dyedgrey @dyedgrey@qoto.org

#FungiFriday #fungi #mushroom #nature #MastodonMushrooms #mycology #fungiverse #fungus #MushroomsOfMastodon #nature #adirondacks

Anti-LGBTQ Christian Lobbying Group Focus On The Family Vandalized:

To those fighting for the queer community,

As members of the queer community we are heartbroken by the lives taken at Club Q on November 19th: Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump. Before proceeding we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge that we acted without consent from the families of these people. We offer our sincere apologies if this action feels contrary to your beliefs. We chose to proceed with this action because of the incredible violence that Focus on the Family continues to perpetuate against the 2SLQBTQIA community.

On the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, as Club Q was preparing an all ages drag show, the queer community lost 5 beautiful souls at one of the few gay clubs in all of Colorado Springs. These 5 individuals gathered at Club Q with friends and loved ones, new and old, to be in community and to grieve all the lives lost to transphobia. You may have seen various news outlets speaking about this tragedy as an issue of “gun control” or a “senseless act of violence,” but it is so important that we recognize this crime for what it was: a targeted act of hate.

Witnesses have recounted that 50-60 people were present at Club Q when a man walked in and started shooting. 5 people were killed and 18 or more were wounded. What this means is that half of the people who came to dance and have fun in this sacred space were physically injured as a result of this atrocity, not to mention the trauma inflicted on every single person present at Club Q. It is no accident that this happened in Colorado Springs, a city steeped in homophobia, transphobia, and white supremacy. It is no surprise that someone did this in the city that is home to such a hateful organization as Focus on the Family. If you visit their website, you will see them eagerly display their desire to rid the world of all queer people.

It is important to us that you understand why Focus on the Family must be held accountable for the ramifications of their hateful theology. You have likely seen the onslaught of anti-trans legislation, of which Focus on the Family is a huge proponent, both in funding and propaganda. With an alarmingly expansive network, they work closely with powerful entities, such as the DeVos family, to promote and fund this anti-trans legislation. Focus on the Family's goal is to eradicate queerness. Tactics they use to achieve this include indoctrination, media saturation, falsified research, and conversion therapy. We encourage you to continue to investigate the many examples of their culpability, which can be found front and center on their own website.

Focus on the Family likes to promote themselves as people who are “bringing about the kingdom of god.” But we want to remind you that even the bible warns us to be cautious of folks such as these. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 reminds us that “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

In Love, Grief, Rage, and Solidarity,
Members of the Front Range Queer Community

[Received Via Anonymous Submission]

So weird how "free speech" has to include attacks on marginalized people, but can never include fighting back against oppressors.

My #mosstodon apology pic. We were in the Cowal Peninsula in #Scotland at the start of the month and the carpets of moss in the woodlands up there were fantastic - vivid and spongey. These #moss covered trees also caught my eye - like they were playing dress up, trying to convince the pines all around them that "we're evergreens too, honest!" (These were at Glenbranter iirc.)

Here's my new hobby which you #TwitterMigration folks might also want to try.

Watch your Local timeline for people just arriving or making their first post. (It's not stalking. Really.)

And then reply with something like, "Hello and welcome! 👋"

Sometimes that starts a conversation. Sometimes you wind up following each other.

Why do that? Maybe to be as kind as all the wonderful folks who welcomed us here?

So, go ahead. Pay it forward. Make a new friend. It's fun. And, you know, social.

Se7en is a Christmas movie because people talk about the Bible and Brad Pitt gets a present at the end.

#success #twittermigration #twitterexodus #Mastodon #inspiration

Gee whiz kids, maybe @tedcruz@twitter.com needs to understand that the shooting was politically motivated.
Maybe before Ted opens his mouth and spouts stupidity, he should understand that right wing violence against marginalized groups is on the rise in the USA.
Ted is an asshole.

Not great
---
RT @JohnBerman
Whoa! America’s top soccer reporter @GrantWahl detained (for a time) in Qatar for wearing a rainbow t-shirt.

An Unexpected Detention by World Cup Security, by @GrantWahl https://open.substack.com/pub/grantwahl/p/an-unexpected-detention-by-world?r=870il&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
https://twitter.com/JohnBerman/status/1594752531426590746

So this is my second proper day of Mastodon.

Boost if you are staying. Are you happy here? Reply to boost your account. 🖖

I will never understand why people are so averse to diversity.

I like seeing trans people speaking to each other with idioms I don't get, cute girls speaking a language I can't recognize, or gay dudes priming and posing in random pics.

Seeing shit that is not for me makes me feel like I'm part of a much bigger world that still has space for me to learn and grow.

That's a big place of comfort for me. The bottomless nature of the human experience means we all have space to be fully who we are.

That's pretty cool.

Before you freak out about:
* Anti-Black racism
* Anti-Asian racism
* Election interference
* Climate denial
* Transphobia
* Roe v Wade
* Anti-Mask violence
* Open insurrection

Take just 1 moment to recognize that it's pretty much the same set of folk doing almost all of this.🤷🏿‍♂️

After a day of considering, journa.host is getting the block. The reason? Despite saying that he absolutely doesn't tolerate transphobia on jouna.host, the admin still hasn't taken down the initial post or banned the user from the server.

I see enough mealy mouthed both-sides-ism outside the fediverse. I don't need to see it here.

A gunman murdered 5 people in a hate-fuelled attack against LGBTQ people, and the only people talking about it are members of the community. Now we're being told to 'shut up' re Qatar and that our rights aren't worth a yellow card.

Never let anyone tell you we 'don't need Pride'.

#OneLove #Qatar

Wrote some irate thoughts on Musk and Trump, for The Atlantic.

"This entire incident is terrifically stupid. The story revolves around the whims of two wealthy and self-involved men who enjoy nothing more than public attention. It is an enormous waste of everyone’s time, and I resent having to think about it."

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/elon-musk-donald-trump-twitter/672195/

The worst of the misleading and inflammatory rhetoric is on the right, but it's not only on the right. It's in the mainstream as well. It's in the New York Times, it's in the Washington Post, and most likely, it's also in your local paper.

If you're a journalist, odds are its in your organization, if they cover trans issues as a controversy or a both sides issue.

It has killed already, and it will continue killing us.

Them: Faving posts on Mastodon is useless, only the OP sees it.

Me, when a post gets faved: awwww, little internet hug ✨

@marcelias Marc all of us appreciate all the hard work you and your team do to save Democracy. You are truly our “knights in shining armor” I cannot tell you how many times I read your tweets and I was so happy to know we had lawyers fighting back. Thanks Again!