iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Arienne Childrey @ari4ohio.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Today, I resigned as Vice Chair of the ODP Pride Caucus. The state party expects us to be a sales team, censoring our voices when we beg candidates not to trade on trans lives. I am still a Democrat, but I will not value party approval over true, defiant advocacy. Full text below. 👇

Part 1 of an open letter of resignation by Arienne Childrey, stepping down as Vice Chair and member of the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) Pride Caucus. She states that party leadership treats the caucus as a recruitment and sales team rather than a representative body. She cites an incident where the ODP censored and denied permission for the caucus to post a letter by two trans leaders addressing harmful comments made by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton. The State Party Chair reportedly called the letter an "unwelcome distraction," which Childrey notes demonstrates how little party leadership values the voices and dignity of LGBTQ+ Democrats.

Since that decision, every Caucus plan, every potential post, and every path forward has been filtered through a lens of strict compliance and ODP approval. That may very well be the party's rule, but following those rules right now is a dereliction of our duty to the LGBTQ+ community.

For me, any rule that silences advocacy for the trans community during this time is an unjust rule, and I see no obligation to follow it. In alignment with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his Letter from Birmingham Jail:

“One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

We are living in incredibly dangerous times for the trans community. We are in an era where the GOP has so thoroughly weaponized trans lives that even some formerly self-professing allies within our own party have fallen prey to the rhetoric. Looking at the national trend towards Democratic anti-trans triangulation, as well as our own internal conversations, it is clear to me that this shift is much more than a simple coincidence.

We have to speak up—loudly, strongly, and unapologetically—or I fear what our 2028 choices may look like. The ODP would like everyone to believe they are a "big tent" party. However, their successful efforts to silence even the Pride Caucus—even in cases where we are simply begging our candidates not to trade on our lives for perceived electoral advantage—has proven otherwise. The tent hasn't gotten any bigger; it has simply shifted, leaving many trans individuals, progressives, and allies out in the rain.

I will continue to advocate, organize, and fight for our community with everything I have. But I can no longer compromise my own moral principles by remaining part of a caucus that appears more interested in party approval than in true, defiant advocacy.

Sincerely,
Arienne Childrey

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Yesterday's undemocratic action by the Brooklyn Democratic Party's former leadership was not a legal vote and has no bearing on the leadership of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. We look forward to a proper vote for Party Chair that honors the will of the voters soon.

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New Kings Democrats @newkingsdems.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Yesterday, former Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, violating a court order, called a meeting to hold a vote for party chair. Now she claims Nikki Lucas was elected chair, with votes from only 13 of the 42 District Leaders. This is illegal and undemocratic.

Screenshot of email from Brooklyn Democrats account purporting to announce "Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas Elected As Party Chair"

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Michael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

last night, 13 Brooklyn Dems leaders held a meeting and claim they elected a new chair how many ways was this illegal? -RBH is not the party leader, Nydia Velazquez is -the majority of "voters" at this meeting are not elected DLs -there is a specific order enjoining against holding an ExCo meeting

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The Brooklyn Democratic Party machine continues to violate the law and deny the will of the voters. The party needs to respect the will of the voters and stop trying to nullify election results!

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Julio Peña III @juliopenabk.com · 04/10/2026

The former chair of the BK Dems is trying to call a meeting at 10pm tonight to pick a new chair, in defiance of a judge’s order and using rules that the court struck down. No one should attend this meeting. Democrats respect the results of elections and the rule of law.

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Carey @careylikemariah.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

There was an awesome and HILARIOUS development in the Brooklyn Democratic Party legal fight yesterday. This update requires quite a fair bit of context, but stick with me here, because the payoff is soooo delicious! 🧵

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Gender Liberation Movement @genderlib.com · 01/10/2026

As hospitals across the country cave to the Trump administration’s threats to cut federal funding and abandon trans youth, actor Elliot Page speaks out. In New York City, NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian abruptly ended care for trans kids in response to these threats.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This will be one of the most important immigration cases in a generation. The Trump admin claims that a 1996 law mandates the detention of millions of people without any right to a bond hearing; every person who entered illegally, no matter how long in the past. If they win, it's a nightmare.

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It was wonderful being part of this event supporting @movementvoter.bsky.social to build progressive power nationwide! Many thanks to my fellow @lidbk.bsky.social peeps and all the awesome leaders from @bkindivisible.bsky.social @bkforge.bsky.social and Arts4Choice who helped make this event happen!

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Courts have consistently held that the County Dem Party leadership's attempts to cling to power are illegal. It's past time to honor the will of the voters and move forward with @juliopenabk.com as Chair!

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The key thing is that the Brooklyn Democratic Party needs to honor the will of the voters. That means the newly elected District Leaders should be the ones selecting the new Party Chair, and that chair should be @juliopenabk.com -- the clear choice of a majority of duly-elected District Leaders!

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This 100%. Whoever else may or may not decide to run, @juliopenabk.com is the choice of the district leaders elected by voters across Brooklyn and if respecting election results means anything, he should be our next Party Chair. Plus, he's an amazing leader who will be an awesome chair!

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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 27/09/2026

I love this paper so much. If I had my way every single journalist, pundit, analyst, and politician in the US would read it & then read it again. I want to quote all of it. www.frontiersin.org/journals/soc...

frontiersin.org

Frontiers | The problem with polarization research in an age of extremism

"I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block i...

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Bright D Limm 임대중 @bdlimm.myatproto.social · 27/09/2026

For most Leftists, what is in the public interest is nearly always at odds with the hoarding of private interests. But when crafting financial objectives + strategies, we rely on concepts designed for private finance. To serve public ends, public finance must develop a new language and logic. 🧵

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Noël Coward’s Way Out @averynicedog.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Exit, pursued by a fucking bear

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Sam @samd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

it’s genuinely fascinating how establishment democratic politics in big cities has become so ossified and incompetent that they’ve created a huge lane for the left to embrace good government reforms and build a broad coalition of socialists and technocrats

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Movement Voter Project @movementvoter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

2026 is a one-time "Going-Out-of-Business Sale" on GOP-held seats. The question: how big do we go? MVP founder Billy Wimsatt explains how we decide (the "1,000 Votes Test") and asks for your take:

movement.vote

How Big a Blue Wave?? (An Investor’s Dilemma) | Movement Voter Project

How should we invest today so that, in November, we don’t just have a Blue Wave but a Blue Tsunami? MVP Executive Director Billy Wimsatt weighs in.

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Learned a ton from this thread!

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Foz Meadows @fozmeadows.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

a critical weakness in far too many left-wing spaces is the lack of any real strategy for dealing with people who weaponize social justice language to lambast and tear down others while framing even the mildest - let alone well-deserved - pushback against them as bigoted abuse.

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Transportation Alternatives @transalt.org · 24/09/2026

We applaud the Mamdani administration for speeding up bus commutes and improving street safety for tens of thousands of Bronx residents. The completion of the Tremont Avenue busway is a major accomplishment achieved in Year 1. We hope to see DOT rapidly roll out more busways!

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Derek G @derekinnyc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

See you tonight!

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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 24/09/2026

This Brooklyn Democratic Party County Committee meeting was an anti-democratic disgrace. Shame on the leaders of the party, who ignored legitimate questions from reformers, tried to get the cops to eject people, insulted dissenters, and pushed through Bichotte-Hermelyn's power grab. 📷🧵

Rob Robinson, Anthony Beckford, Renee Collymore, and Alan Rokoff presiding over the Brooklyn Democrats meeting. Banner on their table reads "Brooklyn Democrats / Kings County Democratic County Committee"

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Join me tonight and support @movementvoter.bsky.social along with awesome folks from @lidbk.bsky.social @bkindivisible.bsky.social @bkforge.bsky.social and Arts4Choice! Should be a really fun event and a great way to support effective midterm organizing nationwide!

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Aaron Huertas @aaronhuertas.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This really puts stuff like publicly funded third spaces in perspective for me. It's so relatively cheap to build out community centers, gyms, makerspaces, studios etc.

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Derek G @derekinnyc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Tomorrow! Join me and @lidbk.bsky.social @bkforge.bsky.social for a fundraiser in Brooklyn for Movement Voter PAC secure.actblue.com/donate/bkmvp...

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

NYC voters! When you vote in the general election this year, don't forget about the five ballot questions on your ballot. I'm voting yes on all of them -- yes to faster nonprofit payments, reduced red tape, and a swifter timeline for making our streets safer for pedestrians, bikers, and bus riders!

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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 24/09/2026

Two months ago, we revived the long-delayed Tremont Avenue busway. This week, it’s up and running. That means 39,000 daily riders on the Bx36 are getting faster, safer, more reliable commutes. www.amny.com/news/bronx-f...

amny.com

Bronx gets first busway as Mamdani admin completes Tremont Avenue project | amNewYork

Nearly 40,000 bus riders will now have the chance to move around the Bronx faster with the city's completion of the borough's first busway.

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The silver lining of the chaotic and undemocratic behavior we saw from Brooklyn Democratic Party leadership today is that it makes it clearer than ever that we need change. LID will keep on working every day to build a transparent and effective party worthy of our borough.

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I was there. Yes, it was this bad.

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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 23/09/2026

Fantastic protest organized by @genderlib.com to protest NYU Lagnone's deal with Trump to end gender-affirming care for trans youth. Big 🧵 of photos for ya!

Protestors march down the street holding signs/banners reading things like HONOR YOUR OATH / PROTECT TRANS KIDS, PROTECT THE DOLLS, and TRANS LIVES ARE NOT BARGAINING CHIPS

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It's not too late to get tickets for our event in support of @movementvoter.bsky.social this Thursday, 9/24! Join LID and other awesome Brooklyn orgs -- @bkforge.bsky.social @bkindivisible.bsky.social and Arts4Choice -- in support of grassroots party-building nationwide!

Blue square of text reading:

Be Democracy's MVP!
Midterms Fundraiser for Movement Voter PAC

Thursday, 9/24
Gemini and Scorpio Loft

267 Douglass Street, Brooklyn

bit.ly/fund_mvp

Logos on the bottom of sponsoring organizations:
Arts4Choice
Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn
Indivisible Brooklyn
BKForge

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

If you're a Dem who thinks you'll gain something by going anti-trans, look at Gallup's "most important problem" and Fox News' "most important issue" polling and see where trans issues rank. Whoever told you going anti-trans is a savvy or necessary move spends too much time on X and should be fired.

Gallup polling. "LGBTQ rights" moves between 0 and 1%.

Fox news polling. Wokeness/transgender issues at 0%.

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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 20/09/2026

I hate doing the "a rollback of trans rights is the gateway for a rollback of women's rights" thing because trans rights are human rights in and of themselves, whatever the impact on cis women. But goddamn I wish more cis women had a sense of history and self preservation.

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BKForge @bkforge.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

We’re just ONE WEEK away from our fundraiser for @movementvoter.bsky.social! Join us and awesome Brooklyn partners @lidbk.bsky.social @bkindivisible.bsky.social and Arts4Choice for a fun evening focused on building progressive power. A raffle and live music await you! Sign up here: bit.ly/fund_mvp

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Julia Serano @juliaserano.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'm really hoping Medium might consider giving my new essay a boost, so if you have a chance this evening, please read or at least skim it, interact with it, like it, etc!!!

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Join LID and friends to flip southern Brooklyn blue for @chrismccreight.bsky.social! We're co-hosting a canvass this weekend (and next) for Chris -- you can register here! act.chrismccreight.com/knock-doors-...

act.chrismccreight.com

Knock Doors with Chris McCreight, BYD, NKD, and LID this September! - CMC for NY

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Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn @lidbk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

LID applauds this decision, which upholds justice and democracy in Brooklyn! We look forward to continuing to build a more transparent, progressive, and effective Brooklyn Democratic Party.

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Great news for democracy and justice in Brooklyn!

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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Ms. Rachel: "Ed Sheeran had an opportunity…Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows." "If more than 20,000 white children were killed…everyone would be shouting…Treating some children's lives as less worthy of outrage is racist. Silence during a genocide is not neutral."

Ms. Rachel post:
"Ed Sheeran had an opportunity show that we won't be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine. Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows. A genocide is happening in Gaza. We all need to speak out against it.

"If more than 20,000 white children were killed in another part of the world, everyone would be shouting about it at their concerts. Treating some children's lives as less worthy of outrage is racist. Silence during a genocide is not neutral."

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👻 David Weiskopf believes in spooks 👻 @dave.bzky.team · 14/09/2026

A statistic that haunts me because it is 100% true and shocking and useless in advocacy precisely because it is true and shocking: Policy that enables a 1-car lifestyle rather than 2 is equivalent to giving a family a $25,000 annual pay raise.

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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 14/09/2026

Today, alongside a nationwide coalition of cities, counties and the Public Rights Project, we are filing a lawsuit challenging the federal government's new public charge rule.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 14/09/2026

crypto, car dealerships and MLMs. ripe targets for political and policy reasons.

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Patrick Hart @patrickhart.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Horrific story about a gay man who has lived in the US since he was four being trafficked by our government to an authoritarian country (to which he has no connection) known for horrific prisons and anti-queer policies. #AbolishICE

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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

When Democrats attempt to triangulate on trans rights, it's my sense that many liberals and people in politics don't understand why many trans people are so upset. I wrote about the differences between then and now, what trans people have lost, and what we still stand to lose

autonomy.substack.com

This Is Not A Love Song

Explaining the “maximalism” of trans rights

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

There is good research on this that aligns with common sense: work requirements kick eligible people off programs because most people who can work are working. But we also have a industry of bogus analyses designed to reach the opposite conclusion. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-trump-...

donmoynihan.substack.com

The Trump Administration’s Dubious Case for Work Requirements

Cherry-picked studies and unrealistic assumptions define a new government report

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