#ex maga

[thegaysonrisesagain]

Chris says it like it is and I’m so glad he’s snapping

[protest-id-verification]

Proposal: Worldwide Mass Walkout Protest Against Age Verification

I'm proposing that we all protest the age/ID verification laws being forced upon everyone with a walkout protest. If lawmakers won't listen to us willingly, then we force them to listen. We ALL walk out and protest, all over the world.

Because this is something that doesn't just effect one state, one country. This is something that is slowly affecting all of us. These laws are a slowly boiling pot and we're all frogs. And yes, there are real dangers to age/ID verification. So many people have already been put in danger because of these laws.

Discord Voluntarily Pushes Mandatory Age Verification Despite Recent Data Breach

Discord has begun rolling out mandatory age verification and the internet is, understandably, freaking out. We’ve written extensively about

Age Verification Systems Are Surveillance Systems

Here’s the kicker: the technology being used to implement these mandates isn’t even up for the task. Age estimation and ID verification tech

But if we take a stand, ALL of us together, then we stand a chance to make them listen. We can't just stand idly by while the people in power slowly strip us of our rights. We can't stay silent, because if we stay silent, that's how they win.

You may feel like you're alone, but you're not. We're not alone. We have each other.

There are hundreds of millions people all over the world who want this bullshit to end just as much as you do.

And if you won't fight for yourself, at least fight for others. Fight for your friends, your family, your community. Fight for LGBTQ+ kids. Fight for kids trapped in cults (like the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons). Fight for Black kids. Fight for Hispanic kids. Fight for Native American kids. Fight for LGBTQ+ adults. Fight for adults trapped in cults. Fight for Black adults. Fight for Hispanic adults. Fight for Native American adults. Fight for everyone all over the planet, because this is about all of us, not just one of us.

I believe that if we all work together, we can do this. Also please remember the bystander effect is a thing. Obviously if you're in a really tough spot where you desperately need to work or you could end up homeless or won't be able to afford food, etc., you don't need to participate, but for those of you in better living and working situations, please participate. Don't think that because there are other people on the planet also participating, that you don't need to, because chances are other people will also think the same thing, and then nothing gets done.

I hope that makes sense.

So here's what I'm proposing.

On May 10th starting 2:00 pm UTC, everyone (who can) all over the world, hold a walkout and/or don't show up to work and school entirely.

Those of you who feel safe to do so, please also protest in the streets.

Please also spread the word to other platforms, like YouTube, Instagram, Bluesky, twitter, facebook, Discord, Reddit, and so on. Please tell people irl, please make and put up posters (make sure said posters are in a spot where they're visible and are also not going to get taken down because of a law violation).

These sources are pretty good for how to prepare for and what to do during a protest:

Tips for Preparedness, Peaceful Protesting, and Safety

Safety and preparedness are essential in uncertain times. Whether you're preparing for an emergency or participating in a peaceful protest,

For quick reference, we've created a handy guide designed to be printed, folded, and carried in your pocket (PDF download). Now, more

(If you are not super tech savvy, it may be best to just leave your phone at home.)

After the protest starts on May 10th, it will last indefinitely, until lawmakers A) acknowledge the protest, B) admit they were wrong about age/ID verification protecting children, and C) rolling back laws enforcing age/ID verification.

No end date will be posted because we want to put pressure on lawmakers. We want to make them sweat. We don't want them thinking "if we hold out to x date, we don't have to do shit." I know this runs a risk of people losing their jobs, but we also risk losing even more of our rights. We risk living in surveillance states where our every movement is monitored. We risk living in countries where we're forced to give out identifying information that could then be stolen by people who could ruin our entire lives by impersonating us for god knows what.

If you can't participate but would still like to help in some way, here are some websites where you can protest some of the age/ID verification bills lawmakers are trying to pass. If you're participating, you can obviously still contribute via these websites as well.

Most of these bills are US based, but make sure to check the post notes in case people share links to similar bills lawmakers are trying to pass in other areas.

ONLINE ID CHECKS WILL RUIN THE INTERNET

Stop Online ID Checks in Massachusetts

New US Congress bill proposal requires all operating system providers to verify ages

We've covered here before on individual US states setting up their own age verification laws, and now a new US Congress bill has been propos

We're all in this together. Not just one state, not just one country. All of us. Every person on the planet. This isn't about borders, this isn't about who comes from where. This is about people.

This is about building a better future, not just for us, but those who come after. Because we matter. Because they matter.

I go on a bit of an emotional tangent here, so I am putting a "read more" section in case you don't wanna read all that /lh

The United Federation of Planets is a fictional government, and even it has its own set of problems. But in my mind, much of it is the ideal future for humanity.

Gene Roddenberry, even with all his flaws (and there were many), believed that too.

If we work together as one on this, without thinking about borders, without thinking about our personal biases, we can take a step towards building a better future like the one in Star Trek.

A future where all of humanity-- while not perfect, while still having its flaws, while still needing progress itself-- is mostly united. Not through force, but through wanting and working towards a better future of our own volition.

I've been thinking about rewatching the Deep Space Nine two-part episode "Past Tense." I think you all should too.

Another media that also matters a lot to me, and helped push me to make this post and this proposal, is Hazbin Hotel. I know, you're probably eye-rolling right now, but please humor me.

The message of Hazbin Hotel is that we can be better. We can do better. An incredibly similar message to Star Trek's.

And another part of Hazbin's message is that if we work together, we can be strong. We can make a real change.

It teaches us we can't just stand by and hope for the best. It teaches us that if we want change, we have to be the ones to make it.

But we don't have to do it alone. We don't exist in a vacuum, we exist on a planet with billions of other people. Together, we are stronger. And through that collective strength, we can make a difference for the better.

[thetimeicansee]

The only Ex-MAGA I will tolerate are the ones who can say, "Who I was was evil. What I believed was evil. What I agreed with was evil. I was evil and change doesn't require forgiveness to be worth doing. I understand why people will probably hate me forever. And that's their right, and I have to be okay with that if I ever hope to hold myself accountable."

Anything less than that and you are still MAGA.

[mitchfynde]

I no longer attribute my escape from MAGA to luck. I understand now. I just had much stronger values than they do. They're not trapped due to unluckiness. They weren't shocked out of it by the same things I was because they don't value the same things.

[averinna]

Are people still willing to call ex MAGA victim and welcome them with open arms now that they change what they consider humans right?

It's all because of them. Stop coddling them, they deserve to be punched and it's the least they do deserve

[mitchfynde]

I just wanted to put it out there that, though I am very harsh on the Trump regime, I am someone who will welcome those who wish to get off the Trump train. Assuming that America doesn't become a dictatorship, we will need reconciliation. I'm not an American, but I'd be happy to be part of that process. We all made mistakes.

[mitchfynde]

If you had told the version of me in 2016-2019 that I would later agree more often with Mike Pence than I did with Trump, I would have been horrified, but never horrified enough.

[ladydisdain5]

I want to say something to ex-MAGAs, and it'll probably be uncomfortable, but you need to hear it:

If you don't vote because you won't vote MAGA but you can't bring yourself to vote liberal, you are still part of the problem. You might say you're not helping MAGA, but you're also not stopping them. To put it another way I've seen before: if someone is pulling a tablecloth so all the drinks are falling off and spilling, you have three choices. You can help them yank it off faster. You can do nothing, and watch as the drinks still fall and spill. Or you can go pull on the opposite end of the tablecloth to keep it from moving. The first two both have blame in the outcome.