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Reposted by James Welker

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3d

SOUTH CAROLINA… “Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach when the fire started. Her husband, Arnie, was in the house with children and perhaps grandchildren. The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony...” www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 4d

I’m horrified by Trump’s order to send 300 National Guard troops to Chicago. We’re only nine months into a four year term and already the president is trying to invade an American city. If you’re in the Guard, you can and should refuse these orders.

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Heartland Signal @heartlandsignal.bsky.social · 2d

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson:

"Private establishments can partner with us to make it clear that private property is private property and ICE cannot enter establishments without a valid warrant ... If Congress will not check this administration, then Chicago will."

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 2d

It's a pretty big deal that the NYC Bar Association--one of the most prominent and respected bar associations in the country--is accusing the President of ordering the "unlawful summary execution," i.e. murder--of civilians in violation of US and international law. www.nycbar.org/press-releas...

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 3d

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · 3d

Online lecture (book talk):

James Welker
Reimaginging “Women” in 1970s–1980s Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Queer Manga Artists and Fans

Thurs, Oct 16, 7 pm New York/Toronto (8 am Friday in Tokyo)

Open to the public. (It will not be recorded.)
Zoom info is in the attached flier.

Flier for talk. Here are the full details.

I'll be giving an online lecture next week about my monograph, Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Girls' Comics Artists and Fans (2024), hosted by Rutgers University Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Global Asias.

Thursday, October 16 at 7 pm New York/Toronto time
(or Friday, October 17 at 8 am Tokyo time)
The lecture is open to the public. Please join if you missed one of my in-person talks over the past year. (It will not be recorded.)
Zoom Meeting ID: 9181599714
Password: 446539
(Or DM me for the link.)
----
Abstract: In the early 1970s, Japan saw the emergence of three dynamic and overlapping communities of women and adolescent girls who challenged Japanese gender and sexual norms: the women’s liberation (ūman ribu) movement, the lesbian community, and a sphere comprised of artists and fans of queer shōjo manga (girls’ comics). In this talk, James Welker will discuss Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Girls’ Comics Artists and Fans, which examines these communities and their cultural import. As he shows, individually and collectively, they found the normative understanding of the category “women” untenable and worked to redefine and expand its meaning by transfiguring ideas, images, and practices selectively appropriated from the “West.” They did so, however, while remaining primarily focused on the local. Welker argues that their transfiguration of Western culture into something locally meaningful had tangible effects far beyond these communities.

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · 20d

Many thanks for the kind words

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Reposted by James Welker

Mechademia @mechademia.bsky.social · Aug 16

The Mechademia 2026 CFP is now available! Join us at the National University of Singapore, 29-30 May 2026!

Conference theme is "Traversing Trans-Asian Imaginaries: Anime, Manga, and Media Cultures" and ABSTRACTS ARE DUE 15 OCTOBER 2025.

Full info at the link:
www.mechademia.net/conferences/...

Annual Conference

Call for Papers: Mechademia 2026 Conference Theme: Traversing Trans-Asian Imaginaries: Anime, Manga, and Media CulturesDates: 29-30 May, 2026Location: National University of Singapore (NUS), Singap…

www.mechademia.net

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Reposted by James Welker

Lindsay Brown @lidsville.bsky.social · Aug 18

Text from a friend just now:

"Why are “travel disruptions” the only part of this Air Canada story the CBC deems worthy of coverage? What about union busting & expecting a whole cohort of women workers to perform unpaid labour? WTF. How do these people think strikes work?"

#cdnpoli #aircanadastrike

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Reposted by James Welker

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Jul 15

Francesca Albanese addresses delegates from 30 countries to discuss ways nations can try to stop Israel’s offensive.

UN rapporteur demands global action to stop Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Francesca Albanese addresses delegates from 30 countries to discuss ways nations can try to stop Israel’s offensive.

bit.ly

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Reposted by James Welker

Emily @suika.bsky.social · Jul 15

"The Japanese government's plan to end financial support for foreign doctoral students has drawn criticism from students and academics who have labeled the step unjust and counterproductive to fostering a diverse, inclusive and thriving academic environment."

Cut to foreign PhD student support deals blow to Japanese academia - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government's plan to end financial support for foreign doctoral students has drawn criticism from students and academics

mainichi.jp

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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · Jul 14

Bye forever, WeTransfer.

WeTransfer TOS says they can use all your uploaded content for genAI

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 15

Lecture:

Julia Bullock, “Beauvoir in Japan: Japanese Women and The Second Sex”

Kanagawa U. Minatomirai Campus
Wed 23 July 3:30–5pm (hybrid)

Pls preregister to attend in person.

Preregistration & Zoom details:
human.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/kenkyu/sympo...

Flier for talk. Details in the flier can be found in text form via the link.

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Reposted by James Welker

Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · Jul 14

UPDATE through Fox News' 4 p.m. hour:

Biden: 85 mentions
Epstein: STILL ZERO

Fox is following Trump's marching orders and shutting up about the story currently consuming the MAGA movement.
bsky.app/profile/did:...
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Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · Jul 14

Fox News live mentions today as of noon ET:

Biden: 46
Epstein: ZERO

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Reposted by James Welker

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley @pressley.house.gov · Jul 14

Trump & Republicans' Big, Ugly Law is disastrous for Massachusetts.

—300,000 could lose healthcare
—175,000 could lose food assistance
—Higher energy & education costs
—More ICE kidnappings in our communities
—& much more.

We won't forget who did this.
www.wbur.org/news/2025/07...

How Trump’s big law impacts Massachusetts

From health insurance to immigration enforcement and higher ed taxes, the WBUR newsroom took a look at how some key provisions may have an impact on residents and programs in Massachusetts.

www.wbur.org

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Reposted by James Welker

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Jul 5

More than 25 protesters have been detained by police a day after the activist group was banned in the UK.

Supporters of banned Palestine Action group arrested at London protest

More than 25 protesters have been detained by police a day after the activist group was banned in the UK.

bit.ly

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Reposted by James Welker

NCC (北米日本研究資料調整協議会) @nccjapaninfo.bsky.social · Jul 5

What did housing look like in postwar Japan, and how was it advertised?🤔🏡 Today’s #NCCShowcase is a student research article from work in the Prange Collection at UMD! Haruna Maeyama dives into their wealth of catalogs to explore this fascinating topic: prangecollection.wordpress.com/2025/04/13/p...

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

Check out

Sonia Izabell Putri Ganov, “Orientasi Seksual Orang Dewasa Penikmat Konten Boys’ Love,” Jurnal Cakrawala Ilmiah 4, no.10 (2025), bajangjournal.com/index.php/JC...

#OpenAccess

View of ORIENTASI SEKSUAL ORANG DEWASA PENIKMAT KONTEN BOYS’ LOVE

bajangjournal.com

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

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Hong-Chi Shiau, “Thai Boys’ Love Pilgrimages and Experiential Tourism: Chinese Female Fandom in a Queer Utopia,” Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change (2025), doi.org/10.1080/1476...

Thai boys’ love pilgrimages and experiential tourism: Chinese female fandom in a queer utopia

This study examines the rise of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) fandom and its role in transnational fan tourism, particularly among Chinese female fans. Since the legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailan...

doi.org

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

Check out

Thomas Baudinette,”Exploring the Rise of Activism for LGBTQ+ Rights in Contemporary Thailand within Boys Love Idol Culture,” Celebrity Studies, 10.1080/19392397.2025.2521219

#OpenAccess

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

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Ranny Rastati & Md Azalanshah Md Syed, “Empowering Women: Indonesian Muslim Girl Fans, Thailand’s Y-Series, and Gender Equality,” Manusya: Journal of Humanities 28 (2025), doi.org/10.1163/2665...

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Empowering Women: Indonesian Muslim Girl Fans, Thailand’s Y-Series, and Gender Equality

Abstract This article explores how Indonesian Muslim girl fans experience sexual empowerment through watching Thai dramas portraying homoerotic romances, known as Thai Y-series and Thai Boy’s Love. De...

doi.org

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

Check out

Thomas Baudinette,”Exploring the Rise of Activism for LGBTQ+ Rights in Contemporary Thailand within Boys Love Idol Culture,” Celebrity Studies, 10.1080/19392397.2025.2521219

#OpenAccess

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

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Megan Catherine Rose & Patrick W. Galbraith, “Mutating Hyperfemininity in Bishōjo-Inspired Art: On Sugary Symbiote,” M/C Journal 28, no. 2 (2025), doi.org/10.5204/mcj....

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Mutating Hyperfemininity in Bishōjo -Inspired Art | M/C Journal

Introduction “With most people, you cannot tell just from looking at them that they are fighting a silent, unseen battle”, says Sugary Symbiote, a Black, disabled, and sapphic artist in the United S...

doi.org

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

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Ashley Morningstar, “Action and Fighting Girls: The Ethnographic Interplay of Naoko Takeuchi’s Feminism,” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics (2025), doi.org/10.1080/2150...

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Action and fighting girls: the ethnographic interplay of Naoko Takeuchi’s feminism

By analysing a range of manga titles, this study demonstrates how manga author Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon helped spark a turning point in the shōjo genre, introducing a subversive trend of action...

doi.org

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James Welker @jameswelker.bsky.social · Jul 5

Check out
Moe Yamauchi, “Virtualised Desire: The Role of Cosplay and Sexual Selfies in Japanese Otaku Culture,” Participations 21, no. 1 (2025), www.participations.org/21-01-06-yam...

#OpenAccess

www.participations.org

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