Minneapolis Report Back + Community Assembly!

On January 20th, a national walkout is taking place against the Trump regime. After the 2pm rally at Pack Square, we're inviting community members to gather at 5:30pm at Firestorm for a discussion about how to confront the existential threat of fascism here in Asheville. We'll begin with a call-in report from an activist on the ground in Minneapolis who has been deeply involved in community resistance to the siege by federal forces. The assembly will then shift to our local context.

We invite you to bring thoughts on how our city is being impacted by the connected crises of authoritarianism, ecological crisis, economic abandonment, and criminalization—and crucially how we can move beyond the idea that the fight against fascism is exclusively taking place somewhere else. In the spirit of the assemblies that took place immediately after Hurricane Helene, our goal is to exchange verified information and provide a launchpad for grassroots action with an understanding that we cannot wait for someone to save us—we have to do it ourselves.

https://firestorm.coop/events/3525-from-minneapolis-to-asheville-community-action-against-fascism.html

#AbolishICE #QueerSouth #NoFascistUSA

We're trying something new in 2026 to help us (and you!) ditch Meta.

We know from personal experience that, paradoxically, logging off can make it hard to maintain IRL connections. So much grassroots activity only seems to get advertised on social media—and for spaces like Firestorm, there's a trap in thinking that Instagram is the best place to reach people, even when they live right down the street.

But there are alternatives... if we build them!

Follow us to a place without data harvesting, shadow bans, and right wing trolls. This week we're launching a new broadcast thread on the Signal app, specifically for events at Firestorm. Sign up and you'll get event announcements + a weekly roundup reminder (no memes, no side chatter—strictly event details!).

Since most of our events are in-person, this new thread will primarily be useful to locals. For more local community events, we also recommend the Asheville Radical Community Calendar (DuckDuckGo it! IYKYK)

#FeministBookstore #QueerSouth #FirestormCoop (- L)

This Monday, Firestorm is teaming up with scholar Zane McNeill for a conversation on the terrifying new wave of anti-transgender rhetoric and political persecution. Speaking with activists Eric King and Josh Davidson, co-editors of "Rattling the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners," we'll put this federal attack on trans rights in historical perspective—connecting it to repression during the Red Scare, the Lavender Scare, Black Liberation and Gay Rights Movements, the Green Scare, and solidarity with Palestine.

We'll also explore what we can learn from past struggles—how organizers not only survived but built movements under constant FBI surveillance—highlighting harm and risk reduction strategies that remain relevant today.

Find more and register to join this free event at https://firestorm.coop/events/3478-gender-terrorism-surviving-magas-war-on-trans-people.html. The recorded conversation will also be shared via our YouTube channel for folks who cannot join live!

#TransLiberation #TransRights #LavenderScare #NoTrumpNoKKKNoFascistUSA #WeKeepUsSafe #QueerSouth #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)

The anarchist bookfair is kicking off next week! 🏴 And while Firestorm isn't a primary venue this year, we are hosting a welcome table and the first session with local author Blu Buchanan!

Blu, who recently co-edited "Be Gay, Do Crime," an anthology from PM Press, will provide a short talk about the history of radical queer resistance and what it means for us in this particular historical moment. The presentation will be followed by a discussion of the communities boldly rising to challenge capitalism, white supremacy, and authoritarianism. This opening session will be followed by the bookfair's opening night potluck, so bring a dish if you're able (vegan and gluten-free preferred).

More information about our event with Blu and copies of the book can be found at https://firestorm.coop/events/3436-be-gay-do-crime-book-launch.html. Can't make the session in person? We'll be streaming it live on our YouTube channel (no registration required).

Additionally, don't miss PM Press's booth on Saturday alongside 30 other radical publishers and grassroots projects! Bookfair sessions, including numerous presentations related to mutual aid disaster relief and the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, will be running in other locations throughout the day and into Sunday. If you're looking for a chill activity, swing back by Firestorm on Sunday between 11am and 5pm for prison books packaging and political prisoner letter writing.

#BeGayDoCrime #QueerSouth #QueerLiberation #AnotherCarolinaAnarchistBookfair #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)

On June 19th, we'll be hosting author Jacob Engelsman in conversation with local doula and lactation educator Corey Graywood. Together they'll be discussing Jacob's new book "Lactation for the Rest of Us," a guide for transmasculine parents, transfeminine parents, non-binary parents, queer parents, adoptive parents, and others who are often left out of conversations about chestfeeding.

At a time when the US government is rolling back trans health in devastating ways, this book offers queer and trans people access to leading-edge information about bodily autonomy!

To make this event more accessible, participants may attend in-person or join a live stream of the conversation on our YouTube channel. You can learn more about this event on our website at https://firestorm.coop/events/3402-chestfeeding-for-queer-trans-parents.html.

#QueerSouth #LactationConsultants #QueerParents #TransParents #QueerFamilies #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)

I have three years of Southern Cultures I haven’t cracked open, but here I am thinking it’s time to re-up a sub.

#TheSouth #QueerSouth

https://www.southerncultures.org/issues/the-queer-south/?mc_cid=4c7e5aacac

A new social center opening in the South is something to celebrate—and support! Our friends at The Burrow / La Madriguera aim to bring people together in Durham, NC, with a focus on mutual aid and building solidarity toward collective liberation. It's been almost a decade since the Triangle lost Internationalist Books, and autonomous, radical spaces are needed now more than ever!

Tomorrow (5/18), Firestorm will be donating net proceeds from all sales in-store and online to help cover the cost of building out this much needed endeavor. Buy a book and your dollars will support their ambitious, community-oriented vision. Don't need books, stickers, zines, or a t-shirt? You can also send donations directly to The Burrow at https://chuffed.org/project/theburrow.

Please help us spread!

#Infoshop #QueerSouth #DurhamNC #TheBurrow #FirestormCoop (- L)

Preorder Promo ⌛💥 Order "The Immortal Choir Holds Every Voice" before June 3rd and your copy will include an exclusive bookplate signed by the author! https://firestorm.coop/products/22746-the-immortal-choir-holds-every-voice-danielle-cain-3.html

We're just a little more than a month away from the release of @margaret 's next book and maybe like us, you've been waiting patiently for the last seven years to read this third title in the Danielle Cain series—or maybe you're a fan of Margaret's podcast but haven't yet gone in for the deep cuts. Either way, this book is for you! (We recommend going back to read the other two books in the series, but you can jump in anywhere.)

Trolls, lost comrades, murder faeries, small town punks, riot queers, and some fancy magic to boot, "The Immortal Choir" packs three intense short stories into a hundred pages. And in true Margaret Killjoy fashion, it blends dark fantasy, wry humor, and earnest reflections on friendship, self-discovery, and trying to change the world.

#Boosktagram #QueerFantasy #QueerSouth #QueerAppalachia #MargaretKilljoy #FeministBookstore #DanielleCain #FirestormCoop (- L)

On the last day of March we're hosting a conversation with two authors we adore: Dean Spade and Kai Cheng Thom! Join online to discuss how we can be the change we want to see—both out in the world, and in our closest connections. Dean's new book "Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together" is a resounding call to action and a practical manifesto for how to combat cultural scripts and take our relationships into our own hands.

This event is also a fundraiser for families in Gaza and attendees are asked to make a donation in lieu of ticket cost. Live ASL interpretation will be provided.

Register for this virtual event and find your copy of "Love in a F*cked-Up World" at https://firestorm.coop/events/3339-hooking-up-raising-hell-a-conversation-with-dean-spade-and-kai-cheng-thom.html. Can't make the live event? Sign up anyway, pitch in on the fundraiser if you can, and we'll send you a recording of the event to stream at your convenience!

#ThePersonalIsPolitical #FreePalestine #FeministBookstore #QueerSouth #Abolitionism #DeanSpade #KaiChengThom #FirestormCoop (- L)

This Sunday at 4pm, we're partnering with Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) and Visual AIDS for a Day With(out) Art 2024 presentation of "Red Reminds Me…," a program of seven videos reflecting the emotional spectrum of living with HIV today.

Since its inception in America in 1989, Day Without Art has marked the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the artistic community and documented efforts in fighting AIDS. Learn more about this free film screening at https://firestorm.coop/events/3283-day-with-out-art.html!

#DayWithoutArt #VisualAIDS#WorldAIDSDay #EndHIV #QueerSouth #FeministBookstore #WNCAP #FirestormCoop (- L)