#lgbtqia_ — Public Fediverse posts

The Drowning Empire

The Drowning Empire series by Andrea Stewart is a trilogy of novels consisting of The Bone Shard Daughter, The Bone Shard Emperor and The Bone Shard War. I was interested in reading this series because it comes highly recommended especially by fans of the Realm of the Elderlings series (probably my favorite book series), and because it was supposed to have a few themes and topics that I’m […]

https://chaosworks.org/2026/drowning-empire/

It’s LGBTQIA+ STEM Day!

Just a quick post to point out that today is LGBTQIA+ STEM Day, which aims to celebrate  to celebrate the work of LGBTQIA+ people in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), but also to highlight the barriers still facing us.

For more information see here.

This also provides an opportunity for me to send my best wishes to all LGBTQIA+ staff and students at Maynooth and around the world!

P.S. I’m reminded that it was 22 years ago today that Section 28 was finally repealed in England and Wales. With reactionary fforces around the world attacking our hard-won rights, it is important that we cling on to what we’ve got.

#LGBTAIA_ #LGBTQIA_ #MaynoothUniversity #Section28 #STEM

Hype for the Future 10/284: Social Roles on a Travel Map

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/hype-for-the-future-10-284-social-roles-on-a-travel-map/

“Sometimes the truth is right in front of you, but people want so badly to believe it’s a lie, they don’t look any closer.”

https://library.hrmtc.com/2025/11/04/sometimes-the-truth-is-right-in-front-of-you-but-people-want-so-badly-to-believe-its-a-lie-they-dont-look-any-closer/

#anyCloser #book #donTLook #FairiesJuvenileFiction #fantasy #FantasyFiction #FeEsRomansNouvellesEtcPourLaJeunesse #InterpersonalRelationsJuvenileFiction #itSALie #JamiePacton #LGBTQBooks #LGBTQIA_ #LGBTQIAFiction #MysteryThriller #people #quote #rightInFrontOfYou #RomanPourJeunesAdultes #romance #ScienceFictionFantasy #SexualMinoritiesJuvenileFiction #soBadly #sometimes #TeenYoungAdultFantasyRomance #TeenYoungAdultLGBTQFiction #TeensYAFantasy #TeensYALGBTQ_ #TeensYAMystery #ThievesJuvenileFiction #ThrillersCrime #toBelieve #truth #VoleursRomansNouvellesEtcPourLaJeunesse #want #YAFiction #YoungAdult #YoungAdultFiction

Notable Places of Interest for Social Roles

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/notable-places-of-interest-for-social-roles/

Peer Pressure is a Capitalist Construct

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2025/10/25/peer-pressure-is-a-capitalist-construct/

OUT OF THE BOX COUNSELLING CATERS TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Out of the Box Counselling and Collaborations is a counseling and support
service for Two Spirit, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent and Nonspeaking people, and those who love them. They provide one-on-one counseling, group counseling, Spelling to Communicate (S2C) work and workshops rooted in principles of Indigenous sovereignty, anti- oppression, Disability, Trans and Queer rights. Their mission is to reframe disability and celebrate the diverse ways people live, love, and think.

Out of the Box was originally conceived in 2021 by Krystal Hilchey-Muise. As a Neurodivergent and Queer person, Hilchey-Muise was struggling to find a work environment that was accessible to them. They wanted to create a Neurodivergent-affirming space for clients and decided to start
a practice that aligned with a framework of Disability justice,

Neurodivergent affirming, Queer affirming, decolonial and anti- oppressive values.

“What [Hilchey-Muise] was being told to offer in some of their past work environments wasn’t what [Neuroqueer] clients were needing,” Monica van Schaik, Hilchey-Muise’s business partner, said.

Van Schaik joined Out of the Box the next year in 2022 after completing their master’s thesis on Dyslexic narratives of Neurodiversity.

“Our collaboration together is so based on our neurotypes,” van Schaik said. “There are certain things that [Hilchey-Muise is] super good at that they do, and there are certain things that I’m good at that they struggle with.”

Their own Neuroqueer identities are part of what make Hilchey-Muise and van Schaik well suited to their work. They have a personal understanding of where their clients come from.

Rather than approaching the counseling they give from a position of authority, they offer guidance in a non- hierarchal way, drawing on lived experiences as well as their extensive training and education to help their clients.

Mirroring their own journeys, they seek to help people understand and accept themselves in a culture that often forces assimilation. “We actually have diversity within the human community, and we’re looking to figure out how to embrace that,” van Schaik said. “What does it mean to be ourselves? What does it mean to learn about ourselves when we haven’t been provided with opportunities to do so? Because the focus is often on how to fix us, to make us someone else.”

For more information, visit https://outoftheboxcounselling. ca/.

#decolonial #disability #hilcheyMuise #indigenousSovereignty #JessiWood #LGBTQIA_ #neurodivergent #nonSpeakingPeople #outOfTheBoxCounselling #queerRights #trans #twoSpirit #vanSchaik #ZackMason

OUT OF THE BOX COUNSELLING CATERS TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Out of the Box Counselling and Collaborations is a counseling and support
service for Two Spirit, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent and Nonspeaking people, and those who love them. They provide one-on-one counseling, group counseling, Spelling to Communicate (S2C) work and workshops rooted in principles of Indigenous sovereignty, anti- oppression, Disability, Trans and Queer rights. Their mission is to reframe disability and celebrate the diverse ways people live, love, and think.

Out of the Box was originally conceived in 2021 by Krystal Hilchey-Muise. As a Neurodivergent and Queer person, Hilchey-Muise was struggling to find a work environment that was accessible to them. They wanted to create a Neurodivergent-affirming space for clients and decided to start
a practice that aligned with a framework of Disability justice,

Neurodivergent affirming, Queer affirming, decolonial and anti- oppressive values.

“What [Hilchey-Muise] was being told to offer in some of their past work environments wasn’t what [Neuroqueer] clients were needing,” Monica van Schaik, Hilchey-Muise’s business partner, said.

Van Schaik joined Out of the Box the next year in 2022 after completing their master’s thesis on Dyslexic narratives of Neurodiversity.

“Our collaboration together is so based on our neurotypes,” van Schaik said. “There are certain things that [Hilchey-Muise is] super good at that they do, and there are certain things that I’m good at that they struggle with.”

Their own Neuroqueer identities are part of what make Hilchey-Muise and van Schaik well suited to their work. They have a personal understanding of where their clients come from.

Rather than approaching the counseling they give from a position of authority, they offer guidance in a non- hierarchal way, drawing on lived experiences as well as their extensive training and education to help their clients.

Mirroring their own journeys, they seek to help people understand and accept themselves in a culture that often forces assimilation. “We actually have diversity within the human community, and we’re looking to figure out how to embrace that,” van Schaik said. “What does it mean to be ourselves? What does it mean to learn about ourselves when we haven’t been provided with opportunities to do so? Because the focus is often on how to fix us, to make us someone else.”

For more information, visit https://outoftheboxcounselling. ca/.

#decolonial #disability #hilcheyMuise #indigenousSovereignty #JessiWood #LGBTQIA_ #neurodivergent #nonSpeakingPeople #outOfTheBoxCounselling #queerRights #trans #twoSpirit #vanSchaik #ZackMason

OUT OF THE BOX COUNSELLING CATERS TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Out of the Box Counselling and Collaborations is a counseling and support
service for Two Spirit, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent and Nonspeaking people, and those who love them. They provide one-on-one counseling, group counseling, Spelling to Communicate (S2C) work and workshops rooted in principles of Indigenous sovereignty, anti- oppression, Disability, Trans and Queer rights. Their mission is to reframe disability and celebrate the diverse ways people live, love, and think.

Out of the Box was originally conceived in 2021 by Krystal Hilchey-Muise. As a Neurodivergent and Queer person, Hilchey-Muise was struggling to find a work environment that was accessible to them. They wanted to create a Neurodivergent-affirming space for clients and decided to start
a practice that aligned with a framework of Disability justice,

Neurodivergent affirming, Queer affirming, decolonial and anti- oppressive values.

“What [Hilchey-Muise] was being told to offer in some of their past work environments wasn’t what [Neuroqueer] clients were needing,” Monica van Schaik, Hilchey-Muise’s business partner, said.

Van Schaik joined Out of the Box the next year in 2022 after completing their master’s thesis on Dyslexic narratives of Neurodiversity.

“Our collaboration together is so based on our neurotypes,” van Schaik said. “There are certain things that [Hilchey-Muise is] super good at that they do, and there are certain things that I’m good at that they struggle with.”

Their own Neuroqueer identities are part of what make Hilchey-Muise and van Schaik well suited to their work. They have a personal understanding of where their clients come from.

Rather than approaching the counseling they give from a position of authority, they offer guidance in a non- hierarchal way, drawing on lived experiences as well as their extensive training and education to help their clients.

Mirroring their own journeys, they seek to help people understand and accept themselves in a culture that often forces assimilation. “We actually have diversity within the human community, and we’re looking to figure out how to embrace that,” van Schaik said. “What does it mean to be ourselves? What does it mean to learn about ourselves when we haven’t been provided with opportunities to do so? Because the focus is often on how to fix us, to make us someone else.”

For more information, visit https://outoftheboxcounselling. ca/.

#decolonial #disability #hilcheyMuise #indigenousSovereignty #JessiWood #LGBTQIA_ #neurodivergent #nonSpeakingPeople #outOfTheBoxCounselling #queerRights #trans #twoSpirit #vanSchaik #ZackMason

OUT OF THE BOX COUNSELLING CATERS TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Out of the Box Counselling and Collaborations is a counseling and support
service for Two Spirit, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent and Nonspeaking people, and those who love them. They provide one-on-one counseling, group counseling, Spelling to Communicate (S2C) work and workshops rooted in principles of Indigenous sovereignty, anti- oppression, Disability, Trans and Queer rights. Their mission is to reframe disability and celebrate the diverse ways people live, love, and think.

Out of the Box was originally conceived in 2021 by Krystal Hilchey-Muise. As a Neurodivergent and Queer person, Hilchey-Muise was struggling to find a work environment that was accessible to them. They wanted to create a Neurodivergent-affirming space for clients and decided to start
a practice that aligned with a framework of Disability justice,

Neurodivergent affirming, Queer affirming, decolonial and anti- oppressive values.

“What [Hilchey-Muise] was being told to offer in some of their past work environments wasn’t what [Neuroqueer] clients were needing,” Monica van Schaik, Hilchey-Muise’s business partner, said.

Van Schaik joined Out of the Box the next year in 2022 after completing their master’s thesis on Dyslexic narratives of Neurodiversity.

“Our collaboration together is so based on our neurotypes,” van Schaik said. “There are certain things that [Hilchey-Muise is] super good at that they do, and there are certain things that I’m good at that they struggle with.”

Their own Neuroqueer identities are part of what make Hilchey-Muise and van Schaik well suited to their work. They have a personal understanding of where their clients come from.

Rather than approaching the counseling they give from a position of authority, they offer guidance in a non- hierarchal way, drawing on lived experiences as well as their extensive training and education to help their clients.

Mirroring their own journeys, they seek to help people understand and accept themselves in a culture that often forces assimilation. “We actually have diversity within the human community, and we’re looking to figure out how to embrace that,” van Schaik said. “What does it mean to be ourselves? What does it mean to learn about ourselves when we haven’t been provided with opportunities to do so? Because the focus is often on how to fix us, to make us someone else.”

For more information, visit https://outoftheboxcounselling. ca/.

#decolonial #disability #hilcheyMuise #indigenousSovereignty #JessiWood #LGBTQIA_ #neurodivergent #nonSpeakingPeople #outOfTheBoxCounselling #queerRights #trans #twoSpirit #vanSchaik #ZackMason

OUT OF THE BOX COUNSELLING CATERS TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Out of the Box Counselling and Collaborations is a counseling and support
service for Two Spirit, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent and Nonspeaking people, and those who love them. They provide one-on-one counseling, group counseling, Spelling to Communicate (S2C) work and workshops rooted in principles of Indigenous sovereignty, anti- oppression, Disability, Trans and Queer rights. Their mission is to reframe disability and celebrate the diverse ways people live, love, and think.

Out of the Box was originally conceived in 2021 by Krystal Hilchey-Muise. As a Neurodivergent and Queer person, Hilchey-Muise was struggling to find a work environment that was accessible to them. They wanted to create a Neurodivergent-affirming space for clients and decided to start
a practice that aligned with a framework of Disability justice,

Neurodivergent affirming, Queer affirming, decolonial and anti- oppressive values.

“What [Hilchey-Muise] was being told to offer in some of their past work environments wasn’t what [Neuroqueer] clients were needing,” Monica van Schaik, Hilchey-Muise’s business partner, said.

Van Schaik joined Out of the Box the next year in 2022 after completing their master’s thesis on Dyslexic narratives of Neurodiversity.

“Our collaboration together is so based on our neurotypes,” van Schaik said. “There are certain things that [Hilchey-Muise is] super good at that they do, and there are certain things that I’m good at that they struggle with.”

Their own Neuroqueer identities are part of what make Hilchey-Muise and van Schaik well suited to their work. They have a personal understanding of where their clients come from.

Rather than approaching the counseling they give from a position of authority, they offer guidance in a non- hierarchal way, drawing on lived experiences as well as their extensive training and education to help their clients.

Mirroring their own journeys, they seek to help people understand and accept themselves in a culture that often forces assimilation. “We actually have diversity within the human community, and we’re looking to figure out how to embrace that,” van Schaik said. “What does it mean to be ourselves? What does it mean to learn about ourselves when we haven’t been provided with opportunities to do so? Because the focus is often on how to fix us, to make us someone else.”

For more information, visit https://outoftheboxcounselling. ca/.

#decolonial #disability #hilcheyMuise #indigenousSovereignty #JessiWood #LGBTQIA_ #neurodivergent #nonSpeakingPeople #outOfTheBoxCounselling #queerRights #trans #twoSpirit #vanSchaik #ZackMason

Samedi dernier, nous profitâmes de Montpellier pour ce 21 juin, jour de l’été calendaire, mais également journée de la Fête de la Musique. Je n’aurais pas cru dire ça, mais le nouveau lieu (nommé Panorama) situé sur le toit du Corum, d’où j’ai pris ces deux premières photos, est une vraie réussite. D’accès libre (à condition de ne pas avoir de chien et de ne pas y amener ses propres boissons), il est possible d’y boire un verre à des tarifs très raisonnables, de manger un morceau (je n’ai pas vu les prix) ou tout simplement, et c’est sans doute la meilleure raison, de regarder le soleil se coucher.

La troisième image ci-dessus est le nouveau kiosque à musique situé sur l’Esplanade, à deux pas de la Comédie. Sa rénovation a été l’occasion d’une inauguration ce même jour.

https://san.heraut.eu/2025/06/28/chroniques-du-gard-16/

Samedi dernier, nous profitâmes de Montpellier pour ce 21 juin, jour de l’été calendaire, mais également journée de la Fête de la Musique. Je n’aurais pas cru dire ça, mais le nouveau lieu (nommé Panorama) situé sur le toit du Corum, d’où j’ai pris ces deux premières photos, est une vraie réussite. D’accès libre (à condition de ne pas avoir de chien et de ne pas y amener ses propres boissons), il est possible d’y boire un verre à des tarifs très raisonnables, de manger un morceau (je n’ai pas vu les prix) ou tout simplement, et c’est sans doute la meilleure raison, de regarder le soleil se coucher.

La troisième image ci-dessus est le nouveau kiosque à musique situé sur l’Esplanade, à deux pas de la Comédie. Sa rénovation a été l’occasion d’une inauguration ce même jour.

https://san.heraut.eu/2025/06/28/chroniques-du-gard-16/

Samedi dernier, nous profitâmes de Montpellier pour ce 21 juin, jour de l’été calendaire, mais également journée de la Fête de la Musique. Je n’aurais pas cru dire ça, mais le nouveau lieu (nommé Panorama) situé sur le toit du Corum, d’où j’ai pris ces deux premières photos, est une vraie réussite. D’accès libre (à condition de ne pas avoir de chien et de ne pas y amener ses propres boissons), il est possible d’y boire un verre à des tarifs très raisonnables, de manger un morceau (je n’ai pas vu les prix) ou tout simplement, et c’est sans doute la meilleure raison, de regarder le soleil se coucher.

La troisième image ci-dessus est le nouveau kiosque à musique situé sur l’Esplanade, à deux pas de la Comédie. Sa rénovation a été l’occasion d’une inauguration ce même jour.

https://san.heraut.eu/2025/06/28/chroniques-du-gard-16/

Samedi dernier, nous parcourûmes 13 sites de Montpellier (hôtels particuliers et faculté de médecine) dans le cadre du Festival des Architectures Vives. Nous rejoignâmes ensuite la Marche des Fiertés (diversités) pour accompagner la Pride pendant une petite heure à travers les rues de l’Écusson.

https://san.heraut.eu/2025/06/21/chroniques-du-gard-15/

Samedi dernier, nous parcourûmes 13 sites de Montpellier (hôtels particuliers et faculté de médecine) dans le cadre du Festival des Architectures Vives. Nous rejoignâmes ensuite la Marche des Fiertés (diversités) pour accompagner la Pride pendant une petite heure à travers les rues de l’Écusson.

https://san.heraut.eu/2025/06/21/chroniques-du-gard-15/

Samedi dernier, nous parcourûmes 13 sites de Montpellier (hôtels particuliers et faculté de médecine) dans le cadre du Festival des Architectures Vives. Nous rejoignâmes ensuite la Marche des Fiertés (diversités) pour accompagner la Pride pendant une petite heure à travers les rues de l’Écusson.

https://san.heraut.eu/2025/06/21/chroniques-du-gard-15/

City Of Raleigh LGBTQIA+ Historic Context Study

The LGBTQIA+ Historic Context Study report is now available! Check out the final report or project summary to learn about some of Raleigh’s important LGBTQIA+ historic places like The Green Monkey that shutting it’s doors. The project provides a contextual overview of Raleigh’s LGBTQIA+ history and begins to document specific places important to that history. This study is the first of its kind in North Carolina.

The report includes:

• Brief contextual LGBTQIA+ history of Raleigh​.
• Simplified list of places​ associated with Raleigh’s LGBTQIA+ communities.
• 20 site evaluations​ for potential local landmark designation.
• Suggestions for other possible recognition options​.
• Recommendations for next steps and future research.

Join the project team at a community meeting to celebrate the completion of the report. City staff and the consultant, Cynthia de Miranda, will share details from the report and talk about potential next steps. Light refreshments will be served.

Event Details:

Monday, March 24 at 7 p.m. 
Pullen Park Community Center 
Meeting Room 112B 
408 Ashe Ave 
Raleigh, NC 27607

Have questions? Contact the Historic Preservation team at 919-996-4478 or [email protected].

#CityOfRaleigh #events #LGBTQIA_ #LGBTQIAHistoricContextStudy #News #raleigh

Sulla questione della mostra “Elegy” dentro gli spazi di Atlantide – Spazi liberi e autogestiti per tuttƏ lƏ frociƏ!

Condividiamo lo statement scritto dall’artista sudafricana Gabrielle Goliath in collaborazione con il Collettivo Smaschieramenti, a proposito della mostra “Elegy” che si tiene fino al 9 Febbraio dentro lo spazio che fu Atlantide nell’ambito di Arte Fiera e Art City Bologna, mostra per la quale l’artista non era stata informata circa la storia dei collettivi che abitavano Atlantide né soprattutto del suo sgombero da parte dell’Amministrazione Comunale. (qui tutta la vicenda >>https://smaschieramenti.noblogs.org/post/2025/01/30/atlantide-non-e-un-museo/)

Spazi liberi e autogestiti per tuttƏ lƏ frociƏ!

Rimpiangere Atlantide è (re)immaginare Atlantide.

Qui. 

Adesso.

Un messaggio personale di solidarietà e cura da Gabrielle Goliath

Elegy è un lavoro in divenire, una pratica femminista black di riparazione e lutto dedicata alla commemorazione delle donne e delle persone LGBTQIA+ perse a causa della violenza razziale e di genere quotidiana, in Sud Africa e in tutto il mondo. Come performance, negli anni Elegy è stata messa in scena ovunque nel mondo: all’interno di chiese, spazi pubblici, gallerie e musei. Ha viaggiato molto anche nella forma di installazione, la stessa che ora risuona a Bologna, tra i muri di quella che la comunità locale ancora chiama Atlantide. Ogni opportunità di presentare questo lavoro per me rappresenta un onore, ma anche un modo di onorare le persone di cui parla: Lerato, Joan, Hannah, Camron, Kagiso, Noluvo, Sizakele, Salome, e tutt* coloro che vengono ricordat* nello sforzo collettivo e sonoro di questo lamento. 

Questa esibizione in particolare, però, richiede un lavoro di riconoscimento aggiuntivo (ma non separato). Un altro honouring femminista queer. Sono profondamente grata alla comunità di attivist* transfemminista queer cittadina, che con generosità e cura mi ha accompagnata attraverso una storia di cancellazione ed espulsione collegata allo spazio in cui vi trovate ora, e in cui Elegy risuona. 

Dal 1999, Atlantide è stata un luogo di cultura underground queer e punk – un rifugio, un luogo di gioia, creatività e apprendimento, occupato e autogestito da tre collettivi: Nulla Osta, Clitoristrix e Laboratorio Smaschieramenti. Nel 2015 (proprio lo stesso anno in cui ho messo in scena la prima performance di Elegy), la polizia ha chiuso questo spazio con uno sgombero violento, eseguito su richiesta dell’amministrazione locale. Nonostante una dichiarazione di solidarietà internazionale firmata anche da esponenti di spicco della cultura femminista queer come Judith Butler e Susan Stryker, Atlantide è rimasta chiusa dietro a un muro di mattoni. Inutile dire che la cancellazione e delegittimazione (vita queer = criminalità) demarcata da questa azione rappresenta una ferita profonda per la comunità LGBTQIA+ di Bologna, che dieci anni dopo sta ancora faticando a trovare posti accoglienti e non commerciali per la socialità queer e l’organizzazione politica. 

E così, il lavoro di lutto e celebrazione invocato da Elegy deve estendersi anche a queste perdite, mentre rifiutiamo collettivamente le condizioni di disconoscimento e la gerarchizzazione delle vite, e lavoriamo per affermare che è possibile amare e piangere le vite black, brown, femme, queer e trans. Questo lutto è uno sforzo politico di invocazione, in cui richiamiamo attivamente chi e cosa abbiamo perso a causa del disconoscimento sistematico dell’eteropatriarcato bianco, e con coraggio, cura, comunità e ostinazione, ambiamo a performare il mondo in modo diverso. In questo lutto che è il lavoro di una vita, rimpiangere Atlantide è rifiutare la sua cancellazione, e immaginarlo nuovamente. Qui. Ora. 

In alleanza e con amore, 

Gabrielle

#ArtCity #atlantide #Autogestione #cancellazione #GabrielleGoliath #LGBTQIA_ #mostra #queer #smaschieramenti #SpaziSociali

Inclusivitat de postal

Inclusivitat de postal

El capitalisme de l’arc de Sant Martí sempre ha estat una façana buida, una estratègia de màrqueting per part de les corporacions per semblar inclusives en una calculadíssima operació de relacions públiques. Ara, en qüestió de setmanes, veiem com dècades de progressos en igualtat s’esvaeixen davant dels nostres ulls. Les empreses que abans lluïen la bandera de l’orgull amb orgull, ara la retiren sense cap remordiment.

Les corporacions mai han estat les nostres amigues. Cada dret laboral que hem aconseguit –jornades de 8 hores, baixes mèdiques pagades, vacances remunerades– ha estat fruit de lluites intenses, de manifestacions, de sang i suor. Cada dret ha estat arrencat a la força, i no ens han regalat mai res. Aquestes mateixes corporacions, que no dubten a desmantellar els avenços socials, també han atacat directament el dret a formar part de sindicats laborals, implementant polítiques antisindicals o directament negant-se a contractar treballadors sindicats.

Però les lluites no s’aturen aquí. Els drets dels treballadors negres, l’accés a llocs de treball dignes per a la comunitat LGBTQIA+, els drets laborals de les dones i fins i tot el respecte als clients en aquestes comunitats són fràgils. Cada avenç ha vingut acompanyat de resistència corporativa, i el que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem castigat aquells que s’han negat a canviar.

Amb l’ascens de figures com Trump, s’ha donat ales a una nova elit tecnològica desconnectada de la realitat: la broligarquia. Aquests “tecnobros” dirigeixen empreses amb una arrogància i un menyspreu alarmants cap a les lluites socials. Elon Musk, per exemple, va comprar Twitter no per millorar-lo, sinó per satisfer el seu ego ferit, transformant la plataforma en el seu pati de jocs personal. Mark Zuckerberg, amb la seva obsessió pel metavers, ignora les preocupacions reals dels usuaris mentre busca noves maneres de monetitzar cada aspecte de la nostra vida digital. I Jeff Bezos, l’home més ric del món, permet que Amazon continuï amb pràctiques laborals deplorables, tractant els seus treballadors com a peces reemplaçables en la seva màquina de fer diners.

Aquestes figures no només controlen empreses; controlen narratives, influeixen en polítiques i determinen quins drets són dignes de ser defensats. I el més preocupant és que, en moments crítics, aquestes corporacions estan disposades a sacrificar els drets humans en nom del benefici econòmic. El pròxim mes de l’orgull serà una prova de foc: quantes empreses continuaran mostrant suport a la comunitat LGBTQIA+ encara que sigui simplement posant l’arc de Sant Martí al seu logo i quantes es retiraran per por o conveniència?

No podem permetre que dècades de lluita siguin esborrades per la cobdícia corporativa. Les corporacions no són les nostres aliades; només responen quan els toquem la butxaca. És hora de recordar-los que el poder real resideix en la gent, i que no ens quedarem de braços plegats mentre desmantellen els nostres drets.

Les grans corporacions tecnològiques no són només empreses; són extensions dels egos inflats dels seus fundadors. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos… noms que sonen més com a dinasties d’una oligarquia moderna que com a simples empresaris. Comencem amb Musk, un home que mai no ha acceptat una crítica amb dignitat. Twitter no va ser una compra estratègica; va ser una venjança, un moviment d’un nen malcriat que no podia suportar veure’s ridiculitzat en públic. Musk no és més que el resultat de la combinació d’un ego descomunal i uns recursos il·limitats. És el mateix que de petit es dedicava a pispar maragdes del despatx del seu pare, un miner que s’enriquia explotant persones a Zàmbia, per anar-les a vendre a Tiffany’s. Què en feia dels diners? Els cremava tot el cap de setmana en festes amb els seus amigots. Aquest és l’origen de la seva fortuna: robar i no haver de retre comptes.

Es fa dir inventor, però no ha inventat res. Tot el que ha aconseguit ha estat a base de comprar la seva entrada a projectes que altres ja havien iniciat. És famós per figurar com a fundador de PayPal, quan la veritat és que ell va muntar una altra empresa sense èxit i va utilitzar els diners del pare per comprar una part del projecte que després seria PayPal. Per cert, els que treballaven amb ell no el suportaven. Tant, que el van fer fora. Per quedar-se més diners dels que li tocaven i satisfer el seu ego, va exigir que el seu nom constés com a fundador en els acords de sortida.

També va voler vendre com una gran innovació posar trens en tubs al buit, una idea que ja apareixia en revistes del segle XIX. No es va fer llavors perquè és inviable i perillosíssima, però Musk va decidir que era revolucionària perquè sonava futurista. Com sempre, molt soroll i pocs resultats. No oblidem que Tesla li va haver de prohibir parlar dels seus projectes futurs a Twitter perquè les seves declaracions afectaven directament el valor de les accions. Ni els seus propis inversors confien en ell.

El que realment ha fet Musk és aprofitar-se de subvencions governamentals per a SpaceX, amb contractes multimilionaris que la NASA podria haver gestionat per una fracció del cost. Al final, ha venut la idea d’un geni incomprès, quan no és més que un fill de papà amb deliris de grandesa, capaç de passar per sobre de qualsevol persona per continuar alimentant el seu ego.

Mark Zuckerberg sempre ha tingut una relació tèrbola amb la privacitat i el consentiment. El seu primer “èxit” va ser Facemash, una pàgina que permetia puntuar anònimament el físic dels seus companys d’universitat sense el seu consentiment. Aquesta mostra de respecte zero va ser el preludi de què vindria després. Facebook no va néixer d’una gran visió estratègica, sinó per pura casualitat: va arribar en el moment just, quan la gent començava a rebutjar la idea d’un milionari australià posseint totes les seves dades (recordem MySpace) i va optar per provar el “rebel” de Harvard. És irònic, perquè Zuckerberg ha portat la vigilància digital a nivells que el fundador de MySpace només podia somiar.

Meta, el gegant que va néixer de Facebook, és avui una màquina d’extorsió de dades disfressada de xarxa social. Recull cada moviment que fem i el ven al millor postor. Tot plegat a canvi de mostrar-nos exactament el que aquells postors paguen perquè veiem: publicitat. Però fins i tot aquesta fórmula està fallant. A mesura que les seves plataformes es buiden d’usuaris reals, Meta s’ha vist obligada a omplir els buits amb usuaris generats per intel·ligència artificial, creant una il·lusió d’activitat perquè els anunciants continuïn pagant per aparèixer en una internet pràcticament morta.

Però Meta no és només Facebook. També controla Instagram, WhatsApp i altres serveis com Oculus, Messenger i Workplace. Fins i tot han intentat atacar Twitter amb Threads, una xarxa que va començar amb un aparent èxit aclaparador perquè, en realitat, van registrar automàticament tots els usuaris d’Instagram com a usuaris de Threads, encara que mai hi entressin. La realitat? Threads va quedar desert poc després de llançar-se.

Mentrestant, Meta ha anat eliminant qualsevol rastre d’ètica. Han deixat de banda mesures de verificació de fets i han modificat les seves normatives per permetre atacs desacomplexats contra membres de la comunitat LGBTQIA+, persones neurodivergents i fins i tot dones. Zuckerberg ha convertit les seves plataformes en terrenys fèrtils per a l’odi, tot mentre es ven com un pioner del “metavers”, una idea que ningú vol i que només serveix per esprémer més diners dels inversors.

Jeff Bezos és sinònim d’explotació laboral. Amazon és famosa per les seves condicions deplorables, on els treballadors han de pixar en ampolles perquè no tenen temps per anar al lavabo. Però això només és la punta de l’iceberg. A les naus d’Amazon, els empleats porten braçalets que monitoritzen en temps real quants encàrrecs porten de retard i els recorden constantment com el seu lloc de treball perilla si no compleixen els objectius. No puc ni imaginar com deu ser viure amb una espasa de Dàmocles lligada al braç.

Però l’explotació no és l’únic problema. Recentment, Amazon ha eliminat qualsevol referència a polítiques d’igualtat i equitat dels seus protocols interns. Això inclou mesures que protegien tant els treballadors com els clients de qualsevol minoria racial o del col·lectiu LGBTQIA+. Així doncs, cada vegada que fem servir serveis com Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos o Twitch, o comprem productes des de la seva botiga online, estem donant suport a una empresa que ha decidit retirar-se de la lluita per la inclusió i, de fet, posar-se al costat de l’odi.

Tot i que és difícil evitar Amazon completament, ja que serveis com Amazon Web Services gestionen una part significativa de la xarxa global, podem fer petits passos per reduir la nostra dependència. Consumir amb consciència és un acte de resistència. Prioritzar alternatives per a cada un dels seus serveis, des de botigues online fins a plataformes de streaming, no només envia un missatge, sinó que ajuda a construir un món on l’odi no sigui una estratègia comercial.

Aquestes figures no només simbolitzen l’egoisme; representen una perillosa concentració de poder en mans de persones que no tenen cap connexió amb la realitat de la majoria. Ells són la broligarquia: rics, poderosos i completament aliens a les conseqüències del seu comportament.

Amb el mes de l’orgull a la vista, serà fascinant veure com aquestes empreses intenten rentar la seva imatge. Algunes potser ni ho intentaran, pensant que els és més rendible donar suport a polítiques regressives que defensar els drets humans. Altres posaran la bandera multicolor durant unes setmanes i després tornaran a ignorar les necessitats reals de les comunitats que diuen defensar.

El futur que ens espera depèn de si ens atrevim a dir prou. La broligarquia només existeix perquè els hem permès prosperar. Però si aprenem alguna cosa de les dècades de lluita, és que el poder col·lectiu pot enderrocar qualsevol estructura, fins i tot una construïda amb milions de dòlars i egos insaciables.

És fàcil caure en el parany del pessimisme, pensar que no hi ha res a fer quan ens enfrontem a corporacions tan poderoses, figures tan intocables. Però aquesta resignació és exactament el que esperen. Volen que ens conformem, que mirem cap a una altra banda mentre engreixen els seus comptes bancaris sacrificant la nostra dignitat, els nostres drets i el nostre futur. Però no ens podem permetre deixar-los-en passar ni una.

El canvi no vindrà sol. No podem esperar que aquestes empreses s’autoregulin, que de sobte es despertin amb consciència i decideixin fer el correcte. Cada victòria que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem estat tossuts, perquè hem fet soroll, perquè hem atacat on més els fa mal: els beneficis. És així com hem guanyat abans, i és així com guanyarem ara.

Això implica sacrificis. Implica trencar amb la comoditat de consumir els seus productes, d’utilitzar els seus serveis. Però no hi ha alternativa. Si una empresa com Twitter es converteix en un altaveu per a l’odi i la discriminació, no podem només deixar-la de banda; hem de castigar-la. Hem de boicotejar no només els seus serveis, sinó també aquelles empreses que la financen, que s’anuncien a les seves plataformes. Cadascun d’aquests anuncis és un vot de confiança en el sistema que volen perpetuar, i nosaltres no podem ser còmplices d’això. El missatge ha de ser clar: si contribueixes a aquesta maquinària de discriminació, també seràs responsable. No hi haurà excepcions, no hi haurà perdons. Els boicots són eines potents, però només funcionen quan som constants, quan no ens deixem comprar amb petites concessions o falses promeses.

Aquest és el moment de prendre les regnes, de demostrar que el poder d’aquestes corporacions no és absolut, que depèn de nosaltres. Si no ho fem, si ens quedem en silenci, si deixem que la inèrcia ens arrossegui, no només estarem perdent els drets pels quals vam lluitar; estarem perdent el futur. I això no ens ho podem permetre.

#activisme #Amazon #boicotCorporatiu #broligarquia #capitalismeDeLArcDeSantMartí #corporacionsTecnològiques #corporateGreed #dretsLaborals #dretsLGBTQIA_ #ElonMusk #explotacióLaboral #igualtatDeDrets #JeffBezos #justíciaSocial #LGBTQIA_ #MarkZuckerberg #Meta #rainbowCapitalism #techOligarchs #workerExploitation

Inclusivitat de postal

Inclusivitat de postal

El capitalisme de l’arc de Sant Martí sempre ha estat una façana buida, una estratègia de màrqueting per part de les corporacions per semblar inclusives en una calculadíssima operació de relacions públiques. Ara, en qüestió de setmanes, veiem com dècades de progressos en igualtat s’esvaeixen davant dels nostres ulls. Les empreses que abans lluïen la bandera de l’orgull amb orgull, ara la retiren sense cap remordiment.

Les corporacions mai han estat les nostres amigues. Cada dret laboral que hem aconseguit –jornades de 8 hores, baixes mèdiques pagades, vacances remunerades– ha estat fruit de lluites intenses, de manifestacions, de sang i suor. Cada dret ha estat arrencat a la força, i no ens han regalat mai res. Aquestes mateixes corporacions, que no dubten a desmantellar els avenços socials, també han atacat directament el dret a formar part de sindicats laborals, implementant polítiques antisindicals o directament negant-se a contractar treballadors sindicats.

Però les lluites no s’aturen aquí. Els drets dels treballadors negres, l’accés a llocs de treball dignes per a la comunitat LGBTQIA+, els drets laborals de les dones i fins i tot el respecte als clients en aquestes comunitats són fràgils. Cada avenç ha vingut acompanyat de resistència corporativa, i el que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem castigat aquells que s’han negat a canviar.

Amb l’ascens de figures com Trump, s’ha donat ales a una nova elit tecnològica desconnectada de la realitat: la broligarquia. Aquests “tecnobros” dirigeixen empreses amb una arrogància i un menyspreu alarmants cap a les lluites socials. Elon Musk, per exemple, va comprar Twitter no per millorar-lo, sinó per satisfer el seu ego ferit, transformant la plataforma en el seu pati de jocs personal. Mark Zuckerberg, amb la seva obsessió pel metavers, ignora les preocupacions reals dels usuaris mentre busca noves maneres de monetitzar cada aspecte de la nostra vida digital. I Jeff Bezos, l’home més ric del món, permet que Amazon continuï amb pràctiques laborals deplorables, tractant els seus treballadors com a peces reemplaçables en la seva màquina de fer diners.

Aquestes figures no només controlen empreses; controlen narratives, influeixen en polítiques i determinen quins drets són dignes de ser defensats. I el més preocupant és que, en moments crítics, aquestes corporacions estan disposades a sacrificar els drets humans en nom del benefici econòmic. El pròxim mes de l’orgull serà una prova de foc: quantes empreses continuaran mostrant suport a la comunitat LGBTQIA+ encara que sigui simplement posant l’arc de Sant Martí al seu logo i quantes es retiraran per por o conveniència?

No podem permetre que dècades de lluita siguin esborrades per la cobdícia corporativa. Les corporacions no són les nostres aliades; només responen quan els toquem la butxaca. És hora de recordar-los que el poder real resideix en la gent, i que no ens quedarem de braços plegats mentre desmantellen els nostres drets.

Les grans corporacions tecnològiques no són només empreses; són extensions dels egos inflats dels seus fundadors. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos… noms que sonen més com a dinasties d’una oligarquia moderna que com a simples empresaris. Comencem amb Musk, un home que mai no ha acceptat una crítica amb dignitat. Twitter no va ser una compra estratègica; va ser una venjança, un moviment d’un nen malcriat que no podia suportar veure’s ridiculitzat en públic. Musk no és més que el resultat de la combinació d’un ego descomunal i uns recursos il·limitats. És el mateix que de petit es dedicava a pispar maragdes del despatx del seu pare, un miner que s’enriquia explotant persones a Zàmbia, per anar-les a vendre a Tiffany’s. Què en feia dels diners? Els cremava tot el cap de setmana en festes amb els seus amigots. Aquest és l’origen de la seva fortuna: robar i no haver de retre comptes.

Es fa dir inventor, però no ha inventat res. Tot el que ha aconseguit ha estat a base de comprar la seva entrada a projectes que altres ja havien iniciat. És famós per figurar com a fundador de PayPal, quan la veritat és que ell va muntar una altra empresa sense èxit i va utilitzar els diners del pare per comprar una part del projecte que després seria PayPal. Per cert, els que treballaven amb ell no el suportaven. Tant, que el van fer fora. Per quedar-se més diners dels que li tocaven i satisfer el seu ego, va exigir que el seu nom constés com a fundador en els acords de sortida.

També va voler vendre com una gran innovació posar trens en tubs al buit, una idea que ja apareixia en revistes del segle XIX. No es va fer llavors perquè és inviable i perillosíssima, però Musk va decidir que era revolucionària perquè sonava futurista. Com sempre, molt soroll i pocs resultats. No oblidem que Tesla li va haver de prohibir parlar dels seus projectes futurs a Twitter perquè les seves declaracions afectaven directament el valor de les accions. Ni els seus propis inversors confien en ell.

El que realment ha fet Musk és aprofitar-se de subvencions governamentals per a SpaceX, amb contractes multimilionaris que la NASA podria haver gestionat per una fracció del cost. Al final, ha venut la idea d’un geni incomprès, quan no és més que un fill de papà amb deliris de grandesa, capaç de passar per sobre de qualsevol persona per continuar alimentant el seu ego.

Mark Zuckerberg sempre ha tingut una relació tèrbola amb la privacitat i el consentiment. El seu primer “èxit” va ser Facemash, una pàgina que permetia puntuar anònimament el físic dels seus companys d’universitat sense el seu consentiment. Aquesta mostra de respecte zero va ser el preludi de què vindria després. Facebook no va néixer d’una gran visió estratègica, sinó per pura casualitat: va arribar en el moment just, quan la gent començava a rebutjar la idea d’un milionari australià posseint totes les seves dades (recordem MySpace) i va optar per provar el “rebel” de Harvard. És irònic, perquè Zuckerberg ha portat la vigilància digital a nivells que el fundador de MySpace només podia somiar.

Meta, el gegant que va néixer de Facebook, és avui una màquina d’extorsió de dades disfressada de xarxa social. Recull cada moviment que fem i el ven al millor postor. Tot plegat a canvi de mostrar-nos exactament el que aquells postors paguen perquè veiem: publicitat. Però fins i tot aquesta fórmula està fallant. A mesura que les seves plataformes es buiden d’usuaris reals, Meta s’ha vist obligada a omplir els buits amb usuaris generats per intel·ligència artificial, creant una il·lusió d’activitat perquè els anunciants continuïn pagant per aparèixer en una internet pràcticament morta.

Però Meta no és només Facebook. També controla Instagram, WhatsApp i altres serveis com Oculus, Messenger i Workplace. Fins i tot han intentat atacar Twitter amb Threads, una xarxa que va començar amb un aparent èxit aclaparador perquè, en realitat, van registrar automàticament tots els usuaris d’Instagram com a usuaris de Threads, encara que mai hi entressin. La realitat? Threads va quedar desert poc després de llançar-se.

Mentrestant, Meta ha anat eliminant qualsevol rastre d’ètica. Han deixat de banda mesures de verificació de fets i han modificat les seves normatives per permetre atacs desacomplexats contra membres de la comunitat LGBTQIA+, persones neurodivergents i fins i tot dones. Zuckerberg ha convertit les seves plataformes en terrenys fèrtils per a l’odi, tot mentre es ven com un pioner del “metavers”, una idea que ningú vol i que només serveix per esprémer més diners dels inversors.

Jeff Bezos és sinònim d’explotació laboral. Amazon és famosa per les seves condicions deplorables, on els treballadors han de pixar en ampolles perquè no tenen temps per anar al lavabo. Però això només és la punta de l’iceberg. A les naus d’Amazon, els empleats porten braçalets que monitoritzen en temps real quants encàrrecs porten de retard i els recorden constantment com el seu lloc de treball perilla si no compleixen els objectius. No puc ni imaginar com deu ser viure amb una espasa de Dàmocles lligada al braç.

Però l’explotació no és l’únic problema. Recentment, Amazon ha eliminat qualsevol referència a polítiques d’igualtat i equitat dels seus protocols interns. Això inclou mesures que protegien tant els treballadors com els clients de qualsevol minoria racial o del col·lectiu LGBTQIA+. Així doncs, cada vegada que fem servir serveis com Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos o Twitch, o comprem productes des de la seva botiga online, estem donant suport a una empresa que ha decidit retirar-se de la lluita per la inclusió i, de fet, posar-se al costat de l’odi.

Tot i que és difícil evitar Amazon completament, ja que serveis com Amazon Web Services gestionen una part significativa de la xarxa global, podem fer petits passos per reduir la nostra dependència. Consumir amb consciència és un acte de resistència. Prioritzar alternatives per a cada un dels seus serveis, des de botigues online fins a plataformes de streaming, no només envia un missatge, sinó que ajuda a construir un món on l’odi no sigui una estratègia comercial.

Aquestes figures no només simbolitzen l’egoisme; representen una perillosa concentració de poder en mans de persones que no tenen cap connexió amb la realitat de la majoria. Ells són la broligarquia: rics, poderosos i completament aliens a les conseqüències del seu comportament.

Amb el mes de l’orgull a la vista, serà fascinant veure com aquestes empreses intenten rentar la seva imatge. Algunes potser ni ho intentaran, pensant que els és més rendible donar suport a polítiques regressives que defensar els drets humans. Altres posaran la bandera multicolor durant unes setmanes i després tornaran a ignorar les necessitats reals de les comunitats que diuen defensar.

El futur que ens espera depèn de si ens atrevim a dir prou. La broligarquia només existeix perquè els hem permès prosperar. Però si aprenem alguna cosa de les dècades de lluita, és que el poder col·lectiu pot enderrocar qualsevol estructura, fins i tot una construïda amb milions de dòlars i egos insaciables.

És fàcil caure en el parany del pessimisme, pensar que no hi ha res a fer quan ens enfrontem a corporacions tan poderoses, figures tan intocables. Però aquesta resignació és exactament el que esperen. Volen que ens conformem, que mirem cap a una altra banda mentre engreixen els seus comptes bancaris sacrificant la nostra dignitat, els nostres drets i el nostre futur. Però no ens podem permetre deixar-los-en passar ni una.

El canvi no vindrà sol. No podem esperar que aquestes empreses s’autoregulin, que de sobte es despertin amb consciència i decideixin fer el correcte. Cada victòria que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem estat tossuts, perquè hem fet soroll, perquè hem atacat on més els fa mal: els beneficis. És així com hem guanyat abans, i és així com guanyarem ara.

Això implica sacrificis. Implica trencar amb la comoditat de consumir els seus productes, d’utilitzar els seus serveis. Però no hi ha alternativa. Si una empresa com Twitter es converteix en un altaveu per a l’odi i la discriminació, no podem només deixar-la de banda; hem de castigar-la. Hem de boicotejar no només els seus serveis, sinó també aquelles empreses que la financen, que s’anuncien a les seves plataformes. Cadascun d’aquests anuncis és un vot de confiança en el sistema que volen perpetuar, i nosaltres no podem ser còmplices d’això. El missatge ha de ser clar: si contribueixes a aquesta maquinària de discriminació, també seràs responsable. No hi haurà excepcions, no hi haurà perdons. Els boicots són eines potents, però només funcionen quan som constants, quan no ens deixem comprar amb petites concessions o falses promeses.

Aquest és el moment de prendre les regnes, de demostrar que el poder d’aquestes corporacions no és absolut, que depèn de nosaltres. Si no ho fem, si ens quedem en silenci, si deixem que la inèrcia ens arrossegui, no només estarem perdent els drets pels quals vam lluitar; estarem perdent el futur. I això no ens ho podem permetre.

#activisme #Amazon #boicotCorporatiu #broligarquia #capitalismeDeLArcDeSantMartí #corporacionsTecnològiques #corporateGreed #dretsLaborals #dretsLGBTQIA_ #ElonMusk #explotacióLaboral #igualtatDeDrets #JeffBezos #justíciaSocial #LGBTQIA_ #MarkZuckerberg #Meta #rainbowCapitalism #techOligarchs #workerExploitation

Inclusivitat de postal

Inclusivitat de postal

El capitalisme de l’arc de Sant Martí sempre ha estat una façana buida, una estratègia de màrqueting per part de les corporacions per semblar inclusives en una calculadíssima operació de relacions públiques. Ara, en qüestió de setmanes, veiem com dècades de progressos en igualtat s’esvaeixen davant dels nostres ulls. Les empreses que abans lluïen la bandera de l’orgull amb orgull, ara la retiren sense cap remordiment.

Les corporacions mai han estat les nostres amigues. Cada dret laboral que hem aconseguit –jornades de 8 hores, baixes mèdiques pagades, vacances remunerades– ha estat fruit de lluites intenses, de manifestacions, de sang i suor. Cada dret ha estat arrencat a la força, i no ens han regalat mai res. Aquestes mateixes corporacions, que no dubten a desmantellar els avenços socials, també han atacat directament el dret a formar part de sindicats laborals, implementant polítiques antisindicals o directament negant-se a contractar treballadors sindicats.

Però les lluites no s’aturen aquí. Els drets dels treballadors negres, l’accés a llocs de treball dignes per a la comunitat LGBTQIA+, els drets laborals de les dones i fins i tot el respecte als clients en aquestes comunitats són fràgils. Cada avenç ha vingut acompanyat de resistència corporativa, i el que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem castigat aquells que s’han negat a canviar.

Amb l’ascens de figures com Trump, s’ha donat ales a una nova elit tecnològica desconnectada de la realitat: la broligarquia. Aquests “tecnobros” dirigeixen empreses amb una arrogància i un menyspreu alarmants cap a les lluites socials. Elon Musk, per exemple, va comprar Twitter no per millorar-lo, sinó per satisfer el seu ego ferit, transformant la plataforma en el seu pati de jocs personal. Mark Zuckerberg, amb la seva obsessió pel metavers, ignora les preocupacions reals dels usuaris mentre busca noves maneres de monetitzar cada aspecte de la nostra vida digital. I Jeff Bezos, l’home més ric del món, permet que Amazon continuï amb pràctiques laborals deplorables, tractant els seus treballadors com a peces reemplaçables en la seva màquina de fer diners.

Aquestes figures no només controlen empreses; controlen narratives, influeixen en polítiques i determinen quins drets són dignes de ser defensats. I el més preocupant és que, en moments crítics, aquestes corporacions estan disposades a sacrificar els drets humans en nom del benefici econòmic. El pròxim mes de l’orgull serà una prova de foc: quantes empreses continuaran mostrant suport a la comunitat LGBTQIA+ encara que sigui simplement posant l’arc de Sant Martí al seu logo i quantes es retiraran per por o conveniència?

No podem permetre que dècades de lluita siguin esborrades per la cobdícia corporativa. Les corporacions no són les nostres aliades; només responen quan els toquem la butxaca. És hora de recordar-los que el poder real resideix en la gent, i que no ens quedarem de braços plegats mentre desmantellen els nostres drets.

Les grans corporacions tecnològiques no són només empreses; són extensions dels egos inflats dels seus fundadors. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos… noms que sonen més com a dinasties d’una oligarquia moderna que com a simples empresaris. Comencem amb Musk, un home que mai no ha acceptat una crítica amb dignitat. Twitter no va ser una compra estratègica; va ser una venjança, un moviment d’un nen malcriat que no podia suportar veure’s ridiculitzat en públic. Musk no és més que el resultat de la combinació d’un ego descomunal i uns recursos il·limitats. És el mateix que de petit es dedicava a pispar maragdes del despatx del seu pare, un miner que s’enriquia explotant persones a Zàmbia, per anar-les a vendre a Tiffany’s. Què en feia dels diners? Els cremava tot el cap de setmana en festes amb els seus amigots. Aquest és l’origen de la seva fortuna: robar i no haver de retre comptes.

Es fa dir inventor, però no ha inventat res. Tot el que ha aconseguit ha estat a base de comprar la seva entrada a projectes que altres ja havien iniciat. És famós per figurar com a fundador de PayPal, quan la veritat és que ell va muntar una altra empresa sense èxit i va utilitzar els diners del pare per comprar una part del projecte que després seria PayPal. Per cert, els que treballaven amb ell no el suportaven. Tant, que el van fer fora. Per quedar-se més diners dels que li tocaven i satisfer el seu ego, va exigir que el seu nom constés com a fundador en els acords de sortida.

També va voler vendre com una gran innovació posar trens en tubs al buit, una idea que ja apareixia en revistes del segle XIX. No es va fer llavors perquè és inviable i perillosíssima, però Musk va decidir que era revolucionària perquè sonava futurista. Com sempre, molt soroll i pocs resultats. No oblidem que Tesla li va haver de prohibir parlar dels seus projectes futurs a Twitter perquè les seves declaracions afectaven directament el valor de les accions. Ni els seus propis inversors confien en ell.

El que realment ha fet Musk és aprofitar-se de subvencions governamentals per a SpaceX, amb contractes multimilionaris que la NASA podria haver gestionat per una fracció del cost. Al final, ha venut la idea d’un geni incomprès, quan no és més que un fill de papà amb deliris de grandesa, capaç de passar per sobre de qualsevol persona per continuar alimentant el seu ego.

Mark Zuckerberg sempre ha tingut una relació tèrbola amb la privacitat i el consentiment. El seu primer “èxit” va ser Facemash, una pàgina que permetia puntuar anònimament el físic dels seus companys d’universitat sense el seu consentiment. Aquesta mostra de respecte zero va ser el preludi de què vindria després. Facebook no va néixer d’una gran visió estratègica, sinó per pura casualitat: va arribar en el moment just, quan la gent començava a rebutjar la idea d’un milionari australià posseint totes les seves dades (recordem MySpace) i va optar per provar el “rebel” de Harvard. És irònic, perquè Zuckerberg ha portat la vigilància digital a nivells que el fundador de MySpace només podia somiar.

Meta, el gegant que va néixer de Facebook, és avui una màquina d’extorsió de dades disfressada de xarxa social. Recull cada moviment que fem i el ven al millor postor. Tot plegat a canvi de mostrar-nos exactament el que aquells postors paguen perquè veiem: publicitat. Però fins i tot aquesta fórmula està fallant. A mesura que les seves plataformes es buiden d’usuaris reals, Meta s’ha vist obligada a omplir els buits amb usuaris generats per intel·ligència artificial, creant una il·lusió d’activitat perquè els anunciants continuïn pagant per aparèixer en una internet pràcticament morta.

Però Meta no és només Facebook. També controla Instagram, WhatsApp i altres serveis com Oculus, Messenger i Workplace. Fins i tot han intentat atacar Twitter amb Threads, una xarxa que va començar amb un aparent èxit aclaparador perquè, en realitat, van registrar automàticament tots els usuaris d’Instagram com a usuaris de Threads, encara que mai hi entressin. La realitat? Threads va quedar desert poc després de llançar-se.

Mentrestant, Meta ha anat eliminant qualsevol rastre d’ètica. Han deixat de banda mesures de verificació de fets i han modificat les seves normatives per permetre atacs desacomplexats contra membres de la comunitat LGBTQIA+, persones neurodivergents i fins i tot dones. Zuckerberg ha convertit les seves plataformes en terrenys fèrtils per a l’odi, tot mentre es ven com un pioner del “metavers”, una idea que ningú vol i que només serveix per esprémer més diners dels inversors.

Jeff Bezos és sinònim d’explotació laboral. Amazon és famosa per les seves condicions deplorables, on els treballadors han de pixar en ampolles perquè no tenen temps per anar al lavabo. Però això només és la punta de l’iceberg. A les naus d’Amazon, els empleats porten braçalets que monitoritzen en temps real quants encàrrecs porten de retard i els recorden constantment com el seu lloc de treball perilla si no compleixen els objectius. No puc ni imaginar com deu ser viure amb una espasa de Dàmocles lligada al braç.

Però l’explotació no és l’únic problema. Recentment, Amazon ha eliminat qualsevol referència a polítiques d’igualtat i equitat dels seus protocols interns. Això inclou mesures que protegien tant els treballadors com els clients de qualsevol minoria racial o del col·lectiu LGBTQIA+. Així doncs, cada vegada que fem servir serveis com Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos o Twitch, o comprem productes des de la seva botiga online, estem donant suport a una empresa que ha decidit retirar-se de la lluita per la inclusió i, de fet, posar-se al costat de l’odi.

Tot i que és difícil evitar Amazon completament, ja que serveis com Amazon Web Services gestionen una part significativa de la xarxa global, podem fer petits passos per reduir la nostra dependència. Consumir amb consciència és un acte de resistència. Prioritzar alternatives per a cada un dels seus serveis, des de botigues online fins a plataformes de streaming, no només envia un missatge, sinó que ajuda a construir un món on l’odi no sigui una estratègia comercial.

Aquestes figures no només simbolitzen l’egoisme; representen una perillosa concentració de poder en mans de persones que no tenen cap connexió amb la realitat de la majoria. Ells són la broligarquia: rics, poderosos i completament aliens a les conseqüències del seu comportament.

Amb el mes de l’orgull a la vista, serà fascinant veure com aquestes empreses intenten rentar la seva imatge. Algunes potser ni ho intentaran, pensant que els és més rendible donar suport a polítiques regressives que defensar els drets humans. Altres posaran la bandera multicolor durant unes setmanes i després tornaran a ignorar les necessitats reals de les comunitats que diuen defensar.

El futur que ens espera depèn de si ens atrevim a dir prou. La broligarquia només existeix perquè els hem permès prosperar. Però si aprenem alguna cosa de les dècades de lluita, és que el poder col·lectiu pot enderrocar qualsevol estructura, fins i tot una construïda amb milions de dòlars i egos insaciables.

És fàcil caure en el parany del pessimisme, pensar que no hi ha res a fer quan ens enfrontem a corporacions tan poderoses, figures tan intocables. Però aquesta resignació és exactament el que esperen. Volen que ens conformem, que mirem cap a una altra banda mentre engreixen els seus comptes bancaris sacrificant la nostra dignitat, els nostres drets i el nostre futur. Però no ens podem permetre deixar-los-en passar ni una.

El canvi no vindrà sol. No podem esperar que aquestes empreses s’autoregulin, que de sobte es despertin amb consciència i decideixin fer el correcte. Cada victòria que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem estat tossuts, perquè hem fet soroll, perquè hem atacat on més els fa mal: els beneficis. És així com hem guanyat abans, i és així com guanyarem ara.

Això implica sacrificis. Implica trencar amb la comoditat de consumir els seus productes, d’utilitzar els seus serveis. Però no hi ha alternativa. Si una empresa com Twitter es converteix en un altaveu per a l’odi i la discriminació, no podem només deixar-la de banda; hem de castigar-la. Hem de boicotejar no només els seus serveis, sinó també aquelles empreses que la financen, que s’anuncien a les seves plataformes. Cadascun d’aquests anuncis és un vot de confiança en el sistema que volen perpetuar, i nosaltres no podem ser còmplices d’això. El missatge ha de ser clar: si contribueixes a aquesta maquinària de discriminació, també seràs responsable. No hi haurà excepcions, no hi haurà perdons. Els boicots són eines potents, però només funcionen quan som constants, quan no ens deixem comprar amb petites concessions o falses promeses.

Aquest és el moment de prendre les regnes, de demostrar que el poder d’aquestes corporacions no és absolut, que depèn de nosaltres. Si no ho fem, si ens quedem en silenci, si deixem que la inèrcia ens arrossegui, no només estarem perdent els drets pels quals vam lluitar; estarem perdent el futur. I això no ens ho podem permetre.

#activisme #Amazon #boicotCorporatiu #broligarquia #capitalismeDeLArcDeSantMartí #corporacionsTecnològiques #corporateGreed #dretsLaborals #dretsLGBTQIA_ #ElonMusk #explotacióLaboral #igualtatDeDrets #JeffBezos #justíciaSocial #LGBTQIA_ #MarkZuckerberg #Meta #rainbowCapitalism #techOligarchs #workerExploitation

Inclusivitat de postal

Inclusivitat de postal

El capitalisme de l’arc de Sant Martí sempre ha estat una façana buida, una estratègia de màrqueting per part de les corporacions per semblar inclusives en una calculadíssima operació de relacions públiques. Ara, en qüestió de setmanes, veiem com dècades de progressos en igualtat s’esvaeixen davant dels nostres ulls. Les empreses que abans lluïen la bandera de l’orgull amb orgull, ara la retiren sense cap remordiment.

Les corporacions mai han estat les nostres amigues. Cada dret laboral que hem aconseguit –jornades de 8 hores, baixes mèdiques pagades, vacances remunerades– ha estat fruit de lluites intenses, de manifestacions, de sang i suor. Cada dret ha estat arrencat a la força, i no ens han regalat mai res. Aquestes mateixes corporacions, que no dubten a desmantellar els avenços socials, també han atacat directament el dret a formar part de sindicats laborals, implementant polítiques antisindicals o directament negant-se a contractar treballadors sindicats.

Però les lluites no s’aturen aquí. Els drets dels treballadors negres, l’accés a llocs de treball dignes per a la comunitat LGBTQIA+, els drets laborals de les dones i fins i tot el respecte als clients en aquestes comunitats són fràgils. Cada avenç ha vingut acompanyat de resistència corporativa, i el que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem castigat aquells que s’han negat a canviar.

Amb l’ascens de figures com Trump, s’ha donat ales a una nova elit tecnològica desconnectada de la realitat: la broligarquia. Aquests “tecnobros” dirigeixen empreses amb una arrogància i un menyspreu alarmants cap a les lluites socials. Elon Musk, per exemple, va comprar Twitter no per millorar-lo, sinó per satisfer el seu ego ferit, transformant la plataforma en el seu pati de jocs personal. Mark Zuckerberg, amb la seva obsessió pel metavers, ignora les preocupacions reals dels usuaris mentre busca noves maneres de monetitzar cada aspecte de la nostra vida digital. I Jeff Bezos, l’home més ric del món, permet que Amazon continuï amb pràctiques laborals deplorables, tractant els seus treballadors com a peces reemplaçables en la seva màquina de fer diners.

Aquestes figures no només controlen empreses; controlen narratives, influeixen en polítiques i determinen quins drets són dignes de ser defensats. I el més preocupant és que, en moments crítics, aquestes corporacions estan disposades a sacrificar els drets humans en nom del benefici econòmic. El pròxim mes de l’orgull serà una prova de foc: quantes empreses continuaran mostrant suport a la comunitat LGBTQIA+ encara que sigui simplement posant l’arc de Sant Martí al seu logo i quantes es retiraran per por o conveniència?

No podem permetre que dècades de lluita siguin esborrades per la cobdícia corporativa. Les corporacions no són les nostres aliades; només responen quan els toquem la butxaca. És hora de recordar-los que el poder real resideix en la gent, i que no ens quedarem de braços plegats mentre desmantellen els nostres drets.

Les grans corporacions tecnològiques no són només empreses; són extensions dels egos inflats dels seus fundadors. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos… noms que sonen més com a dinasties d’una oligarquia moderna que com a simples empresaris. Comencem amb Musk, un home que mai no ha acceptat una crítica amb dignitat. Twitter no va ser una compra estratègica; va ser una venjança, un moviment d’un nen malcriat que no podia suportar veure’s ridiculitzat en públic. Musk no és més que el resultat de la combinació d’un ego descomunal i uns recursos il·limitats. És el mateix que de petit es dedicava a pispar maragdes del despatx del seu pare, un miner que s’enriquia explotant persones a Zàmbia, per anar-les a vendre a Tiffany’s. Què en feia dels diners? Els cremava tot el cap de setmana en festes amb els seus amigots. Aquest és l’origen de la seva fortuna: robar i no haver de retre comptes.

Es fa dir inventor, però no ha inventat res. Tot el que ha aconseguit ha estat a base de comprar la seva entrada a projectes que altres ja havien iniciat. És famós per figurar com a fundador de PayPal, quan la veritat és que ell va muntar una altra empresa sense èxit i va utilitzar els diners del pare per comprar una part del projecte que després seria PayPal. Per cert, els que treballaven amb ell no el suportaven. Tant, que el van fer fora. Per quedar-se més diners dels que li tocaven i satisfer el seu ego, va exigir que el seu nom constés com a fundador en els acords de sortida.

També va voler vendre com una gran innovació posar trens en tubs al buit, una idea que ja apareixia en revistes del segle XIX. No es va fer llavors perquè és inviable i perillosíssima, però Musk va decidir que era revolucionària perquè sonava futurista. Com sempre, molt soroll i pocs resultats. No oblidem que Tesla li va haver de prohibir parlar dels seus projectes futurs a Twitter perquè les seves declaracions afectaven directament el valor de les accions. Ni els seus propis inversors confien en ell.

El que realment ha fet Musk és aprofitar-se de subvencions governamentals per a SpaceX, amb contractes multimilionaris que la NASA podria haver gestionat per una fracció del cost. Al final, ha venut la idea d’un geni incomprès, quan no és més que un fill de papà amb deliris de grandesa, capaç de passar per sobre de qualsevol persona per continuar alimentant el seu ego.

Mark Zuckerberg sempre ha tingut una relació tèrbola amb la privacitat i el consentiment. El seu primer “èxit” va ser Facemash, una pàgina que permetia puntuar anònimament el físic dels seus companys d’universitat sense el seu consentiment. Aquesta mostra de respecte zero va ser el preludi de què vindria després. Facebook no va néixer d’una gran visió estratègica, sinó per pura casualitat: va arribar en el moment just, quan la gent començava a rebutjar la idea d’un milionari australià posseint totes les seves dades (recordem MySpace) i va optar per provar el “rebel” de Harvard. És irònic, perquè Zuckerberg ha portat la vigilància digital a nivells que el fundador de MySpace només podia somiar.

Meta, el gegant que va néixer de Facebook, és avui una màquina d’extorsió de dades disfressada de xarxa social. Recull cada moviment que fem i el ven al millor postor. Tot plegat a canvi de mostrar-nos exactament el que aquells postors paguen perquè veiem: publicitat. Però fins i tot aquesta fórmula està fallant. A mesura que les seves plataformes es buiden d’usuaris reals, Meta s’ha vist obligada a omplir els buits amb usuaris generats per intel·ligència artificial, creant una il·lusió d’activitat perquè els anunciants continuïn pagant per aparèixer en una internet pràcticament morta.

Però Meta no és només Facebook. També controla Instagram, WhatsApp i altres serveis com Oculus, Messenger i Workplace. Fins i tot han intentat atacar Twitter amb Threads, una xarxa que va començar amb un aparent èxit aclaparador perquè, en realitat, van registrar automàticament tots els usuaris d’Instagram com a usuaris de Threads, encara que mai hi entressin. La realitat? Threads va quedar desert poc després de llançar-se.

Mentrestant, Meta ha anat eliminant qualsevol rastre d’ètica. Han deixat de banda mesures de verificació de fets i han modificat les seves normatives per permetre atacs desacomplexats contra membres de la comunitat LGBTQIA+, persones neurodivergents i fins i tot dones. Zuckerberg ha convertit les seves plataformes en terrenys fèrtils per a l’odi, tot mentre es ven com un pioner del “metavers”, una idea que ningú vol i que només serveix per esprémer més diners dels inversors.

Jeff Bezos és sinònim d’explotació laboral. Amazon és famosa per les seves condicions deplorables, on els treballadors han de pixar en ampolles perquè no tenen temps per anar al lavabo. Però això només és la punta de l’iceberg. A les naus d’Amazon, els empleats porten braçalets que monitoritzen en temps real quants encàrrecs porten de retard i els recorden constantment com el seu lloc de treball perilla si no compleixen els objectius. No puc ni imaginar com deu ser viure amb una espasa de Dàmocles lligada al braç.

Però l’explotació no és l’únic problema. Recentment, Amazon ha eliminat qualsevol referència a polítiques d’igualtat i equitat dels seus protocols interns. Això inclou mesures que protegien tant els treballadors com els clients de qualsevol minoria racial o del col·lectiu LGBTQIA+. Així doncs, cada vegada que fem servir serveis com Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos o Twitch, o comprem productes des de la seva botiga online, estem donant suport a una empresa que ha decidit retirar-se de la lluita per la inclusió i, de fet, posar-se al costat de l’odi.

Tot i que és difícil evitar Amazon completament, ja que serveis com Amazon Web Services gestionen una part significativa de la xarxa global, podem fer petits passos per reduir la nostra dependència. Consumir amb consciència és un acte de resistència. Prioritzar alternatives per a cada un dels seus serveis, des de botigues online fins a plataformes de streaming, no només envia un missatge, sinó que ajuda a construir un món on l’odi no sigui una estratègia comercial.

Aquestes figures no només simbolitzen l’egoisme; representen una perillosa concentració de poder en mans de persones que no tenen cap connexió amb la realitat de la majoria. Ells són la broligarquia: rics, poderosos i completament aliens a les conseqüències del seu comportament.

Amb el mes de l’orgull a la vista, serà fascinant veure com aquestes empreses intenten rentar la seva imatge. Algunes potser ni ho intentaran, pensant que els és més rendible donar suport a polítiques regressives que defensar els drets humans. Altres posaran la bandera multicolor durant unes setmanes i després tornaran a ignorar les necessitats reals de les comunitats que diuen defensar.

El futur que ens espera depèn de si ens atrevim a dir prou. La broligarquia només existeix perquè els hem permès prosperar. Però si aprenem alguna cosa de les dècades de lluita, és que el poder col·lectiu pot enderrocar qualsevol estructura, fins i tot una construïda amb milions de dòlars i egos insaciables.

És fàcil caure en el parany del pessimisme, pensar que no hi ha res a fer quan ens enfrontem a corporacions tan poderoses, figures tan intocables. Però aquesta resignació és exactament el que esperen. Volen que ens conformem, que mirem cap a una altra banda mentre engreixen els seus comptes bancaris sacrificant la nostra dignitat, els nostres drets i el nostre futur. Però no ens podem permetre deixar-los-en passar ni una.

El canvi no vindrà sol. No podem esperar que aquestes empreses s’autoregulin, que de sobte es despertin amb consciència i decideixin fer el correcte. Cada victòria que hem aconseguit ha estat perquè hem estat tossuts, perquè hem fet soroll, perquè hem atacat on més els fa mal: els beneficis. És així com hem guanyat abans, i és així com guanyarem ara.

Això implica sacrificis. Implica trencar amb la comoditat de consumir els seus productes, d’utilitzar els seus serveis. Però no hi ha alternativa. Si una empresa com Twitter es converteix en un altaveu per a l’odi i la discriminació, no podem només deixar-la de banda; hem de castigar-la. Hem de boicotejar no només els seus serveis, sinó també aquelles empreses que la financen, que s’anuncien a les seves plataformes. Cadascun d’aquests anuncis és un vot de confiança en el sistema que volen perpetuar, i nosaltres no podem ser còmplices d’això. El missatge ha de ser clar: si contribueixes a aquesta maquinària de discriminació, també seràs responsable. No hi haurà excepcions, no hi haurà perdons. Els boicots són eines potents, però només funcionen quan som constants, quan no ens deixem comprar amb petites concessions o falses promeses.

Aquest és el moment de prendre les regnes, de demostrar que el poder d’aquestes corporacions no és absolut, que depèn de nosaltres. Si no ho fem, si ens quedem en silenci, si deixem que la inèrcia ens arrossegui, no només estarem perdent els drets pels quals vam lluitar; estarem perdent el futur. I això no ens ho podem permetre.

#activisme #Amazon #boicotCorporatiu #broligarquia #capitalismeDeLArcDeSantMartí #corporacionsTecnològiques #corporateGreed #dretsLaborals #dretsLGBTQIA_ #ElonMusk #explotacióLaboral #igualtatDeDrets #JeffBezos #justíciaSocial #LGBTQIA_ #MarkZuckerberg #Meta #rainbowCapitalism #techOligarchs #workerExploitation

It’s LGBTQIA+ STEM Day!

Just a quick post to point out that today is LGBTQIA+ STEM Day, which aims to celebrate  to celebrate the work of LGBTQIA+ people in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), but also to highlight the barriers still facing us.

For more information see here.

This also provides an opportunity for me to send my best wishes to all LGBTQIA+ staff and students at Maynooth and around the world!

#LGBTAIA_ #LGBTQIA_ #MaynoothUniversity #STEM

“We Came to Welcome You” Review

Written by Vincent Tirado
Published by William Morrow, September 2024
347 pages
Completed September 16, 2024

Sol Reyes has had a rough year. After a series of workplace incidents at her university lab culminates in a plagiarism accusation, Sol is put on probation. Dutiful visits to her homophobic father aren’t helping her mental health, and she finds her nightly glass of wine becoming more of an all-day—and all-bottle—event. Her wife, Alice Song, is far more optimistic. After all, the two finally managed to buy a house in the beautiful, gated community of Maneless Grove.

However, the neighbors are a little too friendly in Sol’s opinion. She has no interest in the pushy Homeowners Association, their bizarrely detailed contract, or their never-ending microaggressions. But Alice simply attributes their pursuit to the community motto: “Invest in a neighborly spirit” …which only serves to irritate Sol more.

Suddenly, a number of strange occurrences—doors and stairs disappearing, roots growing inside the house—cause Sol to wonder if her social paranoia isn’t built on something more sinister. Yet Sol’s fears are dismissed as Alice embraces their new home and becomes increasingly worried instead about Sol’s drinking and manic behavior. When Sol finds a journal in the property from a resident that went missing a few years ago, she realizes why they were able to buy the house so easily…

I enjoyed this for the most part – though I think I do prefer the author’s first two books. It’s a complicated read because on the one hand something sinister is in fact going on but on the other hand Sol is dealing with depression and other mental health issues that are exaggerating some of her responses to the various situations she’s dealing with. There is a very slow buildup of everything as things begin to develop in the community. Sometimes it’s a little tedious but never enough that I wanted to stop reading.

I ended up spending a lot of time wondering how Sol and Alice ended up married – they don’t seem like a good couple who actually understand each other. Beyond the fact that Alice was there for Sol when Sol’s family kicked her out. Though I suspect it’s a similar issue to Sol still visiting her father – she doesn’t know how to do anything else and feels like she has no choices. Some other reviewers are very harsh about Sol but honestly I had more problems with Alice and how she talked to Sol or handled Sol’s issues. That said we are really only getting Sol’s perspective on everything.

While we do find out what is going on with the community the ending is actually rather abrupt. It’s never really made clear how much of it was resolved. I’m also not certain of Sol’s actions near the end and what exactly she ended up doing about the community. Though ultimately it feels like she did what she felt like she had to do to survive with Alice.

See the StoryGraph page for “We Came to Welcome You” for warnings and more reviews.

#Bookstodon #LGBTQIA_ #Thriller

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=979

“Being Seen” Review

Full title: “Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman’s Fight to End Ableism”
Written by Elsa Sjunneson
Published by S&S/Simon Element, October 26, 2021
288 pages

A Deafblind writer and professor explores how the misrepresentation of disability in books, movies, and TV harms both the disabled community and everyone else.

As a Deafblind woman with partial vision in one eye and bilateral hearing aids, Elsa Sjunneson lives at the crossroads of blindness and sight, hearing and deafness—much to the confusion of the world around her. While she cannot see well enough to operate without a guide dog or cane, she can see enough to know when someone is reacting to the visible signs of her blindness and can hear when they’re whispering behind her back. And she certainly knows how wrong our one-size-fits-all definitions of disability can be.

As a media studies professor, she’s also seen the full range of blind and deaf portrayals on film, and here she deconstructs their impact, following common tropes through horror, romance, and everything in between. Part memoir, part cultural criticism, part history of the Deafblind experience, Being Seen explores how our cultural concept of disability is more myth than fact, and the damage it does to us all.

I really enjoyed this book and the way Elsa mixes personal stories with Deafblind history and criticisms of portrayals of disability in various mediums. The criticisms are all relevant to her life because the lives of disabled people are often shaped by what others assume to be true. Like all of us who are disabled Elsa has had to fight the ableist assumptions people have made in order have a life that she wants. She has a whole chapter on Hellen Keller and how Hellen’s story is often changed to suite ableist ideas of who she was. There’s also a lot to be said for the damage caused by people “not seeing disability” – because when that happens it results in a lot of internalized ableism to unpack while also needing to learn how to actually work with your disabilities instead of ignoring them to pass as non-disabled. There’s also a chapter about disability in science fiction and how we’re often erased.

#Bookstodon #Disability #LGBTQIA_ #Memoir

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=889

“Contingency Plans for the Apocalypse And Other Possible Situations” Review

Written by S.B. Divya
Published by Hachette India January 1, 2019
264 Pages
Completed August 31, 2024

A sickly biologist shuts herself off from the world and its deadly pollutants to research her beloved microbiota in peace – until a chance encounter drives her to venture out into an unlivable Bangalore. In a dystopian Arizona, a couple performs forbidden life-saving abortions amid the threat of tanks and drones, the strict report of automatic weapons and the spying eyes of neighbors. A young woman competes in a grueling challenge, determined to win a place in a world where body modifications equal class and grant people the privilege of transcending gender.

In this collection of 14 layered stories featuring dying cities, undying humans, amorphous bodies, cyborg racers and magic beetles, internationally acclaimed writer and data scientist S.B. Divya treads the line between the present and the future, while exploring the eternal conundrums of identity and love in speculative worlds.

I’ve read (and reviewed) S.B. Diva’s two Alloy Era Novels “Meru” and “Loka” so I knew what to expect from her writing and the short stories were no surprise. I really enjoyed them all and how the author handles everything from disability to gender to various technologies and how it can be used for good or bad. I really enjoyed all of these stories though with any short story there are a couple I wish had been longer.

LOSS OF SIGNAL – This is an interesting story about a dying teenager whose consciousness was uploaded into a spaceship – the first test flight of such ships as an alternate way to explore space. It’s a lot of internal thoughts as the teen is flying the ship towards the moon and thinking about his previous years and the choices he’s making.

CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR THE APOCALYPSE – A dark story about surviving after being attacked for performing lifesaving abortions in Arizona. The surviving spouse (who always expected to be the one killed) has to get their children out of the state. One might wonder if the cost of staying was too great but the help they gave was also vital.

MICROBIOTA AND THE MASSES: A LOVE STORY – This one would not be my usual cup of tea since it’s a love story but it’s got an interesting premise. The main character, who is also a biologist, has been isolated in their home because of the pollution making them sick. So their house is completely contained with clean air and water. The way they end up making various choices was interesting and I liked the way they end up helping everyone while falling in love with a repair man who came to their home.

AN UNEXPECTED BOON – This was an interesting story of a young girl who has ODC or Autistic traits (though it’s never named as such) and her older brother. The brother is a bit of a jerk but it’s actually an understandable issue because he’s been left to take care of her temporarily by his parents and he insisted he could do it without considering what it would mean. I like the way it plays out though with the girl being stronger than he thinks despite everything that happens.

NAVA – I’m pretty sure this is a story set in the author’s Alloy Era series (probably an early version since this book was published before both “Meru” and “Loka”). Or it’s different take on that universe. It has an interesting concept with a living ship having been created and needing to learn how to function as its maker intended.

BINARIES – Interesting glimpses in time of a person’s long life. The method for which they live their long life isn’t explained but it seems like it has to do with being converted to digital signals. But in the end though it has to do with family and finding someone who was lost.

THE EGG – This one is really short on details and the ending is a little vague but it’s a look at choices people make and consequences. The vague unknown ending is actually the point given what happens. The looming unknown after a death changes everything.

DUSTY OLD THINGS – Cool story about someone talking to an alternate version of themselves through a light board. It’s not clear exactly how the technology worked as the version that discovered the technology is the one in the alternate universe. I liked the way it played out and that the differences in their lives was an important part of the story.

THE BOY WHO MADE FLOWERS – In a world where superpowers are real a boy develops the power to make flower. He of course hates it at first but soon learns what his power can mean for others. I really enjoyed how this one ended up.

SHIPS IN THE NIGHT – A very brief look at the life of someone who can see the future and what happens when they meet an immortal. Interesting story and I liked the way it plays out. Probably not what you’d expect but it makes sense when you think about it.

GAPS OF JOY, AND A KNOT FOR LOVE – This one is a little weird as I’m not sure what the ending is saying about the persons powers vs reality. He has the power to collect and share happiness but it’s not all that his family needs.

STRANGE ATTRACTORS – this one is an interesting look at a couple who marries and divorces and then meets again centuries later (no explanation other than technology being available). I actually liked the ending of this one because it felt very realistic for people who keep meeting up again despite everything.

SOFT WE WAKE – A person tries to adjust after waking up in the far future without the person who was supposed to be there with him. Everything is so different and he’s not comfortable with all the changes. I liked the way it played out and the friendship he ends up developing with another person who was revived at the same time. Her situation is different but with similar ideas of not being sure how to live again in such a changed world.

RUNTIME – I believe this one is the longest of the short stories in the book but it has a lot to say. I’m not entirely sure how the postnatal licensing works but naturally it’s yet another way to keep poor people poor since they can never afford to pay the fees and without it they can’t get jobs or better educations. Anyway the main character attempts a race to earn more money to get out of their situation. The way things go down was exciting and naturally it doesn’t go as planed. I did like how it worked out though.

See the StoryGraph page for “Contingency Plans for the Apocalypse And Other Possible Situations” for warnings and more reviews.

#Bookstodon #Disability #Dystopian #LGBTQIA_ #Race #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=879

“Buffalo Is the New Buffalo” Review

Written by Chelsea Vowel
Published by Arsenal Pulp Press, June 2022
341 pages
Completed August 31, 2024

Powerful stories of “Metis futurism” that envision a world without violence, capitalism, or colonization.

Inspired by classic and contemporary speculative fiction, Buffalo Is the New Buffalo explores science fiction tropes through a Metis lens: a Two-Spirit rougarou (shapeshifter) in the nineteenth century tries to solve a murder in her community and joins the nehiyaw-pwat (Iron Confederacy) in order to successfully stop Canadian colonial expansion into the West. A Metis man is gored by a radioactive bison, gaining super strength, but losing the ability to be remembered by anyone not related to him by blood. Nanites babble to babies in Cree, virtual reality teaches transformation, foxes take human form and wreak havoc on hearts, buffalo roam free, and beings grapple with the thorny problem of healing from colonialism.

“Education is the new buffalo” is a metaphor widely used among Indigenous peoples in Canada to signify the importance of education to their survival and ability to support themselves, as once Plains nations supported themselves as buffalo peoples. The assumption is that many of the pre-Contact ways of living are forever gone, so adaptation is necessary. But Chelsea Vowel asks, “Instead of accepting that the buffalo, and our ancestral ways, will never come back, what if we simply ensure that they do?”

Indigenous futurisms seek to discover the impact of colonization, remove its psychological baggage, and recover ancestral traditions. These eight short stories of “Metis futurism” explore Indigenous existence and resistance through the specific lens of being Metis. Expansive and eye-opening, Buffalo Is the New Buffalo rewrites our shared history in provocative and exciting ways.

I really enjoyed reading all of the stories in the book! The Locating Myself, Preface and Conclusion chapters are important to read as they give a lot of context for the kind of stories that are included. Something that is often ignored is that all of the stories about world ending invasions have already happened to many Indigenous populations. The stories in this book play on that concept in different ways. The introduction gives a short explanation for the stories included. Each story also includes an explanation of the story and several footnotes which are interesting to read as they give additional context for the story and the inspiration for them.

BUFFALO BIRD – I liked the way it played out though it was tricky keeping track of the story as it jumped between different times in the life of the shapeshifter character. Though I did think the different time and situations had a common thread that made it work.

MICHIF MAN – This one was interesting as it was split between a modern day academic presentation of whether or not Michif Man actually existed or was just a metaphor and then actual scenes from the character’s life. Interesting story!

DIRTY WINGS – This one is a dream / stream of consciousness story so it’s a bit tricky to get. It’s interesting though and I really enjoyed the explanation section for this one.

MAGGIE SUE – This one takes some work to get through because it’s a detailed story that the POV character is telling about an event that happened. The character isn’t the main character of the story but actually a side character who encounters the main character as they head off on a quest (basically). There’s a lot going on in the story with a few side stories as the character explains things and it does take work to follow along. Worth it though.

A LODGE WITHIN HER MIND – A pandemic story! Interesting take in the idea of being uploaded into a virtual reality and what it can mean for you afterwards. The ending of it is neat.

ÂNISKÔHÔCIKAN – This one has an interesting idea – using nanites to force all language heard by a person into Cree, from birth, in order to create more native speakers of the language. The story is short and it’s intended to raise more questions than answers as we only see the beginning years of the child’s life without a lot of detail. How will it work as the child grows up? There’s hints of the idea of how we claim that technology will save us but it never works without consequences.

I, BISON – This story takes the idea of digital uploads and expands on what it would mean in the context of spiritual connections to the body. It also explores the idea of disability or mental illness and what actually disabled us. I really liked the ideas presented and the explanation is after the story is interesting.

UNSETTLED – And this is the story that deals with the idea that Indigenous populations are already postapocalyptic. They’ve had their lands stollen and their people enslaved or killed. What would happen if they were given control back? What would it take for them to decide that it was worth whatever cost they had to make? It’s an interesting idea and makes an interesting point. The explanation afterwards is great too.

See the StoryGraph page for “Buffalo Is the New Buffalo” for warnings and more reviews.

#AlternateHistory #Bookstodon #Disability #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=874

“The Seep” Review

Written by Chana Porter
Published by Soho Press, January 2020
216 pages
Completed August 9, 2024

Trina FastHorse Goldberg-Oneka is a fifty-year-old trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of a gentle—but nonetheless world-changing—invasion by an alien entity called The Seep. Through The Seep, everything is connected. Capitalism falls, hierarchies and barriers are broken down; if something can be imagined, it is possible.

Trina and her wife, Deeba, live blissfully under The Seep’s utopian influence—until Deeba begins to imagine what it might be like to be reborn as a baby, which will give her the chance at an even better life. Using Seeptech to make this dream a reality, Deeba moves on to a new existence, leaving Trina devastated.

Heartbroken and deep into an alcoholic binge, Trina follows a lost boy she encounters, embarking on an unexpected quest. In her attempt to save him from The Seep, she will confront not only one of its most avid devotees, but the terrifying void that Deeba has left behind. A strange new elegy of love and loss, The Seep explores grief, alienation, and the ache of moving on.

This was an interesting read! It would appear that in the aftermath of the invasion Earth has become a utopia of sorts but there’s a lot of questions about how it all works and how good things actually are for everyone. While there were some hints, the story was focused almost entirely on Trina dealing with her grief over losing Deeba, so we don’t really get any definite answers to those questions beyond how she was impacted. The ending got very weird and I’m still not entirely sure what all happened (beyond what were apparently some Seep fueled hallucinations). Overall I enjoyed it even though I was left with more questions than answers.

See the StoryGraph page for “The Seep” for more reviews and warnings.

#Bookstodon #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=821

“Monstrilio” Review

Written by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Published by Zando, March 2023
336 pages
Completed August 8, 2024

After her son dies, Magos carves out a small piece of his lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her decaying childhood home in Mexico City. But despite her best efforts to turn the monster into a man, Monstrilio’s innate impulses threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life.

A meditation on grief, acceptance, and the monstrous sides of love and loyalty, Gerardo Sámano Córdova’s ambitious debut spans the globe from Brooklyn to Berlin, offering an uncanny and precise portrait of being human.

This was such a weird book (and a bit more sexually explicit, in a couple brief scenes, than I’d usually read), but also very good. The story is split into four sections with different narrators for each one – Magos, her best friend, her husband, and finally Monstrilio. Monstrilio’s section is probably the most complex as he is working out who he actually is and how he will continue to live. He ends up making a choice in the end that isn’t really a surprise considering all that has happened. Overall I felt like all four of the characters were unlikeable but sympathetic in their own ways, which made the book interesting to read. Monstrilio was obviously the most sympathetic because of how he was created and forced to be something he’s not by the choices others made.

See the StoryGraph Page for “Monstrilio” for more reviews and content warnings.

#Bookstodon #GeneralFiction #Horror #LGBTQIA_

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=816

“Summer Bird Blue” Review

Written by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 2018
384 pages
Completed August 5, 2024

Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea.

Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. Now thousands of miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life. With the help of the “boys next door” — a teenage surfer named Kai, who smiles too much and doesn’t take anything seriously, and an eighty-year-old named George Watanabe, who succumbed to his own grief years ago — Rumi attempts to find her way back to her music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish.

Aching, powerful, and unflinchingly honest, Summer Bird Blue explores big truths about insurmountable grief, unconditional love, and how to forgive even when it feels impossible.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Rumi has a lot to work through and her time in Hawaii helped put a lot of things into perspective. Her anger is a lot and she does come across as very mean but it’s also very understandable. I’m glad she developed such good friendships with Kai (along with his friend group) and Mr. Watanabe. While the situation with her mother seems horrible at first I ended up liking the way it was handled. It’s a lot more complicated than it first seems. Rumi isn’t always a reliable narrator in what’s happening due to her anger and grief, but there’s also things her mother needs to work as well. I thought the ending worked well for the story being told. There is a good outcome for the future as Rumi and her mother are dealing with their grief.

See the StoryGraph Page for “Summer Bird Blue” for more reviews and content warnings.

#Bookstodon #GeneralFiction #LGBTQIA_

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=810

“Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space!” Review

Written by Cait Gordon
Published by Renaissance Press, September 2023
302 pages
Completed August 4, 2024

In a galactic network known as the Keangal, where space is accessible.

Lieutenant Eileen Iris and the command crew of the S.S. SpoonZ haven’t a clue what it means to be disabled. An unexpected conversation with an intergalactic janitor brings up the question but offers no answers before he’s ‘ported away.

Unfazed, duties resume as Iris manages an overprotective guidebot; Security Chief Lartha and her sentient prostheses offer kick-ass protection; Mr. Herbert’s inventiveness is a godsend (although he’s not quite grasped how to flirt); Commander Davan’s affable personality comes through whether trumpeted, texted, or signed; and Captain Warq’s gracious but firm leadership keeps everyone at their best.

Until on one mission, where the crew tears through space.

Just a little bit.

I really enjoyed the characters, (which included both disability and LGBQIA+ representation), and the various adventures they all had. I thought showing how well they all worked together worked for the book and it’s a great concept. Here’s the thing – I would have enjoyed this more if the first chapter hadn’t contained the scene mentioned in the description where the intergalactic janitor calls the crew disabled and the crew has no idea what it means.

I understand the intent behind the book with all access needs being taken care of and everything is just fine – similar to the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe where everything is taken care of (with some exceptions once you look beyond the Enterprise). But I also felt like the author wanted to have it both ways. Never mentioning disability, just accessibility needs but there are still moments in the book where needs aren’t always met completely or in a way that works for everyone. Also there was a sub-plot about one character who was not sensitive to diverse body-minds and had to be made to be more aware of his behavior.

Now it could also be said that the reason “disability” is never mentioned is that several, if not all, of the crew members are actually aliens who have different access needs that present as real world disabilities (autistic, d/Deaf, vision issues, non-speaking with mouth words, etc). Which would be the actual reason why disability is never brought up because they’re not disabled in a way that we’d call it. But other terminology related to disability is used the same way we would use it, accessibility, wheelchairs, guide bots (as apposed to guide dogs) and so on. While you may be able to talk about various access needs without using the word disabled it makes it awkward to read about as a disabled person.

Also everything is ideal for the crew but no mention is made of anyone with higher support needs or intellectual disabilities. How are they taken care of in this universe? Are they helped or is all of this access for only the elite? It’s implied at one point that healthcare is paid (for some at least) but there are gaps in the world building that lead to more questions.

I honestly fee torn about this review, because I think without the “but you’re disabled” scene at the beginning I would have been focusing on the characters and the plot which are very good. In many ways the book does what the author appears to want to do with regard to showcasing how things could be. Unfortunately, for me the scene in the beginning brought up all the various questions about how the universe works. How did they get where they are without needing to use the word disabled? I also do wonder if I’m being hyper critical because I’m disabled too and have certain ideas about what we need to be saying about disability seem to be different from the author’s ideas.

#Bookstodon #Disability #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=790

“The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” Review

Written by Andrew Joseph White
Published by Peachtree Publishing Company, September 2023
381 pages
Completed July 21, 2024

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter that he’s needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its rotten guts to the world—as long as the school doesn’t break him first.

This was such a good book with a lot of great characters besides Silas. While it doesn’t have quite as much gore as the other’s other book, there is some, all with a medical focus this time. I really enjoyed how Silas struggles to work everything out while dealing with everything else going on for him. The plot is very dark and disturbing but I really like how everything plays out. Certain things were not a surprise while others completely were and I really enjoyed it all. And I was really glad a particular plot point was resolved the way it did. The ending is a bit open ended but I think it makes sense given the storyline.

Be sure to take note of the authors warnings at the beginning of the book. Also be sure to read the authors end notes because while this story is fantasy the ugly truth is people always been sent a way because they were deemed unfit by society and many have been experimented on throughout history.

See the StoryGraph page for “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” for more reviews and content warnings.

#Bookstodon #Disability #Fantasy #HistoricalFiction #Horror #LGBTQIA_

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=767

“Gideon the Ninth” Review

Written by Tamsyn Muir
Published by Tor.com, September 2019
464 pages
Completed June 27, 2024

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

I read this for one of my Discord book clubs and it’s ultimately not my cup of tea. I tried to give it a fair chance but the personalities of the main characters and the writing style made it harder to get through than I like. I also ended up needing the Wikipedia for the book series to keep track of all of the characters. All of the characters were referred to by first name, last name, nickname, or sometimes only a description, depending on who was talking and some had similar names, which made it hard to keep track. That said there were some interesting parts, the world building seemed interesting if not fully described, and I did like how the relationship between Gideon and Harrowhark developed despite my frustration with them in the beginning. I don’t believe I’ll continue the series at this time, but you never know.

#Bookstodon #Fantasy #Horror #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=718

While en route to Oxford I thought I’d do a quite post about the purpose of my visit there, namely to give the inaugural Pride Lecture at the Department of Physics. I’m looking forward to it, and spending a couple of days as a guest of All Souls College. Here’s the promo for the lecture:

This is a public event. I’ve no idea how many people will be there, but I’ll find out tomorrow I suppose!

Let me take this opportunity to wish all of you a very happy Pride Month (which started on Saturday). With its origins as a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, Pride remains both a celebration and protest. It’s more necessary than ever now, especially because of the sustained abuse being aimed at trans people from all quarters, from those in political power to those sad losers who have nothing better to do that spend all day tweeting their bigotry on social media.

Anyway, as well as a celebration and a protest, Pride is an opportunity for us all to show solidarity against those who seek to divide us.

Though many LGBTQIA+ people in many countries – even those that claim to be more liberal – still face discrimination, hostility and violence, Pride Month always reminds me of how far we’ve come in the past 50 years ago. As I get older, I find I have become more and more protective towards younger LGBTQIA+ people. I don’t want them to have to put up with the crap that I did when I was their age.

Here’s a picture of the Pride Progress flag I took outside the John Hume Building at Maynooth a couple of years ago. I hope it’s there again this year, although I won’t be in Maynooth to see it!

https://telescoper.blog/2024/06/03/pride-lecture-in-oxford/

#LGBTQIA_ #Oxford #PrideLecture #PrideMonth

Pride Month 2024

Am 01.06.2024 startete der alljährliche #PrideMonth, in dem die Anliegen der LGBTQIA+-Community sichtbar gemacht und die Fortschritte bei der Akzeptanz auf diversen CSD-Paraden rund um die Welt gefeiert werden. Dabei ist es heute wieder wichtiger denn je, auf die noch vorhandenen Probleme und die teilweise wieder einkehrenden Verschlimmerungen der Situation von queren Menschen aller Art hinzuweisen.

Der Hintergrund

Im Jahr 1969, in der Nacht zum 28.06., fand eine Polizeirazzia im [...]

https://marco-zehe.de/2024/06/02/pride-month-2024/

“Tell Me How It Ends” Review

Written by Quinton Li
Published by Quinton Li Editorial, April 2023
326 pages
Completed April 7, 2024

Iris Galacia’s tarot cards do more than entertain gamblers. With the flip of her fingers she can predict the future and uncover a person’s secrets. But under the watchful eye of her mother, she is on thin ice for pursuing a passion in the family business, and then cracks start to form until she eventually she falls through. She is given an ultimatum — a test to prove her worth: earn a thousand coins or leave the business, and the family.

Enter Marin Boudreau, a charming young person who can scale buildings and break off door knobs, who comes for her help to rescue a witch who’s been falsely imprisoned in Excava Kingdom. And Marin is willing to pay a high sum for her talents. But saving a prisoner from royal hands isn’t easy, nor is leaving home for the first time in eighteen years.

Now Iris must learn to trust in herself, Marin, and this new magical world, while racing the clock before the royals decide the fate of the witch, and before any secrets catch up to her.

I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book because a lot of my issues with it can be explained by it being both a “cozy fantasy” and young adult. I did enjoy some things about it – the characters were interesting and all that. However, conflicts that should have been more serious are resolved almost instantly and with more compassion (from villains) than seems reasonable for anyone. Even the ending of the story with Iris making a choice about what to do next was too easy. Without spoiling too much, Marin never really proves themselves to be trust worthy and Iris feels too sheltered and naive to really be reliable in picking what she should do next. There’s a lot of reasons why she should escape her current life but it doesn’t feel like the found family she found is all that safe either. That said – how I feel about the ending of the book might be more about my personality (and age), along with the genres, than the story itself. One thing I did like was the way the Tarot cards were used in the story – there were a lot of good details about how they worked and how they helped Iris figure out what to do next. Not a series I’ll continue, but honestly if you like cozy fantasy with found family where things are resolved easily it might be more your cup of tea than mine.

#Bookstodon #Disability #Fantasy #LGBTQIA_

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=651

“Light from Uncommon Stars” Review

Written by Ryka Aoki
Published by Tor Books, September 2021
372 pages
Completed March 29, 2024

Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six.

When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka’s ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She’s found her final candidate.

But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan’s kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul’s worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline.

As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.

This was a very cool and very strange story. Other reviews have said it felt like multiple stories being told at once and that’s sort of true. But really it feels like multiple lives intersecting in a time and place in various complicated ways and we’re just going along for the ride. Which is how life works. Books usually focus on one story but this one was a bit more realistic to life with multiple people and their stories connecting. It’s also multi-genre in that it’s a bit science fiction and a bit fantasy and a bit coming of age general fiction for one of the characters. And I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters – even Shizuka Satomi and her complicated history. Some would say she’s evil but it feels more complicated than that. There’s a couple places where I think things could have been explained a little more bot overall everything was great about the book. Hopefully all continues to go well for everyone!

#Bookstodon #Fantasy #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction #TransRightsReadathon #TRR24

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=640

“Real Sugar is Hard to Find” Review

Written by Sim Kern
Published by Android Press, August 2022
206 Pages
Completed March 25, 2024

A collection of short stories by Sim Kern, REAL SUGAR IS HARD TO FIND explores intersections of climate change, reproductive justice, queer identities, and family trauma. Whether fantasy, science fiction, or terrifyingly close-to-home, the worlds of these stories are inhabited by flawed characters whose lives are profoundly impacted by climate change and environmental degradation.

Arranged in a progression from dystopian to utopian worlds, the stories chart a path from climate despair towards resilience and revolutionary optimism. Even in the bleakest of futures, however, Kern offers reasons to hope, connect, and keep fighting for a better world.

This was a great collection of stories! I enjoyed all of them though there were a couple I did want to know more about what was going to happen next. That said most of them did feel complete and even the ones that didn’t ended in a way that made sense for what was being told. As the description says even with the darker stories there was always a sense of possibility and hope. I’d read anything by Sim Kern at this point.

#Bookstodon #Dystopian #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction #TransRightsReadathon #TRR24

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=634

“Breakout” Review

Full Title “Breakout: The Altayih Chronicles 1”
Written by Alek L. Cristea
Self published, February 2023
324 pages
Completed March 24, 2024

Malek dreams of owning his own ship and escaping the prison he’s been unjustly held in. When his escape plan collides with the agenda of a Shinarian girl, he must choose between trusting her and going alone. Trystan, on the radical colony Eden One, discovers his father’s involvement in a terrible project and must decide whether to act despite risking everything. Làhn, a skilled thief, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and must piece together his past to clear his name. Together, they must confront Berik Corp, a powerful entity threatening the galaxy’s stability.

This was a fun and exciting read. I really liked that along with the Trans / Queer representations there were various disability and mental health representations as well. The characters are great and I really enjoyed learning about them. Each of the three main characters has their own group of friends that are going along for the journey which makes things more exciting. The book ends in a way that makes it feel like a pilot episode for a tv show with a long story arc but will have standalone episodes along the way to completing the arc. Definitly a lot of story possibilities! I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

#Bookstodon #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction #TransRightsReadathon #TRR24

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=627

“This Arab Is Queer” Review

Full Title: This Arab Is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers
Edited by Elias Jahshan
Published by Saqi Books, January 2022
216 pages
Completed March 23,2024

This ground-breaking anthology features the compelling and courageous memoirs of eighteen queer Arab writers — some international bestselling, others using pseudonyms. Here, we find heart-warming connections and moments of celebration alongside essays exploring the challenges of being LGBTQ+ and Arab.

From a military base in the Gulf to loving whispers caught between bedsheets; and from touring overseas as a drag queen to a concern in Cairo where the rainbow flag was raised to a crowd of thousands, this collection celebrates the true colours of a vibrant Arab queer experience.

This was a great collection of stories. Each one felt important to read and understand as the individuals told their stories. As the introduction explains being Arab and Queer can be difficult for a number of reasons and each person has had to deal with a lot because of where they come from. There are also other issues they have to deal with as well. There was a range of different queer topics that were good and informative. Some stories were harder to read than others – with different issues happening to the individuals. I’m glad I read this book and I’ve already looked up the authors to learn more about them.

#Bookstodon #LGBTQIA_ #ShortStories #TransRightsReadathon #TRR24

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=621

2024 Trans Rights Read-a-Thon

The 2024 Trans Rights Read-a-Thon has begun and this year I am fundraising for OUT MetroWest located in Framingham, Massachusetts!

“The Trans Rights Readathon is an annual call to action to readers and book lovers in support of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st.”

My Fundraiser for OUT MetroWest

More information about the Trans Rights Readathon

I will be reading the following books this year:

“This Arab is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers”
Edited by Elias Jahshan

“Real Sugar is Hard to Find” a collection of short stories by
Sim Kern

“Breakout” – first novel in new series by Alek Cristea, described as a “space-opera/cyberpunk adventure featuring queer teens in space fighting back against oppression.”

Previous books I’ve read with Trans characters or written by Trans individuals include:

“The Thirty Names of Night” by Zeyn Joukhadar

“Seeds for the Swarm” by Sim Kern

“Transcendent: The Year’s Best Transgender Speculative Fiction” by K.M. Szpara et al.

Other books written by or with Trans individuals

“Lakelore” by Anna-Marie McLemore

“Depart, Depart!” By Sim Kern

“Hell Followed With Us” by Andrew Joseph White

“We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir” by Samra Habib

“VenCo” by Cherie Dimaline

“The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester” by Maya MacGregor

“The Wicked Bargain” by Gabe Cole Novoa

“The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will” by Maya MacGregor

“The Free People’s Village” by Sim Kern

“The Gilded Ones” trilogy by Namina Forna

#TransRightsReadathon
#TRR24

#Bookstodon #GeneralFiction #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction #ShortStories #TransRightsReadathon #TRR24

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=616

“The Infinite” Review

Written by Ada Hoffmann
Published by Angry Robot, January 2023
400 pages
Completed March 6, 2024

Time is running out for the planet Jai. The artificially intelligent Gods who rule the galaxy have withdrawn their protection from the chaos-ravaged world, just as their most ancient enemy closes in. For Yasira Shien, who has devoted herself to the fragile planet’s nascent rebellion, it’s time to do or die – and the odds are overwhelming. Enter Dr. Evianna Talirr. Talirr, the visionary who decimated the planet and began its rebellion, is not a woman to be trusted. But she’s returned with an unsettling prophecy: the only way to save Jai is for Yasira to die. Yasira knows it can’t be that simple. But as she frantically searches for other options, what she finds will upend everything she knew about the Gods, the galaxy she lives in, and herself.

This was a great conclusion to the trilogy. I enjoyed reading how everything ending. I liked the way the story was formatted as a method to explain some of what had been happening in the past to lead to the current issues. That was a good way of doing things. There were a couple interesting plot twists along the way that made things more interesting as things developed. The ending felt realistic for all that had happened and how things were going. All and all a great series.

#Bookstodon #Disability #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=598

“The Fallen” Review

Written by Ada Hoffmann
Published by Angry Robot, July 2021
258 pages (some places say 368 but the digital version has less)
Completed February 17, 2024

The laws of physics acting on the planet of Jai have been forever upended; its surface completely altered, and its inhabitants permanently changed, causing chaos. Fearing heresy, the artificially intelligent Gods that once ruled the galaxy became the planet’s jailers.

Tiv Hunt, who once trusted these Gods completely, spends her days helping the last remaining survivors of Jai. Everyone is fighting for their freedom and they call out for drastic action from their saviour, Tiv’s girlfriend Yasira. But Yasira has become deeply ill, debilitated by her Outside exposure, and is barely able to breathe, let alone lead a revolution.

Hunted by the Gods and Akavi, the disgraced angel, Yasira and Tiv must delve further than ever before into the maddening mysteries of their fractured planet in order to save – or perhaps even destroy – their fading world.

This was a fun and interesting sequel to “The Outside”. It sort of has the usual problem of being the middle of a trilogy so things can’t be completely resolved but it also does a good job of setting up where everyone is at and the conclusion that is coming. I really liked that Tiv took the main point of view in this story as she struggles to deal with everything and help Yasira. Their relationship in the book is great. Yasira is struggling to deal with a lot of changes and Tiv continues to be by her side as much as she can. I think some might get a little frustrated with Yadira’s attitude but it really made sense for all that had gone on and the complete change to her reality. The other characters in the book are great and I liked that we got to see more characters and how they are involved with everything going on. I’m looking forward to reading the last book in the series.

#Bookstodon #Disability #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=573

“The Outside” Review

Written by Ada Hoffmann
Published by Angry Robot, June 2019
400 pages
Completed January 6, 2024

Autistic scientist Yasira Shien has developed a radical new energy drive that could change the future of humanity. But when she activates it, reality warps, destroying the space station and everyone aboard. The AI Gods who rule the galaxy declare her work heretical, and Yasira is abducted by their agents. Instead of simply executing her, they offer mercy – if she’ll help them hunt down a bigger target: her own mysterious, vanished mentor. With her homeworld’s fate in the balance, Yasira must choose who to trust: the gods and their ruthless post-human angels, or the rebel scientist whose unorthodox mathematics could turn her world inside out.

This was a strange but really good book. The “AI Gods” were essentially created by humans a long time ago out of their computer systems and then grew to become god-like figures because they’re so powerful. People believe in them and worship them like they would other gods, except these gods are real not like the old religions of the past to paraphrase the book. Makes for an interesting read. What also makes it interesting are the two main characters who are both autistic but were both treated very differently. Yasira was given all the supports she needed growing up while another character was beaten into being “normal” – didn’t work out so well. The world building is interesting and I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just leave it at wanting to know if what I suspect about the universe they’re in is true based on various plot points that came up.

#Bookstodon #Disability #LGBTQIA_ #ScienceFiction

https://stardustrohrig.com/?p=541