...The trumpet sounded and the fifth seal was opened...

[Marky Dread]

drugs not hugs!

drugs not hooks!

[Dr. Medulla]

Sounds like I gotta add "bear hug doctor medulla" to the 'ol bucket list.

Every day, in every way, you all demonstrate how much you hate me.

We're just glad you notice the effort.

It all goes in my revenge book.

I would hug the fuck outta that book!

Hug the book, sure. Keep your tentacles away from me.

[Marky Dread]

Every day, in every way, you all demonstrate how much you hate me.

We're just glad you notice the effort.

It all goes in my revenge book.

I would hug the fuck outta that book!

Hug the book, sure. Keep your tentacles away from me.

Well exactly I'm antiseptically clean.

[Dr. Medulla]

I swear, Hard Times is using us for inspiration: https://thehardtimes.net/blog/heres-how ... -immunity/

[Flex]

You know, once Wolter procreated it really gave the rest of us permission to do the same.

[JennyB]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

[Dr. Medulla]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

[Marky Dread]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

Agree, while there is way more work to be done for people to possess what I feel is simple understanding we are making progress. And that summer camp sounds brilliant.

[revbob]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

I have discussions like this with my son all the time. He will kind of laugh it off and mention dinosaurs and such. My kids are 9 years apart and I remember when she was like 6 or 7 and same sex marriage was a big topic of discussion in the news. But for him, he's always known it as a reality.

[JennyB]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

It's unfortunately gotten really bad for queer kids in red states, especially trans kids. Missouri just passed two bills - one that would ban gender affirming care for minors (and believe me, they aren't going to stop with minors) and one banning trans kids from playing on sports teams as the gender in which they identify. For some reason, these legislators think that kids are having gender reassignment surgeries, when, really, the most they are getting is puberty blockers (which cis kids also use and are reversable). Gender affirming care for little kids is literally just buying clothes aligning with their gender and/or cutting/growing their hair. They are also using "groomer" rhetoric as a slur against the parents. It's so infuriating and sad. One of the dads who is in Jeff City a lot to testify (and is a friend of mine and dad at VH, Jr.'s school) said that his trans son is not being bullied by his peers, family or school, but is being bullied by his state legislature. These people think they know better than the American Medical Association and the NCAA on these issues. So while the achievements are definitely notable and nobody makes AIDS jokes/says the F word anymore, it's still really, really bad. And it's not just old people, unfortunately. In the MO legislature, one of the most egregious bigots is like 25. Just look at this asshole: https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails. ... strict=056

[Dr. Medulla]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

It's unfortunately gotten really bad for queer kids in red states, especially trans kids. Missouri just passed two bills - one that would ban gender affirming care for minors (and believe me, they aren't going to stop with minors) and one banning trans kids from playing on sports teams as the gender in which they identify. For some reason, these legislators think that kids are having gender reassignment surgeries, when, really, the most they are getting is puberty blockers (which cis kids also use and are reversable). Gender affirming care for little kids is literally just buying clothes aligning with their gender and/or cutting/growing their hair. They are also using "groomer" rhetoric as a slur against the parents. It's so infuriating and sad. One of the dads who is in Jeff City a lot to testify (and is a friend of mine and dad at VH, Jr.'s school) said that his trans son is not being bullied by his peers, family or school, but is being bullied by his state legislature. These people think they know better than the American Medical Association and the NCAA on these issues. So while the achievements are definitely notable and nobody makes AIDS jokes/says the F word anymore, it's still really, really bad. And it's not just old people, unfortunately. In the MO legislature, one of the most egregious bigots is like 25. Just look at this asshole: https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails. ... strict=056

My perspective—and it's because I'm not in the middle of the fight, I know—is that the bigots are pushing so hard in legislatures is because they know they've lost the cultural fight. They can't persuade by argument so the law is their weapon. Heavy-handed and anti-democratic tactics are evidence of a weak position. It's why this stuff is also going hand-in-hand with efforts to limit the vote. It's evidence of their anxiety that they've lost the people. Again, that's not to be pollyannaish about any of this—the history of America has always been about minority rule—but it is due to a greater cultural victory. It's terrible in the here and now, but there is still that reason for hope. (My apologies if that seems limp—I'm trying to be a more hopeful person day-to-day.)

[JennyB]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

It's unfortunately gotten really bad for queer kids in red states, especially trans kids. Missouri just passed two bills - one that would ban gender affirming care for minors (and believe me, they aren't going to stop with minors) and one banning trans kids from playing on sports teams as the gender in which they identify. For some reason, these legislators think that kids are having gender reassignment surgeries, when, really, the most they are getting is puberty blockers (which cis kids also use and are reversable). Gender affirming care for little kids is literally just buying clothes aligning with their gender and/or cutting/growing their hair. They are also using "groomer" rhetoric as a slur against the parents. It's so infuriating and sad. One of the dads who is in Jeff City a lot to testify (and is a friend of mine and dad at VH, Jr.'s school) said that his trans son is not being bullied by his peers, family or school, but is being bullied by his state legislature. These people think they know better than the American Medical Association and the NCAA on these issues. So while the achievements are definitely notable and nobody makes AIDS jokes/says the F word anymore, it's still really, really bad. And it's not just old people, unfortunately. In the MO legislature, one of the most egregious bigots is like 25. Just look at this asshole: https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails. ... strict=056

My perspective—and it's because I'm not in the middle of the fight, I know—is that the bigots are pushing so hard in legislatures is because they know they've lost the cultural fight. They can't persuade by argument so the law is their weapon. Heavy-handed and anti-democratic tactics are evidence of a weak position. It's why this stuff is also going hand-in-hand with efforts to limit the vote. It's evidence of their anxiety that they've lost the people. Again, that's not to be pollyannaish about any of this—the history of America has always been about minority rule—but it is due to a greater cultural victory. It's terrible in the here and now, but there is still that reason for hope. (My apologies if that seems limp—I'm trying to be a more hopeful person day-to-day.)

I hope you're right. But these people really think they are saving kids. They really think 12 year olds are having their penises chopped off. Yet, they are doing nothing about the actual number one cause of death for kids in the US - guns. In fact, they are making it a lot easier to access guns. I'm not at all hopeful right now.

[Dr. Medulla]

I hope you're right. But these people really think they are saving kids. They really think 12 year olds are having their penises chopped off. Yet, they are doing nothing about the actual number one cause of death for kids in the US - guns. In fact, they are making it a lot easier to access guns. I'm not at all hopeful right now.

One of my hopes (well, faiths) for some time re. the US and guns is that the kids who have grown up with lockdowns and drills for when a maniac with a gun comes into their school will start having their own kids and some will run for office with an intent that their kids aren't going to have that experience because they know first-hand what it's like. A Parkland survivor was elected to Congress in 2022 and is ardent about the issue. America's gun culture hasn't always been so paranoid, so it can be tamped back down again.

(Damn, I really do sound pollyannaish today.)

[JennyB]

I hope you're right. But these people really think they are saving kids. They really think 12 year olds are having their penises chopped off. Yet, they are doing nothing about the actual number one cause of death for kids in the US - guns. In fact, they are making it a lot easier to access guns. I'm not at all hopeful right now.

One of my hopes (well, faiths) for some time re. the US and guns is that the kids who have grown up with lockdowns and drills for when a maniac with a gun comes into their school will start having their own kids and some will run for office with an intent that their kids aren't going to have that experience because they know first-hand what it's like. A Parkland survivor was elected to Congress in 2022 and is ardent about the issue. America's gun culture hasn't always been so paranoid, so it can be tamped back down again.

(Damn, I really do sound pollyannaish today.)

I hope so. I love that that kid got elected.

[Mimi]

I was at an event last night to support this awesome summer camp for LGBTQ+ kids (mainly trans) and I ran into one of VH, Jr.'s preschool teachers. So I am now having an existential crisis.

(If you are interested in learning about the summer camp, click here: http://www.campindigopoint.org/

This is tangentially related, but my punk course has always attracted a number of queer kids (using that as an umbrella term). And during discussions around violence against queer people—physical and symbolic—I've pushed back a little by saying that, growing up in the 1980s, to see the kind of recognition of gender and sexual diversity and fluidity by huge numbers of straights (or, apparently the cool kids call us cis-hets) now is dizzying. It's not to belittle the challenges and the horrible abuses, especially by state actors, that they face today but the achievements are notable and shouldn't be minimized. Canada's had same-sex marriage for about 20 years, and now it's only the obvious bigots who talk about it. I'm still amazed by that cultural shift. So a camp like that being a thing is amazing to see.

It's unfortunately gotten really bad for queer kids in red states, especially trans kids. Missouri just passed two bills - one that would ban gender affirming care for minors (and believe me, they aren't going to stop with minors) and one banning trans kids from playing on sports teams as the gender in which they identify. For some reason, these legislators think that kids are having gender reassignment surgeries, when, really, the most they are getting is puberty blockers (which cis kids also use and are reversable). Gender affirming care for little kids is literally just buying clothes aligning with their gender and/or cutting/growing their hair. They are also using "groomer" rhetoric as a slur against the parents. It's so infuriating and sad. One of the dads who is in Jeff City a lot to testify (and is a friend of mine and dad at VH, Jr.'s school) said that his trans son is not being bullied by his peers, family or school, but is being bullied by his state legislature. These people think they know better than the American Medical Association and the NCAA on these issues. So while the achievements are definitely notable and nobody makes AIDS jokes/says the F word anymore, it's still really, really bad. And it's not just old people, unfortunately. In the MO legislature, one of the most egregious bigots is like 25. Just look at this asshole: https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails. ... strict=056

He looks like a mormon missionary.