TheBird / is on Nostr

I write science fiction, social justice essays, and organizing materials. I worldbuild and create music sometimes. Am Neurodivergent, Queer, Disabled Nonbinary person. They/them.

My goal is to live a life of love. A lifelong quest to keep unlearning oppressive behaviors. Also, #CommunityCare and am building equitable, just, accessible, and consensual community.

TheBird (npub1e7u…nms3)">https://justmytoots.com/TheBird (npub1e7u…nms3) (so I can find those essays I wrote...)

Main Website: https://reshapingreality.org/
Interests: [#Anarchism](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/Anarchism ), [#LandBack](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/LandBack ), [#Accessibility](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/Accessibility ), [#Worldbuilding](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/Worldbuilding ), [#Writing](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/Writing ), [#ScienceFiction](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/ScienceFiction ), [#Justice](https://ni.hil.ist/tags/Justice )
Pronouns:: https://en.pronouns.page/@thebird
Image Description: Anime drawing of a person with light skin. Wears glasses. Has curly brown hair. Star shape behind them against nonbinary flag. They wear a black shirt and a violet jacket.

Last Notes

2025-03-03 18:10:27

#fediblock
ak.parcero.casa is full of transphobes and neonazis. They've been sending me horrific and transphobic death threats. And it looks like they do this do any trans person. I included a screenshot of one of the bad actors, but a warning that it's gruesome.
Be safe.
https://ni.hil.ist/system/media_attachments/files/114/099/824/234/007/327/original/a9bdc3e1ed61fc5e.jpg

2025-03-03 17:35:22

- reply

I wrote a post about how to build a safety plan with trans kids to help protect and honor them. It centered the child and showed how listening to the child can help with building plans on how to navigate various situations. In response, the transphobe sent what looks like death threats to me. Don't go tagging the transphobe to incite more.
This is my post link: https://ni.hil.ist/@TheBird/114084322688087091
edited in the link to my post.

2025-03-01 00:23:35

Friend asked me on how to help her trans kid. I couldn't find a good guide for this, especially with states like Iowa stripping us of our rights.
I want to be clear that this should not be done without the child's input. Always, always trust the kid to understand and always give them the chance to participate. There are ways to adjust the language for the age of the child, and children often have creative ideas when given the chance to participate. The goal here is to give the child the tools to help them thrive, okay? Thanks for understanding.
So without further ado, here's steps on how to help trans kids navigate all of this.
1. Identify safe groups where the child can be themself. Remember, the child likely will have ideas on who to ask. So be sure to ask the child who they trust for this conversation.
*NOTE: Talk with those on the "trusted" list and/or leaders of the trusted groups and verify they will defend the kid's right to be themself and support them. (Child doesn't necessarily have to be present for this, but let the child know how it went to ease anxiety.)
2. Identify which friends are safe and will honor their pronouns. Again, the child will have ideas on this too. Make a list together!
3. Sit down with the kid and explain this process.
* (For my friend, I shared with them how I also wrote up a safety plan and harm reduction plan on how to navigate an increasingly hostile society such as my state stripping me of my civil rights. Having examples of others who have done this can help solidify the need and make it more approachable and less scary).
4. Share the list of groups and people who support the kid and will have their back 100%. (Be ready to hold those people accountable as a behind-the-scenes thing). Ask the kid if there are others they think you should work with to get them on board. Add them to the "talk to" part of the list."
5. Build a harm reduction and safety plan with the kid. This includes:
* Talk about how to handle strangers in public spaces in a way that avoids too much misgendering but also keeps the kid safe. (Maybe use only their name and avoid pronouns entirely for instance).
* Talk about how to handle medical professionals who are not known for being trans-friendly; how in those instances the kid will be wearing a "costume" as a safety strategy where they pretend to be x gender.
*Talk about parks and other public spaces.
*Talk about how to handle when meeting new people. How to test the water to see if it is safe to take off the 'x gender costume' or not.
6.Make sure the kid signs off on the harm reduction and safety plan, and that they feel included in it. Try to make it fun by drawing out scenarios, and explaining how sometimes we have to act like we're in a play for that scenario. We put on our "costume of x gender" and act out a play. Then when we are out of that scenario, we can take off our "costume of x gender" and enjoy being ourselves again around our safe groups and people.
(I'll write this up as a blogpost eventually. But for now, wanted to put it out there for folks to think about since transphobia and anti-trans legislation and policies are ramping up again. Please share any tips or resources you know of that can help!)
#Trans #Transgender #TransJustice #TransKids #Transphobia #SafetyPlan #HarmReduction #TrustKids #ChildAutonomy

2025-03-01 00:23:35

2025-02-09 02:50:40

So I really want to know how people are going to care for disabled folks in their communities going forward.
Are you going to include us?
Are you going to ask what our needs are and help us meet those needs?
Are you going to listen to us and always ask for our consent before you do Anything to assist us?
Are you going to make your events and activities accessible?
It's not enough to just make it physically accessible. Just because there's a ramp doesn't mean it's actually accessible.
To be fully accessible, you need to consider:
1. Physical Space -- Safety such as Air Filtration devices and mask wearing due to the fact most disabled folks are immuno-compromised. (Masks also are anti-fascist and make it harder to identify if the mask is a simply color like black or white). Are the doors easily opened without need of pushing or pulling? Ramps? Spaced out chairs, so wheelchairs can fit neatly into a spot instead of being relegated to back of room?
2. Digital space -- is there captions, transcripts, ASL translators? Are these easy to access? Is there a place transcripts are saved so those who run-out of energy and must leave earlier can read the transcripts in full?
3. Information space -- is there ways to contact one another and access documents that are easy to find? Is the documents set up for screenreaders to easily read? Are transcripts readily available and free of emojis and symbols to avoid tripping up screenreaders?
4. Transportation space -- is there places to park for us to easily exit vehicles? Are there people willing to pick us up and possibly leave earlier if we are unable to stay the entire time due to health? Are there people assigned roles to assist disabled folks who ask for help reaching the event?
5. Justice space -- are disabled people included in the organizing of the event? Are you utilizing the talents we offer? Are we included in the speaker line-up if there is one? Are you including Black or Indigenous Disabled people? Are you utilizing a diverse group of people's talents?
6. Sensory space -- does the event have a designated quiet area for people to go if overwhelmed so that they can recover and return to the main event? Is fragrances heavily discouraged to avoid triggering asthmatic attacks or allergic reactions? Is there simple-to-eat, gluten-free, and/or vegan options for those with dietary restrictions or texture issues?
Seriously, do the above and not only have you made your event/activity inclusive for disabled people, but you've also opened it up for all people who may need similar things but don't think they are allowed to ask for it.
If we aren't inclusive and accessible in our fight for liberation, then we are not engaging in liberation. We're just repeating oppressive tactics on our most vulnerable.
So really think hard about these questions. Talk it over with your organization, group, friends. Go over them slowly - don't rush this.
And please try not to leave disabled folks to die and rot again. We're just as important and worthy of life as any of you.
Thanks for reading. Good day
#Accessibility #Disability #Inclusion #Organizing

2025-02-02 11:00:04

I want to be clear in that my pointing out what Musk has control over US treasury isn't me panicking and speculating. He literally has control over US treasury Payment Systems and the OPM datasystem and has stated his intention to eliminate as many programs as he can. Federal workers sent anonymous tips to journalists of how Musk's cronies, no one has any idea of whether they are even US citizens, are downloading data onto private servers, which is a cybersecurity nightmare.
This is an unprecedented hostile coup on speedrun. It is a lot to take in, I know. It can feel overwhelming and paralyzing, but these first few weeks are crucial if we going to save the most lives. We can't rely on anyone to save us.
Look at the Democrats, who are failing to act or take this threat seriiously. Senate Minority Leader is posting about tariffs and pizza on bluesky. Elizabeth Warren stated Musk's actions are wrong and demands an investigation. Are they in denial? Do they not see what this is? Why are they not storming offices and punching fascists? Or at least organizing protests and going on news to show the unconstitutional and illegal acts for what they are? Why are they not blocking Musk from accessing any system?
Thus we can't rely on them to save us. They're complicit at worst and incompetent at best.
The destruction of the US government will kill a lot of innocent and vulnerable groups, and this is why we need to really work together to try to save the most lives. I'm asking these questions to get people to think.
When SSDI and other programs are destroyed, who is going to help homebound disabled folks? Do we know who are allies are? Do we know who we can trust to have our back?
What community care exists to help our most vulnerable? What infrastructure exists to care for each other? Do we have a list?
If not, are we researching what exists in our area? Are we looking into who we know and what skills we each can share with one another?
Make a list of your skills. Make a list with friends of their skills. You'll need this.
Do we have a way to train folks, especially on how to care for the unique needs of disabled folks? To train on accessibility and make sure our community care is accessible?
If you don't know how to train folks on accessibility or aren't sure where to find this information, feel free to reach out to me. I used to do accessibility trainings, and I still have those materials.
Do we have a safety plan? (I wrote a post on that here: https://ni.hil.ist/@TheBird/113909678180718685 ).
Do we have ideas on how to do this work and try to avoid burnout? Do we have a system to delegate tasks so no one is left behind or a task left undone?
Whatever actions you plan, you MUST write up an agreed upon plan for delegating tasks and ways people can take breaks. Draft an agreement or mini-constitution about how to handle people who fail to follow-through on the tasks they take on or are assigned.
Do you have a plan or an idea on how to hold people accountable? There's good resources on this within disability justice and transformative justice movements.
Do we have a list or understanding of what talents and skills we currently have and what each of us are able to commit to? Do we have a secure way to store this info to avoid surveillance state?
Disabled people (in particular Disabled Black and Indigenous folks) are the most likely to die after hostile coups like the one we're in.
We can't get out either. There are laws in most nations that prohibit us emigrating unless we can meet a minimum productivity/work threshold to prove we won't be a "drain on the state" and it's resources and healthcare. Yes, most of these laws use the word "drain." So that means when things get worse, and it will get much worse, disabled people end up trapped and left to die.
This is the questions we need to ask and address in our communities and activist groups. Within our friend groups as well. These questions won't be answered in just one conversation or meeting either.
We'll need to pick a set of tasks to focus on and find trusted groups we can coordinate with to help immediate needs.
This won't be easy. But community care and fighting white supremacist transphobic ableist fascism never is.
Be safe.

2025-01-11 07:41:44

I really need people to understand that LGBTQIA people, our servers, and the things we discuss does NOT automatically mean NSFW.
Often the most blatant NSFW I've ever seen are from cishet folks.
This isn't to say some LGBTQIA folks can't be NSFW (they can), but it's the labeling ALL of us as such that's hurtful, problematic, and plays right into the conservative right's playbook of labeling us as sexual deviants to be erased from society.
Don't do that.