Three Wins Today: Oct 20, 2025

Another one where voting is the key

This week is Invisible Disabilities Week, so I thought I’d get a bit vulnerable. I am chronically ill in so many different ways, and not a single one of them is visible. I have POTS and fibromyalgia, endometriosis and Celiac disease and so many other things doctors are struggling to figure out.

And I think the worst thing about them all being invisible is that even I regularly convince myself they’re in my head and go too far.

I’m 31, why the fuck can’t I stay at a protest 2 hours?

I’m 31, why can’t I just change my sheets, it will be fine!

I’m 31, I CAN bend down to put the clothes in the dryer.

But the reality is, I can’t. I can’t do those things. And that doesn’t make me lazy, or mean that I’m procrastinating (which were two descriptions I regularly gave myself that were really hard to unlearn), it just means I’m disabled, even though neither you, nor I can see it.

I finally got a handicap placard a few months ago. I’ve needed one for a long time, but my doctor, who I adore, and who is disabled herself, got it in her head that if I had one I would use it even when I didn’t need it.

But that’s the thing with a dynamic disability, invisible or not, oftentimes I can be totally fine, and then BAM, the car better be close by cause I’m not making it further.

There’s a guilt associated with having invisible disabilities, “I must be making this up, cause it can’t possibly be real.” And I think the way the media handles them plays a huge role. Celebrities who have them are expected to still do all the same things, Lady Gaga, who has fibromyalgia, comes to mind.

And no one is ever going to accommodate your needs, cause it must not be that bad if they can’t see it. You don’t see a character in a show with chronic pain, or chronic fatigue (except that one episode in The Golden Girls, where Dorothy was diagnosed with CFS, god that was the most amazing thing to see on television.)

And I’m scared. I’m scared to say I can’t do something for fear of destroying a working relationship. I’m scared to cancel anything for fear they think I’m doing it on purpose. I’m not, I promise, I’m just flaring up and I can’t control it!

I’m scared to make friends in the same town I live in because I don’t want to make a plan and have to break it.

So, this week, check in on your friends with invisible disabilities, let them know that it’s okay if plans are tentative, you want the plan anyway. Be cognizant of when someone doesn’t do something they said they were gonna do. Are they actually being lazy? Did they procrastinate? Or did their body legitimately stop cooperating at the worst possible time?

And most importantly, believe them when they say they’re in pain, when they need a few extra accommodations to leave the house. Don’t make fun of them, just be there and show it’s normal and okay.

Make us feel human and not like some alien species who can’t do basic tasks. That would help a lot.

And to my invisible disabilty community. Be kind to yourself. Yes you are disabled, and no, you probably can’t do that thing, and that’s okay. Don’t push yourself so hard that you can’t exist tomorrow just because it feels like you should be fine. Take care of yourself. You deserve it.

Alright, that was heavy, so let’s get lighter with some wins!

Oregon solar farm (from Oregon.gov)

Oregon

Mon, Oct 6 - Governor Tina Kotek signed an executive order to expedite their wind and solar permits, so that projects begin before July 4, 2025, when the clean energy tax subsidies expire, thanks to the Big Ugly Law.

Governor Kotek said:

With the elimination of promised incentives by the Trump Administration, states must step up as the last line of defense against climate catastrophe. We have to get renewable energy infrastructure built, and quickly. We cannot afford to lose this critical window; every wind and solar project we help complete now directly fights the irreversible climate damage we’re racing to prevent.

This is a departure for Oregon, which typically has a lot of red tape in place for new projects, but Governor Kotek is cutting that red tape to make sure these projects are done before the deadline.

Another reason it’s important to have a Dem Governor.

Nassau, New York

Wed, Oct 8 - The New York Supreme Court Appelate Division reversed the Nassau Supreme Court ruling that upheld the county’s trans sports ban. The NYSC ruling stayed implementation while the case makes its way through the system.

In the ruling, the Judges said:

Upon our review of the record, we find that the Supreme Court failed to set forth specific findings with respect to the tripartite test for preliminary injunctive relief and improvidently exercised its discretion in denying the motion for a preliminary injunction.

They go on to say that this law absolutely counts and discriminatory, and then add:

Further, a local law that violates a general state law violates Municipal Home Rule Law.

New York is one of 40 states that have some amount of Home Rule, meaning the county can make their own rules and laws that the rest of the state doesn’t abide by, but, according to the NYSC, there are certain things that don’t count as Home Rule and discrimination is one of them.

We’ll see what happens as this works its way through the system.

California

Fri, Oct 10 - Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB518, which creates the first in the nation task force to begin the process of reparations for descendants of those who experienced American slavery. It is called the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery. The bureau will be focused on tracing people’s family tree to see if they qualify for reparations.

The bill’s sponsor, and California Legislative Black Caucus leader. Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson said:

This law reflects a critical acknowledgment of the historic injustices that have shaped the Black experience in California and across this country. For generations, Black Americans have faced exclusion, exploitation, and systemic barriers to opportunity. With SB 518, we lay the foundation for a future built on truth, equity, and repair.

She continues,

California is not just confronting the past. We are investing in the future. With SB 518, we have created a model for how states can move from study to structure, from intention to action. This is about building something permanent that honors the truth and restores dignity to the descendants of those who endured generations of injustice.

I haven’t seen this signing get all that much attention, so hopefully I can change that with this post. This is the kind of work that needs to be done across the country. Every single state, or at least, every single state with a Dem governor and legislative majority, should follow suit.

Another example of how much elections matter.

---