JJ. he/they. I'm a huge nerd about so many things, I collect fun facts like pokemon cards babey! ~Does anyone know if my insurance covers necromancy? Because I’m dead inside~
Master doc that contains different resources and support for many countries including Palestine, Congo, Haiti, Hawai’i, etc ((op is underneath the link))
[ID: Tweet by Nanu's eyebrows 🇹🇹❤️🔱… @ Seaweedlagoon which reads: "I'd appreciate if you guys would spread around my master document that not only contains support for Palestine but other countries as well, I'm updating it with resources for Puerto Rico, Lebanon and Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow!" With a link to the above doc/End ID]
The amount of disbelief I’m willing to suspend is directly proportional to how entertaining the show is. If a show is barely able to hold my attention and has betrayed my trust before, fuck you, that’s not how cutting someone’s head off works.
If I’m glued to my seat every week and can’t stop watching, then yes, absolutely, the professional athlete in a blond wig is indistinguishable from the 17 year old lead actress.
Every so often I still see discourse about which demographics are "really queer" so just to clarify. In our society there is a pervasive expectation that everyone will:
Fall into one of 2 (out of many) sexual variations from birth
Identify as the gender associated with whichever of the 2 variations you're in
Conform with the norms and traditional expressions for that gender
Experience sexual and romantic attraction, exclusively towards the opposite gender
Enter into de jure monogamous relationships with partners you feel sexual and romantic attraction towards
Deviation from this list is frequently punished with social stigma, bigotry, denial of certain legal rights or protections, and often violation of bodily autonomy
If you are someone who deviates from this list in some way, you are one of us and there should be a place for you in the queer community. Up to you if you actually want to take that place, but if you choose to do so, none of us should be making you feel unwelcome for being "not really queer"
people complaining about ao3 site “not looking aesthetically pretty” is so funny to me because it’s super clear these people are used to wattpad and other social media platforms where you can have aesthetic layouts, but what they fail to understand is that ao3 is an archive. it’s a library with the purpose of keeping/storing/archiving fanworks. it’s not a social media.
also, you can technically make your ao3 page look aesthetically pretty by applying your own customized skin/layouts on your own ao3 page. according to people who use their own customized skins, it’s easy once you learn how to do it (I personally don’t know how to do it because I’m not interested in learning or applying any fancy skin, and I just use dark mode there) it may not be as easy as decorating twitter or wattpad layout, but that’s because the purpose of ao3 is to archive fanworks, not to be a place for users to show their aesthetic layouts.
once again, ao3 is a non-profit organization, an anti-censorship archive/library that welcomes all kinds of fanfics/fanworks. it doesn’t prioritize “looking aesthetically pretty” because looking aesthetically pretty like a social media platform has never been relevant to its purpose.
here’s the list of things you need to know if you’re new to ao3
Under Virginia law, a month had to elapse before the death sentence could be carried out. Governor Wise resisted pressures to move up the execution date because, he said, he wanted everyone to see that Brown's rights had been thoroughly respected.
Brown made it clear repeatedly in his letters and conversations that these were the happiest days of his life. He would be publicly murdered, as he put it, but he was an old man and, he said, near death anyway. Brown was politically shrewd and realized his execution would strike a massive blow against Slave Power, a greater blow than he had made so far or had prospects of making otherwise. His death now had a purpose. In the meantime, the death sentence allowed him to publicize his anti-slavery views through the reporters constantly present in Charles Town, and through his voluminous correspondence.
Before his conviction, reporters were not allowed access to Brown, as the judge and Andrew Hunter feared that his statements, if quickly published, would exacerbate tensions, especially among the enslaved. This was much to Brown's frustration, as he stated that he wanted to make a full statement of his motives and intentions through the press.[54]: 212 Once he had been convicted, the restriction was lifted, and, glad for the publicity, he talked with reporters and anyone else who wanted to see him, except pro-slavery clergy.[46]
Brown received more letters than he ever had in his life. He wrote replies constantly, hundreds of eloquent letters, often published in newspapers,[133]: 43 and expressed regret that he could not answer every one of the hundreds more he received. His words exuded spirituality and conviction. Letters picked up by the Northern press won him more supporters in the North while infuriating many white people in the South.
Just a couple of the quotes about him that I like:
“His zeal in the cause of freedom was infinitely superior to mine. Mine was as the taper light, his was as the burning sun. Mine was bounded by time. His stretched away to the silent shores of eternity. I could speak for the slave. John Brown could fight for the slave. I could live for the slave. John Brown could die for the slave.”
-Frederick Douglass
"That new saint, than whom nothing purer or more brave was ever led by into conflict and death, — the new saint awaiting his martyrdom, and who, if he shall suffer, will make the gallows glorious like the cross."
netflix is making a hockey show called "the sticks" that is based on a very real tragedy that occured in canada in 2018.
the show follows a minnesota high school team after their bus crashes and coming back to hockey afterwards.
in 2018, the humboldt broncos' (a junior A team made up of 18-22 year olds) bus was hit by a tractor trailer on a highway intersection. 16 people (10 players, 2 coaches, and 4 team staff members) were killed, along with 13 other players severely injured.
the memory of the humboldt broncos crash is an incredibly sensitive subject carrying a lot of trauma to both the survivors, their families, and deceased's families. the trajectory of hockey in canada was changed significantly after this tragedy.
despite this, netflix has decided to make a show using the death of young hockey players for profit. they did not consult the survivors, nor the deceased's families. they stole a canadian story for a feel-good cash grab.
i understand wanting to watch shows about hockey, but this is not the show to watch. do not give it attention, as the humboldt broncos' memories deserve to be theirs and theirs alone to share.
One of the kids on the Broncos lived on my block. A coworker lost her brother in law. This tragedy was widely felt in Canada as a whole - flags at half-mast level.
None of the families even knew about this show until the media started asking how they felt.
It is taking a tragedy and turning it into a cash cow.
This was such a deeply-felt issue that even the truck driver pleaded guilty and has tried to make amends. (And as he is facing deportation after his sentence, some of the families have even started supporting him being allowed to stay in the country.) There is a real story you could be telling about community and resilience that is not just turning one of the worst days for THE NATION into cheap thrills and sensationalism.
Don't watch. Don't tweet. Pretend this show does not exist.
Actually fuck it, I will risk putting some extra info on this because it's important for academics to know.
If you get a reject on reports like this: APPEAL.
A lot of academics are afraid to appeal or think that a rebuttal will just get sent back to the same reviewers, but any publisher worth their salt would send this to an advisory board member to adjudicate. It's shit that it needs to be done, because it creates work for authors AND editors and it slows everything down, but it is worth doing if you have a case! Do not let lazy fucks win and ruin your chances!
Do NOT be afraid to say:
- This comment is beyond the scope of the work presented, this work focuses on [x,y,z]
- These additional experiments are not relevant because [insert reason]
- I disagree with this point because [reason]
It's impossible for editors to be exact experts in every manuscript they handle, so rely on reviewers and authors. If there is a fundamental disagreement between author and reviewer, a good publishing house will ensure it is policy that board members are consulted for their expertise (this is what they are for!).
Peer review is a million miles from a perfect system, but good publishers do actually care about trying their best for authors and scientific integrity. I'm not going to pretend that there aren't a lot of dodgy publishing houses out there because there absolutely are, but it's worth pushing back if you get a bullshit report, because a good one WILL get an adjudicator.
Oh - and publishers do blacklist bad reviewers. They just need to know who the bad reviewers are.
Also, only tangentially related, do not be afraid to ask for extensions during a revision period. The publisher does not want to lose your manuscript. They get granted for all kinds of reasons and often you don't even need to provide a reason to get one.
text: [ “Some of you have forgotten that only three years ago you were perfectly capable of writing an essay, writing a eulogy, telling a bedtime story to a child, and it should worry you that powerful companies have convinced us we can’t do things we’ve been doing for 5000 years.” ]
As an older queer, allow me to say: the walls of the closet are load-bearing. It is our job as a community to stand in front of that door and tell everyone who wants to peek inside to fuck off.
There are so many reasons a person may choose not to come out and there is no reason a person would owe the public or a stranger that information. Certainly it's not owed simply because someone is famous.
We have fought for decades to make it safer for people to be open and authentic about themselves, but we are not yet there. And even if we were, the closet would still be something we need to maintain for those who are not ready to reveal that part of themselves.
I was outed by Star Wars fans within moments of AHSOKA being announced back in 2016. It went fine, but it could have gone badly, and I think about it from time to time.
Usually when the electrician goes 'hey.... there's something you should see' it's because someone set up shoddy wiring. This time it was because he pulled two snakes out of my wall
Transphobia is being signed into law in the UK. Let's fight it together.
I am begging the UK trans community and its allies to attend the rescheduled Mass Lobby at Parliament, now on Wed Sept 9th, 1pm-5pm, organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.
The law around trans equality is fundamentally broken. Government inaction is hanging trans people and organisations out to dry - with a con
The new EHRC Code of Practice pushes trans people out of toilets, hospital wards, and community spaces. It normalises gender policing based on appearance and stereotypes. It became statutory guidance in the UK on August 5th, 2026.
Trans people are now legally their assigned gender at birth and must join gendered spaces accordingly, but if they are perceived as their lived gender, they can also be ejected from those spaces. The guidance says: either break the law, or don’t pass too well.
A mass lobby is where you invite your MP to discuss your concerns with you in-person. Our demands have changed. Ask your MP to:
Write to Ministers and Prime Minister Andy Burnham to say they are profoundly concerned by the rolling back of trans rights, and that they believe that it is time for Parliament to legislate to protect equality for trans people.
Ask parliamentary questions focused on protecting trans people’s rights and defending trans people’s abilities to live safe and dignified lives.
Speak up both inside and outside Parliament in defence of trans people’s rights.
Meet regularly with trans constituents to understand their lived realities.
Your MP does not have to be an ally, they do not have to respond to your email for you to show up and greencard them (details below the cut.) What matters is that as many people as possible show up.
I cannot stress this enough: Showing up in person matters. It is much more effective than petitions, emails, and letters.
We have already had some wins because we took action. The 2026 EHRC guidance has already rolled back its most harmful elements because of mass campaigning by individuals like us, and groups like The Good Law Project. This summer, 166 MPs signed the Early Day Motion 240 to reject the EHRC Code of Practice, because of our campaigning. That is 1 in 4 MPs.
It is a horrible, stressful time, and I am so sorry if you're trans and live in the UK. But I was at last year's mass lobby and the line for greencarding alone stretched around the back gates. It was a record breaking mass lobby and made us impossible to ignore. Let's do even better this time. Details under the cut:
Worried about what to say?
Bring your personal worries about transphobia being signed into law, and trans friends being excluded from public spaces. You are a living person who deserves dignity. Remind your MP of that. On the day, you'll get guidance and brochures from Trans Solidarity Alliance that outlines our demands. This is mine from last year.
Here is an online briefing for lobbyists (10 mins read for essential info, 20 mins for details)
Money issues?
Trans Solidarity Alliance provides a travel bursary that you can sign up for via the link.
Got a refusal or no response from your MP?
Come anyway! You can request a same-day appointment with your MP through a process called greencarding. They will come and see you if they’re already in Parliament. Even if they don’t, they’re made acutely aware of your cause because you showed up in person. This is my greencard from last year.
Here is the EHRC Code of Practice in full. It's a tough read, but some highlights are:
Organisations can’t provide trans-inclusive, single-sex services, or they risk being sued for discrimination. e.g. domestic violence support for women including trans women, men’s rugby group including trans men (12.68).
Trans people will have nowhere safe to pee. If you’re a trans man, businesses can't allow you to pee in the men's, and you can also be ejected from women’s bathrooms if you’re perceived as a man. Vice versa for trans women. EHRC suggests a ‘third space’ bathroom, which is discriminatory and unworkable for most businesses. (13.130-133)
Sports organisations must exclude trans people from single-sex competitions (13.73). A women’s only sports competition must exclude trans women because of their biological advantage or face potential lawsuits (13.74), but a trans man who has undergone testosterone treatment can also be excluded based on fairness rules (13.81).
Trans women are stripped of the legal definition of ‘lesbian’, and therefore no longer have legal protections if they’re discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. (2.50, 2.92).
Here is the Good Law Project's better explanation of the EHRC Code.
Sign up for the mass lobby and email your MP here, or click the main link above.
If you are not in the UK but want to support the case, please donate to The Good Law Project.
Save the date and book off work!! I will see you there :))
I have an end-of-life patient to whom I spoke today. She burst out laughing and said, "It was all such fun. I just had so much fun." I wish this for everyone. I wish that we each would meet death laughing, with little regret and even less fear.
