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Tag: Activism

Gonzo Notes: The Left’s Texas ProblemHands Off Protest, April 5 2025. A crowd gathered on the Texas Capitol grounds under a grey sky, many of them are holding signs like "Fuck Elon" and "Hey Congress: The Emperor Has No Clothes It's Time to Tell Him."
"Hands Off" Protest Austin, Texas April 5 2025 (Kit O'Connell)
April 14, 2025
Kit
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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?

Read moreGonzo Notes: The Left’s Texas Problem
Deceleration: ‘We Keep Us Safe’ is not just a motto for Texas mask blocsAn photo of a group of masked people holding a banner on an overpass reading Long COVID is a Public Health Emergency! One in the center of the group is holding their hand up in a dramatic gesture.
(Kit O'Connell)
April 9, 2025
Kit
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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.”

Read moreDeceleration: ‘We Keep Us Safe’ is not just a motto for Texas mask blocs
Understanding Bad Bills in the Texas LegislatureThe dome of the Texas Capitol building, seen from below, with a Lone Star at the peak.
(Ameer Basheer on Unsplash)
March 22, 2025
Kit
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Understanding Bad Bills in the Texas Legislature

Posted in Austin, Journalism, and LGBTQIA

The 89th session of the Texas legislature is underway, and thousands of bills were filed before the deadline earlier this month. But only a few will actually reach the governor’s desk.

Currently, over 100 of these bills directly target LGBTQ+ rights. These include almost every aspect of life as a queer, or especially a transgender person, in our state — from health care to just generally being ‘out’ in public.

But the Texas legislature only meets for a handful of months every other year. During that limited window, lawmakers contend with a wish list of bills from the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house. This agenda gets first priority, and can eat up a lot of time. Out of the 10,000s of bills that are introduced each year, only a tiny fraction pass. While the governor can, and does abuse his authority to call an “emergency” session from time to time, doing so costs the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It’s valid to feel afraid — the Republican Party is open about its desire to erase LGBTQIA+ people from public life in the U.S. However, only a small portion of the bad bills will even reach committee this year, much less have a chance of becoming a law. I think it’s important to know which bills are most likely to move, because it shows us where we should focus our efforts to fight back. If we stop bad bills this session, it might be harder to pass worse ones next.

Read moreUnderstanding Bad Bills in the Texas Legislature
Austin Free Press: A U.T. professor and state trooper collideRich Heyman stands in front of a line of state troopers at a protest, wearing a blue button down and khaki shorts. His curly hair and beard are salt and pepper gray. He has a water bottle in one hand.
Rich Heyman at UT Austin on April 29, 2024. (Kit O'Connell)
March 13, 2025
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Austin Free Press: A U.T. professor and state trooper collide

Posted in Austin, Austin Free Press, and Journalism

Reporter’s Notebook: Kit O’Connell reflects on pro-Palestinian protests on UT-Austin’s campus last spring. Their commentary is accompanied by a video of the incident never before released to the public.

On a blistering April day I arrived at the University of Texas at Austin last year, after receiving a tip that more Gaza protests were breaking out at UT’s South Mall. I didn’t know then that a well-regarded professor whom I previously interviewed was about to have a life-changing altercation that would land him in jail and end his UT career.

Five days before, students had gathered in that grassy, open area to oppose Israel’s bombing campaign. Dozens of Department of Public Safety State Troopers, under orders from Governor Greg Abbott and with support of then-UT Austin president Jay Hartzell, had aggressively broken up the protest. Then, on April 29, the students were back; this time, they planned to pitch tents and form a protest encampment.

Read moreAustin Free Press: A U.T. professor and state trooper collide
Don’t be a platform for fascist propagandaA black stencil on a white wall: "Antifascists"
Chris Christian/Flickr, Creative Commons license
March 11, 2025
Kit
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Don’t be a platform for fascist propaganda

Posted in Activism, and Journalism

You’ve probably heard someone say ‘Don’t platform nazis.’ It means don’t publish fascist garbage uncritically on your platform. It’s usually directed at journalists, influencers and others with a big audience.

But here, I’m highlighting smaller ways well-meaning people accidentally spread fascist propaganda. These are some ways I see people inadvertently giving a platform to the worst among us:

Read moreDon’t be a platform for fascist propaganda