wait! before you hit POST NOW and rake in those outrage clicks, don't forget to G.A.R.G.L.E.!
- Get the bill's sponsors and co-sponsors (if any)! Have they gotten literally anything passed before?
- Ask what legislative session the bill is scheduled for! Is there a hearing at all? Maybe there are better things to panic about before August 2024.
- Read the language of the bill! Is it a stunt? Turns out a lot of drafted U.S. legislation never gets past committee and is just stupid attention-grabbing bullshit that no one (on earth) is ever going to look at!
- Gather a plan of action! If the bill seems serious, with multiple co-sponsors, scheduled hearings, and an allocation/enforcement plan, do something about it! Tell people who to call, who to write to, which on-the-ground organizations to support to either kill it dead or mitigate its damage.
- Love your trans siblings, who don't need "raising awareness", they need money, kindness, and fierce, vocal support! Remember, "this bill will hurt cis kids too" is not a helpful observation!
- and finally, before you hit that post button, Eat a snack or something. Low blood sugar is the leading cause of doomposting.
Being constantly exposed to doomposting was a major contributor to the deterioration of my mental health before I finally left twitter for good. It's blessedly less common here (or at least, I only see that which is spread by my follows, instead of all of it) but it's still a thing that happens. Thankfully, I've gotten better about selectively ignoring things that I know will only upset me. But all the same, do please think hard before you share every piece of negative news that crosses your path. You're showing it to everyone who follows you, and sometimes it's just a fucking lot. I aint the boss of you, it's your page, but sometimes it's worth it to ask yourself if anyone's going to benefit from reading a thing, or if it will just make their day worse.






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