Open Society

When there are too many variables to solve for, it makes sense to solve for the infinity – the symbol of both the infinite number of possible intersectionalities and autism acceptance.

Furman penned the second new single “Evening Prayer” as a “rallying cry” for his fan base. “We music fans go to shows for transcendence; it’s like being called to prayer,” he says. “But as Abraham Heschel said, ‘Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism and falsehood.’ I want all our fans to become activists. We punk fans have so much energy to give to the fight against injustice, i.e. the abuse of the poor by the rich, i.e. climate change. So this is one to get you in the mood.”

“That there are so many forces that would have all of us queers be less free, if not dead, makes us a community by default. Pride is a torch that needs only to be lit because of the darkness, and the darkness is not going away any time soon. I wish I didn’t have this in common with all these various people. But I do.”

“I want to be a force that tries to revive the human spirit rather than crush it, to open possibilities rather than close them down. Sometimes a passionate negativity is the best way to do that.”

“I’m more of a soldier-on-authentically-while-working-hard-not-to-give-a-damn type of queer: I try to ignore the hate, the social undermining, the threats to my safety, rather than hit back. I believe this is a valuable approach that takes a lot of courage and does vital work: continuing to build queer cultures that will be that much more robust for future LGBTQ people.”

Being queer means constantly questioning what's considered "normal" and why that norm gets privileged over other ways of being. It means criticizing who sets these norms and recognizing the privilege that comes with being able to identify as "normal."

"Queer" can be used to describe someone's sexual orientation or stand as a political statement. Its definition has many dimensions, from gender identification to a resistance against structural rigidity to a strange sensation or state of being. "Queer" isn't a word that many people clearly understand when used to describe yourself. Allow me to elaborate what being queer personally means to me, as "queer" means different things to different people.Being queer is first and foremost a state of mind. It is a worldview characterized by acceptance, through which one embraces and validates all the unique, unconventional ways that individuals express themselves, particularly with respect to gender and sexual orientation. It is about acknowledging the infinite number of complex, fluid identities that exist outside the few limited, dualistic categories considered legitimate by society. Being queer means believing that everyone has the right to be themselves and express themselves without being judged or hated because that doesn't fit in with what's normal. Being queer means challenging everything that's considered normal.Being queer means ceasing to think in binaries like "male" or "female," "gay" or "straight," "monogamous" or "non-monogamous," because there are more than two sides to every person and every context. It means being aware of and OK with the fact that our own identities and sexualities are always in flux, never static. Being queer means recognizing that there are alternate gender identities, such as transgender or genderqueer or androgynous folks, and respecting that these identities are just as legitimate as those that are visible.

Crip tax is a linguistic substitute for the hidden costs of living with a disability. For those of us who have reclaimed 'crip,' it's a tongue-in-cheek rallying cry; it's a stage whisper; and it can be in an open letter. Whenever it's used, crip tax is a term that demands attention.

Being disabled is far more expensive than people think, even when it comes to the most basic of needs.