Happy birthday, repmarktakano, from your pals at 18MR!
hestmord:
Today in Thailand, riot cops yield to peaceful protesters by removing barricades AND their helmets in a shocking gesture of solidarity.
Image: AalliaDEAR TUMBLR,
what you are seeing is not cops showing a sign of solidarity
what you are seeing are pro-royalist cops ignoring their democratic government and allowing pro-royalist protestors to continue their attempted coup
what is happening in Thailand is the equivalent of what happened in Spain when the monarchists/fascists/conservatives rebelled against the newly elected republican government.
Tumblr needs to stop glorifying every protest as if it is some radical thing, a lot of the ones I’ve seen on here getting re-blogged are simply protest porn without any appreciation of what has is actually happening
I’ve literally seen leftists on here reblogging pro-loyalist photos of riots in Northern Ireland…
here’s a link to what is actually going on in Thailand, at least according to the news sources:
Who are the protestors
Mostly metropolitan and middle-class, they are a loose coalition of anti-Thaksin groups associated with the opposition Democrat Party and likely backed by Thailand’s traditional elite: big businessmen, conservative generals, aristocrats and royal advisors.
Who supports the government?
Pheu Thai’s populist policies ensure it commands huge support in the densely-populated rural north and northeast of Thailand and among the urban working-class.
Why is Thaksin such a divisive figure?
Protestors view Thaksin and the Yingluck government as hopelessly corrupt and as a challenge to the authority of Thailand’s revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
That’s some real talk!
If your support for protest movements doesn’t distinguish between those that are progressive or revolutionary and those that are rightwing and anti-democratic (like this one in Thailand and the one going in Ukraine right now), it’s time to think deeper.
tumblr users shocked to discover that cops are, in fact, still shit
oh hey look at that. thanks for the tip, tranqualizer.
(via queerlyfemmetastic-blog)
EDIT: I’ve learned that, to the contrary, this isn’t actually the case. It makes me sad to report that the police are still the police.
chefboyardeezie:
it’s been 1 year since the most influential event of all time
happy anniversary, ikea monkey.
(via ablogwithoutpants)
Robert Cotterman & Aeinghel Amaro are the first binational Philippine-American couple to receive a fiance visa, post-DOMA.
Congratulations, Robert & Aeinghel!
Congratulations, Robert & Aeinghel!
(Our sources misgender Aeinghel, but if you want a source, here’s one.)
Cultural Appropriation, Star Wars and the Myths of White Supremacy
“Look, without our stories, without the true nature and reality of who we are as People of Color, nothing about fanboy or fangirl culture would make sense. What I mean by that is: if it wasn’t for race, X-Men doesn’t sense. If it wasn’t for the history of breeding human beings in the New World through chattel slavery, Dune doesn’t make sense. If it wasn’t for the history of colonialism and imperialism, Star Wars doesn’t make sense. If it wasn’t for the extermination of so many Indigenous First Nations, most of what we call science fiction’s contact stories doesn’t make sense. Without us as the secret sauce, none of this works, and it is about time that we understood that we are the Force that holds the Star Wars universe together. We’re the Prime Directive that makes Star Trek possible, yeah. In the Green Lantern Corps, we are the oath. We are all of these things—erased, and yet without us—we are essential.” — Junot Díaz
Ever since I saw this quote I’ve been thinking about my favorite fantasy franchises like Star Wars, and how they function in entirely white worlds while depending on racial tropes and stereotypes in order to build that world. For example, the Jedi Knights very clearly draw from Buddhist philosophies, and yet they are almost all played by white men.Another striking example though is the costuming of Padme, played by Natalie Portman, in the newer SW movies.For example:This exquisite and elaborate regalia is based directly off off Mongolian royal attire, pictured below:
I mean they weren’t really trying to be subtle about it. They just assumed, as most white people do, that nobody watching Star Wars would care or know enough about Asian cultures to notice.
Example 2:
This exquisite hairstyle is also borrowed from a POC culture, specifically an NDN one.
The above image is titled simply “Hopi Girl” and was taken by a white male photographer named Edward S. Curtis who obviously didn’t care to differentiate his subjects with names. The Hopi nation is based in the Southwestern United States.
(via asiansnotstudying-blog)
Yes, this is the same room. Jee Young Lee makes art in her studio–and her studio is part of the art. The Korean artist transforms her small room into these incredible dreamscapes that she then photographs herself in.
Evan Low was first elected mayor of Campbell, CA, at 26, making him the youngest Asian American and youngest gay mayor in America. He’s been making waves advocating for justice in his community and nationally.
Today, he was named one of the 2013 Silicon Valley 40 under 40. Congrats, Evan!
On Friday, we delivered your words of support to Naderev Saño to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco! Deputy Consul General Jaime Ramon Ascalon took time out of his day to talk with us and our friends from Asian Pacific Environmental Network and Upwell about how we can continue efforts to support the Philippine recovery.
Thank you for your kind words; the Deputy Consul General was visibly moved by some of your comments, and promised to make sure they reach Yeb in the Philippines!
Happy birthday Patsy. You’re an inspiration to us all!
Patsy Mink was the first woman of color elected to Congress, and as an elected official did everything she could to be ahead of the majority!
(I couldn’t help it. Second Patsy Mink post.)