moominmuppet

So I'm writing a good deal today about the crap that happened to G at my/our house today. Part of why I'm writing about it is because I can. Because G and I are both out, because we don't have to worry about a homophobic landlord kicking us out, because we're got a supportive household and social circle who aren't asking us shit about whether we "brought it on ourselves". Because we're extremely educated about our rights. Because we're relatively comfortable trying to "take on the system" to make long-term changes, even though it'll be pretty pointless in the short-term.

This is about the most minor end of hate crime there is, and we're in an ideal position to let you see what that looks like and what it feels like, if you don't know.

Please consider than in the vast majority of cases, it's not this "easy". It's worse, or more persistent, or more violent. It happens to people who aren't in a position to get support, who often don't even entirely believe they deserve support. It happens to people who are less likely to get listened to than my semi-respectable-looking 37-year-old forceful and fancy-talking white ass.

My heart will still be in my mouth tonight when I have to deal with the cops about this, wondering if we'll get a sympathetic officer or not. There are still threads of stress about whether these assholes could come back and do us actual harm (vandalize our houses, endanger our animals, etc). Having someone go out of their way to communicate their hate of you leaves you with those kinds of questions. As relatively minor as this is, it's not a non-issue because of the context in which it happens. A context that does include the knowledge that shit like this happens in my state, in my country, to people like me and G.

The thing about hate crimes is that they're meant to send a message. Not just to the person they're directly targeted at, but to the entire community. A lesson about shutting up, about stopping daring to be noticed. It has more in common with terrorism than with individual conflict, generally.

So yeah. Today's sucked a bit, and I want to talk about that because I want you to understand.

Help buy Body Positive billboards!
More: We are standing up for kids and saying enough is enough! By now you’ve heard of Strong4Life, a campaign by the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta that shames and humiliates fat kids under the guise of promoting health. They have billboards up all over Atlanta, reinforcing a message of shame and stigma every day for those driving by. It’s time to take a stand and support developing healthy habits in kids of all sizes without stigmatizing fat ones.
We are raising funds to put up billboards in high traffic areas around Atlanta with positive messages to counteract the negative Strong4Life campaign.
Sponsors:
Fat!So? and Marilyn Wann
More Of Me To Love
Voluptuart

Fat Kids United -- Totally awesome posters. I really should submit something for this too.
More -- apparently Stand4Kids was taken by an evangelical group, so now it's I Stand Against Weight Bullying

Facebook: Billboard Against Bullying Money Bomb

Association For Size-Diversity and Health: Basic Principles of Health At Every Size

HAES Community: HAES Resources

Big Moves: Because Every Body Can Dance

If you'd like to find more general resources, "fatshionista", "HAES", "body-positive", and "fat-positive" are excellent search terms.

Ohio Vote 2011 - Find Your Polling Place -- Site provided by AFL-CIO No on 2 campaign. There is also an Election Protection phone support line: voter information hotline at 1-866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE)

The polls are open from 6:30am to 7:30pm. If you are in line by 7:30pm, you MUST be allowed to vote. If you encounter any problems at your polling place or need voting information, please contact the voter information hotline at 1-866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE).

Judge4Yourself (Judge listings and information -- Northern Ohio)

Project VoteSmart list of Ballot Measures (National)

Redistricting, a Devil’s Dictionary

4 Reasons Why Ohio Isn't Wisconsin

Occupy the Polls: Tuesday's Critical Tests of Political Power (run-down of important issues in various states today)
( Read more... )

Libya unrest: Benghazi gripped by anti-Gaddafi fervour

LIBYA: U.N. names names, identifying inner members of Kadafi regime in travel ban

Rebels take city near Tripoli as pressure mounts on Gaddafi

African mercenaries in Libya nervously await their fate
Mercenaries captured in Libya are facing an uncertain future, writes Nick Meo in Al-Bayda.

Libya: Gaddafi's alleged lover flees country Oh, snap!

Inside Gaddafi's inner circle
A look at the people Muammar Gaddafi relies on to entrench his rule and to remain in power in Libya.

AFL-CIO chief blesses Obama's handling of Wisconsin labor battle

Supporters show solidarity with Wisconsin protesters

Wisconsin Democrats stay in Illinois, await compromise

Debate Over Ohio SB5 Rages On in Columbus

From the Ohio Democratic Party:
Despite overwhelming public opposition, Senate Republicans are continuing their assault on Ohio’s middle class. This Tuesday, the State Senate is expected to hold a committee vote on Senate Bill 5. We need to flood the Statehouse and tell Senate Republicans to vote NO. We want to invite you to join thousands of like-minded Ohioans at the “Rally for Ohio’s Middle Class” this Tuesday at the Statehouse.

Here are the details for the rally:

Rally for Ohio’s Middle Class
Tuesday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m.
Ohio Statehouse – West Lawn
1 Capitol Square
Columbus, OH 43215

Please click here to let us know you’re coming, and join us at Statehouse this Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.

P.S. Bus rides to the Statehouse are available on a first-come, first-serve basis across Ohio. They will depart from: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Marietta, Middletown, Toledo and Youngstown. If you are interested, please sign up here.

From the AFL-CIO:
Here is how you can help stop Senate Bill 5 and Kasich's attack on the middle class:

- Attend Tuesday's "Rally for Ohio's Middle Class" on the West Lawn of the Statehouse at 10:00 am.

- Call your Senator at 1-888-218-5931.

- Volunteer at a phone bank (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

- Attend an event in your area.

- Email your Senator.

My first break's in half an hour. Hopefully my b'berry will be recharged by then, because I have a whole handful of post-its with the numbers of every one of my state and federal reps to call (I've been busy googling). Basically going to communicate that workers' rights and reproductive rights are top of my priority list, and that I'm angry and paying attention and want backbone out of my Democratic reps, and some serious rethinking from my repub governor and senator. Also going to call the offices of Jackie Speiers and Gordon Hintz, both of whom deserve a whole-hearted "Well Done!"

Also need to get some project work for Preterm done today, since I'll be in again tomorrow and want to get a few things finished off. And tomorrow I've got a vet appt for Mushroom in the morning, which should be all sorts of fun. And dental work on Thursday. Yay.

Linketies today will include as much news as I can find on the Ohio protests that are happening in Columbus.

A memorial to all the folks who died during the Egypt protests.

U.S. responds to #Egypt’s #jan24 revolution

Mubarak Resigns, Setting Off Wild Celebrations in Egypt

Egypt celebrates as Mubarak resigns -- Al Jazeera English, with lots of links to other stories and video.

The Next Step for Egypt’s Opposition
By MOHAMED ELBARADEI

Egypt's historic moment spurs new hope in Arab world

An Egyptian Voice of Democracy Says, Tell Old Pharaoh, Go

A Who’s Who of Egypt’s High Command

Switzerland Freezes Assets Tied to Mubarak

ElBaradei Sees a Transitional Government for a Year

NBC's Richard Engel has been covering the reaction of protesters in Tahrir Square, where he was swamped by the joyful crowd.

A Muslim holding the Koran and a Coptic Christian holding a cross are carried through opposition supporters in Tahrir Square in Cairo

24 hours in Cairo -- all pics, powerful stuff.

VIDEO: Obama's Speech On Egypt

The White House says Iran's government is showing it is scared of the will of its people by cracking down on opposition leaders and blocking international media outlets in the wake of Egypt's uprising.

Hosni Mubarak resigns: Egyptian political reaction

Neighbors Rattled by Egypt Shift

Fall of Mubarak Shakes Middle East

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

-- a great bit Rachel did last night on other popular uprisings and their fundamental uncertainty.

UPDATED: Mubarak Resigns, Egypt Explodes with Joy
Watch Al Jazeera, streaming live from Cairo, here.

Media Miss the Al Jazeera Story

Why the US Fears Arab Democracy

Egypt: TGIF

viva free #egypt!

@monaeltahawy reacting to Mubarak news

If you're not watching the Al Jazeera feed right now, you should be if you can.

Many of their correspondents are crying, talking about being born the week Mubarak came into power. There was just an interview with one women who was sobbing and she said, "This is everything I've ever cared about. As a woman. About Palestine. Now anything is possible."

the mote in the rightwingnut’s eye…

Egypt: Media Revels In The Moment

Reading the Pictures: Day 18: The Fall of Mubarak -- Exclusive Photos From Cairo

Mubarak Steps Down In Egypt: The Front Pages (PHOTOS)

Victory for Egypt's Leaderless Revolution

Revolutionary Logistics
Where do the thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square go to the bathroom?

Egypt Activist Wael Ghonim Tells CNN, Couric: 'You Are Part Of The Revolution' (VIDEO)

Egypt's Facebook Revolution: Wael Ghonim Thanks The Social Network -- it's an over-simplification, given the long history of Egyptian protest, but it's exciting times right now, and there's plenty of thanks and appreciation to go around, I think.

Rooting for Egypt

NBC's Richard Engel: Star Out of Cairo

View from Tahrir Square -- Freidman's not normally a favorite of mine, but he nails it here.

LIVE POST: Egyptian Protests Discussion Part 10.

~BYE MUBARAK PARTY POST~/Egypt Protests Discussion Part 11

World Leaders' Reactions To Egypt President Mubarak's Resignation (PHOTOS)

OK, anything else I'll add to the regular linketies when they come out. Suffice to say, there's a lot of extra joy in the world today.

There were several articles about which I found myself ranting, so I've pulled them into a separate post. It's very likely I'm going to piss off a lot of people with this one, but I think it's stuff that needs saying.
( Read more... )
Bonus Rant/Random: As an atheist who's familiar with the level of hostility toward atheists in modern american culture, can I just say how much it makes me crazy that every time I do something nice, kind, generous, etc, I get appreciated for being a "good Christian"? Anyone out there up for a nice big helping of confirmation bias?

And since I'm finally using Facebook enough that I bothered to update my profile today, I'm going to toss here what I wrote there, for reference, and to give the new folks a bit of context for my random ramblings:

( more about me than you want to know )

A whole run of interesting and infuriating articles on feministing and feministe recently, especially as relates to clinic escorting, and to murderous fuckwad Roeder.

On "voluntary manslaughter" and the encouragement of future murderous fuckwads -- I cannot begin to express the extent of my rage over Dr. Tiller's assassination, or over the fact that we're suddenly happy to surrender civil liberties left and right, endorse torture, and profile people with the "wrong" religion or skin color, but we still don't take the homegrown terrorists seriously enough to apply the actual legitimate laws to them.

Always fascinating: What antis say about their time spent harassing women outside clinics -- I like listening to them introduce new members to the fold by telling them about us, and who we are, and what we're like. In our case, as at most clinics with escorts, there's a strict no interaction policy on our side (not on theirs). The only things we can say to them involve informing them if they're breaking a law. Everything else, they extrapolate from what they can overhear of our conversations. And in terms of dealing with the insults and threats, nothing prepared me better for clinic escorting than getting bullied in middle and high school. A reaction is what a bully wants, more than anything else. If you can't make me react, you have no power over me. And if I do react, I'm damned well going to be laughing at you.

stories from clinic escorts "Your job is to make sure the situation doesn't escalate, and you're trained to make it happen. In the rest of my life, I have no problem yelling at people like this. But when I'm at the clinic, I have different priorities." -- Yes. This.

And this is so stupid, and offensive, and idiotic in every possible way: Carrying condoms could get you arrested. More than three equals possible charge of prostitution (much like the stupid texas law about how many sex toys -- 6, I believe -- meant you obviously intended to sell them). I can't think of a time in my life when my idea of a sensible number of condoms to carry, especially if traveling, was 3 or less. Polled the household got unanimous agreement on the point from everyone present. (and don't get me started on targeting of prostitutes, and our stupid laws, and anti-harm-reduction practices like scaring women _out_ of carrying protection! *headdesk*) Correction: Here's a closer look at what's actually going on

A little-discussed provision of the Senate bill allows insurers to penalize subscribers by hundreds -- and even thousands -- of dollars for not meeting certain "wellness targets." : I will be _pissed_ if this makes it through, especially given the amount of biological variation that's genetic. They're already doing it here at my job, so I'm fucked either way.

And because everyone needs something cheery after all this crap, have a chlorophyll-containing slug -- I love this planet!

A judge could determine Friday whether to allow an Oklahoma law to go forward that will post information online about women who get abortions in the state -- an act critics say would be harassment and an invasion of privacy.

"It requires doctors to ask and submit answers to at least 37 intensely personal questions. There are details in those questions about rape, incest, abuse, relationship problems and emotional health," Stapleton says. "I think women can be identified."