emi koyama
@eminism.org
1.6K followers 260 following 450 posts
activist, writer, rogue intellectual eminism.org | aileens.org | rightsandsafety.org | fendnow.org seattle, sometimes portland
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eminism.org
"Hindsight is truly a female dog." (from "So You Want to Own Greenland?" by Elizabeth Buchanan)
screenshot from an ebook: "The US position was that the 1951
Defense Agreement did not specifically ban the basing or storage of nuclear weapons. In fact, it made no reference to the nuclear question at all. Hindsight is truly a female dog."
Reposted by emi koyama
calebw.bsky.social
“But can’t we use the master’s tools just this once, as a treat??”

Here’s my talk about Lorde’s master’s tools, which got such a heartening reception in New York. Thanks to everyone who turned out—professors, students, poets, activists 🌱
Using and Abusing ‘The Master’s Tools’ Caleb Ward's Audre Lorde Lecture
Audre Lorde’s statement that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” stands for uncompromising vision in the fight…
vimeo.com
eminism.org
yes i’m sick of the misquoting of her master’s tool as well as self-care statements.
eminism.org
Actual screenshot from Doctorow’s “Enshittification”:
screenshot of an ebook: Audre Lorde was far smarter than I am about nearly everything, but when she wrote
"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house," she was manifestly wrong.
The master's tools were used to build that house in the first place—that makes them the ideal tools to take it to bits and rebuild it to shelter us.
eminism.org
Why must Cory Doctorow dismissively misquote Audre Lorde in his new book? There’s no reason he needs to insert quotes from Lorde or MLK at the very end of the book in a way irrelevant to their original meanings.
Reposted by emi koyama
ronpdavis.bsky.social
Bruce Harrell makes his closing statement for why he should keep his job after his poor performance as Seattle Mayor and this line says it all.

"This is not the time to hope."
eminism.org
Is this different from the English translation that was published in 2016?
thetransfemininereview.com
Aside from the South Africa rec, which is still in word-of-mouth purgatory, this is the last book I'm planning on reading for the global section of the 2025 rec page 🩷

Super excited for this! It's a 2024 memoir/dialogue that's been translated from Tamil, and I've seen zero people talk about it.
Revathi a life in trans activism by A Revathi trans Nandini Murafi
eminism.org
WATCH FOR ICE (at UW)
yellow road sign saying "WATCH FOR ICE"
eminism.org
No reason to fear the wrath of someone who will be out of power soon.
kromandavid.bsky.social
MLK Labor has dual endorsed Katie Wilson, months after sole endorsing Bruce Harrell. Endorsements from elected who take the group’s lead, like Teresa Mosqueda, will follow
Reposted by emi koyama
reproutopia.bsky.social
It's too easy to hear the story of Cindy Bi suing her surrogate for murder & infer that what we need to get rid of is surrogacy (rather than the way parenthood is organized under capitalism).
So many ppl sent me the Wired article that I ended up writing my response: www.thenation.com/article/soci...
That Wild “Wired” Article Is Not a Case Against Surrogacy
It’s a horror story about Silicon Valley, and an extreme example of what happens when we conceive of children as property.
www.thenation.com
eminism.org
My biggest issue with her was that she had predetermined answers for everything and won’t listen to other people, even those directly impacted by policies she promotes. There doesn’t seem to be a room for genuine and mutually respectful disagreements even when you are otherwise generally aligned.
eminism.org
She thinks she can do the same for the U.S. House so electing her should be the highest priority for revolutionary socialists. That sounds delusional but I never thought she’d be elected to the Council or how much someone like her could accomplish when I first met her during 2013 Capitol Hill Pride.
eminism.org
After City Council, I headed to Elliott Bay bookstore to hear Kshama Sawant, now running for US House. Same fiery energy and uncompromising message as before. She wasn’t my favorite and I could never work with her when she was on the Council, but I respect her for pushing the Council to the left.
panel including Kshama Sawant on stage at Elliott Bay Book Company
Reposted by emi koyama
sharethecities.bsky.social
What Seattle CM Juarez doesn’t understand about many of the people that went to council today is that they each had people to take care of in their lives, jobs or school to be at and literally sacrificed to be at council - that’s people making sacrifices for democracy.
Reposted by emi koyama
trashstratum.com
Of the seven Seattle city councilmembers who voted to approve a major expansion of police CCTV surveillance, two are unelected and a third placed a distant second in their primary last month and is virtually certain to be out by the end of the year.
amysundberg.bsky.social
Final vote:

Yes: Kettle, Rivera, Saka, Solomon, Hollingsworth, Juarez, Nelson
No: Rinck, Strauss

The bill passes 7-2.
eminism.org
Fantasy tech promising fantasy benefits are supported by fantasy residents.
davidgmontoya.bsky.social
Not a single person who supported it cared enough to show up or call in and Kettle was like "I've seen the evidence it's working" but conveniently failed to bring any evidence.

The statements by a lot of the council explaining their votes was enraging.
eminism.org
Councilmembers keep brining up how they hear from people experiencing violent crimes every day and accusing people opposing surveillance tech of being out of touch with regular people. Results of August primary and earlier special election indicate who really is out of touch with Seattle residents.
Reposted by emi koyama
amysundberg.bsky.social
The Community Police Commision came out against, they received a letter against from 18 organizations, they received a letter against from 17 state legislators. The Office of Civil Rights is against. Over 1000 emails this week, public comment. Community unequivocally opposed.
eminism.org
CM Rinck @councilmember-amr.bsky.social speaking truth about how surveillance data in blue states and liberal cities have been compromised by police departments and federal and red state law enforcement agencies despite each cities having local rules prohibiting such use of their surveillance data.
eminism.org
Kettle’s entire argument is “Seattle is not Texas so trust us and our police.” 1. We don’t (for good reasons), and 2. even if we did, what good does that do once we come under federal and SPD collaborator occupation?
amysundberg.bsky.social
Okay, here we go with the debate and votes for Seattle's surveillance expansion.

CM Kettle is saying last year's surveillance bills were "Seattle" bills that aren't standard. The audience is booing and saying "Shame."
Reposted by emi koyama
councilmember-amr.bsky.social
My office requested that the Office of Civil Rights assess CB 121052 and 121053, and we wanted to share this report with the public.

"CCTV and RTCC technologies are not neutral instruments, as they carry direct consequences for equal protection, privacy, and the freedoms of speech and association."
Page one of the Office of Civil Rights Policy Briefing Memo that addresses Council Bill 121052 and Council Bill 121053. Page two of the Office of Civil Rights Policy Briefing Memo that addresses Council Bill 121052 and Council Bill 121053. Page three of the Office of Civil Rights Policy Briefing Memo that addresses Council Bill 121052 and Council Bill 121053. Page four of the Office of Civil Rights Policy Briefing Memo that addresses Council Bill 121052 and Council Bill 121053.
eminism.org
i spoke with a couple of people who had lots of questions about testifying because they’d never attended city council or given testimony before. it’s not just perennial activist types like myself protesting here, as council president sara nelson is just finding out.
amysundberg.bsky.social
One interesting thing about this public comment session is that, while there are representatives from orgs and nonprofits giving comment, there seem to be a lot of private individuals who are simply showing up because they're really concerned about increasing surveillance right now.
Reposted by emi koyama
Reposted by emi koyama
ashleynerbovig.bsky.social
NO ONE LIKES THIS BILL
councilmember-amr.bsky.social
UPDATE: Seattle City Council has just received a letter from 18 community organizations calling on Council to delay the expansion of CCTV surveillance tech, to conduct meaningful engagement with immigrant communities, and invest instead in community safety programs.
Page one of a letter addressed to Seattle City Council opposing the expansion of the Surveillance Camera Pilot Program. Page two of a letter addressed to Seattle City Council opposing the expansion of the Surveillance Camera Pilot Program.