And every time I hear that, I just kinda stop and stare at a wall wide eyed.

Cause I don’t know how to answer that question.

Because, to ask that question in the first place means the person asking is ignoring our incredible Black elected officials.

It has to.

They can’t ask that question if they know who Mayor Brandon Scott is or Reps Lauren Underwood, Joyce Beatty or Sydney Kamlager Dove. And those are just four of hundreds, and I do mean HUNDREDS of examples.

But I don’t want this to be a dissertation, you probably wouldn’t read it if it was, so let me focus on these four.

Mayor Brandon Scott leads Baltimore, Maryland. He has been in office six years now, and the homicide rate is going down every single month. May was the first time in five decades that homicide rate was in the single digits.

He did this through new programs like Group Violence Reduction, which launched in 2022 and established ones like Safe Streets which has been around since 2007.

And he’s not done. He barely considers this an accomplishment because homicides are still happening.

And he’s not going to rest till they aren’t.

Rep Lauren Underwood (IL-14) is 39 years old, but she has been in office since she was 31. At the time she was the youngest Black woman to ever be in Congress. And she ran with that.

Her longest fight has been working to get the Black Maternal Health package to pass the House. And she hasn’t stopped fighting for it. She was a nurse and is disabled herself and that informs everything she fights for.

And she won’t stop fighting for that package till it passes.

Rep Joyce Beatty (OH-03) may be 76, but she is the reason that Trump’s name is off the Kennedy Center, and when the tarp comes down, she will be the reason for that too.

She has been on the Kennedy Center board as an ex officio member (a board member from Congress) since 2019 and when the phone call happened to rename the Center, her line was muted. So she sued, and won.

This is one of the biggest wins against Trump coming from our Democrats in Congress. Cause it didn’t just stop something, it reversed it.

And she will keep filing these lawsuits till the Kennedy Center is restored in full.

And last but certainly not least, Rep Sydney Kamlager Dove (CA-37) is one of my favorite Reps. She is loud and dramatic in the best way possible. She’s not afraid to swear and is constantly trying to raise awareness about how much damage Trump is causing.

She will walk out of hearings to make a point when she thinks they’re unfair, like the June 3 hearing with Marco Rubio.

One of my favorite things from her is her “Is this Shit Legal?” series, where she reminded her audience time and time again of all the illegal things Trump was doing, and highlighted what Dems are doing to stop them.

She explains what’s going on in Congress in words everyone can comprehend, and I will never understand how she’s not one of the people everyone talks about the most.

So, where are the Mamdanis and AOCs? They’re right there. They’re elected already. They’re doing incredible work every single day.

I just wish more people knew their names.

If you wanna change that, the call to action is really simple. Follow more Black electeds on social media and spread their work.

Because they are here and they are Progressive and they are loud and they are fighting.

Pine City, Minnesota

Thu, May 28 - On June 19, 2005, East Central Minnesota Men’s Group hosted their first Pride picnic in Voyageur Park. Why does this matter?

Well, it sounds unimaginable, but that picnic was the first rural Pride event in the country. And now, they’ve unveiled a historic marker commemorating the event.

Aaron Bombard, the current head of the East Central Men’s Group led the project. His husband, Kent Bombard also became the first openly gay mayor of Pine City when he was elected in 2024.

Aaron explained to MPR News that it took a long time to get the marker. They had to work with the Minnesota Historical Society and historical societies around the country to verify that they really were the first.

The project was funded through the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment which passed with 56% of the vote during the 2008 presidential election. Yet another reminder of why voting in every single race on your ballot matters.

It’s easy to think things have always been better than they are now, but 22 years ago, there had never been a rural pride event. We ARE making progress, even if it doesn’t feel like it most days.

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Richmond Virginia

Sat, May 30 - Richmond Pride partnered Richmond Region Tourism and OutRVA at Richmond Community ToolBank to build and paint five pride picnic tables.

These tables have been donated to this city and will be placed in five parks.

You can find them at the Alice Fitz Community Garden, Broadstreet Pollinator Park, Bill Robinson Park, Fonticello Park and Midtown Green, where they will stay as long as the paint holds up.

This might not seem like a big deal, but as Richmond Pride said in their Instagram post, “visibility is a crucial tool in fighting for equality.”

Bigotry comes from ignorance, and ignorance is a lot harder when queerness just exists in the spaces around you. And more representation always gives me hope.

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New York City, New York

Wed, June 3 - Callen-Lorde is an LGBTQ+ Community Healthcare clinic that has been around, in one form or another, since Stonewall. This year, for pride, they are handing out pride safety kits, called “Party Packs” at their Chelsea clinics.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Chief Medical Officer explained:

Pride is about joy, community—and taking care of each other. The Party and Prevention kit from Callen-Lorde is exactly what that looks like in action: easy HIV testing thanks to OraSure, HIV PrEP-on-Demand to stay protected on your terms, DoxyPEP to reduce the risk of some bacterial STIs, overdose prevention tools that save lives, and a huge list of other sexual health supplies. However you celebrate, make prevention part of your plan—because loving our community means showing up authentically for our health, too.

We have to protect each other in so many different ways right now. And it’s important to remember that it’s not just political, it’s personal and local too. This is a form of mutual aid and it saves lives. If you are in Chelsea there is still a change to pick one of these kits up on the 26th.

It’s never lawsuits, OR voting OR mutual aid, it’s always all three. Voting gives us the first Rural Pride historic marker, while mutual aid keeps queer people safe in NYC today, and of course we’re winning lawsuits every day.

Our fight is never just about the big things, these small local stories matter too. It’s the little things that change the narrative the big things just solidify those impacts that were made locally first.

So remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

Did you know that?

He’s been one of our strongest fighters against ICE since Trump returned to office, as chair of the Hispanic Caucus and a member of the Progressive Caucus.

He has conducted oversight at facilities around the country, most recently Delaney Hall. He has demanded an end to child detention.

And this isn’t just policy for him, it’s his life. He was the first formerly undocumented member of Congress.

At 9 years old his family came here from the Dominican Republic on an expired tourist visa.

And he became the first 10 years ago.

Most importantly, he supports Ukraine, and didn’t attend a rally the day after Oct 7, before Bibi sent the IDF into Gaza, which celebrated the slaughter of 1,200 Israelis. Who, for the record, were mostly peace activists fighting for a free Palestine.

Espaillat isn’t perfect, but Darializa Avila Chevalier is worse by every metric and I’m pretty terrified she’s gonna win tomorrow.

I’m sure there are a lot of other reasons she’s not qualified, but let’s look at these two.

On Feb 23, 2022, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, she replied to a tweet asking why the US were getting involved in the Russia war with:

Cause the Cold War ended and we’ve been bullying Russia ever since.

That reaction doesn’t sit right with me at all, and is incredibly similar to what RFK Jr. said when he was running for President.

It’s a right wing talking point that NATO is to blame for Russia invading Ukraine. And it’s a big reason why Republicans didn’t and still don’t want to help Ukraine win this war.

So that alone makes me incredibly wary. But there’s more.

On October 7, 2023, 1,200 mostly Jewish people were slaughtered in Israel. Many of those, like Ofir Libstein and Vivian Silver were peace activists explicitly working to support and help Palestinians, especially those in Gaza. Libstein was helping Gaza build infrastructure so they weren’t forced to rely on Israel for utilities. While Silver founded Women Wage Peace, which, along with their sister organization Women of the Sun have been fighting for a free Palestinian through a female centered lens since 2014.

On October 9, 2023, Israel invaded Gaza. But on October 8, the last thing that had happened was 1,200 mostly Jewish peace activists, like the ones I mentioned above, were slaughtered in Israel. And that was the day Chevalier attended the anti-Israel rally in Time Square. This rally EXPLICITLY celebrated the slaughter of these 1,200 Israelis, not to mentioned those who were kidnapped.

Just look at this Oct 11, 2023 post from The People’s Forum, one of the organizers celebrating the turnout of this rally from before the IDF invaded Gaza:

The rally took place a day after Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza initiated an unprecedented liberation struggle, the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” in response to accelerating attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and in defiance of Israel’s efforts to ghettoize, besiege, starve, and suffocate the people of Gaza into total submission.

“Al-Aqsa Flood” is Hamas’ word for the Oct 7 slaughter. That’s not an opinion, that’s not a misrepresentation, that’s just reality.

Again, these kibbutzim that they targeted were EXPLICITLY filled with people fighting for a free Palestine and supporting Gazans. They targeted Israeli peace activists fighting for a free Palestine.

That is what the rally Chevalier attended on was on Oct 8 was celebrating.

And she admits she was there. This isn’t a smear campaign.

But she insists it wasn’t to celebrate the death of anyone:

“I was there at that rally on Oct. 8 because I remembered what happened in 2014. And I knew that the reaction would be an outsized reaction that would cause the death of thousands upon thousands of people.”

I want to believe her, but even if she didn’t know that that’s what it was celebrating on October 8, it became clear in the following days and years. She still hasn’t acknowledged or taken accountability for that.

And that’s not even mentioning the other things she posted on Twitter in the early 2020s.

And when she was asked about her Tweets by VOX last week, she kinda deflected:

I deleted my entire Twitter account many years ago, because I found it was more productive to just be focused on my PHD and my organizing.

I mean that’s valid, but that’s also not taking accountability for the fact that what she said was wrong, harmful and hurtful.

She goes on to say:

I do have regrets on how I expressed my values on Twitter, because my values are around dignity, it’s around accountability, it’s around justice and I think rhetoric matters.

Which I like a lot better, but it still feels a bit dismissive. Cause it’s not just about language and expression. How does the value of justice line up with saying that we are responsible for Russia invading Ukraine?

She’s admitting she was wrong because it looks bad, but it doesn’t feel like she’s taking accountability. And that’s a huge concern to me.

Look, Rep Espaillat leaves a lot to be desired, but that doesn’t mean she’s automatically better. Espaillat’s voice as a formerly undocumented immigrant is invaluable right now. ICE, which he has called to be dismantled, is one of the worst things our government is currently doing and he’s really fighting back on that issue especially.

New is not always better and it’s important to look at each race individually rather than all races together. Of course we want new blood, but this is not the race for it.

I will feel really uneasy is Chevalier wins the primary tomorrow.

And I wish that people like Mayor Mamdani and Brad Lander and Mrs. Rachel and organizations like Indivisible didn’t endorse her just because she’s a member of the DSA.

Everyone came together against Maureen Galindo who lost her congressional primary in Texas. Why is Chevalier getting a pass for similar views? If you live in NY-13, and haven’t voted yet, please think twice before voting for her.

I really hope you read the whole thing and didn’t just skim it, this is incredibly important and nuanced.

Also, you can probably guess that I am probably gonna lose quite a lot of support from this post, so if you have been waiting for the moment to support me, now is that moment.

Other elections include municipal special elections in Connecticut and Florida, with the Texas one on Saturday, as usual.

Finally, South Carolina has runoffs on Tuesday, and Louisiana’s are on Saturday.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s get to this week’s guide!

Early voting this week:

AZ 7/21 — Midterm Primary (MP) — ballots have been mailed - Early in person (EIP) thru 7/17
CO 6/30 — MP — Ballots have been mailed — EIP thru 6/29
CT 6/23 — MP — EIP thru 6/21
LA 6/27 — MP — EIP thru 6/20
MN 8/11 — MP — EIP 6/26-8/10
NY 6/23 — MP — EIP thru 6/21
VT 8/11 — MP — EIP 6/27-8/10
VA 8/4 — MP — EIP thru 8/1

Tue June 23

Connecticut

Voter Registration Deadline: 18 days before Election Day

New Haven County

Middlebury

• Selectman

  Casey Larkin Priorities: support careful, development, clear communication, bipartisan budgets, balance fiscal discipline with community needs, fostering a sense of community

  Brian Shaban incumbent Priorities: lower the mill rate while maintaining services, supports quality public education and thoughtful planning, public safety, safe neighborhoods, strong schools, responsible growth, encouraging public input,

Florida

Voter Registration Deadline: 29 days before Election Day

Gadsden County

Quincy

• City Commissioner

  • District 1

    Vivian Howard DEMOCRAT

    Robin Wood - Incumbent – possible democrat

Maryland

Voter Registration Deadline: 21 days before Election Day

Statewide Primary Election

Maryland Matter Voter Guide
Capitol News Service Voter Guide
Personalized Ballot Link

New York

Voter Registration Deadline: 10 days before Election Day

Statewide Primary Election

Citizens Union Voter Guide
NYCVotes Voter Guide
NYC Abundance Voter Guide
Times Union Regionally focused Voter Guide
Epicenter NYC Statewide Voter Information Guide

New York City

• City Council

  • District 3 Special Democratic Primary

    Carl Wilson Priorities: making New York more affordable and inclusive by expanding affordable housing, strengthening tenant protections, improving public safety through community services, and investing in reliable transit and accessible infrastructure. He emphasizes support for public schools, seniors, arts and culture, environmental sustainability, and economic development that creates good-paying jobs; advocates for LGBTQ+ equality, disability rights, immigrant protections, healthcare access, and defending vulnerable communities from federal policies he views as harmful.

    Leslie Murphy Priorities: improving public safety through increased community policing and closing illegal businesses, expanding affordable housing by preserving existing units and creating new family-sized homes, and easing the cost of living with universal child care, after-school programs, and workforce support; advocates for accessible healthcare, including mental health and maternal care, while defending reproductive rights and gender-affirming care

    Lindsey Boylan Priorities: expanding deeply affordable housing and tenant protections, improving public spaces and transit access, strengthening workers’ rights and raising wages, and investing in childcare, healthcare, and services for seniors and people with disabilities; emphasizes protecting immigrants and LGBTQ+ communities, supporting non-police community safety responses, and increasing funding for parks, libraries, and other shared public resources to make New York more equitable and affordable

    Layla Law-Gisiko Priorities: expanding and preserving deeply affordable housing, improving public transit and pedestrian safety, supporting small businesses, and strengthening public safety through both enforcement and mental health services; emphasizes transparent land-use decisions, climate resilience, disability rights and accessibility, protections for LGBTQ+ communities, quality-of-life improvements such as sanitation and street management, and policies that help seniors remain in their communities

Ohio

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day

Franklin County

Whitehall

• Mayor Recall

  Michael Bivens

• City Council Recall

  Lori Elmore

  Amy Harcar

South Carolina

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day

Statewide Primary Runoff

Personal Voter Information Link
Ballotready.org Voter Guide

South Dakota

Voter Registration Day: 15 days before Election Day

Lincoln/ Minnehaha County

Sioux Falls

• Mayor

  Christine Erickson

  Jamie Smith

• City Council

  • At-large A

    James Oppenheimer

    Vince Danh

  • Central district

    Zach DeBoer

    Zak Okuwe

  • Southeast district

    Michael A. Crane

    Sara Pankonin

Utah

Voter Registration Deadline: 11 days before Election Day

Statewide Primary Elections

Utah News Dispatch Voter Guide
Ballotready.org Voter Guide
Personal Ballot Link

State Senate District 13

Sylvia Catten — City council Member

Evan Done — Community Advocate

Taylor Paden — Union Organizer

June 27

Louisiana

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day

• Personal Ballot Information Link

East Baton Rouge and Livingston Counties

• Ballot Measures

Statewide Primary Democratic Runoff

• US Senate

  Gary Crockett Priorities: expanding economic opportunity through job creation, workforce training, and support for small businesses; advocates investing in infrastructure, broadband, and disaster resilience, while emphasizing affordable healthcare, education, housing, tax fairness, veterans’ services, environmental protection, and support for seniors and young people; stresses accountable leadership and policies aimed at strengthening working families and promoting long-term prosperity across Louisiana

  Jamie Davis Priorities: lowering costs for working families by expanding affordable housing, raising wages, and making healthcare more accessible, including protecting Medicaid and moving toward a Medicare option; emphasizes strengthening public education and workforce training, supporting farmers and rural communities, investing in infrastructure and broadband, addressing Louisiana’s insurance crisis, and enforcing environmental protections in heavily polluted areas; advocates for fair taxation, stronger competition in the economy, and immigration policies that combine border security with due process and legal pathways

Texas

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day

Lubbock County

Lubbock

• City Council

  • District 4

    Gary Boren

    Bill Curnow

    Stephanie Ferran

    Boyd Goodloe

    Tim Green

So I hope this guide was helpful. Remember to join my voting group so your elections are always my priority!

Comment with a 🍎 (red apple) if this guide was helpful!

And always vote, because, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower!

Attorneys General have their Election Protection Task Force, which has been meeting since Trump was elected in 2024.

And the Senate has one too. Last week, they ran their first table top drill.

The Senate’s Election Task Force was launched at the end of April. It’s led by Leader Chuck Schumer and includes, Alex Padilla (CA) who’s leading the fight against the SAVE Act, Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Maria Cantwell (WA), Dick Durbin (IL), Chris Murphy (CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Adam Schiff (CA), Mark Warner (VA), Bernie Sanders (VT) and Raphael Warnock (GA).

As Schumer said at the initial press conference, the Task Force is:

looking at election threats, threats to the integrity of our election and election process up and down the line. we’re looking at election administration threats, we’re looking at the kind of bad play and horrible things that could come out of DOJ and DHS. We’re looking at attacks on free speech and independent media. We are looking at foreign threats. We are looking at militarization of law enforcement and corruption…and we’re looking at mobilization. We’re not just looking at it, we’re gonna be immersed in making sure that in any of these areas, the right to vote, the fairness and integrity of our elections is protected.

I share this whole thing because I think a lot of this gets lost in quick quotes and soundbites and it becomes very easy to brush it off as just another failed attempt.

Their first table top drill was last week, but their first meeting was on April 29, the day SCOTUS essentially gutted the VRA.

Along with members of the task force, last week’s drill included former Attorney General, Eric Holder, Democracy Forward’s Norm Eisen and Elias Law Group founder Marc Elias. These are the best and brightest when it comes to protecting our elections.

And if you’re still skeptical, Elias was on Rachel Maddow on Monday where she asked him if everyone involved in this exercise really understands what’s at stake and what their job is in protecting elections.

He said, with confidence, that they do:

I think there’s been a lot of work and understanding…never have I seen the Democratic party as prepared as they are today, and that includes, by the way, the work I did to help Joe Biden and the Democrats beat Donald Trump 60 times post election in 2020.

So you don’t have to take Schumer’s word for anything. But if Elias has complete confidence in every step of this process, including the Senate Task Force, then so do I.

And I hope you do too.

Cause, they have more power the more we support them. So this is not the time to criticize, it’s the time to unite together and cheer them on.

If Elias says they’re fighting even harder than 2020, I’m feeling some real hope.

But it’s about more than their work. WE have to make sure our turnout is so massive that the Republicans couldn’t continue their power grab even if they wanted to.

Every race, from town treasurer to Senate, we gotta show up for them all.

This is our moment to take back our country and I’m so glad we have these incredible Task Forces working alongside us to make it happen.

Michigan

Thu, April 29 - The Michigan Supreme Court proposed an amendment to Michigan Court Rules to protect people who enter a courthouse from civil arrest. Yes, this is about ICE.

They made the proposal in November and got over 2,000 comments during the month long comment period.

In late April they adopted the rule and it went into effect on May 1.

The rule states that “Parties, attorneys, and subpoenaed witnesses are not subject to civil arrest while going to, attending, and returning from the places they are required to attend.” and goes on to add any “officer of any of the several courts of record, including jurors.”

Basically anyone who enters the court for any reason cannot be subject to civil arrest on court grounds.

In the ruling, Justice Noah Hood wrote:

If we do not act to safeguard access to our courts, we will not be able to fully measure the harm of our inaction. We will not know when someone chooses not to file a case. We will not know why a witness fails to appear. We will not know why a victim chooses not to allocate. But we will have failed in our duty to fairly and efficiently administer justice.

The sole dissenter was Brian Zahra, the only Republican on the court. And he’s concerned that the state doesn’t have the authority to prevent federal actions.

He might be right, but we want Dems to push the boundaries and try everything, and that’s exactly what they’re doing here.

Even if it turns out this isn’t legal, it gives me hope cause we aren’t going to win every battle, but as long as we keep fighting, we will win the war.

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Wisconsin

Thu, June 4 - The Dane County Board adopted a resolution that urges University of Wisconsin Health and Wisconsin Children’s Hospital to resume gender affirming care for minors.

They wrote:

Dane County Board of Supervisors urges UW Health and Children’s Wisconsin to resume the provision of gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse youth to the fullest extent permitted by law.

They don’t have the power to compel the hospitals to resume care, but the resolution matters none the less.

This is an escalation from the letter LGBTQ+ organization Fair Wisconsin lead with 64 other organizations back in mid May, and the rally lead by Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee at the end of May.

This started with Attorney General Josh Kaul securing a ruling that blocked Trump from ending the care in March, and the subsequent Oregon ruling in April.

Of course, this isn’t a win until the Wisconsin hospitals actually resume care, but just seeing so many groups, organizations and elected leaders alike, fighting so hard for trans youth gives me immense hope.

And, with luck, all of this will put enough pressure on the hospitals to finally start the care again.

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Sacramento, California

Mon, June 15 - Juneteenth will be a paid holiday for city workers starting this year.

The Sacramento African American Employee Leadership Council made this their main priority beginning in 2022.

Councilmembers Caity Maple and Rick Jennings first proposed the change back in 2024.

But, it wasn’t as easy as just deciding it within the City Council. Council member Maple explained, “this achievement would not have been possible without the leadership of the AAELC and the dedication of our city staff and labor partners, who worked together to bring this across the finish line.”

Progress matters, but it’s also nice to have an out and out win. And this is definitely that.

So I hope these stories bring you joy and help remind you to keep fighting back, even if we don’t always succeed immediately.

Cause remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

If you read the whole post, comment with 🧊 (an ICE cube) and may that one Republican Justice be wrong and this new rule holds water (pun intended)

But most of the power they do have comes from the court of public opinion. So the stronger their messaging is, the more power they have.

People have been trained to dislike Democrats on sight, but luckily they are still able to make an impact even with that obstacle.

One of my favorite stories this week was from (OR-05). She went grocery shopping and showed exactly how much things cost and how ridiculous it is.

I’ve seen a lot of Reps do videos similar to this, but none look as relatable as Rep Bynum’s. It’s so clear that she’s not doing this for the video, she’s literally just shopping.

She understands why the tariffs hurt families because she has one of the families they hurt. Some members of congress are better off than the average American, but she’s not one of them, and this shows that beautifully.

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I also really loved how put Rep Keith Self (TX-03) in his place regarding his stupendously idiotic idea for someone’s full time job to be checking people’s business cards and email signatures for pronouns in the State Department.

Let me repeat that. He wants the State Department, which is responsible for our diplomacy, to be focusing more on if someone had pronouns in their signature.

We are literally in a war with Iran and this is what Rep Self would rather they focus on.

As Rep Jacobs says “that is crazy.”

I think even Republicans would think this is a poor use of funds. I can’t imagine any voter hearing this discussion and thinking this is worth while.

Which is why Rep Jacobs posting this video matters. Remember, most of the Democrat’s power right now is in the court of public opinion, and this just makes Rep Self look very very foolish.

Not to mention, this is a hearing, so the more attention we give to this, the less likely this amendment will be included in the final Foreign Affairs Budget proposal.

And the same goes for who also brought attention to a ridiculous Republican decision. Republicans are chomping at the bit to give someone a salary to look at email signatures, and yet, in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, they want to cut funding for the CDC’s Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research Program, which costs a grand total of $12m.

That might sound like a lot to you, but in a government budget, that’s virtually nothing.

If it weren’t for the fact that I follow Rep Kaptur I would never know that Republicans were trying to cut such an important program. And that’s the thing, it’s not that Dems aren’t DOING SOMETHING, an it’s not that they aren’t posting about it, cause, she posted this on every platform.

Now maybe she could have made it more engaging, but would that have made a difference, I don’t know.

Republicans control these platforms. The algorithms are always going to be against Dem wins.

And if a Democrat fights back, but no one hears it, did it happen at all?

Here’s another one. Did you know that created and heads the Anti Corruption and Democracy Reform Taskforce in the House?

Probably not.

I didn’t know till watching this video

Even though he put out a press release announcing it on April 15. And I have to believe part of that might be by design. I always say things are happening behind closed doors, and we will know about them when they are ready for public consumption, this feels like an example of that.

He’s ready to share what this task force is working on and that they are doing that work with the Brennan Center. And I will be on the lookout for more info on their work in the coming weeks and months.

So, those were four of our fighters last week.

And check out my video of these stories as well. A bit of a different formatting, especially great for anyone who loves old school YouTube banter.

I hope you enjoyed these stories!

If you read the whole post comment with 🥩 (a steak) cause it costs HOW much?

And if you watched the video comment with 📇 (a business card) cause what could possibly be less important for the state department to focus on?

Remember, our voices are our superpower, but only if we use them!

I will never scare you on purpose, but right now, it’s okay if you’re a bit scared, cause there’s a call to action and it’s all hands on deck.

Russell Vought, one of the many authors of Project 2025 working in the Trump Administration, has proposed a new rule:

“Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance”

At this point, we all know that “regulation” is a dog whistle.

If this proposal goes into effect, the OMB can approve and cancel any grant for any reason.

Currently, and even more so in the before times, grant applications were peer reviewed. Experts in that field made the final decisions.

With this rule, that will no longer be the case.

Political appointees will be the ones making those calls. People who only care about pleasing Trump and have no experience in the given field at all.

To make matters worse, projects with approved grants cannot work with our adversaries or countries that work with our adversaries.

Science is collaborative, it has to be. There is no project in science or most other fields that can fit that criterion. So basically this would shut us off from the scientific world.

Secondly, and of course the most obvious — it targets grants that the administration considers “woke.” Yes, that is actually the language in the proposal:

Federal awards were often used during those years to promote a “woke” policy agenda that did not reflect the values of the vast majority of the American public.

What do they consider “woke”?

Well, based on what they’ve already shut down: research on Antisemitism and Islamophobia; the impact of data centers on populations; anything having to do with queer existence or the climate crisis; Black maternal health outcomes and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

But there is some good news.

The public comment period is happening right now.

Stand Up For Science, an incredible organization you should get involved with, if you aren’t already, has a portal for public comment. Their goal is 10k comments before the OMB closes them on July 13.

It’s unclear whether the OMB will be logging public comments like they should, so SUFS will be tracking all comments made through their portal and will sue if they don’t see them officially logged by OMB. Meaning, only use their portal, don’t try to submit a comment on the OMB’s site.

Also, comments with the same wording will count collectively as one comment so this is not a moment to copy and paste. Luckily, SUFS also has guidance for how to write a good comment which you can also find in the portal. The main guidance is to just tell a personal story — why do you care?

Finally, if you run an organization, comment as the organization, because your comment will be weighted more heavily than an individual’s. But regardless of if you are commenting for yourself or an organization, just comment.

This proposal is all bad. There isn’t one single redeeming quality. But we have the power to bring a lot of sunlight onto this proposal, and the Trump Administration doesn’t like sunlight and usually backs off when there’s too much.

This is one of the times we will be able to see the impact of our voices, and is a reminder that they are our superpower.

We got a month, so use the Stand Up For Science Portal and get commenting!

Gainesville, Florida

Fri, May 8 - There are tire tracks in the brand new Gainsville City Hall Plaza. But don’t worry, that’s by design.

With taxpayer dollars from the Wild Spaces and Public Places Program, this plaza represents the diversity of Gainsville.

It includes a triangle of bricks from the rainbow crosswalk, that Florida’s Department of Transportation removed from in front of City Hall, in August of last year.

No one wanted to get rid of the rainbow crosswalk, but it was either that or Gainsville would lose all state and federal funding.

So, the City Commission voted unanimously in October to reuse the bricks in the plaza’s design. Commissioner Casey Willits explained that instead of throwing away “that piece of our history, we voted unanimously to incorporate those groups right into City Hall.”

This is a reminder of the power of voting, not just for city officials, but also for sales tax. This wouldn’t have been possible without those tax dollars.

And the refusal to respect the wishes of state and silence queer people gives me so much hope.

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Rhode Island

Fri, June 5 - A Trump Appointee, Mary McElroy, yes you heard that right, has referred the DOJ for disciplinary proceedings over their conduct in the lawsuit against a subpoena from Rhode Island Hospital for the medical records of the minors in their gender affirming care unit.

I’ll also note, she was an Obama nominee, but Trump confirmed her in his first term.

This started when the DOJ went to a sympathetic Texas judge to issue subpoenas compelling hospitals to give them the private medical records of their minor gender affirming care patients.

A group of parents with patients at the Rhode Island Hospital sued and the case was heard by Judge McElroy, who said in her May 13 ruling that the “DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case.”

From their choices misrepresenting data to searching for a sympathetic judge, also known as “judge shopping.”

That Texas judge now has the hospital records for “safe keeping” while the case in the in courts.

Between that and how the DOJ acted in her courtroom McElroy had enough. And on June 5, McElroy issued a text order referring the DOJ to disciplinary. proceedings.

We will very likely not be privy to how that plays out. This is the second time the DOJ has been referred to these proceedings this month. The first being about an immigration case.

It’s encouraging to see judges using every tool available to them.

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DC

Sun, June 7 - Regan Appointee, Royce Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction blocking 14 trans women from being moved to the men’s prison. I don’t know where cause all info about facilities has been redacted.

He agreed that the move would violate the plaintiffs’ eight amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment.

Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights said:

This decision reaffirms a bedrock constitutional principle: the government cannot knowingly place people in grave danger and simply look the other way.

Seeing a ruling like that, when the administration is actively trying to cause the most harm, gives me hope.

I hope these stories bring you hope today.

I will say, finding them didn’t. I had another story from Colorado before the DC story, and scrapped it when I found out the info I had was out of date. Google is getting so much worse and I only found out the situation has changed because I follow The Advocate on Threads, so just a reminder to follow news orgs you can trust cause Google will not help you.

On that note, if you read this whole post, comment ⌨️ (a keyboard) cause this was a stark reminder that we have to always do our due diligence

Anyway, remember our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

Which means we also can’t win in 2028 without focusing on Southern elections NOW.

Gerrymandering has led to severe voter despair and confusion in Southern states.

When I saw that South Carolina Dems had managed to end the gerrymandering conversation for the 2026 election, I HAD to talk to anyone who was involved in fighting back against this Republican power grab.

And I lucked out with the best person I possibly could have.

State Rep Courtney Waters not only walked me through exactly how they got the necessary voter turnout, but also how to fight back in other states and how to keep having hope even when everything tells you not to.

This is one of those interviews that I will be quoting for a very long time. And it only increased my resolve to make sure I’m talking to as many Southern Dem leaders as possible.

The South is our beacon of hope and that’s the message we need to keep spreading.

So, without further ado, my first interview in 9 months.

Here is State Rep Courtney Waters!

Comment with 💙 (a blue heart) if you watched the whole interview, I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me!

And remember,

Your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower!

And Mayor Muriel Bowser is not seaking a fourth term, so DC has some pretty important elections in this week’s primary.

In addition…

The entire state of Alabama has a runoff, and then there are some local races as well, same goes for Georgia, Oklahoma has their midterm primary, and finally, in California, Swalwell’s seat is getting filled, or it will if one candidate gets over 50% of the vote.

There might be only two Midterm primaries, but this is a jam packed election week.

I also want to note that I have finally followed through on my promise from previous weeks. If you are a member of my voting group, I am targeting your races. That means, I’m spending more time finding more info, writing down priorities and endorsements etc.

If you see a race with only candidates and a link to their campaign website, that means I don’t have any voters signed up in that district. So if you want me and my team to cover your election, please sign up to my voter group.

These guides are not easy, so this is the best way to make it less stressful for me and my team.

Anyway, without further do, the guide

Early voting has started in:

CT 6/23 — Midterm Primary (MP) — Early In Person (EIP) 6/17-621
CO 6/30 — MP — Ballots have been mailed! Return your ballot by 6/30
LA 6/27 — Congressional Primary/Municipal general — EIP-6/20
MD 6/23 — MP — EIP-6/17
NY 6/23 — MP — EIP-6/21
SC 6/23 — MP Runoffs — EIP 6/17-18
UT 6/23 — MP — EIP 6/15-6/19 — dates and locations may vary
VA 8/5 — MP — EIP 6/18-8/1

Tue June 16

Alabama

Primary Runoff

Senate

Dakarai Larriet — Son of a US Army Vet, Manager at L’Oreal — priorities: affordable healthcare, rural hospitals, reestablishing the Department of Education, against The Choose Act, community-based policing, against the Back The Blue Act, supporting unions, common sense gun reform, LGBTQ+ equal rights — endorsements

Everett Wess — Civil rights advocate, attorney — priorities: affordable healthcare, strong public schools, fair courts, “clean government”

AL-05

Candice Dollar Duvieilh — former public school teacher, wife of disabled vet, government accountability expert — Priorities: Social Security, VA benefits, quality healthcare, strong schools, and economic opportunity

Andrew Sneed — Businessman — policies: expand medicaid, rural hospitals, end mass detention centers, reform ICE, restore asylum, affordable housing, support unions, against Choose Act, Climate crisis, Clean air and water, congressional term limits, overturn Citizen’s United, hold SCOTUS accountable, no congressional stock trading

State Senate District 2

Alex House

Rudolph Valentino Drake

State House

Winner of the runoff will be uncontested in the general

• HD -52

  GiGi Hayes

  LaTanya Millhouse

• HD-82

  Sidney “Doc” Brown

  Pebblin Warren — Incumbent

California

CA-14

If a candidate gets over 50% there will be no general election.

Melissa Hernandez — DEM — Dublin Mayor, BART director, Healthcare services director — Priorities: Cost of living, eliminating Trump’s tariffs, affordable housing, support small businesses, childcare, Supports expanding Child Tax Credit, Affordable healthcare, reforming immigration system, Climate crisis, community violence intervention programs — endorsements: Reps Brad Schnieder,

Rakhi Israni Singh — DEM — Educator/Nonprofit Attorney — Priorities: Lowering costs, fighting Trump’s tariffs, Term limits, ban congressional stock trading, affordable housing, support DREAMERS, hire more immigration judges, Fund community violence intervention programs, support local law enforcement — Endorsements: Raja Krishnamoorthi

Aisha Wahab — DEM — State Senator, Assistant Majority Leader — Priorities: corporate greed, price gouging, affordable healthcare, social security, affordable housing, homelessness, protect broadband, ban congressional stock trading, voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, Climate crisis — Endorsements: AG Rob Bonta, Pramila Jayapal, Lateefah Simon, Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Indivisible East Bay, SF Chronicle

Sheriene Ridenour — DEM — Judge — Priorities: Affordability, government accountability

Alisha Cordes — DEM — business administrator

Jot Thiara — DEM — Spanish Professor/Businessman

Wendy Huang — REPUBLICAN — Real Estate Investor

Dena Maldonado — REPUBLICAN — Florist/Business Owner

Tom Wong — REPUBLICAN — CEO

Jack Wu — REPUBLICAN — Educator

Victor Zevallos — No Party Preference — Financial Business Strategist

District of Columbia

Midterm Primary (Rank Choice)

Voter Registration Deadline: End of day, Election Day

Blue Voter Guide

Queer DC Voter Guide

AG

Brian Schwalb — Incumbent

J.P. Szymkowicz

Congress

Brooke Pinto — Ward 2 Councilmember

Robert White — At-Large Councilmember

Trent Holbrook — Former aide to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton

Greg Jaczko — Former chair, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Kinney Zalesne — Former deputy national finance chair, Democratic National Committee; former counsel to U.S. attorney general

Mayor

Gary Goodweather

Ernest Johnson

Janeese Lewis George

Kenyan McDuffie

Vincent Orange

Rini Sampath

Hope Solomon

City Council

• At Large – candidate interviews

  Doni Crawford

  Jacque Patterson

  Elissa Silverman

Georgia

Voter Registration Deadline: The 5th Monday pior to Election Day

• Democratic Primary Runoff

  • Lieutenant Governor

    Josh McLaurin Priorities: end corporate tax breaks, protect right for workers to organize, passing laws that prohibit discrimination, ensure minority voting power is protected, expand Medicaid and expand coverage, overturn 6-week abortion ban, make housing affordable and accessible

    Nabilah Parkes Priorities: raising minimum wage, guaranteeing paid sick leave, legislation to protect healthcare ratepayers, fully expand Medicaid, repeal abortion ban, protect right to birth control, protect voting rights including mail in voting, civil right legislation to protect Georgians from discrimination

  • Insurance Commissioner

    Keisha Waites Priorities: rate free initiative, end zip code and credit score discrimination, dedicated task force to protect seniors and vulnerable families from predatory insurance scams

    DeAndre Mathis Priorities: end red-lining insurance, ban use of credit scores, hold insurance companies accountable, stop insurance scams, modernize the inspection process to protect schools and hospitals

  • Labor Commissioner

    Nikki Porcher Priorities: accessible and affordable child care, supporting entrepreneurship and workforce growth, fair wages, increase outreach to vulnerable, underserved and overlooked workers, support safer workplace practices, protect workers from exploitation and abuse

    Michelle Sanchez Priorities: protect workers from wage theft, be an advocate for workers, ensure they understand rights and protections, establish a workplace safety program, ensure employers have the guidance to understand and maintain safe and fair workplaces, ensure faster processing and payment of unemployment benefits, connect Georgia workforce to clean energy jobs and industries to meet growing demand, reduce childcare costs, build multi-lingual access to services, end exploited labor

DeKalb County

• Commissioner

  • District 3

    Nicole Massiah Incumbent Priorities: strengthening neighborhoods through economic development, infrastructure improvements, public safety, and community partnerships; emphasizes a data-driven, community-based approach focused on expanding opportunities, improving quality of life, advocating for resources, and ensuring responsive, transparent government

    Keyanna Moore Priorities: responsive and transparent government, equitable economic development in South DeKalb, expanded housing options, improved transportation and infrastructure, environmental protection, fair water billing, and access to healthy food and quality parks; advocates for community-driven growth, revitalizing blighted properties, supporting small businesses, and opposing data centers in favor of investments that enhance residents’ quality of life and strengthen neighborhoods.

• School Board

  • District 4

    Tracy Brisson Priorities: putting students first through transparent governance, stronger fiscal accountability, efficient spending, and hiring stable leadership; advocates for increasing support for teachers, improving middle school outcomes, expanding services for students with special needs, protecting student well-being and safety, and ensuring school planning decisions are guided by educational needs rather than politics or construction interests

    Sonja Szubski Priorities: putting students and teachers first through greater transparency, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility; advocates for clear communication, stronger partnerships among schools and local governments, careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and streamlining central administration to direct more resources and support to classrooms and educators.

Fulton County

• Commissioner

  • Chair

    Robb Pitts Incumbent Priorities: maintaining low property taxes, protecting voting rights, improving government efficiency and infrastructure, reducing court backlogs, and promoting economic development, particularly in South Fulton; emphasizes support for minority-owned businesses and banks, environmental sustainability, expanded transit options, quality animal services, and continued investment in libraries, hospitals, and other essential public services to enhance residents’ quality of life

    Mo Ivory Priorities: greater budget transparency and accountability, improving jail conditions and court operations, expanding access to healthcare and hospitals, and ensuring free and fair elections; emphasizes practical, results-driven leadership aimed at improving public safety, protecting constitutional rights, and delivering reliable county services for residents

Oklahoma

Voter Registration Deadline: 25 days before Election Day

Statewide Primary

Oklahoma Voice Voter Guide

Oklahoma Voter Guide from LWV

Blue Voter Guide

• Question 382 - Raising the Minimum wage

State House

• District 92 – uncompleted term

  Sam Grimaldo DEMOCRAT Priorities: improving roads and infrastructure through responsible long-term investments and strengthening public safety by supporting law enforcement and emergency responders; emphasizes practical management, safer transportation, and ensuring first responders have the resources needed to protect residents and maintain secure communities

  Vicki Werneke DEMOCRAT Priorities: addressing Oklahoma’s challenges in education, healthcare access, and economic stability; emphasizes ethical, community-centered leadership, improving opportunities for families, and bringing greater accountability and cooperation to state government to help Oklahoma reach its full potential

  

I hope this guide was helpful and I hope to see you in my voting group! Make sure I cover your election!

If you join my voting group, comment 🗳️ (a ballot box) cause, you know…

Cause remember, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower, but only when you use it!

Though I definitely believed there was before a meeting yesterday.

Merriam-Webster describes “apathy” as:

A lack of feeling or emotion; a lack of interest.

And that’s just not what’s happening. People don’t vote, not because they don’t care. They care deeply.

The mom who is working 3 jobs absolutely cares about the cost of groceries and healthcare. She cares about what her child is being taught in school and how much her gas has gone up.

She doesn’t lack emotion, it’s not that she’s disinterested. She just doesn’t know what she doesn’t know.

“Apathy” falls into three buckets

• despair

• confusion

• ignorance

When we boil it down to apathy, it’s easy to think there is no solution.

But there is. There are many.

Let’s start with “despair.” We’ve all felt it. It’s the belief that nothing will change and nothing will get better. Why bother if things are going to stay the same?

My wins are an anecdote for despair. They’re a reminder that change is happening, even if it’s slow, and we are the ones with the power to create that change.

We all have the power to combat despair. And it’s important to share our successes as much as possible, in order to do so.

“Confusion” it’s a bit more technical. A great example is what happened in the Georgia Supreme Court races. The Democratic voter turnout was really high, but the Dem endorsed candidates lost the SCOGA races because it was non-partisan.

When someone is busy or stressed, their only knowledge of politics may be voting. And they’d been taught that if someone is on their ballot they must be a Democrat, so they vote for the incumbent.

Remember, this mom works three jobs. How is she going to learn otherwise? Especially when that’s something she didn’t even know she had to learn?

We have to work on voter education. That has to be a priority.

Explaining how elections work., but also educating people on what each position does.

Which leads to the final reason “ignorance.”

When things go wrong it’s very easy to blame the entire system rather than a specific elected office. But usually it’s pretty specific. A great example is whenever there’s a confirmation vote in the Senate, Dems in the House get yelled at.

The House has nothing to do with nominations of anything. But if you don’t know that then why wouldn’t you yell at those people to make sure they do the right thing?

We need to have more grace for each other and not assume the worst. Not assume that someone is intentionally clueless or doesn’t want to make things better and fight injustice.

If you’re reading this, you’re more informed than most. It’s our job to help combat these things and teach people….

Your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower!

Austin, Texas

Thu, April 23 - The Austin City Council voted in favor of a “Safe to Call” resolution. “Safe to Call” is all about protecting 911 callers from threats of abuse, deportation and arrest.

The resolution directs the City Manager to create a working group made up of community leaders who work with those most affected by this policy such as survivors and immigrants.

The working group has until August 30 to come up with a solution that protects those callers and reduces “racial disparities in the criminal legal system.”

The resolution was introduced by council member Mike Siegel. In a press release he said he introduced the resolution because:

We’ve heard from service providers that there have been multiple instances this year of victims of serious crimes calling 911, only to be threatened with arrest on unrelated misdemeanor or non-criminal warrants.

In a world where ICE exists with no guardrails and we still have a broken policing system, this kind of resolution is vital. And seeing such a comprehensive proposal that puts the minority populations first, gives me so much hope.

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Maryland

Wed, April 28 - Governor Wes Moore signed “Protection from Predatory Pricing Act,” into law. This makes Maryland the first state to ban “surveillance based dynamic pricing.” And if that sounds creepy, it is.

Basically, stores and delivery services have started changing prices based on time of day or even the information they have on you like your shopping habits. This is a new practice that allows the businesses access to your data.

32 states have introduced legislation to ban this practice and it has passed one chamber in 4 states.

In Maryland, the law goes into effect on Oct 1, to give companies the time to change their systems. And it will stop retailers from using your personal data to change prices.

All eyes are on Maryland as they work towards implementation.

Seeing a law like this pass AND how many other states are trying to pass their own gives me hope.

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Poland

Fri, May 22 - On November 25, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that all EU member states must recognize same sex marriages that were certified elsewhere even if gay marriage is not legal in that country. This case, to no surprise, was about Poland.

On May 14, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced that Poland issued the first marriage license to a same sex couple who got married on foreign soil.

And quietly, on May 22, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and Digitalization Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski changed the rules to allow foreign same sex marriages to be recognized in the Polish registry.

Same sex marriage and same sex adoption will not be allowed to take place in Poland for a long time because it is enshrined in their constitution that it can’t be and there are currently too many conservatives in power to change that. But this is a great first step.

In a cabinet meeting on May 13, Prime Minister, Donald Tusk said this is not just about following the ruling but also “to an even greater extent, it is also a matter of human dignity and human rights.”

There are still some areas that refuse to comply, but that isn’t going over very well with the Polish government.

To go from being a country that still had “lgbt-free zones” till May of last year to this, well, that gives me hope that we can take down our fascist government too.

So those are today’s stories. I hope these encourage you to keep fighting!

If you made it to the end of this post comment with ☎️ (a red phone) cause everyone should feel safe calling 911.

And remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

States are in charge of elections.

Say it with me:

States are in charge of elections.

Anything Trump tries to do to control elections is flat out unconstitutional.

And sure, sometimes he still does stuff anyway, but just look at last week, the Kennedy Center is the Kennedy Center again (on social media anyway, the actual building it taking a little longer). That was a lawsuit and he did listen.

Plus this is about another agency. So they’re most likely going to follow the order.

This is, of course, the news that Trump is ordering USPS not to deliver mail in ballots to states that don’t give DHS full access to their voter rolls.

First, it’s a proposal. This is not something that has gone into effect, and we know this because Trump appointee, Judge Carl Nichols refused to issue a temporary injunction, late last month, in one of the multiple lawsuits that has already been filed.

He explicitly said he wasn’t issuing the injunction because it “requires nothing from Plaintiffs — no compliance, no changed behavior, nothing at all — because it is not aimed at them but instead tells only the agencies to do something.”

Meaning, it’s not in effect yet. The order is telling USPS to not mail out mail-in ballots, no one has to change the way they vote, yet.

So anyone who says that this is happening already is trying to scare you.

It is very unlikely it will successfully go into effect at all.

That said there are ways to help make sure it doesn’t. Talk about people who live abroad and active service members. They can only vote absentee. Talk about the burden on various people to vote in person.

And vote by mail as often as you can. It’s a lot harder to implement this if the lawsuit can point to an outsized number of people being affected.

But, even though it’s unconstitutional, and any Judge worth their salt would agree with that, it’s possible it will have to go into affect before a judge will agree to a temporary injunction.

So the first step is to build your infrastructure. South Carolina was able to stop the Republican gerrymandering, for this year, because there are organizations focused on gerrymandering that started building support in 2019. The infrastructure was there to get out the vote on the first day of early voting.

Every state needs this. Find your local voting rights group and help grow the organization. They are the ones who will give us our marching orders and tell us how to keep our voting rights.

Finally, have a plan. Hopefully you won’t have to use it, but start looking at when in person early voting starts in your state. Find out where those polling centers are and how you will get there. Look into what days they are open and figure out which days work for your schedule.

This is not a moment to panic, but it is a moment to be prepared.

There is a very low likelihood that anything like this can happen, but it’s not zero, so we should start getting everything in order now. Especially since Republicans are counting on our fear and confusion to keep us home and disenfranchise us.

Breathe. This is ridiculous and terrible. They can try to stop us from voting but they won’t succeed.

Right?

I hope this helped you breathe easier.

If you read the whole post, comment with a 📬 (full mail box) so manifest that we get our ballots as planned.

Remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

But when so much is on the line, especially in terms of ICE, focusing on Dems messing up means that Republicans get to keep intentionally being terrible.

It means the focus is on Mikie Sherrill rather than the people Delaney Hall. It means less people are paying attention as Republicans work to pass their reconciliation package “Secure America Act.” Which would give ICE and CBP a completely blank check, with no guard rails, for $70b, and would fund the agencies till Trump is out of office.

When we focus on those in Delaney Hall, people get released.

People like High School student Ariadna who was released on June 2 because Rep LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) and others were visiting her constantly, learning her story and sharing it with us.

When we focus on Republicans and how they caused this situation there’s a chance we stop ICE from getting that funding.

Last week the Senate had Vote-A-Rama, which is an admittedly strange name for a marathon session where Senators hammer out a bill by adding as many amendments as they want before taking the final vote.

It lasted 18 hours. The Senators didn’t send the bill back to the House till 5am. Democrats introduced amendment after amendment to stop the Republicans funding ICE. They weren’t successful there, not shocking, but they were able to stop the SAVE Act from being included, again.

The bill is now back in committee in the House, and it’s on us to make sure the entire House knows how much of a poison pill this is. Some moderate Republicans need to be Reminded that in a year when Dems overperform, the only chance they have to keep their seat is if they don’t do this.

That means talking about the conditions in Delaney and other detention centers around the country. That means telling the stories of detainees to put names to statistics. That means focusing on the fact that just talking about ICE has become a fight for freedom of speech. That means talking about how oversight is being shut down and detainees are dying.

Republicans in the Senate passed this bill. Republicans in the House are deciding whether to agree to it. Republicans think destroying lives is the most important thing they can do and that gas and grocery prices couldn’t matter less.

They know this is unpopular, but they are hoping to get away with it anyway. And the more focus we put on Democrats not doing exactly the right thing, the more they will. That’s what they’re banking on. They’re even using the protests outside Delaney Hall to prove that ICE needs this unregulated additional funding.

Republicans, the framing is Republicans.

UPDATE: Between the writing of this post and right now, the bill passed the House (0 Dems voted in favor, btw). So now it’s about making sure we get Dem majorities in the House and Senate in November, so they can subpoena and investigate ICE and the trifecta in 2028 so that this will be the last funding ICE ever receives and we are able to prosecute them!

Now, you probably need some motivation for this fight, well, good news, cause I have three queer wins that, I hope, will do just that!

Orlando, Florida

Fri, April 24 - Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney, Monique Worrell was suspended back in 2023 because Governor Ron DeSantis didn’t like that she wouldn’t bow down to him.

In November 2024, she ran again, and won. And because of that she was the State Attorney in office when Florida removed the rainbow crosswalk outside the Pulse memorial and those who created a chalk crosswalk in its place were arrested.

This had never happened before, as she said in a press conference announcing the charges, or lack thereof, so it took quite a long time to come to a conclusion.

And after all the time and scrutiny in the world, she determined they would not be prosecuted.

I highly recommend watching the entire press conference (only 10 mins on 2x) and hear that her office put into proving the state wrong.

I think a lot of people, especially in Red states, question why voting matters if it’s near impossible to get a Dem at the top of the ticket. But this is why. People like Attorney Worrell have more power than you think, and it’s only because of her that these charges were dropped.

And, yeah, seeing people like her doing good work aboslutely makes me feel less Doomed!

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Kansas

Fri, May 15 - District Court Judge, Carl Folsom ruled that the ban on gender affirming care does likely violate the state constitution and issued a temporary injunction.

Back in May 2025, ACLU and ACLU Kansas filed a lawsuit against the new law banning gender affirming care on behalf of two minors and their mothers.

The bill restricted state funds for gender affirming care and banned healthcare providers from providing it.

Folsom agreed that the bill will cause irreparable harm to these girls and issued a temporary injunction, saying:

They cannot wait until they turn 18 years old to resume their care without experiencing worsening gender dysphoria, negative physical side effects, and negative mental health consequences, including a more limited ability to participate in their education and social lives.

There’s still a long way to go, but this is an encouraging ruling that certainly makes me feel more hope.

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Colorado

Mon, June 1 - We love malicious compliance. And when SCOTUS specified exactly why they reversed Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, the legislature went right back to work and created a new ban that fit perfectly within their parameters.

The new law removes the two year statute of limitations to sue a conversation therapy provider for malpractice. It also says that the state will not fund conversation therapy practices, that do try to open.

Given the issues SCOTUS gave for why they ruled against the original law, this should be able to survive scrutiny.

Rep Alex Valdez, one of the four prime sponors of this bill said:

This law is for all of the LGBTQ Coloradans who were told something about them that was wrong because of who they were or who they loved. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, we are committed to offering survivors of this harmful practice the protections they deserve.

It’s not enough, but given the boundaries SCOTUS gave, it’s probably the best we can do for now. I’m so glad Colorado Dems didn’t give up and made sure to pass this quickly. That definitely gives me hope.

And those are today’s stories. Remember, Pride Month is a month of protest, so let’s make sure to celebrate all those fighting for us every day!

If you made it to the end of this post comment 🏳️‍🌈 (Pride Flag)

And if you learned something comment what you learned and a ✏️ (pencil) because there is no chalk emoji

Our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

The title is a quote by former Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, and think it’s the throughline of these stories.

Because it’s not just about what our Dems are able to do for us and our needs, but for all people. And different people have different needs.

There are people in detention but there are also farmers who can barely make ends meet thanks to tariffs. There are people with autism or other neurological disorders and people with Celiac Disease. And yeah, everyone might be focused on the detention, and for good reason, but that doesn’t mean the other groups shouldn’t get help too.

So this week I wanna bring your attention to Rep Delia Ramirez (IL-03) and the MELT ICE Act she introduced with Rep Yvette Clarke (NY-07) back in January. The bill, if it’s successful, would close detention centers, ALL detention centers. It would force DHS to treat undocumented immigrants with respect and dignity. It probably can’t happen now, but starting the process now means it has more likelihood of happening when we do have the trifecta. Which will hopefully be 2028.

I’ve posted about this Act at least once before, but last week, Ramirez spoke with Reading Rainbow’s Mychal Threets, and I really liked how she talked about the Act:

But, as I said, it’s not just about ICE.

I’m autistic, so this next story hit close to home. (VA-10) had a meeting with Subodh Garg. He is best known for “Love on the Spectrum” but he’s also an autism advocate. And they talked about how people with autism and other neurological disorders can work and it should be easier for them to find a job.

Rep Subramanyam brought up a program in Virginia that gives government contract jobs like mowing the lawn to those with neurological disorders like autism. He hopes to bring something like that to the federal government.

I didn’t love everything he said or the language he used, but it really did feel like he was trying, and I think that matters a lot.

Helping farmers also came up this week.

Trump announced that he would be lowering tariffs for farm equipment to 15%, but Rep Jill Tokuda (HI-02) would like them to be at 0 and introduced a bill saying just that back in February, aptly called Tariff Free Farming Act. Unlike MELT ICE, this is the first time I’m hearing about this Act.

And I know, we want all tariffs to be eliminated, but unfortunately, with Republicans in charge, that’s not possible right now. So if we can make small changes like this, that still makes a difference. Especially if Democrats are able to get it done. Farmers are often Republican, but if this could pass, maybe they’d realize Dems have their best interest at heart.

Also, she literally ripped up his proposal in the video and I think that’s pretty bad ass.

And finally, I had to share this story that is very very close to my heart.

Reps Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05) and Betty McCollum (MN-04) introduced the Celiac Disease Safety Act. This bill would add “gluten” to the list of the top allergens, increasing it from 9 to 10.

Typically, things that are top 9 allergen friendly are also gluten free, but that’s not always the case, cause, it doesn’t have to be. Gluten is found in Wheat, Rye and Barley, but only Wheat is on the list. As a Celiac this would be incredibly helpful. This was introduced at the end of May which is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Now hopefully people will be “aware” of this bill.

So, those are this week’s stories.

Hopefully you made it to this point, and even though you didn’t come here to watch a video, maybe you’re interested in processing these stories a different way. With a bit of banter maybe?

I hope, if nothing else, this convinced you that at least 6 Dems are doing the work.

The best way for others to learn that too is to remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

And it was a pretty shocking story to read. What a messy runoff. You can read more about that under “Sat June 13” cause, the TX runoffs aren’t till Saturday, and that’s just one of many.

For Tuesday we have Midterm primaries in ME — that one’s a biggie, and you might be surprised that Platner isn’t the only option, or race, including a POTENTIAL FLIP in a special election — but also NV, ND, SC — another biggie, I mean, early turnout here was why the gerrymandering plan was scrapped.

There’s also a GA State House Race, a couple races in Alachua, FL, a Sheriff recall in Morton KS and a City Council runoff in Newark NJ. On Sat, on top of TX, there’s some town council races in Millsboro DE, though only one is contested.

So please get out and vote! Every single one of these races matters, even if it’s small like town council.

I know many of these elections end tomorrow and I promise I will work on getting this guide out sooner. One way to help make that happen is to join my voting group so I can target my guide and not try to post about every election!

In the meantime, hope this is helpful!

First thing’s first, here’s the early voting info for this week!

CO 6/30 — Midterm Primary (MP) — mail in ballots have started going out
GA 6/16 — MP — Early In Person (EIP) 6/8-6/12
LA 6/27 — Congressional MP/ Municipal General — EIP 6/13-6/20
MD 6/23 — MP — EIP 6/11-6/18
NY 6/23 — EIP 6/13-6/21
UT 6/23 — MP — EIP 6/9-6/12 and 6/15-6/19 — dates and locations may vary

Now, for what’s happening this week:

Tue June 9

Florida

Alachua

• Hawthorne

  • Commissioner

    • Seat 1

      Jonathan Franklin

      Tommie Howard Jr

    • Seat 3

      Silvia Ardley

      Ronald Cobb II

Georgia

• House of Representatives District 177

  Alvin Payton Jr. DEMOCRAT

  Eric Howard DEMOCRAT

Kansas

Morton County

• recall Sheriff

  Thad Earls is accused of “mishandling evidence, falsifying employee time sheets and failing to pay the department’s bills on time”

Maine

Statewide primary

League of Women Voters
The Maine Monitor Voter Guide
Maine Morning Star Voter Guide

Governor

Shenna Lee Bellows: former Secretary of State — priorities: a stronger, fair economy, universal healthcare, investment in quality, public education for every child, paid for by taxing out-of-staters who buy up our homes

Troy Dale Jackson: former ME Senate President, Democratic Leader, ME Senator and Rep — priorities: Housing Affordability, tax relief for seniors, Free childcare, lowering drug prices, statewide healthcare plan

Angus King lll: son of US Senator Angus King — founded the energy company Peaks Renewables — priorities : lowering costs (energy, housing, healthcare), improving schools and raising incomes — wants to leave behind the politics of division to focus on the challenges and hopes we have in common.

Nirav Dinesh Shah: Attorney, economist and public health leader; former Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, former Director of the Maine CDC and former Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC — priorities: create leadership that shows up, listens and delivers real results. feed kids, fix housing, fund our healthcare system, fuel the growth of our economy and to safeguard Maine from the Trump administration.

Hannah Pingree: Former Maine House majority leader Speaker, former director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future & House Majority Leader — priorities: Protecting our democracy, standing up to the Trump Administration, cost of living, housing and economic opportunity. accessible, affordable health care.

Senate

David Allen Costello: Androscoggin County Charter Commissioner — priorities: Reversing trump actions, ie repealing tax benefits for the wealthy and healthcare cuts, and reconstituting critical government agencies, programs and regulations (e.g., USAID, EPA), universal healthcare, universal childcare, enshrining Freedom to Vote Act 

Graham Planter: Oyster Farmer — priorities: ensuring that the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share, lower taxes and costs for working people., fix the healthcare system, end the forever wars

Andrea LaFlamme (WRITE IN DEM): Public health professor, elected union leader, formerly youngest president of the Mabel Wadsworth Center for Reproductive Care — Priorities: Medicare for all, increased investment in public health, Family and Medical Leave Act, Medicaid Reimbursements for all services, Better Care Better Jobs Act, Women’s Health Protects Act, BE HEARD in the Workplace Act

ME-02

Jordan Wood: Former Congressional chief of staff — priorities:  End political corruption, Medicare for All , universal childcare 

Paige Loud: MSW social worker — priorities: Medicare for all, universal childcare and expanded affordable housing, anti-war,  fight corporate power in politics, tax the wealthy

Matthew Dunlap: State Auditor and former Secretary of State — priorities: Medicare for All, Protecting Social Security by eliminating the payroll tax cap so the wealthiest pay their fair share, Defending our democracy by shielding the Department of Justice and federal judiciary from political interference.

Joe Baldacci: State Sen former Bangor City council, Mayor — priorities: protecting Medicare & Social Security benefits, increasing wages, lowering prices, accessible and affordable healthcare and childcare. keeping rural hospitals open and funded 

General Election

• State House of Representatives

  • District 29 (POTENTIAL FLIP)

    Nancy McDowell DEMOCRAT Priorities: grow the local economy by supporting small businesses, outdoor recreation and responsible development; supports funding for emergency services like LifeFlight, protecting rural healthcare access and making sure care is affordable; increase investments in mental health services, resources for early interventions for children with special needs; strengthening veteran and senior services, protect Maine’s environment.

    Nancy Theriault REPUBLICAN

    

Nevada

Statewide Primary

Nevada Current Voter Guide
The Nevada Independent Election Stories
Las Vegas Weekly Voter Guide Endorsements
Sierran Nevada Ally Election Guide

New Jersey

Essex County

• Newark

  • City Council

    • South Ward

      Patrick Council

      Asia Norton

North Dakota

Statewide Primary

North Dakota Monitor Voter Guide

Burleigh

• Bismark

  • Mayor

    Mike Schmitz incumbent Priorities: establish facilities that will enhance quality of life and attract visitors, establish a medical detox triage center, find permanent solution to address all road infrastructure

    Steve Marquardt

Cass County

• Fargo

  • Mayor

    Josh Boschee Priorities: strengthening neighborhoods, managing city resources, investing in law enforcement, prioritizing city budgets, responsibly managing property taxes, and ensure essential services are delivered efficiently and fairly, supports a comprehensive, fiscally responsible approach that connects housing services

    Denise Kolpack Priorities: fully support investments in public safety, expect professionalism, transparency and fiscal responsibility

    Dave Piepkorn Priorities: police and fire services, community partnerships, security, support small businesses, bring people downtown

    Sekou Sirleaf Priorities: safe neighborhoods, smart crime prevention, community partnerships, affordable housing, provide solutions to homelessness, protect working families from being priced out, support veterans and seniors, invest in youth opportunities

    Michelle Turnberg

Ramsey County

• Devils Lake

  • Mayor

    Jim Moe incumbent

    Peter Foss

Stutsman County

• Jamestown

  • Mayor

    Dwaine Heinrich incumbent

    Pat Davis

    Katie Hemmer Priorities: housing, jobs, opportunity, efficient government, public safety including water supplies and infrastructure

Ward County

• Minot

  • Mayor

    Jark Jantzer incumbent Priorities: infrastructure, essential city services

    Josiah Roise Priorities: local issues, represent all residents equally, ensure due process, implement zero based budgeting, oppose unnecessary tax increases, prioritize essential services, host regular open town hall meetings, publish readable city budgets, cut red tape for small businesses, focus on infrastructure

South Carolina

Statewide Primary

Personal Ballot Information Link
Blue Voter Guide SC
Greenville Online Candidate Snapshots
South Carolina Dem Party

Charlston County

• School District Candidate Information

  • Seat 4

    Clara Bailey Priorities: strengthen academics, spend responsibly, support teachers and restore real accountability to parents

    Carla Gadson

    Craig Logan Priorities: ensure every student has access to resources and opportunities, close achievement gap by targeting supports and hold ourselves accountable, partner with parents and communities to build trust and drive student success, support teachers and create safe, welcoming learning environments

    Donnimechia Singleton

Sat June 13

Delaware

Sussex County

• Millsboro

  • Town Council

    • District 2

      Ronald O’Neal: incumbent

      Stephen Webster

    • District 3

      Gary Mack: unopposed

    • At Large

      Marty Presley: unopposed

Texas

Primary runoffs

Collins County

• Frisco

  • Mayor

    Rod Vilhauer: priorities: “eliminate wasteful spending,” traffic congestion, attract large businesses, more funding for police and first responders — called South Asians “rats” “terrorists” and “Demonic”

    Mark Hill: priorities: reinvest in rail, support local zoning, expand public transportation, invest in community spaces, make housing more afforable by cutting red tape

• Princeton

  • City Council

    • District 4

      Jan Goria

      Jaisen Rutledge: former chair of Princeton Community Development Corp, Chair of Home Rule Charter Committee

• Sachse

  • City Council

    • Place 4

      Gurvinder Singh: son of an immigrant, Humanitarian Aid Director for UNITED SIKHS, Member of Dallas Civil Rights Committee, investor

      Tim Legh-Page

Comal County

• New Braunfels

  • Mayor

    Neal Linnartz (Incumbent)

    Michael French (REPUBLICAN — former White House Staffer)

Dallas County

• Farmers Branch

• Irving

  • City Council

    • Place 3

      Abdul Khabeer Priorities: strengthening Irving through infrastructure improvements, neighborhood safety, economic development, and transparent, accountable government. He emphasizes investing in roads, utilities, drainage, parks, sidewalks, and other public infrastructure while ensuring city growth is managed responsibly; attracting quality businesses and jobs, securing fair investment for District 3, maintaining fiscal transparency, and engaging residents in decision-making

      Kejal Patel Priorities: fully staffing police and fire departments, lowering property taxes through disciplined financial management, accelerating repairs to streets, sidewalks, and drainage systems, and improving mobility and pedestrian safety; emphasizes transparency, regular community engagement, and putting residents’ concerns ahead of special interests while promoting sustainable growth and a strong local economy

• Seagoville

  • City Council

    • Place 1

      Rick Howard: incumbent

      Lisa Niedermeier

Dawson County

• Lamesa

  • City Council

    • District 3

      David Lopez

      Pete Capetillo

Denton County

• Denton

  • Mayor

    Chris Watts: former mayor and city council member — Priorities: Sustainability, affordable housing, homelessness

    Brian Beck: priorities: affordability, end price fixing, clean energy, utility repairs, invest in local arts and culture, protect the environment

Fort Bend County

• Rosenberg

  • City Council

    • District 3

      Alicia Casias

      Scott Robert Peterson

Galveston County

• Galveston

  • City Council

    • District 1

      Sharon Lewis: incumbent

      Gerald Wilson: Current Chair of the Board of Trustees)

    • District 5

      Michael Niebuhr: priorities: Costal resiliancy, sustainability

      Beau Rawlins: Incumbent

Kaufman County

• Forney

  • City Council

    • Place 4

      Joseph “Yaz” Yazdanpanahi: Priorities: Stop section 8 expansion, reduce taxes, reduce crime, traffic

      Sarah Salgado

Matagorda County

• Bay City

Tarrant County

• Arlington

  • City Council

    • District 8 At-large

      Jason Shelton Priorities: strengthening Arlington’s economy, supporting small businesses, improving workforce and educational partnerships, investing in efficient transportation and mobility solutions, enhancing public safety, and ensuring first responders have the resources they need; advocates for transparent, fiscally responsible government that uses tax dollars wisely, reduces unnecessary bureaucracy, and promotes long-term growth and opportunity for Arlington residents.

      Melody Fowler Priorities: supporting youth and families, attracting quality jobs and investment, and ensuring Arlington remains a safe, thriving community with strong schools and opportunities for residents, efficient use of taxpayer dollars, low property taxes, public safety, and continued business growth

• Keller

  • City Council

    • Place 4

      Russ Medeiros

      Jarrett “Doc” Armstrong

Taylor County

• Abilene

  • City Council

    • Place 4

      Benjamin Bailey: REPUBLICAN former US Navy Commander, owns Prescision Mechanical, Served as District Rep for TX-17 Rep Randy Neugebauer and State Senator Dawn Buckingham

      Tammy Fogle: Home school teacher — priorities: Education, transparency, local election turnout

Williamson County

• Hutto

I hope this helps you vote before the end of tomorrow or Saturday.

And remember to vote in every election you are able to, cause, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower!

I don’t know.

And it’s not just the Republicans, Democrats have lost it too.

I don’t mean swearing. I just want to be very clear about that. I don’t mean being more casual either.

I mean how Democrats talk to each other. I mean candidates not caring about alienating the people who will probably need to vote for them in the future.

The Steyer campaign really depresses me. Watching the way he talked about Becerra is so infuriating.

And yes I am fully aware of how Becerra’s supporters treated Steyer and Steyer supporters, but it wasn’t coming from Becerra.

He didn’t need to take PAC money because he’s a billionaire, he pretty much bankrolled his entire campaign single-handedly. Becerra didn’t have that same luxury. So Steyer was comparing apples and oranges. And he kept doing it over and over again.

But this isn’t new this year. I will never forget how Katie Porter acted after she lost to Senator Adam Schiff.

She accused him of rigging the election because he was running campaign ads again Steve Garvey, the Republican, rather than her. He wanted to run against a Republican in the general election, not a fellow Democrat.

That’s not rigging the election. That’s refusing to play the jungle primary game.

That’s treating this like a normal primary where one Dem and one Republican should go to the general election.

But she complained that he made nasty ads against the Republican and not her.

With Steyer, we’re seeing what it looks like to run a nasty campaign against a fellow Democrat. Cause he certainly wasn’t running against Steve Hilton. I don’t like it, do you?

And it’s not just Steyer, it’s happening ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I just see it the most with Steyer because I’m a California voter.

Every election seems to be full of hate now. Every election where the two more more Dems running agree on at least 80% of things.

One candidate’s primary supporters are not going to be enough to win them the general election, but when these candidates alienate their Dem opponent so completely, how can they expect to get votes from that opponent’s supporters?

We’re all on the same side. The side that wants to save Democracy and strengthen voting rights. The side that wants to protect the queer community and abortion rights. The side that wants teachers to be paid more and healthcare to be affordable, if not completely free. The side that believes in the climate crisis and science at large.

Our differences exist, but they’re about how to solve these problems not that they exist in the first place.

And, in fact, with Steyer and Becerra, it’s not even that. It’s about what they will say out loud vs in private meetings.

And that’s the biggest reason I didn’t vote for Steyer. He and Becerra feel the exact same way about single payer healthcare. But Steyer would only admit to the challenges in making it happen in a private meeting and then accused Becerra of not caring when he said it in public.

How are we supposed to grow our movement when destroying each other is the main goal?

It’s hard to want to root for anyone when we’re so conditioned to use any excuse we can to tear down the person with values closest to ours rather than those who have no values at all.

People constantly talk about how dignity is dead on the right, but we’re not in much better shape on the left either.

So, will dignity come back after Trump?

I think we’re the ones who have to decide that.

Colorado

Tue, April 21 - Governor Jared Polis signed Legal Protections for Dignity of Minors into law.

This bill makes sure that when minors change their name, it does not have to be a matter of public record. Currently, like adults, the civil court petition can be found by anyone. This would make those records private.

There are all sorts of reasons a child’s name change shouldn’t be public, including for getting out of abusive situations or religious purposes, and of course, most dangerous now, changing their name as a trans individual.

The bill was introduced bicamerally, meaning in both the House and Senate. Senators Katie Wallace and Chris Kolker introduced it in the Senate, while Reps Meg Froelich and Lorena Garcia introduced it in the House.

Before the bill passed, Senator Wallace said:

Passing this bill is simple, but its impact is profound. It gives children the safety and dignity they deserve, and it treats their private life with the same care we afford in other sensitive cases.

Which is more important now than ever. As Republicans continue their war on children, it’s vital to protect them in every way possible.

I haven’t seen another bill like this. I love the creativity to try and close all the loopholes, and I hope other states follow suit.

Seeing bills like this become law makes me feel less Doomed!

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Ypsilanti, Michigan

Wed, April 22 - On March 3, Ypsilanti City Council voted in favor of a 12 month ban on data centers thanks to a lot of noise demanding it. On April 14 the Charter Township Board of Trustees did the same.

The proposal then went to the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority and they agreed to the ban which is now in effect.

These 12 months need focused on “the necessity of rigorous, science-based due-diligence analyses, which are to be completed prior to the approval” of any of these data centers.

The biggest issue, according to Ypsilanti’s government is that the sewage system would be stretched to it’s limits and as Doug Winters, attorney for the township said, if they had gone forward “there’d be no other building going on in the township — residential, commercial and industrial — until that wastewater treatment plant was expanded.”

And that’s not even mentioning the fact that these two facilities would have totaled 924 acres. Which is still a number that boggles my mind.

I’m so glad that they are taking another look. And who knows, maybe in 12 months, these massive data centers will be so thoroughly rebuked that they won’t happen at all. Now that really makes me feel less Doomed.

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Delaware

Wed, April 22 - DE ACLU held their Lobby Day for their Every Vote Counts campaign.

The campaign is about pressuring the legislature to pass voting rights legislation. This includes bills: restoring the right to vote for the formerly incarcerated, protecting and broadening early-in-person and vote-by-mail and implementing same day voter registration.

For instance, in Delaware, you have to register to vote 24 days before an election. Which means those who have recently moved to the state can’t vote no matter how prepared they are.

One lobbyist, Sally Barclay, a poll greeter, shared a story about having to turn someone away:

A man came up and told me that he had just moved to Delaware from California a week prior...He had studied up on the candidates, knew who he was going to vote for, found the polling place, got himself there, and was very discouraged and upset that he wouldn’t be able to vote.

It’s stories like this that can hopefully change the conversation. And that’s what lobbying is all about.

And this work has already been successful. Because of the Every Vote Counts campaign, these bills are working their way through the legislature already.

HB 88 and 108 which are about the formerly incarcerated and same day voting respectively are currently waiting to get a vote on the House floor.

While SS 1 for SB 2 and SB 3 w/ HA 1, which cover early in person and no excuse absentee, have passed the full legislature once and need to pass a second session to be codified into the constitution.

If you live in Delaware, the best way to make these bills a reality is to call your legislators. I know the focus is always on DC, but you can call your State electeds just the same and I highly encourage it.

Just this campaign makes me feel less Doomed, but if these all actually become law? I’d feel even less Doomed.

“Less Doomed” and “even less Doomed” are different things, right?

Well, who cares they’re both good. And I hope you feel at least one of those after reading these stories too.

Remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

As a concept, it makes a lot of people very angry, and that makes sense.

If a company doesn’t want to acknowledge us 11 months out of the year, why should we give a flying shit if they want to acknowledge us for 30 days?

And I get it, I do, but I don’t agree.

Shocker, right? Ariella doesn’t have the typical reaction.

I agree that it’s fucked that these companies don’t acknowledge us any other time, but it’s incredibly valuable if they acknowledge us at all, even if it’s just for 30 days a year.

We all acknowledge that homophobia and transphobia come from a place of ignorance. It’s easier to hate something you’ve never seen, and don’t understand, right?

So why do we want to make it less visible to people who don’t try to get to know us?

The more visible the better, in my opinion.

That’s true all the time, but that’s ESPECIALLY true now.

Before, it mattered, but it was expected. If you were a company in June that wasn’t doing something rainbow, that was weird. You were side eyed.

But in the past several years, even before Trump took office again, it’s become a real risk.

Conservative organizations will create coordinated campaigns against you that aren’t just strongly worded emails but also bomb threats and other forms of violence.

So for a company to say “we don’t care, we’re showing our support anyway” is HUGE, and should be celebrated.

Before it benefited companies and their bottom line to have a Pride collection.

But now? With a president like Trump?

It’s a real risk to acknowledge Pride at all.

So I look at the new Converse collection and I am overjoyed. It’s not just rainbow, it’s the Gilbert Baker Pride Flag, and the progress flag with patches of the flags of most identities.

Abercrombie & Fitch also came back this year with a pretty inspiring collection. And they are still partnering with the Trevor Project. Their collection has a lot of progress flag hems, but there’s also a Brokeback Mountain shirt and a Stonewall shirt.

Levi’s is continuing the donate to Outright International and their collection is very targeted to the motorcycle and leather queer communities

In a year where it could just be slapping a rainbow on something and calling it a collection, and even THAT would be a risk, they did more.

And some didn’t, and that’s okay too. Petco’s collection is pretty much just rainbow. But they are also donating to the Trevor Project, as is David Yurman and Sky.

We WANT it to hurt a company’s bottom line not to acknowledge Pride. That’s a good thing, that shows progress, recognition and visibility.

But in a time when having a Pride collection can put a target on your back from the federal government, I can’t call any of these collections cringe. Even petco’s “love is love.”

This year, just having a collection at all is a form of protest, and that’s what Pride Month is all about, right?

Now, I don’t usually do this, but it’s my first post of Pride Month, so, here are three very queer very hopeful stories.

Botswana

Thu, March 26 - I know, this was a long time ago, but journalists didn’t start writing about it till April 25, so cut me some slack.

Anyways, six years ago the courts struck down the ban on gay sex that resulted in seven years in jail.

However it was still in the penal code until this year. On March 26 these two sections were deleted ENTIRELY from the code:

Any person -

- who has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature

- who permits any person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature

People were criminalized not just for being queer themselves, but also for supporting queer people.

The local LGBTQ+ group LEGABIBO celebrated the removal, saying:

Sections 164 (a) and (c) of the Penal Code have long cast a shadow over the lives of LGBTIQ+ people in our country. Even after being declared unconstitutional, their continued presence in the law has sustained stigma, justified discrimination, and contributed to fear, silence, and exclusion within our communities.

For many, these provisions were not just words on paper - they were lived realities. They affected access to healthcare, safety, employment, and the freedom to love and exist openly.

And, it may just go further. Lesbian couple Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile filed a lawsuit after being denied a marriage license in 2025. They argue that the constitution is not being followed if they are barred from the protections that come with marriage. The case continues in July.

So potentially Botswana could go from queerness being criminalized to at least civil partnership being recognized in six years.

The US might be going backwards, but that’s not the case everywhere and that makes me feel less Doomed

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Oregon

Sat, April 18 - Back on Dec 18, RFK Jr announced a new rule to ban hospitals that provide gender affirming care from from getting Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, which is what keeps most hospitals running

On Dec 23, Oregon AG Dan Rayfield led a lawsuit against the rule with 19 other State Attorneys General and Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro.

In March, Biden Appointee, Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai gave his oral decision blocking the rule, and in April he released his opinion

He opened his opinion saying:

Unserious leaders are unsafe. There is nothing more serious than our leaders’ dedication to the rule of law so that we might maintain the integrity of our constitutional democracy.

He continued:

Secretary Kennedy’s unlawful declaration harmed children. This case illustrates that when a leader acts without authority and in the absence of the rule of law.

Well, he’s not mincing words.

AG Rayfield celebrated the win saying:

When families and doctors make healthcare decisions together, no federal official should be able to use threats and intimidation to get in the way. That’s what Secretary Kennedy tried to do – force hospitals and providers to abandon their patients.

This is such an important win, and a reminder that our Dem AG always have our backs. This is why AG races shouldn’t be overlooked regardless of what state you’re in.

The fight is nowhere near over. Republicans will keep trying to ban hospitals from providing care, but our Dems will continue to fight it every step of the way, and that makes me feel less Doomed.

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Long Island, New York

Tue, April 21 - Long Island School Districts, Massapequa and Locust Valley, tried to circumvent New York law and changed their bathroom policy. The new policy forced trans people to use the bathroom and lockerroom of their gender assigned at birth. This continues to be one of the most baffling obsessions of the far right to me, but they are determined.

So, NYCLU appealed to the state on behalf of a trans student, and State Commissioner of Education, Betty Rosa wasn’t impressed:

Board members are ‘public officers who ‘take an oath of office to uphold the law and faithfully discharge [their] duties…. Respondents’ conduct – disregarding State law to deprive students of the dignity to which they are entitled – did not satisfy these obligations.

With this decision, these districts had to immediately cease separating trans students and allow them to use the bathroom and locker room that most closely aligned with their gender.

It is so important to have Democratic elected officials. Rosa was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul. It may not feel like having a Dem governor matters much, especially in states where the legislature is red, but these kinds of appointments are one of the reasons it does.

And decisions like this will always make me fell less Doomed.

I know these stories are all pretty old, but I’m behind cause there are just so many ways we’re fighting back and winning every single day.

Throughout Pride Month I will make sure to have at least one queer story a day, and one day a week with three, cause Pride is a protest month and we need to celebrate that as often as possible.

Remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

California Election Day is TODAY. When polls close tonight, that’s it.

So I want to do one more final plea to convince you to vote.

It’s not because of Governor anymore. I mean Governor is important, but as long as you vote for Xavier Becerra or Tom Steyer we should be totally fine.

However, the thing that scares me is new congressional districts.

Prop 50 changed the districts but it didn’t change the jungle primary. Which means it’s still the top two candidates, regardless of party, that go to the general election.

Therefore, Prop 50 only matters if at least one Dem gets in the top two, and that’s not a given in every district.

There are too many Dems on the ballot in too many districts, and the vote could EASILY be split enough, in these newly safe Dem districts, that there could be places a Dem won’t even get to the general election.

That, in my view, is one of the most important reasons to vote today.

And, don’t get me wrong, there are MANY other important reasons. For my ballot, City Council is one of the most important races. As far as Congress goes, I am in Ted Lieu’s district and CA-36 is one of the few CA districts where the boundaries did not change at all. So for me, Congress is not a concern.

But I am in Los Angeles Council District-11 which is currently represented by Traci Park. She is a great advocate for single family home owners and pretty shitty for everyone else.

This race only has two candidates, so it’s over tonight, this is the general election. For me, this is the most important race, and I’m voting for Faizah Malik.

But for most districts in the state, Congress matters a whole lot. The House majority is in the hands of Californians today.

Not in November, today.

So PLEASE vote! I know the ballot is long. I know it’s complicated, but there are so many resources to help you vote, including my own endorsements (and I will be checking my DMs all day and would be happy to answer specific questions about your ballot).

If you turned your ballot in already but haven’t gotten a confirmation on ballottrax that it was counted, consider going to your polling place and making sure it counted, if not, fill out a provisional ballot.

ESPECIALLY true if you mailed it. USPS cannot be trusted anymore. Whatever you do. DO NOT MAIL YOUR BALLOT TODAY. Either use a drop box or walk it into the polling place.

California makes it SO easy to vote, all you have to do is do it.

That also includes people who aren’t registered, you can register WHEN YOU VOTE. So you can go to the polling place today and register in person and your vote will still be counted once your registration clears.

And if you have no transportation, in LA, at least, the Metro is free today so everyone can get to the polls.

So please, if you haven’t voted already, you still have till polls close at 8pm to get in line. And if you are in line at 8pm, STAY IN LINE!

Current turnout numbers are scaring me, hopefully it’s just a slow system, but if not, we’re on track for exceptionally low turnout. So PLEASE VOTE!

Remember, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower!

Hopefully they remind you that Dems are fighting back!

Dems Mentioned:

Rep Jim Clyburn (SC-06)

Rep Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

Rep Wesley Bell (MO-01)

Nanette Barragan (CA-44)

Sources:

Wesley Bell at st genevive - ICE needs to be stripped for parts

• https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/bell-budzinski-raise-concerns-following-tour-of-ste-genevieve-ice-detention-center/63-341a53d3-ea23-4014-96c6-415a16efc914

• https://www.aol.com/articles/concerns-raised-over-ice-detainees-225517000.html

• https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2026/05/12/florida-immigration-ice-orlando/

Transcript:

A: Holy shit, the South Carolina Dems did it!

D: Did what?

A: Stopped the gerrymandering.

D: For good????

A: No, but for now. The South Carolina Voting activists had infrastructure in place and were able to make the first day of early voting have such high turnout that enough Republicans decided it wasn’t possible to change the map anymore.

D: And?

A: it worked! Turnout was the highest ever for the first day of early voting in south carolina, over 55k ballots were cast by 5pm.

D: That’s a lot?

A: in South Carolina it is. And Jim Clyburn, who would have been gerrymandered out of his district helped encourage people to vote early. Here, check it out

D: Sounds like we know exactly what that result was.

A: yeah, we do now. The best way to support the south is to lift up incredible achievements like this one.

D: you think other states are gonna follow suit?

A: I certainly hope so. Louisiana voting activists are doing great things too, and Lauren Underwood did an incredible three minute video explaining all about the position they’re in.

D: We’re not watching the whole thing….

A: Watch a bit of it, and then you can watch the rest on your own.

D: Fine.

(stop at 0:51)

D: Jesus, that was powerful. I never thought to phrase it like that.

A: yeah. And using the best phrasing can make all the difference. But will you just watch a bit more?

D: I guess. I mean it is intriguing

(finish the clip)

D: Okay, okay I get the gist

A: promise me you’ll watch the rest later

D: It’s well done, I promise.

A: Good. But I hope you’re watching videos that aren’t as polished too.

D: Like what?

A: like Members of Congress going to ICE facilities. Wesley Bell went to the Ste Genevieve Detention center that is actually the county jail.

(stop at 0:45)

D: Wait, there are pregnant women in with the regular jail population?

A: disgusting, isn’t it? But wait, that’s not actually the part i wanted you to see. Keep watching

(Finish the clip

D: Oo I like that wording “stripped for parts.” I haven’t heard that one before.

A: yeah, it has a nice ring to it. And it really evokes the idea of building something better and just from the ground up.

D: Think it can be done?

A: Certainly not with this government in charge.

D: You’re just trying to get me to vote for Dems.

A: Always. No, but seriously, the best way we fight back and make sure it is possible to dismantle ICE in the near future is by telling these stories. Nanette Barragan was at Dilley, which she calls a “kid’s jail” and she focused on the humanity of a single child. Just watch

D: That’s disgusting.

A: yeah, it is, it’s more than disgusting, it’s deplorable. And Republicans want us to see these people as criminals and as statistics. The more our Dems tell their stories, the harder it is to treat them as one evil entity.

D: I hate this timeline.

A: you and me both.

D: So I guess maybe it’s possible….

A: yeah?

D: That Dems are doing important work and I should lift it up rather than screaming at them to do something

A: Oh really?

D: Shut up, don’t make me say it again.

A: I’ll take the win.

A: And that was this week’s Doomerella Gets Schooled. It’s important to remember that Congress is about creating and passing, or killing, legislation, but it’s also about messaging, and I think these are four fantastic messages that need to be spread further. As always, engage with this video in any way you can, as that’s the best way to spread it. And remember our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

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Credits:

Endscreen painting by: Julie Mantayla

Thumbnail by: Abigail Alvarez

Edited by: NovaEdits94⁩

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I know it’s easy to ignore primaries, but PLEASE VOTE! Every single election matters, no matter your state, no matter how blue or red it is.

And remember, I have a voting group, so, when you sign up, you will get a TEXT with these guides when I post them and you don’t have to rely on an algorithm. And I will know where my audience is so I WILL cover elections in your district. Sound good right?

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

You know the drill, we’re starting with early voting reminders:

CA (6/2) — Statewide Midterm AND CA-01 Special Primary — early: thru-6/2
IA (6/2) — Midterm Primary — early: thru-6/1
ME (6/9) — Midterm Primary — early: thru-6/4
MT (6/2) — Midterm Primary — early: thru- 6/1 NOON
NV (6/9) — Midterm Primary — early: thru-6/5
SC (6/9) — Midterm Primary — early: thru-6/5
SD (6/2) — Midterm Primary — early: thru-6/1

Tue June 2

California

Statewide Primary

• Official Voter Information Guide – contains candidate statements

• Calmatters.org voter guide – contains person candidate match tool

• LA Times Voter Guide – contains candidate information for LA County and statewide races

• Progressive Voters Guide

• CADEM Endorsements

• California Young Democrats Endorsements (CYD)

• The Daily Elm’s Endorsements (mine)

Congressional District 1 Special Primary (WITH CURRENT BOUNDARIES)

Mike McGuire - DEM State Senator, Endorsed by CADEM, Teamsters and CYD, priorities: Medicare for All, hold ICE accountable, Strengthen fire protection, reproductive freedom, Democracy, overturn citizens united, invest in rural communities & create jobs, climate crisis, end illegal wars, improve national homebuyer tax credit.

Audrey Denney - DEM - Endorsed by Emily’s List, and Indivisible Chico - grew up Republican, “I still carry some culturally conservative values: not wanting to spend more money than we bring in, wanting to conserve and steward our environment and natural resources,” - experience in nonprofit work, especially with food banks, teaches communications at California State University, Chico - Priorities: Get Big Money Out of Politics, Forest Health & Fire Prevention, lower drug costs, expand Medicare, affordable housing, equitable access to the education, Social Security and Medicare, Tax Reform, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights. racial justice and more

James Gallagher (R)

Jot Thiara (R)

Richard Montgomery (No Party Preference)

Delaware

New Castle County

• Bellefonte

  Election canceled cause none of the races were contested

Iowa

Statewide Primary

• Des Moines Register Voter Guide – contains links to articles about races and candidate questionnaires

• Democratic Candidate Endorsement Guide

• Union Endorsements

Senate

Zach Wahls - State Senator - Endorsed by Elizabeth Warren - Priorities: LGBTQ+ activism (his moms are lesbians), standing up to corrupt leaders, lowering cost of living.

Josh Turek - State Rep, two time Paralympic gold metalist - Endorsed by former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin &  U.S. senators, Tammy Duckworth (IL), Maggie Hassan (NH) and Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) & Pete Buttigieg - Priorities: raise the minimum wage, affordability, accessible healthcare, housing, drinkable water. corruption in Washington.

Montana

Statewide Primary

• First Congressional District Conservation Voter Guide

• Montana Free Press Statewide Voter Guide

Senate

Alani Bankhead - Air Force vet, investigator in human trafficking and child sexual abuse

Reilly Neill - former state rep - Priorities: single-payer healthcare system

Michael Black Wolf - tribal historic preservation officer for the Fort Belknap Indian Community - Priorities: overturning Trump’s tariffs

Michael Hummert - Navy veteran — challenged U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in 2024 primary - Priorities: shrinking national debt, require Congress to balance the federal budget, and gun control

Christopher Kehoe -  actor and arts administrator - Priorities: kill the filibuster, loosen the new Medicaid and SNAP requirements, end Citizens United

Congress

• District 1 (West)

  Ryan Busse - “It’s time to stand up to the out-of-state billionaires and the wealthy corporations. We need  single-payer system. Every single person in the country needs to have a basic good available level of healthcare.” - Endorsed by: Senators Ruben Gallego (AZ) and Martin Heinrich (NM), Giffords

  Sam Forstag - 32-year-old smokejumper (wildland firefighters who parachute into remote areas to suppress wildfires), former union leader, and ACLU lobbyist - Endorsed by: Bernie Sanders, Reps AOC, Chris Deluzio, Pramila Jayapal, Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, Lateefah Simon - Priorites: Expanding access to government services, affordable housing, expanded Medicare. universal childcare, ban on corporate spending in elections. 

  Russell Cleveland - Navy veteran - calls himself an “independent Dem.” - Priorities: “an improved version of Medicare for All,” rural healthcare, universal childcare, increased wages, tax reforms, moratorium on data centers - local endorsements

  Matt Rains - rancher, U.S. Army veteran, former chief of staff for the Montana Farmers Union - is taking pac money - Moderate Dem - Priorities: support farmers and ranchers, expanding Affordable Care Act, invest in rural healthcare, affordable housing, expanding utilities and roads - Endorsed by MT Ranchers

• District 2 (East)

  From Sam Lux: “From the very beginning of this primary, Brian Miller and I made a commitment to run campaigns built on respect, policy over party, and putting Montana first. No matter the outcome, we’re proud to end this race the same way we started it, working together.”

  Sam Lux - 29 years old farrier ( equine hoof care) by trade - Priorities: dark money disclosure, closing shell-company loopholes, overturning Citizens United, banning congressional stock trading, ethics rules, making running for office afforable

  Brian Miller - civil trial & Consumer Attorney - Priorities: Immigrant rights, exposing Trump’s abuses of power and corruption, ending the Iran war

  Jonathan Windy Boy - Ended his campaign over sexual assault allegations but restarted it last months, unclear if he’s still running, but he will be on the ballot. Montana Dems have called for him to resign his state senate seat.

Supreme Court Seat 4

Amy Eddy (Funded by DEMS)

Dan Wilson (Funded by REPUBLICANS)

New Jersey

Midterm Primary

• Democratic Candidate Endorsement Guide

• New Jersey Globe list of candidates

New Mexico

Statewide Primary

• Voter Guide – contains links to candidate websites

• NM Progressives Voter Guide

• Candidate List

South Dakota

Statewide Primaries

KEEP IN MIND:

NEW LAW: SB 175 went into effect March 26, 2026. A NEW voter who does not provide documentary proof of citizenship at the time of registration must be registered as a federal-only voter. Under SB 175 Section 3, or at SDCL § 12-4-1.4, acceptable proof of citizenship for voter registration includes:

1. A South Dakota driver license or nondriver identification card issued after July 1, 2025;

2. A driver license or nondriver ID card from another state indicating citizenship has been verified;

3. A tribal identification card;

OR

4. A photocopy of one of the following:

1. Birth certificate;

2. United States passport;

3. Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the U.S. Department of State;

4. The individual’s certificate of naturalization;

5. Any other documentation permitted under 42 C.F.R. § 436.407

State Senate District 26

Sean Bordeaux - Former State Senator - Works in Economic and Community Development - Priorities: tribal rights, environment - Running to take back his seat that Republicans won for the first time in a very long time in 2024

Troy “Luke” Lunderman

This is THE ONLY legislative primary for Dems in SD.

So I hope this guide is helpful even though it’s pretty close to the elections. PLEASE vote if you haven’t already, and, California do not use USPS at this point. Just use the drop box or hand your ballot in to a polling location. Better safe than sorry is paramount here!

And remember, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower, but only when you use it!

When we celebrate our Dems or organization doing good work, that sends a really powerful message. But if we can follow that up with donating? That’s even better.

Because regardless of what you’re excited about, for it to continue, they need money.

I bring this up now because of Paulina Mangubat, who runs the DNC’s social media.

For the record, she was a bad ass even before this. She is first generation Filipino American. And she started her career back in 2022 on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s campaign as her media director.

The DNC could not be in better hands.

And I know most people who are constantly bitching at the DNC actually agree with me on this.

It might be purely performative, but many have been dying to hear someone call Stephen Miller an “ugly fuck” to his face. And the fact that he’s accusing Talarico of being trans, as if A, that would be the worst thing in the world and B is even remotely true, is a pretty good time to do it.

And don’t worry, Mangubat isn’t backing down. In fact, she doubled down in an interview with MeidasTouch. She said that Miller is one of the most powerful men in the country, and he choses to use that power to well, act like an “ugly fuck”:

We simply called him “ugly” and I think that what he has been doing is ugly. He is celebrating when ICE shoots down Americans in the street. He thinks it’s cool when families are separated. And it’s just absolutely disgusting.

This is what you want from the DNC right? Being loud and fighting back?

Here’s the thing though, if you want the DNC to keep this tone, It’s up to us to make that sustainable. The DNC took a MASSIVE risk letting Mangubat publish that reply.

If they don’t get donations out of this, the simple fact is, they’re not gonna do it again. Big donors are already really not happy with them, cause under Ken Martin’s direction, they are investing in the South and other red states around the country in a really big way. The Donor class does not care about the South at all, unfortunately.

So they haven’t been donating much and this will not help.

It’s up to US to prove that this was the right move. If you just keep waiting to donate until the DNC doesn’t fuck anything up ever again, there won’t be any infrastructure to focus on the South before the new census in 2030 at all. And we will lose Congress for decades, if not longer.

That’s not an exaggeration, that’s a real fear we need to get real comfortable with doing something about, and quickly.

You can say that won’t happen cause the organizers are doing it themselves. And they ABSOLUTELY ARE. But the $22,500 per month going to the Red State Dem parties DOES have an impact.

Tim Wegener, a member of the DNC’s Finance Committee explained it in an op-ed for the Hill:

State parties from Mississippi to Alaska are growing their staff and infrastructure for the first time in years. This is the strategy Howard Dean used to deliver the 2006 and 2008 wave elections. It works.

THAT is only possible because of this influx of cash coming from the DNC. And the DNC can only keep doing that if they have donations coming in. Small dollar donations. And we know how quickly those add up.

So you like what they did? Your excited about Mangubat? It’s on you to make sure they know that and keep posting this kind of content.

If you can’t donate, that’s fine, but you CAN tell other people to do so. We saw it with Kamala Harris’ campaign and the war chest she built.

It’s up to us to give the DNC the cushion so they can try contentious things like this, or huge events like the Midterm Convention that had to be shelved.

We have the power to make what we want by supporting those who do it when they do.

It’s really that simple.

Ludlow, Massachusetts

Mon, April 20 - SCOTUS declined to hear Foote v Town of Ludlow. This was a lawsuit from parents of a child against Ludlow Public Schools. These parents were horrified when they discovered that their child had asked the school to call use different pronouns but not tell their parents.

Massachusetts has guidance in place for this specific situation. It says:

When determining which, if any, staff or students should be informed that a student's gender identity is different from the assigned birth sex, decisions should be made in consultation with the student, or in the case of a young student, the student's parent or guardian.

It’s pretty clear. If a child is young , then the parents do get involved, but for an older child, it’s up to the child.

Which makes me even angrier cause it means that these parents were trying to police their teenage child.

The First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the parents last year, saying:

The Protocol of nondisclosure as to a student’s at-school gender expression without the student’s consent does not restrict parental rights in a way courts have recognized as a violation of the guarantees of substantive due process.

And by refusing to hear the case, the Supreme Court upheld that.

There is one thing though, They refused to hear this case, but they heard an almost identical case from California and ruled in favor of the parents there. So everything is kind of up in the air, which is…not great.

But, while they made things more confusing, they didn’t make them worse, and I’d rather confusing than ruling in favor of this child’s parents.

I’m angry at SCOTUS for the confusion, but it does give me hope that they won’t get involved in future cases and will let lower court rulings stand.

And that DOES make me feel less Doomed.

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Durango, Colorado

Tue, April 21 - Following a probe by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, ICE officer Nicholas Rice has been charged with assault in the third degree and criminal mischief. The charges were filed by 6th Judicial District District Attorney Sean Murray. This is a reminder that District Attorney elections matter, especially because so few people vote in them.

Back on October 28, Rice assaulted a protester outside the ICE facility following the kidnapping of Jaramillo-Solano, an immigrant from Colombia who had been misidentified, but they didn’t care and took him anyway. Rice threw Franci Staggi to the ground after throwing her phone across the street. And it wasn’t hard to charge him either, as this was all caught on camera.

Of course DHS insists that this is “nothing more than a political stunt” and that the states can’t prosecute federal agents, something many Blue states are working to change.

And even if it is just a stunt and they can’t actually sentence him, it sends a message that what ICE is doing is very illegal. The more people that learn that, the better.

Rice was supposed to appear in La Planta County Court this month, but it’s May 29th and I can’t find anything saying that took place.

Regardless, the fact that they charged him at all makes me feel less Doomed.

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Pulaski County, Arkansas

Thu, April 23 - Around 50 people protested outside the Little Rock Federal Building against a new proposed Google data center. The Army Corp of Engineers, who have an office in the building, put out a public comment form about data centers, and this group responded loudly in person.

The protest was organized by local chapters of Indivisible and Sierra Club. There was even one guy who showed up who is locally known to be wary of fluoride. Which is a reminder that these data centers are unpopular across the board.

They are not only bad for the environment but they use up the power grid and make life harder for the residents of the area.

Unfortunately, the vote for a moratorium on new data centers was this week, and while the first tallies showed that the moratorium would go into effect, it turns out that was a counting error and the resolution lost.

But this protest still made a difference. For starters, it got in the State publication, which you don’t expect with only 50 people in attendance. It’s a reminder that it’s always worth speaking up for what you believe no matter how many or how few people join you.

And with an unsuccessful vote, that just means a lot of people will be angry moving forward. Hopefully angry enough to do something about it at the polls.

Seeing these fights continue makes me feel less Doomed.

I hope these stories helped make it easier to fight back today.

And remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that I have. It means that my body cannot process the gluten protein at all. If it enters my intestines, they shut down, entirely and I am unable to get any sort of nutrients.

There are a lot of misunderstandings about Celiac. The biggest one is, of course, that it is an allergy, or an intolerance. It’s actually about the immune system. My immune system is programmed to see gluten as a virus and completely shut down.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little gluten, the result is the same. This is why cross contamination is such a big thing. Even a small crumb could make my body sick for months. Think of gluten as glitter. It gets EVERYWHERE, and you have to be really diligent to clean it up.

Which is why going out to eat is so scary. Cause, for me, being gluten free isn’t a fad, it keeps me alive, and many many people just see it as a joke.

Illinois is doing something about this. They passed a law that went into affect in January requiring Celiac Disease to be included in the training a restaurant’s food safety manager must go through. Which is a huge step in Celiac Disease Awareness.

But it’s not just food. It’s also medication.

Sometimes I feel like I might be confused for MAHA because I am so wary of medication. Even though it’s unregulated I would rather take supplements every single time, cause at least they SAY “gluten free.”

It’s not that gluten is consistently used to bind meds, but there is no FDA requirement for pharmaceutical companies to test for ANY allergens. So all I know is that they don’t include gluten containing ingredients, but they don’t test to make sure they’re actually gluten free.

There are a few exceptions, Walgreens “Free and Pure” over the counter line being one. They DO test all their drugs to 20ppm of gluten, which is the industry standard. For the first time in my life, I have headache meds. That was never something I had access to before.

But that’s about it. I have an IUD cause the birth control Kaiser now carries is no longer a safe brand. I had an infection but couldn’t have antibiotics, cause the last time I did, when I had pneumonia in 2014, I WAS glutenated.

Luckily there’s a bill in Congress called the ADINA Act. It stands for Allergen Disclosure in Non-Food Articles Act, and it would bring the US into the 21st century.

A lot of countries already have this. Like you have to list potential allergens on food items, this would require the same thing for non food items, like medication.

The bill currently had 17 cosponsors, 10 Dems and 7 Republicans, but it needs a whole lot more attention to actually pass.

Cause, it’s been introduced in various forms since Dem Rep Tim Ryan introduced it in 2012. Most people reading this have probably never heard of Rep Tim Ryan, and that tells you just how long it’s been introduced. And it’s never passed. It’s never even been voted on in committee.

But things are hopefully different now. Cause Adina Togal is a girl. A girl with INCREDIBLE parents, Seth and Jennifer, who are shouldering this fight personally.

It’s not just a statistic of how many people have been affected by the lack of labeling, it’s a girl that these elected officials can see stand in front of them who is lucky to be alive today, after being given medication containing her allergens at camp in 2022.

As someone who is chronically ill, in large part thanks to having been born with Celiac and going undiagnosed for the first three years of my life, the ADINA Act would change everything for me.

So, as this Celiac Disease Awareness Month comes to an end, I beg you, please call your Rep and ask them to make this a priority. It’s completely bipartisan, it might actually have a chance of passing this year, if we can get enough attention on it, that is.

Monroe, Michigan

Tue, April 21 - Monroe High School’s Athletic Director, Chet Hesson, has FINALLY been reinstated.

Back in December, a parent filed a title XI complaint with the Federal Government over a supposed trans girl on the Ann Arbor Skyline High School girl’s volleyball team. Their child was on the Monroe High School team and they were sharing a locker room.

So an investigation started.

About a week later, Hesson was interviewed by the queer non-profit publication, Uncloseted Media. In his interview, he supported this child:

I just, you know, my heart goes to them, whether they’re trans or not, just having that much negative eyeball on you, is like, incredible. The amount of pressure that you feel as a 16, 17 or 18 year old, to have to deal with that, it’s like, I would not wish that on anybody.

He was put on administrative leave the next day.

On March 19th, 30 elected officials sent a letter demanding his reinstatement. This included the entire Ann Arbor state legislative delegation, plus 9 city council members.

The letter says, in part:

The decision to punish an educator and school leader simply for showing compassion to a vulnerable student who had become the subject of intense, targeted, and hateful bullying by adults is unconscionable.

The investigation, completed on April 10, found that Monroe Public Schools didn’t do anything to violate XI.

The final straw seemed to be when dozens of alumni wrote their own letter to the school district. In it, they said that this suspension goes against the values of the school and instead

It suggests that empathy and professionalism are liabilities rather than strengths in educational leadership.

And FINALLY, on April 21, he was reinstated. The announcement came in a letter from District Superintendent, Andrew Shaw, who said:

While this investigation has concluded, as we stated previously, the feedback we received during this process remains invaluable. As we move forward, the District remains dedicated to reviewing our internal administrative and operational procedures.

Which honestly makes it sound like they still think they did the right thing putting him on leave.

And he would probably still be on leave if it wasn’t for the community coming together to admonish this unacceptable decision by the district.

The School district makes me lose hope, but seeing our power, will make me feel less Doomed every single time.

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Poway, California

Tue, April 21 - Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing the city of Poway and the home building company Shea Homes over their violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) while building “Hidden Valley Ranch.”

The last Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was completed in 2003, but things changed when, in October, the builders began to find bones and artifacts. The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians believe it is a Native burial ground.

When thing change and new information is uncovered, the CEQA requires a new EIR, and that has not happened. And, according to AG Bonta, the city of Poway has done absolutely nothing to make it happen. There has been no communication with the tribe or Shea Homes.

The lawsuit reads:

Unless the People are granted relief for the violations of CEQA outlined below, the City’s actions and inactions challenged herein may result in potentially irreparable damage to tribal cultural resources and information important to California history and prehistory.

And as Bonta said in a statement:

Let’s be clear: We’re not stopping projects unnecessarily; we are asking cities and developers to comply with the law.

And Steve Cope, chairman of the San Pasqual Band reiterated that as well:

These suits do not seek to stop the project, but to ensure full consideration and redress of its adverse impacts, including on our heritage, ancestors, funerary items, environmental integrity, and culturally and religiously important resources throughout the area.

The city insists they were never informed of this potential lawsuit until it was made public, saying:

Until very recently, and with no opportunity to understand or potentially cure any violations of CEQA, the city received no indication that a CEQA violation was being pursued.

I don’t know if I believe that. I’m much more inclined to believe Bonta, who has been fighting for the California Native communities his entire time as AG, getting involved in three separate tribal lawsuits against various counties and municipalities.

And seeing Bonta fight like this for the Native community that is so often left behind, makes me feel less Doomed.

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Alaska

Tue, May 5 - The Alaska Public Interest Research Group has joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff, against the DOJ accessing unredacted Alaskan voter rolls. They join League of Women Voters Alaska and Alaska Black Caucus.

When the DOJ requested these voter rolls back in May 2025, Alaska was one of only 21 states to hand them over willingly. The ACLU of Alaska is arguing that since Alaska is one of 11 states in the country with a privacy amendment in their constitution, it goes against the state constitution to hand over unredacted private information to the federal government.

The DOJ now has access to all voters full name, date of birth, drivers license number and last four digits of their social security number. It’s a pretty scary thought to consider this government having any of that, let alone all of it.

The goal of the lawsuit is to demand the DOJ destroy all information they received from Alaskan voters and stop them from removing voters from the voter rolls.

Yolandous “Doyle” Williams, Board Chair for Alaska Black Caucus said:

Sharing unredacted voter registration data not only invades the privacy of Alaskans but also threatens to silence the voices of those who have fought tirelessly for their right to vote.

I don’t know if this will be successful, but, as the lawsuit says:

As the State of Alaska’s Legislative Affairs Agency has noted, “[A]t this point every federal court that has issued a substantive ruling has rejected DOJ’s claims. No federal court has ruled in favor of DOJ.”

So that sounds like some pretty good odds. And regardless of if it’s successful or not, the fight itself is more than half the battle.

Remember, authoritarianism can only win when we lose hope and stop fighting back. And a lawsuit like this just gives me more hope, so therefore, we’re not Doomed.

I hope these stories helped you feel less Doomed too!

And no matter what, keep using your voice, cause, as you know by now, it’s your superpower!