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Month: April 2025

How Democrasexy Finds Joy In Political Action

Posted in Activism, Austin, and Journalism

These are dark and scary times, and it can be hard to hold onto joy. But it’s also difficult to motivate people using pure doom and gloom. Activism and action without considering our own happiness leads to burnout.

Since 2021, Becky Bullard has been encouraging playfulness, a spirit of mysticism and even sexiness in political action through Democrasexy, the organization she founded. Her first event was a “Texorcism,” a gathering to symbolically “cast out the demons” at the Texas Capitol who had brought on the state’s six-week abortion ban. 

“We all dressed like witches. I had drag performers. We had a panel on abortion rights and a tarot reading for Texas,” Becky told me.

Gonzo Notes: The Left’s Texas Problem

Posted in Activism, Austin, Gonzo Notes, and Journalism

The American left has a Texas problem. 

Really, it’s a problem of Red vs. Blue. I’m not talking about the problem with treating decisions about how we govern society as if it was a horse race, or between teams at a sporting event. What I’m thinking about today — in the spirit of  deescalating every conflict that isn’t with our true enemies (thank you, Margaret Killjoy) — is the way misconceptions about who lives in Texas, and how we vote, encourage an attitude of disposability and dehumanization.

As a Texas journalist, one cornerstone of my work has been making people understand that what happens in this state is relevant to them, even if they live outside of it. Southern states like Texas have been a laboratory for so much of the Republican policy that’s now being implemented nationwide by the Trump regime. More so, the lives of people here matter a great deal to me, and they should matter to you too.

So why do I see liberals from other states who are willing, even eager, to abandon the people who live here?

Deceleration: ‘We Keep Us Safe’ is not just a motto for Texas mask blocs

Posted in Austin, Deceleration, and Journalism

The COVID-19 pandemic continues, claiming lives and leaving others disabled, even as the federal government begins dismantling the already underfunded infrastructure meant to protect us from such illnesses. At a time when American culture has largely moved on, who protects the sick or immunocompromised?

In cities across the United States, volunteer-led “mask blocs” and clean air clubs are stepping  up to fill in the gaps that vulnerable people might otherwise slip through. At a time when compassion for others is often seen as a radical act–if not derided as leading to the downfall of “Western Civilization”—they’re cultivating an atmosphere of collective care. KD Drackert, an advocate for people with Long COVID and one of the founders of Clear the Air ATX, said they want others to understand the role all of us play in creating a safer, more accessible world. 

“People … don’t understand that this is a collective issue they are a part of,” Drackert told Deceleration. “That has created this weird dynamic where people are like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. That’s so hard.’ … And I’m like, wait, no, this isn’t just about me. This is about you too.”