~*follow for more soft gangrene*~

Screenshot via Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net on bluesky

Tldr Amnesty International, global human rights organisation, published a report called 'A growing threat: the anti-rights movement in the UK'. In it is detailed, amongst others, a whole bunch of transphobic groups and organisations, including Beira's Place, JK Rowling's trans exclusionary sexual violence support service. JK Rowling threw a shit fit and got Amnesty to take the report down by threatening libel. This was obviously not enough, because you can't appease a fascist, so now she's going to bankroll a bunch of lawsuits anyway through the JK Rowling Women's Fund.*

You can read an archived version of the report here, please save it and share it.

Ship Tournament, Round 2 — Match 6 / 15

Karlach/Minthara

"minthara respects strength, and karlach is basically walking proof that joy and softness don’t make someone weak. i think that would mess with minthara’s worldview in a very fun way. karlach is kind, yeah, but she can also throw a grown man across a battlefield while on fire. minthara would be taking notes."

"They’d clash on morals but not on courage. Karlach would absolutely hate a lot of Minthara’s worldview, especially the casual cruelty and the drow noble “power is the only language anyone respects” thing. But Karlach also knows what it’s like to be owned, used as a weapon, dragged into someone else’s war, and forced to survive in a place built on violence. She wouldn’t excuse Minthara, but I think she’d understand more than Minthara expects. And Minthara with Karlach is interesting because Karlach is so emotionally honest. She doesn’t play court games, doesn’t hide behind piety or politics, doesn’t pretend not to care. For someone raised in Menzoberranzan, that kind of sincerity must look almost deranged. Threatening, even. Minthara would keep calling her foolish and then slowly realise she trusts Karlach more than almost anyone."

vs. Lae'zel/Minthara

"On one hand, they could absolutely make each other worse. Nobody in this ship is saying “maybe we should be less intense about this.” They would escalate any argument into a war council within five minutes. But also, I think they’d be able to see through each other’s conditioning in a way that’s surprisingly useful. Minthara would recognise the shape of religious control around Lae’zel, even if she explains it in the most blunt and drow way possible. Lae’zel would recognise Minthara’s survival instincts as discipline rather than just cruelty. They’d probably insult each other while helping each other unpack lifelong indoctrination. romance!!!"

Many of you may have seen the horrific news out of Biddeford, Maine today: Joan Sebastian Guerrero, an innocent 26 year old man on his way to work, was murdered by ICE agents—reportedly in front of his family, including his young child. While there is no world in which anything would justify this act, reports indicate that ICE agents stopped the wrong vehicle while attempting to execute an arrest warrant; Guerrero was not the target of this warrant. He committed no crimes, was legally authorized to live and work in the US, and was murdered in the street where his body was left for more than five hours.

While Maine experienced a surge in ICE activity at the beginning of the year, national coverage of this activity ceased when out-of-state agents retreated. ICE activity did not stop here in Maine, as made very clear by today's events.

The Maine Solidarity Fund was created last year by a collective of frontline organizations, cultural anchors, and direct service providers with deep ties to Maine’s Black and Brown immigrant and trans communities. The fund was designed to provide rapid-response funding to members of our most targeted communities. Since the fund's creation, well over $1,000,000 has been distributed to nearly 500 immigrant and trans Mainers.

Prior to today's events, the fund was running very low. Donations have begun to pick up in the aftermath of this shooting, but more are desperately needed. The organizations at the heart of the MSF are in contact with Guerrero's family and are at the helm of the state's anti-ICE structures and initiatives, including upcoming actions related to this shooting.

To those wishing to support immigrant communities in Maine, donating to the Maine Solidarity Fund is a wonderful way to do so.

(Please note that on the donation page, you may see that we've raised more than $1,000,000 out of our $2,000,000 goal. Almost all of what's been raised has been distributed—that number does not reflect funds currently available.)

Other important resources tied to the MSF and affiliated organizations include:

The Maine Immigrant Defense Hotline: A statewide and community-led rapid response and resource network providing real-time information, safety monitoring, and mutual aid for immigrant communities across Maine.

LighthouseME: A statewide resource hub connecting immigrant communities with trusted services and support.