#discrimination

It's hard to know what to write about this one.

On the one hand, I experience much of Lama Rod's teaching in this book as brilliantly creative. The meditation instructions are well-systematized and I found the guidance helpful, especially for the #7homecomings, #tonglen, and #EarthTouching / #bhūmisparśa practices. I also deeply appreciated his acknowledgement of the issues present in the #Tibetan #Buddhist tradition and his way of relating to flawed teachers in a system vulnerable to abuse of power was valuable for me. The way he addresses #racism, #whitesupremacy, #queerphobia, #patriarchy and other forms of #discrimination or #opression reminded me favorably of Sebene Selassie's You Belong.

On the other, having now listened to it in its entirety, it seems like the book might have put together in a piecemeal sort of way. I get the impression that this might have been intentional or seen as unproblematic as a way to enhance the sense of authenticity. I listened to the audio version, and while the inclusion of the original audio for the interviews was a nice touch, it felt a lot like recycling content to me—I think I would have preferred a more edited final version with links to the originals for anyone who wanted to dig deeper.

On the whole, it was well worth the time I spent with it. I feel like I've learned quite a bit. If anyone is reading this and trying to decide between the print & audio versions, I would guess that the print version might be a bit easier to use, especially if one intends to refer frequently to the instructions for #meditation and #reflection.

RFK Jr says only the “sick children” should die of measles.

Dr Oz says that Medicaid and Medicare aren’t “getting their money’s worth”

Casey Means (nominee for Surgeon General) is a wellness influencer who claims that “good energy” can heal chronic illness.

They’re eugenicists. They’re dismantling social supports and conditioning people to blame the disabled for being sick. They’re training you not to care about us.

Next up is Medicaid. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Aims to slash Medicaid funding.

Medicaid currently provides care to a third of disabled children and 7 out of 10 poor disabled children.

It’s a cull. They see us as “undesirables” so they’re going to eliminate us.

Please fight back. Speak up. Tell your elected officials you do not support ANY cuts to Medicaid.

#medicaid #snap #uspoli #fascism #ableism #eugenics #disability #discrimination

If you’re not fighting against mask bans because you think they “only” apply to those committing crimes… consider the following:

Who decides who’s committing a crime? The police. POC who mask will be disproportionately targeted.

Who decides if your medical exemption is “good enough”? Police

The police aren’t doctors. It shouldn’t be up to them to determine who has a valid reason for masking.

Many disabilities are invisible. We struggle to convince healthcare workers that we’re sick. What chance do we have with law enforcement?

Non disabled people also need the right to mask.

Finally, anti mask sentiment is at an all time high.

Before COVID, no one cared if you wore a mask in public. The worst that would happen is you might get a strange look.

Now there’s an entire segment of the population who see it as political virtue signalling.

There’s others with unresolved pandemic trauma who get irrationally angry when they see someone wearing a mask.

It’s (sadly) no longer a non event. Now it’s controversial. Adversarial. Political.

As a result, criminalizing masks will only further embolden those who seek to harm maskers

We need to normalize masks as a public health tool before it’s too late.

If you care about social justice, disability rights, fighting fascism or your health… you should be wearing a mask. Ideally an N95 or better.

The more of us wearing them, the harder they will be to ban.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming these bans are “no big deal”.

They are a very big deal. They will cost lives. Both due to Covid spread and also violence at the hands of law enforcement or vigilante anti-maskers.

Call and email your elected officials. Tell them no mask bans.

#maskbans #uspoli #noNYmaskban #uglylaws #ableism #discrimination #covidisnotover #covidisairborne #disability #wearamask

The Good Law Project is fundraising to challenge the UK Supreme Court's recent ruling on in the European Court of Human Rights.

If you are unaware, the ruling of the UK Supreme Court was that under the Equality Act 2010, 'sex' was to be interpreted as 'biological sex', rather than gender. This upended over a decade of existing practice and interpretation.

If you are able to contribute, please do: this ruling was devastating blow to the community, undermining our expectations and safety.

https://goodlawproject.org/crowdfunder/supreme-court-human-rights-for-trans-people

Boosts would be welcome - the more people see this, the better the chances of them hitting their goal.

#Trans
#TransRights
#CrowdfFunding
#UKpol
#SupremeCourt
#Discrimination
#EqualityAct2010

Me at ER for cardiac issues

Dr: “Could you be pregnant?”

Me: “No I had a hysterectomy”

Dr: “You look too young for that? Are you sure?”

Me: “I’m confident”

Dr: “I think you might be confused. Maybe it was your appendix.”

Proceeds to order pregnancy test

I’ve had this interaction more times than I can count

Healthcare workers think I’m “too young” to have had a hysterectomy and automatically assume I’m confusing my womb with another organ.

They ask endless questions, only to end up doing a pregnancy test anyways

Perhaps there are patients who confuse their uterus for their appendix, but I would imagine that’s exceedingly rare

The battle I went through to get my hysterectomy was long and arduous. It involved many physicians lecturing me about how I would never be able to have children

Asking insensitive questions like:

“Don’t you want to be a Mom?”

“You might want biological children, many women do”

“What happens if you meet your dream man and he leaves you for being barren?”

You don’t have to endure this type of insulting and misogynistic third degree to get your appendix or gallbladder removed.

They inform you of the surgical risks, you consent, the end.

There’s simply no plausible way to confuse the removal of a WOMB with an appendix

Despite these obvious facts, I’ve had countless doctors assume I’m wrong. That I couldn’t possibly have lost my uterus and it must have been something less important.

I’ve even had “patient CLAIMS hysterectomy”’written in my chart.

Why someone would lie about something so easy to prove or disprove is beyond me.

The end result is always a delay in care while we argue and then wait for an unnecessary pregnancy test which always comes back negative.

Surely we can do better?

I understand that doctors must have a degree of skepticism, and that the price of missing a pregnancy can be incredibly high.

I’m not opposed to them running a pregnancy test if that’s what they feel they need to do.

I am opposed to the delays and gaslighting

It was traumatic to lose my uterus at a young age. The healthcare workers who inundated me with misogynistic questions & put a hypothetical man before me and my health? They didn’t make it any easier.

I feel that trauma all over again whenever I’m questioned about pregnancy

I wish we could endeavour to either TRUST our patient, or just run the pregnancy test without all the unnecessary and (often) rude comments.

I don’t object to the test, I object to the way I’m treated leading up to the test.

Patients know their body best. We know the difference between a womb and an appendix. We know when we’re being talked down to and mistreated.

It causes trauma. Makes us less likely to trust the provider and far less likely to seek care in the future

Please treat your patients with the dignity they deserve. Don’t judge them on how they look, the chronic illness or disability they have or their gender or sexual orientation. Listen to them. Work with them. Let them be a partner in their care.

We can do better together /end
After the hysterectomy I also had a post op complication that was ignored by the ER three times. I had a life threatening internal bleed, but was sent home without tests because they thought I was “exaggerating”.

We MUST listen to patients. I only survived because my accidental advocate stepped up

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/my-most-dangerous-er-experience-and

#misogyny #medicalmisogyny #womenshealth #obgyn #ableism #disability #endometriosis #hysterectomy #discrimination #mybodymychoice

People often ask me why I’m outspoken about trans rights. I’m not trans so “why do you care?”

The Ogre nailed it. I care because what the government is doing to trans people is wrong. I care because we are being conditioned to accept atrocities. Conditioned to allow our fellow human being to be treated in discriminatory, dangerous and appalling ways. Conditioned to look away from the suffering of others.

It seems plainly obvious to me. They’re creating a villain where one doesn’t exist. Whipping people into a frenzy over perceived dangers like trans women in bathrooms and sports… instead of dealing with the very real dangers that are facing us (pandemics, climate change, the fall of democracy and capitalism).

They’re starting with trans people because they’re an easy mark. They’re a small percentage of the population, many people don’t think they know any trans people and therefore they don’t see it as a “big issue”.

Stripping people of their dignity and rights will always be a big issue. Just because it’s not happening to a group you care about doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak out against it.

The trans community need allies. They need people to see how wrong this is and say “enough is enough”. They are not a threat and they don’t deserve to be treated as one.

Lastly… this type of hateful rhetoric doesn’t stop with one group of people.

It doesn’t stop at all.

They will keep coming for your rights. The rights of LGBTQ+ communities. The rights of immigrants and marginalized individuals. The rights of the unhoused. The rights of women.

They will keep coming.

If you wait to speak up, before you know it, it’ll be too late.

Speak up now. Ask the tough questions. Get to know a trans person. Support them. We are stronger together.

https://open.substack.com/pub/opinionatedogre/p/trans-genocide-is-beginning-wheres?r=19dk2e&utm_medium=ios

#lgbtq #transrights #TransRightsAreHumanRights #discrimination #uspol

My latest article is about the shooting of CEO Brian Thompson and how NYC Mayor Adams seems poised to use it as an excuse to bring in a ban on masks (which he’s wanted to do for awhile).

Mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and put lives at risk.

We are still IN an airborne pandemic. Everyone - whether disabled or not - should have the legal right to protect themselves from infection.

People need masks for all kinds of reasons. Pollution, wildfire smoke, allergies AND Covid. No one should be forced to risk their health because a necessary medical device has been criminalized for absolutely no reason.

Make no mistake - these bans won’t stop crime. Studies have shown that sunglasses obscure identity more effectively.

The only reason to ban masks is to pander to those on the right still angry about mask mandates - and to make it easier for the government to surveil its citizens.

Ironically those who screamed the loudest about freedom and bodily autonomy during mask mandates are eerily quiet about mask bans - despite the fact that they represent escalating fascism and government overreach.

We really are on our own.

Please - mask up. Do it in solidarity with disabled people who NEED masks in order to safely access public spaces. Do it to support the Covid aware people who just want to avoid infection. Do it to send a message to the government that you don’t believe anyone is expendable. Do it to protect our right to mask in the future.

It’s not too late - but we must get loud, work fast and wear our masks.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nyc-mayor-wants-to-ban-masks-in-the

#maskbans #nomaskbans #noNYmaskban #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #wearamask #respirator #brianthompson #luigimangione #ableism #discrimination #disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #maskup