April Gardner

Ofelia Torres, teen who fought to have her father released from ICE custody, dies from rare cancer Ofelia Torres, 16, died on Friday from Stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, her father's lawyer confirmed.

A child dying of cancer spent her final days fighting to free her wrongfully detained father from ICE custody.
 
This comes just weeks after a mother from Maryland was denied the right to be at her son’s side as he died from cancer.
 
Not one dime for this cruelty.

www.cbsnews.com/amp/chicago/...

If you would like to read a free version, head on over here: www.florenceashley.com/uploads/1/2/...

And for the 9-minutes audio version, go here: open.spotify.com/episode/2XQr...

Evidentiary Pragmatism in Transgender Health Care | AJPH | Vol. 116 Issue 3 American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) from the American Public Health Association (APHA)

It took a hot minute, but I can finally share my new paper on evidentiary pragmatism in transgender health care!

In it, I propose a new principle for evaluating scientific evidence based on the best reasonably achievable evidence, avoiding the ‘catch-22’ where trans care can never be justified.

yeah anyone who thinks this is a great idea wants a five year old victim to have to choose if they want their relative to die

Labour’s Section 28 is here – act now In May 1988, the Conservative government introduced Section 28. This legal measure outlawed support for “homosexuality as a pretended family relationship” across Britain, especially in …

New post: LABOUR'S SECTION 28 IS HERE - ACT NOW.

I explain how the Labour government's proposed revisions to the guidance on "keeping children in education" are designed to erase trans children in England. But it's not a done deal - there is plenty we can do to oppose this.

there is an employment crisis among trans women and there always has been, but good luck getting people to see it

In other words, the judge basically said that to get the hospital to comply with state law would potentially risk the closure of the hospital due to loss of medicaid funding. It effectively means that the federal government through extrajudicial threats has abrogated state anti discrimination law.

Judge denies request to force Children’s Hospital to resume gender-affirming care for transgender youth A Denver judge declined a lawsuit request to force Children's Hospital Colorado to resume gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

A group of families sued Colorado children's hospital for violating state anti discrimination law for stopping provision of gender affirming care under threats by the Trump admin. The court found they violated state law but found the risks to the hospital too large.

coloradosun.com/2026/02/13/c...

How to do the Colonial Knot - Sarah’s Hand Embroidery This knot looks pretty much like the French Knot but has a higher profile, which means, it looks more prominent. Also, while we wrap around twice in the same direction for the French Knot, we wrap aro...

It's lovely! I started doing hand embroidery last year and loved it.

I found it easier to sub in colonial knots for French knots, in case you wanted to try those too:

Cox quickly signs Utah ‘constitutional court’ into law — but the Legislature isn’t done with the judiciary Gov. Cox quickly signed a bill creating a ‘constitutional court’ in Utah. It's the latest effort in the Utah Legislature's crusade to reshape the judiciary.

Gov. Cox quickly signed a bill creating a ‘constitutional court’ in Utah. It's the latest effort in the Utah Legislature's crusade to reshape the judiciary.

A photo of a farm worker in the field with her hands making a heart with a Valentine's Day frame with little hearts around it and the words over the photo love the hands that feed us. Protect farm workers.

The Trump administration’s attacks on H-2A wage protections make it harder than ever for farm workers to earn fair pay. This #ValentinesDay, remember: Love means justice. Love means protection. Stand with farmworkers. Show love to the hands that feed us. ❤️#WeFeedYou

Wow

Nuremberg Trials.

flower painting

commission by my mom for @allegedlywoof.bsky.social
you can get the hi-res images at my kofi ko-fi.com/bunsmiles

I encountered this slur on a brunch menu for a Czech inspired restaurant a few months ago. I really was shocked that by now no one had realized this isn't okay, and asked staff to let management know it was an unacceptable racial slur.

Still shows up on the menu, so I know where not to go anymore.

I'm sure being sick isn't helping, but really struggling to find hope and comfort today.

How the activists shaping Trump’s anti-transgender policies are influencing Utah’s laws, too Out-of-state efforts to shape Utah's laws feature some of the same activists President Donald Trump has relied on to shape his anti-transgender policies.

Out-of-state efforts to shape Utah's laws feature some of the same activists President Donald Trump has relied on to shape his anti-transgender policies.

"The sheriff’s office said what happened in court is in line with its protocol and it does not view its involvement as a use of county resources for federal immigration operations."

Hey, don't ask about bailiffs cuffing and holding immigrants in private court holding spaces, that makes us look bad!

Youth gender care in the UK had scandalous aspects, only in the opposite direction of the claims the press ran with.

In addition to years long waits for time sensitive treatments, older teens who passed assessment were forced to do a year on puberty blockers before hormones were considered.

Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses

When the subtitle is actually the headline:

“In an internal memo last year, Meta said the political tumult in the United States would distract critics from the feature’s release.”

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...

Black Women Are Losing Jobs At Three Times The Rate Of Other Women | Essence New labor data shows Black women accounted for a disproportionate share of job losses across 2025, especially in federal, education, and care-sector roles.

"Racist people are firing and laying off Black women at three times the rate of other women."

😬Yikes! It sounds bad when you say it like that!

"Black women are losing jobs at 3 times the rate."

Much better! Makes it sound like the Black women just need to be more careful or better at their jobs!

Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.

If Moderna is no longer bringing vaccine trials for Epstein-Barr virus (good evidence that EB causes Multiple Sclerosis), herpes, and shingles because of Trump appointees, I want prison time for those appointees.

This might be dooming millions to disease they don’t have to experience.

I’ve spent years of my life trying to explain to people that anti-trans conservatism naturally flows from their belief that children in the American nuclear family are not individuals with autonomy, but instead property of the parents and state, and this guy just… tweeted it out

Many good insights in this thread. A note from my cis experience - we might not have a sense of our own genders, but we live in a world where people accept and confirm our gender identities all the time.

Trust trans people.

It's horrifying watching what's happening in the UK's genocidal anti-trans project on its own.

Then the horror rebounds as I know everything they're doing will be advanced in my own state legislature to bring that cruelty here. So many of the lies from the UK came up here this morning.

This man is a DEI hire.

Anyone who had genuine concerns about youth gender medicine would staunchly and wholeheartedly support social transition. Let kids explore their identities to see what works for them!

The fact that this movement opposes even pronouns and haircuts shows that it's just bigotry all the way down.