To correct some confusion in the notes, this is a legislative act and not a constitutional amendment. You can read it here, if you’d like. It reverses the Supreme Court ruling that granted the president broad immunity to prosecution for “official acts,” and also, crucially, removes the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction to hear challenges to the No Kings Act’s constitutionality (Section 4, subsection b). Congress has the authority to restrict the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction under the Constitution’s Exceptions Clause. The bill’s authors have chosen to instead extend that jurisdiction to the DC District Court and/or the DC Appeals Court, which prevents SCOTUS from simply throwing out this law because they don’t like it and/or Trump pressures them to do so.
Even if you’re not optimistic about this bill passing the House under GOP control, we can make it well known enough with enough traction that these fuckers are forced to say, publicly and on the record, “No, I don’t support the No Kings Act.”
On Trans Day of Remembrance, we honor the memory of those lost to anti-trans violence. We also asked our It Gets Better community what trans youth should remember, right here and right now. Here’s what they said:
🏳️⚧️ “For my trans daughters and for every other trans person out there, You are perfect, perfectly perfect right now, in this messy moment, in this happy moment, in whatever moment comes next. You are loved by people you haven’t even met yet. Do not get caught up in the hurt when there is so much joy to be found, do not let the noise hold you back, you are meant for greatness. For some greatness means waking up and having breakfast, going for a walk, doodling or thinking happy thoughts and that all in itself is great. Please believe me you are not alone.” -lisasevajian
🏳️⚧️ “70 million people voted to protect your rights. You are valued. You are loved. Do not give up.” -thethestralsociety
🏳️⚧️ “We have always been here, and we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.” -beansonofficial
🏳️⚧️ “You’re seen. You’re human. You are loved. You are not alone. Do not give up hope. You deserve all the best things in life and you should get to live them without fear, hate, guilt, harm, or silence.” - destiny_d_melton
🏳️⚧️ “You are not alone even when it might feel that way. Things are hard and it can be so scary. But know that there are people who truly care who are fighting for you.” -heatherand2girls
🏳️⚧️ “It gets better. Don’t give up. Gather the people you trust and support each other. You are a gift, you have a gift. Shine your light proudly and brightly. But know that you don’t need to. You are not responsible to change others perceptions or beliefs. You are loved, needed, and necessary.” -michaeljohncreative
🏳️⚧️ “I love you so much and I will never cast you aside. You are NOT expendable.” -fitnessvalkyrie
🏳️⚧️ “There is community out there for you always. Don’t ever give up, we are here fighting with you.” -transaffirmidaho
🏳️⚧️ “You only legally have to live with your bio family until you are 18, and then you can go make your own family. Also, high school only lasts 4 years. You can get through it!! It will be okay.” -lisathecatdude
🏳️⚧️ “Keep going! As trans youth, we need to grow to be elders and to keep sharing our stories and to keep going!” -archer.39
🏳️⚧️ “Even in red states, you can find support and allies. We do care. Also, if you’re overwhelmed, it’s okay to focus on the community you feel safe with and take a mental break from advocating.” - katseye325
🏳️⚧️ “We need you alive! You are our future. I made it to 29. You can be 29. My therapist is almost 60. You can be 60. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are our rights! You are seen, valued, heard, and loved.” -Mr. Trans Indiana
🏳️⚧️ “Half this country still voted to support your rights! There are some loud voices spreading hate, but there’s so much more love out there. You have so much worth and value just being who you are. We’ll get through this and things will get better.” -lady_hades_xiii
🏳️⚧️ “It will be worth it. All your struggle, all your pain. You’re going to get through this. It’s gonna be okay.” -madd.0xx_
🏳️⚧️ “You are already role models to your peers, and to all the trans youth that come after you. You are the generation that will change the world, you already are the change the world needs…and your trans-aunty will always be here to support you, as my trans role models did for me. We are a family; dynamic, diverse, and inclusive: welcome to the family.” -mxashleys
hi this is your reminder to go get this fall’s covid booster if you haven’t yet! it’s like the flu shot where you need a new one every year to cover new variants, since coronaviruses evolve super quickly. this is a great time to get one, since it’s just before the winter wave. if you’re in the US, you can get one by making an appointment at a drugstore like cvs or walgreens or even the grocery store pharmacy (and there are grocery store pharmacies that take walk-ins). you can also get it at your doctor’s office. and you can get your flu shot at the same time!
I’m mostly going to be focusing on staying spiteful and hopeful today but since I’ve already seen a handful of posts that are like this I do wanna remind everyone that we are dealing with a major surge in radical feminist ideology in queer and progressive spaces, and while I won’t fault anyone for venting, now more than ever it is important to familiarize yourself with what radical feminisim is(it is not just hating trans people or trans women it is SO much more and anyone who pretends otherwise is misinformed or intentionally lying) and why it’s so dangerous and figure out how to talk about the way the alt-right is targeting young (mostly)white men without getting radfem-y about it.
Don’t call them “males” don’t act like men are born with misogyny built into their DNA do NOT fucking act like trans men are the enemy and don’t spread hopeless bullshit about how men can never improve or will always hate women and thus are a lost cause and the only people we’ll ever be safe around are women and queer men who abandon masculinity completely. In the coming years queer, intersex, marginalized, and even some cishet white men will be your allies, they are not a lost cause, they can be swayed to our side, and acting like it’s impossible for men to change UPHOLDS the very system that is indoctrinating them right now, it does NOTHING to fight it.
Fr check this at the door now. Radical feminism is inherently racist, sexist, transphobic, intersexist, classist, monosexist, and white supremacist and it will NOT save us. I don’t care if the person selling you on it is trans or queer or a person of color, radical feminisim is never truly inclusive and WILL NOT SAVE US. Gender and bio essentialism are the tools of the enemy, we do not need them. Abandon them now and purge them from your theory, community, and self.
Solidarity will save us. Radical feminism will only divide and destroy.
Election Day is nearly here, and if you haven’t already mailed in your ballot or gone in for early voting, you might need a ride come November 5.
Here’s a roundup of some of the freebies, discounts, and information on getting to the polls that organizations are offering.
Lyft
Lyft announced that riders can preload the code VOTE24 for a half-price discount of up to $10 on rideshare, bike-share, or scooter rides on or before Nov. 5. The code is only valid between 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. every time zone.
Uber
Uber also announced it will offer half-off rideshare costs of up to $10 on Election Day for users in most states.
Using a new “Go Vote” tile displayed on the app, users can book a ride to the nearest poll with the discount unless they are in California or Georgia. The offer works between 4 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. local time on Nov. 5. The company will also offer 25% off food orders up to $15 with a minimum order of $25.
Lime
Lime is offering free rides to and from your polling place to vote early or on Election Day. Riders can use the promo code VOTE2024 to get two free 30-minute rides in the U.S.
Bird & Spin
Bird and Spin are also offering two free rides as part of their Roll to the Polls initiative. Riders can use the code RockTheVote2024 in the app.
Rideshare2Vote
Rideshare2Vote helps voters in need of a ride get to their local polling facilities for free. Ridshare2Vote is available in seven swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin), as well as Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. If you live in one of these states and have a car, you can also volunteer to drive others to the polls. Go to Rideshare2Vote.com or call 888-977-2250 for more information.
Rides to the Polls (Georgia Only)
The New Georgia Project’s Rides to the Polls program will give free rides to voting sites for Georgia residents on Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Go to newgeorgiaproject.org/rides or call 800-874-1541 for more information.
Moovit
Moovit has integrated tens of thousands of polling locations from 130 counties across 11 states into its trip-planning app. The app also provides users with quick access to voter registration information and which transit agencies are offering free rides.
Transit Agencies / Public Transportation
There are countless transit agencies offering free rides on Election Day — everywhere from Detroit to Des Moines to Durham — so be sure to check with your local authority.
Please share any additional resources you’re aware of. Let’s make it easy for people to get to the polls!
In ten states, there are ballot measures or questions which will be decided in the November election which will impact the future of abortion access in those states. Here’s what you need to know.
Arizona
Arizona Proposition 139 the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to provide for the fundamental right to abortion that the state of Arizona may not interfere with before the point of fetal viability unless justified by a compelling state interest.
To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes
Colorado
Colorado Amendment 79, the Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative will amend the state constitution to create the right to an abortion and authorize the use of public funds (Medicaid) to pay for abortion care.
To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes
Florida
Florida Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative, will amend the state constitution to declare that “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” The current constitutional provision requiring parental consent for minors’ abortions will not be affected.
To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution and overturn the current six week abortion ban Vote Yes
Maryland
Maryland Question 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, will amend the state constitution to establish a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.”
To enshrine reproductive rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes
Missouri
Missouri Amendment 3, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative will amend the state constitution to provide the right for reproductive freedom, which is defined as “the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions,” and providing that the state legislature may enact laws that regulate abortion after fetal viability.
To enshrine broad reproductive rights protection including abortion in the state constitution and overturn the current complete abortion ban Vote Yes
Montana
Montana CI-128, the Right to Abortion Initiative will create a constitutional “right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion,” and allow the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except when “medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.”
To enshrine broad reproductive rights protection including abortion in the state constitution Vote Yes
Nebraska
The Nebraska Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment will amend the state constitution to elevate the current twelve week abortion ban law to a constitutional provision with limited exceptions for medical emergencies or in cases of rape.
To prevent the current legislative abortion ban from being enshrined in the state constitutionVote No
Nevada
Nevada Question 6, the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to create a constitutional right to an abortion, providing for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, except where medically indicated to “protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.”
To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution Vote Yes
New York
New York Proposal 1, the Equal Protection of Law Amendment will amend the state constitution to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their “ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability” or “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”
To enshrine equal rights protection for pregnant people and abortion patients in the state constitution Vote Yes
South Dakota
The South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, the Right to Abortion Initiative will amend the state constitution to protect the right to an abortion based on a trimester framework, with no restrictions permitted in the first trimester, only limited medical need restrictions permitted in the second trimester and allowing deeper restrictions in the third trimester except “when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman’s physician, to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman.”
To enshrine abortion rights protection in the state constitution and overturn the state’s current full abortion banVote Yes
If you live in one of these ten states and abortion rights matter to you, get registered or double check your registration and make your voting plan today. Every single vote matters significantly in amendment questions.
Oh look, it seems like there’s a Republican-led movement to purge voter rolls in the lead-up to the election! It’s almost as if your vote matters and they don’t want you to vote! Anyway, I whipped up a quick map (based on this) that shows when the voter registration deadline is in each state. There are a few deadlines coming up in the next week or so.
If you live in a state that regularly purges voter rolls for infrequent voters (the orange ones in the first map), or if you moved recently, it’s good to check if you’re still registered to vote.
Just put in your address and DOB and they’ll tell you whether you’re registered. (And they give you a quick link to register online if it turns out that you’re not! Only the 9 states in white on my map don’t have online registration, and for those they provide instructions on how to do it via mail or in person.) If you want an extra verification, find your state’s election website and double-check there.
So yeah, give yourself peace of mind – do a quick check. :)
I feel sick. I’m so scared. Things are going to get so much worse for trans adults in the UK when the Levy review for adult trans care comes out in November. My GP clinic already tried to not prescribe my T when the gender clinic endocrinologist first recommended it, I had to fight them so hard on it, and I’m terrified at any point they will stop.
Please share this. It is so disheartening that when I make posts about US trans issues they have thousands of notes within a couple hours, but UK trans issues barely get 100 notes. Our struggles are linked. The letter, in fact, uses the American spelling of certain words like ‘realize’ - Which has made some suspicious that this is a form letter provided by the American anti trans hate groups that have been pushing for more transphobic discrimination in the UK lately.
This WILL affect trans people in the US eventually. They will use the UK as an example to follow, when they are (at least partially) the ones who created the conditions for our growing medical discrimination. Our fight is your fight. Please, please care about it. Help people be aware of this at the very least.
Trans Actual are collecting data about this very issue right now. If you are trans and a GP has refused you HRT, please click on the Instagram post below and find out how to share your experience. This can’t be allowed to slide.
Yes, thank you so much! I was just reading their page about it here too.
Okay, look. I know I don’t have a huge following. I’m hoping my friends @nudityandnerdery and @dee-the-red-witch and anyone else I may manage to tag after might be kind enough to share.
Im well aware tumblr isn’t a US site. However this post ist for US citizens.
If you think you are registered to vote, and you plan on doing so this November, MAKE SURE. DOUBLE CHECK. Because you may not be.
A month or two ago, a tumblr post encouraged me to verify my voting status, and I did. All was well. I was happy. Nothing to worry about.
I saw a different post elsewhere today that gave me a mild nudge to check again, and to my surprise, I was listed as INACTIVE.
Nothing about my registration had changed. I hadn’t moved. I hadn’t changed ID numbers. Obviously my SSN doesn’t change. My job hadn’t even changed. There is absolutely no reason my voter registration should not have been the same as it was 2 months ago.
I have updated it. But you can bet your ass I’ll be checking it weekly until it’s actually time to vote. And you should, too.
Aha. Well. You see, in the US, historically, most citizens were not legally able to vote. When we formed as a country, only white men with property were allowed to vote. The property requirements were abolished in most states pretty early on, but a lot of other demographic groups only got the right to vote in the 20th Century, and even when you technically had the right to vote, a lot of states have put a lot of time and effort into preventing people from voting with a variety of unjust tactics.
This was actually one of the MAJOR battlefields of the Civil Rights Movement, actually; there were a number of court cases that got fought all the way up to the level of the US Supreme Court about it, and also the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was absolutely crucial in preventing racist and classist disenfranchisement. Between the VRA and the court cases, the change to American voting law was the most significant thing to come out of the Civil Rights Movement; most of the other legal changes were only possible because Black people and other people of color were finally able to vote.
Alas, the VRA got nerfed by the Supreme Court in 2013. The Court said it was a good law, and just needed to be reworded basically, and expected Congress to modify the VRA and get it back into law right away. Except the Republicans absolutely depend on the disenfranchisement of Blacks and minorities to win, so they will never vote for it; so to get the VRA back we need Democrats in control of the House and Senate and the Presidency.
But this is why it infuriates me when people say “your vote doesn’t matter.” Bitch, if your vote didn’t matter, Republicans would not spend the absolutely insane amounts of time and money disenfranchising people that they do.
ALT
