The Wordsmith's Forge

Thanks to an audience poll, there are 8 new verses in "Holding Hope and Love."  Sunny talks Cheersquad into taking a break. 

Life is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.

What are some of the hard things you've done recently?

People are wearing safety pins to show solidarity with the vulnerable.  

Some criticisms include accusations of white guilt. This assumes that everyone wearing a safety pin is A) white and B) not a member of any oppressed group.  Since women are wearing them, and women are a disadvantaged group -- especially with the pussy grabber in chief -- that disproves the argument.  Not to mention all the queers, people with invisible disabilities, foreign-born citizens, and everyone else the bigots would like to abuse.  Offering yourself as safe space isn't slacktivism.  It's advertising yourself as an upstander.  Because we need to remember this shit and that challenging bigots is risky.

I try to maintain my little corner of the web as safe space.  It's not perfect, because I've got a temper and some days I am out of spoons to fake being civil.  But I try.  I generally discourage people from picking on each other.  I welcome a wide range of people and traits.  By and large, I don't make a fuss over many things that other folks are fussy about.  So be yourself, and don't be a dick.  SOMEbody has to be the grownup.

dialecticdreamer has posted the story "Supporting Each Other."  Heron helps a friend deal with misgendering.  Also, there is trans mpreg.  <3