Photos from Idaho protests. Good turnout in every town! #Boise #CoeurD'Alene #Driggs #Hailey #IdahoFalls #McCall #Moscow #Nampa #Pocatello #Salmon #Sandpoint #TwinFalls #Weiser www.mobilize.us/nokings/ www.nokings.org #idaho #50501id #IDPol #idNews #mobilize #indivisible #June14th #NoKings
#IDPol
I'm both a city mouse and a country mouse.
I've got a soapbox to stand on one of these days about how city-folk can tend to be dismissive of rural people for lots of reasons that aren't founded in reality, and hold stereotypes that are damaging and unsupportive. And about how this is just as divisive and feeding into fascist narratives as the misinfo about cities is.
But maybe not today. Right there is the point, even if I'm not up to outlining the details rn. For now if you think you may have this bias, look inward and see what you find.
🧵
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
K I've been defending rural people for at least a few years now, but I'm gonna go full gloves-off if anyone not actually rural flippantly, generically, without nuance or personal knowledge, disses, blames, or mocks rural communities and red states, particularly the people who live in them. (Criticizing governments and leadership, and particular individuals or organizations is of course ok!!)
I looked into Edna's organization.
"In November of 1987, Miles contemplated relocating his 2,000-member Mountain Church congregation to [] County from Michigan where he held cross-burnings and hate rallies. In the early 1970’s, Miles was convicted and served time in prison for conspiring to bomb school buses in protest of school integration. In the 1980’s, his church was part of the white separatist movement which hoped to establish a whites-only society in the Pacific Northwest.
"In response, County commissioners, Sheriff, clergy and concerned citizens stood together in unity against white supremacy which led to the formation of the task force.
"Approximately forty concerned citizens from a wide variety of backgrounds drafted a letter that successfully convinced Miles his message of hate was not welcome in [] County. As an organized group the members' statement of purpose called for opposition to any group of persons espousing a way of life that includes hatred, bigotry or violence."
That's how it started... and it's still going.
The county south of here has a similar organization.
They're doing the work and hopefully soon I'll join them. We'd like some solidarity please.
🧵
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
The cynical takes I'm seeing on here saying No Kings is pointless, ineffective, in cahoots with the evil Dems, blah blah, I've got strong words for you.
1. DON'T SPILT. This goes BOTH WAYS. I won't split with you, so don't split with us. It takes allllllll kinds of action, and this is one which is accessible to far more people than whatever you're up to. Which I fully support, BTW, so just fucking stop with the divisiveness. I swear.
2. Read this thread if you think No Kings is ineffective. I'm sorry but I'm gonna take it real personally when, if nothing else, No Kings today helped me meet allies deep in a red state, activists I can work with who have been doing a ton of tangible actions here for many years, and who would have my back. No Kings helped me, for once since Trump was elected, not feel personally in danger and totally alone. And then you go shitting on it. FFS.
Don't spilt.
I freaking swear.
🧵
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
"Edna" also said something about the Oathkeepers (I think it was), how they used to have a vocal group here, but that they're very much less vocal now. They've gone to ground. Which I find really interesting.
🧵
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
We talked about so much — I'm forgetting things.
The biggest outcome for me personally, is that I feel incredibly emboldened, far less isolated, and it's difficult to feel paranoid at this moment.
I told "Edna" that I felt really intimidated moving here and mentioned the HUGE "Entering Trump Country" sign (or something to that effect) coming into town on the south side. It is very large and professional; looks very much like an "official" city sign. She said they'd made a huge effort to get that taken down. The sign is on private property. They almost got local government or DOT to force the sign down, but by then it was firmly election season and they had no legal standing to do anything about it.
The sign did its job at intimidating me, but that power is diffused in me at least now that I know there was some controversy, and that there are people here who would defend me.
After Edna mentioned Pride (context of how police last year were protecting Pride goers against protesters — but no Pride this year 🥺), I came out to her as queer/trans but that I was laying low. The first person I've trusted with that here outside of my family.
🧵
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
"Edna" told me about many of their other efforts.
Every year they create a presentation for the schools. This year they did one on WWII Japanese internment camps. I told her how I didn't even hear of that till my 20s. She said they used to get funding, but that Trump cut their grant this year. They had enough funds to finish the project, but didn't know about next year.
She said they also put together some kind of powerpoint about local nationalist and far right groups that they present, I think she said, to the Idaho legislature.
I'm talking some serious activism here. This is *exactly* the kind of thing I was hoping to get involved in and I'm really fired up.
🧵[edited to add hashtags]
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
One of the first things Edna said to me was, "I need to write down those license plates, but I didn't bring a notebook" about the trump trucks being loud and pumping smoke at us. Apparently there's an active element of open source antifash research up here (dunno if that's how she'd describe it), where they find out who these guys are and put pressure on. One that has the ability to look up license plates. She said their research isn't as useful now that Trump has started pardoning Jan6ers and others, that now it's harder to do anything with the info.
A woman later passing told Edna that she did, in fact, get the plates of the truck that would've run us down if not for the barrier.
I will remind you — this is as far north in Idaho as you can get and still be in an incorporated town. It's less than 30 minutes from the Canadian border. [Correction — I think there's one tiny town at the border itself, Porthill, but nothing between except farms.]
🧵[edited to add hashtags, details, and clarity]
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
I learned that the various local police forces are NOT predominantly fash, which was wonderful to hear. There was a police presence, driving by every few minutes. I asked the woman (I'll call her Edna) about the local police and she said they tended to protect left-leaning activists and were not antagonistic to their efforts. I already knew that one of the local police forces is the Kootenai Tribal Police, and she said they cooperate closely with the sheriff and municipal police.
She was a font of information, and meeting her was the best possible outcome of my effort to get out today. [I guess I already said that!]
🧵[edited to add hashtags, details, and clarity]
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
Once in awhile 1-2 Trumpers would walk through saying things. Bit my tongue for most of them, but at the guy accusing us of being paid by Sorros, I did got sarcastic. Yeah, I really have trouble keeping it shut.
The best part was learning that so many locals are quite woke. There were people of all ages, mostly white but I was really glad to see some indigenous activists there. Two young people were close by, and when things wrapped up a group from up the way passed as they exited, maybe 12-14. I am guessing they are from the Kootenai tribe. I've been meaning to visit their center and ask how I can support them.
I stood next to a lady, at least 70 but maybe in her 80s or older. I was extremely happy to learn that she's very active as part of the Human Rights Taskforce which meets once a month and has been doing A LOT of good work in this community. I got the meeting details and learned a lot about local politics with her. It seems like exactly the kind of organization or activism that I've been looking to get involved with here. A few other people passing knew her by name and I met a few other people via her. That's the best possible outcome of me going out today.
🧵[edited to add hashtags, details, and clarity]
#NoKings #IDpol #USPol #antifa #resist #resistance #Indivisible
Airplane mode OFF !
Turns out, while headed south to Sandpoint which I thought was the closest protest, I saw there was one right here! So I pulled right off and stayed local.
Town has about 2300 pop. Protesters numbered at least 3-4 dozen, and I was an hour late (they started earlier). We were on the main bridge into town with a sturdy barricade between us and traffic.
Which is good, because there's one guy I'm sure would have tried to hit us if he could. He drove as close to the barrier as he could without sideswiping, pumping out black smoke truck farts to prove his masculinity.
More honks of support than honks from Trumpers who thought that honking means Fuck You, and those with flags and loud trucks flipping us off or thumbs-down. There were a few counter-protesters most of whom who showed up later than I did. One guy was raising a Trump flag up high on a crane on his truck in the parking lot I parked in. I bravely parked anyway. A group of 8 later arrived with a US flag, a version of the Traitor Flag (Confederate), and a Colony Flag (13 stars). [We had more US flags than they did, by far.]
Then some paramilitary cosplayers walked through our group open carrying some heavy looking artillery, though I wondered if one was a paintball gun. 🤷 Our side was saying "No not engage" so I kept my mouth shut though it was very difficult. They walked back the other way after awhile and one of us who was sitting on the corner edge with a low-key amplifier helmet thing did goad them. He also liked to argue with Trump supporters in cars as they waited at the intersection.
🧵[edited to add hashtags, details, and clarity]
Despite having Big Feelings about protests, I had to go see if anyone showed up in Twin Falls, ID and was surprised to see maybe 2-300 people at 5 Points? In an absolute right wing lock county and state. Lots of age variety. Only a few asshole counter-protesters too. It is encouraging. #idpol
IDAHO - No Kings Day Rallies - June 14th, 2025 NEW! Pocatello, ID #Boise #CoeurD'Alene #Driggs #Hailey #IdahoFalls #McCall #Moscow #Nampa #Pocatello #Salmon #Sandpoint #TwinFalls #Weiser www.mobilize.us/nokings/ www.nokings.org #idaho #50501id #IDPol #idNews #mobilize #indivisible #June14th #NoKings
IDAHO - No Kings Day Rallies- June 14th, 2025 NEW! Weiser, ID #Boise #CoeurD'Alene #Driggs #Hailey #IdahoFalls #McCall #Moscow #Nampa #Salmon #Sandpoint #TwinFalls #Weiser www.mobilize.us/nokings/ www.nokings.org #idaho #50501id #IDPol #idNews #mobilize #indivisible #June14th #SaveOurDemocracy
Not my county, but it IS rural Idaho.
Paramedics trained in mental health response.
These policies do appeal to passive (not actively fash) conservatives. I explained what the slogan "Defund the Police" meant to a relative last fall, and that it would include things like a mental health arm of emergency services, and diverting funds towards preventing crime through social programs and poverty reduction. He agreed with everything, no argument. His only fallback was, "Well they should come up with a better slogan," to which I replied that no slogan can carry the entire message, and it's up to people to look into what the slogan means. Also no argument.
A rural county in Idaho is implementing a Defund the Police type policy, without all the partisan theatrics. Take this information and act accordingly.
IDAHO - No Kings Day Rallies- June 14th, 2025 NEW! McCall #Boise #CoeurD'Alene #Driggs #Hailey #IdahoFalls #McCall #Moscow #Nampa #Salmon #Sandpoint #TwinFalls www.mobilize.us/nokings/ www.nokings.org #idaho #50501id #IDPol #idNews #mobilize #indivisible #June14th #SaveOurDemocracy #voices4victory
IDAHO - No Kings Day Rallies- June 14th, 2025 NEW! Nampa #Boise #CoeurD'Alene #Driggs #Hailey #IdahoFalls #Moscow #Nampa #Salmon #Sandpoint #TwinFalls www.mobilize.us/nokings/ www.nokings.org #idaho #50501id #IDPol #idNews #mobilize #indivisible #June14th #Protest #SaveOurDemocracy #voices4victory
She does seem like a caring doctor. I've had only a couple of GPs like her in my lifetime. She takes time to explain things, listens, mentions studies, systemic thinker, seems to really have thought about the areas that she's interested in (menopause in this case, even though I am not seeing her specifically for that). But also seems open to things like supplements and treating the whole person. Wanting to do the minimum required to treat the problem rather than the drastic thing right away.
Scientifically-minded but not so rigidly stuck in the Medical Establishment that she's ready to sandblast a pimple.
(I'll never forget the time when Seattle doctors wanted my gallbladder out the first attack I ever had. I got a second opinion, yep, you should have it out. I had a deep intuition that I should NOT have it out, so I did my own research. The Chinese medicine theories made sense in that situation, so I tried a combo of herbs that did the trick! I've had two much lesser attacks since then that I applied the same technique to, and it heals right up each time, within a couple of days. Can you imagine, surgery with life-long side effects as the FIRST step?? Western medicine is great for many reasons, but gawd it brings all the worst aspects of Western scorched earth philosophies as well. I don't think this doctor would recommend surgery as a first step.)
I do feel like I could have a positive influence on any blindspots she might have wrt to gender. She seems open to learning. Yesterday was such an opportunity, but did I mention I was white-knuckling my day? I barely made the drive to and from there, I'd been dissociating all day, and my brain was full of gauze.
Doctor had some interesting things to say about menopause though. Turns out I will be starting T! But first, estrogen and prednisone. One month of those to get my levels up, because they are super low. Maybe from the top surgery? (I haven't told her about that.) Or maybe naturally low because I think they were low before that anyway. I think I'm on the cusp of intersex for other reasons anyhow. Menopause does that too.
But she says low E and P during perimenopause could cause some of the symptoms I've been ascribing to MECFS, like fatigue and pain. So I'm really excited to see if that will help.
If that goes well, she'll put me on T. As far as gender affirming T, I'd been wanting to try a low-dose, but with the political climate, didn't want to take the risk. So this will give me a chance to do that under the cover of normal cis people stuff.
She's not real up on trans issues, but hasn't been against it. As she navigated talking about these things with me, she apologized and said she didn't want to offend. I told her I'm really chill about that stuff.
I do wish I'd added "as long as you're not hostile about it." She's not, but it might signal to her that some people ARE hostile. I might be the first semi-openly trans person she's ever seen, and she did say some thing about gender affirming hormones that went against things I've seen and heard. As deep as she's gone into menopausal studies, it seems like maybe she hadn't gone as deep on trans HRT. I don't feel like she's judging me, which is a relief, but also it would be cool if she went out and learned more. And it would be great if the low dose T works well for me, if I could talk to her about upping it for intentionally masculinizing. And for her to be a better resource for younger local trans coming up.
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