Isa Noyola! Anarchist book fair! HBD Puffin!

Hey friends,

Hope you’re all hanging in there. Thank you for all of your questions for Cass! We recorded that episode on Thursday, and it was very fun and very long and will be out in the Gender Conceal feed in October.

This week on the show, I was honored to chat with activist Isa Noyola! Isa is so smart and has a ton of experience fighting for trans immigrants rights. In this episode, Isa shares victories in trans immigrant organizing over the last decade, and explains what we can do to support our immigrant neighbors right now. In a moment where the future feels extra scary, tense, or unknowable, isn’t it nice to learn how to help each other?

Photo: Isa holding a "Trans Libration Now!" poster at a protest

Yesterday, I went to the NYC Anarchist Book Fair, where I picked up 15 zines and 5 stickers and 3 beautiful prints and also a button that says “I <rat> NYC” (imagine <rat> is a cute pic of a rat please). I also finally met the wonderful folks at Radix Co-op! (Radix is a worker-owned union shop that prints the Girl Dad books.) And I also saw a trans person discover and purchase 2 Trans 2 Furious from the AK Press booth, which was so fun because they seemed mystified, perturbed, and captivated all at once?? And that’s exactly the right response, hehe.

Speaking of, weekly reminder that you get 10% off in the Girl Dad shop with code PERVERT, and also that AK Press currently has our new book on sale for 15% off.

And while we’re doing discount reminders: don’t forget to claim your free month of the Batting Around patreon if you’re into that! (It’s almost the playoffs! Baseball sickos, plz let me know how your team is doing / how much you are suffering.)

Nothing else to report unless you want to hear how much fun I had at the Pup & Jeff show last night. Go see Pup & Jeff if you know what’s good for you!!!!!!!!

Okay, let’s do Links & Stuff.

In hell world:

• icymi, the Supreme Court legalized racial profiling

• Wired looked into that creepy AI “Friend” necklace and came out with gems like “[The 22-year-old founder] asked us not to unbox the devices in front of him because he is in love with someone and wants the first time he witnesses a Friend unboxing to be with her.” Sure!!!

• ProPublica spoke with Venezuelan families whose loved ones were returning from CECOT

• …and also wrote this one about visas and human trafficking and evil rituals??

Everything else:

• After months of procrastination, I finally switched away from Spotify to something marginally less soul-crushing. Thank you to Elliott for the tips!

• Very sweet little Hell Gate profile about a Palestinian/Lebanese immigrant running a community chess shop/hangout space

• I’ve been thinking a lot about… contemporary attitudes to sex I guess? And this piece by Kate Wagner gets into a lot about what I’ve been trying to discuss with folks.

• The 2025 Gender Census report is out and we got a special shout out! :)

That’s it for this week. Here’s your weekly Rhubarb feat. special guest.

Photo: Selfie of Tuck and Ruby

And here’s Puffin! It’s her birthday tomorrow!!!! She is one year old!!!!

Photo: Artful closeup of Puffin on her back with her tongue out

Xo,
Yr resident gender detective