Straw-cleaner - Smiling Through It All

Repeating my COVID surge PSA: there is a major surge underway in many places right now. In the US, estimates are that we're seeing higher covid levels than 90% of the pandemic, with 1 in 35 people currently infected, so eg a gathering of 20 people has a 45% chance of having an infectious person present (source, posted 12/18/23 so they're already a couple days old and expected to rise through early January). It's common for people to be infectious without/before becoming symptomatic, and rapid tests miss a lot of cases.

You can protect yourself and your loved ones by declining invites for overly risky situations, wearing a well fitting high quality mask when you're sharing air with others (kn-94, N95), and following the People's CDC safer indoor gathering guide as much as you can

The Nation

Gaza’s Queer Palestinians Fight to Be Remembered

Through the online platform Queering the Map, stories of queer Palestinians can live on forever, asserting to the world that they do, in fac

Israeli security forces have admitted to deliberately threatening and outing queer Palestinians as a tactic to intimidate them into working as informants.

Munther Isaac's Christmas message from Bethlehem. It's in English so there's no mistaking who needs to hear it. Please don't ignore it.

"We will be OK. Despite the immense blow we have endured, we, the Palestinians, will recover. We will rise. We will stand up again from the midst of destruction, as we have always done as Palestinians. Although this is, by far, maybe the biggest blow we have received in a long time, but we will be OK. But for those who are complicit, I feel sorry for you. Will you ever recover from this? Your charity and your words of shock after the genocide won't make a difference, and I know these words of shock are coming, and I know people will give generously for charity, but your words won't make a difference. Words of regret won't suffice for you. And let me say it; we will not accept your apology after the genocide. What has been done has been done. I want you to look in the mirror, and ask: Where was I when Gaza was going through a genocide?"

i hate this fucking "i'm just a girl" brand of feminism bc it is so easy for young women in their 20s who are afraid of big changes and personal growth to revert to depending on their gender and the associated fragility of it so that they can make it through life when really they're just trapping themselves in a position where they cannot and will not grow out of that fear.

eternal love for her (palestine)

you arent going to be capable of any meaningful kind of solidarity with anyone if your response to new perspectives or information is to pretend you already knew.

if you cant say things like “i hadnt thought about it that way” or “thats a good point” (or even, god forbid “thanks for checking me on that”) when theyre appropriate, consider whether youre actually interested in developing your understanding or if youre just invested in your political self image.

this sucks ass but what’s neat is the event is free to register for and will be capped at 300 in person registrations. pitch in and register with your favorite fake name and hopefully this idiot will walk in to a room of empty chairs. takes like 10 seconds. el oh el

Throwback to when I took painkillers and woke up with Photoshop open on my computer to this image I had made

In Gaza, Filmmakers Asked Children: What Is Your Dream? (2021)