Adventures of a Gonzo Journalist
Despite failing in the regular Texas legislative session, the "bathroom bill" is back yet again. After Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bill which would have banned hemp-derived THC products in the state, he called for a special legislative session to replace it with regulations, rather than a ban. In the leadup to the reopening of the lege, devastating floods claimed the lives of over 100 residents…
Even as the world tries to batter them down, trans and gender nonconforming young folks are still out here, being themselves. As one mother of a trans teen told me recently, these kids are "choosing authenticity" in the face of ruthless attacks on their personhood. I recently interviewed two different mothers of transgender teenagers for an Austin Free Press article on "Skrmetti," the devastating…
Life was already tough enough for transgender Texas kids. But a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling has made things a lot tougher. Last month’s ruling by the high court upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors reinforces a similar ban Texas enacted in 2023, delivering a pair of legal blows to Texas transgender children and their families. “Our country is really headed in a…
On Sunday, workers at Rebel Cheese, Austin's vegan deli went on a one-day strike over an unfair labor practice complaint. They say 5 workers were laid off after they a majority of workers began organizing a union. They're demanding that all workers get reinstated. After the strike, Rebel Cheese closed early. A sign on the door said it would reopen Wednesday. The business did not respond to a…
KD Drackert is one of my favorite people in Austin; to be honest, I think I have an "activist crush" on them. What I mean is, I just adore everything she does and wish more people knew about their work. So I thought this month I'd share my full interview with KD, from March of this year. We spoke after a banner drop she organized, which was the hook for my Deceleration article about mask blocs and…
Marijuana prohibition is a Texas tradition. Unless Governor Greg Abbott vetoes Senate Bill 3, the state’s new ban on THC, the state is about to suddenly and drastically renew its commitment to that tradition—at a potential cost of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in lost taxable revenue, and countless lives broken in the prison system. “We have to look at a long history in Texas,” said…