Amanda Hicken

Patriotism isn't about building walls, punishing immigrants, cutting taxes for the rich, attacking the press, or dividing us by race & faith.

True patriots don't pander to divisiveness or hate. They work to confirm the "WE" in "We the People of the United States."

Approximately 25% of Americans with #lupus receive health care through Medicaid. Read our response to today's passage of #HR1 and how its cuts to #Medicaid will create even more barriers to accessing the care that's so critical to living with this unrelenting disease: buff.ly/xu8IsqC

We're closing out #LupusAwarenessMonth w/our final 2025 #GameOntoEndLupus livestream, playing the winning pair from our fundraising poll (Ducktales+Rescue Rangers on the #NES) + other games by request. Head over to twitch.tv/2uptogether for family retro game night in support of @lupusorg! #gotel2025

“That reminds me of” is the killer of creativity in writers. Shut that voice off, if you have it.

After Cuts, a Kentucky Weather Office Scrambles for Staffing as Severe Storms Bear Down

9 people were killed in a tornado last night in KY. The NWS office responsible for that area has faced some of the most extreme cuts by the Trump administration, including the loss of overnight forecasting.

Last night, they were rushing to find help for the office.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...

Thoughts and prayers to all the shitty white couples who won't get the ✨aesthetique✨ enslaver cosplay weddings of their dweams, bew hew

An Itty-Bitty Love Story Because everyone should have original art

Does selling original paintings for $10 compensate me for my time and artistic vision? No. But is it a great business move? Also no. Here's why I do it anyway #sciart

Come torture Scott and me when we tackle #HotelMario tonight - twitch.tv/2uptogether at 7pm! #gotel2025 #gotel

Graphic that says: I took the Know Lupus quiz! lupus.org/knowlupus

This week, I had the opportunity to help launch an updated version of @lupus.org's #KnowLupus Quiz & bring it into the lupus.org site.

Check it out & share-it's a great way to test your knowledge of this complex autoimmune disease, learn something new & help #MakeLupusVisible: lupus.org/knowlupus

Breaking News: @acr-journals.bsky.social has released new guidelines for the treatment & management of systemic lupus erythematosus. The guidelines are another critical step in improving care in line with advancements in the treatment & understanding of #lupus: t.co/NUMmNnuBRJ #Medsky #Rheumsky #SLE

New data from the World Lupus Federation reveals a gap: 85% of people with #lupus report symptoms of #lupusnephritis, but 43% have little or no knowledge of the condition. Awareness leads to better outcomes.

🔗 Spread the word & make lupus visible: buff.ly/7scOXUx

#WorldLupusDay

In addition to purple being my all-around favorite color, we've put on purple today because May 10 is #WorldLupusDay. Join us in learning more and raising awareness for the millions affected by this chronic autoimmune disease: www.lupus.org/lupus-awaren... #LupusAwarenessMonth

Next #GameOnToEndLupus stream is tonight and I've been looking forward to finding out how good or bad the #NES Double Dare game is for weeks! Join us at twitch.tv/2uptogether from 7pm ET until at least 9pm ET for a bunch of retro gameshow and boardgame video games! #gotel2025 #gotel

In an absolutely devastating ruling, the Supreme Court has allowed the transgender military ban to go into effect.

This is shocking - the ban explicitly called transgender people dishonorable for being transgender. It is as clear as day soaked in animus.

www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docke...

Personally I think the justices should state explicitly why servicemembers aren't entitled to 14th Amendment rights if they happen to also be trans. Maybe they're still thinking about how to rewrite the amendment so that it says what they want it to say instead bsky.app/profile/kyle...

Take Action for Lupus Virtual Advocacy Day As you read this, hundreds of lupus advocates attending the 2025 National Lupus Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC are turning Capitol Hill purple and meeting with their members of Congress.  They...

Today on #LupusAdvocacy Day, your voice is needed more than ever before: Join me in calling on Congress to protect funding for #lupus research programs & reject cuts to programs like Medicaid, which are critical to ensuring people w/lupus have access to the care they need. It takes less than 60secs!

Clinical research drives progress in #lupus care - and your voice makes it possible! 💜 Hear from experts at AstraZeneca, Biogen, and Genentech plus advocates like Olga making an impact.

📺 Watch the livestream: buff.ly/WuN93Ab #lupusadvocacy

Going really old school with the first game in tonight's 6-hour #GOTEL2025 stream. Come join us til 11pm ET at twitch.tv/2uptogether as we fundraise for @lupus.org! #gameontoendlupus #gotel

Charlie: I have the Barenaked Ladies stuck in my head
Me: oh, bummer. For how long?
Charlie: it's been—

5.5 hours of stream left to go, I'm taking a short itty bitty break but we just hit $1,000 raised! 😭💜✨️

We are doing a little game key giveaway, a merch giveaway, I've just committed to a year of customizing me IRL with new skill trees I'm going to turn into auctioned off products in 2026, it's 🍌

These are so cool!

It's #GOTEL2025 time! Going live with Jaws and Jurassic Park right now on twitch.tv/2uptogether

Cheese, Gromit!

I hope everyone knows that it's very easy for any social content platform, including Bluesky, to be a misery machine and that if you aren't intentional about it, they will absolutely decrease the positive impact you have on the world while making you less happy.

Only way to do it if you love your kid.

I'm raising funds for @lupus.org this weekend and all month long for #GameOnToEndLupus! Join Scott, Amelia & me for chaotic retro gaming and fundraising for a good cause.

Here's our campaign page with more info and to donate: tiltify.com/@2uptogether... #gotel #gotel2025 #lupusawarenessmonth

You are soo cute! (Your hair is especially 🔥)

A highlight of Amelia getting older is introducing her to video games Scott & I played when we were kids. So when it came to deciding what we'd stream for #GameOnToEndLupus 2025, we chose to kick it old school w/Family Retro Game Nights! 🕹 The chaos kicks off 5/2: tiltify.com/@2uptogether... #GOTEL

U.S. Capitol Building at dusk

Read our statement on the recent reorganization at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and cuts to the #Lupus Research Program at the Department of Defense: buff.ly/PIFVYLx

Exciting news! Proud to work for an organization that's leading the way in setting a new standard for patient-centered drug development for people with #lupus.