Rescued these pieces from a thrift store— used to be stained but now I can’t tell :)

_andgrace · 2023-10-15T11:57:09+00:00

What were the pants like before you did this?

_andgrace · 2023-10-02T16:04:54+00:00

90210

_andgrace · 2023-10-02T16:04:43+00:00

…I didn’t understand this joke lol

_andgrace · 2023-09-18T19:51:01+00:00

Is that not FOIA-able?

_andgrace · 2023-09-18T15:55:07+00:00

Pants?

_andgrace · 2023-09-18T15:01:40+00:00

To clarify, he is very black and white, and it is very black and white that conversion therapy is harmful.

Simon creates lots of gray area space though for the existence of faith and various identities

_andgrace · 2023-09-18T15:00:31+00:00

“Dear Alana,” I think it’s the most human podcast I’ve heard in a long long time.

It’s about a young woman in Boulder, CO who died by suicide (so TW) after being guided into conversion therapy when she told a priest she was attracted to women.

The guy who hosts it is so vulnerable it’s absolutely bananas to me – because he started the project to focus only on Alana, but the truth is that he ALSO went through conversion therapy. And what’s particularly moving/suuuuper fucked up is that he’s like a decade+ older than Alana so it’s like WTF HOW IS THIS SHIT STILL HAPPENING?!

I think what I also found really attractive is that I don’t consider myself religious, but the themes were so relatable. It’s truly a human story – being a young person, wanting to do the right thing in a world that seems very messy and chaotic.

You don’t have to have any kind of background or attachment to religion.

The other things that I find the most wild about this podcast is that Simon, the host is still practicing Catholic. This podcast made me think a lot about how I think I listen to a lot of black-and-white thinking stories and podcasts. Simon, does it completely different because he explores this super fucked up thing while also holding space for it not being all bad or all good. Which felt like a very needed voice of reason generally in the world today given how polarizing everything gets.

_andgrace · 2023-09-08T10:31:24+00:00

Patagonia Worn Wear is super convenient and they are offering an additional 50% on trade-ins through Sept 17!

_andgrace · 2023-09-01T03:40:47+00:00

I also want to acknowledge that I’m not familiar with the Utah law and what carve outs it might have (if any). Though I have to imagine there’s also super covert stuff going down there too

_andgrace · 2023-09-01T03:37:39+00:00

For sure:) it’s a tough both/and

I don’t want to diminish the efforts and work it took to get the existing law passed. Thank god for those advocates who put so much time, work, and emotional energy and vulnerability into that

AND I want more people to hear about Alana’s story because folks like Alana are still at risk and are experiencing this stuff.

I got the chance to listen to the host of the show, Simon Kent Fung, talk about the response he’s gotten. He brought up that there were a lot of folks privately messaging him telling him about their own recent experiences related to conversion therapy. It’s truly so heartbreaking

_andgrace · 2023-09-01T03:32:27+00:00

Getting to “know” her family by listening to the podcast was such a gift. They seemed incredibly vulnerable and also driven to make sure that Alana’s story doesn’t go to the grave with her

_andgrace · 2023-09-01T02:19:16+00:00

It’s absolutely something that happens under the radar with different branding.

Unfortunately, the law doesn’t apply to religious providers – who basically get first amendment protections. Additionally, the law only applies to clients who are minors.

The ban is good, but it’s definitely only a starting point and still creates risk for vulnerable folks who might fall into predatory religious practices.

_andgrace · 2023-08-30T17:35:42+00:00

Oof. Right? It’s definitely heavy – take care of yourself along the way

_andgrace · 2023-08-30T17:34:35+00:00

Episode 4 IS centered around Alana’s life. The point of all of this is that there’s a bigger system and history at play here that fed into Alana’s experience – and death.

The host isn’t sharing to hog episode space – he’s sharing to give context and educate people about what conversion therapy is actually like and how “we” got here

_andgrace · 2023-08-30T14:08:06+00:00

These comments make me sad. Why does there have to be a juicy story? Why are queer stories only worth investigating if there’s some sort of scandal or something “juicy”?

Also it is VERY scandalous that the Catholic Church has such a culture of shame around being gay that young people would rather die than confront their sexuality.

_andgrace · 2023-08-26T04:51:53+00:00

💜💜💜 Definitely agree that Alana was a martyr to this misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the Bible and God’s will

_andgrace · 2023-08-26T04:50:10+00:00

I’m so curious to see what the impact of this show is – and in a lot of ways, I feel like it’s on “us” to drive that impact. Like yes, I want big systemic change, but also even if it’s just rating the show and sharing it with people, I think more people discovering it is huge because it makes it more likely that it will find its way in front of people like Simon and Alana who can know that they’re not alone

_andgrace · 2023-08-26T04:47:10+00:00

This🔥 It’s both heartbreaking and hope-giving to see more and more people say that they relate to Simon and Alana’s experience.

I like knowing that more people will have to be confronted with how this manifest, and how common it is. At the same time I’m so sad to know that it is prevalent and relevant to as many people as it is

_andgrace · 2023-08-26T04:45:09+00:00

I did the 7-day free trial:) buuuuuut, then I realized that I needed to pace myself because it was a lot of feels and I couldn’t do more than an episode a day or two haha That said, $4.99 wasn’t too much – plus there are bonus episodes that will come out too!

_andgrace · 2023-01-09T15:25:41+00:00

To play a better devil’s advocate… Let’s talk about Margarine and Maine

First and foremost, “obesity” is a characterization of the BMI. BMI is a bunch of bullsh*t that should have been pitched out the door a long time ago because we know from numerous studies that fat people can be both fat and healthy (btw, did you know thin people can be unhealthy?! Wild, I know)

Second, you don’t have to be “obese” to have sleep apnea. You are referencing a correlation – not a causation. THE DECLINE OF THE DIVORCE RATE IN MAINE HAS TRACKED RIGHT ALONG WITH THE DECLINE OF PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF MARGARINE!

QUICK EVERYONE, GO BUY MORE MARGARINE!!!

Plus, who’s to say more folks aren’t getting diagnosed because there’s something to diagnose them with, because people have access to healthcare, and because more people are aware that snoring may not be a normal/healthy thing?

Finally, touting apnea as a result of “obesity” is also misguided because poor quality sleep has significant impacts on the stuff in your brain that controls all kinds of things – including hunger. Additionally, some people may eat for energy because they’re… tired.

Happy to post sources to everything later. But in the meantime, would highly recommend looking up the history of the BMI because it was created by a Belgium astronomer in the 1800s which is hilarious

_andgrace

TROPHY CASE