Happy Inauguration Day Eve! Sleep tight tonight, We’re almost there!
Queer as in F*ck You
“It’s definitely a nod to my trans sisters… being self made in terms of career, but also my womanhood, because that shit was not handed to me, it was a battle.” Trace Lysette Is All of Our Mothers in Video for Her First Song ‘SMB’
And moving from one trans legend to another…
“I believe in connections and community and love and sex and friendship. I believe in both the flexibility and the security of those words. I believe that someone can slide into your DMs and then a year and a half later they can become your family.”
What Being Single During The Pandemic Taught Me About Friendship by Drew Gregory for Refinery29. Usually my “must read” recommendation of the day is about something serious and devastating, but today is is this personal essay from our very own Drew Gregory about the importance of queer friends that I honestly have not been able to stop replaying in my mind all day.
OK GET READY TO SQUEAL REAL LOUD IN QUEER PRIDE AND JOY!! Meet The 26-Year-Old Black Woman — Dajae Williams — Who Became A Rocket Scientist After She Was Enrolled In An Honors Math Class By Mistake.
(And oh yeah, she’s real gay too, check her Instagram. You truly just love to see it!)
A Black Lives Matter Founder on Building Modern Movements. I know — I promised my “read of the day” wouldn’t be serious, but if you could please squeeze in room for two readings, make one of them the personification of Black queer political brilliance, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. talking to yet another personification Black queer political brilliance, Alicia Garza.
I mean just My God, you know?? What else is there even to say. Read it.
Saw This, Thought of You
Both Rachel AND Abeni both found this vaccine analysis helpful, so I would bet a million trillion Monopoly dollars that you will to: Underselling the Vaccine
Indigenous Beaders Are Getting Dropped by Instagram With No Explanation. At least 20 Indigenous artists are trying to figure out what’s happening, and some are worried their community is being racially targeted by a third party.
I Think About These 2008 Gossip Girl Ads a Lot. I’ve been binging non-stop Gossip Girl since December, so, relatable.
Political Snacks
Nancy Pelosi Prepares to Pass Voting Rights Legislation. I’m happy to know this because I’ve been screaming about it internally all month. If absolutely anything is going to change in this country, passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act has to be priority #1. No exceptions.
Us Capitol Riot: Police Have Long History of Aiding Neo-Nazis and Extremists. I mean… facts.
“There she took Soulja Boy Tell’em’s popular “Crank That” beat and added lyrics on how to solve the quadratic equation, which went viral on social media.” This is Oscar-worthy biopic material!
i was reading Amber Ruffin/Lacey Lamar’s book today and the opposite happened to Ms. Lamar. she’s fine and a happy adult, but being that takes a level of effort that white people could probably never understand. secondary to decency and valuing people intrinsically, i really want white folks to also realize that it’s bad for humanity to be wasting any of the potential we have when we need it all so badly now.
Thank you for this! I looked it up and read her anecdote about the laptops. This gives me much to reflect on, as a white teacher of adult literacy students. Our department has to advocate constantly for our students to have access to the same resources as others, because they’re at multiple intersections of marginalization and all too easily written off in favour of programs that generate more money for the institution. It is an infuriating attitude, but I only have to deal with it at one step removed, at work, and not in my daily personal life.