Essential Essentials

I’ve been compiling links to resources and organizations that are doing important work to support the most vulnerable people during this pandemic. If you’ve been feeling helpless to fight all the awful things that are happening, here’s some ways you can help. Do what you are able to - donating, volunteering, protesting, joining a union, contacting your government representatives, and simply spreading information are all good actions to take right now.

Mutual Aid Disaster Relief - resources for getting involved in mutual aid efforts. https://mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/collective-care/

Mutual Aid Hub - map for locating mutual aid resources and groups in your area that you can donate to or get involved in. https://www.mutualaidhub.org/

Never Again Action - organization fighting against ICE detention centers. https://www.neveragainaction.com/

Feeding America - all food banks are in desperate need of support right now, donate or find your local food banks here. https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

Black and Pink - organization for prison abolition and support for incarcerated ppl who are LGBT/HIV+. https://www.blackandpink.org

Movimiento Cosecha - organization for undocumented immigrants, in need of donations. https://www.lahuelga.com/

Indigenous Mutual Aid Directory - resource for indigenous-led mutual aid groups. https://www.indigenousmutualaid.org/

Covid-19 Resources for Undocumented Immigrants - google doc spreadsheet of resources for uncoumented immigrants. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18p9OSlLpSYanIoUC-gEbhVbRMYVUfw4wyrixa9ekGdc/htmlview?fbclid=IwAR0euDbk5OiWd7EgBPKUPm01wCjCb-Z8-KiZK4EBlR53J0VNpVvQYTJy4eY&sle=true#gid=0

COVID-19 Sex Worker Harm Reduction Resources (U.S. Based) - google doc of resources for sex workers. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GpmUbu7UDCKtbnsBwImFLQtXzHLlZ6FYPY_NjJvyiFs/edit

It’s Going Down - information, news, current actions, and resources about anti-capitalism and mutual aid. https://itsgoingdown.org/

Detention Watch Network - coalition against ICE detention camps. https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/covid-19

Amnesty International - campaign to end human rights abuses. https://www.amnesty.org/

Food Not Bombs - organization providing food and supplies to people in need. http://foodnotbombs.net/new_site

General Strike 2020 - information about the general strike that is being organized in many places on May 1st, as well as other labor and rent strikes. https://www.genstrike.org/may-day-guide/

IWW - International Workers Union https://iww.org/

ResistBot - service that makes it easy to contact your representatives (USA) about important issues. https://resist.bot

As we can see above, this haircut:

Is dark in the back, blached in the front

split into minimum two groupings: Body and Bangs

Spiked in the back, likely with the use of gel or styling mousse

Obviously this is an anime, and as other features such as eyes, ears, and legs are exaggerated I feel it is safe to interpret the length of hair as exagerrated as well.

This is a convenient assumption because otherwise, spiking shoulder-lrngth hair into seven (minimum) rigid vertical spikes would be impossible to maintain.

Assuming a real-life Yugio haircut could exist as inspiration got this style, I imagine a haircut that is either short and spiked in the back with natural bangs, or long in the back and textured with shorter bangs to frame the face. Either way, either the front is bleached, or the additional blond spikes in the back could be interpreted as highlights throughout the darker, perhaps natural hair.

Given these criteria, I have narrowed the possibilities dow to these three hair styles:

For research purposes please enter your interpretations to the poll attached below

Yugi and Atem have slightly different hair, with Atem having a more extreme version of Yugi's hair. However, it is important to note that there is likely no actual physical difference in Yugi and Atem's appearances. His close friends, before finding out Atem existed, simply noticed that Yugi seemed more confident, not that he got taller, voice changed or hair changed. So that might not be diegetic, but a difference for the audience's sake.

It's also worth noting that anime tends to exaggerate things, particularly hairstyles. So in reality, Yugi's hair may be less like this:

But more like this:

The show itself had many collaborations with Visual Kei performers and bands, too, so it's pretty obvious how the series takes inspiration from the culture aesthetically as well. You can see it in some of the fashion choices, too, not just the hairstyles, as well as how visual kei took cues from and overlapped with goth and punk styles as well:

It's the costume designer in me, but I always think it's important to remember and reference the period and location something was made when you're trying to figure out why it was designed the way it was, and how to realistically recreate it.

So LA has been — and continues to — protest against ICE. These protests haven’t gotten any smaller or lost any momentum, but social media wasn’t reflecting it.

TikTok users, realizing that the platform/other social media are censoring/deleting/shadowbanning these protest videos, decided to find a workaround.

They’re calling it the LA Music Festival. Ice detention centers and other protest locations are “stages.” The hottest band is Rage Against the Machine. “Here’s what gear you should be bringing to stay safe at the LA Music Festival.”

And it fucking worked.

TikTok has become a proving ground for a lot of new music, meaning lots of labels and organizations have lucrative deals with TikTok to promote their new artists and music festivals. So they absolutely cannot censor the words “music festival” or train the algorithm to ignore it, or they risk endangering that very important revenue.

Be your most authentic, affirmed self. Apply for the SJPC’s Trans-Affirming Garment (TAG) Program! 

Apply here: https://forms.gle/JkWpexKTSP5GGHUo7

WHAT IS THIS?

The San Joaquin Pride Center's Transgender-Affirming Garment (TAG) Program* was created in 2023 to assist Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming folks who desire gender affirming binders, packers, breast forms, and tucking underwear to obtain safe and reliable garments.

(*It used to be called the Gender-Affirming Garment Program, but the acronym for that was GAG which... isn’t cute. lol)

It has since expanded to provide full care packages to any TGNC individual in need who lives in California.

WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGES?

That’s entirely up to you!

In your application, there’s a section where you will build your own care package. 

Want breast forms, a packer, and feminine accessories?  Hell yeah.

Want a chest binder and packer, but no accessories?  You got it!

PACKAGE EXAMPLES

Chest binder, packer, masc accessory kit (undershirt, boxers, body powder, deodorant, bodywash bar, shaving kit, cologne sample)

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Breast forms, tucking underwear, femme accessories kit (tinted chapstick, nail polish/nail strips depending on what we have, shaving kit, perfume sample)

64.media.tumblr.com

I also try to throw in some extra goodies into each box, but this changes depending on what I have available at the time!

WHAT ABOUT SHIPPING?

Shipping is available for folks unable to do local pickup at our center. Care is taken to make sure the shipping is discreet, put in a plain brown box, with the sender name saying "James P" (or another variation depending on which of my coworkers are mailing it out).

Please understand that some items are unable to be put through the mail, so if you opt for the mail option you may not receive all the accessories listed. I will do my best to provide a suitable alternative, but this is entirely dependent on what I have available.

WHO’S ELIGIBLE FOR A PACKAGE?

Right now, packages are only available to folks who live in California, and priority is given to youth between the ages of 14-18 who live in rural areas of California.

This does not mean you won’t receive a package if you do not fit this demographic, however please expect that there may be a longer waiting period as we process applications and roll out packages.

Please understand: I am trying my hardest to show that there is a need for expanded program reach to cover other areas outside of California.

Right now, this program is funded entirely through a small local state-issued grant and puts my use of funds under tight constraints. I'm already stretching the allowance of the grant by covering all of California, rather than keeping the program strictly local.

What I'm trying to say is:

If you do not live in California, apply anyways.

I can’t promise I’ll be able to send a package out, but if there’s enough out-of-state interest I might be able get my boss to allocate non-grant funds to a few OOS packages a month (and if I have money to spare myself, I will do my damnedest to send out care packages on my own dollar when I can).

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Also: for individuals between the ages of 13-18, the packages are entirely free. For folks OVER 18, there is a minimum fee of $5 (or more, depending on what is in your package), but this can be waived if you take our survey.

You MUST have a virtual or in-person consultation with our program lead before the package is sent out. This is to make sure measurements are taken properly so that your garments will fit well, provide information on how to minimize risk, and give directions on how to care for your garments. 

We cannot provide exchanges at this time. 

In the event a garment does not fit, you will have to reapply and you may have to pay a fee.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM?

We have an Amazon wishlist with items that are frequently needed to be restocked, and items that I want to put in the packages but cannot currently. You can find that here: https://a.co/4PzzPv9

We also have a Zeffy page which you can use to donate directly, found here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/sjpc-trans-advocacy-services

WHO ARE YOU?

I’m James. I’m an Anishinaabe, Two-Spirit, Transmasc NB, 2nd generation lgbt activist who’s been doing this work since I was 14. I’m now in my late 20's.

This program is a passion project of mine that I originally dreamt up when I was 16 and running my high school GSA. I can’t express how happy I am to finally get it off the ground in the way that it has.

This program is funded by the very small LGBT center I work for through a grant. We are a team of 5 at the moment, and I’m the only one on this program specifically. Please be kind to me as I work out the glitches and hangups that are bound to happen as this program expands.

If you have any questions, please feel free to message me!

Take a modern genre of music. Literally any modern genre of music, then ask yourself what inspired that? Then what inspired that? Then what inspired that?

All paths lead to the blues and jazz that black culture gave us.

Math rock? That's jazz.

Dark Ambient? That's jazz.

Gabber and Hardcore? That's jazz, baby.

Scandinavian black metal? Well actually if you think about it you'd be surpr-- it's jazz. It's all jazz again.

Don't get me started on this shit, I have a degree. I can and will show my working.

you could also make a statement about corporatism and how our government is fascism in service of capital, and it maintains that capital through violence, imperialism, and genocide with a screen of "democracy". the US is the nazi empire sponsored by hamburger companies