Thoughts From Places #1

Today Raven and I went to the beach. We frolicked in the waves and soaked up the sun (in my case a bit too literally). Originally we were going to kayak on the beautiful, serene lake that we are fortunate enough to live near… but the beautiful, serene lake was less serene and more possessed by angry wind demons today. Less boating, but awesome waves at the beach. Raven and I braved cold water and colder wind to throw ourselves at the cresting water with the abandon of the silliest of children. Fitting because we were the only ones in the water over the age of 16.

As we threw ourselves at the waves we watched kite-surfers throw themselves into the sky with equal abandon. I felt alive and aware and completely in the moment, something I yearn towards feeling at all times. It strikes me that feeling alive is usually correlated fairly strongly with meeting and facing things that could kill you. Skydiving, climbing Mt. Everest, braving Death Valley, running with the bulls, singing karaoke. Okay, that last one probably won’t kill you, but I remain unconvinced. We derive joy and excitement from facing our deaths. Facing something that is larger or more powerful than ourselves.

I grew up on the Atlantic Ocean and spent most summers diving into the freezing northern Atlantic waters – lips blue, arms numb, ice running through my veins. It remains one of my fondest memories of childhood and stands out clearly in my memory. It also remains one of my earliest memories of terror (aside from the standard monster under the bed variety). The ocean to me as a child (and even today) is a vast unknowable thing. It may not be infinite, but neither can I see nor imagine its whole and so is the closest thing on this earth to infinite that I have experienced.  And it is one of my most indelible memories. Etched into my memory by fear and awe.

As I threw myself at a far smaller body of water this afternoon I felt a similar feeling of awe (though admittedly less fear), but my sense of awe came not from living close to death and instead came more from a feeling of oneness. I couldn’t see the bottom where my feet were buried in sand, but I could close my eyes and feel the movement of the water, the pull of the sand, the chill of the wind and I was a part of it. I felt connected and infinite. Both incredibly large and infinitesimally small.

Perhaps we don’t pull the marrow of our lives from living on the brink of death, but from throwing us into the infinite and (for a time) allowing it to absorb a part of our being. 

A Year of New Experiences

Well, clearly I was not so good at updating during my hiatus. Are we surprised? No? Yeah, okay, that's fair!

I'm planning a fairly long post (or possible multiple posts) about the reason for my hiatus: a family trip to Holland and Norway. Spoilers: it was awesome. For today, though, here's a bit of a reflective post.

I turned 24 last Friday. In many ways, 23 wasn't a great year for me. I quit a job for the first time. I quit a job for the second time. I had my first ER visit, closely followed by my second ER visit. I had my first MRI, my second MRI, my first elimination diet, my second elimination diet, and so on. I dropped my first course, had my first car die, and mourned the loss of my first, longest, and biggest hero. At first, when I looked back on my year, it was kind of hard to get all that excited about it. For much of this year, I felt like a failure. I felt like I had accomplished nothing. I felt like I had given up so many things that I should have pursued. Now, almost all of these disappointments were directly linked to being ill, so I recognized on some level that it wasn't necessarily any great weakness of spirit that was my shortcoming, but rather the it was the inevitable manifestation of the unforseen side effects of Mystery Illness. After a point, however, it became hard to console myself with that reminder. I beat myself up for allowing myself to become a victim of circumstance. Even if I couldn't control my illness, certainly I could control my life, so really, what was my excuse? To a certain extent I think this is true, and to a certain extent I think it's untrue, and probably not fair to myself. But that's an entirely different issue. The point is, I was struggling to find any reason to be proud of the past year, and I felt like I had nothing positive to show for it.

But yesterday, I received something in the mail, and with it a much needed change of perspective. An envelope addressed to me showed up along with the weekly ads and junk mail, and inside it was a check. From my client, for whom I am doing some promotional blogging for his novels. 

I had just received my first paycheck as a freelance writer.

This brought on a degree of pride and satisfaction far greater than I had expected, and even more importantly, it got me thinking about all of the other "firsts" of the past year. Not all of them were positives, clearly, as shown above. But a lot of them were, and a lot of them were pretty big, too. They just got lost in the mire of my disappointments, and I focused on all of the wrong things. 

Some of these achievements are big. Some are small. Some are personal, some are professional, and some are silly. All of them, however, are important to me, and I am grateful for them all.

With that in mind, here's another list:

Raven's 15 Firsts of the Past Year

1.) First paycheck as a freelance writer

2.) First paycheck as a freelance web designer

3.) First experience as a video game journalist

4.) First blog (thanks guys!)
5.) First post-college classes (even if had to drop one of them, I learned a lot from both, and am proud of myself for continuing my education.)
6.) First time writing my own functional code (since I'm not willing to count the tinkering I did in high school and college as "functional")

7.) First full year in my own apartment ("own" meaning I pay rent, not that I live alone, in this case)

8.) First time living alone with a significant other

9.) First new car (see how I turned one of my negatives into a positive? Perspective!)

10.) First trip to my family cottage without my parents or any other family members (one of the big signs of adulthood in my family)

11.) First out-of-town nerd convention (going to cons is one thing, but traveling and renting a hotel room for them? A whole different experience!)

12.) First watercolor painting (Paintings of maps count, right?)

13.) First penpal!

14.) First time being a regular at a comic book shop (It's a big deal to me, okay?)

15.) First experience with being self-employed (It's terrifying! And rewarding!)

And as a super special bonus, two weeks ago I met my incredibly sweet cousin for the first time, right before he turned a year old. I love that kid!

There's a Hebrew prayer that is said upon experiencing something for the first time, the Shehecheyanu (שהחינו‎). I'm not particularly spiritual, but this prayer has always resonated with me:

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

Blessed are you, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and helped us to reach this moment. 

Thanks for reading.

P.S. The project that has consumed a very large part of the past year isn't quite wrapped up like I had hoped it would be by now. I won't say anymore just yet (though if we've talked much in the past year you probably know about it) but it definitely introduced a whole slew of new experiences, and I am very excited to tell you about it, I hope soon!

Next Time on Owl and Raven...

Hey guys,

Quick post tonight because I'm wiped. No sleep plus eight hours on my feet makes a tired Owl. Certainly one without much in the way of coherent thought.

Tonight I wanted to share my next project for the blog. I'm planning to do a series on US history, specifically focusing on stuff a lot of us learned in high school and haven't revisited since then. Or things I think we should have learned in high school, but (at least I) didn't.

It's going to be called Citizenship 101, mostly because I think anyone who is, or wants to be, a citizen of the US should make sure to know at least the basics of how our government works and what some of the really important landmark moments in our history are. I know I will do installments on things like the country's founding, the three branches of government, a range of social issues, geography, and things of that ilk. What I would like to know is if anyone has any other suggestions or things they want to know more about. Like: why exactly did we fight the War of 1812? What made the Gilded Age gilded? Or just general areas of US history you think are important.

Let me know in comments and I will do it!



Also due to a 16 hour work day ending at 11pm tomorrow, the blog will not update. Forgive me, I have no desire to wake up at 5am to do a blog post. I'm just not that dedicated.

Until next time,
Owl

And the Number One Is....

Number One Most Insulting Country Music Song (in my opinion) is....

1. "Still A Guy" by Brad Paisley

This one makes me extra sad because I usually really like Paisley's music, but this song is insulting on so many levels that it actually made me like all his other good songs much less. This song combines some of my biggest turn-offs from mainsplaining to gender stereotyping and even a borderline sexual assault-ish line.

The song is sung by a man explaining to his girlfriend that although she may change him in some small ways he will always be who he is. That message is fine (and in fact I like songs that take the position that being in a relationship isn't about changing the other person), but the song takes it a step further and claims that he will always be "a guy". Here's where I take issue with that message: there isn't just one way to be a guy. Paisley seems to define a man as someone who fishes, hunts, doesn't understand art, and doesn't understand when his partner wants closeness but not sex.

Paisley equates getting manicures, hair highlighting, even putting lotion on your hands with getting neutered (seriously - those are the exact words he uses). That is a narrow-minded, and frankly unacceptable, viewpoint to hold in the 21st century. Being a man shouldn't have to be about being the toughest person in the room and taking pride in a rugged, un-groomed appearance. That is only one way to be a man (and frankly one way to be a woman, too). There is no blueprint or checklist for the genders. A woman doesn't have to be "feminine" to be a woman. A man doesn't have to be "masculine". In fact, I would love to get rid of those two words all together because they mean nothing to me anymore. I have a lot of female identifying friends who are tough, strong, hunting, fishing, outdoors-y folk. That doesn't make them "a guy" any more than not being those things makes you not a guy. It makes you, you.

It makes me so angry so see this message being sent out, even in country music to people who might take it to heart and get away from who they are so they can be who they think they should be.

The best excerpts from "Still A Guy"

• "when you say a backrub mean only a backrub/Then you swat my hand when I try/Well, what can I say athe end of the day/Honey, I'm still a guy"
• "I might walk your sissy dog, hold your purse at the mall/But remember I'm still a guy"
• "I don't highlight my hair/Yeah, I've still got a pair"

How are any of these things okay to say these days? They shouldn't be.

When I discover songs like this sometimes I have to take a break from country music because it reminds me that this genre is, in many ways, stuck too deeply in the past. When country music draws this strongly from its traditional southern roots I am reminded that I don't belong in that culture. That it makes me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. And most of all, it alienates me. If country musicians were smart they would realize their audience is a wide one and although their music is rooted in the past, it doesn't have to stay there.

To end this post on a happier note I'll share some of my favorite recent songs in country music - with better messages!

Country Songs With Messages I Can Get Behind (in no particular order)

1. "Follow Your Arrow" by Kacey Musgraves* (an upbeat "be yourself" anthem that is incredibly inclusive and even LGBT friendly!)
2. "Girl in a Country Song" by Maddie and Tay (about the sexism in bro-y country music)
3. "Diamond Rings and Old Bar Stools" by Tim McGraw (about a break-up)
4. "Little Toy Guns" by Carrie Underwood (about the damage angry words can have - especially in terms of the effects of parental arguing on their children)
5. "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry (a meditation on dying young...? It's hard to describe)
6. "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss** (a story about a man and woman destroyed by alcoholism)
7. "Loving You Easy" by Zac Brown Band (pretty generic love song, but I'm really digging it at the moment)
8. "I Got the Boy" by Jana Kramer (a nostalgia-laden remembrance of young love)
9. "All Kinds of Kinds" by Miranda Lambert (about how the world needs diversity)
10. "One of the Guys" by Terri Clark (a better way to do gender - on an individual basis)

So there's my country music rant. I am off to listen to everything Kacey Musgraves ever released...

Best wishes,

Owl

*All her music is phenomenal. She is a talented lyricist and super progressive. 

** Allison Krauss (a bluegrass singer) has the most angelic voice I have ever heard.

A Confession with a Side of Rage

Here's the confession: I'm a country music fan. Surprised? I always am. I'm certainly not the demographic country music is marketed for. I am a mid-twenties Northerner from a big city who is queer, culturally Jewish, and incredibly liberal. I lived in the south for a grand total of 2 months with no intention to stay there any longer than necessary. I have serious reservations regarding southern culture in everything from politics to social issues.

But... I still enjoy country music. I like that the songs can (and often are) about little, everyday moments. I like how a lot of country music focuses on telling a story. The music has a lot of personality. So much so that Raven and I have both based scenes and characters at least in part off country songs.

I also think, contrary to what a lot of people believe, that country music can be very beautiful and even well-written. I have heard some very clever, very funny country songs that are a blast to sing along with. Which brings me to prime reason I like country music - most of the songs are largely inoffensive and fun to jam with in my car, where I consume most of my music. But there are times the songs are very offensive. Times when country music shows its roots; the ones planted firmly in the controversial past of this country.

Tonight I thought I would give you another list.... *drum roll*

Owl's Top 3 Most Offensive Country Songs 

(in descending order of offense)

3. "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town
I cannot get away from this song right now and that may be why a fairly inoffensive song is getting my number 3 spot when there are way worse songs that I know I have heard from this genre before. But right now this is a song that is getting under my skin more than any other on the radio. And guys, since most of you don't listen to country radio, let me tell you right now - this song is ALL OVER country radio. In fact, I heard it 4 times today, alone. Or the first few bars before I quickly switched stations. Once, when I tried to switch, I found two stations playing it at the same time. Ugh.

So, why do I hate this song? Well, it's a song about Girl A wanting to be like Girl B because Girl B is dating a dude who Girl A really wants to date. Maybe some of you can already see my problem... That is not the definition of a girl crush. At all. That is jealousy. With some good old-fashioned envy thrown in. It would be a girl crush if Girl A wanted to date Girl B. Or even had a little platonic infatuation going on. Who, straight or gay, hasn't been a little bit in awe of a good friend of the same gender before?

It's wouldn't really be a big deal, except the song sets it up to be like an actual queer song for the first minute or so. The opening lines are, "I got a girl crush, hate to admit it but/I got a heart rush, ain't slowin' down/ I got it real bad, want everything she has/ That smile and the midnight laugh she's givin' you now". Later lines include gems like "I don't get no sleep... thinking about her under your bed sheets... I can't get her off my mind." Then the chorus.... The terrible chorus where the singer (a woman, by the way) says she wants to "taste her lips" because they "taste like [the random dude]". Yeah, that's why I want to kiss girls...

So - what's the big deal you may ask? Seems like just a clever way to say she's jealous, right? Yeah, probably. But being queer myself these are thoughts I have had without the desire for the attached dude. This song uses lines that could describe a lesbian woman lusting after a straight woman and turns it into a straight unrequited love song. And justified or not, that makes me furious. I feel that this song steals a bit of my culture and warps it to fit the dominant culture. It feels icky and wrong to listen to words I have heard gay women say about doomed crushes they've had on straight women being used to create this sort of narrative.

I'm sure most people don't react to this song this way and I'm not even mad at Little Big Town for making the song. I'm sure they didn't even think about how this might affect actual queer folks (also I'm willing to bet not all queer folks would have my reaction). But mostly, this song makes me feel cheated. What could have been a song about an innocent infatuation with a friend or even a riskier song about a not innocent attraction to another woman was really just another way to write a straight romance. And it's clear the song wants you to think it's going to be a queer song for the first little bit (it's gotten a lot of criticism for being too gay, by the way) and that's the worst part for me. I was so excited that maybe country music would have a song for me, but it wasn't. And that hurt. More than it maybe should have, but I still can't stand to hear it. Even if I am being irrational.

2. "Way Out Here" by Josh Thompson
It was hard to determine a winner (or maybe loser) between my two top picks. This one I rated slightly lower because... I get the sentiment, though I am far from agreeing with it. I hate this song on a political basis, but there are lot of other country songs I disagree with politically but can listen to and respect on some level. This one... I can't. I won't listen to it if it's on the radio and I could only listen to about half of it before writing this post. I got so mad I had to just look up the lyrics instead. Not that those aren't rage-inducing all on their own.

This song is a man singing about how things are done "way out here", which I can only imagine means in the deep south, where much of the culture of country music originates. The songs starts out on a strong note for making me hate it. Opening lines? "Our houses are protected by the Good Lord and a gun". I'm not a big gun person, so I'm already not loving this, but country songs are full of guns and Jesus (who as a lapsed Jew I'm also not big on). So I keep listening. There's a funny line about southerners fry everything and then the chorus hits and I'm done. Here is the chorus in its entirety:

We won't take a dime if we ain't earned it

When it comes to weight, brother we pull our own

If it's our backwoods way of living you're concerned with

You can leave us alone

We're about John Wayne, Johnny Cash and John Deere

Way out here

My biggest problem is the first line of this chorus because it shows a gross ignorance of politics that is frankly incredibly damaging in this country. Just because you don't get a check from the government every month, that does not mean you aren't getting monetary support from them. Country glorifies farmers. Farmers as a group receive over 20 billion dollars in federal subsidies every year. That's a lot of dimes you haven't really earned. The US cotton industry is one of the most heavily subsidized in the world, to the detriment of emerging markets like Brazil. Just because you can't see the check, doesn't mean the money isn't there, Mr. Thompson.

The second line is equally infuriating. What he's saying is "his people" aren't a drain on the country. They pull their own weight. But I don't know who "his people" are. Many states in the deep south are very dependent on federal aid (in that they take in more than they pay out). 5 out of 10 of the most federal dependent states in the union are in the south. So, I'm not sure who you are talking about pulling their own weight, but it terms of numbers - much of the south doesn't. 

And here's where Mr. Thompson and I differ - I don't see anything wrong with that. The states on that list are some of the poorest in our country (Mississippi and Louisiana to name two) and the people who live in poverty in those states deserve to live healthy and safe lives. That is where the federal dollars go - towards keeping people safe who can't always ensure their own safety. That's not shameful - for the federal government or the people getting the help they need.

So it's not your "backwood way of living" I'm concerned with, Mr. Thompson. It's your backwards way of thinking. It's great to rely on yourself and embrace individualism, but when you suggest running the whole country "like it used to be, ought to be, just like it's done out here" I have the feeling you don't really know what you're talking about. But people are listening. And telling the government to stay out of it. To the detriment of the people who greatly need and rely on federal money.  

The last two lines just bug me because none of those folks are politicians and this is a very political song. John Wayne was asked numerous times to run for office and always declined and that's probably a good thing. Wayne isn't the political role model I'd pick. He was an unapologetic white supremacist and blamed the Native Americans for being selfish when they tried to keep their land when Europeans landed in the New World. Though Johnny Cash had a very individualistic image he also championed the cause of prisoners, addicts, and Native Americans. I can get behind that, but I'm not sure that's what Mr. Thompson is getting at. I won't even get into John Deere. They're a company interested in continuing to make money. They give money to candidates who will get that done. Nothing more. 

What offends me here is mostly the ignorance that goes along with the song. And that people will listen to this and take it as a rallying cry. People take too much at face value with the federal, and local, governments. To really understand and engage with politics it is essential to be well-informed. I don't think this song is a good example of that and I think it's an irresponsible use of celebrity that irks me a great deal - though I admit it might irk me less if I didn't vehemently disagree with the song's premise.

This is getting to be a loooong post and I have a lot to say about the last song so I will save it until tomorrow. Once my blood pressure has returned to normal. Good night all!

Flash Post #1: Good News

So, surprising nobody, I haven't been very good about the promised flash posts. In my defense, though, I have a really great excuse. More on that later.

I really, really wanted to get the chance to post about this earlier, since it is kind of a Big Deal. I didn't end up having the time, but Owl covered it quite well a few days ago. Nevertheless, I did want to add a post of my own on the subject, however cursory, since I am overjoyed by this news.

Last Friday, SCOTUS ruled that it was unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage. Which means, in all 50 states (and I believe US territories?) gay marriage is now legal. This has very little direct, practical impact on me at the moment, though it certainly affects me in the broader scheme of things. Despite it not immediately changing anything for me, I still had an intensely and deeply personal emotional response to the ruling. In fact, it impacted me on a much greater level han I was anticipating. I knew it would certainly make me happy, and I would be relieved.

I didn't expect to nearly break into tears when a very excited Target employee told me, later that day while I was shopping, that the endcap display of Pride merchandise she was just putting up was only a small selection, and that there was more in the back with the rest of the clothes, and wasn't today just wonderful? But there I was, staring at a parade of rainbow tank tops and beach blankets, shirts that proclaimed that "love is love" and called for equality and tolernace, and choking up as the full importance of the ruling finally hit me.

Here's the thing: I  know the fight is far from over. It's not over for gays and lesbians, and its only just beginning for the trans community. The queer community still has a long, loooong way to go until our battles, all of them, are finally won. And I do think, eventually, we will win them. I think eventually, no business across the country will be able to fire a gay man. Nobody will be able to stop a lesbian couple from renting an apartment. Trans and non-binary individuals will no longer have to fear for their safety when using a public restroom that aligns with their gender identity and presentation. Asexual and aromantic youths won't have to feel isolated, alone, and alien when they search for people like them in popular media, because they will no longer be invisible. The queer community has so many important and valiant issues to fight for and such a long way to go before we can rest easy. Gay marriage is not the end all be all of our fight, nor do I even think it is the most importnat step.

But it is stilll a very important step. Not only does love win, as the popular slogan goes, but now, same-sex couples are offered the same opporunities as heterosexual couples in terms of the rights and benefits that go along with marriage. Visitation rights, adoption, power of attorney. It isn't all just about the big romantic gestures and the happily ever afters. It's about being able to enter into the same partnership heterosexual couples have been entering into for thousands of years, and have it be seen as equal in the eyes of the law. And that is a major, major step in the right direction.

More than that, this represents a trenemdous change in public opinion. In the US, the approval rating in favor of equal rights for the LGBT community is the highest it's ever been. In most civilized parts of the US (politics very much exclued from the qualifier "civilized") it is no longer acceptable to be openly, or at least aggressively, homophobic without major backlash. And for the first time, we are even starting to talk openly about gender identity. Thanks to the public transition of Caitlyn Jenner and the recognition of Laverne Cox, the issue is (slowly and with no small amount of resistance) being brough to the table for discussion. The push for greater tolernace for the LGBT community is gaining more and more momentum. And when we look at where we've gotten, from the decriminlization of sodomy in the US to the Stonewall riots to the repeal of DOMA, from allowing sex change operations to putting trans characters on television and magazine covers, from the first gay pride parade to a gay neighborhood in almost every major city, from the first overruling of a same-sex marriage ban, eleven years ago in Owl's homestate to now, where every state (even those trying their damndest to get out of it) is obligated to allow same-sex marriage, we have come a long, long way in a relatively short time.

We can't stop now. There is so much left to do. But I am so, so proud of my nation and of the queer community and all its allies. I am honored to have been a part of this historic movement and to continue being a part of it. And I am no longer fearful, but excited and hopeful, for the future.

I hope you all will join me in looking forward, and in celebrating what we have already accomplished.

**I apologize for any typos, misspellings, lack of citations, or factual errors. I am typing this quickly and with limited Internet access and no spell check---bad for dyslexia!

For Every Girl

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I have some awesome news to share with you all today. Earlier this year the Girl Scouts of Western Washington received a $100,000 donation. For a non-profit organization that kind of money is a huge deal. Especially because the Girl Scouts use that money to help families in tough economic circumstances participate in the Girl Scouts. So how big a deal is $100,000? It's almost 1/3 of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington's financial assistance program budget. News of the donation had the whole office celebrating...

But then they heard the stipulation: the money could in no way be used to support transgender girls in the scouts. Then the organization had a choice - take the money and do some bureaucratic gymnastics to make sure it only supported cisgender girls or put their money where their mouth was and return the money. They took the second road and returned every cent of the money to the donor with an explanation that the Girl Scouts is for every girl.

It's not easy to stick to your principles when there's so much money at stake, but the Scouts did and we should all applaud them for that. Or go fund them...

Since the incident has gone viral the Girl Scouts of Western Washington set up an Indiegogo page to recoup their losses. And boy have they!! Their page is up to $265,000 after just two days! All that money goes towards helping girls who might not have the opportunity otherwise to participate in the Girl Scouts, who are teaching some pretty crucial skills to girls growing up in a challenging world. In their own words the Girl Scouts helps girls "use their voice to stand up for what they believe in, be proud of who they are, and support each other to take action to make the world a better place". Sounds like the people running the Western Washington branch were scouts themselves, doesn't it?

The reason this decision is so important is, I think, because transgender girls need those lessons as much, if not more than cis girls. A recent GLSEN survey found that a whopping 75% of youth feel unsafe at school. This isn't a statistic saying 75% of transgender youth are bullied at school (I'm willing to bet that figure is nearer 100%) this statistic tells us that 3/4 of transgender youth are feeling unsafe. That means lower GPAs, more missed school days, and a lower probability of continuing their education past high school.

And this isn't just a kids will be kids thing (a phrase I loathe entirely by the way because it's a way to sweep real problems under the rug and it presupposes the idea that this is a normal way to treat people). It's not only peers that are making trans folk feel unsafe - it's the institution itself. All too often trans students aren't acknowledged by the school itself. They are forced to use a bathroom that isn't consistent with their gender identity. Forced to wear clothing that isn't consistent with their gender identity. Called a name that doesn't reflect who they are. Only nineteen states* protect their students from discrimination based on gender identity! That is less than 40% of the United States.

States where public schools protect students from gender identity discrimination

It's not a pretty picture. But what the Girl Scouts, and other welcoming groups, are doing is helping. It gives trans youth role models and allies to look to. And it gives cis girls who participate alongside trans girls a face to put with an idea. It won't be an abstract and with their Girl Scout training they'll be able to speak out, stand up, and make a difference. Because that's where change on this issue is coming from - not above, but below. Students are changing their schools. Sons and daughters are educating their parents.

But in some places organizations - and adults - are starting to take part. Like the Girl Scouts. And if we want the Girl Scouts to continue their support (and to encourage other organizations to do the same) we need to show ours. Think of donating if you can - or writing a letter of support if you can't.

Here is their address: 601 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98109
Their e-mail: info@girlscoutsww.org
Their phone number: (800) 767-6845

Show them your support and they'll continue to show us theirs!

Signing off,
Owl