SCOTUS Rules Racial Gerrymandering Legal in Hopes of Permanently Ending Democracy and Related 4/30/26
The court, in a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, ruled that Louisiana's 2024 election map, which created a second majority-Black congressi
The Supreme Court, in Louisiana v. Callais, struck down Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district.
Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision could render Section 2 “all but a dead letter.”
The republican majority didn't quote the Dred Scott v. Sanford case where it says that "blacks have no rights that whites are bound to respect," but it sure feels to me think they were thinking it.
Jen Psaki explains the map at the center of the new Supreme Court ruling that is likely to weaken Black representation in Congress and talks
“The Supreme Court has done it again. They’ve once again intervened to pull us back towards the policies of Jim Crow,” Chris Hayes says of t
“The Supreme Court has done it again. They’ve once again intervened to pull us back towards the policies of Jim Crow,” Chris Hayes says of t
GOP candidates and elected officials in southern states are calling for special sessions to dismantle majority-minority districts ahead of t
Equality Florida and voting rights advocates say the map rigs congressional districts for Republicans while reducing representation for Blac
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly wants a job in the Trump administration when his term as governor ends. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Fros
Mississippi Democrats denounced Republican plans to redraw voting districts after a Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act.
Women: Just using a restroom meaning be on various states of undress to relieve themselves and take care of menstrual hygiene. TRA: Disturbes the women while trying to frame the invasion of their privacy as a heroic act of civil disobedience.
A trans student, Marcy Rheintgen, has been arrested in Florida for violating the state's controversial bathroom law.
A daring act
By Gabriela Jessica April 4, 20253
Most people know better than to mess with the law, but Marcy Rheintgen had a different idea. The 20-year-old trans student from Florida wanted to make a point, so she walked into a women’s restroom at the Florida State Capitol. Normally, that wouldn’t be something you’d get arrested for. But under Florida’s controversial bathroom law, Rheintgen now faces a misdemeanor trespassing charge.
This wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment thing either. Rheintgen had sent a letter to all 160 of Florida’s state lawmakers, laying out exactly what she planned to do. So when she showed up at the Capitol on March 19, the police already knew what was coming and were waiting for her. They warned her that if she went into the women’s restroom, she’d get a trespass notice. Still, she stood her ground and refused to leave the area, which led to her arrest.
For this bold move, the trans student is facing a misdemeanor trespassing charge and is set to appear in court this May. If convicted, she could be looking at up to 60 days in jail. She told The Associated Press,
“I wanted people to see the absurdity of this law in practice. If I’m a criminal, it’s going to be so hard for me to live a normal life, all because I washed my hands. Like, that’s so insane.”
Marcy Rheintgen is now the first person ever arrested under Florida’s bathroom law. Nadine Smith, co-founder and executive director of Equality Florida, wasn’t having it. She called the arrest less about protecting women and more about “cruelty, humiliation, and the deliberate erosion of human dignity.” Before this law, trans people used public bathrooms without much trouble. But now, Smith says, lawmakers are just trying “to intimidate them out of public life.”
A lot of people applauded Rheintgen’s bold move to stand up to what they see as Florida’s ridiculous law. One Redditor said,“This was an intentional act of civil disobedience. She wrote to many Florida lawmakers, telling them exactly what she planned to do. Civil disobedience is how society changes. I applaud her efforts.”
Others slammed the bathroom law as both unrealistic and unacceptable. “Yeah, she totally looks like she should be using the men’s room according to our idiotic laws. She’d fit right in with Burly Biff and Chungus Chad,” one user commented sarcastically. “Actual law enforcement time and effort was spent enforcing bigotry. It’s sad. It’s disgusting.”
As an older gender critical woman, older by Tumblr standards, I can add some context to the "trans people used public bathrooms without much trouble" line. Because one transwomen dressed normally, used the restroom, washed their hands and left. No porn rotted men taking selfies that just happen to include women waiting in line to use a stall. No one asking if they were for a tampon should they offer to assist in it's insertation. Just discretion and in and out. A big difference between back then and this.
oh hey gang i have been making !!!! pride calicos !!!! little pride pins !!!! 🏳️🌈😽🏳️⚧️
whoaaa here they are
all proceeds for these will be donated to equality florida! i am sure many of you are aware now there's been some horrifying anti-trans legislation all over the US this year, particularly in florida. i moved here almost 7 years ago to make a home for myself and the people i met here gave me that, and now so many of those same people are losing their healthcare and their right to exist in public. a lot of people have left. a lot of people can't leave.
equalityfl has been doing really great work throughout all this, showing up at the capitol for every hearing and fighting on the front lines every day. i'm hoping that by supporting their work i can do a little bit to protect my trans loved ones here. so !! if you'd like to join me in that !!! and also get a cute little cat pin out of it that i made with love !!! here u are !!!
stay safe out there friends, protect each other, happy pride yall 🩷
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'Equality Florida Emergency Town Hall 02/01/24. Notes compiled by Trans Florida Resources regarding what we currently know about gender markers on Florida driver's licenses.' /End ID]
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'What if my ID has already been updated? "There is no reason to believe whatsoever that a person who has a valid, not expired driver's license or ID, that reflects their gender identity, is at any risk of civil or criminal penalties." "You cannot possibly be charged with fraud or misrepresentation of information or withholding of information if you amended your gender marker in compliance with, according to, the policy that existed at the time." - Simone Chriss.' /End ID]
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'What if my ID has already been updated? Do not return your ID, do not amend it back. If you are renewing your license, US citizens can do that online and the gender marker should not be affected. Non US citizens have to renew in person. In both US and non US citizen cases, as long as ANY federal document (birth certificate, passport, social security card) has the amended gender on it, it can be used to update a driver's license.' /End ID]
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'What if my ID has already been updated? (A screen cap box of text reads) 'The provision that governs how the department establishes gender for a newly issued license won't change, according to the memo and Molly Best, the department's director of communications. Someone can establish their gender for a new Florida license using supporting documents such as a driver's license from another state, a US passport or a US birth certificate, among other documents." Yurcaba, J. (2024, January 30). Florida bars transgender people from changing the sex on their driver's licenses. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/florida-transgender-drivers-license-sex-change-gender-identity-rcna136395.' /End ID]
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'What if my ID hasn't been updated? As long as you have a federal document that states your gender, you aren't affected. If you don't have one at all, that could preclude you from changing the gender marker. Florida birth certificates are no longer being amended at this time (Feb 2024) according to Simone Chriss. Passports with updated gender markers are still possible to acquire. Check out floridanamechange.org for details.' /End ID]
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'What if I'm pulled over? What about voting? The police or any individual cannot judge the validity of your ID. There are many layers & courts etc. that decide "fraud." If any pushback occurs, keep referring to the ID as your identity and don't escalate the situation. Make sure your voting information matches your current ID. Any further questions or situations that arise related to this, reach out to Simone: [email protected].' /End ID]
[Photo ID: A car's dashboard and steering wheel in the daytime. A semi translucent black box above the image has orange and white text that reads: 'What else? This is only a very brief outline of everything that was discussed. The full town hall recording is available across Equality Florida's social media. This is still an ongoing topic & will change as we know more each day. Lawsuits against it will occur. This memo defied many legalities. The key thing to remember is that these things occur & are phrased as they are mostly to just incite panic & fear. Try to relax as much as possible & remember you're in a community & we're all fighting like hell together.' /End ID]
Thank you so much to Equality Florida for putting together this town hall as quickly as they did. If any information here is incorrect or you have any further questions or need clarifications, please feel free to reach out.
Another advocacy group is warning people of color about traveling to Florida – but for different reasons.
The US Department of State issues travel advisories regarding how safe it is for Americans to travel various countries. In a number of cases, the Level 4 “Do not travel” advisories are used to designate countries whose governments are openly hostile to the Americans such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan.
So the NAACP, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the US, issued a formal travel advisory advising African-Americans of the dangers of visiting Florida.
It says in part...
The travel advisory from the NAACP comes several days after The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued its own Florida advisory for Hispanics.
Last month, the group Equality Florida issued a memorandum with the title TRAVEL ADVISORY: FLORIDA MAY NOT BE A SAFE PLACE TO MOVE OR VISIT for people in the LGBTQ+ community. An excerpt...
And of course there’s Florida’s extremist war on reproductive rights.
Florida Passes Extreme 6-Week Abortion Ban
The DeSantis régime with its rubber-stamp legislature have declared war on anybody who is not a straight white male Christian fundamentalist Republican. It may not be a safe place for many Americans to visit or move to.
This is the DeSantis blueprint for the US if he becomes president.
The only way to defeat neo-fascists like DeSantis is to Vote Democratic and to never miss an election. A divided opposition is what let Hitler come to power after getting just 33.1% of the vote in the November 1932 Reichstag elections.
Fascists don’t grow out of fascism, they just keep piling it on. Look no further than Trump and Putin.
Complacency and fleeting crushes on third party candidates are what led to Trump in 2016. We don’t need a rerun – or a re-Ron – in our future.
On Monday, March 28, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB1557–the notorious “don’t say gay” bill–into law. This bill is part of an unprecedented wave of legi…
On Monday, March 28, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB1557–the notorious “don’t say gay” bill–into law. This bill is part of an unprecedented wave of legislation targeting queer and trans youth, with potentially deadly consequences.
Florida may be America’s favorite trash fire, but we’re not willing to give up on our home state; and we’re DEFINITELY not willing to give up on the queer and trans kids who live there.
So we’re fighting back.
All April, we’ll be raising money for Equality Florida. Between our own contributions and the generous support of anonymous donors, we’re in a position to match up to $6000 of your contributions AND offer some very cool prizes.
HERE’S WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO:
Make a donation to Equality Florida and email the receipt to [email protected] with the subject line EQUALITY or tweet it to @xplainthexmen.
AND HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL GET:
IF YOU DONATE UNDER $25 – You’ll have our eternal love and gratitude, as well as the warm, fuzzy feeling of making a difference.
IF YOU DONATE $25 OR MORE – We’ll thank you on the podcast. (Note: these’ll be straightforward thanks, not the silly kind we do for patrons.)
IF YOU DONATE $50 OR MORE – Miles, who is adamantly Not an Artist, will draw you an earnest and possibly terrible social media X-avatar.
IF YOU DONATE $100 OR MORE – We’ll record a custom voicemail greeting for you.
IF YOU DONATE $200 OR MORE – Jay will knit you a hat.
IF YOU DONATE $500 OR MORE – We’ll record a Hawk Talk on a subject of your choice.
