Fuck The Govt - Tumblr Posts
Gender is just the government's way of sorting people into one of two groups based on their reproductive organs.
Here is a link to the US Restrict Act (commonly known as the TikTok ban) as it is currently written.
Please read the actual bill and share even if you do not live in the United States. The precedents this piece of legislation would set would have far reaching impacts on how the internet is used for everyone in the future.
the RESTRICT act, meant to prevent US citizens from accessing products by foreign companies the US government deems a threat, will result in more than just tiktok being shut down. this is a serious breach of freedom and access to information people dismiss easily because tiktok is put at the forefront of it.
As you may have guessed from my reblogs the US government is planning on an act that will censor anything it finds a “national security threat”. This is bullshit. They just want to control us more and more and more
Sign right here and call your representatives letting them know you won’t stand for this 👇
Time to act now
I don’t normally do this but please I urge everybody that sees this to sign this petition and others like it.
what is KOSA? KOSA is the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill that would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. While this seems harmless at face value, it isn’t. it will take down so many social media sites, Tumblr, AO3, Wattpad, etc. and this is ONLY the beginning, soon it’ll also take down TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. anything with LGBTQ or minorities that actively talk about their experiences on the site. The republican and democratic parties are to blame, it was a joint decision for the bill. And while it doesn’t specifically address LGBTQ and minorities they’ll use the bill to attack everything they don’t like by insisting that LGBTQ and minority groups are “ grooming “ the children. This is harmful in so many ways, believe it or not, websites like AO3, Wattpad, and TikTok are important to culture and growing mindsets. If you block away all these ways people can learn then people will be close minded, they’ll be split off from other people. This is what they want, this country is slowly becoming a country where people can’t be who they want or who they are
Too many people are forgetting these things too quickly:
-SESTA/FOSTA passed. Despite the many, many warnings of sex workers.
-A bunch of apps started their censorship policies because Apple directly threatened their revenue if they didn't promise to cut down on the amount of porn on their sites
-MasterCard and VISA tried to outright stop processing OnlyFans work SPECIFICALLY because of the association with sex work, and no other feasible financial reason.
There is not a sudden regressive movement among individual people. Free The Nipple didn't fade into obscurity because people didn't care. It was stopped. By policies. By laws. By arrests. By censorship. These things have been purposefully put in place by companies and politicians. They saw the work we were trying to do wrt bodily autonomy, sexual liberation, and sexual freedom, and they forcibly put a stop to it.
//TIME IS TICKING.
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW DAYS UNTIL KOSA IS DETERMINED. THERE IS A HUGE AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO PASS THIS BILL, BUT THE INTERNET IS BIGGER!
WE NEED ALL THE SUPPORT WE CAN GET.
CALL REPRESENTATIVES, TELL FAMILY, FRIENDS, MOOTS, LITERALLY EVERYONE YOU CAN.
IF THE BILL PASSES, THE INTERNET WILL BE CHANGED AS WE KNOW IT. IT WILL NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE OUT OF THE US. MANY FANDOM SPACES ARE IN AMERICAN DOMAIN.
YOU WILL NOT BE SAFE FROM USING A DIFFERENT EMAIL, ACCOUNT, ANYTHING. STOP BELIEVING THAT. THIS BILL WANTS CONTROL AS FAR BACK AS TRACING US BACK TO NAMES, AGES, GOVERNMENT IDS AND LICENSE PLATES.
YOU WILL NOT BE SAFE BECAUSE, “OH THIS BILL CAN’T PASS IT VIOLATES THE 1ST AMENDMENT!”. THEY HAVE PASSED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BILLS. YOU WILL NOT BE SAFE BECAUSE “OH, THIS BILL HASN’T PASSED FOR 2 YEARS!” THEY ARE AGGRAVATED. THEY ARE PUSHING FOR THIS BILL.
DO NOT FORGET KOSA MERELY BECAUSE A LACK OF UPDATES. I NEED YOU TO SIGN PETITIONS, CALL REPRESENTATIVES. DONT FORGET. I WANT YOU TO MAKE AS MUCH NOISE ABOUT KOSA POSSIBLE. DO NOT. FORGET. WE HAD THE TIME TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT KOSA, AND YET WE FORGOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF UPDATES. THAT BRIEF TIME WAS NOT A COOLDOWN PERIOD. IT WAS A TIME TO KEEP KOSA TRENDING.
STOP GOING ON TIKTOK, COMMENTING “B00ST” AND THEN CALLING IT A DAY. YES THAT HELPS, BUT YOU NEED TO DO WHAT 90% OF THESE VIDEOS WANT YOU TO DO. SIGN PETITIONS. CALL REPRESENTATIVES. THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS POST ABOUT KOSA YOURSELF.
So I went to read the Kids Online Safety Act, thinking that it couldn't possibly be as bad as what people are making it out to be, I mean I'm a lawyer and expert in statutory interpretation, it can't be that bad, right?
Oh no. KOSA IS that bad. It will literally eradicate queer people online.
The bill says that a "covered platform" - broadly defined as "anything on the internet a minor might use" which is literally the entire fucking internet- has a "duty" to protect minors from anything that might harm them, including "sexual exploitation" and other undefined terms
It also gives state attorneys general the ability to sue to enforce it.
So here's exactly what's gonna happen:
Wacko republicans, as they've been doing with increasing force this year and last, are going to sue any and every website in existence, saying that the mere existence of LGBT people online constitutes sexual abuse of minors. And websites are gonna be so afraid of not doing the most that they'll just axe all LGBT everything.
Like. Republicans have been calling all LGBT people groomers and child molesters for years. The lead Republican literally admitted this bill will be used to attack trans people.
This bill is BAD bad. I'm appalled that democrats are lining up behind what is clearly a republican Trojan horse to eradicate LGBT people from the entire internet.
Call your senator
BLOW UP YOUR SENATORS PHONES THIS WEEK GUYS!!
WE JUST NEED ONE SENATOR TO OBJECT!
WE CAN DO THIS; WE CAN STOP KOSA!!!
REBLOG TO SPREAD AWARENESS!!!
If you wanna protect AO3 or character ai. Or Wattpad. Or Tumblr. Or discord. Or even the right for undocumented people and minors to use the fucking Internet reblog this I swear to God. Reblog this and reblog as many KOSA posts as you can go on their website and contact your Representatives. Do it. Do it. Do it.
URGENT
KOSA is now being discussed to go into the FAA Reauthorization Bill so I BEG you guys to MAKE A LOT OF NOISE ABOUT KOSA TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT HOW BAD THESE BILLS ARE. THE CHANCES ARE NOT 0 SO BE LOUD USE www.stopkosa.com
DON'T SKIP THIS POST AND READ THIS
THEY PUT THE KOSA BILL IN THE FAA
THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS, AND THE REASON WHY THIS IS HAPPENING IT'S BECUESE SOME OF YOU YALL STAY SILENT BECUESE YOU GUYS GIVE UP
IF YALL DON'T WANNA LET THE KOSA BILL PASS THEN DONT STAY IN LISENT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
https://www.stopkosa.com/
https://www.woodhullfoundation.org/get-involved/stop-kosa/
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-kosa
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/dont-fall-latest-changes-dangerous-kids-online-safety-act
AND REMENBER, DONT LET THEM WIN, BECUESE WE NEED TO STILL FIGHT.
“First, H.R. 6090 could result in colleges and universities suppressing a wide variety of speech critical of Israel or in support of Palestinian rights in an effort to avoid investigations by the Department and the potential loss of funding, even where such speech is protected and does not qualify as harassment. Even without H.R. 6090, advocacy groups have already filed or threatened to file numerous Title VI complaints and lawsuits, alleging that colleges have violated Title VI merely by condoning Palestinian rights groups, events, and advocacy. For example, in September 2023, the pro-Israel group Santa Fe Middle East Watch claimed that the University of New Mexico's anthropology department would violate the New Mexico Governor's executive order using this same definition of antisemitism if they hosted Mohammed El-Kurd, a Palestinian poet and writer currently serving as the Nation's Palestine correspondent.
Moreover, in February 2020, the David Horowitz Freedom Center sent a letter to Pomona and Pitzer college officials alleging “the colleges’ liability under Title VI” for, among other things, co-sponsoring a Students for Justice in Palestine event featuring a screening of the film ‘Gaza Fights for Freedom,’ and funding a panel on “Perspectives on Colleges and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
Additionally, there have been multiple instances of university censorship of pro-Palestinian expression after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. These include the University of Pennsylvania denying a screening of a documentary which raises concerns some young Jews have about Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and Brandeis University banning the student group Students for Justice in Palestine.* Equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism by law, under a threat of investigation, will only create more fear in schools, prompting administrators to silence this speech regardless of whether it is protected.
Second, even where administrators do not take formal action, students and their organizations, faculty, and university staff may be deterred from speaking and organizing on these issues. Activists would be understandably hesitant to engage in political expression criticizing Israel or advocating for Palestinian rights if they have reason to believe the federal government will actively investigate such expression in connection with harassment complaints and investigations.
Finally, the bill would likely inspire an increasing number of complaints focused on constitutionally protected criticism of Israel. These complaints will not only cause schools to limit speech out of fear, but will also force both the Department and covered universities to devote time and resources to addressing complaints about constitutionally protected speech, instead of meritorious harassment complaints.”
(source) (source)
Folks, what the Senate voted on was the cloture for KOSA. It's like a prelude, their way of deciding TO vote on it soon. Those many Democrat votes don't even represent whether they would vote for KOSA itself.
It still sucks, but I'm not letting anyone believe it fully passed yet and declare 'DoOm! Time to get the VPNs'. You can still fight this. Call, email, fax (that would really annoy the hell out of them) your senators and representatives.
There. Is. A. Chance.
Keep. Making. Noise!
KOSA update 7/25/24:
Well, unsurprisingly, KOSA passed the Senate procedural vote 86-1.
Proof:
Again, they still have to vote on the final passage & the House still has to vote on it as well.
So, focus on your House Representative now; Continue to call them & tell them to vote ‘No’ to KOSA. Remember: There is more opposition to KOSA in the House.
Spread this around. Don’t panic!
Keep calm & keep fighting!!
Call Scripts for Calling your Members of Congress:
📞 202-224-3121 (You should call today!!!)
Script can be used to fax (you can send a fax for free with this link) and email as well. Don’t wait. Do this today!!!
Find your 2 senators numbers here (You can use this link to find senators to reach out to & if you’re not local to the US maybe reach out to the senators that need the most pressure.) If they are Democrats, use this call script. If they are Republicans, call Senate leader Chuck Schumer (202) 224-6542
BE POLITE. Call every day you can.
You do not have to be a resident of their district to call. (You can do this even if you don’t live in this area so anyone anywhere can do it.) If you are short on time, only call the (202) area codes, which is the DC office. You can call after hours as well and leave voicemails at any time. If you have the time, please call the other numbers under their names as well. You can also click on their names and tweet at them and reply under their posts. It’s very effective.
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (Senate Majority Leader), (Call script for him specifically)
(202) 224-6542
(212) 486-4430
(607) 772-6792
AOC
(202)-225-3965
(718)-662-5970
Maxwell Frost
(202) 225-2176
(321) 388-9808
Ayanna Pressley
(202) 225-5111
(617) 850-0040
Ilhan Omar
(202) 225-4755
(202) 225-4755
Jamaal Bowman
(202) 225-2464
(718) 530-7710
Cori Bush
(202) 225-2406
(314) 955-9980
DEMOCRATIC VERSION:
Hi, I am urging you to VOTE NO on KOSA, s.1409. Nearly 200 human rights and LGBT organizations total came out in an open letter opposing it in 2022 and 2023 because of how dangerous it is. The new language does NOT meet any concerns brought up, in fact many organizations were ignored. Major news have reported that this bill actively harms kids. When you look online through social media, you will find thousands of posts by Gen Z who are opposed to this bill. We do not want this.
The rewritten bill would still allow any state attorney general, and now the FTC, to sue any website for “harmful” content. When you have Republicans calling anything LGBT “sexual exploitation” or anything about race “CRT” to successfully ban books and teachers, then they will use any justification to censor the internet. The Missouri attorney general used “mental health” successfully to ban gender-affirming care with backed up research. Suicide rates will skyrocket for marginalized youth with this bill restricting content.
Multiple experts agree this bill pushes age verification, even with the new language. KOSA hands more private data of children to third party companies. Furthermore, updated language threatens encryption the same way the Earn It Act does. How is this protecting children’s privacy?
KOSA actively harms kids by taking away educational resources they need right now. Do NOT support this bill. Thank you.
REPUBLICAN VERSION:
I am urging you to VOTE NO on KOSA, s.1409. This is a dangerous bill that will harm children. Many news organizations have reported that this bill actively harms kids by exposing their private data to strangers under the guise of protecting them. We need to hold Big Tech accountable, but KOSA is not the solution.
The rewritten bill would still allow any state attorney general, and even thr FTC, to sue any website for “harmful” content. Do we really want blue state lawyers deciding what can and can’t be allowed online and continue to censor people? This is massive government overreach. We need a bill that actually protects people by creating better security measures instead of bringing about more censorship.
Multiple experts agree this bill pushes age verification, even with the new language. KOSA hands more private data of children to third party companies, which would put them in further danger. How is this protecting children’s privacy? What parent would want their child’s private data in the hands of strangers like this? KOSA is actively putting kids in danger. Do NOT support this bill. Thank you.
I’ve said it repeatedly that you don’t need to live in the US to reach out. There’s a website provided to find senators & their contact info so please use it and make the call. You can also use the link to send faxes. You can send it for free using this site.
KOSA will make things possible. Your social justice aims will mean nothing when the companies that own the websites that we use will be urged and pressured to censor what we post and what we see.
So tonight i played borderlands 1 remaster past midnight, checked socials and... kosa has passed its senate committee vote with 86-1. Yes committee, not a full senate vote despite what i was lead to believe from the words of others. Apologies for that. So despite this news, there is still time to stop this, we just need to work hard to resist it.
The bill has not reached the finish line, it only a passed a checkpoint. We can still turn it around.
I'll see you all tomorrow..
