It's exhausting watching people who think things are only now bad.

When the government cannot or will not respond to big, obvious problems like a pandemic or mass shootings or climate change except with hollow rhetoric and security theater, because to do so would cross so many entrenched interests, you are already living in failed state.

Pedro Almodóvar defends Hunter Schafer from Trump’s ‘lunatic’ treatment of trans people

https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/01/pedro-almodovar-hunter-schafer-trump/

#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA

This is who we are now. ICE deported three children who are US citizens and denied their families access to attorneys. One of the children has a rare form of cancer and was deported without their medication or access to their doctor.

If you object and say, "this isn't who I am," let me ask if you are marching, speaking up, or reaching out to your elected officials? If not, then yes, this is who you are--government of the people, by the people, for the people perishes when we remain silent.

1. Today I learned that my collaborator @jjinsing had his NSF postdoctoral position terminated in yesterday's round of cuts.

Jay is the lead author on a fascinating paper I was involved in, about how male mimicry by female hummingbirds provides the first example of a type of signaling system that we predicted from theoretical principles over a decade ago.

This is infuriating.

And I believe it's due to anti-trans bias.

Why do I say that?

A small fraction of the female birds of this species — and in fact, many other hummingbird species as well — adopt male plumage. It's a fascinating phenomenon and probably evolved because that females with male plumage are less likely to be chased away form food sources.

Photo: Michel Gutierrez, Macaulay Library.