Jess 🏳️‍⚧️

Pink and yellow sunrise over blue ridge mountains

I love a reminder, especially one as gorgeous as this - that for all our human drama, there are forces that know nothing of our petty chaos and they just keep on going.
#sunrise

The cashier was super nice, and said she couldn’t change it, but I could call member services.

Anyway, the astonished look made my morning. 🤣

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson:

"Private establishments can partner with us to make it clear that private property is private property and ICE cannot enter establishments without a valid warrant ... If Congress will not check this administration, then Chicago will."

The apartments acted alone, pulling the adults and children out of them without anyone’s else’s participation

Diluted calico cat sleeping on couch nuzzling her favorite yarn / feather toy

Closeup of cat snuggling yarn / feather toy

Who doesn’t love to nap with their favorite toy?
#Caturday

The end of due process for immigrants is the end of due process for citizens.

Few understand this.

Twitch Twitch is the world

Hey!! You!! Join us today at 4:30 PM (PST) as @laedrys.bsky.social , @jess-does-lyfe.bsky.social and I interview the brilliant @taryntalley.bsky.social live on Twitch!
Twitch.tv/TransSpotting

Ok time to gym. These walls aren’t going to climb themselves.. 🧗‍♂️

The revolution will be analog.

I’m certainly not qualified to make legal analysis, but I don’t understand why habeus holds more weight than all the other laws and rules of engagement that are being ignored right now.

expanded their operations to dissidents.

It’s hard for me to buy that’s a legal issue atp. They have no qualms ignoring other laws.

Is it public perception that holds them back?
Is it a resource issue? Something else?

Not normally that guy, but I dunno about that wording.
“Being prepared” seems a little behind the times.

ICE is currently only targeting people who fit any broad description of immigrants, and anyone who gets too close to their operations.
It’s important to note why they haven’t yet

Ofc we’ll never win over religious zealots.

But - having that conversation about choice with less extreme types and keeping the framing about choice as a concept of personal freedom, not transness or queerness specifically.

That has the potential to get us to Walz logic - mind your damn business.

has always been inadequate to justify the choice of living however one chooses.

Temptation of sin (aka personal freedom) should be resisted regardless of innate characteristics.

It is only by questioning the premise -
Not why is trans bad..
Why is choice bad?

Then it’s a different conversation.

that way was the measure of morality.
Plenty of people are “born” queer or trans, and do not make the choice. They hide and hate themselves.
And I get that some people don’t see themselves as born that way, if they didn’t feel it early in life. But regardless, to many the born that way argument

I’ve personally always held this framing of queer and trans identity as both / and — born this way / choice.
My Southern Baptist upbringing scoffed at the born this way narrative. That was the calling of sin. Gay people could be born that way but resisting temptation to make the choice to live

“To us, masks are associated with cowardly desperados and the despised Ku Klux Klan. In all our history we have never tolerated an armed masked secret police.”

- Judge William Young, September 30, 2025

Pete Hegseth would rather make everyone in the military be beardless, skinny, and spiteful than just admit he’s into twinks

So I’m re-reading a book in which a community is invaded and the ppl imprisoned (which happens to be the part I’m on).
Also listening to an audiobook in which the protagonist is imprisoned.
While watching cell phone video of ppl being kidnapped & imprisoned.
And then I wonder why I have bad dreams.

YouTube video by TransSpotting Season 2 Episode 27: Holding Out On Hinges

Happy new free episode Monday! Join @laedrys.bsky.social , @jess-does-lyfe.bsky.social , and me for an unhinged August recap episode!
Season 2 Episode 27: Holding Out On Hinges
youtu.be/jhcr7-gYVlk

Between the disaster of Helene, the rise of fascism, and crossing the rubicon into passing land - I have never before been so aware of white privilege.

It’s time for Ezra Klein to have a time out.

Like - he needs to be quiet for a while and reflect on his effect on the world.

Dude is the poster boy for assimilationist politics and we just do not need any more of that.

Thread. A year ago today phone, internet and the water system had collapsed. Some trusted friends and I were spending the day getting water to those who needed it, and confirming some elders in our communities were still alive.

Did the annual apple picking today 🍎🍏

It always amazes me how many people walk around these orchards eating apples straight from the tree.

You can SEE the pesticide / fungicide on them folks.

Just wait and wash them first. 😬

This place is fantastic. Perfect stop about halfway between ATL and AVL.

That’s right. I love Mad Co Brewing!

Makeshift statue atop a huge pile of dirt and cinder blocks with signs that read “Hope…even when the creek rises”

Since I shared the photo that brings up the most grief, might as well also share the one that gives me the most hope.

Hope…even when the creek rises.

#Asheville #Helene

Diluted calico cat leaning on a stuffed sea Lion

Diluted calico cat playing with stuffed sea lion

🐈 Don’t mind me - just making out with my sea lion.
#Caturday

I’m not saying that like - feel bad for us.

I’m saying that because if you don’t know jack about the infrastructure that provides your utilities, and the risks that infrastructure faces - you could be the ones caught off-guard next.

Everyone in the US probably remembers Hurricane Helene last year.

What most people likely don’t know b/c it’s not fast and flashy news is that the majority of people in Asheville (roughly 70% of the 100k residents here) were without clean running water in our homes for almost 2 months.

1/2