Transition: A Life Faced With Adversity

There are many things that are a result of the social structure that we live in. One of these catastrophic results is suicide amongst groups that are marginalized and stigmatized because for one reason or another they don't fit into the norms that the social structure was built on. I've had several friends who were part of LGBTQIA (alphabet soup) communities who've committed suicide. When you live in a social structure that is adverse to your existence and in a society where you are painted as the 'other', life can seem too difficult to be worth it. Sometimes keeping on can be a fight that looks eternal and hopeless. One of the communities that is hit hardest by such adversity and stigma is the trans community. The suicide rate is significantly higher than pretty much any other population. Many trans folks who come out lose their job, family and friends over it, but that is just the beginning...
...Then there is the insane level of threats, violence and harassment. Walking down the street becomes more dangerous for trans folks. People often feel threatened when their over simplistic understanding of gender is being challenged. Sometimes some people get violent because they fear anything or anyone they don't understand. In medical situations, trans people are often put through hell if the medical professionals who are supposed to take care of them happen to not have the knowledge on basic sensitivities when it comes to trans folks. Because of horrible portrayals of trans people in the media and humor at trans folks' expense, society treats trans people as something to gawk at instead of someone with their own feelings, dreams and aspirations. Trans people are treated as subhumyn in that sense.
My heart and prayers go out to trans folks who committed, attempted or are thinking about suicide. I pray that they don't give up on their lives. Someday we will have a world where gender roles are not forced on anyone, a world without the gender binary or the patriarchal social structure. I pray for and work towards a world without social stigma. I pray for a world where instead of having to face overwhelming adversity, trans folks have support and hope reinforced by the greater society. Someday cis privilege, male privilege, hetero privilege, white privilege, economic-affluent privilege etc will be recognized and broken down with all the hierarchies. In the meantime the trans community has my solidarity and support. If you know a trans person who is struggling I urge you to be there for them and support them. Transition can be hard enough for them as is, then they may also be facing the stigma and oppression in ways we might not even be able to imagine.

Domestic Violence: A Societal Problem

It is all over the media, athlete Ray Rice knocked his fiancé out in an elevator and all he got as a consequence of his actions was a two game suspension. Regardless of whether or not the NFL saw the video before they handed down the two game suspension, they had to have known that Mr. Rice dragged his unconscious fiancé from the elevator which was also caught on camera. This is a symptom of a larger societal problem where the institutions, sports leagues, the media, politicians and even society as a whole does not take domestic violence and gendered violence seriously. The problem is almost without fail portrayed as just a few isolated incidents. When people speak out we are seen as "hysterical" and they will say we are "overreacting".

Another thing the media will do is if a survivor returns to the abuser they use that as a means of attacking the validity of the accusations. This happened when Rihanna was seen with Chris Brown after he had beaten her.

I know because of personal experience how difficult it is to get out of an abusive relationship. When I left my abusive ex and escaped abuse, I had help because a wonderful feminist came and helped me get away. She gave me a place to stay.

I am very blessed that she helped me because I wouldn't have been able to get away without her help. If it wasn't for her help in getting away, I'd likely still be with him to this day. However, there are many other womyn who don't have such support and feel as alone and trapped as I did at one point. If you are one of those womyn and you are reading this please know that you are not alone.

When I had a way out and realized that I deserve better than abuse, I left that motherfucker. Nobody deserves to be abused.

The problem is society doesn't take domestic and gendered violence seriously. The system is rigged to silence survivors. Much like with sexual abuse the police are usually don't take domestic violence very seriously and the injustice system rarely does anything about abusers.



I, personally, feel that a network of underground community oriented justice as well as education is the most logical way to combat this problem. As womyn, we must stop tearing each other down and follow the example of The Gulabi Gang in India.

Why Isn't Weed Legalized Nationwide?

"Why isn't weed legalized nation wide?" is a question I ask myself a lot. Is it because it is dangerous? Is it because it transforms otherwise nice people into criminals and the monsters they say are always  lurking in the dark? Is it because addiction is a serious problem? Or that it kills brain cells making us pot smokers apparently turn into bumbling imbeciles who can't think for shit? No. The reason is control. If people can smoke weed than they can make choices about their own bodies.
When looking further into it they were trying to control chicanos and blacks. Big business had everything to gain by the criminalization of weed. Hemp was bad for business for the cotton and paper industries. Control of people and resources was the goal.
To deny a person autonomy over their own body denies their individuality. This is the goal of the corporate power structure. They want power they keep it.
They can line their pockets with these private contracts for prisons. So each person sentenced over possession of a plant that is most common in communities of color and economically underprivileged. Control. Countless products that would cut into business interest. Control. Telling you that you can't put that substance in your body. Control.
That is why weed isn't legalized. Control. Period.

#JusticeForJason - Police, Power And Privilege [video commentary]

Police, Power And Privilege

#JusticeForJason

#ACAB

#InvestigateDentonPD

#FuckPoliceBrutality

#DentonTX

Recently, Jason Wayne Bishop (aka Pooh) was detained by the Denton City Police for public intoxication. He was beaten while in the DentonPD's custody. He had two swollen black eyes and had to have 17 stitches on his forehead (amongst other injuries). These are not injuries that could possibly be inflicted as a result of just being "taken down and restrained" but signs of force far beyond the use of force continuum. Moreover, the behavior of Denton's finest is also a manifestation and a symptom of a greater systemic and structural problem. It is part of a power structure that enforces privilege, social control, economic disparity and inequality. It is an overall system of injustice and behavior that is beyond sick.

Police Brutality in Denton, TX (Whooda Thunk It!?!?!) ACAB!

This is Jason chillin' in the squat with a tall can.

It was Denton, TX. In the early hours of the morning, July 18th, 2014 @ approximately 2:20am, a guy I know was tataken into custody for possession of alcohol and Public Intox. The arresting officer was Clint Webb Badge # 132. Now this officer seemed to be acting within the confines of his job and other than my ideological argument that the state enforced by all officers is the very power structure I would love to tear down as an anarchist, I have no beef with him. He did however witness at least some of what followed. Two city jail guards  described as black, stocky, approximately '5"9 started beating him ruthlessly.

This is Jason after what the pigs did to him.

Through out this whole thing Jason, the one beaten, was compliant. He did not fight back only tried to cover his vital areas as any reasonable person would do. I know Jason is know angel, he is my drunken ex fiancé who I am not to happy with as of late. But he doesn't have many people sticking up for him. And if this is what it takes to get his voice heard, well I got his back. There should be an investigation. This is clearly a case of bullies picking on one street person, but is part of a bigger problem. Lets set an example and fight for these pigs to be dealt with. For Jason, for Pooh Bear, for whatever you know him as...

ACAB!!!

ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS!!!

Edit: 17 stitches and a concussion.

Edit: "Fractured wrist,broken nose,contusions to face,17 stitches,concussion!" ~from his sister