For An Independent Vegas

An interesting meditation on misogyny, queerphobia, life as a member of the working class, and how rich people are all real fuckin weird

Don’t let anyone tell us that we — but a small band — are too weak to attain unto the magnificent end at which we aim.

Count and see how many of us there are who suffer this injustice.

We peasants who work for others and who mumble the straw while our masters eat the wheat, we by ourselves are millions of men.

We workers who weave silks and velvets in order that we may be clothed in rags, we, too, are a great multitude; and when the clang of the factories permits us a moment’s repose, we overflow the streets and squares like the sea in a spring tide.

We soldiers who are driven along to the word of command, or by blows, we who receive the bullets for which our officers get crosses and pensions, we, too, poor fools who have hitherto known no better than to shoot our brothers, why, we have only to make a right-about-face towards these plumed and decorated personages who are so good as to command us, to see a ghastly pallor overspread their faces.

Ay, all of us together, we who suffer and are insulted daily, we are a multitude whom no man can number, we are the ocean that can embrace and swallow up all else.

Kristi Pinderi, 34, and Xheni Karaj, 31, who have been at the forefront of the movement for almost a decade, plan to file a lawsuit with the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights seeking to amend Albania’s Family Code prohibiting cohabitation rights for same-sex couples.

Well, that’s up to us, isn’t it?

We’re often accused of “waiting for” The Revolution™ or The General Strike™ or w/e, but nobody is “just waiting.” Every little bit of work advances the struggle. Sometimes in fits and starts, but other times in leaps and bounds.

I don’t like trying to predict the future. For one thing it’s impossible and for another thing it misses the point.

my mum sent me this vid which demonstrates how to use a (usb) charger when ur power goes out, using a car usb plugin, charging cable,a pen spring, and a 9V battery

Experiences of oppression shouldn’t have to measure up to other experiences to matter. There isn’t a bar you have to meet before your experiences are real.

As a white adult with a job and a home living in a progressive place my experiences with transphobia and homophobia do not in any way measure up to the experiences of a black homeless trans woman in a conservative place or to a gay person in Chechnya yet no one ever says that the transphobia and homophobia that I experience is there for not real or doesn’t matter. & I am not expected to start every sentence with “even though some other people have it worse…”

And when I speak to asexuals who were bullied and raped and not believed by their families because of their asexuality it is obvious to me that there are people whose experiences of aphobia are worse than my experiences with transphobia and homophobia right now. Experiences are always contextual. There is no univeral trans experience and there is no universal asexual experience. 

But I really shouldn’t even have to give those examples. Even if experiences were universal and even if every single asexual faced less oppression than every single trans person and every single gay person than aphobia would still matter. And saying that it is ‘not as bad’ would still be a shitty useless thing to say to someone trying to fight that oppression. 

“But aphobia isn’t as bad as…” SHUT. UP. GET OVER YOURSELF. YOU SUCK. JUST DO EVERYONE A FAVOR AND NEVER SPEAK AGAIN. 

FOOD

Find your nearest food bank or mission, for food

grocery stores with free samples, bakeries + stores with day-old bread

different fast food outlets have cheaper food and will generally let you hang out for a while.

some dollar stores carry food like cans of beans or fruit

SHELTER

Sleeping at beaches during the day is a good way to avoid suspicion and harassment

sleep with your bag strapped to you, so someone can’t steal it

Some churches offer short term residence

Find your nearest homeless shelter

Look for places that are open to the public

A large dumpster near a wall can often be moved so that flipping up the lids creates an angled shelter to stay dry

HYGIENE

A membership to the YMCA is usually only 10$, which has a shower, and sometimes laundry machines and lockers.

Public libraries have bathrooms you can use

Dollar stores carry low-end soaps and deodorant etc.

Wet wipes are all purpose and a life saver

Local beaches, go for a quick swim

Some truck stops have showers you can pay for

Staying clean is the best way to prevent disease, and potentially get a job to get back on your feet

Pack 7 pairs of socks/undies, 2 outfits, and one hooded rain jacket

OTHER

first aid kit

 sunscreen

 a travel alarm clock or watch

 mylar emergency blanket

 a backpack is a must

 downgrade your cellphone to a pay as you go with top-up cards

 sleeping bag

 travel kit of toothbrush, hair brush/comb, mirror

 swiss army knife