Notices by Vayl Larkin (they/them) (vayllarkinpoet@disabled.social)

@molly0xfff I'm a disabled trans wheelchair user, Autistic, PTSD and a pain profile that makes doctors cringe. Sometimes despair takes over. Sometimes just facing another moment of hellscape feels insurmountable. While you're congratulating yourselves on not giving up, and dismissing those who do, ask what privilege enables you to do that? Despair is not a fixed point; it's a phase we go through 99% of the time. Compassion for those who can't escape. Patience for those moving through it. 2 cents

@futurebird @futurebird Thank you So much! This is far more comprehensive than I hoped for and what you're saying makes a lot of sense even from what I can observe.

I'm unhappy being in such an isolationist environment. I'm kind of a background chimera, jobs ranging from sex worker to tech writer, but I'm extremely frustrated that as a white, trans, disabled person I am safe-ish here, (Bsky/etc. are kind of a nightmare), but other people are really not.

Not sure of the right thing to do.

Hmmm. Trying to figure out how to tag this to get some responses. "BlackMastodon" has always struck me as more of an intracommunity tag and I don't want to abuse it, but my ignorance is showing and I don't know what to use instead.

For a little more background: I'm asking about this partially because I want to know how places I spend my time treat Black and Brown users, as I myself might not see. My friends who are not white also need better expertise: I won't recc a site I haven't vetted.

I'm hearing some conflicting things about on-platform #Racism and I'm hoping to get a more comprehensive picture.

Black Users Only: Why do you still use Mastodon? Would you recommend it to a Black friend and if so, are there resources to help them safely navigate? If you're on your way out, would you feel comfortable sharing where, so I can share? Mostly folks exiting Bsky

Hesitant to ask for free labor and will not be offended if you choose to respond just with hashtags to follow.

Thank you.

@sarahdalgulls "Ugh. Have you Seen the Gen Yachters? They're trying to wear salmon like we did! Don't they understand that their fad makes a total mockery of our real, youthful disaffection?!" - Old Orcagoth

I, Vayl Larkin, being of unsound mind and banged up body, am committed to pursuing the following in word and deed:

Being Trans
Being Creative
Being Myself
Fighting racism
Fighting ableism
Fighting any system of oppression, anywhere, even if the people running it once seemed like a good idea.
Being honest with myself about things that are hard to think about, and things about myself that are hard to think about.
Loving hard

If some King comes for radicals, come at me. I don't hide.

7/1/24

Happy Juneteenth to my Black family, friends and everyone else! :) Cousins, Niblings, Loved Ones, New Friends, I learn so much from you, my reparations will never be fully paid. I promise to keep trying.

#Juneteenth

1. Homelessness has risen by 6% in the U.S. since 2017

2. Approximately 11,000 Americans are estimated to have died of heat exposure in 2023. 2024 is on track to be significantly worse.

3. Almost all U.S. municipalities do not report the deaths of homeless Americans.

Do. The. Math.

Donate to homeless individuals, Especially those who appear to have no shelter at all. Please.

@futurebird I also love that we are the fungus and we also have a ton of ants.

A bit ago, I saw some enhanced electron microscope images of our bodies' nanofilament network and various motor proteins in action. Reminded me of the Doozers from Fraggle Rock, if that's a reference ever/still. Hehe

It's stuff like this that made the child of a nuclear physicist focus on biosciences. Ooh. An atom. Here's a species with 20 functional genders and ultraviolet vision. SO much cooler! :)

#TikTok ban and social media "safety" initiatives: I'm a survivor of CSA, multiple offenders.

90% of the abuse I experienced predated the WWW. If you think keeping kids off socials keeps them safe, I've got a bridge you might like.

This feels like Stranger Danger.2, polished up to reflect all the blame away from the fathers like mine and 65% of other victims whose abuse starts at home.

It's amazing how their answer to our pain is always to take away more of our power.

@anarchopunk_girl You clearly need to make some Black friends STAT, or at least crack a book or something. You are wrong. This is a Huge issue in the trans community, and if you think it only affects Black people you are mistaken. Please educate yourself.

@clacke @Deglassco I am sorry I can't recommend something specific off-hand, but I was lucky enough to be taught a lot of this by individuals with expertise, and didn't originally read it.

@clacke @Deglassco I would begin with a Black-authored piece on her life and work. Her most famous speech has been titled "Ain't I A Woman", by white feminists. However, her original language was corrupted by these white women to make it sound "ignorant" to readers. Her original speech began something more like, "Am I not a woman?", and so forth. They hid her education and skill to reduce her chances of being a strong representative for her people in the public sphere.

@Deglassco I love her work, as well as that of Douglas of course. Also really appreciate the intellectual tenor and brilliant use of language by Sojourner Truth, (tragically twisted into a racist trope by white feminists). Her unaltered work is amazing, and even when they mangled it, they couldn't eliminate the power of her ideas. Thank you for posting this! <3