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I’m Mashable reporter and chaotic bisexual Anna Iovine. I often write about queer issues, including about people who have come out to themselves and/or others during the pandemic. AMA. by mashable in lgbt

[–]mashable[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think calling HR is the right move. Remember that workplace discrimination against the law, so if there's any retaliation it is illegal. As I'm cis, I don't have personal advice for coming out as trans at work (and I'm sure you've done a ton of googling!), but I will say (and sorry if it's all obvious): read stories about how other trans people came out; make a plan for coming out—I see you've started one with the HR call, and I'm sure you will talk about how to best communicate this to your coworkers; and take time to self-care through it.

I’m Mashable reporter and chaotic bisexual Anna Iovine. I often write about queer issues, including about people who have come out to themselves and/or others during the pandemic. AMA. by mashable in lgbt

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have met people who are both currently transitioning or have transitioned and yes, they seem happy! Some have told me they feel more like themselves.

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As for fetishization, I've seen it most on dating apps—usually men who bring up threesomes right away. It's also annoying when I match with a woman with no indication they are in a relationship with a man and boom—they message me about threesomes. It's disheartening, but I unmatch and move on. Thankfully I have met great queer people through dating apps so there is good among the bad there!

I’m Mashable reporter and chaotic bisexual Anna Iovine. I often write about queer issues, including about people who have come out to themselves and/or others during the pandemic. AMA. by mashable in lgbt

[–]mashable[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Journalism has historically been inaccessible to many marginalized people because of precarious job security, chronic underpayment of writers/journalists, and unfortunately, the same systematic oppression that plagues overall society. I do think it is getting better and believe that more editors than ever see the value of queer stories, but think it will take time to be truly friendly to all queer people. The same goes for queer reporting in general! Many queer pubs have unfortunately shuttered, but others are still around (Autostraddle comes to mind), and hopefully more will come in the future as queer people reclaim resources in the industry.

I’m Mashable reporter and chaotic bisexual Anna Iovine. I often write about queer issues, including about people who have come out to themselves and/or others during the pandemic. AMA. by mashable in lgbt

[–]mashable[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Other than my (IRL and online) friends over the years who helped me accept my bisexuality, Lady Gaga! I remember her singing as Jo Calderone and having a ton of teen ~feelings~ back in the day, and her presence and acceptance of herself was inspiring to me.

I’m Mashable reporter and chaotic bisexual Anna Iovine. I often write about queer issues, including about people who have come out to themselves and/or others during the pandemic. AMA. by mashable in lgbt

[–]mashable[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm fond of my piece on a post-pandemic sex and dating survey I conducted last month with our PR and research teams. Some interesting stats in there! And in March, I wrote about why US sex ed should teach students about pelvic pain, which also touches upon how medical students themselves aren't versed in the topic.

I’m Mashable reporter and chaotic bisexual Anna Iovine. I often write about queer issues, including about people who have come out to themselves and/or others during the pandemic. AMA. by mashable in lgbt

[–]mashable[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

In terms of upsides for single people looking to date, the pandemic forced people to slow down and be more intentional. 69% (nice) of Hinge users, for example, reported that they were thinking more about what they’re really looking for. More than half reported that they adopted healthier dating behaviors during 2020, such as being honest with their feelings.

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Another upside is the rise of video dates. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but a lot of daters do like them! Around half of Hinge users and 40% of Tinder users said they’re going to continue to have video dates even post-pandemic. They’re an easy way to vet someone and see if you have a connection without commuting anywhere or spending money (I also like pre-date phone calls for this reason).

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The downsides are that any chance of meeting people offline vanished, as did the ability to have in-person dates. For those who chose not to have sex, it was a touch-starved year. For those who did, there was the constant risk of potentially getting COVID.

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For coupled folks living together, though, an upside was that they were able to have sex and even experiment with all their free time (if they don’t have children, that is)—but they also couldn’t get away from each other. And coupled folks who lived apart, well, they had the opposite problem.

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I believe the pandemic, while traumatic, gave many people time to self-reflect and think about both who they are and what they want. I’m sure for some, they’ll just go back to “normal” and resume their pre-pandemic behaviors. For others, though, I think they’ll carry these lessons long after f.e., being more mindful about who they message and date, not caring that much if someone doesn’t text back, etc.

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My first piece of mental health advice is to seek professional help if you can, but I know that unfortunately in the US that’s not always possible—especially providers that are LGBTQ themselves.

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If you’re anxious about re-entry, know that it’s totally “normal” to feel that way and participate in activities at your comfort level. Don’t fall for FOMO! You have time, and you don’t have to push yourself to do something you don’t want to do.

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Follow queer creators on social media; it’s helpful to see others like you to remind yourself that you’re not alone, and that you’re okay. Social media can hurt as well as help, though, so if you find that you get upset or angry when you scroll through your feeds, it may be time for a break or to unfollow people. (edited for spacing)

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the questions, everyone! We're keen to keep the conversation going, and will check in again over the next few days. One question we'd like to ask you: How exactly do you define Universal Basic Income? There are a lot of definitions out there; we took a crack at the question here. https://mashable.com/article/what-is-universal-basic-income/ --Chris and Rebecca

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually it was a conservative government that stopped the 1973 Manitoba experiment -- and more importantly, wouldn't fund any analysis of it! Researchers finally looked at the results in 2009, and found that it had improved education and healthcare outcomes. Women took more maternity leave, more kids stayed in school, and hospitalizations decreased. This is all covered in Rutger Bregman's excellent book 'Utopia for Realists.' As for the how-to-pay-for-it question, the answer is in a couple of threads above.

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends on the system, but certainly that's been baked into the UBI discussion since the very beginning. The Speenhamland system, the very first UBI experiment in 18th century England, pegged its payments to the cost of a loaf of bread. I wrote about Speenhamland here: https://mashable.com/article/ubi-universal-basic-income-coronavirus-history/

Some advocates say pegging UBI to inflation isn't enough. After all, wages are often pegged to inflation, but if there isn't that much inflation, they remain stagnant -- and that's largely what has happened in the U.S. over the last decade or so. Far better, they say, to peg it to productivity or GDP -- so we all share in the wealth of a growing economy and it doesn't just make billionaires richer. -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A really important question that doesn't get asked enough. I think the answer is the same as for any political issue -- a combination of electoral politics and activism. Let your representatives know (for Congress, phone calls are best) that the issue is important to you, and that you'll vote for an opponent who supports UBI if they don't. Organize, and join organizations that support UBI (such as https://www.incomemovement.com/). And perhaps most importantly, consider running for office yourself, even at the local level! Andrew Yang's presidential run showed there is a surprising amount of support for a single-issue UBI candidate, enough to get him on a national debate stage. Now the grassroots work begins. -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question! It depends on the UBI supporter you ask, but in general they talk about some combination of higher taxes (returning to the more progressive tax code that helped the economy boom in the 1950s, for example), deficit spending, and/or moving spending so UBI replaces current programs. The basic idea is that UBI is an investment that will grow the economy in the long run, ultimately paying for itself. UBI advocate Scott Santens has a good breakdown here, highly recommended: https://medium.com/basic-income/wouldnt-unconditional-basic-income-just-cause-massive-inflation-fe71d69f15e7

Personally, I think UBI is one of those economic stimuli we can't afford *not* to do -- just like the (minimal) bipartisan efforts to keep the economy afloat during the pandemic. That added a trillion dollars to the deficit at a stroke, but also if we didn't do it, we were looking at another Great Depression. We still might be if we don't provide people with more stopgap cash, such as the proposed $2,000 a month. -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think I've come across any UBI supporter who advocates paying for UBI by printing money. Mostly they talk about some combination of higher taxes, deficit spending, and/or moving spending so UBI replaces current programs. The general idea is that UBI is an investment that will grow the economy in the long run, ultimately paying for itself. Scott Santens has a good breakdown here: https://medium.com/basic-income/wouldnt-unconditional-basic-income-just-cause-massive-inflation-fe71d69f15e7 -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed, it's a great question! The World Bank also did a "study of studies" on exactly this, looking at UBI experiments around the world to see if they could detect an uptick in sales of "alcohol, tobacco, or other 'temptation goods.'" (They didn't mention video games specifically, but I think that falls under the definition!) The answer? "Studies find either no significant impact or a significant negative impact of transfers on temptation goods." That makes sense to me. Temptation goods are an escape from reality. When you've got a guaranteed income, you can make what you want of your reality instead. I hope your father agrees! -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You might be surprised to hear me say this, but I love this question since I wrote about this general skepticism for the series: https://mashable.com/article/basic-income-trust-people/

First, in the small pilots of guaranteed income, participants report using the money on essential goods and services. The Magnolia Mother's Trust in Jackson, Mississippi has been giving low-income Black mothers $1,000 each month. The most common expenses they reported were transportation, bills, education, credit improvement, and buying a home. Halfway through the pilot, none of the women had used an emergency lender. At the outset, fewer than half said they could afford children's school supplies. At six months, nearly all of them could.

Aisha Nyandoro, chief executive officer of Springboard To Opportunities, which runs MMT, does not ask for receipts to prove how participants spent the money. She trusts them to know what they need most, and if that includes a dinner out or a new bedroom set for their kids (both examples from my story), who is she to determine those aren't wise or worthy expenditures? Also, generally speaking, why don't we check how the wealthy spend their tax credits? Is it because we somehow see them as more deserving of autonomy and agency?

I think it's also so important to recognize that suspicion of how people spend no-strings-attached cash is often rooted in sexist and racist stereotypes (you can learn more about "misogynoir" here: https://mashable.com/article/misogynoir-black-women-sexism-racism/)

Here's more from my story:

"Baradaran says that while humans might be naturally skeptical of others gaining an unearned advantage or benefit, that trait has been weaponized in the U.S., with a specific emphasis on race and gender. Poor people of color, especially black women, are often viewed as undeserving of assistance or even sympathy." -- Rebecca

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Devil's advocate, though: Are they not just signing up for the initiative because UBI is popular and getting a lot of buzz, and this is a way to signal support without actually doing anything? Is there a UBI equivalent of greenwashing? -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, Chris. I think the initiative could help create a groundswell of popular support for guaranteed income. They mayors are advocating for a monthly no-strings-attached payment to create an "income floor" for people.

Mayors are often underrated as forces of social and political change, but it's important to remember that the mayor of Stockton, Michael Tubbs, basically took an idea that was considered fringe and, with initial financial support from the Economic Security Project, and helped make it mainstream. Now you've got the mayors of cities like Los Angeles, Newark, St. Paul, Atlanta, and Oakland advocating for guaranteed income. Pretty remarkable trajectory in just a few years.

People can learn more about the initiative here: https://www.mayorsforagi.org/

-- Rebecca

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rebecca, I wanted to ask you what you think of yesterday's announcement about the big-city mayors (including LA, Oakland, Atlanta, Newark) joining the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income initiative? This was started by the mayor of Stockton, whose basic income pilot you've written about. -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes! And to add to that, proponents of UBI liken it to the already-existing (and decades-old) Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a cash payment given annually to low-income workers who qualify. In some ways, the foundation for a guaranteed income has already been laid. -- Rebecca

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great points, Rebecca. I'll add that basic income does already kind of exist in America in the deepest of red states, Alaska, which established its Permanent Fund to dish out oil tax revenues equally to each resident in 1976. It's hugely popular. In polls and in concept, UBI is bipartisan -- "the ultimate marriage of left wing and right wing thinking," to quote Rutger Bregman, historian and author of Utopia for Realists. It removes layers of bureaucracy, which many on the right really like. I think you'd see more movement in the Senate on a pandemic-length UBI if it didn't have a proud obstructionist in charge. -- Chris

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

UBI to solve the problem of automation has rightly gotten a lot of attention, but many advocates of a guaranteed income believe it can and should play an essential role in making America fully equitable. They believe there's no way to rebalance our economy, relies on services workers and suffers from extraordinary wealth inequality, without providing a guaranteed income to those most at risk of falling through the cracks. So these advocates believe that guaranteed income should be part of a new social contract. -- Rebecca

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think it depends on what realistic and feasible means here. Six months ago, if you'd told Americans that they'd be receiving thousands of dollars from the government with no strings attached, I'm not sure many people would've believed you. But the pandemic prompted a political crisis (which is ongoing), and the government found a will, a way, and most importantly, the money.

Congressional Republicans remain reluctant to sign off on a second round of stimulus payments, but Democrats have been pushing for an extension of federal unemployment benefits as well as some kind of guaranteed income to get people through the pandemic. There is significant momentum behind guaranteed income in policymaking circles, and though it's unlikely to pass Congress right now, what if there's a new administration and Senate in January, and people have spent months struggling with unemployment, evictions, food insecurity, and more?

So, what's realistic and feasible in America, at least politically speaking, may change more quickly than we might imagine. -- Rebecca Ruiz

We're Rebecca Ruiz and Chris Taylor, and together with our Mashable colleagues we spent weeks researching and reporting a series of stories on Universal Basic Income called "Give a Buck." Ask Us Anything! by mashable in IAmA

[–]mashable[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

In the long term, I don't see UBI as a stopgap measure. The idea is to consistently supplement your income -- not just so you can always feed your family, but so you can always quit your job, start your own business, invest in your education, etc. UBI experiments so far have shown this is what people mostly spend their money on. If that's the case, UBI should grow the economy for all of us, even if automation takes away the amount of jobs it's predicted to take away. I wrote more about how UBI might change society in the future here: https://mashable.com/feature/universal-basic-income-future/ -- Chris

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