Author | Lightnews

Raani Begum

Raani Begum

@raanibegum.bsky.social

140 followers 120 following 53 posts

Speaking into existence. Queer. Sex worker. Desi 🏴 Disabled. Mad. Organizer. (Harm reduction, mask blocs, etc) Anarchist. Writing somewhere

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Reposted by Raani Begum

Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 3h

Every single one of the academic and professional enablers of Bhattacharya, Makary, Prasad, and by extension RFK Jr should be asked to account for the devastating consequences of their contrarianism, their asinine epistemic overreach, their refusal to listen to disabled people/patients.

This matters because you vouched for Dr. Bhattacharya to lead the NIH. In an article titled, Restoring Trust in Public Health you and Francis Lee wrote:

If the country had had more scientific leaders like Dr. Jay Bhattacharya—and more who were willing to listen to him—our policymaking could have been based more on evidence and less on hubris. During the pandemic democracy’s “truth-seeking” institutions were infected by politics, partisanship, and dogmatism. What we need now is a strong dose of fresh thinking and institutional reform from experts prepared to challenge the reigning consensus and renew our commitment to the basic values of science and liberalism.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

Anyway this midnight meandering musing is already too long. I could go on and it would probably make for a decent. But you know *vague gestures*.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

Reading is important. Read to diversify your world view if you can. Not just endlessly confirm it.

And it doesn't just happen with theory. Read decolonial fiction. Look up what the comprehension questions are for highschoolers. Apply towards yourself. It's good brain activity.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

And like, no offense. But a lot of you read and don't learn. How many of y'all are reading who put on a mask in a meeting and snatch it off the moment you leave the meeting?

I know you've come across the infographics. But you didn't take it seriously. So. Is reading effective?

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

When people say "I have lived experience", what I hear is: "the contradictions present in my life are heightened and I'm being crushed under the boot. How does reading your tomes bring me immediate material relief?"

And it is an extremely valid Q!

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

Which is how I return to my first statement. I hate this dichotomy of "I have lived experience, I don't need to read" vs "this is reactionary and anti intellectualism".

Because what it points to is a kind of pervasive cultural confusion and communication breakdown.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

People do this in different mediums. Zines. TikTok/IG videos. YouTube. Podcasts. These kinds of teachings and learnings allow people to learn in different mediums, on their own pace.

And it's powerful. Why else would the fascist flood these spaces w/ propaganda?

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 16h

I'm not very well "theoretically" read. This is a neutral statement, not a value statement. But I've been on Tumblr and Twitter long enough to read people explain things. Some of them will cite theory and break it down. Some people use lived experience to contextualize conversation.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 17h

And perhaps it is because of the way I read, and with who, that has really highlighted for me how complex of a matter reading is. And by extension, inaccessible to many.

And it's not that people don't read. They do. On their phones, ppl on average read more than they used to.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 17h

The first part is that reading, or the kind of reading Serious Leftists™️ espouse is just not accessible to all. I remember bringing up this question to a movement teacher in 2018 and being extremely dissatisfied with the answer.

And I AM in a reading group so chill on your reaction, please.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 17h

I really hate this conversation on "I don't need to read, I have lived experience" and then others going "but that is soooo reactionary and anti intellectual" like those are the only two .

Finally figured out today why I hate it.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 5d

I'm so burnt out

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 7d

Need (free?) substack recommendations of anarchist writers thank you

Reposted by Raani Begum

Ruby, evil witch and spooky crone @anontranshoe.bsky.social · 17d

remember when obama was nicknamed “deporter-in-chief”?

I remember

Dan Przygoda @dprzygoda.bsky.social · 17d

Did Obama and Biden specifically deploy masked up agents to blue cities to raid and cuff residents of entire apartment buildings?

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · 18d

I'm not trying to be a hater but it's very interesting how I'm treated by industry peers for being a CC worker vs a ⚪ person.

Not surprised. Just. Recording it here. If you know what I mean.

Reposted by Raani Begum

#ProtectJhordin ❤️ @xchemoni.blacksky.app · 21d

It's Rebelle's special day!

Please help them celebrate by getting some good food and a good book!

Reposted by Raani Begum

Micah @rincewind.run · Jul 24

“banning pornography” is bad on its own but it is imperative that everyone understand that these people consider the very existence of queer people to be pornographic

they consider the most chaste depiction of a queer relationship, or an openly trans person, to be porn and they want it banned

Large Marge Sent Me 👻 @restingdinoface.bsky.social · Jul 24

You don’t have to like, approve of, or engage with porn and nsfw work to see how right wing extremists are using fear and stigma around smut to ban queer people from public life, define “good” sex as only between married people for procreation, and otherwise further force white supremacy on everyone

Reposted by Raani Begum

Mike Stabile @mikestabile.bsky.social · Jul 25

This used to be regarded as textbook government censorship, but they banned the textbooks and cut off access to the internet so now it's just some Friday in 2025.

reason.com/2025/07/24/t...

This bill would fine social media companies $5 million every day for not fighting 'terrorism'

The STOP HATE Act wants social media platforms to report their moderation policies and outcomes to the government.

Raani Begum @raanibegum.bsky.social · Jul 25

It's whiplash but like. People either genuinely have no idea at all about COVID or they talk about it in these dodgy embarrassed way and it just really, really illustrates the inequities of information access.

Reposted by Raani Begum

Chantal James @chantalalive.blacksky.app · Jul 25

It wasn't fascism when Gavin Newsom was institutionalizing the homeless & mentally ill because he's a democrat, just when Trump does it. And it wasn't fascism before that because those people deserve it. You really think you can fight this without a shift in societal attitudes of who has worth?

Reposted by Raani Begum

Mike Stabile @mikestabile.bsky.social · Jul 24

It's not just "porn" sites. As of midnight, any site that allows NSFW is now legally required in the UK to bar visitors unless they present a govt ID, submit to a biometric scan, or otherwise identify themselves.

That means Discord, Bluesky, Reddit, X.

The anonymous internet is now closed.

The UK is launching ‘porn age checks’. This is what will happen

The UK is about to launch some of the strongest checks on pornography in the world.

www.the-independent.com

Reposted by Raani Begum

Ⓐnarchobooism 🐈‍⬛ 🎃 @161bklyn.bsky.social · Jul 23

Same crisis in Sudan.

news.un.org/en/story/202...

Reposted by Raani Begum

natou @tichatnwa.bsky.social · Jul 22

hyperawareness is both is a two edged sword cause i like knowing whats going on but also

when you notice every fucking thing

the slick words

the pauses

the absence

micro expressions

it makes it real hard to want to fuck w ppl at all