#student advocacy for LGBTQ+

[theblackstudentadvocate]

The Black Student Advocate Network, a dynamic organization committed to promoting equity and inclusivity, plays a crucial role in supporting LGBTQ+ students within academic settings.

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES (ALASKA ONLY)

Out-ing Minority Students to Their Abusers - Safeguards needed in HB 382

I am writing to express my profound concerns regarding the proposed HB 382 legislation: Out-ing Minority Students to Their Abusers, which aims to involve parents in the education process but may inadvertently expose vulnerable LGBTQ+ students, and others, to harmful environments. As any survivor of domestic violence is acutely aware; ensuring the safety and well-being of all students is paramount, especially those from marginalized communities. While I acknowledge the intention behind HB 382, it is crucial to consider the potential for misuse of this legislation, which would further exacerbate the already high rates of harm and mortality among LGBTQ+ youth. Therefore, I call you to incorporate additional safeguards into the bill to protect the privacy and safety of these students, or alternatively, reject the bill entirely to rework it with the safety of ALL students prioritized. Specifically, measures must be implemented to ensure that information about a student's gender identity and romantic interests is not disclosed without their explicit consent to anyone. The goal of our education system should be to foster an inclusive, safe, and supportive environment for all students, regardless of their personal demographics. By prioritizing the privacy and safety of vulnerable students, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, thrive, and grow without fear of discrimination or harm. I urge you to consider these concerns and take action to protect the rights of students in Alaska. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Protect the privacy of all students! We’re so pro-life; we’ll martyr our queer! Safeguards needed in HB 382!

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[nondelphic]

wow. i hit 4k followers. you guys are insane. thank you ??? for caring about my posts ????

like promised before, here's my official introduction post.

welcome to nondelphic, *a blog about writing, overthinking writing, abandoning writing, and occasionally finishing writing. if you’re a fan of crying about writing, niche metaphors, and posts that spiral into existentialism, you’re in the right place.

rebecka (she/her)

22, swedish

writer, journalism student, full-time cat enthusiast (send me pictures of your cats)

queer and aro/ace (still figuring out the specifics...)

i probably have adhd (waiting to be officially diagnosed lol)

most likely drinking tea and diving into a rabbit hole about space, mountains or stuff too complicated for me to understand right now

my 2nd, less active blog is @rebellenotes where i post longer, more serious ramblings and essays.

i started this blog because i’ve always loved talking about writing—especially the struggles and chaos we all face as aspiring authors. none of my friends on other platforms cared (lol), so this space became my little haven for all things writing. i hope it can be that for you too, a safe, encouraging place to talk about stories, creativity, and all the weird ups and downs of being a writer (｡♥‿♥｡)

✏️ writing tips, memes, and struggles (mostly struggles)

📖 occasionally bookish content and recommendations

🌈 advocacy for lgbtq+ and disability rights !!

🍅 an unnecessary amount of love for cats and writing for fun

#nondelphic asks : where i answer asks you sent me!

#nondelphic writing tips : actual useful advice (sometimes)

#nondelphic status : life updates and ramblings

thanks for stopping by! feel free to send an ask, vibe in the tags, or just lurk it’s all love here <3 ✧٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ✧

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, was in Texas for the second time this month on Thursday, where she delivered a speech at the American Federation of Teachers national convention in Houston. The AFT is the second-largest labor union for teachers in the country. In the speech, she reiterated her unwavering support for LGBTQ+ rights, condemned Republican book bans, and called for an assault weapons ban. Harris spoke passionately about the recent surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in red states, particularly the “don’t say gay” laws that have proliferated across the country. She recounted her early advocacy for marriage equality, sharing, “In 2004, on Valentine’s Day weekend, I was one of the first elected officials in the country to perform same-sex marriages.” Harris has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to LGBTQ+ rights.

“It pains me so to think that, 20 years later, there are young teachers in their twenties who are afraid to put up a photograph of themselves and their partner for fear they could lose their job,” Harris said. She promised to fight to protect teachers and students from discrimination, affirming, “Every American should be free from bigotry and hate.” Harris also condemned the wave of Republican-led book bans that have targeted educational materials dealing with LGBTQ+ issues and racial history. She called out the hypocrisy of those who seek to restrict academic freedom while claiming to champion free speech. [...] “While you teach students about our nation’s past, these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history,” she said. “We want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books. Can you imagine?”

Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris spoke at the American Federation of Teachers conference Thursday in which she spoke against censorious book bans, unwaveringly defended LGBTQ+ rights, and called for a renewal of an assault weapons ban.

See Also:

LGBTQ Nation: Kamala Harris centers LGBTQ+ rights in speech to teachers’ union

[giltspark]

Hello Tumblr! I urgently need responses to a survey so that I can write a final paper! If you (or someone you know!) work at or with any organizations advocating for queer rights, you can help by filling out this survey! The paper is titled "Queer Advocacy in the Legal Arena: Why Do LGBTQ Activists and Allies Fight the Odds to Change the Law?".

Your email will be collected purely in order to keep track of responses and will not be mentioned or referenced within the paper. All data will be securely stored and deleted after three years. This project has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Randolph-Macon College. If you want to discuss the survey further, please feel free to message me here and I'll share my college email with you privately.

[rapeculturerealities]

Biden's Title IX proposal draws criticism in LGBTQ community

Some LGBTQ advocates this week slammed the Biden administration’s proposed revision to Title IX, accusing the president of backtracking on his commitment to protecting transgender young people.

The proposal, released Thursday by the Education Department, would prohibit the adoption of policies that “categorically” ban transgender athletes from school sports teams consistent with their gender identity, rebuking broad bans that have been implemented by 20 states, and counting.

But K-12 schools under the administration’s proposal would still have the leeway to limit transgender athletes’ participation in sports if they determine that including them will undermine competitive fairness or increase the risk of sports-related injuries, a senior Education Department official said Thursday.

“The proposed regulation would give schools flexibility to identify their own important educational objectives,” rather than adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, the official said on a call with reporters.

LGBTQ Americans and their allies have had mixed reactions to the administration’s proposed changes. While some are celebrating the possibility of a new federal civil rights law prohibiting laws that bar transgender students from participating in school sports, others say the proposal is a disappointing departure from prior actions and statements made by the Biden White House in support of equal rights for transgender people.

“State lawmakers take note — discriminating against transgender athletes is wrong and a violation of federal law. This new rule makes that abundantly clear,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group.

Robinson added, however, that the new rule should be updated to clarify that “all transgender students should be presumed eligible to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.”

“The Biden Administration framed their proposal as a ban on blanket discrimination against trans athletes. But actually it provides guidelines for how schools and universities can ban trans athletes legally,” Imara Jones, the founder and chief executive of TransLash Media, said Friday.

“It’s hard to have a ‘middle ground’ when it comes [to] supporting human rights for trans people, and I can’t see how Joe Biden can straddle the fence here,” she said.

[mightyflamethrower]

Arizona State Professor Defends Sex Trafficking

The objective isn’t homosexual depravity in particular, but degeneracy in general. Why else would a college professor defend sex trafficking?

Arizona State University Professor Crystal Jackson condemned the “anti-trafficking movement” and “deviant framing” of “sex workers” during an event on campus last week.

That which liberals want to normalize, they euphemize. Just as “MAP” is their euphemism for pedophile, “sex worker” is Liberalese for prostitute.

During the “Queer X Faculty Flashtalks” event, Jackson told the students and staff in attendance that “Sex workers have been and are at the heart of queer liberation.”

She isn’t the first to notice a connection between LGBTism and other sexual manifestations of moral decay.

“We wouldn’t have the modern-day LGBTQ plus movement in the U.S. … without sex-working trans people,” she said.

Of all the lame arguments for normalizing prostitution, doing it to promote transsexual psychosis may be the least compelling.

The professor also condemned the anti-trafficking movement.

The nutty professor screeches that “moral panic” about sex trafficking — i.e., sex slavery, which often involves children — constitutes thoughtcrime:

“It’s anti-immigrant, it’s racist, it’s transphobic forms of policing, particularly around women of color.”

ASU is a state school, meaning that an extra large percentage of its funding is provided on an involuntary basis. Here’s how our money is being spent:

She told attendees her previous research includes “the tenuous feminisms of self-proclaimed queer porn mafia performers and producers who then honor the grandfather of queer porn, trans male porn performer Buck Angel.”

Her bio on ASU’s website does not shy away from her defense of sex trafficking:

Crystal A. Jackson (they/she) is a Women, Gender, & Sexualities Studies (WGSS) professor in [the School of Social Transform]. They are a sociological feminist scholar whose research underscores feminist and queer understandings of sexual labors and gender politics in the United States. … Their current research explores how the racial justice concept of ‘abolitionism’ is deployed in mainstream, institutionalized U.S. anti-sex trafficking policies and advocacies to demand actions that are in direct opposition to racial justice abolitionist aims.

Presenting Professor Crystal Jackson, accredited member of the intelligentsia:

Is she or isn't he.....who the hell knows anymore.

[mariacallous]

A years-long effort to change how colleges respond to reports of sexual harassment and discrimination and to expand protections for transgender students is dead after a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Biden administration’s overhaul of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was unlawful.

The court order vacates the rule nationwide and could create more confusion for colleges as they seek to move forward without running afoul of the federal gender equity law. The Title IX changes were already on hold in 26 states and at hundreds of colleges, thanks to a series of lawsuits from 26 Republican attorneys general. Thursday’s order is the first final ruling in those cases and was part of a lawsuit brought by Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Republican lawmakers and state officials celebrated the ruling as a victory for women and girls while advocates for LGBTQ+ students criticized the decision as an attack on transgender students. The Biden rule allowed students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, who previously criticized the rule, wrote in a 15-page opinion that the regulations suffer “significant constitutional infirmities.” For instance, using the wrong pronouns for a student could be considered harassment under the rule. That provision “offends the First Amendment,” wrote Reeves, a George W. Bush appointee.

“As expected, courts have continued to find it impossible to justify the Biden administration’s changes to Title IX rules eviscerating students’ speech and due process rights,” said Tyler Coward, lead counsel for government affairs at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech and civil liberties advocacy organization.

The ruling is the latest legal setback for Biden’s higher ed agenda, which hasn’t fared well in federal court.

‘Back in Time’

Colleges and universities will now revert to the previous Title IX rule, which took effect in summer 2020 during the first Trump administration. Those regulations required colleges to hold live hearings with an opportunity for cross-examination to allow those accused of sexual misconduct to confront their accusers—a provision the Biden rules nixed. Additionally, the 2020 regulations defined sexual harassment more narrowly than the Biden Title IX rule.

“Fitting, I guess—everything’s going back in time four years,” said Brigid Harrington, a higher education attorney at Bowditch & Dewey who focuses on compliance with civil rights laws. “Schools that had been enjoined were already there, so it doesn’t change things for many.”

Colleges don’t have to throw out all their new policies related to harassment and discrimination; they can keep the parts that don’t conflict with the 2020 rule. For example, under the 2024 regulations, colleges must give pregnant students notice of their rights, and the 2020 rule doesn’t prevent a college from doing so. (Reeves didn’t take issue with the pregnancy provisions but said, “It simply is not proper for the court to rewrite the regulations by excising the offending material.”)

Thursday’s ruling wasn’t a complete surprise for colleges and universities, considering the injunction and upcoming change in administrations. Andrea Stagg, director of consulting services at Grand River Solutions, a company that works with colleges on Title IX and other issues, said that colleges already have started talking about what to change in their policies and what to keep.

Still, reimplementing the 2020 regulations will mean retraining and re-educating students, staff and faculty about the changes.

“It’s very complicated, expensive and exhausting … and folks don’t have the resources,” she said. “For a field that already experiences a ton of burnout … it’s demoralizing to work so hard and then have the rules change on you.”

Several other lawsuits challenging the rule are still pending, and the Biden administration could appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, so Thursday’s decision may not be the end of the legal battle over Title IX. The Education Department could not be reached for comment Thursday because the offices were closed in commemoration of former president Jimmy Carter’s passing.

“I don’t think this is the last that we’re going to hear of this,” said Harrington. “I think that civil rights are going to be a big topic for the next four years.”

A Repudiation or an Attack?

Republican attorneys general who sued the Biden administration and conservative advocates who criticized the rule celebrated the judge’s decision “as a massive win” and a sign that “common sense is slowly returning.”

“The court’s ruling is yet another repudiation of the Biden administration’s relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology through unconstitutional and illegal rulemaking,” Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement. “Because the Biden rule is vacated altogether, President Trump will be free to take a fresh look at our Title IX regulations when he returns to office [Jan. 20].”

President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Biden’s Title IX changes, and many experts expect him to issue new regulations that are more conservative than his 2020 rule, especially concerning LGBTQ+ students.

Congressional Republicans, who sought to overturn the Title IX rule, also praised the ruling and pledged to protect educational opportunities for women and girls. Passing legislation that would prevent transgender students from participating on the sports team consistent with their gender identity is a top priority for the House.

“It is clear the Biden-Harris administration completely lost its way on Title IX,” said Louisiana senator Dr. Bill Cassidy, the chair of the HELP committee, in a news release. “They betrayed the original intent of Title IX by removing longstanding protections that ensured fairness for women and girls.”

Representative Tim Walberg, the Michigan Republican who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said that Biden’s proposed rewrite “would have undermined safety, freedom and fairness for women.”

Meanwhile, advocates for LGBTQ+ students and those who experience harassment or sexual violence described the ruling as an attack on trans students and others that would impact their educations.

“With these protections already removed in some states, students who experience sexual assault have had their complaints dismissed, or worse, been punished by their schools after reporting; pregnant students have been unfairly penalized for taking time off to give birth to a child; and LGBTQI+ students have faced vicious bullying and harassment just for being who they are,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center.

Tracey Vitchers, executive director of It’s On Us, a national organization working to combat campus sexual assault, took issue with claims that overturning the Biden rule would protect women and girls.

“The 2020 regulations did well-documented harm to the safety of women and girls by making it more difficult to report and obtain justice if they experience sexual violence in school,” she said. “If preserving the rights and safety of women and girls was the actual litmus test for today’s decision, the judge would have chosen to uphold Biden’s rule. Instead, the safety of women and girls is being weaponized to discriminate” against trans people.

Vitchers added that while Title IX is important, colleges are required under state and federal laws to respond to reports of harassment and address student safety.

“Institutions are going to have to find ways to be creative to uphold the rights and safety of students on their campus under this new environment,” she said. “If Title IX is going to continue to be this horrible political football it has turned into, we need to see schools invest in evidence-based approaches to sexual violence prevention, because the ultimate goal is to ensure students have an education free of sexual violence.”

[transfloridaresources]

Today (05/06/24), 4:30pm, Orlando

[Photo ID: Pink to white gradient image with various logos and info boxes. Text reads: 'Save the date: May 6th 4:30pm. Press Conference. 5205 South Orange Avenue - Orlando, FL 32809. Not one step back! Identification for all! Not one step back. Every Floridian. Every Identity. Every ID.' Logos for Orlando for Gender Equality, Free Mom Hugs, Inc., Dream Defenders, Zebra Youth, Come Out with Pride Orlando, HRC Orlando / Central Florida, Spektrum Health, The Center Orlando, GLSEN Central Florida, HOPE CC. /End ID]

[Photo ID: White box with rainbow border. Text reads: 'Statement on DMV Policy Change. LGBTQ+ advocates from around the state organized and mobilized in great numbers this past legislative session. Through actions like protests, letter-writings, die-ins, and more, we defeated 21 out of 22 anti-LGBTQ+ bills attempting to move through the Florida legislature. One of these bills, HB 1639, sponsored by local representative Doug Bankson, was particularly egregious. It sought to redefine "sex" in a way that excludes transgender, non-binary, and intersex people, and to prohibit a person's state identification documents from reflecting their gender identity. As the bill was heading towards its downfall in the legislature, the Deputy Executive Director, Robert Kynoch, of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) released a memo to county tax collectors in late January rescinding previous department policy (IR08 - Gender Requirements), which allowed for Florida residents to change the gender marker on their ID to accurately reflect their gender identity. The memo wrongly excludes gender identity from "sex" in an effort to subvert the democratic process to redefine sex - and prohibit gender marker amendments - absent legislative authority. In a similar way, the legislature continued its attacks on the rights of immigrants and people experiencing homelessness in the form of HB 1451. This bill, which passed and was signed into law by DeSantis, restricts the acceptance of community IDs issued by community organizations to immigrants and individuals experiencing homelessness. Community IDs are essential for demonstrating that a person is a resident and member of a given community. It is already tremendously difficult for these groups to acquire valid identification, and this law imposes yet another barrier to identification.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: White box with rainbow border. Text reads: 'Statement on DMV Policy Change. Accurate identification is a human right; we must demand access to legal authenticity for all. Advocates for transgender individuals, immigrants, and people experiencing homelessness must stand together in the fight for equitable access to accurate identification. We demand that the FLHSMV restore their previous IR08-Gender Requirements policy to ensure that transgender people can obtain accurate IDs. Furthermore, we demand that legislatures take action to protect trans people's ability to obtain accurate identification as well as protect the acceptance of community IDs. Join us for a rally and press conference at SPEKTRUM Health (5205 South Orange Avenue) on May 6th at 4:30pm! WE CANNOT LET THEM TAKE US ONE STEP BACK! Signed, Orlando for Gender Equality, GLSEN Central Florida, HRC Orlando/Central Florida, SPEKTRUM Health, HOPE CC, PRISM, Zebra Youth, Youth Action Fund, Central Floridians for Social Equality, Justice Advocacy Network, Voices of Florida Fund/Women's Voices of Southwest Florida, UCF Students for a Democratic Society, Central Florida Queers for Palestine, LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc., Come Out with Pride, Free Mom Hugs, Inc., Dream Defenders, Corey Hill, Vance Ahrens, candidate State Senate District 19, Amy Phillips, Beverly Washington, Orlando Drag Queen.' /End ID]

[we-are-not-a-number]

Kasey Meehan, director, Freedom to Read, at PEN America, said: “For over three years we have countered rhetoric that book bans occurring in public schools are a ‘hoax.’ They are absolutely not. This kind of language from the U.S. Department of Education is alarming and dismissive of the students, educators, librarians, and authors who have firsthand experiences of censorship happening within school libraries and classrooms.

Since 2021, we have meticulously recorded nearly 16,000 instances of book bans nationwide – where access to books is revoked from their intended readers – often without following commonsense processes and increasingly due to censorial legislation from States.

We will continue to raise awareness and resistance to ongoing book bans in defense of students’ freedom to read. All students deserve to see themselves and the world around them reflected in the books shelved within their public schools."

Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 16,000 book bans in public schools nationwide, a number not seen since the Red Scare McCarthy era of the 1950s. This censorship organized by conservative groups predominantly targets books about race and racism by authors of color and also books on LGBTQ+ topics as well those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual violence. Here to read more about PEN America’s documentation of and advocacy against book bans.

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

A note before we begin: I understand that sometimes people look askance at some of the fundraisers. I do attempt to vet people, but I also attempt to practice a radical level of acceptance and compassion for people who are in need, who may not always be people everyone likes. It is up to my readers to determine where and if they want to give; I have only ever declined to publicize fundraisers twice, both by people with extensive and visible histories of scamming fandom. If you know of someone who has a history of scamming, it is helpful for me to be made aware, but unless there are receipts to go with it, I'm afraid I can't take that into account. Simply telling me "so-and-so is a bad person" does not help. (Lest I start more drama, this is not isolated to this week's post, it's just a particularly unhelpful comment this week which spurred me to write this.)

And now on to more helpful things!

Ways to Give:

maryellencarter linked to a fundraiser for johnhawkens, who is about to lose his temporary housing and needs assistance with food and transportation. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

just_juniper_joy is raising $350 to get through a lapse in emergency assistance; they are currently waiting for disability paperwork to go through and in the process of renewing the emergency aid in the meantime, but their county office is moving slowly, and they need to pay for medication, phone, and internet, as well as rent. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

aurorlaura linked to a fundraiser for Alchemia and Bugland, who have urgent financial needs after the loss of their home, and are also looking for advocacy and legal support in Illinois, particularly support for people with disabilities, autism, blindness, and/or who are LGBTQ+. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

nightwhite13 is raising funds to help seal a hole in their home through which a rat is entering; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

Beck is raising funds for top surgery; you can read more and support the fundraiser here.

just-a-zesty-lil-rat is raising funds to cover a medical deductible so they can get top surgery; you can read more and support the fundraiser here.

catlineyemaker linked to a fundraiser for gallusrostromegalus, who recently rented a home to a friend who ended up doing serious damage to the home and required legal action to evict; they can't sell the house as-is and can't afford the repairs needed to make the house salable. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

Buy Stuff, Help Out:

have-a-hygge is an artist selling her work to raise funds to open her own gallery, a task complicated by being a fulltime caregiver to a parent with dementia. You can read more and find purchase and giving information here.

Help For Free:

Maggie is a graduate student at American University, doing research on fanfic and the way people learn about sex and sexuality as teenagers. They have a survey available about experiences reading or writing fanfic and how it impacted their sexuality and understanding of sex, which may lead to interviews if the person is agreeable; all interviews are anonymized. You can learn more and take the survey here.

Recurring Needs:

rusty-chevy's workplace is in a slow period, and management has been cutting hours; she is raising funds to cover at least part of the shortfall from reduced paychecks, and was just denied rent assistance. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

alirhi linked to a fundraiser to get herself, her mother, and her sister stable housing; they are currently staying in their cars in a a dangerous parking lot. They have a friend who will let them park a camper in her yard, but the camper there currently is unlivable. With two of the family on disability it is difficult for them to keep up with bills and also save for housing. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here including a few new ways to give.

gwydion linked to a fundraiser for a friend, whose dog Rosie needs medical care, dental work, and special food; you can read more and give here at gofundme.

rilee16 is raising funds after having to use rent money to pay their electric bill; their roommate, with whom they have had a number of issues, has been an ongoing issue and is also costing them money, and they are now facing a late fee for October rent after the check didn't clear. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[tomorrowusa]

The most revolutionary thing Florida students can do is to start underground libraries away from the prying eyes of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and his lackeys.

“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. “Forever” by Judi Blume. “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut. All have been pulled from the shelves of some Florida schools, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education tallying books removed by local school districts. Recent changes to state law have empowered parents and residents to challenge school library books and required districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing which books have been restricted in their schools. Florida continues to lead the country in pulling books from school libraries, according to analyses by the American Library Association and the advocacy group PEN America. “A restriction of access is a restriction on one’s freedom to read,” said Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students lose the ability to access books that mirror their own lived experiences, to access books that help them learn and empathize with people who … have different life experiences.” The list released for the 2023-2024 school year includes titles by American literary icons like Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, as well as books that have become top targets for censorship across the country because they feature LGBTQ+ characters, discussions of gender and sexuality, and descriptions of sexual encounters, such as “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson and “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe. Conservative advocates have labeled such content “pornographic.” Also on the list of books removed from libraries are accounts of the Holocaust, such as “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” and “Sophie’s Choice.” So is a graphic novel adaptation of “1984,” George Orwell’s seminal work on censorship and surveillance. “Everywhere from Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’, George Orwell,” said Stephana Farrell, a co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book challenges in the state. “If you take the time to look at that list, you will recognize that there is an issue with … this movement.”

Ron DeSantis still hasn't convinced his rubber stamp legislature to pass laws to break into your home and confiscate your books. Though it may not be a good idea to tell your MAGA neighbor that you're stockpiling books by Toni Morrison, George Orwell, Anne Frank, Kurt Vonnegut, and Richard Wright.

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES (ALASKA ONLY)

Reconsider HB 183 for Inclusive School Athletics

3 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

HB 183, which proposes segregating school athletics based on biological sex, raises significant concerns about the potential harm it could inflict on children. This approach lacks scientific backing and may inadvertently subject students to invasive scrutiny, including the risk of inappropriate inspections. It is imperative that we prioritize the safety and well-being of all students above all else.

Moreover, HB 183 echoes past mistakes made by administrations that were overly focused on perceived threats from the LGBTQ community, while neglecting actual dangers within local communities. For instance, scandals involving institutions like the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America highlight the grave consequences of such misguided priorities.

Therefore, I strongly urge reconsideration of HB 183. Instead of implementing policies that could harm vulnerable students, let us work towards fostering inclusive environments where all children can participate in sports with their peers, regardless of their sex. By promoting inclusivity and respect, we can create safer and more equitable opportunities for all students to thrive.

📱 Text SIGN PXZDHI to 50409

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💘 Q'u lach' shughu deshni da. 🏹 "What I say is true" in Dena'ina Qenaga

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

I've been trying to bring attention to actions that could stop bad things and help people, but it seems sharing them one at a time hasn't been working. So, like my post concerning how to help queer and trans folks in Russia that got a lot of attention, I'm making the latest calls to action into a list of resources (that I will add to, including right after I post this due to Tumblr's link block limit). This time, helping people in the US.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lil Kalish at HuffPost:

The first-ever mobilization of trans voters around a presidential candidate took place on Zoom on Tuesday, as around 1,000 transgender people, including lawmakers, advocates, health care workers and celebrities, logged on to show support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for the presidency. Trans Folks For Harris was one of numerous identity-based webinars to support Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month. Over the last few weeks, many LGBTQ+ advocates have embraced Harris, touting her decadeslong record of supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and her decision to make Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who transformed the state into a “trans refuge,” her running mate. This came just after Advocates for Trans Equality released a report showing that 75% of eligible trans voters turned up to the polls in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 67% of the general U.S. population — and that trans voters make up a crucial part of the electorate.

“We know our rights and our progress are on the line, but so is our very sense of belonging,” said Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, who was elected as the first openly transgender state senator in the country. If McBride wins her bid for Delaware’s open House seat, she would become the first transgender member of Congress. “We have the opportunity, but more importantly, the responsibility in this election to show a trans young person who fears that the heart of this country is not big enough to love them too, that no matter what extremists say or do, our next president and vice president continue to have their backs,” McBride continued. The Harris-Walz campaign has yet to release any concrete policy plans on civil rights ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, but advocates say Harris and Walz have demonstrated their commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ rights, access to abortion and the rights to bodily autonomy overall. A draft of the Democrats’ platform, which was released in July, outlines their fight to restore reproductive rights, address racial inequalities, and protect democracy.

“It’s a step forward to ensure that trans people, especially Black and Brown trans women, have the representation and the resources they need to live with dignity and pride,” Zahara Bassett, CEO of Chicago trans advocacy organization Life Is Work, said on the call. “We need to make sure that our future is one of equity, justice and liberation for us all.” Harris was one of the first elected officials to publicly back marriage equality in 2004, and she refused to defend Proposition 8, California’s same-sex marriage ban, in 2008. As a prosecutor, she also led the charge to end the so-called gay and transgender “panic defense,” a legal strategy often used to seek a lesser offense for perpetrators of anti-LGBTQ+ violence or murder by claiming that the victim made same-sex sexual advances. In June 2023, Harris became the first sitting vice president to visit the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement, and the site of the historic 1969 uprising of LGBTQ+ people fighting back against police raids in the New York City bar. And earlier this week, Harris released a video on X outlining how former President Donald Trump vastly restricted LGBTQ+ rights while in office — and how he would do so again if elected. Trump has already promised to roll back several policies, including blocking access to gender-affirming care for minors and rescinding the Biden administration’s Title IX rules that expand protections for transgender students. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, introduced a bill in the upper chamber to criminalize gender-affirming care for trans youth.

[...] Today’s embrace of Harris is in stark contrast to how some LGBTQ+ voters remembered her last bid for president in 2019. Back then, some advocates took issue with Harris’ tenure as a prosecutor for how she pushed for criminal penalties for parents of truant children and which led to the arrest of many Black and brown people. Many also noted how as attorney general, Harris’ office denied an incarcerated trans woman’s request for gender-affirming care. Harris has since apologized and said she takes “full responsibility” for her office’s actions. But still, not all LGBTQ+ voters are convinced. Harris’ support for the Biden administration’s policies towards Israel’s war in Gaza has alienated some of these voters. In the Democratic primaries this year, hundreds of thousands of voters cast “uncommitted” ballots as a form of protest to push for a cease-fire and end U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.

For the first time in American Presidential history, an organized mobilization effort for trans Americans to support Kamala Harris’s Presidency bid has cropped up, featuring a Trans Folks For Harris Zoom call. 🏳️‍⚧️

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LGBTQIA+ Initiatives in the US

Los Angeles Department of Mental Health

LACDMH is committed to promoting the wellbeing and resilience of LA County’s LGBTQIA2-S+ individuals and communities, which represent a diverse range of gender and sexual expressions, identities and orientations.

Boys & Girls Club of America - LGBTQ Initiative

After more than 160 years serving youth, we know that a sense of belonging is everything, and that’s especially true for LGBTQ+ kids and teens. With a foundation of safety and acceptance, kids are more likely to get involved, make new friends, and build skills to support their success. Boys & Girls Clubs provide millions of kids and teens a place to belong, know their value and reach their full potential.

The Trevor Project

39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. We’re responding to the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people by building a safer, more inclusive world.

Rainbow Labs

Are you 13-18 years old and exploring if you are queer and/or gender non-conforming? If so, we have numerous mentoring programs for you to choose from designed by other queer and gender-nonconforming youth. Our comprehensive program includes storytelling, creative arts, career exploration, entrepreneurship, leadership, LGBTQ+ history and culture, and sports.

National LGBTQ Task Force

The National LGBTQ Task Force builds power, takes action, and creates change to achieve freedom, justice, and equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. As the progressive voice of the LGBTQ movement and the LGBTQ voice of the progressive movement, the National LGBTQ Task Force organizes people and money in pursuit of liberation for all.

American Osteopathic Foundation - LGBTQ+ Health Equity & Inclusion Initiative

The American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) envisions a world without discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, where health disparities do not exist. Those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQ+) are provided with excellent healthcare in an environment free from prejudice.

ACLU - LGBTQ Rights

The ACLU works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association.

It Gets Better

Since 2021, It Gets Better has distributed more than $1.3 million to fund student-led school based grants to middle and high schools throughout the United States and Canada. to date, we’ve funded more than 140 projects in 47 states and 9 Canadian provinces and territories, supporting projects that uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students.

Equality Federation

Equality Federation is an advocacy accelerator rooted in social justice, building power in our network of state-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) advocacy organizations. We work collaboratively on critical non-partisan issues—from advancing workplace fairness and family recognition to defeating anti-transgender bills and HIV criminalization laws—that affect how LGBTQ+ people experience the world from cradle to grave.

Sylvia Rivera Law Project

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. SRLP is a collective organization founded on the understanding that gender self-determination is inextricably intertwined with racial, social and economic justice. Therefore, we seek to increase the political voice and visibility of low-income people and people of color who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming. SRLP works to improve access to respectful and affirming social, health, and legal services for our communities. We believe that in order to create meaningful political participation and leadership, we must have access to basic means of survival and safety from violence. Much of the information on their website is also available in Spanish!

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality

LGBTQ+ specific health research is underfunded and underutilized, especially when it comes to research on and by BIPOC LGBTQ+ people, intersex people, and other historically-excluded intersectional identities. As the oldest and largest association of LGBTQ+ and allied health professionals, GLMA is a vital resource for policy-makers and coalition partners working to promote LGBTQ+ health equity. GLMA provides practice-changing continuing education for health professionals and resources to educate and empower LGBTQ+ patients. They also have a LGBTQIA+ Provider Directory.

Trans Lifeline

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive. We envision a world where trans people have the connection, economic security, and care everyone needs and deserves—free of prisons and police.

True Colors United

True Colors United implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness by focusing on the experiences of those most impacted —LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth. True Colors United is guided by two core beliefs: those who’ve experienced an issue first-hand hold the keys to the solution, and improving outcomes for the most impacted communities benefits everyone.

If you know of additional resources, please add them in a reblog!