@alice I know that people are scared, but we gotta recognize that “lying low and not rocking the boat” during fascism is what the fascists want you to do & arguably a form of collaboration.

It sometimes makes sense to stay safe and hidden, like while preparing to resist from an advantageous position. But make sure that’s actually what you’re doing, and not just burying your head in the sand. You no longer have the luxury of waiting for someone else to solve problems, now we need YOUR help.

@alice
Great!

Fighting safer and longer has its merits but authority feeds on silence, easy to paint as approval.

Each one balance their position and strategy. Keep safe and together.

@alice Oh, hell no!

I'm exhausted, but not going to quietly fade into the background.

@alice

You are good people 💜!

@alice This seems like a good thread toward the constructive things I want to say.

I'm not going to tell people where to move or how to be safe. I don't know yet what I'm doing.

No matter where you move and what you do you need to do the following:

1. Start or join a Union of some sort wherever you are and whatever you're doing.

If you're a student, form a union with other students; if you're a programmer, find other programmers to organize; if you're from a farming town, reach out to whomever in that town may sympathize with you and talk to them about forming Mutual Associations with other farmers.

Part of the reason things were able to get where they are, is that the modern world has destroyed all local communities and face-to-face organizing. This was accelerated by the pandemic.

2. Find a local community that you see regularly.

This relates to the previous one, but you need people who you know and can trust that you see face to face.

Talk to this community about escape plans and what lines have to be crossed to enact that plan, and how you can help each other.

Figure out how you all can get access to hormones in the event that it's outlawed or that medical coverage is completely cut for certain members. See if you can have enough saved somewhere for everyone that needs it to last for a year.

3. Petition your state and local governments.

They need to be convinced to resist interference from the federal government and protect local communities. They absolutely need to be petitioned to resist, and ideally they should form interstate compacts to resist federal oversteps.

4. Figure out an escape plan.

Yes, I talked about this in #2, but you need to know how _you_ in particular are going to execute on that plan. What are the scenarios? Is it possible you're going to have to walk into Canada? Do you know how to do that? What visas are you going to need in different countries? Can you save any money or clear any credit cards in the next six months?

@alice It is time for all of us with the privilege to blend in to NOT.

I need to buy a bunch of Trans-rights / BLM / Feminist / pro-immigrant t-shirts and start wearing them everywhere.

Any pointers to shop some colorful supportive t-shirts?

@alice I like the spirit, but it's not always safe to be loud. I'm very visibly queer but do try to blend depending on where I am. Surviving a bit enables me to resist when I need to.

If I have a likelihood of some allies around, I will be a bit louder. If someone is a potential threat to someone in my community, I am definitely louder. Like a shiny holo tank, my existence is a passive taunt. I think that's what you are suggesting? Be the axe-weilding lesbian tank for the alphabet party members in the vicinity?