#protect BIPOC

[marzzapan]

(⚠️ EYESTRAIN WARNING ⚠️)

DEATH BEFORE DETRANSITION.

BREAK OUR CHAINS FROM FASCISM.

PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.

[existennialmemes]

One side wants to give children information so they're more capable of navigating the world and making informed decisions about their lives.

While the other side wants to deprive children of information so they have no choice but to immediately accept whatever is told to them.

It's pretty clear which side is the cult.

[boymanmaletheshequel]

As we enter back into an era where technology is used primarily as a weapon against you by the United States and Russian governments, (welcome back 1980s! 😍) let’s go over some tips to consider if you are a queer, bipoc, or otherwise an “enemy from within” as trump so lovingly and hypocritically put it, to protecting your identity and privacy through the internet so that you can continue to resist this cultural shift safely and resiliently!

• stop posting identifying information on social media like your full name, place of residence, and pictures of yourself or other at risk people, and go back and delete posts in which you might’ve already.

• disable location tracking services and camera and mic access to apps, services, or websites that you know to be compromised by the influence of shady overseers, such as X, Instagram, Facebook, Google, and TikTok. I know it’s convenient to use these but it’s a MAJOR security hazard.

• Turn your phone COMPLETELY off when discussing sensitive subjects with friends or when you are making plans of resistance and gathering your communities, or when you are discussing personal feelings on such subjects with family, friends, or a doctor/therapist. Basically all mobile phones now have live mics that are constantly listening to you.

• Create a new email under a fake name if you haven’t already to use as your primary email address, in order to further protect your true identity.

• use an alternative browser like DuckDuckGo or brave in place of google, preferably with a VPN on top of it to even further secure your browsing history and to bypass potential IP blocks of websites from the government.

• if you want to watch YouTube and don’t want a recording of your watch history, log out of your account and watch that way, preferably you would just delete your account entirely but I understand why some might not want to.

• pirate content from streaming services via piracy websites, again so that your watch history can’t be used to make assumptions about you if that data were ever sold to the government.

These are obviously just some of the ways to bypass data collection and ti protect your real identity online, but there are many others I’m sure I’m not aware of. Please add to this if you can, and stay safe out there, because anything you say can and will be used against you in the future of this country. But: We have survived this kind of shit before, we can again, if we are careful. Loose lips sink ships, and that goes for the internet as well.

[personname1]

I can't help but worry about the future now. This event will do two things for the election. One, it will galvanize Trump supporters and make him more sympathetic to moderates. Two, it will make liberals less likely to vote and moderates harder on liberal candidates.

I hope that we don't see Trump in office again, but I am now afraid in a way I wasn't several hours ago. If Trump gets re-elected the people who will be most hurt are going to be BIPOC, Queer, Immigrant, Religious Minorities, Disabled, and importantly both Ukranians and Palestinians.

If you are part of any of these groups I urge you to find support networks to help you survive, however that might look. If you aren't a US American, please encourage your political bodies to pressure the US government to maintain and improve on human rights and environmental protections, as well as being willing to get targeted groups and people ojt of the US if it becomes necessary.

If you are a US American please vote, and encourage everyone else to vote as well. Push your representatives to become more active in supporting protections for marginalized groups, the environment, and protection for Palestinians and Ukraine.

Importantly, don't lose hope. It is dark, I will not lie or obfuscate on that, but do not let your fear make you inactive. This will be a fight, it will be a fight for years,but it is one we can win and ot is one we must win.

[doyouevenknowwhatshappening]

Blessed be everyone!!

Happy Litha!

And on a full moon!!

Make sure to charge your crystals, drink lots of water, eat yummy food and dance to the songs of the night tonight if you can. Take your meds, do some Divination if that's your thing, do something that makes you happy.

How you celebrate the summer solstice is for you to decide, be you pagan, witch or druid, or even just a chill homie that wants to partake in the height of the summer season.

May today bring you longevity, prosperity, protection, and peace.

While I have your attention, please donate and share as much as you can for Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Armenia, Kurdistan, Uyghuristan, Ukraine, Indigenous Groups such as the Aboriginals and Native Americans (Land Back), and LGBTQIA+ Rights/Protection/Acceptance. Keep protesting, keep Boycotting. Dont buy from things like Starbucks, Apple, Microsoft, or big makeup brands. Dont buy from McDonald's or KFC if you can help it. It's working, even if they try to lie and say it isn't and does nothing. Keep supporting family owned businesses. Keep educating about climate change, injustices and animal rights. Keep fighting back against oppression, intolerance and discrimination. Keep fighting back against police brutality against BIPOC. FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE. Don't let this be just another publicity stunt, don't let this be something you forget after a year or two. Don't let this be or even look performative.

DO WHATEVER YOU CAN.

YOU CAN MAKE THE WORLD BETTER. ITS A LIE THEY TELL WHEN THEY SAY

"YOU CAN'T!"

[jesncin]

I just read all your MAWS thoughts/opinions/criticism (all excellent! also your jokes rock), it really opened my eyes to stuff I sorta thought of but never deeply (+stuff I hadn't, as I'm of a different background) and it annoys me me that pretty much nobody else besides yourself(ves) and those interacting with your posts are talking about these aspects. (When I look for MAWS criticism there's either nothing or "grr, woke!!1!", such a contrast to other media I've watch sdhksk)

Oh my, thank you!! It's one thing for people to read my MAWS meta, but to also be complimented on my sense of humor? That's priceless babeyy

Right? It's why I feel the need to talk about it so much, I feel kinda crazy to be the only one discussing these things (it really is just either "the show is good, stop raining on our parade!" or "grr wokeee" or very basic criticism)- and hearing people come to my perspective or even affirm that they felt the same way is so validating.

I've said before that we're in a particularly bad place for media literacy and criticism now that corporations know they can just do the surface level acknowledgement of diversity and be defended by people who have no frame of reference for how it could be better. They'll even say criticizing a show means it's a moral failing on your part ("just admit you hate POC, queer ppl, women!"). MAWS does that to a devious degree, and watching people fall for it is depressing.

My other theory for why there's so little constructive MAWS criticism is that most of the smarter viewers left after clocking the show's trite writing, lol.

[scorpioxserenity]

On this dark day I am deciding to start something positive to instill change and find any types of joy or serenity. My past social media outlets have been making me feel very unsafe and more anxious than ever. I hope I can create a safety while learning from this community. I know it will take time and patience, but I am excited to begin.

[system-processing-12]

I love trans people. I love fat trans people. I love ugly trans people. I love trans people that don't pass. I love feminine trans mascs and masculine trans femmes. I love trans people who haven't medically transitioned. I love those that have. I love nonbinary people that don't like the label trans. I love people with obscure genders. I love trans people who've had affirming surgery. I love trans people who haven't. I love people who've known they were trans forever. I love people who just now connected the dots. I love the black and brown trans people that go through so much shit in the world. I love autistic trans people. I love trans people that are mentally ill. I love neopronouns. I love going by "incongruent" pronouns to your presentation. I love neopronouns. I love going by all pronouns. I love she/they's and he/they's and she/he's.

Trans is beautiful. I want every trans person to feel safe and seen. And I will fight someone if they try to take that away from them.

[puppy-in-the-playhouse]

#LANDBACK

#BLM

#PROTECTTRANSKIDS

#SEXWORKISWORK

[nerdby]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but there's more to being an antifascist than wearing a fucking T-shirt or whatever. And don't bother wearing the shit at all if you aren't prepared to stand up to a racist or whatever in public cause sometimes a T-shirt is all it takes to piss a fucker off and put everyone's lives in danger. That's not a lesson you wanna learn the fucking hard way, trust me.

[phantomrose96]

Hello. I mean this really imploringly, and really genuinely. If you're a U.S. citizen still on the fence about what to do for the election, please vote Harris. There's this idea circulating that the person you vote for should be someone you like, love, idolize and that is so very not true. You're voting for the opponent you'll face for the next four years when you have issues to protest and matters to vocalize. You're voting for the person most likely to give an inch when you protest the things that matter. You're voting for the person most likely to not strip away your existing rights and scatter your focus across the things we already won, and which can be taken away. We lost Roe v Wade under the Trump-appointed judges. The current trans-panic is so disgustingly on fire, and it's absolutely the Republicans eager to rip away what little protection there is. Both candidates are also, disgustingly, pro-Israel. But Trump will never ever give a fuck to any protest on that matter.

You don't want to be complicit in genocide. I get it. But if you're a U.S. citizen, you're already benefiting from the U.S.'s foreign policy, and that's already complacency. Refusing to vote or voting third party isn't absolving you of that. It's just letting Trump walk in the door. And letting Trump in is complacency. And your ability to organize, and to make change, will go so less far against a Trump cabinet than a Harris one. The material harm under Trump is real.

Does voting for Harris make you feel guilty? I'm sorry, but you have to bear it. Your guilt isn't what's important. A white person's guilt isn't important. A citizen of a global terror's guilt isn't important. Actions that pacify your guilt aren't important. Focusing on absolving your guilt is in fact harmful, as opposed to actions that can actually materially reduce harm.

Please protest. Please donate to good causes. Please support Palestine. Please be vocal. Please fight for BIPOC and LGBTQA+ rights. Please view Harris as the opponent whose ears these things fall on. Your ability to organize safely, largely, loudly, and effectively will go so much further under a Harris presidency. Please.

[nevermind-i-forgot-whats-that]

Sometimes, as much as I love internet communities and spaces, I really think a lot of people have spent so much time in sanitized, morally pure echo chambers that they lose sight of realism and life outside the internet.

I live in Alabama. My fiancée and I cannot hold hands down the street without fear of homophobic assholes. We have an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. We are one of the poorest states in the US with some of the lowest scores on metrics related to quality of life, including maternal mortality, healthcare, education, and violence. It’s not a coincidence that we are also one of the most red, one of the most Republican states in the Union. In 2017 the UN said the conditions in Alabama are similar to those in a third-world country.

Trump gave a voice to the most violently racist, sexist, xenophobic groups of people who, unfortunately for most of us in the Southern U.S., run our states and have only grown more powerful since his rise to power. The Deep South powers MAGA, and we all suffer for it.

We have no protections if they don’t come from the federal government.

I know people are suffering internationally and my heart is with them. However, this election is not just about foreign policy - we have millions of Americans right here at home living in danger, living in areas where they have been completely abandoned by their local leaders. We need this win.

No candidate is perfect, but for the first time in my voting lifetime I’m excited to vote. I’m excited for the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz ticket because they are addressing the issues close to home. They’re advocating for education as the ticket to a better life, but without the crippling student debt. They’re advocating for the right to love who you love without fear and with pride. Kamala has always been pro-LGBT+ and so has Tim. Again, if you’re queer in the South, we don’t have support unless it comes from the federal government, and we absolutely will not have support if the Republicans regain the White House.

Kamala speaks in length about re-entry programs to reduce recidivism and help people who have been arrested and imprisoned regain their lives. Tim Walz supported restoring voting rights to felons. In the South, you know who comprise the majority of felons? Members of minorities. It’s one of the major tools of systemic racism and mass disenfranchisement, and arguably the modern face of slavery (there are some fantastic documentaries and books that explain the connection between the post-Reconstruction South and the disproportionate rates of imprisonment for BIPOC). Having candidates who recognize this and want to restore the freedom and rights to people who have come into contact with the criminal justice system? And keep them from having to go to prison in the first place? That’s refreshing. That’s exciting.

I would *love* to live in a country where women’s rights are respected, where LGBT+ rights and protections are a given, where we treat former criminals and individuals experiencing mental health crises with respect and dignity. I would *love* to live in a country where education is free of religious interference and each and every citizen is entitled to a fair start and equal opportunities.

But I don’t live in that country. Millions and millions of Americans find their rights and freedoms up for debate and on the ballot.

Project 2025 poses the largest threat to the future of our democracy as we know it. We are being called to fight for the future of our country.

We have to put on our oxygen masks first before we can help others.

You don’t have moral purity when you wash your hands of the millions of us who are still fighting for own freedoms right here.

The reality is that a presidential candidate is a best fit, and not a perfect fit. But comparatively speaking? Kamala is pretty damn close.

[redgoldsparks]

Has your name every appeared in the credits of a book, or is it likely to in the near future? Then you should join AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS! Transcript below the cut. A version of this zine formatted for print is available to download on my patreon.

Do you make books? Yes? I want YOU to join Authors Against Book Bans! By Maia Kobabe

WHAT IS AABB? 

A coalition of writers, illustrators, editors & other book creators, standing united against the unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We support the availability of diverse voices in our libraries, in our schools, & in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, & to fight to ensure this freedom.

Our concern is not only for the books, but for the children, families, educators, librarians, & communities who suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away.

WHAT CAN AABB OFFER YOU? 

- Regional groups working on legislation to protect authors & the freedom to read state-by-state

- Online trainings on digital security, public speaking, & how to counter book challenges in your community

-Affinity groups for BIPOC authors, queer authors, authors with disabilities, indie, nonfiction, romance writers & more

-Support if your book is challenged!

-A very active discord community

Author: What if my book hasn’t been challenged? 

Maia: JOIN!

Author: Ok, but what if I’m really busy and can’t do much organizing right now? 

Maia: JOIN ANYWAY! 

Even if all you do is sign up, your membership will help lend weight to the letters AABB sends to publishers & legislators. As of January 2025, AABB has 3500+ members. Check out the recent open letter to publishers on AABB’s socials & feel free to share it with your contacts. 

An Open Letter to Our Publishers- instagram.com/p/DCzYmKcR8uq

Maia: I’ve been facing intense challenges to my book since 2021. Knowing that I am not alone in the fight against censorship is what keeps my spirits up! 

Watching the folks in AABB share information, co-write legislation, show up to library & school board meetings, & speak up to publishers about the need to protect diverse books & minority authors has been amazing! 

This is a weird & scary time to be an author, but you are not alone! Join thousands of us fighting for the freedom to read, the freedom to write, the freedom to teach, the freedom to learn, & the freedom to share our stories!

AABB on instagram / AABB on bluesky

[femmesweetheart]

Y’all should go on Freddie!!! It’s like lex but no paywalls ^_^

every day that we don’t have lesbian grindr is a day that’s been wasted

[ellipsus-writes]

Ellipsus Digest: March 18

Each week (or so), we'll highlight the relevant (and sometimes rage-inducing) news adjacent to writing and freedom of expression.

This week: AI continues its hostile takeover of creative labor, Spain takes a stand against digital sludge, and the usual suspects in the U.S. are hard at work memory-holing reality in ways both dystopian and deeply unserious.

ChatGPT firm reveals AI model that is “good at creative writing” (The Guardian)

... Those quotes are working hard.

OpenAI (ChatGPT) announced a new AI model trained to emulate creative writing—at least, according to founder Sam Altman: “This is the first time i have been really struck by something written by AI.” But with growing concerns over unethically scraped training data and the continued dilution of human voices, writers are asking… why? 

Spoiler: the result is yet another model that mimics the aesthetics of creativity while replacing the act of creation with something that exists primarily to generate profit for OpenAI and its (many) partners—at the expense of authors whose work has been chewed up, swallowed, and regurgitated into Silicon Valley slop.

Spain to impose massive fines for not labeling AI-generated content (Reuters)

But while big tech continues to accelerate AI’s encroachment on creative industries, Spain (in stark contrast to the U.S.) has drawn a line: In an attempt to curb misinformation and protect human labor, all AI-generated content must be labeled, or companies will face massive fines. As the internet is flooded with AI-written text and AI-generated art, the bill could be the first of many attempts to curb the unchecked spread of slop.

Besos, España 💋

These words are disappearing in the new Trump administration (NYT)

Project 2025 is moving right along—alongside dismantling policies and purging government employees, the stage is set for a systemic erasure of language (and reality). Reports show that officials plan to wipe government websites of references to LGBTQ+, BIPOC, women, and other communities—words like minority, gender, Black, racism, victim, sexuality, climate crisis, discrimination, and women have been flagged, alongside resources for marginalized groups and DEI initiatives, for removal.

It’s a concentrated effort at creating an infrastructure where discrimination becomes easier… because the words to fight it no longer officially exist. (Federally funded educational institutions, research grants, and historical archives will continue to be affected—a broader, more insidious continuation of book bans, but at the level of national record-keeping, reflective of reality.) Doubleplusungood, indeed.

Pete Hegseth’s banned images of “Enola Gay” plane in DEI crackdown (The Daily Beast)

Fox News pundit-turned-Secretary of Defense-slash-perpetual-drunk-uncle Pete Hegseth has a new target: banning educational materials featuring the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. His reasoning: that its inclusion in DEI programs constitutes "woke revisionism." If a nuke isn’t safe from censorship, what is?

The data hoarders resisting Trump’s purge (The New Yorker)

Things are a little shit, sure. But even in the ungoodest of times, there are people unwilling to go down without a fight.

Archivists, librarians, and internet people are bracing for the widespread censorship of government records and content. With the Trump admin aiming to erase documentation of progressive policies and minority protections, a decentralized network is working to preserve at-risk information in a galvanized push against erasure, refusing to let silence win.

Let us know if you find something other writers should know about, (or join our Discord and share it there!) Until next week, - The Ellipsus Team xo