polerin
@polerin.bsky.social
White trans woman, radical lefty, geek, pro web dev, derbyDerbyDerby. Will eat for food, & rock your face off. Or on. On is good.
Seattle-ish
Seattle-ish
Pinned
polerin
@polerin.bsky.social
· Aug 25
On Friday, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a memo announcing that, beginning in 2026, all federal employee health plans will be barred from covering gender-affirming care for both transgender youth and adults.
Trump Admin Memo Bars Federal Health Plans From Covering Gender-Affirming Care
The memo also mandates that insurers cover “faith-based counseling,” otherwise known as conversion therapy.
truthout.org
I cannot state this strongly enough:
Trans healthcare is literally lifesaving. I would not be here today if it were not a thing.
It is not something that can be put off in a healthy way, it is not a frivolous lark. We exist, and we hurt in ways that most cis people cannot start to understand.
Trans healthcare is literally lifesaving. I would not be here today if it were not a thing.
It is not something that can be put off in a healthy way, it is not a frivolous lark. We exist, and we hurt in ways that most cis people cannot start to understand.
my wife just answered "time for you to get a watch" to my "what time is it?" and then she started joking about getting worthers.
when I told her that these wonderful wrapped bits of joy would be my old lady candy, she slandered this red and green wrapped delight by saying they taste like plastic!
when I told her that these wonderful wrapped bits of joy would be my old lady candy, she slandered this red and green wrapped delight by saying they taste like plastic!
December 6, 2025 at 6:34 PM
my wife just answered "time for you to get a watch" to my "what time is it?" and then she started joking about getting worthers.
when I told her that these wonderful wrapped bits of joy would be my old lady candy, she slandered this red and green wrapped delight by saying they taste like plastic!
when I told her that these wonderful wrapped bits of joy would be my old lady candy, she slandered this red and green wrapped delight by saying they taste like plastic!
Reposted by polerin
We got Weird Al out here singing Killing In The Name, the time for moderation is over
December 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
We got Weird Al out here singing Killing In The Name, the time for moderation is over
Reposted by polerin
Anyway: If this year has taught you anything, I hope it's that white supremacy is fake as hell, fails without support, and requires extensive enforcement and blatant acts of favoritism and exclusion to survive.
All-white/white supremacist spaces, political, social, and professional, are a choice.
All-white/white supremacist spaces, political, social, and professional, are a choice.
December 6, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Anyway: If this year has taught you anything, I hope it's that white supremacy is fake as hell, fails without support, and requires extensive enforcement and blatant acts of favoritism and exclusion to survive.
All-white/white supremacist spaces, political, social, and professional, are a choice.
All-white/white supremacist spaces, political, social, and professional, are a choice.
Reposted by polerin
My experience in life is that most structural racism is lots of small overlapping groups of fuckers working in conjunction; millions of volunteers of upholding bullshit.
Business loans at banks, unequal education support, medical violence, local policing, your city council choosing projects, etc.
Business loans at banks, unequal education support, medical violence, local policing, your city council choosing projects, etc.
insane local news just dropped. i've lived in a part of KC for ~decade and it's been an inside joke with friends and service workers that the local biz/party district is ran by a cartel of biz owners who bully out new ventures and replace them with generic dive bars for white suburbanites.
Well UH
Well UH
December 6, 2025 at 7:03 AM
My experience in life is that most structural racism is lots of small overlapping groups of fuckers working in conjunction; millions of volunteers of upholding bullshit.
Business loans at banks, unequal education support, medical violence, local policing, your city council choosing projects, etc.
Business loans at banks, unequal education support, medical violence, local policing, your city council choosing projects, etc.
Reposted by polerin
No way this is an isolated case, IMO.
insane local news just dropped. i've lived in a part of KC for ~decade and it's been an inside joke with friends and service workers that the local biz/party district is ran by a cartel of biz owners who bully out new ventures and replace them with generic dive bars for white suburbanites.
Well UH
Well UH
December 6, 2025 at 6:49 AM
No way this is an isolated case, IMO.
I .. uh.. might have needed to check my brake pads prior
December 6, 2025 at 6:19 AM
I .. uh.. might have needed to check my brake pads prior
Reposted by polerin
NEW: “I was here yesterday recording video and they were laying shackles out on the icy tarmac. It was 15 degrees. Terrible,” said a “very enthusiastic aviation geek” Nick Benson yesterday during a rally demanding an end to deportation flights at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
December 4, 2025 at 9:27 PM
NEW: “I was here yesterday recording video and they were laying shackles out on the icy tarmac. It was 15 degrees. Terrible,” said a “very enthusiastic aviation geek” Nick Benson yesterday during a rally demanding an end to deportation flights at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
Reposted by polerin
i will never let the US department of state manufacture my consent to go to war with latin america because i KNOW who has been there for me as the only torrent seed in my times of great need and that i will never forget that.
December 3, 2025 at 6:12 PM
i will never let the US department of state manufacture my consent to go to war with latin america because i KNOW who has been there for me as the only torrent seed in my times of great need and that i will never forget that.
Reposted by polerin
We finally have dates for the @ratcityrollerderby.bsky.social season - and you can even buy a season ticket! www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
November 29, 2025 at 11:35 PM
We finally have dates for the @ratcityrollerderby.bsky.social season - and you can even buy a season ticket! www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...
Reposted by polerin
SCOOP: The United States Tennis Association (USTA) quietly updated its player eligibility policy to ban trans women from competing as women in their leagues, tournaments and competitions in order to comply with Trump's anti-trans sports executive order. The policy went into effect on Monday.
USTA bans trans athletes from competing as women to comply with Trump executive order
The national tennis governing body's policy change was made with no announcement.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 4, 2025 at 12:32 AM
SCOOP: The United States Tennis Association (USTA) quietly updated its player eligibility policy to ban trans women from competing as women in their leagues, tournaments and competitions in order to comply with Trump's anti-trans sports executive order. The policy went into effect on Monday.
Reposted by polerin
Attorney Siri is now parroting the anti-vax bullshit that vaccine manufacturers can’t be sued because the US government wanted to help their profits.
The actual reason is that bad actors like Mr. Siri filed endless spurious lawsuits that almost led to vaccines no longer being made in the U.S.
The actual reason is that bad actors like Mr. Siri filed endless spurious lawsuits that almost led to vaccines no longer being made in the U.S.
December 5, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Attorney Siri is now parroting the anti-vax bullshit that vaccine manufacturers can’t be sued because the US government wanted to help their profits.
The actual reason is that bad actors like Mr. Siri filed endless spurious lawsuits that almost led to vaccines no longer being made in the U.S.
The actual reason is that bad actors like Mr. Siri filed endless spurious lawsuits that almost led to vaccines no longer being made in the U.S.
Reposted by polerin
Because it mostly wasn't about money, it was about building community. And if you fucked up moderation, sooner or later you got left with a shitty place no one wanted to be.
It definitely wasn't perfect, and sometimes things fell apart. But folks worked hard to keep places going.
It definitely wasn't perfect, and sometimes things fell apart. But folks worked hard to keep places going.
December 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Because it mostly wasn't about money, it was about building community. And if you fucked up moderation, sooner or later you got left with a shitty place no one wanted to be.
It definitely wasn't perfect, and sometimes things fell apart. But folks worked hard to keep places going.
It definitely wasn't perfect, and sometimes things fell apart. But folks worked hard to keep places going.
Reposted by polerin
It is fascinating (derogatory) to watch the spread of propaganda and hate across the internet, and watch leadership throw up their hands and walk away (because it makes them rich).
Many spaces, anonymous or not, in early internet days, were fairly successfully moderated.
Many spaces, anonymous or not, in early internet days, were fairly successfully moderated.
New from me: It's high time for T&S leaders at big tech platforms to speak up.
We need to hear the US-based VPs of T&S at Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok and other platforms say in one voice that content moderation is not censorship.
We need to hear the US-based VPs of T&S at Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok and other platforms say in one voice that content moderation is not censorship.
Briefing: Trump administration wants to ban foreign fact-checkers and online safety workers
Plus: free tools for analyzing ads and extracting links and emails, and X gets fined by the EU.
indicator.media
December 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
It is fascinating (derogatory) to watch the spread of propaganda and hate across the internet, and watch leadership throw up their hands and walk away (because it makes them rich).
Many spaces, anonymous or not, in early internet days, were fairly successfully moderated.
Many spaces, anonymous or not, in early internet days, were fairly successfully moderated.
Reposted by polerin
Democrats need to put out a statement just being like, "hey, this guy is going to JAIL. it might take a few years but this guy is going to be held accountable."
December 5, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Democrats need to put out a statement just being like, "hey, this guy is going to JAIL. it might take a few years but this guy is going to be held accountable."
I love teaching roller derby shit. it really really makes me happy
December 5, 2025 at 8:14 AM
I love teaching roller derby shit. it really really makes me happy
Reposted by polerin
An easy way to explain luddites:
Textile manufacturers brought in machines that could do in an hour what would have taken 12 hours by hand.
And then, tried to keep paying the now 12x more productive workers the same wages as before.
That's it, that was the problem luddites had. Not complex.
Textile manufacturers brought in machines that could do in an hour what would have taken 12 hours by hand.
And then, tried to keep paying the now 12x more productive workers the same wages as before.
That's it, that was the problem luddites had. Not complex.
December 2, 2025 at 7:46 PM
An easy way to explain luddites:
Textile manufacturers brought in machines that could do in an hour what would have taken 12 hours by hand.
And then, tried to keep paying the now 12x more productive workers the same wages as before.
That's it, that was the problem luddites had. Not complex.
Textile manufacturers brought in machines that could do in an hour what would have taken 12 hours by hand.
And then, tried to keep paying the now 12x more productive workers the same wages as before.
That's it, that was the problem luddites had. Not complex.
Reposted by polerin
No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
An Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees a staggering reduction in homelessness. The program gave participants $1,000 cash payments each month for two years, and at the end of the project's first phase, 91% of participants reported being in stable housing.
Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees staggering reduction in homelessness
The state program gave participants $1,000 cash payments each month for two years. At the end of the project's first phase, 91% of participants reported being in stable housing.
www.streetroots.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:12 AM
No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
Reposted by polerin
There's a couple reasons so many IWW songs are set to the tunes of hymns and one is that the Salvation Army Band would show up and try to stop workers organizing by playing hymns to drown out speeches, so the Wobblies came up with words so they could sing along. SA has been trash all along.
It's that giving time of year again, so this is a reminder that no matter how they try to dress it up, the Salvation Army is not a charity.
December 3, 2025 at 2:09 AM
There's a couple reasons so many IWW songs are set to the tunes of hymns and one is that the Salvation Army Band would show up and try to stop workers organizing by playing hymns to drown out speeches, so the Wobblies came up with words so they could sing along. SA has been trash all along.
ok but seriously I need a cover of john browns body from an artist doing heavier shit. noise, industrial, digital hardcore, metal, punk, I dgaf I want iiittttt
December 3, 2025 at 3:13 AM
ok but seriously I need a cover of john browns body from an artist doing heavier shit. noise, industrial, digital hardcore, metal, punk, I dgaf I want iiittttt
Reposted by polerin
It sounds snarky, but it's true. His death would help Republicans in that they would no longer have to carry water for a possible pedophile. Trump served as a puppet for people that his party frankly doesn't have to give a damn about. Also, Trump's most fervent supporters would make him a martyr.
December 3, 2025 at 2:52 AM
It sounds snarky, but it's true. His death would help Republicans in that they would no longer have to carry water for a possible pedophile. Trump served as a puppet for people that his party frankly doesn't have to give a damn about. Also, Trump's most fervent supporters would make him a martyr.
Reposted by polerin
Charlestown, Virginia Dec 2, 1859
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think vainly, flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think vainly, flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.
Abolitionist John Brown was executed by the state of Virginia on December 2, 1859.
December 3, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Charlestown, Virginia Dec 2, 1859
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think vainly, flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think vainly, flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.
Reposted by polerin
This article suggests that "around 95% of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens" and "50% of the community was born in the U.S." Gonna be an awful lot of false positives for ICE.
Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says
Federal authorities are preparing an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, focusing on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S.
apnews.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:01 AM
This article suggests that "around 95% of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens" and "50% of the community was born in the U.S." Gonna be an awful lot of false positives for ICE.
Reposted by polerin
Shocking footage out of Minneapolis emerges as activists on the ground report ICE is pulling people out of their cars simply because they look Somali:
Jordan Uhl on Instagram: "ICE is reportedly increasing its presence in Minneapolis/St. Paul to target Somali communities."
The Trump administration's plan to increase ICE's presence in Minneapolis and St. Paul has sparked concerns among local leaders and residents. Critics argue it amounts to racial profiling, violating d...
www.instagram.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Shocking footage out of Minneapolis emerges as activists on the ground report ICE is pulling people out of their cars simply because they look Somali:
Reposted by polerin
I'm so tired of measles.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
Gallatin Co. reports 2nd measles case, warns of exposure sites nbcmontana.com/news/local/g...
Gallatin Co. reports 2nd measles case, warns of exposure sites
The Gallatin City-County Health Department has confirmed a second case of measles in Gallatin County, with the latest case identified on Dec. 1, 2025.This foll
nbcmontana.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:09 AM
I'm so tired of measles.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
Reposted by polerin
Trans people: If your partner insults your appearance, mocks your efforts to transition, says they support you in one breath and then that you ruined their lives in the next, are embarrassed to be seen with you, or makes you feel like a burden, that's not your partner, that's your abuser.
December 2, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Trans people: If your partner insults your appearance, mocks your efforts to transition, says they support you in one breath and then that you ruined their lives in the next, are embarrassed to be seen with you, or makes you feel like a burden, that's not your partner, that's your abuser.