spaces' while treating trans people with 'dignity and respect'

may also back that conservative bill about not teaching 'contested ideology' - i'd check the official wording on this one, it's a little unclear

pledge to ban conversion therapy

pledge to remove 'indignities' of applying for gender recognition certificate, however still requiring the diagnosis of gender dysphoria

lib dems

pledge to overhaul process of gender recognition so no diagnosis is required and people can self-identify

pledge to ban conversion therapy

pledge to make nonbinary identities recognised in law

pledge to make large companies report on pay gap and employment for lgbt+ people in a similar way currently done for gender

scottish national party

have already tried to enact a bill to overhaul legal gender recognition so that it is based on self identification rather than medical diagnosis (this occurred last year, you may still remember it), but was blocked by uk gov

unclear if the new mp holds the same plans, may be worth separate research on that

reform uk

(previously known as brexit party)

pledge to ban 'gender questioning', 'social transitioning' and 'pronoun swapping' in schools

pledge to scrap the Equality Act as well as any other diversity, equality and inclusion rules

farage (party leader) speaks about respecting trans rights and also 'women-only spaces', and says that trans women should not be allowed in women's sports

green

pledge to allow people to self identify for legal gender recognition

pledge to add the option of an X marker on passports for nonbinary/intersex people

plaid cymru

pledge to allow people to self identify for legal gender recognition

[obligatory disclaimer that this post does not intend to influence any individuals' votes, only give perspective on a specific issue, it's worth looking at other issues and sources, etc etc, just thought this would be interesting for my (mostly not even british) mutuals]

anyway yes if you got this far thanks for reading !! i would love to hear your thoughts on all of this!

[ngdrb]

Restoring Integrity: A Call to Reject Extremism and Safeguard Democracy

The present condition of the Republican Party is deeply concerning. Internal discord, ineffective leadership, and the rise of extremism threaten not only the party itself but also the fabric of our democracy. Individuals such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Lauren Boebert, Jim Jordan, and others including Supreme Court justices aligned with the MAGA movement exemplify this troubling trend.

Many key figures from Donald Trump's first administration are either imprisoned or have turned against him. This alarming trend should make us question the integrity and stability of his leadership. Do we really want to entrust our future to someone with such a troubling track record?

At this pivotal moment in our nation's history, it is imperative to address these challenges with clarity and resolve. The actions and rhetoric of these figures have fueled division and eroded trust in our democratic institutions. Their embrace of conspiracy theories, their attacks on established norms, and their refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of fair elections undermine the very foundations of our democracy.

To safeguard our future, we must prioritize the restoration of integrity, competence, and unity within the political process. This begins with holding accountable those who prioritize personal gain over the public good. By voting out individuals who perpetuate division and misinformation, we can reclaim the spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation essential for effective governance.

Moreover, the Republican Party itself stands at a crossroads. It has the opportunity to redefine its identity and regain credibility by rejecting extremism and embracing responsible leadership. Voters have a crucial role in shaping this transformation by supporting candidates committed to upholding democratic values and advancing policies that benefit all Americans.

In essence, the urgency of this moment demands a collective commitment to reject the politics of fear and division. We must instead champion leaders who prioritize facts, accountability, and the common good. By doing so, we can foster a political environment where constructive dialogue thrives, compromise is possible, and progress is achievable.

Ultimately, the decision rests with each voter to safeguard our democratic principles. By electing leaders who embody integrity and inclusivity, we can ensure that our government reflects the will of the people and serves the interests of all Americans. This election is not merely about partisan politics; it is about preserving the fundamental values that define us as a nation.

Let us seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to democracy and reject those seeking to undermine it. Together, we can forge a path that honors our past, strengthens our present, and secures a brighter future for future generations.

[robertreich]

The One Thing That Would Make Elections Better For Everyone 

Are you sick of the onslaught of negative political ads that air on your TV every election season?

The fear-mongering. The half-truths.

Believe it or not, there’s a simple reform we can enact to make elections more bearable for voters.

It’s called ranked choice voting, or RCV, and it could change our politics for the better.

When you head to the ballot box under ranked choice voting, instead of voting for just one candidate, you have the option to rank candidates in order of preference: first, second, third and so on.

So if you’re stuck between two preferred candidates for a position, you can spread your preferences out in hopes that one of them wins.

When ballots are counted, if none of the candidates gets an outright majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to their supporters’ second choice candidate.

This process continues until a candidate receives over 50% of the vote, and is declared the winner.

It’s also good for a whole host of other reasons.

Implementing RCV could have the added benefit of making our elections… well… nicer.

In a ranked choice voting system, candidates are less likely to engage in the kind of mudslinging we see every election season, because they’re not just trying to be a voter's first choice — they also want to be the second choice of voters who are backing their opponents.

This can motivate anyone running for office to be more inclusive and appeal to a broader range of voters — helping to connect people who don’t always agree on every issue.

RCV also allows us to exercise our right to vote without feeling like we’re compromising our beliefs or simply voting for the “lesser of two evils.” We can vote FOR the candidates we like the most, rather than voting AGAINST the candidates we like the least. RCV could also open the door to voters casting their ballots for more third-party candidates.

Even if your favorite candidate from your preferred party is not favored to win, that person could still be your first-choice — without you feeling like you are giving up your vote entirely. If your candidate doesn’t make it to the final round, your second or third choice could still end up winning in the final tally.  

Ranked choice voting can even change the kinds of people who run for office — for the better. Potential candidates wouldn’t have to avoid running for fear of splitting the vote or “spoiling” a close election — allowing for a potentially more diverse pool of candidates to run.

Look at Alaska, where voters used RCV to elect Mary Peltola to Congress — making her the first Alaskan Native and first woman to represent the state in the U.S. House.

Lastly, ranked choice voting saves everyone — you, me, elections officials — time and money.

There would no longer be runoffs, which can be costly and often have lower turnout — which means election results that are less likely to reflect the will of the public.

There’s a reason why RCV is starting to sweep the nation — it’s currently being used by 13 million voters across the country.

Ranked choice voting makes elections less painful, less expensive, and can help make our government more inclusive and responsive to what people actually want.

Maybe you can organize to make ranked choice voting a reality where you live.

[synstoria]

Justice for the number 1 dreadlock hairstyle for MC :( It was so beautiful, but regardless I really appreciate your efforts in including us in the game process by voting and your commitment in making the game as inclusive as possible <3

They were all so lovely, unfortunately we have to make choices, we are already kinda late on the art part... 😭 But I am glad that people love the customisations option, even if it's not a "self insert" kind of MC, feeling represented is so important!

Anyway, I will keep doing poll when I can, sometime I have strong opinion when the artist present me several options, sometime not so much and in this case I try to ask the community as much as possible <3