quick!

So some fanartist drew a “sexy” (read: booby) version of a (cartoon) character who is traditionally very non-sexualised. Fans of the character got mad about it because it’s kind of groundbreaking how that character is written and portrayed and this art totally ignores the entire point of the character. They demanded the art be deleted. In response to that other people said, well what the fanartist did may be distateful but they have every right to draw what they’re into. The two sides fight for days and each starts a harassment campaign and even report their “opponents’” accounts.

So far so typical. But things eventually come to a head and they decide that this will be settled by votes - not through a poll. Through donations to a children’s education charity via each side’s portal. Whoever can get the highest amount of donation wins.

Please help me and my gf move to Boston, MA when our lease ends in June! For our safety as trans people & for better healthcare for my mental health & disabilities.

Please donate if you have the means. We both do not have the financial support of our parents / families. I wouldn't ask if there were any other options but I am already doing as much as I can and it is not enough. It's embarrassing but I have to try because I need to get us out of here. Please share/repost to also help!

'nüüm na waalt - it belongs to us all. 🌕 sticker design for this month on my patreon

on the other hand...

OMB Proposed Rule "Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance" Public Comment Period (CLOSES JULY 13, 2026)

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance (full text in link), that would fundamentally change the landscape of research in the U.S. (the largest research and development spender in the world, so this has global impact unfortunately) and how funding/grants are used across every agency in the federal government (food assistance, education, medicaid, to name a few areas).

Some changes would include:  

Agencies and programs cannot use federal funds to promote or facilitate “DEI practices,” “gender ideology,” or related activities. This would be a mandatory grant condition across all federal agencies and programs. “DEI practice” is never defined by the rule, meaning it can be applied however they want. We know who will be most impacted by this (immigrants, BIPOC, trans folks, disabled people, poor people, students, educators...).

Grants/funding can be terminated at any time if an award is deemed no longer in the "U.S. national interest" by political appointees. Again, the administration has not made a secret of what and who they think are not in the national interest. The rule would also remove the right to appeal such terminations.

Political appointees would have authority to determine which funding proposals represent the best science. This would essentially completely undermine the peer-review process in U.S. science. Scientific peer review would be merely advisory rather than integral to the process of determining which research proposals get funded.

Please consider making a unique public comment through the Regulations.gov website by choosing the option to comment as “an individual” or as “anonymous”. Reminder these are public comments, so anonymize yourself/submit anonymously if you don't want your identity/a particular detail in the public record. Comments close July 13.

See if your organizations are making a comment as a collective (if not, maybe you can start organizing)!

Please also consider spreading the word about this- contact colleagues, friends, etc, to write a comment. Anyone can share the way this rule would impact communities they care about, you do not have to be a researcher. A lot of people simply don't know this is happening (understandable given the news cycle); the more people are aware, the better opportunity we have to fight it.

And finally, please consider calling your reps about this, perhaps via 5calls.

Further resources for understanding and commenting on this issue (please feel free to add more):

Summary of the proposed rule

Summary of broad impacts of the proposed rule

Infographic and Video for visual explanation of how to submit a public comment

I am looking for some kind of job to provide for myself but I made a kofi if you have an interest in helping me. *stings you*

I interviewed someone that was detained at Delaney Hall in New Jersey while being lost in ICE’s detention system.