Latest Posts by crunchywater17 - Page 6
What and who is included in the lgbt/queer/gay(general) communities aren’t always super clear cut actually and like… that’s fine.
coming out to my brother was one of the nicest moments in my life
A comic about controlling your symptoms and trying to get other people to understand why it’s so hard to do so, in goo form
Mary McLeod Bethone with National Youth Administration youth, image here.
Mary McLeod Bethune to Return to Capitol Hill (as an impressive addition to Statuary Hall)
By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs
We continue our celebration of Black History Month (Feb) and Women's History Month (March) with Civil Rights icon and DC power broker extraordinaire Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955).
Dr. Bethune will soon join the Old Boys Club on Capitol Hill (90 of the 100 statues there are of men), as an impressive 3 ton, 11 foot statue in the Capitol's National Statuary Hall. Created by sculptor Nilda Comas, the statue's pedestal reads: “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it may be a diamond in the rough.” Women’s History Month bonus! Comas will be the first Latina artist to have a sculpture in the National Statuary Hall.
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was born in South Carolina in 1875, the 15th of 17 children to former slaves Samuel and Patsy McLeod. She was a passionate educator, community organizer, presidential advisor, Civil Rights and women's rights activist, decades-long public servant (60 years), and patriot, in addition to mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her long list of achievements include:
1st Black woman to lead a federal agency.
1st Black women with a university founded in her name.
Founder of the National Council of Negro Women to advocate for and advance rights for Black women, their families and communities.
Leader of FDR's unofficial "Black Cabinet." Used this position to creating jobs for Blacks in the federal government and New Deal agencies.
As Director of Negro Affairs, she was the highest paid Black government employee in 1939—with a $5,000 salary (equivalent to $100,000 today.
VP of the NAACP in 1940, a position she held for the rest of her life.
Helped establish the Women’s Army Corps (1942) and ensured it was racially integrated.
Archivist and chronicler of Black women's history.
Bethune was the only Black woman at the founding conference of the United Nations in 1945.
Despite the attitude of some employers in refusing to hire Negros to perform needed, skilled services, and despite the denial of the same opportunities and courtesies to our youth in the armed forces of our country, we must not fail America and as Americans, we must not let America fail us.
Her life was celebrated with a memorial statue in Washington DC in 1974, and a stamp in 1985.
“We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.”
Bethune and Hoover President Hoover invited her to the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection, and then appointed her to a commission to plan a “National Memorial Building” in DC “as a tribute to the Negro’s contribution to the achievements of America.” Congress did not back the project and private fundraising also failed. More than 80 years later, this vision became reality when the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in DC.
Bethune and FDR In 1935, President Roosevelt invited her to DC to serve as a Special Advisor to the National Youth Administration, and then named her National Youth Association Director of Negro Affairs, making her the first Black woman to lead a federal agency. During World War II she advocated for African American women to be allowed to serve in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WACS) and Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES).
Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt
None of us certainly can say that as yet we have perfect democracy, nor even the democracy that Abraham Lincoln and others of our great men envisioned. But I for one am proud that our country could produce a Mrs. Bethune. Your achievements are a tribute to our nation even more a tribute to your own individual spirit and effort. Eleanor Roosevelt.
Portrait of Mary McLeod Bethune, NARA ID 559194. From the Harmon Foundation, a nonprofit, private foundation for African art. More online.
Mary McLeod Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt and others at the opening of Midway Hall, "one of two residence halls built by the Public Buildings Administration of Federal Works Agency for Negro government girls..." May 1943, NARA ID 533032.
Eleanor Roosevelt receives Mary McLeod Bethune Human Rights Award from Dorothy Height, National Council of Negro Women President, 11/12/1960, NARA ID 196283.
In her last will and testament from 1955, Dr. Bethune wrote:
I leave you hope. The Negro’s growth will be great in the years to come. Yesterday our ancestors endured the degradation of slavery, yet they retained their dignity. Today, we direct our strength toward winning a more abundant and secure life. Tomorrow, a new Negro, unhindered by race taboos and shackles, will benefit from more than 330 years of ceaseless struggle. Theirs will be a better world. This I believe with all my heart. Correspondence Between Harry S. Truman and Mary McLeod Bethune, Truman Library,
See also:
Before Kamala: Black Women in Presidential Administrations, Rediscovering Black History
Official Personnel Folder for Mary McLeod Bethune, NARA ID 158329664.
Mary Bethune: Adviser to Presidents, Hoover Heads blog
Providing a New Deal for Young Black Women: Mary McLeod Bethune and the Negro Affairs Division of the National Youth Association, Rediscovering Black History.
Featured NARA public program: Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
Mustering Out: the Navy’s First Black Yeowomen, Rediscovering Black History
See also: The original 19th Amendment, now on view in the exhibit Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote, through April 10th.
say it george!!
reminder to:
straighten your back
go pee goddAMN IT STOP HOLDING IT
go take your meds if you need to
drink some water
go get a snack if you havent eaten in a while
maybe wander around the house/stretch a little if you’ve been sat at the computer a while (artists especially: sTRETCH THOSE WRISTS)
reply to that text/message from earlier you’d forgotten about
maybe send a nice lil message to someone having a bad day?
good evening from your local they/them artist. reminder to stay hydrated by drinking your respect trans people juice!
EDIT: i forgot his scar shfjdsflsdf
★ Instagram ★Ko-fi ★ Patreon ★ Commission Info ★ {please do not repost / reblogs are welcome!}
Throwback to all these Jesus comics I drew in 2012…
(1) A person reacts during a pro-Ukrainian demonstration near Downing Street, in London, February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
(2) A demonstrator holds a sign during an anti-war protest, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany February 24. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
(3) Olga Lietnieva, a Ukranian woman who is on a holiday in Norway, reacts after talking to her aunt residing in Ukraine, as she participates in a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Oslo, Norway, February 24. Courtesy: Heiko Junge/NTB
(4) A person is detained by police during an anti-war protest, in Moscow, Russia February 24. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
(5) A demonstrator displays a placard during a protest against Russia's attack on Ukraine, outside the Dutch parliament in The Hague, Netherlands, February 24. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
(6) A person reacts during an anti-war protest in Barcelona Spain February 24. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
(7) A demonstrator takes part in an anti-war protest in front of the Russian embassy in Paris, France, February 24. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
(8) A woman cries as she has her face painted with the colors of Ukrainian's flag during an anti-war protest in front of the Russian embassy in Paris, France, February 24. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
(9) Demonstrators hug each other during an anti-war protest at Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, Germany February 24. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
World protests Russian invasion of Ukraine
“Who can prevent all this from happening? The people. Public figures, journalists, musicians, actors, athletes, scientists, doctors, bloggers, stand-ups, Tiktokers, and more. Ordinary people. Ordinary, simple people. Men, women, old, young, fathers, and most importantly - mothers. I know that my speech will not be aired on Russian television. But the citizens of Russia have to see it. They need to know the truth.”
polish government has opened a website for ukrainians seeking safety and trying to cross the ukrainian-polish border:
ua.gov.pl
as of 13:10 polish time, it has been said as many people as possible will be let through the borders. they are also supposed to let through children who do not have passports, as to not divide families.
@positiveseed
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What to do with fallen leaves: a short story
I told my landlord if we can leave the fallen leaves on the ground, they can decompose naturally and enrich the soil. He said no and hired a gardener to remove them all with a chemical-filled leaf blower. I hate landlords. What world do we want to live in and create? Biodiversity is being lost in urban neighborhoods because of monocultural aesthetics and property values. We were taught to take pride in lawns, which are one of the most useless modern fixtures. A front yard full of native plants, weeds, and flowers could be an important home for many other species, but we decide to go with clean-cut grass monocultures, often using poison to kill any other species of planet. I’ve been trying to prepare my garden for the next season. Since it’s my responsibility to take care of the garden, I asked my landlord if I could leave the fallen leaves on the ground so they can be beneficial for the soil. He said he didn’t like the leaves “creating a mess” on the property and the next day, when I was shopping for groceries, he hired a gardener to collect all the leaves. Using gas-powered leaf blowers produces toxic waste like fuel filters and contaminated air filters. Blowers erode, compact and dry out soil, and harm plants, microorganisms, and pollinators. All for the sake of what you see in the second photo. So, here are some tips/education on what to do with fallen leaves in your backyard:
1.) Leave them be. Leaves are great for wildlife species like worms, moths, and tiny critters. With moths, nearly 94% of species rely on the leaf layer to complete their lifecycle. The wintertime is a prime spot for species to partake in these activities. 2.) Use them! The leaves are free mulch and fertilizer!!! Leaves form a natural mulch that helps suppress weeds and, at the same time, fertilize the soil as they break down. 3.) Move them. Most lawns fail to provide habitat for species already co-existing in ecosystems, but you can always move the leaves to another designated area in the garden. Having a relationship with other species and the seasons invites us to contemplate natural cycles, like life and death. Anyways, even though it’s not my house, I still get sad at how hostile we are towards other life and how little control I have over my garden as a tenant. Source: National Wildlife Federation -queerbrownvegan
I am literally going to cry if the LGBTA Wiki gets merged
you need to read this and this too
When you first start to consider that you might be bisexual, a whole new world of possibilities suddenly opens up. Essentially, your personal dating pool just doubled in size at a time when you’re still trying to figure out your own identity. It can be a lot. Here’s how to explore your bisexuality without getting overwhelmed.
Feel out what this means for you, however you want
There’s a big misconception that goes along with coming out, so let’s dispel it right away: You don’t have to immediately start getting physical with people to prove to yourself or others that you “really” are bi.
Haley Jakobson, a writer based in Brooklyn, explained that there is a lot of pressure on newly-out people to “prove” their sexuality, but that pressure is unfairly and unequally applied to the LGBTQ+ community. She pointed out that it would be bizarre for an adult to tell a child they couldn’t possibly know they were straight until they kissed a classmate of the opposite gender, so it should be seen as equally inappropriate to say something like that to a newly-out bisexual adult.
Kissing and physical touch may not even be your primary objective in this journey, either, and that’s totally fine. Jakobson pointed out that engaging in community could be a priority that outweighs intimacy and suggested going to queer bars, posting on LGBTQ+ community-based apps and forums, and listening to podcasts and reading books about sexuality.
“These are all things you can do without actually, you know, smooching someone,” she said. “I think that when we say ‘explore sexuality,’ we kind of immediately think of getting intimate or fucking someone, and I think that’s not great because that’s a lot of pressure.”
She added that there is “trial and error” involved in finding compatibility and chemistry with anyone. Don’t rush into that. There is no right or wrong way to explore. Go as slowly as you need or want to. Spend some time messaging back and forth on a dating app. Flirt at a queer bookstore or club.
Be patient with yourself
Once someone begins identifying as bisexual, Jakobson said, there are plenty of potential issues to contend with. There can be feelings of imposter syndrome, internalized biphobia, and patriarchal expectations of what a bisexual person even is to deal with, she said.
There are stereotypes and stigmas associated with bisexual people, too, and that sort of external force can really wear you down. Bisexual people can be seen as promiscuous, unable to “just choose” a side, or interested in leading people on. It’s not wholly on you to shatter these misconceptions, so remember to do what is best for yourself and not shoulder the weight of society’s incorrect takes. There are people doing great work in the space—writing like Jakobson, or podcasting or posting or advocating in myriad ways for the community—but you don’t have to do that if you aren’t yet comfortable. Work on your own journey day by day.
Instead of focusing on any negativity, embrace the good and fun parts of your queerness, Jakobson said. She noted that she thinks about herself and her sexuality through a joyful frame: “I’m so valid and I’m hot and cool and sexy and just this endless container for love and that deserves to be celebrated.”
You’re not alone, so find your community
No matter how old you are, where you live, or what culture you were raised in, coming out can be a little hard—and acting on your newly-confirmed identity can be hard, too.
Jakobson recommended talking to other LGBTQ+ people online, finding a queer-friendly therapist, and “coming out to people who are just going to be absolutely overjoyed for you.”
“In the coming-out journey we can easily focus on the people who won’t get it but go first to the people who will feel so honored that you are able to express your identity to them,” she said, adding you should “lean into the joy or just kind of deal with the hardship as it comes.”
You can take small steps to feel more involved in the community, go at your own pace, and make friends as you do it all. Remember that you’re worthy of love, respect, and a welcoming attitude.
Sometimes, no matter how many how-to guides you read, this will be overwhelming, but with a little grounding and a group of supportive friends around you, you’ll be fine.
“I choose everyday to lean into the parts of my queerness that are just fun and light and easy,” said Jakobson, “and because I do that, I’m able to hold the parts that are overwhelming.”
You guys just have to trust me on this one and click here okay?
“So in one case, these four justices chose to create a limitation on OSHA’s power found nowhere in the words of the law, then use that phantom limitation to say the government has no right to protect people. Then in the other case, they said that because the law didn’t predict the current pandemic with precise specificity, the government has no right to protect people there either.”
—
The frightening philosophy driving the Supreme Court’s decision on Biden vaccine mandates
The right wing SCOTUS majority are not jurists who interpret law with respect to precedent. They are political operatives abusing the law and their illegitimate authority to impose their extremism on people who did not elect them or have a voice in their nominations.
This week, the federal government can’t tell private citizens what to do with their bodies. I guarantee you the next time the question is revisited, as it relates to forcing women to have children against their will, this sudden deep and abiding respect for the rights of the individual will vanish.
This weekend I was told a story which, although I’m kind of ashamed to admit it, because holy shit is it ever obvious, is kind of blowing my mind.
A friend of a friend won a free consultation with Clinton Kelly of What Not To Wear, and she was very excited, because she has a plus-size body, and wanted some tips on how to make the most of her wardrobe in a fashion culture which deliberately puts her body at a disadvantage.
Her first question for him was this: how do celebrities make a plain white t-shirt and a pair of weekend jeans look chic? She always assumed it was because so many celebrities have, by nature or by design, very slender frames, and because they can afford very expensive clothing. But when she watched What Not To Wear, she noticed that women of all sizes ended up in cute clothes that really fit their bodies and looked great. She had tried to apply some guidelines from the show into her own wardrobe, but with only mixed success. So - what gives?
His answer was that everything you will ever see on a celebrity’s body, including their outfits when they’re out and about and they just get caught by a paparazzo, has been tailored, and the same goes for everything on What Not To Wear. Jeans, blazers, dresses - everything right down to plain t-shirts and camisoles. He pointed out that historically, up until the last few generations, the vast majority of people either made their own clothing or had their clothing made by tailors and seamstresses. You had your clothing made to accommodate the measurements of your individual body, and then you moved the fuck on. Nothing on the show or in People magazine is off the rack and unaltered. He said that what they do is ignore the actual size numbers on the tags, find something that fits an individual’s widest place, and then have it completely altered to fit. That’s how celebrities have jeans that magically fit them all over, and the rest of us chumps can’t ever find a pair that doesn’t gape here or ride up or slouch down or have about four yards of extra fabric here and there.
I knew that having dresses and blazers altered was probably something they were doing, but to me, having alterations done generally means having my jeans hemmed and then simply living with the fact that I will always be adjusting my clothing while I’m wearing it because I have curves from here to ya-ya, some things don’t fit right, and the world is just unfair that way. I didn’t think that having everything tailored was something that people did.
It’s so obvious, I can’t believe I didn’t know this. But no one ever told me. I was told about bikini season and dieting and targeting your “problem areas” and avoiding horizontal stripes. No one told me that Jennifer Aniston is out there wearing a bigger size of Ralph Lauren t-shirt and having it altered to fit her.
I sat there after I was told this story, and I really thought about how hard I have worked not to care about the number or the letter on the tag of my clothes, how hard I have tried to just love my body the way it is, and where I’ve succeeded and failed. I thought about all the times I’ve stood in a fitting room and stared up at the lights and bit my lip so hard it bled, just to keep myself from crying about how nothing fits the way it’s supposed to. No one told me that it wasn’t supposed to. I guess I just didn’t know. I was too busy thinking that I was the one that didn’t fit.
I thought about that, and about all the other girls and women out there whose proportions are “wrong,” who can’t find a good pair of work trousers, who can’t fill a sweater, who feel excluded and freakish and sad and frustrated because they have to go up a size, when really the size doesn’t mean anything and it never, ever did, and this is just another bullshit thing thrown in your path to make you feel shitty about yourself.
I thought about all of that, and then I thought that in elementary school, there should be a class for girls where they sit you down and tell you this stuff before you waste years of your life feeling like someone put you together wrong.
So, I have to take that and sit with it for a while. But in the meantime, I thought perhaps I should post this, because maybe my friend, her friend, and I are the only clueless people who did not realise this, but maybe we’re not. Maybe some of you have tried to embrace the arbitrary size you are, but still couldn’t find a cute pair of jeans, and didn’t know why.
I think, in an able-bodied world, and most importantly, in a able-bodied medical system, we as physically disabled people have to stop trying to assess our impairments from the POV of our own thresholds of pain, fatigue and other dysfunctions.
I struggle with this a lot as well, but if we're trying to get accommodations and treatments in a system created by and for abled and usually healthy bodies we have to speak their language and it really is a matter of having to constantly translate back and forth.
If I want an able-bodied person to take my state seriously I can't just say "I'm a little tired today". Even if to MY chronic fatigue standards that really is just a little more tired than usual. MY "a little more tired than usual" doesn't look like what an able-bodied person understands as "a little more tired than usual" and it sure as hell doesn't require the same care as what they understand by it... But they're the ones with the power to concede or deny me the level of care or at least basic consideration I do need.
Same with pain. The things I consider to be ok regarding pain and discomfort are things an able-bodied person would call in sick for. Same too with the cognitive dysfunction when I'm flaring.
If we as individuals want to get anything from a little understanding to (God fucking forbid) tangible help for our impairments then we have to start articulating what we're going through in terms they could understand. It's why I tend to tell people to "exaggerate"; because most of the time we won't be exaggerating, we'll be more accurate than we otherwise would.
Don't articulate your impairments to able-bodied people based on the bullshit you're used to on a daily basis, articulate them in relation to what's gonna get you the help you need.
YOUTUBE
Reblog if your page is a safe space for anyone of any nationality and ethnicity.
Reblog if your page is a safe space for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community.
Reblog if your page is a safe space for anyone with a disability or disorder.
Reblog if your page is a safe space for anyone who has experienced or is experiencing trauma.
Reblog if your page is a safe space.
‼️SCOTTISH FOLLOWERS‼️ also TW drugs, spiking drinks, injection marks
Ok so THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, i don’t know how many of you on here are Scottish but this also applies to girls/females/femme presenting people!!
Recently since clubs etc have opened on Scotland again there had been a rise in drink spiking through use of pills etc so first off please please please be careful and wary at all times of who your drink is exposed to, cover it or hand it to someone trusteorthy if you need the toilet.
But now since men have become aware that we know about their spiking they have resorted to NEEDLES AND INJECTION, it started off in clubs in EDINBURGH but it has now spread up to GLASGOW clubs also. So please stay safe if you are going out, stick in groups of people and if you suspect one of your pals have been spiked, stay with them, let bar/staff know, make sure they get home safe and not with any strangers, call NHS 24 or 999 if their condition deteriorates.
This is absolutly disgusting that this is happening, and even more disgusting that all that can and is being done is people telling us to ”be safe” i know its wrong and we’ll fight that but for now i’ll be posting screenshots of different tips etc on this matter to help you all feel safer when out and how to detect this disgusting thing.
I know the quality is shite so this is what it says in the small print
Thursday night Nice N Sleazy/Firewater, spiked by injection.
Hey guys, just wanted to put on here that we think my friend was spiked by injection on Thursday night. We don’t know where it happened but we were at Nice N Sleazy and outside Firewater. Luckily she was with people all night and got home safe but we noticed the mark on her back when we got home and thought it didn’t look too good (picture below). She was also acting more drunk than normal and can’t really remember anything from 12:30 am - 4am. The parts she can remember she couldn’t see anything, so we are 98% sure that she was spiked by injection! We called NHS 24 but they couldn’t really do anything at the time. Just be careful out there and look out for your friends xx
Below are some useful slides on how to detect a spiked drink!
I’ll reblog with more images etc but please please reblog this and spread awareness for everyone!
This won’t make your blog look ugly. How could you not reblog this? REBLOGGING THIS COULD SAVE A LIFE!!!
isn't it insane though how schizophrenic people are viewed as violent and dangerous by the majority of society when in reality schizophrenic people are nearly 14 times more likely to be on the receiving end of violence than to be the perpetrators...
Women shouldn't have to share our traumas for our ideological convictions be taken seriously, but just like how during Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing, every woman I know shared her experiences with sexual violence to try and stop his confirmation, I don't think we have a choice.