Raynira | Lives in the tropics | Sixth Gun since 09 |
Uruha biased since 2012 | I like Dir en Grey | I also like many Kpop groups | Bad gif maker.|
I don't cater to ppl who look for offence in everything, your sensitivities are not my problem.
I hate to go through this all over again. On July 23rd, Itch.io, one of the most popular platforms for hosting queer and adult independent media, went through a large-scale crackdown on adult content.
This was primarily aimed at games, but novels and comics were hit in the process. Most adult content has been de-listed from the site's search, and some creators were banned without warning. Any funds banned creators have not been paid are currently being withheld by Itch.io.
This crackdown was done, as it always is, because of payment processors like Mastercard and Visa threatening to pull their services.
The payment processors caved to an influence campaign by Australian extremist anti-pornography group Collective Shout, who have been inundating Visa and Mastercard with calls to force video game platforms to stop hosting adult content - which, of course, includes anything queer.
Collective Shout claim to have sent in 1000 emails to get this result, but there are a WAY more than a thousand of us. We need as many people as possible to make as much noise as we can!
Below the cut are numbers and scripts, all you need to do is follow the step by step guide.
Graphic, contact info, alt text, and script by voiddebris on Bluesky, also available collected in a handy document:
⊘Anti-Censorship Campaign ⊘ ⟡ Complaint Letter Template Customer Complaint Dept, This message is to lodge an official complaint about
Paypal:
Phone (US): 1-888-221-1161
Phone (outside US): 1-402-935-2050
Hours: 6am - 6pm PT
Online (for non-users or logged out - UK bc US site ONLY allows logged in users)
Mastercard:
Phone (US): 1-800-627-8372
Phone (outside US): 1-636-722-7111
Online form
Visa:
Phone (US): 1-800-847-2911
Non-US numbers
Online form
Script:
Customer Complaint Dept,
This message is to lodge an official complaint about the ongoing rampant restrictions your company has placed on legal sales made by legitimate businesses.
These restrictions are not only counter to the concept of freedom of speech and expression, but they harm consumers, businesses, and they harm your company’s bottom line.
The following actions are absolutely necessary to protect the freedoms of your client base and the sustainability of legitimate business practices:
1. Remove from your Terms of Service any mention barring the use of your service for sale and purchase of legal products.
2. Contact Steam (Valve), Itch.io, and any other company you have previously put pressure on to retract your content restrictions.
Put in place protections to prevent such restrictions from being put in place in the future without ample warning and time to contest them.
If these changes aren't made then I, along with many others will be forced to seek other options for processing payments.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Customer
***
OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO
Sign this petition from the ACLU:
Mastercard's new policy unfairly targets the adult content industry, making sex workers more vulnerable, especially Black trans women. It mu
Americans - contact your representatives about payment processors acting as censors! You can find your reps’ contact information on 5calls.org.
Script, from here:
Hello Representative/Senator [LAST NAME],
-or-
Hello office of Representative/Senator [LAST NAME],
My name is [YOUR FIRST NAME/SCREEN NAME] and I am one of your constituents.
I am calling today to express my concerns with technological censorship. Legal and legitimate adult entertainment is being banned in this country. These bans are not by legislators, but by payment processors like Mastercard and Visa.
Mastercard and Visa are improperly creating legislation online through their user and merchant policies. They are banning creator and user access to content that is legal and legitimate. They are inciting fear and panic to encourage censorship.
Please take a stand against this impermissible censorship. This is a direct attack on an adult's right to legal content. No one but the legislative branch should be allowed to create legislation.
Please support the Federal Trade Commission in their stand against technological censorship to protect the first amendment.
Thank you for taking the time to listen today.
***
UPDATE: Apparently it is Stripe specifically putting the pressure on Itch.io:
“The open case we have with Stripe right now is probably most critical right now. They apparently are or will be making a determination on the eligibility of our entire platform soon. Do what you want with that information”
Contact info for Stripe can be found here and here:
It’s a bit late, but thank you to everyone who celebrated our 23rd anniversary on March 10th. I hope you’re all doing well.
I wanted to express my gratitude right away, but coincidentally, there was an issue with X that day. And after coming back from the live show, I ended up falling into a deep spiral of thought, spending some time alone, reflecting on a lot of things.
Looking back, I’ve been running while still broken. And while that gave me a certain kind of strength, I also found myself completely worn out before I even realized it.
That’s why, this time, just saying “thank you” didn’t feel enough. As a person, I had so many emotions, so much gratitude, and yet I struggled to put them into words properly. Before I realized it, I kept worrying, and time passed.
But after thinking it through, what I want to say the most is this—without a doubt, the reason the GazettE has been able to keep going is because of all of you and honestly, it was the only reason I had to keep living.
So once again, thank you for protecting this band and for loving us so much.
And I love you all so much.
There were times when I felt like I was falling apart, but since you all pushed me forward and made me stronger, I won’t let anything defeat me this year.
This past year has been filled with one unbelievable thing after another, constantly forcing me to change my perspective. Even recently, there have been things I can’t put into words.
That’s why I believe everything should be turned into songs for the next album. The truth should be sublimated beautifully into lyrics.
As a musician, as a vocalist, that’s the best way I can express myself.
So for now, I won’t say too much, but I’m finally able to focus on what I need to do.
Once it all takes shape, I know you will understand.
And as the cherry blossoms bloom, I find them beautiful, but it’s not just a simple feeling, it stirs up something indescribable in me.
Even so, I’ll start updating little by little again.
So please, live in your own way, at your own pace, and treasure today for yourself. I hope you all spend it happily.
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: the GazettE (Band)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Aoi/Uruha (the GazettE)
Characters: Aoi (the GazettE), Uruha (the GazettE), Kai (the GazettE), Reita (the GazettE), Ruki (the GazettE), Toshiya (Dir en grey)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Past Child Abuse, Angst, Mystery, Suspense, Hallucinations, Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Mental Institutions, Mental Anguish, Creepy, Psychological Drama, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Hospitals, Doctor Uruha (the GazettE), Thriller, Psychological Horror, Aoiha - Freeform
Summary:
Kouyou is a mirror broken by the hands of life, his shards lay scattered about. He bleeds multiple colours as he tries to glue himself back together but who will help him? The voice in his head? The colleague that's suspiciously too nice? His aggressive boss? The dramatic receptionist? The patient in Room 444? Maybe it's no one...and he has to fend for himself against what lurks in the dark alone.
