Category: help

Image description: a light purple background with a dark purple DV awareness ribbon “Help a DV victim fight back” with a photo of Katy

Help a DV Victim Fight Back

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

If you’ve known me for really any length of time, it’s quite likely that you’ve heard me talk about my best friend Katy.

We had a class together in our sophomore year of college. I remember thinking how cool she was and how much I wanted to be her friend.

Cut to senior year, and I’d succeeded! We lived together on campus, having regular dance parties, supporting each other through the swine flu, and helping each other stay awake during all-nighters.

Through heavy depression, transitioning, and cutting contact with my abusive mother, she has always been there for me.

And she’s been going through it over the last year.

She’s had to flee the home she owns for her safety, spending money both on trying to keep the home her ex is squatting in and keeping herself safe. It’s been unsustainable for a long time, but especially now after 409 days.

Breaking free from abusers is one of the hardest things someone can do, and it shouldn’t have to cost everything she has and more.

Please join me in uplifting Katy, whether that’s offering in-kind support, sharing her story, or donating to her GoFundMe campaign. Every share & donation, no matter how big or small, makes a difference in helping her rebuild her life and continue the legal fight against her ex.

Because everyone should be able to break free from the cycle of abuse and rebuild a life filled with safety, dignity, and hope — but especially someone who has done so much to help others going through abuse and domestic violence.

 

Sept 2024 update

Since fleeing her home on July 20, 2023, she has spent well over $100,000 trying to stay safe while also fighting litigation brought by her abuser. Her credit cards are maxed out, and she is very nearly at the point of bankruptcy because of this man.

This is a woman has worked as both a domestic violence and sexual violence victim advocate — and a college Title IX coordinator. She does amazing work every single day in higher ed policy around discrimination, opportunities for first-gen students, poverty, and more. She even spoke at SXSW this year on climate change and education.

But, 13 months of fighting is a lot.

Katy’s household bills, including mortgage, are due on September 1st, and she already had no idea how late she would be paying that (~$1800).

She is currently at a meditation retreat for some much-needed rest. I was hoping that she would be able to process some feelings while there and find some healing. But, she checked her email just before disconnecting for the weekend just to see her new legal bill — $4,000 due ASAP.

Ideally, she needs ~$6,000 by the end of this long weekend.

She is so close to the finish line, but needs our help.

 

What you’ll get in return

I am also offering free coaching to anyone who donates to help Katy.

If you upload a screenshot to my coaching interest form — available from this page — I will provide you with free coaching on any of these topics:

  • Brainstorming and Ideation
  • Identity-Related Coaching
  • Neurodivergent Coaching
  • Disability Doula / Coaching
  • Coaching for Partners
  • Relationship, Sex, and Intimacy Coaching
  • Communication Skills (especially in relationships)
  • Patient Advocacy
  • Planning to speak to children about disability and/or sexuality

 

Katy’s GFM link

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-a-dv-survivors-journey-to-freedom

 

Can’t help out financially?

That’s okay! You can still help! One thing that helps immensely is getting more eyes on this GoFundMe. If you can comment on or share posts that I’ve made (linked below) — or even make your own posts on social media sites — it would really mean a lot.

Here are a few of mine that you can feel free to share:

Thank you so much for considering helping her out.

All my best,
Grayson

Take Action Now on Section 1557 of the ACA

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

I’m passing this along from NCIL (which I know has been problematic as of late) because this is incredibly important to every community I work with. Please consider reaching out and speaking up.

On June 14, 2019, the Trump Administration published a proposed regulation that would roll back the nondiscrimination protections under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Section 1557 is the provision of the ACA that prohibits discrimination in healthcare programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. The Administration’s proposal is extremely dangerous and discriminatory, and we need to do everything we can to stop this proposal from being finalized!

Specifically, the proposal would limit the number of health programs subject to Section 1557, and it would narrow the scope of the protections under Section 1557 in the following ways:

• Gender identity and sex stereotyping would be completely eliminated from the definition of sex discrimination, the definition of gender identity would be eliminated, and all references to sexual orientation in HHS regulations would be erased. This could allow healthcare providers to deny transgender people gender-affirming care, and would result in queer and trans people being significantly less likely to get quality healthcare and more likely to face discrimination, abuse, or refusals of care.

• Requirements for notices and taglines that let people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) know about language access services, including services for disabled people, would no longer be required.

• Healthcare providers would be able to refuse care and justify it under Title IX’s religious exemption. This would allow healthcare providers to discriminate against or deny abortions, reproductive health services, or other health services that a provider says violates their religious beliefs.

• The ban on insurance plan discrimination on the basis of disability, age, and other factors would be removed, which would disproportionately impact people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The removal of protections around benefit design would disproportionately impact people with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities and chronic illnesses that may be treated or managed with more expensive medications or other treatments.

• The requirement for healthcare providers to share notices that inform people of their nondiscrimination policy, their rights, how to file complaints if they are discriminated against, and other information would be completely eliminated.

All the above proposed changes will impact disabled people. In addition, the Administration is specifically seeking comments on questions related to disability access.

Specifically, they have asked for feedback regarding:

• Effective Communication: Whether to remove the requirement for covered providers with less than 15 employees to provide auxiliary aids and services.

• Accessibility Standards: Whether to continue to apply the 2010 ADA Standards to all entities under Section 1557, specifically in regard to benefits to disabled people versus burdens on private entities (see 45 CFR 92.103).

• Reasonable Modifications: Whether to keep current language regarding accommodations that is derived from Title II of the ADA, or to substitute with language conforming to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Current language (based on the ADA) states that covered entities must make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, except if the modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the health program or activity. Proposed new language (based on the Rehabilitation Act) states that covered entities shall make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. In this section, they also seek comment on whether to include an exemption for “undue hardship” (see 45 CFR 92.105).

It is clear that if this attempted rollback is finalized, disabled people and many others will be significantly less likely to receive quality healthcare or to file grievances when discriminated against. Disabled people would also not be provided with the resources they need to know about those things in the first place.

Take Action!

The comment period closes on August 13, 2019 at 11:59 Eastern, so please submit comments as soon as possible! Your comments should explain why you oppose this proposed change, and you should address as many of the specific proposed changes and questions as possible. This is a cruel attack on people who already experience discrimination in healthcare settings, and this proposal will only make things worse. We must ensure the Administration hears from as many of us as possible!

Comments can be submitted online through the Federal eRulemaking Portal (preferred) or by mail.

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: You may submit electronic comments at regulations.gov/comment?D=HHS-OCR-2019-0007-0001 or by going to regulations.gov and searching for the Docket ID number HHS-OCR-2019-0007. Click on “Comment Now” and you can type your comments into the comment box or upload a document.

• Regular, Express, or Overnight Mail: Your comments must be postmarked by the comment submission deadline (August 13, 2019). You may mail comments to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights / Attention: Section 1557 NPRM, RIN 0945-AA11 / Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 509F / 200 Independence Avenue SW / Washington, DC 20201.

Ways You Can Help Trans, Non-binary, and GNC People

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Updated on Oct 30, 2018

Content note: this post contains anti-trans sentiments, fucking cishet patriarchy bullshit, food, suicide/crisis hotline & violence mentions. If you need help, you can call 877-565-8860 (US), 877-330-6366 (Canada), or find resources in your country here. Unless I know someone’s pronouns, I use ‘they’ to be most neutral.

trans flag with purple text boxes on top and white text: "Ways You Can Help Trans, Non-binary, and GNC People" - "Chronic Sex"

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a few days. Honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to sit down and really work on it, though.

There are over a million and a half (roughly) trans, non-binary, or gender non-conforming people in the United States. Unfortunately, we’re far from tolerated – people want us dead. This is not embellishment by any means. We’re very rightly afraid for our lives and well-being.

Along with removing trans people from the health department site, the Department of Justice has told the Supreme Court that discriminating against trans people in the workplace doesn’t violate federal law. And, now, this administration is trying to strong-arm the United Nations to change ‘gender-based violence’ to ‘violence against women,’ effectively eliminating protections for us around the world.

We have very few rights around the world as it is, and it’s terrifying to see people willing to roll them back. You can’t say you’re doing things to protect the country while attacking literally everyone who isn’t a allocishet dyadic abled rich while man.

I know that people are wondering what we can do in the face of this stuff. Well, like I did last year for natural disasters, I did what I do best – pulled together ways you can help. I hope to keep this post updated for the foreseeable future while we’re facing terrifying odds, and will add a note at the top with when I’ve last updated.

 

photo of people at a rally with a transparent purple overlay and white text: "ACTION"

 

VOTE

I know not everyone is able to vote. I won’t shame y’all for that, but apathy? That won’t do. Until the purge starts (which is a terrifying thought), the most power we have is through exercising our rights to vote, protect, and speak up. Please do so.

There are a record number of trans and queer candidates this year. Take a minute and seee if any trans candidates are up for election in your neck of the woods.

Contact Your Reps

A super easy way to do this is through ResistBot. All you have to do is text RESIST to 50409 – or send it to them via Facebook Messenger – and they’ll help you contact your local and national officials. What I really like about this is that it makes it easy to keep in touch with officials. They’ll also text you to remind you to speak up, and that’s pretty great for us brain fog peeps.

Of course, if you can visit or call on your own, that’s awesome, too! You can double check who you’re represented by here.

As a quick heads up, email isn’t as effective even though it’s easy. That’s why I like ResistBot and how they turn your text into calls or faxes.

Whatever way works best, just make sure to do it.

Educate Yourself

There are a lot of people who would like to be better allies to the trans/GNC community. The best way to do that is either to ask one of us open to sharing information with you or educate yourself. It shouldn’t always be on a marginalized group to educate privileged people about their oppression, especially when there are so many resources out there if you search correctly or find the right kinds of sites to learn from.

GLAAD has a great primer on how to be a better ally. I’ve got a post about genders you should check out, too.

Other sites that have great pieces:

Educate Others

After you’ve learned about trans issues, take steps to correct misconceptions. Take a stand because, unless people learn, we can’t move forward. When you hear transphobic/misic remarks, spend time to share the true with people.

Sometimes, that means speaking up in public. Other times, that might mean being the uncomfortable voice of truth at Thanksgiving. Honestly, it’s the best way to feel like you’ve earned pie!

Speak Out

Come with us to rallies and protests. Go with us when it’s dangerous. Check in on us.

Use any privileges you have – especially if you’re cis – to tell people about how gender isn’t a binary, immigrants aren’t evil, and more.

Standby

When we’re able to formally comment against the legislation, we’ll need allies to help make an impact. You can follow the Transgender Law Center for more information on Facebook, Twitter, or through their site or email list.

Volunteer

You can find spaces near you to volunteer, thanks to The Trevor Project.

 

 

photo of change in the background with a transparent purple text box and white text: "DONATE"

 

Continue reading “Ways You Can Help Trans, Non-binary, and GNC People” →

ClexaCon Fundraiser: Disability Representation Panel

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Clexacon logo (rainbow infinity symbol on its side with '2018' at the most righthand side) with ClexaCon written in rainbow below against a black background

If you haven’t already heard, I’ll be heading to ClexaCon this April! I’m incredibly excited as I’ll be on two panels. One is about sex ed for queer peeps called Let’s Get Cliterate! The other panel is about disability representation in queer media.

For the latter one, we’ve set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for those of us traveling to Vegas for the conference.

This panel is so needed. The fundraiser will go to cover travel and lodging during the conference for our panel peeps. One of our panel peeps has, unfortunately, had to drop out due to health, and we’re hoping to have some surprises from them at our panel at least.

Please consider donating. I’m driving and staying at an Airbnb to save on costs. Still, with having to get a new car sans planning, having any money to cover our travel and lodging would be very much appreciated. And that’s just me! There are others attending that could use the help as well.

Please consider sharing even if you’re unable to donate.

Giving Tuesday: Help Our Community

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

black background with green text "Giving Tuesday: Help Our Community" and white text "Chronic Sex" - both middle-aligned above a white hand, outlined in black, with a pink bracelet and a purple bracelet supporting/holding up the text

One of the things I’ve always envisioned this site being able to do is lifting up other people in our communities. For me, that means chronically amazing, trans/GNC, queer, sex-educatory, animal-loving people.

Since it’s Giving Tuesday, I want to highlight ways we can give back to our peoples, whoever they may be. While I’ve put people under a variety of sections, notice that intersecting identities don’t just limit most of us to one label.

Chronically Amazing

USA

My friend Kenzie defies words. She is all at once innovative and an old soul, spontaneous and planned out, supportive and sassy. There are a million reasons I’m glad she and I are friends. Unfortunately, she’s struggling a lot lately. While dealing with being a senior in college, she’s juggling an ever-growing list of serious chronic health conditions. The dual hit to the bank account of being a chronically ill college student is something that’s really hard to cope with. That’s where we come in! You can donate to her Amazon wishlist or contribute to her fundraiser that helps train her service dog (and giant love muffin) Ophie.

Britt is another chronically ill gal. Recently, she’s received a rare disease diagnosis and struggled with back-to-back hospital admissions. On top of that, she’s barely able to eat. You can help get her food and supplies through her Amazon wishlist.

Struggling with undiagnosed health issues is scary, especially when they land us in emergency multiple times. Kat, who is a freaking joy to know, is dealing with just that – struggling with a high ER bill on top of needing to see specialists. You can help offset the costs she’s been hit with on her GoFundMe.

Judy lives with a number of health conditions. Unfortunately, she has little help with day-to-day tasks, schooling, medications, and more. She’s looking to get a service dog, but they’re very expensive. Please visit her GoFundMe to learn more.

Annabel has been fighting breast cancer for over a year and recently had a second major surgery. Unfortunately, she’s not covered under the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and will be out of work for two months. You can help cover the costs of her surgery and expenses via GoFundMe.

Antonina is a hard-working Haitian immigrant with 4 children. She works as a nurse to provide for her kids, but this has left her with severe damage in her knees – to the point she needs a total knee replacement on each one. With the Temporary Protected Status of Haiti being ended before August 2019, it’s incredibly important to raise the money to get these surgeries as soon as possible to allow for the best possible outcomes. You can donate here.

Canada

Alex is a great reminder that healthcare isn’t better in other countries – yes, even Canada sucks when you’re chronically ill. They have been fighting to get an accurate diagnosis for ages. Unfortunately, that requires a series of very expensive tests that the Canadian health system won’t cover. You can donate to Alex’s GoFundMe or shoot them money via PayPal.

UK

Shona, who you might remember as the author of this piece, has an outdated wheelchair. Since she is able to walk (with a metric ton of pain), the National Health System in the UK won’t help her get a new one. Since she can’t work, either, funds are limited to get a new chair. Please consider donating to her GoFundMe.

Emma also lives in the UK where they are ill-equipped to handle her complex medical issues. On top of chronic Lyme Disease, she endures a number of harrowing symptoms that leave her bedbound 90% of the time. Her family is raising money to help get treatment underway as the NHS isn’t cutting it.

Representation

Dawn runs Spoonie Chat, a weekly Twitter chat held on Wednesdays at 8 pm Eastern that’s focused on living well will a variety of chronic illnesses. She’s currently working on crowdfunding her writing to help get more representation of illness out there.

Black and Brown Spoons is an online community started to help Black, Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indigenous people with chronic illnesses get connected to information, resources, and support around healthcare and disability rights in the US. Honestly, most of us who are popular are pretty white and we don’t experience the same issues the same way. They’ve got a Teespring page set up with great gear you can grab while helping them further this awesome mission. They have a merch giveaway that ends today, too, until 6 pm Eastern today. Check out this Twitter thread for how to enter.

Jennifer Brea has made a lot of headlines recently. As the filmmaker behind Unrest, she is challenging providers to see and believe the reality of patients living with ME/CFS. The film premiered at Sundance this year and it’s gotten rave reviews (mine is coming soon!). If you want to help Jennifer and her organization raise more awareness of ME/CFS, please click here.

Trans/GNC

Gender-affirming surgery is a very extensive and expensive process. It can be scary to go through, even though it’s super helpful to have. Kai has been on testosterone for two years and is starting the process of getting bottom surgery. Between having to travel across the country – and stay for 6 weeks – for treatment, he is having a hard time paying the bills associated with preparing for surgery. Please visit Kai’s YouCaring page to help.

Ty is working to get top surgery. Right now, though, their insurance won’t cover the costs. Donating will help Ty with the costs of surgery and being out of work while healing. Their YouCaring page has more information.

Getting a new passport for trans folx can be incredibly expensive, but very worthwhile. You can help, though! An organization is helping to cover passport fees for trans peeps. Visit their YouCaring page to learn more.

Zaire is a black, trans, chronically-ill queer who has been struggling with ongoing homelessness for their entire life, on top of chronic illness, ongoing health struggles, and the daily violence of anti-blackness and transphobia moving through this white supremacist world. You can help them by donating through their YouCaring page.

Jacie is a runner and activist who fights hard for equality. Unfortunately, after coming out as trans in 2014, she was severely beaten. While she’s in a safer position right now, she is raising money for surgery to correct the damage done during the attack.

Queer

Bree is one of my favorite people. I can’t believe I get to be on a panel with her soon! (Go to Clexacon – you won’t regret it.) She’s a fellow queerdo, disabled, and just hella cool. She helps remind people all the time to practice self-care and is very open about mental health, which is so very needed. You can help her through her fun Amazon wishlist, her medical one, or on Patreon.

NC Queer TROUBLMakers (Trans Revolutionaries Organizing Under Black Lives Matter) is a statewide collective of queer and trans people of color in North Carolina. We began formally working together in August of 2015, coordinating Queer and Trans Black Lives Matter demonstrations at Pride events across the state. They need additional funding to help their members pay rent and cover basic living costs. Visit their GoFundMe page to learn more.

Sex Education

Ducky Doolittle is an amazing human being. She’s one of the reasons that I got into sex education work. Unfortunately, she has recently been diagnosed with uterine cancer and just went through surgery to kick cancer’s ass. If you can donate to help keep things afloat while she does her thing, click here to pop to her PayPal.

Sarah Brynn is one of my favorite sex educators. She’s had a lot of great things to share during the MeToo movement as a fellow survivor. She wants to help create more trauma-informed, feminist sex education. You can donate to her via Patreon or PayPal.

JoEllen Notte talks very openly about mental health and sex. She has given presentations and talks at many conferences on the subject and is working on writing a book. Check out her Patreon and support her amazing work.

Ever heard of the book Girl Sex 101? The author behind that, Allison, work on a lot – sex-ed videos, blogs, essays, art, fiction, etc. She has a Patreon set up to snag more funding and make her work more accessible.

Amy runs Coffee & Kink. In addition to sex education, she writes erotic fiction and helps people new to investigating sexuality navigate their new world. You can support her work on Patreon.

Artemisia FemmeCock writes reviews of sex toys and kink products. She works hard to bring in educational aspects, helping to demystify kink and sex toys. Please visit her Patreon to learn more.

Cheryl AKA Horny Geek Girl is a writer and sex blogger, too. She recently set up a Patreon in an effort to focus more on her passion – badass erotic writing.

Amy Jo Goddard and Julie Carlson are on a mission to improve pelvic exams, and they go on a quest to find out why patients have horror stories about gyn exams, what students are learning, and how to change our approach to gynecology to one of empowerment rather than dread and trauma. Check out their project, At Your Cervix.

Organizations

LGBT+ and Sex Ed

The Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN) is an organization by and for Indigenous youth that works across issues of sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice throughout the United States and Canada.

In the quaint town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island sits a building with a giant walk-through vulva. The Center for Sexual Pleasure & Health works tirelessly to provide education to everyone, including continuing education for people like myself.

Heart Women & Girls is one of my favorite organizations. They focus on sexual health and education for femmes within Muslim spaces. Providing culturally-sensitive health information is something that is vastly overlooked and badly needed – and Heart does that. Donate and help them on their path to fix the world.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation came about after Matt’s brutal murder in 1998. As a baby queer at the time, I’ve written about how Matt’s story continues to push me to fight for all of us. The Foundation continues to push for better laws against hate crimes, especially for the LGBT+ community. You can donate to them here.

TSER – Trans Student Educational Resources – is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. In addition to our focus on creating a more trans-friendly education system, our mission is to educate the public and teach trans activists how to be effective organizers. Please consider donating to help further their mission.

Founded in 2003 by trans activists, the National Center for Transgender Equality provides a powerful transgender advocacy presence in Washington, DC. After the many setbacks our community has seen this year – and the ones we fear are coming – it’s important to continue supporting their work and affirming our support for them.

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. It’s named after one of the trans pioneers of the LGBT rights movement, Sylvia Rivera. Please consider donating to them today.

Health

The International Pain Foundation is a great organization. They work hard to help raise awareness about various pain-causing conditions as well as providing resources and help for patients.

RA Guy has been a staple in patient communities for ages. Recently, he started his own foundation that focuses on providing education, support, and connection for arthritis patients.

The Autoinflammatory Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those with autoinflammatory diseases, also known as periodic fever syndromes… AKA part of what I deal with (and hate) daily.

NORD – the National Organization for Rare Diseases – works with patients, providers, researchers, pharma, and more to help raise awareness and money for the many rare diseases out there (some of which aren’t even on their list). You can donate to help further their cause.

Selfish Time

It’d be hard to write this out and not include my stuff. I’m semi-reluctantly posting links here that will help me to continue producing awesome content, going to conferences, and developing stuff to help all of us.

You can donate via Patreon, PayPal, or Ko-Fi. Additionally, you can snag CS gear on Zazzle, donate to ORCHIDS, or purchase something from my Amazon Wishlist. You can also shop using one of my affiliates:

Ways to Help California Fire Victims

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

woman sits cross-legged on a bed with white bedding; she is wearing a white cardigan, greyish pants, and a dark shirt; she is playing on a silver laptop; blue transparent overlay with yellow text "Ways to Help California Fire Victims" and yellow text box below this with blue text "Chronic Sex"

There are over a dozen fires raging through California right now. Most of them are in and around where my sister lives – Northern California. They have not had to evacuate yet, but with her having asthma and small kids, the tension is high.

She’s not alone, though. There are a ton of people sitting on the edge of evacuation zones struggling with ash, heat, and more.

Thousands of people have evacuated, lost their homes, or worse. Right now, the death toll sits in the mid-20s with nearly 300 people missing.

Here’s how to help if you’re in the area:

  • You can open your home for free via Airbnb. This is currently open through the 30th, but I’ll bet it gets extended.
  • You can donate supplies and clothing to Love on Haight in SF. Tutto Capelli Salon, 1234 Go Records,
  • Donate to the North Bay Fire Relief fund at Redwood Credit Union locations
  • Volunteer! You can register at the Sonoma Community Center (open from 9-5 daily). You can also register online at CVNL for Marin and Napa.
  • Sonoma County Animal Services needs food and supplies. Napa Community Animal Response Team needs help with sheltering and moving animals. Hop Along and Second Chance Animal Rescue needs foster pet parents and donations.
  • Here are evacuation centers and other locations you can drop off supplies to:
    • Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds Evacuation Center – 442 Franklin Avenue, Yuba City
    • Veterans Memorial Building and Hall – 1351 Maple Avenue, Santa Rosa
    • Petaluma Community Center – 320 N. McDowell Boulevard, Petaluma
    • Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds – 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma
    • Napa Valley College Gym – 2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, Napa
    • Ramekins Culinary School and Inn – 450 W. Spain Street, Sonoma
    • Sonoma Valley High School – 20000 Broadway, Sonoma
    • Sonoma County Animal Services – 1247 Century Ct, Santa Rosa
    • RYSE Center – 205 41st Street @ MacDonald, Richmond
    • Salute E Vita Restaurante – 1900 Esplanade Dr, Richmond
    • Seaport Storage Center – 1703 E. Bayshore Road, Redwood City
If you’re remote, like me, or can’t venture out due to the ash and smoke, you can still donate:
Are you affected by the wildfires in Northern California? Here are some of the resources in the area offering shelter, food, and other supplies. Make sure to keep up with evacuation orders in your area.

 

Shelter

  • Check out Airbnb’s open home program. It’s free and people in the area are opening up their homes to help.
  • Official shelters
    • Cloverdale
      • Cloverdale Citrus Fair – 1 Citrus Fair Dr.
    • Healdsburg
      • Healdsburg Community Center – 1157 Healdsburg Ave.
    • Petaluma
      • Casa Grande High School – 333 Casa Grande Rd.
      • Cavanaugh Youth Center – 426 8th St.
      • Church of Christ – 370 Sonoma Mountain Parkway
      • 1st Presbyterian Church – 939 B. St.
      • New Life Church – 1310 Clegg St.
      • Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds – 175 Fairgrounds Dr.
      • Veterans Memorial Hall – 1094 Petaluma Blvd. S.
    • Santa Rosa
      • Cook Middle School – 2480 Sebastopol Rd.
      • Elsie Allen High School – 599 Bellevue Ave.
      • Finley Community Center – 2060 W. College Ave.
      • Sonoma County Fairgrounds Pavillion – 1350 Bennett Valley Rd.
      • St. Eugene’s Cathedral School/Gym – 300 Farmers Ln.
    • Sebastopol
      • Analy High School – 6950 Analy Ave.
      • Hessel Church – 5060 Hessel Ave.
      • St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church – 500 Robinson Rd.
    • Rohnert Park
      • Burton Recreation Center/RP Community Center – 5401 Snyder Ln.
      • Sally Tomatoes – 1100 Valley House Dr.
      • Technology Middle School – 7165 Burton Ave
      • Waldo Rohnert Elementary School – 550 Bonnie Ave.
    • Sonoma
      • Adele Harrison Middle School – 1150 Broadway
      • Sonoma Raceway – 29355 Arnold Dr.
      • Sonoma Valley High School – 20000 Broadway
      • Sonoma Veterans Building – 126 1st St. West
    • Windsor
      • Windsor High School – 8695 Windsor Rd.
    • American Canyon
      • American Canyon High School – 3000 Newell Dr.
    • Calistoga
      • Calistoga Fairgrounds – 1435 N. Oak St.
    • Napa
      • Crosswalk Community Church – 2590 First St.
      • Napa Valley College Gym – 2277 Napa Vallejo Highway
    • Fairfield
      • Alan Witt Sports Complex – 1741 W. Texas St.
      • Solano Community College – 4000 Suisun Valley Rd.

Restaurants

  • Amy’s Drive Thru (58 Golf Course Dr. W, Rohnert Park) is offering free meals to those evacuated.
  • Sauced BBQ Restaurant (151 Petaluma Blvd S Suite 129, Petaluma) serves free food from 9-4 every few days for victims and offers a place to rest and view TV.
  • Better Homes and Gardens (186 Main St., Sebastopol) will give you a cup of coffee and wifi and you can charge your phone.

Wifi and Computer Use

  • FREE Internet/Comcast/Xfinity: Removed restrictions and opened their WiFi hotspots for all to use through Fri. 10/13 Log in as “Guest.”
  • Copperfield’s Books (140 Kentucky St, Petaluma): Free wifi, allows dogs, water, stickers & crayons for children.
  • Mystic Theatre/McNears/The Roaring Donkey (23 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma): Offering laptops for fire victims to use if they need to get a hold of their financial institutions or family. They have wifi and chargers, too. Ask for Sierra Bradley.

For pets and animals

  • Strong’s Second Chance Ranch (771 Liberty Rd, Petaluma) is offering to home horses, can message on Facebook.
  • Chanslor Ranch (2660 CA-1, Bodega Bay) – Offering free beds and campsite. Kid and pet- friendly.
  • Sonoma Humane Society (5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa) – Taking in animals for boarding, lost & found animals. No cost vet treatment for burn victims, owned or stray animals affected by fires. Open 8-5 daily.
  • Unleashed Dog Training (301 2nd St, Petaluma) is boarding and open if you need a place to hang. Call at 707.763.9882
  • Marin Humane Society (171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd, Novato) is offering free boarding.
  • Misc animal issues: Anyone encountering animal-related issues can call 707-565-4406. This number will be available 24/7 until further notice. Donations can also be made through this line. Please be prepared to share information about the number of animals, type of animals, address and location for the animals, and any information about the families associated with the animals, if known.

Other

  • Petaluma Swim Center (900 E Washington St, Petaluma) is offering free showers for victims with soap, shampoo and towels provided. Check their FB page for times and dates.
  • Synergy Health Club (1201 Redwood Way, Petaluma) is offering free showers plus towels to those in need. Also, a place to relax with couches and TV.
  • Adventure Recreation Center (2200 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma) is open limited hours for kids to play out of the smoke. Free for fire victims, and they have coffee. Proceeds from others will be donated to relief efforts.
  • Ethical Clothing (122 Kentucky St., Petaluma) has free clothing for those in need. For non-evacuees, they will also sell newly donated items for $25 a piece and donate the money. Check their FB page for hours.
  • Yoga Hell (1484 Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma) is offering free yoga classes and showers.
  • If you’re affected by the Tubbs fire, there is a FB group for you. Facebook also has a community help section for those dealing with the fires, including those willing to volunteer.

Originally posted on Oct. 12. Updated Oct. 12.

CHIP Needs Our Help

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

white background with a stethoscope featuring a red heart; black text at top middle "CHIP Needs Our Help" and at bottom middle "Not Standing Still's Disease"

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was passed in August 1997, taking effect the next month. What this program does is give states funds (that they must match) that help to cover children living in low-income households that don’t qualify for Medicaid. It’s undergone expansion, adding protection for a couple million more children thanks to President Obama.

Today, CHIP covers approximately 9 million children from low-income families. These children are at risk of losing their healthcare. See, funding for CHIP ends at the end of this month – so, Saturday. The Senate has refused to discuss renewing funding for CHIP since early this year, focusing on repeal-and-replace efforts instead. Without immediate renewal, over a million of these children would lose insurance and the remaining 8 million would see reduced benefits.

The Senate Finance Committee, led by Ron Wyden and Orrin Hatch, have introduced a bill – S 1827 – that extends funding for another five years. However, the Senate has failed to act on this.

Do what you can today to reach out to your Senators and ask them to discuss this bill NOW.

  • Contact your Senators
  • Protest and picket (if able)
  • Get loud on social media
    • Use tags like #saveCHIP
  • Send letters to the editors or reach out to your local news to explain your concerns

Let’s come together to ensure that these children aren’t left behind.

HR 36 and HR 620: Two Bills We Must Fight

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Photo of the Supreme Court building against a blue sky - a black text box on the lower half with white text: "HR 36 and HR 620: Two Bills We Must Fight - chronic sex"

After the good news that the Graham-Cassidy plan wasn’t going to be voted on, you might’ve thought we’d get a break.

Sadly, there are two bills right now that we need to fight.

HR 36: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

In 2015, the House approved this but the Senate did not. Unfortunately, Trent Franks in Arizona decided it was time to try again. It’s unknown right now if the Senate would approve this once it passes in the House, but Cheeto Voldemort has vowed to sign it if so.

What this bill does is make it illegal to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the fetus is 20 weeks or older. This is targeted toward abortion performers (i.e., doctors, etc), and those breaking this federal law would be subject to fines and/or jail time.

While people say this does not affect the person seeking the abortion, I doubt that is true. There are exceptions for rape, incest, and if the procedure is deemed medically necessary.

You can read the bill here. Note that the bill currently has support from representatives in just about every single state.

HR 620: ADA Education Reform Act of 2017

Contrary to what the title might suggest, HR 620 negatively impacts the ability of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to work. The ADA, passed 27 years ago, was supposed to secure certain rights for those of us with disabilities. Instead, there is a lack of enforcement of the ADA, with businesses and schools getting away with not making necessary changes.
This bill would only make that worse. It would make it nearly impossible for many disabled people to make a formal complaint about ADA violations. The complaint would first have to be in writing with very specific language. If (or, really, when) the business/whatever fails to respond and/or update things, it’s then on the disabled person to gather data to send in.
There’s no reason for this. All this is doing is making it harder for us to report businesses that are not compliant with a nearly 30-year old law.
Check to see if your representatives are currently co-sponsoring this. See also the following articles:

What to do

Like with Graham-Cassidy, we’re going to have to get loud over these bills.

  • Contact your Senators
    • Call them at 844-859-3118
    • Use ResistBot
    • Talk to them on social media
    • Email
    • Fax
    • While you’re at it, tell them it’s unfair and illegal to strip the ACA’s funding
  • Protest and picket (if able)
  • Get loud on social media
    • Use tags like #savetheADA
  • Send letters to the editors or reach out to your local news to explain your concerns
You can also take a moment to contact members of the House Judiciary Committee as listed below:
  • Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06)
  • Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI-05)
  • Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21)
  • Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)
  • Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-49)
  • Rep. Steve King (IA-04)
  • Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-08)
  • Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
  • Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)
  • Rep. Ted Poe (TX-02)
  • Rep. Tom Marino (PA-10)
  • Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-04)
  • Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01)
  • Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
  • Rep. Doug Collins (GA-09)
  • Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06)
  • Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)
  • Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-04)
  • Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02)
  • Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)
  • Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04)
  • Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05)
  • Rep. John Rutherford (FL-04)
  • Rep. Karen Handel (GA-06)
  • Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13)
  • Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10)
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09)
  • Rep. Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)
  • Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22)
  • Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)
  • Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37)
  • Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
  • Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
  • Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01)
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
  • Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
  • Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10)

Ways to Contribute to Wildfire Relief

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

a photo of two firefighters dressed up and using a fire hose to combat a large wildfire; a white box surrounds white text "Ways to Contribute to Wildfire Relief"

With hurricanes and earthquakes hitting parts of our world, many aren’t aware of the dangerous wildfires in the US. Currently, fires are ravaging Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. You can get daily updates here.

I grew up in Oregon and have family all along the west coast and northwest. It’s scary to see what these fires are doing, especially with the lack of rain. Thankfully, it’s rained a bit over the last week or so. The fires rage on, though.

If you can help, please check out the following organizations and crowdfunding projects:

There are additionally fires in Canada that affected First Nations tribes like Ashcroft earlier this year.

911! Fight Against the Cassidy-Graham Plan

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

white background with red vertical lines on either side; black text "911!" and red text "Fight Against the Cassidy-Graham Plan" and black text "#savetheACA #ACAsavedmylife Not Standing Still's Disease"

I posted this earlier in the week on my other site, Not Standing Still’s Disease, but wanted to repost here.

Update: public comments are due by 9 AM Eastern Time Monday morning (25th). You can email your comments to GCHcomments@finance.senate.gov or visit willtrumpcarehurtme.com‘s email assist.

Not only do we have to fight to protect the ADA, we still have to fight for healthcare.

I’m starting to worry that this is going to be every fucking quarter, but I digress.

You can read the 141-paged plan (referred to as Cassidy-Graham, Graham-Cassidy, Graham-Cassidy-Heller, and Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson) but here’s the scoop on what this bill would do:

  • Eliminates subsidies for private insurance
  • Ends Medicaid expansion
  • Caps Medicaid money, leaving millions of people uninsured
  • Allows waivers to charge sick/ill/disabled patients more (fucking high-risk pools)
  • Stops requirements on ACA-required benefits
  • Repeals tax credits for middle class
  • Puts up barriers to health insurance for low-income people (and removes subsidies)

Cassidy and others have said this block grant program would simply give money to the states for them to decide. It’s essentially shifting ACA-type stuff to states rights type stuff, acting as though states could then keep ACA programs in place. Without the support at the federal level – and with a large number of anti-ACA governors – this won’t be the case.

One scary thing to note is that the Congressional Budget Office won’t have enough time to evaluate the bill before September 30th. This is the last day this bill could be passed with 50 votes (or 51 with VPence). Otherwise, filibuster could prevent the bill from being passed.

Graham-Cassidy-Heller (ACA Repeal) Simple Summary - Repeal and Replace is back. Take it seriously. Here's what it does: *Estimated 32 million will lose coverage within 10 years (not yet scored) *Ends Medicaid expansion. Health care for 11 million low-income adults. *Ends all subsidies for the exchange, replaced by a smaller and declining "block grant" *Block grant doesn't have to be spent on same population *Cuts coverage for low income seniors, children and people w disabilities by 7% by 2026 with a "per capita cap" (Yes, that's right -- a block grant AND a Lee capita cap) *Ends Federal protections on pre-existing conditions, life time caps and essential benefits. 50% of states expected to do so. *Ends all cost sharing payments to low income Americans *Ends all funding for coverage by 2026; 100% afterwards *Averages would be dramatically different: 20 states estimated to lose 35-60% of funding to move money to rural, red states *CBO has not estimated impact on premiums, but likely 20% spike next year *Would likely be presented to the House as "take it or leave it" if passes Senate *Provide no funding for recessions, natural disasters, public health emergencies, or price spikes *Targets women's health/family planning *Uses the same "50 votes" only partisan technique to pass; upends all bipartisan progress of the last two weeks - Source: Centers for Budget and Policy, prior estimates
Source: Andy Slavitt’s Twitter; see alt-text for description

This is a more radical version of repeal-and-replace efforts so far.

I’m tired of fighting, so I’m sure you are, too. If we don’t fight this one, though, we lose any progress we’ve made up to now.

What to do now:

  • Contact your Senators (especially if you live in South Carolina, Louisiana, Nevada, or Wisconsin)
  • Protest and picket (if able)
  • Get loud on social media
  • Send letters to the editors or reach out to your local news to explain your concerns

Some organizations opposed to this bill:

  • AARP
  • Adult Congenital Heart Association
  • ALS Association
  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • America’s Essential Hospitals
  • America’s Health Insurance Plans
  • American Academy of Family Physicians
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • American Cancer Society Action Network
  • American College of Physicians
  • American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
  • American Diabetes Association
  • American Foundation for the Blind
  • American Heart Association
  • American Hospital Association
  • American Lung Association
  • American Medical Association
  • American Nurses Association
  • American Osteopathic Association
  • American Psychiatric Association
  • American Psychological Association
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • Amputee Coalition
  • Arthritis Foundation
  • Association of American Medical Colleges
  • Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
  • Center for Medicare Advocacy
  • Children’s Hospital Association
  • COPD Foundation
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Family Voices
  • Federation of American Hospitals
  • Infectious Diseases Society of America
  • JDRF
  • Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Lutheran Services America
  • March of Dimes
  • Nationa Association of Medicaid Directors
  • National Health Council
  • National Institute for Reproductive Health
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • National Organization for Rare Diseases
  • Planned Parenthood
  • Public Health Institute
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Volunteers of America
  • WomenHeart

Further reading:

Updated Sept 24