Orlando Rally for LGBTQ rights at City Hall calls out DeSantis for genocide, speakers warn community must arm for defense. With the increasingly dire situation in Florida, Texas, Tennesee, and multiple other states comparisons to the rise of Nazi Germany are becoming more and more common. This time people are NOT peacefully getting on the trains-and Nazis had better remember some didn’t last time either. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising tied down two while divisions of Waffen SS.

An intersex man speaking at the FL State House calls out FL legislators for insults and slurs at the April 25 hearing on drag ban and bathroom bills. FL Repugnicans called this speaker a “mutant” and a “transgender terrorist” at a previous legislative session for daring to stand against Christo-Fascism.This was after the Drag Queen’s March to the FL state Capitol in Tallahassee that day.

On the 24th of April, transgender folks and their supporters gathered in drenching rain in Orlando, defying a threat of armed attack by an out of state pastor’s son as well as the rain.A grand total of nine Fascists showed up to harass them, thinking at first the rally had been “rained out” but people fighting for their lives cannot be rained out. The Fascist counterprotest by comparison was mostly rained out, those who did show were outnumbered at least five to one.

Only a few of the Fascists were easily seen at any one time. One was a driver, and one went undercover in a trans flag into the crowd. Two were obvious fascist videographers and one escorted a videographer.

Speakers said it was understood some would have to leave Florida for their own safety but others were hunkering down as for a hurricane and staying put. One said bluntly that Florida is a Stand Your Ground state and that’s exactly what many LGBTQ people are doing! Another speaker reminded everyone that DeSantis is legalizing permitless concealed carry of firearms at the same time he is attempting trans genocide. This combination is just begging for a tough fight that trans folks and the rest of the LGBTQ community backing them up may very well win. In the end, the Christian Dominionists such as Pence and DeSantis can be completely defeated in this without anything happening to them save that those in positions of power lose those positions. For those facing genocide this is life and death. In fact, one of the fascists bluntly told one of the trans protesters he wanted to send them to gas chambers. No doubt that’s exactly what DeSantis would do if he could get away with it.

Already bills are passing to prosecute trans folks for using bathrooms matching their true gender, force businesses to provide gender-segregated bathrooms, strip trans kids from their parents and presumably place them with “Christians” in foster care (which will be the death of many or most), and ban gender affirming care for under 18 this year and (as in other states) all ages later. Subpeonas are being issued to health care providers demanding records of gender-affirming care, supposedly for the debate about these laws. This is at the same time as the anti-drag bill that has already caused Treasure Coast to cancel their Pride parade for fear of prosecution-even though the law would not yet be in effect! After that would come assaults on non-monagamous (cruising) Gay men, and finally on everyone else. That is unless people warrior up and resist genocide the only way resistance has ever worked: by ANY means necessary.

From DC Media Group:

Washington DC—Over 40 green groups rallied on Earth Day at Freedom Plaza to celebrate the Earth’s natural beauty while calling on world and local leaders to get serious about ending the use of fossil fuel energy sources. The Saturday event saw hundreds join a in panorama of environmental and social justice messages on a common theme: any further delay in ending carbon based energy sources-oil, methane, and coal, and continued reliance on these energy sources—would lock in rising global heat levels and imperil the existence of all the future generations.

The Earth itself has already been speaking its own language for several decades by warning us about rising global heat levels. Its message has been been in terms of increasing regional droughts, burning forests, stronger and more potent storms, a die-off of species, warming and rising oceans, melting polar ice fields, and increasing global heat.

Scientists have translated the earth’s language into mathematical terms and in the terms of physical impacts. But the environmentalists of Earth Day have translated the Earth’s messages into the collective practical action that must be taken now.

Global leadership has largely put off Earth’s environmental warnings up to this point. The President’s approval of the Willow carbon energy extraction project in Alaska and his subsequent approval of the North Slope Liquid Natural Gas export terminal with a 800 mile methane pipeline, just this month, illustrates this fact. Global leadership inaction spells out a short-term memory mentality on climate but it has long-term consequences for the Earth and all of its inhabitants.

The Earth itself has a perfect natural memory for its own environment. It remembers every pound of carbon dioxide gas released by burning coal, methane and oil. This also means that additional carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere acts for up to 3 decades as a catalyst by refracting infrared light (heat) into the natural moisture of the atmosphere around it. Carbon dioxide compounds the climate emergency by adding more heat to the atmosphere which is transferred by rain into the oceans.

The NOAA tracks the levels of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere and publishes quarterly reports on its levels and it is increasing and has increased to levels not seen since in 1000s of years—since before humans began a coal boom energy extraction in Europe during the 1850s

*Speakers Warn Of Dystopia By Inaction*

One after one speakers told of the worsening climate emergency while hundreds listened and independent media broadcasted (https://twitter.com/fffunitedstates/status/1649809544439304192?)their speeches over social media. Some carried messages on sign boards while others wore special outfits. Many discussed the climate emergency among themselves, its impacts on them, and told of what they have come to accept: the Earth as we know it is dying and collectively we have less than a decade to end fossil energy dependence. To delay further is tantamount to a climate outcome worse on humanity than all the wars ever fought.

Speakers’ main points were: (1) There can be no climate solution without acknowledging and solving the human rights issues of those mostly severely impacted in the Black and Brown communities and that the climate emergency transcends political issues; (2) there can be no solution to the climate emergency if leaders continue to greenwash the climate movement by approving more methane, oil, and coal projects that cement more greenhouse gasses from additional fossil energy infrastructure; (3) the funding of climate creating infrastructure by the five major big banks must end; (4) initiatives must begin immediately because in less than 10 years it will most likely be too late.

*Inaction on Climate Is Environmental Racism*

Nee Nee Taylor, an organizer with Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, a civil rights organization in Southeast Washington DC, connected the dots between the climate movement and institutional racism on Black and Brown people. Taylor said that Black and Brown people in Washington DC and across the country continue to be the most impacted by climate disasters because many Black and Brown communities are converted to sacrifice zones by fossil energy projects and local government policy. Taylor cited the health effects and the climate impacts on low lying rural and urban areas where poor communities are usually housed.

Taylor pointed out in Southeast DC “two trash transfer stations are in Black communities. There are no trash transfer stations in Dupont Circle where Mayor Bowser lives.” This scenario has also been playing out repeatedly in regions across the country, such as in St. James Parish, Louisiana, a Predominantly Black community also known as “Cancer Alley.” St. James Parish is notoriously connected to environmental racism where petrochemical companies are springing up (https://www.popsci.com/story/science/louisiana-formosa-chemical-construction-slave-cemetery/) and making Black residents sick with air and water pollution.

“Black people have always been the canary in the mine,” said Taylor. “Environmental racism is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is an issue of human rights and equality. It is also a global issue.”

Taylor called on the White-led climate justice movement to look closely at itself when calling out the banks, oil, gas, and coal corporations, and its financing of the climate machinery—that they must consider the inherent injustice of not recognizing the impacts of climate disasters on Black and Brown communities. “Until they recognize that Black lives matter, they will never be in a position to combat the climate disaster,” she said.

*Extinction Rebellion Washington DC Art Project—Methane Pipeline Cube*

Extinction Rebellion Washington DC Chapter Press SpokesPerson Jade Olson, called on DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Council to nix a plan by Washington Gas to invest $4.5 billion in its “Project Pipes” methane pipeline infrastructure investment and instead invest in expanding the electric energy grid. By replacing methane pipes the DC government is locking the city into many more decades of methane use, they said.

Extinction Rebellion Washington DC has embarked on a campaign (https://www.xrdc.org/gas) to challenge the Washington Gas investment in its methane pipeline replacement project know as “Project Pipes.” On its website, Extinction Rebellion DC wrote, “Gas leaks are also a major environmental justice problem. Black, Indigenous and people of color are more exposed to the dangers of leaking gas pipes than white people. Gas utility companies also fix these leaks faster in white neighborhoods (https://www.eenews.net/articles/smell-gas-getting-it-fixed-may-depend-on-race-and-income/).”

Olsen described the methane pipeline cube art installment as taking months to build. It depicts a complex series of pipes interconnected with some open to the air. It demonstrates the futility of continuing to build onto an old design concept that is destined to fail.

*Global Impacts of the Climate Emergency*

Basiv Sen, Climate Policy Director at Institute for Policy Studies, spoke of the global climate impacts. He said that the U.S. was propagandizing the world with stories it was trying to fix the climate emergency while it was building more fossil energy projects. The two actions could not be reconciled.

“India and the South Asia subcontinent are going through an horrific unseasonable springtime heatwave for the second year,” he said. “This is part of the international impact of the continuation of the fossil fuel economy” He pointed out that the U.S. produces 25% of the global use of fossils and is addicted to carbon based energy sources.

*Elders Join Third Act to Fight The Financiers of Fossil Energy Projects*

Lawrence MacDonald and Lisa Finn of Third Act Virginia, an organization of elders fighting for democratic norms and advocates for climate justice joined the youth-led action on Earth Day because they believe they can learn from youth and help them with the climate emergency.

“The generation that was in power when climate went from being a problem to being an emergency has an obligation to support young people in demanding action and end the fossil fuel era,” said Mac Donald.

Finn, said that she would not have come out to Earth Day previously because did not know anyone involved. She joined Third Act Northern Virginia and it has given her a connection to the community and a sense of achievement. She is committed to helping other groups such as the youth in the community now because she can focus and work with others in Third Act on the same objectives.

“Forming a community on environmentalism is a big thing. We learn a lot from our youth because they have a lot to teach us,” she said.

DC’s Earth Day marched towards the White House after a series of events on Freedom Plaza. Heavy rains passed through, about half the participants stayed through it and continued the event. “Hundreds” reported present even after the rain.

Many groups participated, notably Extinction Rebellion DC, which is trying to sink a $5 billion Washington Gas pipeline replacement plan.

Sustainable gas (sewer/recaptured) is not widely available in the DC area, wheras replacing gas pipes with electical makes way for later solar/wind power

On the 18st of April, the US government indicted Uhuru Party indicted three St Petersburg FL (NOT Russia!) based Uhuru Party activists on spurious charges of being Russian agents. This comes after Region’s Bank cancelled their bank accounts and years of harassment.

Independent journalists were present at a number of protests in St Petersburg, FL in which Uhuru Party members spoke. All of those relevent to this report were after the late Feb 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Were the Uhuru Party to be Russian agents, it would have been expected that they would expend considerable time and energy on supporting the Russian agenda in Ukraine and publicly opposing international support for Ukraine’s resistance to the invasion. Uhuru Party speakers never mentioned Ukraine. This suggests that the charges against the Uhuru Party’s alleged leaders are total and complete lies.

There was in fact considerable Russian interference in the 2016 US election-it was on behalf of Donald Trump and apparently orchestrated with top members of Donald Trump’s campaign. Trump narrowly escaped indictment for
“Russiagate” on grounds of being a sitting President. Since over six years have passed, the 6 year Federal statute of limitations for most (not all) offenses has probably expired for charging Trump now over Russiagate. This also should apply to any such allegations (without regard for truth or falsehood) against the Uhuru Party. Any law excluded from this statute of limitations being used to charge the Uhuru Party on the basis of lies should instead be used to charge Trump with the exact same offense on the basis of facts and true, verifiable statements.

handsoffuhuru(dot)org (replace (dot) with . to go there, had to do this to block wordpress code autoloading code from another site

It is starting. We have lost in the political arena to gerrymandering, voter suppression, and brazen cheating such as candidates running as Dems, then flip-flopping to GOP upon “winning.”

Bathroom bills, drag bans, gender affirming care made a felony. Trans folks in TN hiding in their houses fearing arrest on sight for defying new “cross-dressing” laws. Fears of mass suicide.

Now we have Treasure Coast, FL cancelling their Pride Parade and limiting their Pride festival to spaces that can be turned into 21 and over with ID spaces some of us never use.

This is no longer theoretical, it is no longer debates in legislative chambers.

It is starting, the peaceful debate in echoing halls is over. NOW is the time to resist! We can run, or we can fight. If we run the Enemy has national ambitions. They will attempt to enforce interstate warrants against fleeing parents etc, following the model of the Fugitive Slave Act (which played a big role in starting the last civil war).

After that, DeSantis intends to run for President. Here a last chance for peace exists as thr GOP is abandoning him for Trump as majorities reject the pogroms. If Trump in turn goes to prison he may lose by a margin too lopsided for another coup attempt. Fash states of course may secede in this case, question then becomes a question of whether the rest of the US declares war on the seceding states.

To get peace a lot of things have to go exactly right.

On the 19th of April, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) held a march for abortion rights, for transgender rights, and against all of the DeSantis agenda though the streets of downtown St Petersburg, FL. The march started and ended at City Hall.

With so many protests and “incidents” in Florida in the past two weeks, this is starting to feel like Trump’s first two weeks in office back in 2017.

As the FL House of Misrepresentatives “debated” genocidal anti-trans legislation, they were bombarded by underwear dropped or thrown from the gallery. It appears that the attempted preview of removing trans kids from their families immediately afterwards was vengeance for this humiliation.