Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
@knownforms.bsky.social
She/her, they/them. Writer, Researcher. Work in Strange Horizons, Tin House, Electric Lit, and more. I used to do research for Roxane Gay.
Pinned
The Price: A Queer Daughter of a Queer Mother - Electric Literature
I am doomed to die an ugly death or at least to be separated from my partner, probably violently. So is my queer mother and my partner and my cousin and many of my friends. We are all doomed, it seems...
electricliterature.com
I wrote this and it's still true but also, I've since gone no contact because she's toxic and have been writing a response ever since electricliterature.com/the-price-a-...
ABOLIS ICE/DHS AND IMPEACH AND ARREST NOEM
Our story @chicagotribune.com: Chicago teen Ofelia Torres, whose father was detained by ICE while she fought cancer, dies. www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/14/c...
February 15, 2026 at 2:30 AM
ABOLIS ICE/DHS AND IMPEACH AND ARREST NOEM
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Hey ya'll you should consider checking out Void's Sex Worker Saturday this Valentines day to show these beautiful folks some love and appreciation 💕
🖤 Remember to be kind and tip generously folks 🖤
#SupportSexWorkers
🖤 Remember to be kind and tip generously folks 🖤
#SupportSexWorkers
Happy Sex Worker Saturday Valentine’s Day edition!🖤
Open ya wallets! 💵💵
Fellow SWers, post your tip links/needs below!
If using an img use alt text or put alt4meNSFW to be reposted.
🖤🧡
Everyone else, we pay and support SWers around here, so tip and share the thread!!
Open ya wallets! 💵💵
Fellow SWers, post your tip links/needs below!
If using an img use alt text or put alt4meNSFW to be reposted.
🖤🧡
Everyone else, we pay and support SWers around here, so tip and share the thread!!
February 15, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Hey ya'll you should consider checking out Void's Sex Worker Saturday this Valentines day to show these beautiful folks some love and appreciation 💕
🖤 Remember to be kind and tip generously folks 🖤
#SupportSexWorkers
🖤 Remember to be kind and tip generously folks 🖤
#SupportSexWorkers
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
i love how texas started this and was all “neener what you gon do” and a buncha blue states said “lol watch this”
The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the state can put a redistricting plan on the ballot this spring that could add as many as four more Democratic seats in Congress.
The referendum will take place on April 21.
The referendum will take place on April 21.
February 14, 2026 at 8:55 PM
i love how texas started this and was all “neener what you gon do” and a buncha blue states said “lol watch this”
I've read and loved ALL of these and highly recommend.
I'm stoked that the Humble Bundle of my and @annaleen.bsky.social's books from Tor has raised nearly $5000 for the TGI Justice Project and Miss Major/Alexander Lee Black Trans Cultural Center.
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
Humble Book Bundle: Charlie Jane Anders & Annalee Newitz by TOR
Don’t miss this bundle of novels and story collections from acclaimed authors Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz! Pay what you want and support charity!
www.humblebundle.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:28 AM
I've read and loved ALL of these and highly recommend.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Regina Martínez Lorenzo is the first Mexican woman to compete in Olympics cross-country skiing.
Other racers waited at the finish line to hug her. Brazil’s Bruna Moura, an 3 medalists, Karlsson, Ebba Andersson of Sweden, and Jessie Diggins from the US.
She learned to ski while in med school in MN.
Other racers waited at the finish line to hug her. Brazil’s Bruna Moura, an 3 medalists, Karlsson, Ebba Andersson of Sweden, and Jessie Diggins from the US.
She learned to ski while in med school in MN.
Glad you brought this up - this Mexican is the first and only in this sport, and everyone was impressed by her determination - the USA gold medalists were so sweet, she removed her skis and hugged her dearly. The MSNBC cut out all of it. Why? That's the best of the #Olympics! empathy and love.
February 15, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Regina Martínez Lorenzo is the first Mexican woman to compete in Olympics cross-country skiing.
Other racers waited at the finish line to hug her. Brazil’s Bruna Moura, an 3 medalists, Karlsson, Ebba Andersson of Sweden, and Jessie Diggins from the US.
She learned to ski while in med school in MN.
Other racers waited at the finish line to hug her. Brazil’s Bruna Moura, an 3 medalists, Karlsson, Ebba Andersson of Sweden, and Jessie Diggins from the US.
She learned to ski while in med school in MN.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 15, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
just $100 left for Feb rent + bills, hopefully my last request before tax refund comes
queer Black femme solo parent of 4 now (3 via kinship adoption), any little bit helps so much. Thank you for reading & sharing #BIPOCMA #mutualaid #BHM
💸💕 cash.app/$LoveNiki
paypal.me/LoveNiki
venmo.com/LoveNiko
queer Black femme solo parent of 4 now (3 via kinship adoption), any little bit helps so much. Thank you for reading & sharing #BIPOCMA #mutualaid #BHM
💸💕 cash.app/$LoveNiki
paypal.me/LoveNiki
venmo.com/LoveNiko
Buy NiceNiko a Coffee
Become a supporter of NiceNiko today!
ko-fi.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:23 PM
just $100 left for Feb rent + bills, hopefully my last request before tax refund comes
queer Black femme solo parent of 4 now (3 via kinship adoption), any little bit helps so much. Thank you for reading & sharing #BIPOCMA #mutualaid #BHM
💸💕 cash.app/$LoveNiki
paypal.me/LoveNiki
venmo.com/LoveNiko
queer Black femme solo parent of 4 now (3 via kinship adoption), any little bit helps so much. Thank you for reading & sharing #BIPOCMA #mutualaid #BHM
💸💕 cash.app/$LoveNiki
paypal.me/LoveNiki
venmo.com/LoveNiko
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Happening now on 50th Street in Minneapolis. Lined up over a ten block stretch.
February 15, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Happening now on 50th Street in Minneapolis. Lined up over a ten block stretch.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
A friend had to work overnight recently because the llm used by the consultants his managers had hired to do sales analytics for rhe year had come back and told them to discontinue their most popular shoes in middle of hiking season because it randomly hallucinated a better selling shoe.
February 15, 2026 at 12:09 AM
A friend had to work overnight recently because the llm used by the consultants his managers had hired to do sales analytics for rhe year had come back and told them to discontinue their most popular shoes in middle of hiking season because it randomly hallucinated a better selling shoe.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Has anyone from Bluesky said yet whether they’re getting these subpoenas for user data from the Trump regime?
February 15, 2026 at 1:38 AM
Has anyone from Bluesky said yet whether they’re getting these subpoenas for user data from the Trump regime?
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
FURTHER: “degenerate art” was targeted for destruction. Some of these pieces, we only have black and white photos memorializing. Sometimes less.
I’m an author and a librarian to be. Book bans aren’t a badge of honor. They’re violence.
Reinforcing the category isn’t bold or helpful.
I’m an author and a librarian to be. Book bans aren’t a badge of honor. They’re violence.
Reinforcing the category isn’t bold or helpful.
*pinches nose*
Time for your quarterly reminder that degenerate is a Nazi term, indicating the literal degeneration of a gene pool. Things this referred to: interracial marriage! Queerness! Disability!
It pretty much indicates they don’t think you’re human!
It’s not a cutesy way to say “leftist”
Time for your quarterly reminder that degenerate is a Nazi term, indicating the literal degeneration of a gene pool. Things this referred to: interracial marriage! Queerness! Disability!
It pretty much indicates they don’t think you’re human!
It’s not a cutesy way to say “leftist”
February 15, 2026 at 2:13 AM
FURTHER: “degenerate art” was targeted for destruction. Some of these pieces, we only have black and white photos memorializing. Sometimes less.
I’m an author and a librarian to be. Book bans aren’t a badge of honor. They’re violence.
Reinforcing the category isn’t bold or helpful.
I’m an author and a librarian to be. Book bans aren’t a badge of honor. They’re violence.
Reinforcing the category isn’t bold or helpful.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
February 15, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
I'm on myatproto, a Blacksky server that's open to non-Black users. Works great! Here's more on why and how I made the move: gregpak.net/2025/11/13/h...
How and why I moved from a Bluesky server to a Blacksky server - gregpak.net
Since Twitter turned into a fascist hellhole under Elon Musk, Bluesky has become my favorite social media site. But Bluesky has its own issues, primarily cen...
gregpak.net
February 15, 2026 at 12:45 AM
I'm on myatproto, a Blacksky server that's open to non-Black users. Works great! Here's more on why and how I made the move: gregpak.net/2025/11/13/h...
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Switched from Bluesky to the Blacksky hosting for this account. What's that mean? Very short version: Bluesky and Blacksky both run on ATProto. So you can switch to Blacksky (or another host) and still interact with everyone on Bluesky. Why do it? Because maybe you trust Blacksky moderation more. 🤷
February 15, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Switched from Bluesky to the Blacksky hosting for this account. What's that mean? Very short version: Bluesky and Blacksky both run on ATProto. So you can switch to Blacksky (or another host) and still interact with everyone on Bluesky. Why do it? Because maybe you trust Blacksky moderation more. 🤷
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
“I don't see any plan, any strategy, any end game,” says Pat Parenteau, a professor of environmental law at the University of Vermont. “I don't see anything from this administration, just fuck everything up as much as you can. You can print that.”
Sounds accurate to me.
Sounds accurate to me.
The Fight Over US Climate Rules Is Just Beginning
As the EPA moves to roll back the endangerment finding, which allows it to regulate greenhouse gases, experts predict uncertainty for business and a protracted legal fight.
www.wired.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:53 PM
“I don't see any plan, any strategy, any end game,” says Pat Parenteau, a professor of environmental law at the University of Vermont. “I don't see anything from this administration, just fuck everything up as much as you can. You can print that.”
Sounds accurate to me.
Sounds accurate to me.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
i have 20 years of restaurant experience, and 10 years in fine dining, and it still hasn’t been enough to overcome this issue—despite living in a state where this type of discrimination is statutorily illegal.
even the jobs i have managed to have over the last 8 years have not had health insurance.
even the jobs i have managed to have over the last 8 years have not had health insurance.
there is an employment crisis among trans women and there always has been, but good luck getting people to see it
Still living this life after almost 8 months. A professional I know who works almost exclusively with trans people said almost all of them are unemployed.
February 15, 2026 at 12:12 AM
i have 20 years of restaurant experience, and 10 years in fine dining, and it still hasn’t been enough to overcome this issue—despite living in a state where this type of discrimination is statutorily illegal.
even the jobs i have managed to have over the last 8 years have not had health insurance.
even the jobs i have managed to have over the last 8 years have not had health insurance.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Happy Birthday to Frederick Douglass who didn’t know his birthday because he was born into slavery so he chose February 14 as his birthday.
February 14, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Happy Birthday to Frederick Douglass who didn’t know his birthday because he was born into slavery so he chose February 14 as his birthday.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
This is how we "girls" can talk to our conservative dads about this. Those of us who have good relationships with these men have an obligation to make an effort. Don't sacrifice your relationship with your dad but let these conversations be between adults and let them give your relationship clarity.
Dad: I would have beaten the shit out..
Me: You were there and u didn't. Who do u think is going to perform these gender checks? Republican pedophiles. The Epstein Class wants these transphobic bills. Its all over the Epstein files.
Dad: oh. Shit.
Me: You were there and u didn't. Who do u think is going to perform these gender checks? Republican pedophiles. The Epstein Class wants these transphobic bills. Its all over the Epstein files.
Dad: oh. Shit.
February 15, 2026 at 12:08 AM
This is how we "girls" can talk to our conservative dads about this. Those of us who have good relationships with these men have an obligation to make an effort. Don't sacrifice your relationship with your dad but let these conversations be between adults and let them give your relationship clarity.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Whenever people gush over AI I'm going to think about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle being utterly convinced that he'd discovered real scientific evidence of real fairies because he saw these pictures
February 14, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Whenever people gush over AI I'm going to think about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle being utterly convinced that he'd discovered real scientific evidence of real fairies because he saw these pictures
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
The City in the Middle of the Night is so SO good, a pure science fiction that never forgets it's about humans and builds a world that is both terrifying and beautiful. One of those books with imagery that lingers in the reader's mind long after reading.
I'm stoked that the Humble Bundle of my and @annaleen.bsky.social's books from Tor has raised nearly $5000 for the TGI Justice Project and Miss Major/Alexander Lee Black Trans Cultural Center.
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
www.humblebundle.com/books/charli...
Let me tell you about when I went to the TGIJP's anniversary party
Humble Book Bundle: Charlie Jane Anders & Annalee Newitz by TOR
Don’t miss this bundle of novels and story collections from acclaimed authors Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz! Pay what you want and support charity!
www.humblebundle.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:58 PM
The City in the Middle of the Night is so SO good, a pure science fiction that never forgets it's about humans and builds a world that is both terrifying and beautiful. One of those books with imagery that lingers in the reader's mind long after reading.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Serial killer shit
CCTV footage appears to show DHS agents posing as people having car trouble in order to lure a target out of his house before arresting them. The target comes out and starts helping them before 3 vehicles surround the scene. The car "experiencing" trouble then drives off with them.
February 14, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Serial killer shit
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
North Carolina lawmakers have voted to remove all college campus voting sites. Specifically at the largest HBCU in the US NC A&T. They now have to walk 30 minutes to their nearest polling place. Students are protesting this - pls share and support.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZThx29BJ9/
www.tiktok.com/t/ZThx29BJ9/
Even without an on-campus voting site, NCAT students still marched to the polls. 💙💛 Students at North Carolina A&T showed that barriers won’t stop their voices. When access isn’t easy, they organize. ...
TikTok video by HBCU Student Action Alliance
www.tiktok.com
February 14, 2026 at 1:55 PM
North Carolina lawmakers have voted to remove all college campus voting sites. Specifically at the largest HBCU in the US NC A&T. They now have to walk 30 minutes to their nearest polling place. Students are protesting this - pls share and support.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZThx29BJ9/
www.tiktok.com/t/ZThx29BJ9/
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
Creep tech for stalkers.
Meta is a garbage company and I wish progressive groups would work to build audiences over here.
Meta is a garbage company and I wish progressive groups would work to build audiences over here.
Meta is putting a "Name Tag" feature in Ray-Bans - facial recognition through the glasses' camera. You look at someone, AI tells you who they are.
In an internal document, the company wrote that the timing is good because civil society groups are busy with politics and won't cause problems.
In an internal document, the company wrote that the timing is good because civil society groups are busy with politics and won't cause problems.
February 15, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Creep tech for stalkers.
Meta is a garbage company and I wish progressive groups would work to build audiences over here.
Meta is a garbage company and I wish progressive groups would work to build audiences over here.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
💔
ABOLISH ICE, CBP, and DHS.
ABOLISH ICE, CBP, and DHS.
To commentate Valentine’s Day, community members and Recovery Bike Shop help put hearts along central at spots where our community members were taken. In the last 3 months at least 38 people have been taken around central Ave.
February 14, 2026 at 11:27 PM
💔
ABOLISH ICE, CBP, and DHS.
ABOLISH ICE, CBP, and DHS.
Reposted by Mel🏳️🌈 she/they universal healthcare now
CCTV footage appears to show DHS agents posing as people having car trouble in order to lure a target out of his house before arresting them. The target comes out and starts helping them before 3 vehicles surround the scene. The car "experiencing" trouble then drives off with them.
February 14, 2026 at 4:25 PM
CCTV footage appears to show DHS agents posing as people having car trouble in order to lure a target out of his house before arresting them. The target comes out and starts helping them before 3 vehicles surround the scene. The car "experiencing" trouble then drives off with them.