if you or someone you know is in need of funds or assistance due to devastation caused by hurricane ida, feel free to add onto this post. I will reblog with more links as I find them
Never forget that the Republicans used the covid pandemic to use eugenics to kill off hundreds of thousands of chronically ill and disabled people by insisting we should use “herd immunity” as our response and went on about how it was okay because “most people won’t die” leaving out the fact that many of those who died were chronically ill and disabled. They didn’t care about the lives of the chronically ill and disabled if it meant they preserved wealth for millionaires.
nonblack people hush. this is not your “history being made”. this is not your victory. i know children who attend MY school who were brutalized by police YESTERDAY and thus the battle continues. black people are still being oppressed and affected by generations of trauma, so seeing you rejoice in a sliver of accountability from a system that functions to fuel mass incarceration of our people offers no joy, solace or solidarity. continue to amplify OUR voices and OUR activism keeping our people alive, safe and thriving rather than trying to claim progress over our corpses
In the wake of a phenomenally important guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial, I’d like to remind you all that the fallout of this case will likely mean more police violence against our Black friends and neighbors, not less. Looking at the statistics in the weeks leading up to this verdict shows that this is already the case. Police in this country are angry that society is beginning to hold them accountable for their abusive actions, and they are looking for revenge.
So if you see a cop interacting with a BIPOC, DO NOT walk away. Video record if you can (and as long as it doesn’t further jeopardize the safety of the BIPOC involved), but absolutely do not walk away. It is critical that we do our part and look out for people, and make cops think twice about abusing their powers of authority and near-immunity to murder citizens people.
I know people use phrases like “he’s changing the game” and “nobody’s doing it like him” a lot for musicians, but I don’t think this is an exaggeration at all when talking about Lil Nas X.
When I first saw the music video for Montero (Call Me By Your Name), I just kept thinking about how I had never seen a music video like it, ESPECIALLY from such a well-known artist. I’ve seen plenty of videos where a man is being sexy, but never in the way that Lil Nas X does it in that video. He sings about riding dick while giving a lap dance. I’m sure there are so many music videos where a male singer does this, but I’ve never seen them because gay men who express their sexuality in that way are usually prevented from becoming household names.
And he is getting a lot of pushback for it. People are saying that he’s trying to indoctrinate children, that he’s pushing an agenda, that he’s part of the ruination of society. Gay men are seen as sex-crazy predators, and so are androgynous men. For him to make this video expressing himself and his sexuality in the way HE wanted to, knowing how people would take it, especially as a black man, and then attaching his real name to it?
It’s trending at #1 on youtube and there’s been a huge positive response to it, but he’s risking a lot by releasing this video. The whole theme of the video is religious persecution, and we’re seeing that exact thing happen to him in real time. He’s being called a sinner, he’s being told he’s going to hell, he’s being told that god doesn’t love him.
This song and video are resonating with SO MANY people. People who grew up with a religion that teaches that people like them are wrong, with parents who seek to destroy what they do not understand, who have had a closeted partner who only told them they loved them in private, who told themselves that they would never come out to anyone, with people who have struggled with internalized homophobia.
Since the world already has their eyes on Lil Nas X, he’s decided to represent himself the way he wants to and tell the stories he wants to tell. From this video to wearing a bright pink leather harness on the red carpet to doing drag on halloween, he is showing everyone that he is not ashamed of who he is and he’s willing to put himself and his career at risk to be that person. By doing this, he’s showing others that people like him exist and it’s ok and it’s good.
Lil Nas X is changing the game. His success will open doors for more artists like him. I believe he’s going to help change the public perception of what hip-hop can be, and maybe even what a man can be.
In a move that has sparked outcry from archaeologists, historians and locals, the Peruvian government has approved a multi-billion international airport near the famed site of Machu Picchu, Peru’s single most important tourist destination. Bulldozers have begun to clear millions of tons of earth for the project, which will be located in Chinchero, a picturesque Inca town.
Building the airport in this location will destroy an ancient landscape, one shaped by the Incan people with terraces and routes.
Critics also suggest that planes flying low over the nearby village of Ollantaytambo and its archaeological park filled with ruins and a massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces, would cause incalculable damage to fragile Inca ruins there and destroy the peace and beauty of the area.
The new airport will make access to the site much easier, and thus encourage greater numbers than ever before to visit.
But Machu Picchu is already overwhelmed by almost double the limit of tourists as recommended by UNESCO. [see also India’s Taj Mahal - an incredible site simply reeling under a relentless, ineffectively managed tourist, both domestic and international, onslaught]
It’s the constant battle between protecting the past and profiteering from it.
to be completely honest, there is probably nothing anyone can do about this at this point because it has been in the works since the 90’s. as you can most likely tell, our government is a fucking joke. still, this needs international attention. a lot of it. this is my country’s history, culture and one of the most beautiful things we have to offer at risk.
our best bet is at the very least causing somewhat global outrage to spread awareness and perhaps make this into something bigger amongst the middle and upper class people in the central cities as sadly the lower class and indigenous citizens (the majority of the country’s population) go widely ignored by the government and the former (middle and upper class) tend to also ignore shit unless they perceive it as affecting them directly
If you see a police car or a cop with a speaker looking thing on it, FUCKING RUN. It’s known as an LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device), a device that, when activated, can permanently damage your hearing and cause serious harm. If you’re too close, you’ll be left in a lot of pain and squirming on the ground permanently deaf. Ear plugs do not work. Unless you have one of those shooting range headphones, you do not stand a chance against them. Again, if you see them pull up, RUN. This is what they look like.
Stay safe.
To the comments asking if this is real/can cause hearing loss. Not only is it real, but the NYPD lost a federal lawsuit in 2017 for using it on peaceful protestors, during the Black Lives Matter protests for Eric Garner in 2014, and caused them permanent damage. It was spotted again at protests this week.
Said this in an earlier post but if you see this thing RUN FROM IT IMMEDIATELY IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION (left/right from it). The best earplugs will not help, they only protect about 30 decibels of sound and these things shoot 160, and are effective for about a mile. Earplugs will do very little (better than nothing ig!) so the best move is to keep your mouth closed and GET OUT OF THERE. They will cause headaches, panic, vomiting and PERMANENT hearing loss. They used these in Portland yesterday (6/5), so yes, it’s a real thing cops are using now.
The media isn’t reporting on it as much, but BLM protests are still happening in March 2021. Bringing this back for another year of fighting for justice.
I see (and agree with) your “you’re one bad month away from becoming homeless (so start redirecting your loyalty from billionaires to the working class)” and I raise you a “you’re one accident, one insect sting, one sudden mysterious illness, one virus from becoming permanently disabled (so start redirecting your sympathy from the able-bodied class to the disabled)”.
Today, Amazon announced the imminent launch of its newest endeavor, Kindle Worlds, a publishing platform for fanfiction. When I read the announcement, I was horrified, then angry, then sad. I want to take a moment to explain why this is such a tragedy.
This is REALLY IMPORTANT guys. AO3 is so special as a platform. Don’t get suckered in by shiny features or whatever!
If you don’t feel like reading after the read more, here is the most important stand out of Kindle World’s TOS.
“By using the platform, authors give all rights to the work to Amazon, who can then license your elements to other authors with no compensation to the original poster.”
If you want to retain rights to your work, don’t use this site. Stick to AO3.
