🎥 Watch: A powerful and heartbreaking footage captures the relentless assault on Jenin refugee camp, as an Israeli military bulldozer destroys vital infrastructure. The scenes of destruction are a painful reminder of the ongoing hardships faced by the Palestinian people in their struggle for justice and freedom. you should stand in solidarity with the residents of Jenin and all Palestinians affected by this brutal aggression, and we call on the international community to take immediate action to protect the rights and lives of innocent civilians. Together, let us raise our voices against injustice and work towards our freedom. 🇵🇸🇵🇸
Raise Your Voice for Trans Rights - European Edition:
In chapter 17 of their brilliant fanfic Unpredictable Synchronicity, the wonderful @zenaidamacrouras1 invited readers to become a part of the story by taking political action on the central issue that the characters are working on--legislation against gender affirming care.
In this post, they have provided a step-by-step guide on how to contact your elected officials and how to write a letter to the editor of your local/national newspaper. While this was put together within an US-American context, the general structure & contents of the sample letter can be used almost 1:1 as a template to create your own message to any media outlet, organization, or individual legislator--even if you are in Europe instead of the US.
Now, the European media landscape is too diverse and the legislation on lgbtqia+ rights (and trans rights in particular) varies too greatly from one EU country to the next to be summed up in a single tumblr post.
What we do have, however, is a central parliamentary body that actually has the power to pass legislation to protect the safety, equality, and freedom of lbtqia+ people: The European Parliament. While it is far from perfect and its reach and enforcement power is limited, contacting your MEP to advocate for this cause is A Thing You Can Do. Every voice counts. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
So, if you are living in one of the 27 member states of the EU and you wish to become active in this fight, you can go here to find your respective MEPs. Not only can you search by country and political group/party affiliation, you can specifically find & target members that are on pertinent committees responsible for issues such as human rights, gender equality, and health care.
>> What if I don't actually know what the current situation in my country is?
Again, Europe is not a monolith. Laws, rights, and protections for trans people vary--sometimes widely--across member states. However, to get you started and to get a general overview, you can go to
Transgender Europe
Not only are they a great source for general information about current laws, discrimination, health & depathologization of trans people in the EU, they also provide a number of resources, such as campaign and advocacy materials, guides to political action, as well as information on EU legal aid.
They also put together an annual interactive map tracking the progression (and in some cases, unfortunately, the regression) of trans rights throughout Europe and Central Asia. Just click on the link below the picture and you can easily find out about the current state in your country:
Interactive Trans Rights Map
If you want to learn more about the general state of lgbtqia+ rights in Europe, I recommend you visit ILGA Europe (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association). They offer information and a whole host of resources on community organizing, advocacy strategies, and approaches on how to communciate concepts such as bodily integrity, inclusion, and gender equality to people who, up until now, have had only very little exposure to them in their day-to-day lives.
They also create & provide access to the Rainbow Map & Index, an annual benchmarking tool, ranking 49 countries in Europe on their equality laws and policies:
This is meant to be only a general overview and a starting point on how to become involved. Please feel free to add advice, resources and/or any other information to this post!
Don’t let mainstream media deceive you. Our protests are in the thousands. The growing wave of rallies, demonstrations, and sit-ins across Canada and the USA is a prime example of why we must be critical consumers of news. Contrary to what some sources may lead you to believe, these gatherings are not limited to “hundreds” or “dozens.” We are out here in the thousands and thousands, and our message is clear: CEASEFIRE NOW!
We are raising our voices against the backdrop of personal violence, societal violence, and intergenerational traumas that have scarred our communities. These traumas are the legacy of occupations, forced migrations, displacements, violence, colonization, and war. We carry the weight of our ancestors who served in militaries and we have endured cycles of violence at home.
We recognize that we have no control over the events that shaped our history. However, we firmly believe that we can shape the now, and this present moment holds the power to create a better tomorrow. As we protest and make our voices heard, we do so with the intention of leaving behind a planet that is a gift, rather than a burden, to our descendants. We envision a future where the scars of the past can heal and where cycles of violence can be broken.
Action Items-:
Donate for urgent aid to Gaza-:
*Islamic Relief Canada (Zakat accepted)
*Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)
*Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP)
Write to federal and provincial leaders-:
*Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
[email protected]
*Foreign Minister Mèlanie Joly
[email protected]
*Toronto Palestine Film Festival has compiled a list of restaurants, shops and businesses we can support at this time: tpff.ca/resources