45.75 read by Dolly K Wyatt
You may have heard Dolly on DC’S Legends Of Tomorrow, Designing Empires, The Heart Errs, or possibly your favorite training video. Having studied acting at Purdue, she loves to perform behind the mic, on stage or in front of the camera. It’s a great joy to join with Janis on another intelligent, griping and expansive project. Hello Dolly VO
The Art of Impact
Girl In Trouble Stories believes storytelling is a form of resistance. We strive to use the connective tissue of truth to allow those parts of us shine — you know, those parts. The ones we’ve been trained to keep hidden because they don’t fit the standards of the people who want to keep us down, keep us quiet.
We know that taking action is going to be crucial for the next four years. We’re all waiting in line for an emotional rollercoaster, so pick an action that is sustainable. One that will support your community, but also support you.
Look for ways to protect vulnerable communities – LGBTQ+ folks, BIPOC, immigrants, women, outsiders, writers, activists, journalists and your unhoused neighbors. Work in your local community to create sanctuary cities, support abortion funds, pass laws that protect abortion, fight book bans, make sure your school board protects queer kids, and vote for progressive candidates on The City Council, District Attorney, School Board and at the County and State level.
Suggested actions:
Go to your neighborhood council meetings. The more local you get, the more impact you have.
Go to your city council meetings. Council members need your vote, let them know what they need to do to earn it.
Think about what activities you enjoy doing. Look for a non-profit you can volunteer with and use that passion to help your community.
Pressure state governments, faith organizations and corporations to stand against policies that harm vulnerable communities.
We encourage you to scream “NO” in the face of authoritarian policies. Learn to disrupt and disobey unjust actions whenever possible to slow down the gears of hate and intolerance. Look to groups like ACT UP that managed to love and organize during the bleakest era of the AIDS crisis. Let their creative actions be a beacon and a guide.
Suggested actions:
Watch the documentary United In Anger to get inspired.
Check out the ACT UP Oral History Project to hear people’s personal stories.
Watch the documentary How to Survive a Plague.
UNITED IN ANGER (2012)
As the Working Families Party advises, “We’ll need to organize to mount overwhelming public pushback on efforts to undermine the key constitutional and legal rules that uphold our democracy. And we’ll need to push actors with power in American society - from our own state governments to corporations to faith communities - to hold those red lines.” Protect Libraries, Public Education, the EPA, Title X funding, human rights organizations, non-profits, civil liberties organizations. Join the groups you believe in by volunteering your time, energy and donating money.
Suggested actions:
Support local journalism. Here in Los Angeles, outlets like LA Taco and LA Public Press are doing incredible work.
Call your reps. Five Calls makes it very easy and very quick. If you don’t have time or funds to spare, this one's for you.
Organize with Indivisible as they provide practical strategies and tactics for how everyday Americans can fight back. Check out their Practical Guide.
Organize with the Working Families Party, which supports grassroots candidates and is building political power from the ground up.
Reproductive Healthcare: Many folks across the country must travel thousands of miles to get an abortion, endangering pregnant people’s lives. Support these organizations by donating your time and money.
The Brigid Alliance coordinates and pays for travel expenses and childcare, serving as a trusted point of contact for every step of the journey.
National Network of Abortion Funds are a network of nearly 100 grassroots organizations that support people seeking abortion access. Together, we’re organizing at the crossroads of racial, economic, and reproductive justice.
If you hate book bans as much as we do –– here are Five Ways to Fight Book Bans.
Lastly, create and build something new out of the ashes. Make your art, write your stories, run for office, organize locally, support mutual aid organizations, create podcasts and new media that challenge far-right narratives, and invest in leaders that fight unjust laws.
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Girl In Trouble Stories
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