Riki Wilchins
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Author of: "When Texas Came for Our Kids: How evangelical extremists launched a war on transgender teens" & "BAD INK: How the NYTimes sold out transgender teens."
Pinned
Riki Wilchins
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social
· Feb 13
Take away my pronouns, my passport, my prison cell, my hormones, & my bathroom, I'm still trans. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere. And tomorrow there will be more like me. I'm not scared, I'm fighting mad. You can't have my life. It's mine. Because we are #WhatTheFutureOfGenderLooksLike
Summary of leaked call transcript between Witkoff and Putin emissary. In effect, Trump's representative sounds like he's an agent of the Kremlin-- giving advice on how to butter up Trump and edge out Zelenskyy --just as Trump has behaved as if he's an agent of the Kremlin.
Playbook
The unofficial guide to official Washington, every morning and weekday afternoons.
www.politico.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Summary of leaked call transcript between Witkoff and Putin emissary. In effect, Trump's representative sounds like he's an agent of the Kremlin-- giving advice on how to butter up Trump and edge out Zelenskyy --just as Trump has behaved as if he's an agent of the Kremlin.
***SATIRE*** Wash. DC Nov 25, 2025 Overturning longstanding tradition dating to 1989 of Presidential pardons for the annual Thanksgiving turkey, this year Trump has announced he will personally execute the White House turkey, using only his bare hands to "demonstrate U.S. strength." ***SATIRE***
November 26, 2025 at 12:31 PM
***SATIRE*** Wash. DC Nov 25, 2025 Overturning longstanding tradition dating to 1989 of Presidential pardons for the annual Thanksgiving turkey, this year Trump has announced he will personally execute the White House turkey, using only his bare hands to "demonstrate U.S. strength." ***SATIRE***
Peggy Noonan/WSJ: That the MAGA coalition wd crack was never in doubt; the only questions were when & along what lines. Thinking anyone o/ than Trump cd hold it together was like thinking someone other than Elvis could keep together Elvis fans...And no impersonator here was ever going to do.
November 25, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Peggy Noonan/WSJ: That the MAGA coalition wd crack was never in doubt; the only questions were when & along what lines. Thinking anyone o/ than Trump cd hold it together was like thinking someone other than Elvis could keep together Elvis fans...And no impersonator here was ever going to do.
Merry Xmas? Balsam Hill, which sells Christmas trees and sponsors the National Christmas Tree which sits on the White House lawn, has said it has had to raise prices by to 20% because of Trump’s tariffs and it would have been more if they hadn't already bought much of this years' pre-tariffs.
West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government
Your guide to Donald Trump’s unprecedented overhaul of the federal government.
www.politico.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Merry Xmas? Balsam Hill, which sells Christmas trees and sponsors the National Christmas Tree which sits on the White House lawn, has said it has had to raise prices by to 20% because of Trump’s tariffs and it would have been more if they hadn't already bought much of this years' pre-tariffs.
Joyce Vance explains how / why the Comey indictment got tossed. Basically the US Attorney Trump interim- appointed after firing the old one was never confirmed by the US Senate. If they allow this (Pam Bondi is really trying) no President will ever need to bother with Senate affirmation again.
Explanation: The Comey and James Prosecutions, Dismissed Without Prejudice
Preet's and my conversation and more
joycevance.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Joyce Vance explains how / why the Comey indictment got tossed. Basically the US Attorney Trump interim- appointed after firing the old one was never confirmed by the US Senate. If they allow this (Pam Bondi is really trying) no President will ever need to bother with Senate affirmation again.
Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Reps privately push ban on trans care in ACA/Obamacare as part of moving any subsidy deal forward. It was stripped from the last ACA deal. This one would hurt perhaps 500k trans ppl among the 20m who need Obamacare subsidies. Even blue states would be impacted.
Republicans Privately Pushing Anti-Trans Funding Ban For ACA Subsidy Deal After Shutdown Compromise
The proposal, which was first detailed in the Wall Street Journal, could harm transgender people even in blue states if it becomes part of the negotiated deal.
www.erininthemorning.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Reps privately push ban on trans care in ACA/Obamacare as part of moving any subsidy deal forward. It was stripped from the last ACA deal. This one would hurt perhaps 500k trans ppl among the 20m who need Obamacare subsidies. Even blue states would be impacted.
PS Re: health insurance, my wife & young daughter's plan (I'm on Medicare) for the first time is more than our mortgage. And this was Blue Cross's cheapest non-HMO plan! It jumped 10% in 2024 and nearly 40% this past year. It's crazy. And we're among the lucky few who can (almost) afford it.
November 25, 2025 at 6:03 PM
PS Re: health insurance, my wife & young daughter's plan (I'm on Medicare) for the first time is more than our mortgage. And this was Blue Cross's cheapest non-HMO plan! It jumped 10% in 2024 and nearly 40% this past year. It's crazy. And we're among the lucky few who can (almost) afford it.
Greene, like many of colleagues, realized the admin. was failing and began speaking out. “What am I saying that can be criticized? I’m saying the cost of living is too high, health insurance premiums are destroying the middle class, and Republicans have no plan."
Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Playing the Long Game
The resigning Georgia congresswoman understands something that other Republicans don’t.
newrepublic.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Greene, like many of colleagues, realized the admin. was failing and began speaking out. “What am I saying that can be criticized? I’m saying the cost of living is too high, health insurance premiums are destroying the middle class, and Republicans have no plan."
Anonymous House Rep: "Members are more upset than ever. More explosive early resignations [like MTG] are coming. It’s a tinder box. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out."
What MTG got right
MTG’s four-page note was stinging for House Republicans. Why? Because the message rang true to so many in the House GOP.
punchbowl.news
November 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Anonymous House Rep: "Members are more upset than ever. More explosive early resignations [like MTG] are coming. It’s a tinder box. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out."
Rutger Bregman, giving BBC’s prestigious annual Reith Lectures, says sentence that Trump was “the most openly corrupt president in American history” was removed by the BBC. Nice of them to edit on Trump's behalf.
Reith lecturer accuses BBC of censoring his remarks on Trump
Dutch writer Rutger Bregman says claim that Trump was ‘most openly corrupt president in US history’ was removed
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Rutger Bregman, giving BBC’s prestigious annual Reith Lectures, says sentence that Trump was “the most openly corrupt president in American history” was removed by the BBC. Nice of them to edit on Trump's behalf.
Nov 25 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- At least four federal judges have now blocked portions of or the entirety of invasive DOJ subpoenas served on 20 health providers of gender-affirming medical care for trans minors.
Multiple judges call out DOJ's methods of defending its invasive trans care subpoenas
A trio of public rulings, including one on Friday, all side with providers. Two rulings also raised sharp questions about DOJ's moves in recent months.
www.lawdork.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Nov 25 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- At least four federal judges have now blocked portions of or the entirety of invasive DOJ subpoenas served on 20 health providers of gender-affirming medical care for trans minors.
Viola Ford Fletcher, 1 of last survivors of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (she was 7) dead at 111. 35 sq blocks razed by a white mob leaving 36 dead & left 800+ badly injured, almost all Black. Her family fled, living in tent & working the fields to survive. Fearing reprisal, she told no one for years.
Viola Ford Fletcher, one of the last 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, dies age 111
One of the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma has died
abcnews.go.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Viola Ford Fletcher, 1 of last survivors of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (she was 7) dead at 111. 35 sq blocks razed by a white mob leaving 36 dead & left 800+ badly injured, almost all Black. Her family fled, living in tent & working the fields to survive. Fearing reprisal, she told no one for years.
Nov 25 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Irish comedy writer
turned anti-trans activist Graham Linehan cleared of harassing trans activist online but convicted of criminal damage to cellphone in altercation with 17 y/o trans advocate last October.
turned anti-trans activist Graham Linehan cleared of harassing trans activist online but convicted of criminal damage to cellphone in altercation with 17 y/o trans advocate last October.
Graham Linehan cleared of harassing trans activist but convicted of damaging phone
Irish comedy writer cleared at Westminster magistrates court of harassing Sophia Brooks on social media
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Nov 25 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Irish comedy writer
turned anti-trans activist Graham Linehan cleared of harassing trans activist online but convicted of criminal damage to cellphone in altercation with 17 y/o trans advocate last October.
turned anti-trans activist Graham Linehan cleared of harassing trans activist online but convicted of criminal damage to cellphone in altercation with 17 y/o trans advocate last October.
Advocate's summary of Musk's DOGE fiasco:
300,000 fed workers fired
640,000 global dead due to USAID cuts (2/3 were children)
217 NIH medical research grants cut esp anything LGBTQ+
(incl HIV and research on GIE)
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social
300,000 fed workers fired
640,000 global dead due to USAID cuts (2/3 were children)
217 NIH medical research grants cut esp anything LGBTQ+
(incl HIV and research on GIE)
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social
DOGE is gone, leaving behind 300,000 fired federal workers, 600,000 USAID deaths, and more
Here's everything DOGE did that affected the LGBTQ+ community at home and abroad.
www.advocate.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Advocate's summary of Musk's DOGE fiasco:
300,000 fed workers fired
640,000 global dead due to USAID cuts (2/3 were children)
217 NIH medical research grants cut esp anything LGBTQ+
(incl HIV and research on GIE)
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social
300,000 fed workers fired
640,000 global dead due to USAID cuts (2/3 were children)
217 NIH medical research grants cut esp anything LGBTQ+
(incl HIV and research on GIE)
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Groundbreaking study in journal Pediatrics found that suicidality dropped for transgender youth receiving hormone therapy by nearly 70%, with only 7 patients of 432 (1.6%) discontinuing treatment only 4 of whom re-identified as cisgender (<1%).
Study In The Journal Of Pediatrics Finds Trans Youth Care Lowers Suicidality, Few Detransition
The groundbreaking study found that suicidality dropped for transgender youth receiving hormone therapy by nearly 70%, with only 7 patients of 432 discontinuing treatment.
www.erininthemorning.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Groundbreaking study in journal Pediatrics found that suicidality dropped for transgender youth receiving hormone therapy by nearly 70%, with only 7 patients of 432 (1.6%) discontinuing treatment only 4 of whom re-identified as cisgender (<1%).
25 Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- In unusual move, Sen Susan Collins (R-ME) signs petition for referendum on the 2026 ballot that would bar trans students from sports teams, locker-rooms and bathrooms. She's in a hotly contested election & this is pbly one way to increase Rep turnout.
Sen. Collins signs Maine petition for initiative to restrict transgender rights
The proposed referendum aims to enforce President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://themainemonitor.org/maine-title-ix-battle-national-consequences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stance on ...
www.pressherald.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:20 AM
25 Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- In unusual move, Sen Susan Collins (R-ME) signs petition for referendum on the 2026 ballot that would bar trans students from sports teams, locker-rooms and bathrooms. She's in a hotly contested election & this is pbly one way to increase Rep turnout.
Russia is supposedly holding "peace talks" with Ukraine under Trump's auspices which are supposed to be close to a deal, and then bombs capital Kiev overnight. This tells you all you need to know about any "pace deal." They just want time to reload and rearm and then start again.
Ukraine-Russia war: US and Russian officials to hold talks in Abu Dhabi after overnight strikes
Officials say at least nine people have been killed in Ukraine and Russia ahead of US-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi.
www.bbc.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Russia is supposedly holding "peace talks" with Ukraine under Trump's auspices which are supposed to be close to a deal, and then bombs capital Kiev overnight. This tells you all you need to know about any "pace deal." They just want time to reload and rearm and then start again.
Group of liberal group including longtime progressive Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Tina Smith and Chris Murphy form "Fight Club" to take on Schumer's (non) leadership against Trump in advance of the coming midterms. Go guys!
November 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Group of liberal group including longtime progressive Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Tina Smith and Chris Murphy form "Fight Club" to take on Schumer's (non) leadership against Trump in advance of the coming midterms. Go guys!
Judge tosses criminal cases against James Comey and Leticia James Trump appointment of former-model-and-Miss Colorado-runner-up lawyer Lindsey Halligan as acting U.S. attorney violated the law. INOW she was not authorized to bring charges against anyone. Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social --
Trump Administration Live Updates: Judge Tosses Criminal Charges Against James Comey and Letitia James
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Judge tosses criminal cases against James Comey and Leticia James Trump appointment of former-model-and-Miss Colorado-runner-up lawyer Lindsey Halligan as acting U.S. attorney violated the law. INOW she was not authorized to bring charges against anyone. Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social --
In Charlotte when ICE hit town, 1-in-5 school desks were empty the next day.
November 24, 2025 at 3:49 PM
In Charlotte when ICE hit town, 1-in-5 school desks were empty the next day.
Trump rep and son-in-law Kushner met w/ Putin envoy to discuss "How do we really bring, finally, lasting security to Europe, not just Ukraine." ( _direct quote_ from envoy).
I'm not a foreign policy specialist, but I'm pretty sure the answer wd be for Putin to stop invading other countries.
I'm not a foreign policy specialist, but I'm pretty sure the answer wd be for Putin to stop invading other countries.
November 24, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Trump rep and son-in-law Kushner met w/ Putin envoy to discuss "How do we really bring, finally, lasting security to Europe, not just Ukraine." ( _direct quote_ from envoy).
I'm not a foreign policy specialist, but I'm pretty sure the answer wd be for Putin to stop invading other countries.
I'm not a foreign policy specialist, but I'm pretty sure the answer wd be for Putin to stop invading other countries.
Excellent! So all those high-profile MAGA accounts on X driving white rage and grievance --thanks to its new geo-tracking feature -- turn out to be based in...(wait for it...) Russia.
I mean, who on earth could have seen THAT one coming, amiright???
I mean, who on earth could have seen THAT one coming, amiright???
November 24, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Excellent! So all those high-profile MAGA accounts on X driving white rage and grievance --thanks to its new geo-tracking feature -- turn out to be based in...(wait for it...) Russia.
I mean, who on earth could have seen THAT one coming, amiright???
I mean, who on earth could have seen THAT one coming, amiright???
Nice factoid: Latinxs--a key to Rep 2024 victories--swung by 24% back to Dems Gov Spanberger in VA and Gov Sherrill in NJ. If TX Latinos only did half of that, and swung 12%, it's enough to flip ALL 5 seats that TX Rep just gerrymandered for Trump blue anyway. @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Playbook
And Ukraine talks heat up as confusion swirls.
www.politico.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Nice factoid: Latinxs--a key to Rep 2024 victories--swung by 24% back to Dems Gov Spanberger in VA and Gov Sherrill in NJ. If TX Latinos only did half of that, and swung 12%, it's enough to flip ALL 5 seats that TX Rep just gerrymandered for Trump blue anyway. @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Michigan State Medical Society severes ties with Great Lakes Learning group, which had been using the Continuing Medical Ed. or CME credit system to promote anti-trans pseudoscience to doctors in partnership with Genspect, a designated hate group.
Anti-Trans Hate Group Genspect Loses Its CME Certification, Michigan State Medical Society Says
The for-credit lessons included a Moms for Liberty-sponsored panel as well as a lecture from a renowned anti-trans activist on how to politically organize against “gender ideology.”
www.erininthemorning.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Nov 2025 @rikiwilchins.bsky.social -- Michigan State Medical Society severes ties with Great Lakes Learning group, which had been using the Continuing Medical Ed. or CME credit system to promote anti-trans pseudoscience to doctors in partnership with Genspect, a designated hate group.