Welcome back to the Lighthouse! It has been a month. We saw a more contentious Pride month, with even rainbow capitalism folding to violent anti-queer/anti-trans bigots, and the air quality and heat getting worse in many places, with Black, brown, and unhoused/housing insecure people bearing the brunt of it, as well pregnant people who face unique risks. The heat could also threaten the energy grid, even in places that don’t normally have issues in summer (like Wisconsin), which could lead to shortages during peak times. And mask mandates even in many healthcare settings are being rolled back despite the on-going pandemic, leaving immunocompromised and disabled people in particular at even higher risk.
But there have also been some positives. The 19th has a collection of Pride month stories that highlight the four themes of resistance, resilience, recreation, and rest. Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming care was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge, which will hopefully set a precedent for other states. Christina Lusk, a trans woman incarcerated in Minnesota, won her lawsuit to get moved to a women’s prison and have access to gender-affirming healthcare, after three years of fighting. A lot of places are sharing information on staying safer in the heat and in areas with poor air quality, like NPR’s tips to help you stay safe and cool in extreme heat and info on how to protect yourself from poor air quality. For air quality, a lot of the same methods that COVID taught us still apply, such as wearing a high quality mask, air filtering, and limiting exposure, so many of us still have — and can distribute — the tools that help. And the Supreme Court left the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) intact, which affirms tribal sovereignty and “the tribal efforts to protect children, language and culture while working to reunify families.” So while it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the absolute garbage, it’s important to recognize the wins as well to avoid falling into despair. Or at least, that’s what I’ve been trying to do!
Now, onto the newsletter!
The 19th’s fellows reflect on the meaning of freedom in honor of Juneteenth
“For me, right now, Juneteenth means the chance, the honor and the duty to remember. ”
While so many people (especially white people) see Juneteenth as just another paid day off now, the history and significance of the holiday is incredibly important, well outside the place where it started. It’s true that this is a day of freedom, in that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to deliver the news of the Emancipation Proclamation over two years after it had been done, something that was kept from enslaved people in Confederate-controlled states until the Civil War ended a couple of months prior. But while this did lead to many enslaved people becoming legally freed, roughly 250,000 people still weren’t truly free after this, as plantation owners refused to release anyone until physically forced to. And even then, many formerly enslaved people were outright killed by resentful enslavers anyway.
Let’s be really clear about this: enslaved people knew they had a right to freedom since the very beginning, but the threat (and reality) of state-sanctioned violence is what made fighting for that freedom so intentionally challenging. It would take more than the same government that made slavery happen in the first place finally saying that it was over for it to really be over. And so of course, we saw the (mostly) ended chattel slavery turn into things like Jim Crow laws and the prison system of today that still keep many Black people from freedom.
In The 19th’s reflections on Juneteenth, four Frances Ellen Watkins Harper fellows share their thoughts on the holiday, with common themes emerging about what it means to celebrate while also hearing the call to action that Juneteenth brings. It’s a blending of the history itself — of understanding what this day signified, as well as what it shows us about what people will do to keep power — with what it means in the context of a world where anti-Black racism permeates every system. So when we’re thinking about Juneteenth, especially as a federal holiday, it’s important to grapple with this call to action, starting with looking at who is getting the day off (and who isn’t), who is being centered in celebrations, and what is being done beyond it. At the end of the day, a national Juneteenth recognition means little until reparations are done and liberation is achieved.
See also: Especially if you’re white and got a paid holiday on Juneteenth, here are some places to send your dollars, including fundraisers and mutual aid requests, as well as Black-owned businesses to buy from (and feel free to drop your own suggestions in the comments):
BlackECE’s Juneteenth Campaign for Liberation is still going — let’s help get them to their $19k goal to help expand their work!
Support Black Feminist leadership advancing reproductive justice!
There are many comments on Ericka Hart’s post on Instagram from people you can give money to!
Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund and Black Mamas Bail Out!
Support the work of the National Association to Advance Black Birth!
Give to The Loveland Foundation to help communities of color — and especially Black women and girls — access fellowships, residency programs, listening tours, as well as mental health resources!
Support the Black Trans Femmes in the Arts Collective!
Automic Gold shared a list of of their favorite Black-owned businesses to check out!
CTOAN Co. makes incredible candles that feature a variety of bodies, as well as wax melts and more!
The Bronzeville Collective in Milwaukee includes over 30 local creative brands, which you can shop online!
What's Happening at Lakeshore Liberation?
Nothing new to share this time!
What’s Going on in Reproductive Justice
As things heat up for summer, it’s important to understand what can impact babies’ temperatures when we’re out and about. A recent study found that draping a dry cloth over a stroller to create shade can actually substantially increase the temperature — over 30°F within 20 minutes! The study authors share what they found, including what methods can help (such as using a damp cloth instead) so babies can beat the heat, too.
It’s been a year since Roe was overturned, and in states like Wisconsin where abortion is effectively banned, people still struggle to access abortion care even when traveling out of state. And when abortion care can be accessed, it is often coming later, which brings higher risks. We Testify partnered with INeedAnA to create The Abortion Times, a newspaper issue highlighting what has happened in the past year, the challenges people are facing, and how abortions continue despite these terrible laws. It’s free online or available at select physical locations.
Warrant clinics, “a series of nationwide events that aims to address active warrants, usually those tied to outstanding traffic violations and misdemeanors,” can be life-changing for people whose warrants are lifted. But when they offer childcare, they can make an even greater difference in the lives of families.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which “requires that employers provide accommodations for pregnancy-related medical conditions, everything from pregnancy to childbirth to postpartum recovery,” is now in effect! While it only applies to private or public sector employers with 15 employees or more, this will still empower more workers to get the protections and accommodations they deserve. A Better Balance created a guide for pregnant and postpartum workers to help people understand their rights, available in both English and Spanish.
Wisconsin Democrats introduced a bill expanding private insurance coverage for postpartum parents and newborns. While it’s unlikely to make it past our Republican-controlled legislature, this bill would require private insurance companies to cover, “maternity, postpartum and newborn care at no, or limited cost, with some exceptions.”
What’s Going on in Wisconsin
A judge ordered Enbridge to shut down part of Line 5 in three years, as well as pay the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for trespassing. While this is a minor win, both the relatively low amount of money (which Enbridge disputes anyway, claiming this wasn’t/isn’t trespassing) and the three year time frame leave them vulnerable to catastrophic failures and future exploitation in the future.
The State Supreme Court has decided that a vehicle smelling like cannabis is enough to justify “searching a person in the vehicle, even though substances legal in the state can smell the same,” as Wisconsin Watch reports.
You can skip this chunk if you don’t want to get angry about our state government, but wow, are Republicans really going all-out on doing terrible shit, and it’s important that we stay aware of what’s happening at the state level. The Senate GOP is making clear where their priorities lie in their proposed budget, cutting out anything that would help the people most in need and favoring instead a flat tax that would give the biggest tax cuts to the richest people. This includes those in the Legislature’s budget committee voting to defund Child Care Counts, a pandemic-era child care subsidy program, instead of making it permanent like Democrats had wanted. This is all while Wisconsin, like many states, has a childcare crisis that’s getting worse. Now that the Assembly approved this budget, it heads to Gov. Evers’ desk, where he can either sign it, veto it fully, or partially veto it. Meanwhile, they’re also trying to bar Medicaid reimbursement for gender reassignment surgery and bar coverage of puberty blockers if they’re being used to treat to gender dysphoria or assist with gender transition (which implies “but not for other cases,” which is especially pointed). And Republican lawmakers are proposing a bill to target “obscene” materials in schools and libraries, which we all know by now is just a dog-whistle for anything related to sexuality, especially queer sexuality, and anything related to race or racism.
What I've Been Reading
Truthout asks: “What is the path forward for parents and caregivers who reject the violent right-wing measures pushed by some ‘parents’ rights’ groups — and also seek a world where youth have the power to live their own lives, to learn, to flourish?” This article, which features an interview with Queenie’s Crew coordinator zara raven, helps us talk about a missing piece to the puzzle of recent right-wing attacks on education and trans healthcare: youth liberation.
While some people have applauded the AMA’s recent change in BMI policy, Ragen Chastain digs into what they really said over on the Weight and Healthcare newsletter. Basically the same old anti-fat pathologizing garbage, unfortunately.
How effective is CPR, really? Despite TV showing rates of survival after CPR at 70% — and people similarly believing that it’s over 75% in real life — the reality is far, far lower. And given how traumatic it is, it’s important that people have accurate information when making decisions about their care.
What I'm Watching
We’ve been watching back through Sense8, as well as The Bear to prepare for the new season (which we’ll start today)!
What I'm Listening To
From KCRW’s Bodies podcast, Early Birds brings us interviews with three kids and one teen about their experiences with early puberty, something that is happening more earlier and earlier, especially with estrogen-dominant puberty.
Also from Bodies, The Fourth Trimester is a first-hand account of postpartum psychosis. While it’s a less common postpartum mood disorder, it still happens with about every 1 in 500 births, and it’s important that we all get familiar with what it can look and feel like and what resources are available to help those affected.
It’s Been a Minute’s host Brittany Luse chats with Tonya Mosley about the healing potential of psychedelics, especially for Black people affected by Racial Trauma. It’s a fascinating exploration of the radical possibilities!
Throughline did a great deep-dive into the history of the freedom of speech and what it has — and hasn’t — meant.
When I was (briefly) in college, I discovered Scissor Sisters thanks to a song of theirs in Doctor Who. But after the indefinite hiatus following their 2012 album, I didn’t hear much else. Turns out, one of the vocalists — Jake Shears — has gone on to do music independently, first in 2018 with his self-titled album, and now in 2023 with Last Man Dancing. I learned about it through this lovely interview with him in Jezebel and have been listening to it on repeat since!
Places to Donate To
Help support birthing people in the Bronx by donating to the Bx (Re)Birth and Progress Collective!
The SCIO has an Amazon wishlist to help support the camping trip they do for families at Bridgeway, a transitional living program for homeless women with children. Buying from their list can help make their trip happen!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Feel free to share them below or contact me directly.