Hello! It is Tuesday.

As it is Tuesday, I had planned on trying to do something snazzy. You know, some type of hard-hitting political piece. A well thought out newsletter, carefully constructed, after days of prodigious research (which, let’s face it, I suck at anyway..) I wanted to do this. This was the plan. Then, my brain died. Like, the creative aspect of my brain just checked out.

I hate when this happens. And it happens a lot. I need a factory reset. So,/ I have to take days off, pushing everything I need till the next day. What I realized today is that I have been stuck because I have been forcing it.. In my mind, I have going over and over the reasons why I was doing this. Not the newsletter, which is supposed to come out every Tuesday. No, if I am being honest, I got sucked up with trying gain followers, write the content that the audience demands, in order to get said subscribers. That has been the block.

It took something that didn’t necessarily involve me to see what was happening. I was chasing the coin. That is not a bad thing. We all have to make a living in this capitalistic society we are currently in. What better way than to write and get paid for writing?. But at what cost? Do I have to adhere o some sort of structure on everything I write. All these thoughts are swirling in my head, and the one answer that keeps on popping up in my mind is ‘don’t force it’. With that in mind, a sort of newsletter will be coming out, but it may not be every Tuesday—and that is okay.

So let’s get to it!!

MUSICAL CHAIRS

Freak of nature is what I have been called, regarding my over-the-top consumption of all

things music! I am not going to list all genres. To do so would be a fools game. Instead, each week, I will drop some music for your aural pleasure.

Because it is Wednesday, and because overall, it is amazing, I am starting off with Charles Mingus. This track is called “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (Live)”. It can be found on the album, MINGUS AT ANTIBES. Nice jazz for a Wednesday evening, ya know??

Up next, some Southern Gothic, mood-type music from Ethel Cain. Problematic? Maybe. I can’t, however, get her music out of my mind. I keep going back for more. I am going to drop a track called “God’s Country” from the delicious album, Inbred. Tastey morsel of goodness, if you ask me. Here comes the drop.

Alright - the last track of the evening/night comes from copyright featuring imanni. The track is named “Deeper” and it is a deep house tune. I love all kinds of house music. This is not typical EDM watered down crap. It is the real deal Holyfield, and whenever it pops up in a mixed album, you know it is going to be fire!! Take a listen below!

Yep Yep. Come read all about…them!!! These are some of the quotes sticking in my noggin’ these last several days.

“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.”

—Alice Walker

Having someone silence your voice is no sign of friendship. Manipulative—maybe? Narcissistic—quite possibly. Controlling—definitely! There can be no grow while constantly being shut down, by not being able to have your opinions heard. It can be stifling, and pervasive. Our job is to make sure that we not allow anyone to shut our voices out. We cannot be complicit in this behavior.

“There is nothing more frightening than ignorance in action.” —

—Eleanor Roosevelt

“Scratch an Ideologically committed transphobe and you will likely find a fascist underneath.”

—Anonymous

Whoohoo!! The last two quotes represent the overall issue, and an issue specific to trans people. This country is being by hate and confusion, which stems from ignorance. Most times, it becomes willful ignorance. Buuuuutttt sometimes, as shown in the second quote, opposition to trans rights, specifically, is rarely an isolated event. Rather, it is indicative of the broader underlying authoritarian, or fascist ideology. General ignorance is often the starting point of anti-trans sentiment. Anti-trans thought often acts as a gateway to these far-right and oppressive beliefs.

Quickie #1

Within each weekly (hopefully) drop, I will be highlighting some stories and news, from Queerland. As the title suggests, these will not be deep dives; rather, I will drop a linky to the article, and briefly hit pertinent points. So, without further ado, Let’s get to the first story.

Kansas is pushing, rather quickly, a bill that would allow private citizens to “act as bounty hunters, seeking out transgender people in bathrooms—including private business ones—and suing them for substantial sums of money” Reed pointed out. It is getting even more real out in the field, my peeps. I don’t have an answer these problems, but I am sure of one thing. The hatred others have for trans/nonbinary/2S/GNC/ people will not wipe us out. We have always, and will always, be around. No amount of legislation, threats, or violence will be able to exterminate all of us. Make no mistake, this is what these people are dead set on. They want us dead.

Quickie #2

And now for some good news.

MAC, the cosmetic giant has renewed its support for The Trevor Project, to the tune of 1 million dollars! In a time where youth in the United States are being targeted every day, mental health is a key component of suffering.

The Trevor Project has recently lost millions in federal support, so MAC renewing for the third year in a row helps to recover some of that loss, allowing for the continued (for now) access to 24/7, free crisis services.

The number of younger queer people likely to attempt suicide, compared to their cis hetero peers, jumps to more than 4x. Other factors when considering queer youth not being able to access mental health care are cost of care, availability, or fear of discrimination

So, this is a win for MAC, and this is definitely a win for both The Trevor Project and Queer kids. Indeed, it is a win for all queer people. Queer kids become queer adults, leading the charge for equality. All we want is for these kids to grow up to become queer elders. We want all queer kids to have a safe childhood.