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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 12h

The fascists won't stop at LGBTQ Studies, Women's Studies & Africana Studies. We're just the canaries in the coal mine.

Maybe administrators -- & faculty from other programs who think they're "safe" -- will eventually realize they should have stood up for us.

By then it will be too late *shrug*

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 12h

It's frightening to see faculty & administrators already preparing "well, you shouldn't have been so loud about it" admonishments for professors who teach gender or race. They're ready to blame (and then eliminate) those of us THEY HIRED to teach this stuff.

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AAUP @aaup.org · 12h

“The university is under attack because gender studies is under attack, and if universities don’t stand up to this infringement on academic freedom now, it is not just gender studies that will be lost, but all free and open inquiry.”

— Laurie Essig, in a new post for AAUP’s Academe Blog

Academe @academemagazine.bsky.social · 15h

New on Academe Blog: academeblog.org/2025/10/14/h...

@aaup.org

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 12h

I teach LGBTQ Studies at a public university in Ohio.

There are increasing numbers of faculty & administrators willing to cut gender/race programs to "save" the university as a whole.

But Essig is right: attacks on gender studies ARE attacks on universities. Lose this battle, & you lose the war.

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Reposted by Lauren Merry Vale (they/she)

Slurmsadako MacKenzie @slurmsmackenzie.bsky.social · 3d

GenAI truly was the worst technology to come along at this moment.

An energy and water guzzler when we most urgently need to take climate action.

A disinformation machine as our journalism fails.

A bias machine as fascism takes root.

A job killer in a cost of living crisis.

Bria "tries to write a book" Horses @thevoidencore.bsky.social · 8d

The "cognitive decline and brain damage from repeat COVID infections" and "easy to use robot that makes slop and melts your critical thinking skills" is a hell of a combo in a post-fact media ecosystem

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Reposted by Lauren Merry Vale (they/she)

Rebecca Colesworthy @rcolesworthy.bsky.social · 4d

🚨🚨 @utaustin.bsky.social is working to eliminate its Black studies, Latin studies, and gender studies depts -- utterly reneging on its mission and depriving students of the full educational opportunities they deserve. Please--scholars AND publishers--share & write to UT leaders. #SaveUT

UT Austin wants to eliminate its Black studies, Latino Studies, and gender studies departments. Tell them you won't stand for it.
UT President, Jim Davis, president@utexas.edu
UT Executive Vice President and Provost, William Inboden, provost@utexas.edu
College of Liberal Arts Interim Dean, David Sosa, david_sosa@austin.utexas.edu
#EducationalLiberty #SaveUT

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 1d

What the hell are you talking about?

THEY are the politicians with (1) $$$$$ and (2) power and (3) a political party machine and (4) staff and experts and (5) the ability to summon the media for international press coverage whenever they want.

So yeah I expect THEM to do things that *I* cannot.

🙄

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4-word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

Okay: "You didn't get tenure."

🏰meg⚔️ @Birthright Audiobook! @impavid.us · 5d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand

I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.

Reposted by Lauren Merry Vale (they/she)

alexjungle.bsky.social @alexjungle.bsky.social · 6d

I am Antifa, are you Antifa?

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 6d

Because calling certain groups' human rights "disposable" is absolutely a losing strategy.

CENTER STRATEGIES DON'T WORK: Progressives won't pull the lever, and you peel off ZERO Republican voters.

If you're fine with some humans not being worthy of rights, then guess what, you're a fascist!

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 6d

Please fucking show me where or when or how Harris supported trans people in ANY visible way. She was totally silent on trans issues. She had ZERO trans visibility at the convention or in her campaign.

She did EXACTLY what YOU say is the winning strategy: but she LOST!

Why, you ask?

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 6d

Harris lost even though she did exactly as you wanted.

She did not vocally support trans people in ANY meaningful way -- there was ZERO trans visibility in her campaign.

Y'all keep saying "we can't win on trans issues" but don't you fucking realize YOU CAN'T WIN UNLESS YOU SUPPORT ALL OF US.

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Yes, call me crazy, but I am indeed a single issue voter, you fucking asshole, and that single issue is HUMAN RIGHTS.

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Ah, I was looking for the deadline and missed it in the article. Will delete!

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

When everyone was salivating over Newsom's 2028 prospects I had to step away from BlueSky b/c the Newsomshits kept arguing with me about how he LOVES trans people so much !!! 🤬

When I showed receipts about his transphobia they pivoted immediately to: "So you want the fascists to win in '28 ???" 😭

Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Those are dollars that could do other, better things in the economy!

It's also causing electricity costs to DOUBLE in some areas & regular folks like me are paying for it. (Google it!)

AI is, literally, fascist technology. (Google it!)

So yes: FUCK AI 🤬

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Oh, there is every need to #fuckai.

It's being forced down our throats by billionaires. It's being forced on kids in school. It's being used by our government against citizens. It's stealing from artists and writers. It's destroying the planet.

It's eating up TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Next time a Newsom stan sanctimoniously says "bUt hE's NoT aNTi-tRaNs!1!1!!" I will open my mouth & the scream that comes out is going to blow the windows out of skyscrapers & cause a rift in time and space I swear to fucking god

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Next time a Newsom stan sanctimoniously says "bUt hE's NoT aNTi-tRaNs!1!1!!" I will open my mouth & the scream that comes out is going to blow the windows out of skyscrapers & cause a rift in time and space I swear to fucking god

Gavin Newsom vetoes gender education bill, declines to sign other trans protections - LGBTQ Nation

The California governor left at least 10 pro-LGBTQ+ measures on the table.

www.lgbtqnation.com

Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

"national hero Charlie Kirk"

🙄 😐 💀

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

😂

To be clear I'm laughing at the meme (and how apt it is right now)

Because nothing else about this is funny at all

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Reposted by Lauren Merry Vale (they/she)

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 7d

Fixed.

Screenshot of a New York Times webpage. The headline reads: “Supreme Court Live Updates: Justices Seem Set to Rule Against Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy Torture.” The words “Conversion Therapy” are shown with red strikethroughs. A smaller subheading below explains: “Colorado and over 20 other states have banned the practice aimed at changing the sexual orientation or gender identity of young people.” The page header includes links like “Birthright Citizenship,” “L.A. Immigration Stops,” “Unsigned Orders in Trump’s Favor,” and “Florida Immigration.”

Would you like me to also provide a shorter, accessibility-friendly version of the alt text (like what a screen reader would ideally read aloud), or keep this more detailed one?

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

I literally cannot listen to any of them. Their lies are so infuriating.

And good on you, Schiff, for asking the questions, I guess, but what are you going to DO about their lawlessness?

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

"How do you do, fellow transgenders?"

a man wearing a music band shirt is holding a skateboard over his shoulder

ALT: a man wearing a music band shirt is holding a skateboard over his shoulder

media.tenor.com

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

"How do you do, fellow transgenders?"

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Lauren Merry Vale (they/she) @pixielauren.bsky.social · 7d

Who knew I'd find multiple accounts to block in a thread about a slightly amusing joke that slightly criticizes Ezra Klein 😅