#join or die

[nerdykeppie]

Spider & Jake grew up in Pennsylvania, surrounded by Revolutionary War messaging. It's pretty clear that we are in a time when Join or Die fits the queer/LGBTQIA+ community as well. The infighting is endless and pointless, and the people who don't want us to continue to exist? They're not fighting amongst themselves.

So here's Join or Die -- because sometimes Spider comes up with an idea for something at noon, and by dinnertime it's on the site. Use code JOIN23 for 20% off this new design until April 24th, 11:59PM PST.

And before anybody asks (as if this isn't the perfect proof of concept), Spider is a butch lesbian and here's his statement on the lesbian flag which they choose to use for his art.

[invisibleicewands]

Join or Die S01E20 09/06/2016 - #7

[vaspider]

TIME TO GO

Seattle Pride, I am in you!

[myremnantarmy]

"𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,..𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,..𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘑𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘦!"

[arilevine]

Looking forward to watching this.

h/t to @robertmooney for the share, sparked by his read of thestateofcommunity.tumblr.com.

While the report speaks to GenZ ,there's definitely an underlying sentiment that I think speaks to all generations today. The imopact from the the disappearance of physical third spaces and the decline of quality interactions in digital ones.

[oldguardleatherdog]

Today's Wall O' Text: Our lives are at stake. Fat-shaming Trump is more than OK - it's necessary.

I've been taking hits for my blog entry in response to a Facebook post by a cyber friend taking the LGBTQ+ community to task for making fun of Trump's weight after he lied during his arrest in Atlanta yesterday that he weighed 215 pounds. I posted a blistering screed here earlier today as a reaction to seeing some Facebook friends make a post shaming the community for calling Trump out on yet another lie that his credulous followers will gladly swallow whole and think it tastes like chicken.

It boggles my mind that we're indulging in self-loathing admonitions to play nice and treat Trump with human kindness while he and his tens of millions of proxies are carrying out genocide against transgender Americans and passing legislation openly designed to remove LGBTQ+ people from civil society.

I've deleted my original post and follow-up and am restating it here with settings that limit the replies and reblogs, all of which were filled with vile personal insults and invective aimed at me for committing the SJW's canon unforgivable sin of making fun of someone's appearance - even though that "someone" is directing a campaign of forced detransitioning, enforced separation, erasure of us from history and culture, and is directing efforts that have the stated intent to immiserate and end our lives.

I've been a gay activist fighting for our right to exist for nearly four decades, and I don't care if I lose goodwill or karma points or cyberfriends over this stance. That stuff is wonderful and means a great deal, I don't take it lightly, and I know this might mean thee end of the goodwill coming my way and could mess up my ability to be here and help in other ways...

but the danger we're in is greater than my concern for my gig, ego, or status, and I'll give it all up in order to give this battle everything I've got. This is my last stand after nearly 40 years of activism, marching with ACT/UP and Queer Nation in the 90s fighting against the same forces, when I'd just gone HIV positive, when my friends and loved ones were dying of cat and bird diseases, down to 80 pounds in an oxygen tent, covered with lesions, tongues eaten away by candida...

They never got the chance to marry, to see 40, to find real love, to finish their art - and some made me promise that I would go on in their name and with their spirit, to finish the art and the work and the life they weren't going to get the chance to finish (I know the trolls will say I'm lying and they can F off all the way to Hell and stay there, the nerve of them to shit on their souls and our memories of them).

I may lose a lot of cyber friends, and that's unfortunate, but I have to sleep at night.

Here's what I wrote:

To those who are telling me we shouldn't make fun of Trump's weight:

I wholeheartedly dissent.

Trump, like Reagan, is our murderer.

The current and ongoing trans genocide is his fault.

Drag bans, the continuing LGBTQ+ rights rollback, the systematic erasure of us from libraries and history and culture, the "groomerpedo" slur bombardment, pushing us into exile from our home states, legislation pending that will prohibit us from public spaces, the explicit goal of removing us from public view and civil society, Florida doctors who can refuse to treat us, forced detransition of all trans people in Florida and soon elsewhere, armed Proud Boys at drag shows, the Colorado Springs slaughter, and worse: all of this is directly Trump's doing.

And still, we're deluded enough to go high when they go low!

Attempts from within the community to muzzle ourselves in the name of some ridiculous woo-woo SJW directive, this insidious assimilationist garbage, plays right into their hands and renders us weak and impotent.

No one is going to rescue us. If you're not involved in hardcore activism RIGHT NOW, you are complicit in their efforts to kill us.

I dare you to challenge me. Make fun of the fatass bastard with gleeful abandon.

Get with the Goddamn program before it's too late.

***

I've restricted replies and additions to the main post. Feel free to sound off in the notes and reblogs, but this is where I stand on the most important issue we're contending with as a community, and I won't allow my words to be conditioned or their impact diluted.

I know my beloved mutuals will be dismayed, and I'm truly sorry because I do value you and your own well-reasoned and strong opinions and this could reasonably be regarded as an attempt to diminish or trivialize you politically, philosophically, and personally; please know that's not my intent.

As an LGBTQ+ activist for more than 37 years, who marched with ACT/UP and Queer Nation during a time that was in many ways worse than the climate of today, I have a duty and an obligation to say things clearly, bluntly, fully, with unambiguous conviction:

OUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE. PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING. WE'RE BEING DRIVEN OUT OF OUR HOMES.

THEY ARE FORCING TRANS PEOPLE TO REVERT TO THEIR ASSIGNED GENDER AT BIRTH SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY WITH BRUTAL SADISTIC GLEE, MAKING THEM WATCH THEIR BODIES DYSMORPH AND REGRESS HOUR BY HOUR.

THEY HAVE CLEARLY, PUBLICLY, AND REPEATEDLY STATED THEIR INTENT TO REMOVE US FROM SIGHT AND CIVIL SOCIETY AND THEY ARE DOING IT TO US RIGHT NOW, TODAY, AS YOU READ THIS -

- and you have the sheer unmitigated temerity, the nerve, the gall to tell me I'm wrong to encourage fat-shaming of that man, that loathsome pustulent festering open wound on our nation and our world, whose God is his belly, whose proxies and minions and TENS OF MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS AND WORSHIPPERS IN THIS COUNTRY are in lockstep with his intent -

- you tell me I'm wrong, shamelessly and mindlessly and in open denial of what you see in front of your naive and deluded eyes, and when you do this YOU ARE TELLING ME YOU DON'T CARE, YOU THINK I'M LYING TO YOU, YOU WON'T HELP SAVE US, YOU ARE UNWILLING TO SAVE YOURSELF, and YOU ARE MAKING THE CHOICE TO JOIN HIM AND AID HIS EFFORTS TO WIPE US OUT.

Join me, or get the hell out of my sight, my life, and my community. We need you like we need AIDS - and I've had AIDS for 33 years and I tell you: you are worse than AIDS, because AIDS is a mindless and brainless and soulless and consciousless killer, a virus, but you are killing us knowing full well what you are doing.

That is all that I am going to say to you.

[skateboarding1]

Skate, or Die.

Design by AngryBlue (Justin Kamerer)

https://angryblue.com

[shelter-air]

Reach Across the Table and Join

We at Shelter Air wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s reflect on the power of community and work together to build a more connected future. 🦃💛 #Thanksgiving #HappyThanksgiving #CommunityEngagement #Gratitude #ShelterAir

Reach Across the Table and Join This Thanksgiving, as we gather with friends and family, it’s essential to reflect on the power of community and the importance of active participation in civic life. Robert Putnam’s seminal work, Bowling Alone, highlights the decline of social capital in America and underscores how our disconnection from communal activities has impacted our society. Rebuilding…

[lynnfriedman]

San Luis Obispo Int'l Film Festival 2024

SLO (that’s what the local’s call it), pulled out all the stops for their 30th annual Film Festival. It wasn’t a difficult decision to drive 4 hours down the coast from San Francisco for a double bill of films and touristing. First stop, Hotel Granada. Cue angels singing! Yep, made the right choice. Beautiful architecture, tons of exposed brick, friendly staff, art, restaurant, free parking,…

[nerdykeppie]

Working on our first sublimated patches -- the Join or Die design has too many colors for embroidery, so... time to adapt. :D

These canvas patches are coming with us to Seattle Pride & will be on the shop afterwards!

[breawycker]

We fight together or die apart

can we like, abolish the phrases of "x marginalized group has it so much easier than y marginalized group" and replace it with "x marginalized group has different experiences than y marginalized group"

I'm so tired of seeing trauma olympics and oppression olympics on my timeline, oppression is never better or worse for anyone it's just fucking oppression and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can build a community upon your shared values of destroying the systems that oppress us.

You can't be more or less marginalized, you're just fucking marginalized. Turning on eachother just makes you a fucking fed.

[invisibleicewands]

Join or Die S01E20 09/06/2016 - #6

[myremnantarmy]

"𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,..𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,..𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘑𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘦!"

[saintcarlyon]

thoughts about why volunteer participation in volunteer-run organizations tend to lose or have trouble recruiting volunteers:

unwillingness to change procedures even if it’s more efficient, more effective, or out of the preceding boards’ skillset. not all changes are sustainable but many new members will perceive the inability to continually review, refine, and update policies and procedures poorly.

poor onboarding - volunteers are workers donating their time and talents. give them an overview of the role’s expectations, organizational culture (you still have one!), potential benefits (mentoring? shirts? a client’s smile?) and an outline of how their involvement can grow.

reverse ageism - doesn’t apply to all organizations but i’ve seen enough run by baby boomers who continually rely on younger members to utilize technology and do admin work. yet they discourage involvement in strategy, dismiss ideas, or won’t do succession planning. when a successor is chosen there is a preference to similarly aged individuals. even when a younger person may be more than qualified to do so*.

weird emphasis on charisma and wealth, often expected to come together. if the new members are low income or middle class, they’re rarely invited to learn or join leadership. often put to roles or tasks that are considered menial.

and of course, discrimination (usually subconscious) of people of color, LGBtQ+, and persons with disabilities.

founder syndrome and other modes of organizational structures that focus on one leader and discourage consensus building. similar to many of the above but can happen in homogenous group.

there’s often two kinds of passionate volunteers leading these groups: those who bring professional skills but not professional manners or wonderful manners but won’t bring professional skills.

no goals for the year. the organization may have a vision, a mission, and services they will provide. goals help volunteers put their work into perspective and a sense of progress. even saying, “we aim to reduce people seeking services through longterm assistance by 10%” or “we would like to reach 50 members this year.”

or the goals are set but no planning on how to achieve them. often they set the goal but rely on the same practices or wait until its last minute to figure out who is doing what.

no plan for or engagement with the overly enthusiastic newbie. maybe the current members are cynical, burned out, or busy. either way, the newbie will perceive lack of connection and activity. funnel that energy into asking they make some social media posts promoting a program. ask they sign up a small chunk of time for an event or task. invite them to the next meeting asap.

*perversely there is a trend for these smaller orgs to hire part-time staff to manage operations with a Director or Manager title yet who are younger and inexperienced. it’s likely not a benevolent reason if their board or executive committee doesn’t have individuals of similar age and lack of professional experience.

[selkies-world]

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