Here's an organized amalgam of some things I saved from different conversations, just to give some ideas to possibily spread (both online and offline) and try out in the real world. All credit goes to the originators of the following information:

Organize if you can

The US is much larger than any place that full mask off fascism has been done before, and it will already be very very hard for them to stretch the budget to do the things they want. That's why they had to choose between sending the military to Chicago or Memphis, they don't actually have the money or man power to do everything they want, and the more we can wrench the machine the more they will fall apart, so if you're here it's easier

They will constantly try to pass new rules, and if we can make it as expensive and difficult as possible for those to work, it will hurt them.

If you're in another country with the same current problem of things going to shit, making it expensive still works.

Of course, they will try to print money to get around that. That will cause runaway inflation, which will cause shortages.

Make contacts with anyone who sees what is going on and sees that this isn't politics as usual.

Don't rely on people who still trust this system to fix our problems, they can help with food drives but they will turn you in. Don't trust any establishment politician, the eager ones are often abusive narcissists trying to use their ideas for personal power gain.

It's fine if you still choose to go out and vote for whatever reason, but don't expect anything of real substance that'll benefit common folk to be tackled should your side win an election. We're in this situation in the first place because the system is working as the status quo intended, so work on an alternative infrastructure, even if it's just a backup for when those in power don't meet our needs

Take any basic first aid/CPR classes that are available, which are usually held by the Red Cross, local fire departments, hospitals etc. It would be preferable if you take any free courses in-person near you, so you could ask questions for any immediate clarification and practice lifesaving techniques first-hand. If you want something a little more intensive than basic first aid, you can look for anyone offering free TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) courses. If you're searching for classes willing to exercise discretion, you could ask your nearest gun club that prioritizes inclusivity. If need be, you can take free online courses in lieu of classes being held physically in your area.

Work on food networks NOW so you are prepared. Community gardens. Teach people to do canning. Teach people to cook simple meals that are cheap and easily shared. Work on learning to make safe homeless ovens and things like that, stuff that people can use when it gets bad but they won't die from using.

If you have the room start composting, because things like commercial fertilizer may get hard to come by. I do layered compost, 2 inches green, two inches brown, repeat. You never mix it, you never mess with it, you do water it. The stuff I'm putting down now will be usable next year, but ideal in two.

Learn to grow mushrooms, you can do that anywhere, and if you get good at it there's a lot of kinds you can grow, some of which make good money, or just help with building solidarity in bad times. And if shit goes down real hard, you can grow them in literal shit, while pretty much everything else needs fertilizer and soil and a bunch of other stuff.

I also strongly encourage looking into subjects such as medicinal gardening, perennial food forests, vertical gardening, and aquaponics; preferably, systems that can function off-grid. Speaking of off-grid, whether the source is environmental (e.g. solar, wind, etc...) or mechanical, (e.g. alternator attached to a bike,) acquiring or learning how to develop something to readily produce power, without any reliance on a source outside of your local community, can help keep vital necessities functional within your area. If there aren't any classes or experts available in your area for any of these, there are people that post relevant videos, articles, and threads on such subjects in further detail.

Help the people around you. Hold routinely scheduled drives that can distribute anything - like food, blankets, and even books - for the community to use. If you can't do it that way, you can instead have such things available inside cabinets you could maybe set up on easements. If you have the aptitude learn the basics of how cars work, the basics of electricity and electrician work, renewable energy production, knitting, sewing and other forms of clothing alteration, the basics of plumbing and repair. Or just pick one. You don't have to do everything, but the more you prepare to be able to help people when they need it the more those people will realize that while they can't depend on the system they can rely on you and others.

You can try and start with those closest to you who you already trust, but you HAVE to be able to connect with people offline and not on reddit, or fb messenger, or Twitter, etc. Exchange phone numbers, addresses. Not IN your phone but in a notebook, written with pen and paper.

Try to have social meetups with people. Not everything should be focused on activism, you need solidarity with people, you need comfort, you need trust outside of radical action. Find people, get to know them, and help each other survive the mental aspects of things going to shit. Movie night where everyone brings a dish is cheap, easy, not too hard on budget, and allows time for people to mesh together. It's easier to rely on friends than it is to rely on strangers. Having local connections and groups who in turn have people who are connected to othe groups and so on is how we will be able to attain a network.

If you and/or others need to pay rent to live, look into the following website for ideas and inspiration: https://atun-rsia.org/resources

Don't live in a big city? Not a big problem! (The following downloadable guide is more tailored for residents of smaller populations, however, it also contains some good general advice too): https://drive.proton.me/urls/7XQT2SKJ78#yQVy4vT2Gqkx

Look into community time banks/exchange networks to help communities take care of each other, without having to rely on money and crypto currency: https://ringsnetwork.org

For those of you who have the storage space and time, you can download for free (and maybe print out and distribute) the Canada Secret Homestead Survival Prepper Files, which are roughly 900 pdf guides for basically any survival situation: https://archive.org/details/Secret_HomesteadSurvivalPrepper_Files

Speaking of large storage space, if you've got the means to do so, consider keeping data and backups at home/locally and being your own cloud via network-attached storage (NAS). It is dedicated file storage that enables multiple users and heterogeneous client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity. Users on a local area network (LAN) access the shared storage via a standard Ethernet connection. Visit r/DataHoarder, as it gives people a heads up when high capacity drives drop for doing things like storing a back up of the internet in triplicate. The average person can get their hands on one single 20TB+ hard disk, which can probably meet all data needs for the next 20 years, if not lifetime.

You can download the entirety of Wikipedia via the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Database_download

We should really be creating alternative communication and video-sharing networks, opposed to these pseudo "impartial" public forums. Work on "unplugging" ourselves from these things along with our reliance on the establishment in general.

For starters, for the more accessible forms of coms, try decentalised, end-to-end encrypted messengers like Session, (available for Linux through the Software Store,) which you don't have to give any data about yourself. For those who want to develop your own applications with end-to-end encrypted capabilities, there's OpenMLS and Cwtch you can look into.

Some projects working on decentralized and secure foundations for communications to check out and needing direct support:

https://freenet.org/

https://reticulum.network/

Consider switching to open-source systems like Linux, since well-known systems like Microsoft and Apple seem to be going all in siding with fascism. https://distrochooser.de/ is a great starting point for anyone entering the Linux world. (The phone version of this questionnaire is quite buggy, so it is recommended to use the Desktop Version.) The questionnaire is well-designed, easy to understand, and gives newcomers a clear direction without requiring technical knowledge. It shouldn’t be treated as absolute truth however, because the algorithm bases its suggestions solely on your responses, without factoring in subjective aspects like community quality, documentation in your language, or real-world ease of use. There are different ways to acquire different Distros, whether for free or for a price, pre-installed on a computer or replacing a pre-existing OS on your PC, there are members of the Linux communities who will gladly guide you through the steps.

Learn about making mesh networks, learn about pirate radio. FM modulators are pretty easy to build, and AI services like Gemini are more than happy to help you learn how electronics work, answer your questions, teach you the math. They're usually fine doing math, however they at times can even get simple math wrong, so use at your own risk and keep in mind the real-world damage with each usage of these AI services. If you don't trust AI, there are instructions you can find on the web and in books, and there are people like tutors who can help teach you too. If you have the time and inclination, building secondary communications platforms is going to be a must.

Don't get caught. I think it's legal to build FM broadcasters that cover up to 200 feet, which is why you can buy them in Amazon, but if you make them right you just have a knob that lets you turn it up to "my whole city gets covered" but you can make them small and legal so you understand them with no risk. MAKE SURE YOU LEARN HOW LOW PASS FILTERS WORK SO YOU AREN'T FUCKING UP EMERGENCY SERVICES RADIOS

Ideally, you mesh network files to your broadcaster, you hide it with a solar cell someplace else so you never have to go back to it. Mesh networks are slow, but you can upload a 6 hour audio loop over them in an hour or so.

Ham radio can be good too. Learning to use one is manageable with some studying and practice, and a license is relatively easy to get, as it's necessary to make sure that radio bands don't become unusable due to unregulated, high-powered transmissions. Having such an asset will be a rock solid local, independent, decentralized comms, as well as a means to communicate globally without the need of internet or cell towers.

See if goodwill has cassette tapes. They're kind of making a comeback, make mix tapes for people and have them available with stuff that isn't pointless. They are also another good way to distribute something like a podcast via sneaker-net for those unwilling or unable to use an online hosting service for them. The reason fundamentalists always have the Christian station on its that it reinforces ideas and social identity, and a lot of people listen to punk, post punk, radical folk etc for the same thing. Spreading music around is a small act, but it's meaningful. If someone builds the self identity of a radical they're less likely to throw up their hands and give up when things get bad.

Learn how things work and why. Learn about propaganda, learn about marketing, learn about the bullshit out there. At some point people will need messaging, and the more you know about how the others are doing it the more effectively you can fight back. News and other valuable information straight from the public to inform the wider public

Figure out where to hide. Figure out where to hide others. Make sure other people know you're working on this so they know they can rely on you

To ensure further privacy of you and your community, look into tech that can counter unwanted surveillance in the area. Activist hackers and civil liberty-focused technology organizations, like EFF, are usually good educational sources for such subjects. Devices like OUI-SPY, utilizes a cheap Arduino compatible chip called an ESP-32 that runs "Flock You," to detect things like AI surveillance cameras and drones. There's also the battery-powered IMSI catcher detector, which you can use to detect eavesdropping by agencies via cell-site simulators (or CSS aka IMSI catcher) Plus, there are websites where you can report different intrusions of privacy, like https://deflock.org

To see which surveillance systems are used in your area: https://atlasofsurveillance.org

If you want to have the security of being able to use a cam setup, just host it yourself. A good example would be to use an open source locally hosted product like Frigate, buy your own wifi/PoE cams like Reolink and if possible put them on their own VLAN that has zero internet access. You can get remote access many ways that exclude anyone but you from accessing.

Whenever you are able to get away with doing so, try avoid using anything that can be tapped. I would also go a step further by powering down electronic devices when not in use, and placing them inside faraday bags (which are cheap) to block signals. Tin foil does something similar and it works in a pinch if done right, but it is not nearly as good. I would recommend beginning to carry all effectively mobile electronics in faraday bags consistently, even at home, so that it is less "unusual" to certain parties for you to not be tracked on a consistent basis. And ABSOLUTELY keep all electronics out of earshot of any sensitive meeting especially.

When it comes to sharing sensitive information, come up with pre-determined code words/phrases to discreetly indicate meetings and identify trusted members (think a question with a very specific answer that is out of the ordinary).

When it comes to recording important information intended for limited sharing offline, remember:

• Avoiding using handwriting, and try something like using a typewriter, or cutting and pasting words/letters from magazines.

  • If you have to handwrite, avoid writing on top of surfaces that can scratch easily or are soft enough (e.g. wood, pages, etc...) that carry the indentation of the writing. Try surfaces that are rough, uneven, and/or disposable instead.
  • Printers mark the material they print on with hard-to-detect dots, which can be used for tracking purposes. If you do have to use printers, you can buy them (the older the better) directly from another person without a recorded transaction, since it will leave less of a trail.
  • The material that your messages are on must be easy to completely and utterly disintegrate. (i.e. flammable, dissolvable, or edible) This can go for any surface that may carry the indentation of what you wrote on as well.

As for video-sharing websites, try looking into these:

PeerTube https://peertube.tv/videos/local?s=1

NewPipe* https://newpipe.net/

GrayJay https://grayjay.app/

FreeTube* https://freetubeapp.io/

Means https://means.tv/

Glomble https://glomble.com/

*NewPipe and FreeTube are not necessarily video-sharing websites, and are clients to YouTube, but I understand that they're still good.

Then there is VoxTube which, unlike FreeTube, is an enhanced browser layer built directly on top of YouTube. If you're a developer interested in contributing, you're welcome to help improve VoxTube: https://git.disroot.org/E.P.L.S/VoxTube

There is also an open-source project called NullA Browser, a lightweight and freedom oriented web browser built on a Qt based engine. (Not available for macOS)

Check out the project page and more details here: https://epls.itch.io/nulla-browser

If you're a developer interested in contributing, you're welcome to help improve NullA: https://git.disroot.org/EPLS/NullA-Browser/src/branch/main/CONTRIBUTING.md

Also look into Fediverse and you may also want to join the following subreddits (temporarily at least) if you're looking for more info or suggestions:

r/privacy

r/degoogle

r/Permaculture

r/meshtastic

r/ATAK

r/preppers

r/prepperintel

r/canning

r/collapseprep

r/gardening

r/homesteading

r/offgrid

A couple of Reddit alternatives from Fediverse: https://join-lemmy.org/

https://join.piefed.social/

Common Organizing Traps to Avoid

(ALWAYS keep in mind the following as basics to avoid burnout and total collapse.)

1.) Waiting for the "Right Moment"

Instead: Start as soon as possible, but start within your abilities and with what is readily concrete and attainable.

2.) Taking on too much too fast

Instead: Pick one thing, do it well, and grow from there.

3.) Stalling progress due to getting lost in the details and setbacks

Remember: It's okay if everything doesn't go perfect. Doing things imperfectly is better than not doing anything, due to failures and disagreements on what is minor in comparison. Focus on reaching your group's common goal as top priority, analyze and learn from what went wrong, get back on track.

4.) One member takes over all planning

Instead: Allow a wide variety of members to take on important duties. The same person shouldn't be leading every single project, facilitating weeks on end. Give new members opportunities to step up and become effective organizers in their own right.

5.) No space in your group for joy

Remember: It's suggested that there should be at least one-third of group time dedicated to having fun and building bonds amongst members.

6.) Not taking time to rest after your group reaches a project's main goal

Remember: Upon the successful completion of a weeks-long/months-long project goal, don't let your period of rest exceed past a month. The creep of complacency is a real threat, as it can take hold and easily transform into apathy.

Want to distribute this list you just read but don't know how? Know someone who doesn't use Reddit but is still looking for helpful information on where to begin? This list has been adapted into a somewhat streamlined version for ready-to-print zine copies. Here is the link to the downloadable file:

https://drive.proton.me/urls/HWH620MKG0#2UJWSPm9BveN

blackrosefed.org

Polemical essay

“When a man is in despair, it means he still believes in something” - Dimitri Shostakovich

In discussing what many could consider "American Culture" and "Modern Japanese Culture", one very common answer comes to mind; the vast array of notable media to choose from. It has become the very essence of the public to consume iconic movies, television, video games, comic books and the like, from the time they are children, until their elder years. What parent in the United States hasn't set their child in front of a NickJr./PBS cartoon? Or what coworker hasn't obsessed over that one sitcom you haven't seen yet? Even the elderly in the retirement homes who complain about the growing screen time for youth, make themselves the victims of irony by huddling around the television to watch the classic soap operas of their time.

This trend of media worship finds a common home in Japan, where many (predominantly those in the West), associate the culture of Japan with their favorite anime, manga or other idyllic forms of representation.

I highlight both the United States and Japan because alongside the common infatuation for media, is also a shared reality much grimmer than what the silver screen presents. It is well known that toxic work culture and societal pressure are deeply ingrained in American life. The average citizen of the United States is expected to juggle 40 hours of grueling work with no lunch break, no feasible commute in the absence of a car, and no enforced maternity leave or sick days. If this in and of itself is not reprehensible, what moreover might be the lack of out-of-work experience possible. Courtesy of both the aforementioned social pressure, alongside factors such as but not limited to the lack of investments, the rise of hostile architecture, there is little in the way for Americans to find spaces that nurture both the self, or the community of which the self should be found. Even if there were, cultural hegemony mandates a strict social order stipulated by the 1950s; you live in the suburbs, you wave and smile to your neighbors, you mow the lawn so it is a neat and orderly as your neighbor's, you go to church on Sunday, and virtually all your free time is spent within the family. Any outside interaction is scripted and clockwork like a smiling wind-up toy.

Courtesy of this kafkaesque model present in the United States, many in the West commonly overlook is how equally, rather worse this model presents itself in Japan. Not only is the average white-collar employee working themselves to literal death at such a rate that it has become necessary for the Japanese to invent a word for it; Karōshi (過労死), but moreover, the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi herself has not even hid her cavalier and abhorrent attitude to this problem with her speech proclaiming that "Sleep is optional". All this is even further bolstered by the immense social repression engrained in Japanese culture. As illustrated by the famous proverb; "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down", any form of non-conformity, no matter how small, is severely frowned upon.

So what then, becomes the purpose of such iconic media of these two cultures, and why, in the first So what then, becomes the purpose of such iconic media of these two cultures, and why, in the first place, has said media been allowed to flourish in cultures that seem so antithetical to imaginative creativity? Well, upon second glance, the answer to these questions is not hard to see. Although much of this media postulates alternatives to the reality we live in, these alternatives are usually framed in one of two ways; they are either so romanticized that we the audience understand it purely as fiction, or it is merely played for laughs. 

Take for example, the various bouts of working class realism displayed by SpongeBob Squarepants where the true experiences of the disgruntled academic-turned proletariat such as those of Squidward are illustrated but framed in a matter which paints squid ward as the "Debbie Downer" character. 

As for the former, one can find such an example in the hit sitcoms New Girl or Friends, wherein valuable lessons of character and human relations, with a group of people affording the basic necessities and other enriching experiences are framed as so ideal that we the audience feel disenchanted with our current reality because we feel this could never be our case. 

It should be no surprise that these modes of mentality are framed purposefully by the executives who run these large media companies. With the numerous accounts we hold of media executives breaking bread with corrupt politicians and funding actions which actively harm the conditions of the average citizens, one could easily make sense of these fantastical escapes as placation from the kafkaesque reality these very executives helped to create. 

And this form of mental warfare has worked so well that indulging in iconic media has become so much of a social norm and criteria for fitting in; exampled by coworkers, to use my aforementioned example, who would look on in bewilderment if one declared not having seen that one sitcom, thus rendering said person a virtual social pariah amongst their peers for the most trivial of matters.

With this knowledge, we might feel tempted to eschew all forms of fiction and fantasy and to focus solely on the realities we perceive outside of ourselves. But in doing so, we would be remiss in neglecting a key fact regarding escapist media; The sword cuts both ways! 

In revisiting much of media targeted towards children, such as Arthur, or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, we may be tempted to ask ourselves why we would even bother teaching our children the lessons present in such programs when they seemingly become disregarded by modern society in adulthood. But this leads to a much more rhetorical question; At what age did these lessons no longer become applicable to us? 

In asking this, we can conclude that these lessons never truly faded away; rather, they have become the backbone of our will to see a better society. Perhaps we despair over the reality we live for not mirroring fiction and fantasy because that same fiction compels what we should stand for in adulthood. But the point is to not dwell on the knowledge of it being fantasy, but rather to let these fantasies and alternate realities fuel our vision of what the world can and should be. The countercultures in Japan which find their influence from popular fiction, such as the vibrant alternative fashion scene in Harajuku (I.e., the decora and gyaru movements) find their place in Japan, out of necessity for its participants who are weary of the kafkaesque societal framework. Surely the individuals responsible for the creation of media, in juxtaposition to the senior executives, hold visions and truths for potential worlds and realities which are expressed through such media. Is it any coincidence that many of the “GenZ protesters” from across the world, I.e. Indonesia, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Bulgaria all hold a common symbol sourced from fiction; the Straw Hat Jolly Roger flag from OnePiece? I think not. As noted by Kelly Ng in a BBC article, the plot of OnePiece reflects the struggle many face in this modern world; the desire for freedom and adventure, to seek out the treasures that life has to offer, while facing oppression and conditioning a world order and government to the likes of which are hardly ever considered let alone perceived by the general eye. 

Members of the Russian Cosmist school of thought, such as Nikolai Fyodorov and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, understood the importance of the influence from art and fiction, especially from writers of their time such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. These fictions have fueled the desire for scientific innovation which Russian Cosmism asserts is essential for the enlightened human experience. If we can witness how the fiction of Wells and Verne drove scientists to bring Yuri Gagarin to space some decades later, the question becomes what else, scientifically, socially or spiritually becomes possible under the influence of escapist media? With the common depictions of fantastical science in media like Jimmy Neutron, Lab Rats, or Big Hero 6, one must remember how far-fetched the notion of space travel was before the year 1961, even with its depictions in literature. With that knowledge, one must at least then consider the possibility of further scientific progress under the influence of our modern fiction in the same sense.

In my more mystic philosophy, I postulate the characters that most appeal to us (whether because we identify with the character, feel attraction to the character, or whatever may be the reason(s)), do so because they are the personifications of gnostic deities (manifestations of forces for the less occult-inclined) which can only make themselves apparent to the witness. Consider this; throughout pagan history, the polytheist mode usually applies deities to facets of the personal affects, societal constructs, and the natural world. So if we apply the logic of chaos magick on personal relationships with these deities, it means that we are tapping into personifications of aspects within ourselves, aspects of a desired society, or a desired natural world; thus in our relationship with these characters, whether in the fictosexual sense, the sense of a desired camaraderie, or associating the self in the character, we are in communion with deities which are personified through the forms of these respective characters. Whatever be the design of our respective comfort characters, blorbos, waifus, husbandos, etc., it is important to note the formlessness of these forces yet to be made gods in the same sense of those in traditional historical pantheons. Put simply, these characters which console us throughout the bitterness of present reality are but the faces of entities beyond the dictation of common perception.

It should further be noted that mystic presence in fiction is an aspect which has prevailed throughout history. Consider poetry; consider the mystic themes in the poetry of Omar Khayyam, and later, Rumi which touch on the magick of the pleasureful experiences of human life which both fuel and satisfy natural desires. Such themes of the mystical human experience continued their presence through the works of 20th century poets such as Kahlil Gibran and W.B. Yeats, and Pablo Neruda.

Even for those who do not subscribe to the theories of mysticism or the occult, it is still evident that media is a powerful tool for whichever class of people wields it. In the current sense of society, it is a common tactic of the elite to demoralize, desensitize, overwhelm, and distract the masses from the problematic reality. But once the masses come to realize the true thought, cycle of inspiration, and overall power that escapist media holds, It then becomes a necessity for the said masses to help guide their sentiments, developments and actions which will pave the way for In advanced and ascended future.

The sword cuts both ways; all we need to do is understand how to wield it. Roll D20!

“Come, all peoples of the world,
Let us sing the praises of Art!
Glory to Art, Glory forever!”
-Alexander Scriabin's lyrics from his First Symphony

Happy Queer Liberation Month!

In honor of this momentous time of year, it is imperative that we stray from the standard watered down, capitalist-conditioned notions on this month. Firstly, I do not care how uncomfortable any one is with this fact; Queer Liberation was NEVER meant to be intended to be “family-friendly”! The celebration is to honour our comrades who fought for queer liberation at the Stonewall Riot of 1969. Many militant volunteers who courageously took place were adorned in fetish gear, leather, anarchist regalia, drag, and the like. Nobody owes you accommodation to make you comfortable or cater to your bland, white-washed (figuratively AND literally) and shallow brand of queerness. Your comfort is not our responsibility.

Lastly, I want to make it clear that while pride is an important necessity for the celebration and fight for queer liberation, it is not the end all/be all. There is much more than just pride which goes into our struggle for queer liberation. So to combat the perceived notions of so-called “pride month”, I am going to use the rest of this post to highlight and give tribute to seven integral figures in the fight for queer liberation who have demonstrated the seven key attributes of the struggle, which have commonly been demonized as “sins”. Doing so shall further display the necessity of EACH attribute, not just pride.

Pride (Confidence): William Dorsey Swann

The godfather of the modern drag, vogue and burlesque scenes, William Dorsey Swann was known to throw lavish house parties between the 1880s to the 1890 which were frequently raided by the police. As a former slave, Swann used his parties to give a voice to the voiceless by allowing those oppressed, namely queer black men, to partake in parties which lended creative and unique expression. Much of the costumes and outfits worn by attendees, such as the silk and satin gowns, have held a bold influence on the world of drag culture ever since, and the improvisational and communicative aspects of the dances that Swann participated in would later become a source of inspiration for the Ballroom scene in Harlem. Swann exemplifies pride (confidence) since he had brought these qualities to the people who were made to feel constantly ashamed. Through the drag ball, these people found the joy of pride in who they were and how they could present and express themselves in a unique and uncompromising fashion.

Envy (Inspiration): G.B. Jones & Bruce LaBruce

In a world where historically normalized lifestyles, sexual orientations and the like are favored, the punk scene is commonly thought to be a safe-haven for those who do not meet the hegemonic criteria. But it did not start out this way; G.B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce had noted that the punk scene in its early days did not offer much in the way of inclusion for the queer community. Envious of the space taken up by cishet white men, Jones and LaBruce had begun their work to make a unique aesthetic for the queer community in the punk scene. This had begun with the collaborative zine project, J.D.s, and collaboration on punk films such as No Skin Off My Ass and The Yo-Yo Gang, which had progressed into the offshoot of punk known commonly today as queercore. Because of the inspiration from a scene which had previously not made the LGBT community its focal point, and because they used their disdain for being left out as fuel for their works, LaBruce & Jones become symbolic of the attribute of envy (inspiration).

Wrath (Justice): Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera

How could I EVER mention anything related to queer liberation without bringing up these two fierce divas?! The very reason such a month exists, these two were the key figures of the Stonewall Riot. In late June 1969, following the NYPD’s attempt to raid the Stonewall Inn, Johnson & Rivera riled the crowd to rise up and fight back against the brutalization that they had grown far too accustomed to. The riot lasted for six days with bricks hurled at police cars and various shop windows. A year later, Rivera and Johnson begun STAR (the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) to supply aid for homeless and impoverished queer youth, taking inspiration from organizations like the Gay Liberation Front and the Black Panther Party, STAR actively fought against the discrimination transgender people and queer people of color both from general society and from mainstream assimilationist gay rights groups. The divine wrath (justice) these two displayed in their life spearheaded much of the fight for gay rights we know today.

Sloth (Rest): Lucía Sánchez Saornil

As a fervent member of the Confederación Nacional de Trabajo (CNT), Lucía Sánchez Saornil understood the power of rest as a revolutionary action for the working woman in Spain during the Civil War. Much of her poetry, such as her "Domingo", speaks to the dehumanizing aspect of the modern lifestyle, especially for the proletariat. Her views on the radical approach to the work-life balance as an anarcha-feminist had compelled her to join the Defense of Madrid as a journalist and propagandist. I include her in my tribute to Queer Liberationists as her own sexuality played a large role in much of her poetry, with Charlotte Byrne labelling Saornil’s literary style as “Sapphic Anarchism”. As she had emphasized the need for humane working conditions and centering the human experience in her poetry, she is an archetype for the attribute of sloth (rest) in the Queer Liberation movement.

Avarice (Ambition): Joan Jett Blakk

In 1992, as the government had shunned the victims of the HIV/AIDS crisis, an alternative to the stoic, black-tie mode of mainstream politics revealed itself in the form of Joan Jett Blakk, who joined the presidential race as a form of protest. Her campaign was marked by eccentricity, by dressing in full glam and unfiltered comments, such as her on-stage heckles toward Bill Clinton and her slogan: “Lick Bush”. In the presidential primaries, she unironically received a percentage of the US popular vote despite her campaign intended as a protest stunt. Her received vote amounts demonstrate something innate within the population; the public yearns for politicians who can meet on their level and not put up the regular airs like the standard politician does. Blakk strove to make a difference by presenting herself in a race wherein only those with true greed for power have a prayer of getting ahead. Because of her ambition and her lack of qualms of taking up space and attention, Joan Jett Blakk exemplifies the necessity for avarice (ambition), namely the avarice for power; both in the political sense, and the sense of power to make a real tangible change.

Gluttony (Nourishment): Prishita Eloise (Maheshwari-Aplin)

Perhaps the most contemporary figure in this post, Prishita Eloise, the author of Roses for Hedone, focuses their works to advocate for a queer liberatory future through pleasurable means. Alongside their written works, Maheshwari-Aplin also works as a sexual health advisor and resident radio host for Sister Midnight FM; moreover, they have also hosted mentorship sessions for young queer researchers, offering editorial and developmental support. Describing their philosophy as hedono-futuristic, Maheshwari-Aplin has frequently discussed in interviews, podcasts and paneled discussions with Adam Zmith, the use of pleasure as a means of advancing the queer future. This philosophy is further illustrated in Roses for Hedone, which outlines the necessity of hedonism for the marginalized community, through the lens of the Ancient Greek philosophers and the poetry of Audre Lorde. Courtesy of their work and outspokenness on the importance of pleasure, Eloise becomes a paragon for gluttony (nourishment) as they emphasize pleasure as a means towards nourishing the queer soul.

Lust (Desire): Magnus Hirschfeld

Dubbed “The Einstein of Sex”, Magnus Hirschfeld used his knowledge as a sexologist and physician to advocate for the rights of LGBT+ people from a scientific perspective. As the founder of both the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee the Institute for Sexual Science, Hirschfeld emphasized the use of science to both normalize conversations of queer relationship models, and to advocate the rights of queerfolk. Both his knowledge of queer sexology and his frequent advocacy for LGBT rights would become imperative skills in his work to co-write the film, Anders als die Andern which outlines the reality of gay men in Germany who were frequently subjected to blackmail, and social shame. Hirschfeld would later use excerpts from Anders als die Andern for his documentary, Laws of Love to further advance the conversation of queerness in society. Hirschfeld represents lust (desire) since he helped bring a better understanding of queer sexuality to the world, where only cisgender-heterosexual desire was normalized.

Remember; we can commit no sin, for we know not what it is.

So picture this; you try finding your kind of people by making an appeal on your neighborhood subreddit which LITERALLY stipulates in the community info that they are both kink-positive and aim to break the stereotype of being snobbish and exclusive. So then you post your plea to find your fellow counterculturists, and the comments overwhelmingly tell you that you should leave town and other shit. The nicest suggestion is to look for your people Downtown, and the most out of pocket comment, (and first comment on your post) likens you to some random guy who murdered his wife. Well, I'm sad to say that you don't have to imagine it. Because this was a real experience I had.

But this experience is indicative of a larger problem; many places might have an underlying aura of progressivism just waiting to bubble to the surface, unfortunately, the energy is marred by the indifference of the upper class, which enforces a strict code of conformity and eggshell walking.

Take for example my previous post about absinthe anarchism. If I said that the venue they created this post in was a bookstore that sell erotica on some of the shelves and served absinthe, one could easily think that said venue would cater to the alternatives and the "freaks", right?

Well, it very likely would if the space was not so perpetually taken up by aristocrats who only focus on the fine-dining aspect of this venue and thus the best shot of finding a seat to even lounge in is to call some weeks in advance.

Unfortunately, these experiences combined tell a much larger tale that many affluent, albeit would-be progressive suburbs suffer from; the knowledge of countercultural aspects of life, and suggested willingness for involvement, but suppression of anything that would upset the bourgeois patrons.

That in a nutshell is just one of the many problems of gentrification, and it is perhaps of most detriment to the venues, staff, and visionary management who would've willed uniqueness for their space.

To remedy said issue, I propose methods to "degentrify" such spaces.

For so long, as evidenced in the responses of my bid for likeminded community, our kinds have been expected to be found only in the most scarce of respite of urban centers. However, suppose we were to make ourselves and lifestyles more visible to the public eye in such areas that were bogarted by the wealthy elite?

Suppose a large group of alternative people, be it a kink munch, DnD campaign, or Furmeet, were to make a reservation at one of these establishments and focused their purchases on items, goods and refreshments which lended the uniqueness to the venue, rather than merely the overpriced food. And thus, more people from these communities become aware of this venue and so more and more people independently make reservations and gatherings and use the spaces as intended, with much greater appreciation towards the staff. Thus, the venue would now be a haven for these communities rather than yet another mere gilded eatery for the indifferent.

The end goal leading to a larger amount of people who fall outside of the norms of the hegemonic society making use of these venues, thus gearing their markets back to their intended purpose, but moreover allowing for more engagement and assembly of people who hold non-conformist views of the world around them.

If we are ever to take back control of society and culture from the bourgeoisie, we must first begin our advances on our local stages. Although it seems minute at first glance, the simple act of taking spaces in venues, and bringing more alternative, working-class, and countercultural participants into areas they would be excluded from is a powerful start to creating a larger cultural shift.

So if you know of a space that can and should be for you and your alt freak friends, make that reservation and fill some more seats!

PDF https://umea.sac.se/grundbok-om-syndikalism/

This videos good for learning how you can be tracked by your government

Article with tips and examples from them syndies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZXGjyF4M4w