I Guess Mr. Snowflake There Needs To Just Move Along From McDonalds.

If your library doesn't have the diverse books you want and you're comfortable talking with (usually very friendly and helpful) people, you can also talk with someone on staff. In addition to the purchase recommendation form, they may have an agreement with other libraries to borrow the books from them for you. This helps two libraries! Your local library learns that more people want diverse books, so they are more likely to buy them in the future. The other library gets check-outs, so they know people are reading their diverse books.

If you don't have time to read, look for diverse audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs! If it's hard for you to get to the library, look at their website or call/email them. They may have pickup lockers in different areas of town or even a delivery service. They probably have eBooks, eAudiobooks, and/or streaming music and movies that you can check out from home.

Friendly reminder that if you talk about how representation is important and how there's not enough diverse media, I implore you to seek out the media that already exists. And if you live in an area with a public library, go to see if they're available at your public library. And then go check them out.

As a librarian, it is demoralizing to see how low the circulation statistics are on lgbt+ books and books by BIPOC authors. I include them in displays and readers advisory, but people still don't check them out as much. Libraries only have a finite amount of resources, including space. We don't get a book then keep it forever. If not enough people check it out, we have to get rid of it to make room for more books. And when James Patterson Book #69 gets checked out 30 times in one year and cool, subversive Sci fi novel with a Black trans woman main character has never been checked out once, the librarian (me) has to make a hard decision.

If you're looking for something tangible and easy to do this pride month, look for lgbt+ books (there are millions of lists online that you can find. It's easier than it's ever been to find diverse books) and check them out from your library.

No time to read? Look for a short story or poetry anthology and just read as much as you have time for. Or just check out a book cus it looks interesting and read as much as you can. We have movies too.

As cool as it would be for me to just keep the books I want and get rid of the ones I don't, I have to listen to the community on matters of collection development. And the community tells me what books they want by checking them out and leaving the ones they don't want on the shelf.

If you think this doesn't apply to you because you live in a progressive area and obviously the books are being checked out, you're wrong. I once worked in a community with a large lgbt population. Those books were not getting checked out. If you want to tell me you live in a conservative area and your library doesn't have any diverse books, you are legally obligated to check the catalog before replying to this post. I currently work in a conservative community and we have lgbt+ and bipoc books. And if you still cannot find any, you are legally obligated to see if your library has a collection request form that patrons can fill out before replying to this post.

Woo-hoo!  Whoever you are, you deserve to feel bold, rebellious, and happy!

On Shopping While Fat 2: Son of Fat

Patrick Stewart has gotten to my favorite Shakespeare sonnet, 130!

Love people for who they are, not some idealized version of who you or society think they should be.

Pride dragons (part 2) -- more SWOONING!

The pride dragons and some new ones are back again for pride month!!!!!! Happy pride month everyone!!!!!!

(Part 1) (Stickers available Here) (Last year’s posts: X X )

Hi All!

I got tired of missing people on LJ, so I've created a Tumblr account (obviously) and a DreamWidth account. That seems to catch most of the people I was following on LJ who were still posting semi-regularly. I'm considering Twitter, but I don't know if I want to dedicate that much of my life to social media. (I have no problems with the "media" part; it's the "social" that I'm not very good at handling.) Feel free to point me at your favorite people and stuff on either DreamWidth or Tumblr! I'm still getting the hang of who/what is available where.

I tend to be very quiet about my personal life (because it’s, well, personal).  However, it’s hard to resist Pride Month.  I identify as queer for short-form labeling and as grey asexual, autochorissexual, panromantic, and polyamorous for longer labeling.  Mostly, though, I identify as “labels are for people you don’t know well.”  I am myself -- that is what matters.

Hey. It’s Pride Month!

Over the next 30 days, we are actively encouraging you to share your LGBTQ+ pride with all of Tumblr. You deserve to be proud of who you are 365 days a year, but these next 30 days, we’re going all out. There’s no wrong way to do it. Upload an illustration. Write a poem. Make a GIF. Take a selfie and slap a Pride sticker on it. Maybe send a sticker to a friend. These precious babies are in your app right now:

Do one thing, do 100 things—whatever feels right. Just tag it with #TumblrPride so other people can find it. And, hey, if you can’t do any of these things, know that we still support you. You have every reason to feel proud this month, even if you aren’t ready to show it. <3

We’ll also be signal boosting other influential LGBTQ+ voices all month long. We’ve secured some really amazing people for Answer Time and Issue Time:

6/23—Gavin Grimm, 17 year old activist fighting for the equality of transgender students, held on Action (@action).

6/29—Becca McCharen, queer fashion designer and founder of fashion label Chromat (@chromat).

6/30—Trans Rights & Community, focusing on urgent issues that affect trans people, like violence, access to health care, and unemployment, held on Action (@action).

Have a safe and beautiful Pride Month, Tumblr.

This is great advice if you are able to travel to the ballot drop-off location or have someone you trust deliver it for you.

Also, check the requirements on your absentee ballot carefully!  In Wisconsin, the envelope for an absentee ballot needs to be signed on the outside by both the voter and a witness.  I think it needs the witness’ address, too.  If that information is missing, the ballot is NOT counted.  Check the requirements as soon as possible after you get your ballot so you have time to make arrangements, if necessary.

OK So with the shit with the USPS going on:

1. Check your Voter registration to make sure everything is up to date.  If you can, request a Mail-In Ballot.  I live in CO, where all elections are Mail-In only now, so I get one anyway.

2. Fill out your ballot per the instructions on your Ballot.  Some Notes:

Read Instructions thoroughly, and fill out your Ballot in private.

Do NOT post pictures of your Ballot as this may invalidate it.  DO Post pictures of your “I Voted” sticker.

Make sure to vote for all the offices up for election- as important as the presidential election is, your mayor, governer, local school board and sherrif have a MUCH bigger impact on your immediate safety and quality of life.  Google your candidates, look up the Leauge of Women Voter’s Guides for a reliably Impartial rundown of your local candidates. 

Remember also that it is better to have someone in office that is only moderately incompotent, than it is to have someone that actively wants you dead.  It is the first step to having someone worthwhile next time.

If you wanted a third party option, your local elections are the best place to do this- my own city council has several Green Party members and it got me city-sponsored single-stream recycling! Its also moving the state legislature significantly farther left.

3. INSTEAD OF MAILING IT- LOOK UP WHERE YOUR BALLOT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS ARE. 

They’re boxes you drive or walk or bus or bike or whatever up to and drop your ballot in, and the elections officials will have it that evening. Pros of Ballot Drop-Off:

Can be turned in the same day you reccive your ballot, if you want to get this over with ASAP

Open 24/7, so you can drop it off whenever

Absolutely guaranteed to get your vote counted, regardless of what Donald does with the Post Office.

No waiting in line

No exposing yourself to the coronavirus

Most cities will have several ballot Drop-Off locations, at places like the grocery store, the county courthouse, city hall, at high schools etc.  Google your town or county name and “Ballot Drop Off Locations” and it’ll give you directions even.

Absolutely Save the USPS, but this is the BEST way to make sure your vote gets counted this

Among others.

And every other sexuality

I’ll definitely hoard books, but I’m not eating my enemies.  Do you know where they’ve been?!  Yuck!

Don’t be a bookworm.

Be a bookwyrm.

Hoard books. Eat your enemies. Kill all dissenters. Terrorize the english countryside.

I can’t even draw straight lines with a ruler.

I am not a straight people.

Reblog if you are also not a straight people.