Military Disability Compensation Claims Spike

A FOIA request by the Informed Consent Action Network has revealed an alarming spike in cardiovascular and neurological conditions amongst US military personnel starting in 2021, the first year COVID-19 vaccines were mandated for all branches of the US Armed Forces.

 

Workers Strike Back May Day

 

RSVP to join Workers Strike Back on May Day! New York, NY Rochester, MN Normal, IL Detroit, MI Seattle, WA

Many working people around the world will be taking to the streets on May 1st for International Workers' Day to fight back against the billionaire class and their system of capitalism that is depriving working people of basic healthcare needs and escalating brutal imperialist wars. That is why for this May Day, Workers Strike Back is demanding: TAX THE RICH AND FUND HEALTHCARE, NOT WAR! We are supporting Kshama Sawant's independent revolutionary socialist campaign for Congress, which is calling for free healthcare for all funded by taxing the rich, and an end to all military aid to Israel and no weapons or tech for genocide or imperialist war! Working people are sick of both parties of Wall Street and war and are desperately looking for an alternative. Many of the existing May Day events are correctly geared towards fighting the Trump administration which has carried out relentless attacks on working people over the last year and a half, but many of the organizations and individuals leading these events unfortunately give cover to the thoroughly pro-war anti-worker Democratic Party. In December an overwhelming number of Congressional Democrats, including Kshama's opponent Adam Smith, voted to finance Trump's attacks on Iran and Venezuela by signing a war spending bill that handed Trump more than $900 billion for the bipartisan U.S. war machine. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are completely opposed to any policies that are in the interest of the working class, and they are both capitalist warmongering parties down to their bones. Some of the big May Day protests that Workers Strike Back members will be tabling at are calling for fighting the billionaires and for “No Work, No School, No Shopping”. Unfortunately, most of the existing labor leadership is tied at the hip to the Democratic Party that is funded by and serves the billionaires, and this means that these same labor leaders are completely unwilling to call any type of strike or protest that could damage their cozy relationships with the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, all the people who participate in the action of not going to work or school will be doing so on an individual basis, which will have no significant impact on the profits of the billionaire class. This is part of the failed strategy of business unionism that is employed by the vast majority of labor leaders, who seek mutual agreement with the bosses and their political parties rather than organizing working people into a militant fight back. The rotten alliance that business unionist labor leaders have made with the Democratic Party has led to the major US unions largely sitting on the sidelines while their members and other working class people are being abducted by ICE, and while 300,000 Federal public sector workers were laid off by Trump. The Trump administration has also rammed through massive tax cuts for the rich while the working class faces an unbearable cost of living crisis due to catastrophic wars in the Middle East and billionaire greed. Labor leaders' aversion to class struggle methods has meant that they have stood by while Trump carried out the wars and while the Democrats funded the horrific genocide in Gaza. What we need is organized mass strike action, mass protests, and mass civil disobedience to stop the deportation machine and end all imperialist wars, and to go on the offense for things like free healthcare for all funded by taxing the rich. That is why it is important that Workers Strike Back will be present at May Day events all over the country to talk to people about the urgent need for fighting class struggle movements and campaigns like Kshama's independent revolutionary socialist campaign for Congress, and for our unions to break from the Democratic Party. Kshama's example from her decade on the Seattle City Council is unfortunately the only example in recent history of anyone using their elected position to raise working-class demands and then build fighting movements to win them. Kshama led movements to win the highest minimum wage in the nation, the Amazon Tax, landmark renters' rights law, and much more. We need this across the nation. That is why working people should support Kshama’s campaign and fight to elect the first-ever revolutionary socialist to Congress. If you are in the Seattle area join the Kshama for Congress contingent at May Day. Workers Strike Back will also be hosting a rally in Rochester, Minnesota at Soldiers Field, and tabling in Detroit, Michigan; Normal, Illinois; and New York City. Solidarity, Workers Strike Back RSVP to join Workers Strike Back on May Day! New York, NY Rochester, MN Normal, IL Detroit, MI Seattle, WA

What We Stand For: Fight the Rich! End the Billionaire Class & Their System Workers Need a Real Raise — $25/Hour Minimum Wage Good Union Jobs for All Stop the Climate Catastrophe — Take Big Energy Corporations into Workers’ Ownership Fight Racism, Sexism & All Oppression Stop Mass Deportations Medicare for All & Quality Affordable Housing — Tax the Rich End the Genocidal War on Gaza — No Military Aid, No Occupation Bring Down Trump, the Billionaires & Their Two Parties No More Sellouts — We Need a New Mass Party

Get Involved - Join Workers Strike Back!

Intellectual Freedom Protection Act

 

 

One of the panelists for yesterday's FIRE monthly member call linked in the chat to their draft Intellectual Freedom Protection Act. Here's the text:

 

WHEREAS in 1957’s Sweezy v. New Hampshire, the Supreme Court of the United States observed that “[t]he essentiality of freedom in the community of American universities is almost self-evident. No one should underestimate the vital role in a democracy that is played by those who guide and train our youth. To impose any strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our Nation. . . . Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise, our civilization will stagnate and die.”; and

WHEREAS ten years later in Keyishian v. Board of Regents, the Supreme Court further declared that academic freedom “is a special concern of the First Amendment, which does not tolerate laws that cast a pall of orthodoxy over the classroom.”; and

WHEREAS in Healy v. James, the Supreme Court stated that “the precedents of this Court leave no room for the view that, because of the acknowledged need for order, First Amendment protections should apply with less force on college campuses than in the community at large. Quite to the contrary, ‘the vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American schools.’”; and

WHEREAS in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from compelling an individual to engage in speech, proclaiming that “if there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”; and

WHEREAS many colleges and universities require or invite current and/or prospective faculty to demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), often through a written statement that factors into hiring, reappointment, evaluation, promotion, or tenure decisions; and

WHEREAS vague or ideologically motivated DEI statement policies can too easily function as litmus tests for adherence to prevailing ideological views on DEI, penalize faculty or applicants for holding dissenting opinions on matters of public concern, and, as the Supreme Court warned against in Keyishian, “cast a pall of orthodoxy” over our public college and university campuses; and

WHEREAS a survey by the American Association of University Professors of hundreds of colleges and universities found that more than one-fifth of higher education institutions include DEI criteria in tenure standards, and of the institutions that do not include tenure standards, nearly half indicated they are considering adding such criteria in the future; and

WHEREAS a survey by the American Enterprise Institute of academic job postings found that nearly 20 percent required DEI statements; and

WHEREAS according to data presented at an academic conference in 2022 at the University of Southern California, a majority of tenured/tenure-track faculty members surveyed in a study indicated that they disfavored a candidate for an academic position when the applicant's DEI statement didn't reference race/ethnicity and gender diversity, reflecting the fact that DEI statements are used to favor candidates who endorse prevailing campus ideological orthodoxies; and

WHEREAS according to a forthcoming FIRE survey, faculty are split evenly on whether DEI statements are a justifiable requirement for a university job (50%) or are an ideological litmus test that violates academic freedom (50%), and three-in-four liberal faculty support mandatory diversity statements while 90% of conservative faculty and 56% of moderate faculty see them as political litmus tests; and

WHEREAS the First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits public universities from compelling faculty to assent to specific ideological views; 

Now, therefore, the State of ____ enacts the following:

A. No public institution of higher education shall condition admission or benefits to an applicant for admission, or hiring, reappointment, or promotion to a faculty member, on the applicant’s or faculty member’s pledging allegiance to or making a statement of personal support for or opposition to any political ideology or movement, including a pledge or statement regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, patriotism, or related topics, nor shall any institution request or require any such pledge or statement from an applicant or faculty member. 

B. If a public institution of higher education receives a pledge or statement describing a commitment to any particular political ideology or movement, including a pledge or statement regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, patriotism, or related topics, it may not grant or deny admission or benefits to a student, or hiring, reappointment, or promotion to a faculty member, on the basis of the viewpoints expressed in the pledge or statement. 

C. Nothing in this Act prohibits an institution from requiring a student, professor, or employee to comply with federal or state law, including anti-discrimination laws, or from taking action against a student, professor, or employee for violations of federal or state law. 

D. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit or restrict the academic freedom of faculty or to prevent faculty members from teaching, researching, or writing publications about diversity, equity, inclusion, patriotism, or other topics. 

E. Nothing in this Act prohibits an institution from considering, in good faith, a candidate's scholarship, teaching, or subject-matter expertise in their given academic field.

F. Each public institution of higher education in the state shall post and make publicly available all training materials used for students, faculty, and staff, on all matters of nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, or bias, and all of its policies and guidance on these issues, on its website.

G. A person whose rights were violated through a violation of this act may bring an action against a public institution of higher education, and its agents acting within their official capacities, in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction to receive declaratory relief or enjoin a violation of this Act. If a court finds a violation of this act, the court shall provide a prevailing plaintiff appropriate equitable remedies, and award damages, reasonable court costs, and attorney’s fees. 

H. The Attorney General may file suit to enjoin a policy or practice prohibited by Section A or Section B. 

I. If an institution, or any of its employees acting in their official capacities, are found by a court or the institution to have violated this Act, the institution may take disciplinary action against the responsible employees in accordance with the institution’s policies and procedures.

J. In addition to any relief under Sections G and H, the [State Fiscal Officer] shall impose an administrative penalty of $100,000 against a State Education Institution for each violation of this Act. The penalty shall be deposited in the [State Treasury] and shall be allocated to each State Education Institution that is not currently in violation of this Act and has not violated this Act within the preceding two fiscal years.

K. Any action brought pursuant to Section G must be brought within 1 year of the latest date the Act is alleged to have been violated.

L. If any provision of this chapter, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this chapter and the application of its provisions to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby.

---

FIRE proposes alternative formulations of an enforcement provision for consideration:

Alternative A

In addition to any relief under Sections G and H, the [State Fiscal Officer] shall impose an administrative penalty of $30 per student enrolled at the institution on a full-time basis in the fiscal year preceding the violation, against a State Education Institution for each violation of this Act. The penalty shall be deposited in the [State Treasury] and shall be allocated to each State Education Institution that is not currently in violation of this Act and has not violated this Act within the preceding two fiscal years. 

Alternative B

In addition to any relief under Sections G and H, the [State Fiscal Officer] shall impose an administrative penalty of the lessor of $300,000 or 1% of the State Education Institution’s budget during the fiscal year preceding the violation, against a State Education Institution for each violation of this Act. The penalty shall be deposited in the [State Treasury] and shall be allocated to each State Education Institution that is not currently in violation of this Act and has not violated this Act within the preceding two fiscal years.

Behind the Mike Again

I hadn't performed in person since the pandemic began. Tonight I got the chance to do so again at Out of the Box, a "queer open mic" now held monthly at the Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany as part of William Way Community Center's programming.

I recited my six-verse haiku "Please Daddy," which I composed in October 2019 and performed shortly after at the now-defunct Erotic Literary Salon. This poem also appears in print as part of the anthology queerbook, put together by Giovanni's Room from submissions to its literary contest in 2020.

I followed up by singing, for the first time ever, my kinky parody of the Amyl and the Sniffers song "Bailing on Me," composed just last month.

Water Department Projects in My Neighborhood

According to a flyer stuck in my door the other day, the Philadelphia Water Department is holding a community meeting Tuesday, April 21st, at 6:30 to inform and solicit feedback on planned water projects in Mill Creek. The meeting will be held at Middle Years Alternative School, Room 108, 4725 Fairmount Avenue, an ADA accessible site.

According to this map, a new water main and sewer are planned for my block as well as a tree trench almost directly in front of my house. 

I'm planning to attend and invent you to do so too if you live in the neighborhood or are otherwise interested in such projects.
 

New Research Findings from The PRIDE Study – Gender-Affirming Medical Care Helps Reduce PTSD Symptoms

 

 

I received this communication from the PRIDE Study, in which I've been participating:

 

We hope this update finds you as well as possible. The Journal of Traumatic Stress just published the latest findings from The PRIDE Study. This study is important because it was one of the first studies to test if having gender-affirming care received over time was related to lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. More details about this study are below.

Publication Title: PTSD symptom reduction after gender-affirming medical interventions: A longitudinal study Community Title: Gender-affirming care helps reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms Lead Authors: James Michael Brennan, PhD What Did We Do? In our study, we looked at whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms changed after people had gender-affirming care (for example, hormones, hair removal, surgeries). We also wanted to know whether having more care was linked to greater improvements. In other words, does more care mean more benefit? We were also curious about how this care might be helping. So, we looked at factors that typically impact trans and gender expansive (TGE) people. Factors included gender minority stress – where someone might be discriminated against or feel bad about themselves for having a TGE identity– and depression symptoms. We wanted to see whether these experiences might shape the relationship between gender-affirming care and PTSD.     We were inspired to conduct this study because other research has shown that TGE people often experience benefits from gender-affirming care, such as lowering depression and anxiety. This research made us curious if gender-affirming care could also help with PTSD symptoms, which are fairly common among TGE people. What Was New, Innovative, or Notable? This was one of the first studies to test if having gender-affirming care received over time was related to lower PTSD symptoms. We followed The PRIDE Study participants over time instead of just at a single snapshot in time, which is called a longitudinal study. This way we could see what happened to PTSD symptoms in the years after a participant had some type of gender-affirming care. We also looked at what happened as participants received multiple forms of care.    What Did We Learn? About 2,500 participants from The PRIDE Study were included, and each participant had at least one form of gender-affirming care between 2019-2022. Over half of the participants showed signs of having a PTSD diagnosis. We learned a few things: There was an immediate and short-term drop in PTSD symptoms after the participants had gender-affirming care back-to-back over three years. Having more gender-affirming care resulted in fewer PTSD symptoms over time. These relationships disappeared when we also considered gender minority stress and depression symptoms. Through a follow-up analysis, we saw gender-affirming care improved PTSD symptoms with the help of reductions in gender minority stress and depression. Overall, what this means is that gender-affirming care may help reduce PTSD symptoms, but mostly indirectly by improving mood and reducing gender minority stress.   What Does This Mean for Our Communities? Gender-affirming care can be helpful for the impact of PTSD symptoms, but it’s not a magic fix. It’s important that TGE folks with PTSD who are pursuing gender-affirming care also get support through affirmative and trauma-informed mental health care. There’s no one-size-fits-all path. TGE people benefit from resources in different ways, so TGE people might want to find the path that is best for them. Having pride in your TGE identity along with connection to vibrant TGE communities are key to reducing depression and minority stress and to giving TGE people a safe space to heal from trauma. What’s Next? A big question remains as to whether gender-affirming care might be more helpful for TGE people with trauma related to their identities (for example, being discriminated against or experiencing a hate crime for being TGE). In this study, we did not assess whether PTSD symptoms were related to identity-based trauma or other types of trauma. We hope to continue exploring TGE experiences of PTSD and identifying what can help TGE communities heal from trauma.  Action Steps: See http://www.pridestudy.org/study for more information and to share this study with your friends and family. If you are interested in conducting research related to LGBTQIA+ health, please learn more about collaborating with The PRIDE Study at http://pridestudy.org/collaborate. Citation: Brennan JM, Lisha NE, Tran NK, Davis K, Obedin-Maliver J, Lunn MR, Flentje A. Posttraumatic stress symptom reduction after gender-affirming medical interventions: A longitudinal study. J Trauma Stress. 2026 Apr 9. Epub ahead of print. doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/jts.70065. Read the full paper at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author/VFCMJHZNGJTYVVKXTTYB For information on all of our studies go to: http://pridestudy.org/research. We have multiple additional research results coming soon; make sure to add contact@pridestudy.org to your address book so you don’t miss out. For updates on the research being conducted by The PRIDE Study, check out the table showing the progress of our multiple Ancillary Studies. → Click here to get quarterly news about LGBTQIA+ health research. We are so grateful for your contributions to our research. We couldn’t broaden our knowledge about LGBTQIA+ health without you. Together in community, The PRIDE Study team

 

FoST USA to Officially Launch

 

Friends of Standing Together, the binational Israeli peace and justice group, will officially launch their national organization in the United States on Sunday, April 26th. Here's the announcement I received:

 

Building a Purple Future: Announcing the FoST USA Launch! Join Standing Together leaders and Friends of Standing Together members from across the U.S. on April 26th to officially launch FoST USA: celebrating two years of incredible solidarity work and mapping out the next leg of our journey together. Register for the FOST USA launch In the wake of October 7th, while the world was reeling from the violence of the day and the violence of the response that has determined so much of our reality since then, many of you looked to voices on the ground to understand the unbearable situation and discovered Standing Together. We have heard time and again that Standing Together stood out as a unique, clear voice; one that recognizes every single person  as deserving of safety, freedom, and justice and sees everyone as partners in this struggle. A movement whose accomplishments in the fight against occupation and for peace are paving the way for a future where all people can thrive. While we battle destructive forces on the ground, it has been deeply heartening to witness supporters open Friends of Standing Together (FoST) chapters across the globe. Knowing that we are not alone has become a pillar of support in our struggle for a just future for everyone living here. Now our supporters in the U.S. are taking it up a notch. Join Standing Together leaders and FoST members from across the US to officially launch FoST USA! We are coming together on Zoom to celebrate the incredible work chapters have done over the past two years and discuss how a coordinated national effort can make the U.S. just that much more Purple. Plus, we have some Purple goodies to share with you! Whether you have been a FoST member for years, recently joined, or are simply curious about Standing Together, we invite you to join us and bring a friend with you. Register to join the event! The Details When: April 26th 9:00 AM Pacific / 10:00 AM Mountain 11:00 AM Central / 12:00 PM Eastern Where: Zoom Register to join! Register Now Together, US Supporters are planning the next leg of their journey. See you there? In Solidarity, Standing Together P.S. Not in the US? Tell us what country you live in so we can send you more relevant invitations!

Copyright (C) 2026 עומדים ביחד نقف معًا. All rights reserved. This is the english speaking newsletter of the Israeli movement "Standing Together" Our mailing address is: עומדים ביחד نقف معًا 123 Ibn GG Tel Aviv 61000 Israel

 

Craig Bolton is the Green Party Candidate for PA Lt. Governor

The Green Party of PA has announced its candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Don't forget that if you want to make a Vote Pact with a fellow Pennsylvanian, pledging to withdraw your votes from both corporate parties simultaneously, the website Break the Duopoly is now up and running to help you find a match. You can also use the site if you vote anywhere else in the United States.

The announcement:

Friday, April 10, 2026

Craig Bolton is the Green Party Candidate for PA Lt. Governor

https://www.gpofpa.org/craig_bolton_is_the_green_party_candidate_for_pa_lt_governor

 

The Steering Committee of the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) has chosen Craig Bolton to be its candidate this year for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Meeting virtually, the seven-member Steering Committee agreed by consensus to support Bolton, Chair of the Green Party of Philadelphia, to be on the ballot for the General Election on November 3

.

 

 

GPPA Secretary Bryarr Misner (Allegheny) explained, “Over the past year, we have seen Craig Bolton in action, especially his dedication to the Green Party of Philadelphia. We like the ideas he has brought forward during the opening of Tony Dastra’s campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania. Personally, I have grown to respect Craig, and I fully support his run for Lieutenant Governor. I also hope that, throughout this campaign, Craig Bolton continues to champion the ideas and values that matter personally to him. This is a real opportunity for both Craig and Tony to get out there and make a difference in the hearts of Pennsylvanians. I am confident that they will.”

Tony Dastra, the Green Party candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, said, “Craig Bolton brings to the table a great deal of talent and community concern for his home in Philadelphia. I’m looking forward to running alongside another creative person, and not some corporate type. I know what I like in a candidate -- passion and authenticity -- because I’m tired of the blah, blah, blah, from most of the candidates who run for office with either of the two corporate parties. Craig and I recognize the importance of running a campaign like this at such a critical moment for discourse in Pennsylvania, America, and even the world. Dastra-Bolton 2026! Liberty and Justice for ALL!”�

Craig Bolton responded by saying, “Thank you, Tony. As the chair of the Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP), and as a community-building professional for nearly two decades, I have seen firsthand the power of organization and how direct interactions and holistic approaches can create real outcomes that strengthen the material conditions of working people. I have found the Green Party’s Four Pillars to be important in my life. In deciding to run for Lieutenant Governor, I am especially interested in Social Justice, the Pillar which calls for a living wage and a real safety net. I will work to raise awareness of the need for universal single-payer healthcare in our Commonwealth.”

Bolton continued, “Across the state, bad and worse have been normalized as the only options when deciding our leaders. Many voters have, collectively, accepted that there are no better options. I know that to be false, and I am excited to be running with Tony Dastra, combining our professional experiences and community service perspectives to create a state government which benefits all Pennsylvanians. I am running with Tony Dastra because he is the better option. We live in significant times and stand at a crossroads. We have an opportunity to forge our own, separate path, apart from the duopoly and on terms that we, the people, set for ourselves.”
  

Bolton was re-elected chair of the Green Party of Philadelphia on March 24, 2026. He also works with community service groups and lends his unique experience to panels and other discussions on public safety, community affairs, and grassroots political action. Bolton has a master of arts (M.A.) degree in strategic communication and a bachelor of arts

(B.A.) in public relations from La Salle University. His professional career spans more than two decades in direct service and nonprofit community membership, arts, and fundraising. Bolton has always had a passion for film and media.

Every four years in Pennsylvania, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same party line in the General Election, November 3. It comes as no surprise that Dastra’s running mate will come from Philadelphia, which has 1.4 million voters who are not registered with the two corporate parties and who are not permitted to participate in the corporate parties’ Primary Election.

 

Tony Dastra Campaign Contact Information

Website, https://www.dastraforpa.org/         
Email,  dastraforpa@gmail.com
Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/dastraforpa/
Facebook, www.facebook.com/DastraforPA

 

For More Information 

“The Four Pillars,” Green Party of the United States,

https://www.gp.org/the_four_pillars 

“Tony Dastra is the Green Party Candidate for PA Governor,” Green Party of Pennsylvania News Release, March 13, 2026,
https://www.gpofpa.org/tony_dastra_campaign_for_governor_of_pennsylvania 

 

Molly Crabapple at the Ethical Society

 

Announced by Philadelphia Jewish Voice for Peace:

Join Molly Crabapple and Kim Kelly in collaboration with @jvp_philly @koltzedek and @phillydsa to discuss her book, Here Where We Live Os Our Country, the dramatic story of the Jewish Bund — a revolutionary movement from a vanished world — and its radical vision of solidarity in an age of division. May 16, 2026, 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM at the @phillyethics (1906 Rittenhouse Square). RSVP link in bio.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXHqO7ZDiFU/