Only Love is All Maroon

“i couldn’t help it, i was having a bad episode” is a justification, not an apology.

“i’m so fucking sorry, i fucked up, i don’t deserve to live, i should stop talking to anyone ever, i should die” is a second breakdown and a guilt trip. it is not an apology.

when you apologize, the focus should be on the person you hurt. “i’m sorry. i did something that was hurtful to you. even if i was having a rough time, you didn’t deserve to hear that,” is a better apology. if it was a small thing, you can leave it at that.

if you caused significant distress to the other person, this is a good time to talk about how you can minimize damage in the future. and again, even if it is tempting to say you should self-isolate and/or die, that is not a helpful suggestion. it will result in the person you’re talking to trying to talk you out of doing that, which makes your guilt the focus of the conversation instead of their hurt.

Hello there, It’s Rabbie. I’m trans, queer, disabled, and Jewish, and my rent was due 3 days ago!! My rent is super late which means I’m more likely to be evicted, a DEATH SENTENCE for me because my body cannot regulate heat the same as others. My heating company also sent out a disconnect notice for 11/10, which again, WILL KILL ME because I am not able to regulate heat!! I am BEGGING you to reblog this, to push some money my way, because right now I am scared to DEATH. I haven’t been able to eat normally because I’m so scared, I’m eating like 1 piece of bread a day right now.

I never guessed that in my adulthood, I’d be relating to Calvin’s parents as much as I do in this comic.

zonepan:

badgersprite:

guardian:

“I didn’t start publishing Pennsylvania’s Orange Street News so that people would think I’m cute. I want to get the truth to people, even if it makes grownups mad,” says 9-year-old Hilde Kate Lysiak, publisher of and reporter for the Orange Street News.

After reporting on a suspected homicide in Selinsgrove, Pa., Hilde was harassed by “disgusted” adults commenting on her site, saying her time would be better spent at tea parties and playing with dolls. 

Hilde has something to say, and she takes no prisoners, firing back at her aging critics, with a video and in her column for the Guardian. 

how pathetic do you have to be to pick on a literal nine year old

There is now a full Crash Course US History curriculum available online! Let your teachers know!

Kumail Nanjiani

[image description: a graphic reading 100 Must-Read Lesbian and Bisexual Women Books with a photo of two women with short hair cuddling behind an open hardcover held over them]

100 Must-Read Lesbian and Bisexual Women Books

Ella Dawson has genital herpes, and she wants to tell you about it. 

She’s not speaking up for the shock value — she’s telling you because she wants all of us to be able to talk about STIs without shame or stigma. When we make it okay to talk about, she says, people are more likely to get tested and less likely to be afraid to share their status. 

In her badass talk at TEDxConnecticut College, Ella tells the story of her diagnosis, how she overcame feeling like “human trash,” and why we need to end the stigma — now. It’s packed with information (and a shot of humor), and if you didn’t already agree with her, you will by the time she’s done.

Watch the full talk or read the transcript here.

Here’s a fun fact you should probably know: condoms do not prevent the transmission of herpes. That’s because herpes is transmitted through skin contact, not fluids, and a condom does not cover all of the areas where genital herpes can express itself. Herpes is also often transmitted through oral sex, which most people do not use protection for. Using condoms and dental dams can greatly reduce your risk of getting herpes, but telling people to just use condoms is quite useless advice. I should know—I was a Planned Parenthood volunteer who used condoms religiously when I contracted genital herpes.

Many people do not tell their partners that they have herpes because they do not know they have herpes in the first place. That’s because many people can carry the virus without showing symptoms, and herpes is not tested for in most standard STI tests. But most people have herpes—in fact, according to the World Health Organization, 2 in 3 people in the world have HSV-1, which is the strain of herpes that I have. In all likelihood, you have herpes too. You may have even contracted it from a family member who kissed you on the mouth when you were little. 

I tell all of my partners that I have genital herpes before we have sex because I think they have the right to decide what they want to do with their bodies. I consider it part of obtaining informed consent. My partner who transmitted herpes to me did not give me the option to decide whether or not I wanted to take the risk of contracting the virus, and I think that was probably because he did not know he had the virus. I harbor no ill will towards him for transmitting to me. If he’d disclosed his status to me, I would have fucked him anyway.

Considering the fact that you know that condoms are available for free at Planned Parenthood—and that your tumblr is full of porn GIFs, no judgment!—I hope that you have been tested recently for herpes as well. It requires a blood draw, so if you’ve been peeing in a cup for your STI testing, you don’t know your herpes status. If you test positive for herpes, which you probably will, statistically speaking, I’ve written this guide on what to do after you’ve been diagnosed. I hope you will find it helpful!

say it louder for the people in the back.

As it turns out, if I want to teach it, I need to get the copies myself. So, I set up a Donors Choose campaign to get a class set. If you have a little extra money to donate (maybe a Donors Choose gift card you need to use?), please consider donating to my project. Use code LIFTOFF so that your contribution is doubled by Donors Choose up to 8/21/17.