870 notes
hexalt

the cover page is a collage and titled "Hack the system! How to change your name and gender. By Luna"ALT
the second page is titled, "why listen to me?" the body reads, "i'm luna, a master of dealing with bureaucracy, which is why people rely on me. i went to law school, i have a law degree, i've never been a lawyer because i didn't want to be, i volunteered at a legal clinic, and i've helped friends change their name and/or gender. this is a powerful combination that makes me unafraid of trying things i've never done to get what needs to be done to get done. i want to demystify the process so other non-lawyers can see it's really not a big deal and anyone can do this! the government wants to make it difficult but it doesn't have to be (though it's definitely a lengthy process. bureaucracy takes time. a lot of time.)" the third page is titled, "look up local resources" the body reads, "i start out by reaching to local LGBT centers and messaging them to see if they can assist with changing a person's name and gender. depending on what city and state you're in, i've either been connected to legal resources directly at the center or the center knew a lawyer who helps with this. you can also look into lawyers who do pro bono (FREE) work for LGBT people. if connected with a lawyer, they will likely be from a legal clinic. each state has at least one clinic, and can have many for each region of the state, and these offer FREE legal support to people who have no or low income. you will do an intake with them where they will verify you meet this income threshold so your time is not wasted, and where they will verify what you need help with and get information necessary to provide the help."ALT
the fourth page is titled, "get a court order" the body reads, "each state has its own requirements for changing your name and gender, which is why it's helpful having this free lawyer helping you. for example, in california, you just need to petition the court for the name and gender change, pay/get a fee waiver, and then wait for your court date to pass and the judge to approve it. you usually don't even need to show up to court for this. in georgia, while you'll still petition the court and get the fee waiver, you also need to publish your name change in the newspaper for 4 consecutive weeks to put everyone on notice that you are changing your name for legitimate reasons and not to commit fraud. if you're trying to commit fraud, this would theoretically give people who read newspapers the time to reach out to the judge and tell them to put a stop to this. the lawyer will be able to put the notice in the newspaper on your behalf though! unfortunately when i helped my friend, the newspaper had no way to waive the fee for putting the notice, so i helped them and paid the fee. this is entirely dependent on the newspaper, but your lawyer will let you know. maybe they can find an alternative newspaper or find a way to pay the fee through the legal clinic's own funds. always ask!! make sure you request several certified copies of the court order because you'll need them for updating other documents. it's always better to have more!" the fifth page is titled, "update birth certificate" the body reads, "once the court order has been approved and your name/gender has been changed, it's time to update everything else. if you worked with a lawyer, they'll give you papers on what you need to do afterward to update your name and you can ask them questions. first, you'll have to update your birth certificate. if you were born in the USA, do an online search to find the office of vital records for whichever state you were born. they will tell you exactly what you need to do, such as filling out a form, writing a check, and including a copy of your state-issued ID in the mail to them. make sure that you follow the requirements for updating your name NOT DUE TO MARRIAGE. once you mail, either they will mail you your corrected birth certificate or a letter explaining what they need to process the change."ALT
the sixth page is titled, "hot tip!" the body reads, "the biggest secret to mastering bureaucracy is getting good at harassing people but be polite about it! they're overworked and underpaid, so unless someone starts something with you first, don't be hostile. everyone takes their sweet time, forgets things, and either never follows up or takes much longer than they should. you're just there to be helpful in making sure you get what you need as quickly as is feasible. this is why you must CALL them to check on the status of your applications always. this works for me every time, even outside name/gender changes. if you're top of mind for people, they will get to your stuff sooner." the seventh page is titled, "update social security" the body reads, "second, you need to update your social security info. there are two ways to update: an in-person appointment or by mail. i recommend the first option because it's safer for you so you don't lose any important documents, and you'll know if there's any issues or be able to explain things in the moment. you would schedule an appointment with your local social security office and bring the following: - your actual state ID (not a copy of it, your literal card) - the original or a certified court order - amended birth certificate - SS-5 form (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf) if you do mail, you have to send an application with original/certified documents to your local social security office as specified above. yes, this means you lose your driver's license/ID for at least a month. it would then take 7-10 mailing days for them to receive the application, then ~1 week for them to process, then mailing back so ~4 weeks total"ALT
the eighth page is titled, "update identification" the body reads, "next, you have to update your state ID/driver's license. you'll again want to search the specific requirements your state has for name and gender changes. as far as i know, this must be done in person only where you have to fill out an application online, bring the original or a certified copy of the court order, a form of ID (your old ID, passport, etc. they'll specify), your new social security card, and 2 proofs of your residency in the state. PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOUR LOCAL REQUIREMENTS IN CASE THEY DIFFER!!!! then schedule your appointment at the DMV :)" the ninth page is titled, "update everything else" the body reads, "now that you have your new ID/driver's license, you can update EVERYTHING ELSE in whatever order you want. these can be bank accounts, insurance, cell phone, utilities, passport, your job so you can get paid correctly, etc. anywhere your legal name is important, you gotta update because not having everything matching can bite you later."ALT
the tenth page is titled, "celebrate! you did it!" the body reads, "now that you have your new ID/driver's license, you can update EVERYTHING ELSE in whatever order you want. these can be bank accounts, insurance, cell phone, utilities, passport, your job so you can get paid correctly, etc. anywhere your legal name is important, you gotta update because not having everything matching can come back to bite you later. i hope this all serves as a good starting point for you and your community to get what they need. if you have any advice, think i should add/remove something, or need help getting this done, please email me at pixelbruja@proton.me. i can’t guarantee i’ll be able to help you nor am i lawyer or able to give legal advice, but maybe i can point you in the right direction at least :)" the eleventh page is titled, "about the author" the body reads, "Luna is a nonbinary Puerto Rican + Russian Jewish person who loves helping others, video games, making things with their hands, photography, cats, design, rain, and cyberpunk and witchy worlds. If you’re able and would like to support the author (and their cat) with a donation, thank you so much! Venmo: @pixelmisfit Cash App: $lunoche"ALT

Hack the System!
how to change your name and gender

(available on itch.io for download)

Have you or someone you know been wanting to legally change your name and/or gender within the USA? Are you unsure how to get started? Are you stuck on a step?

I use my legal and bureaucratic expertise to guide you through the process as someone who's volunteered at a legal clinic during law school and helped a couple of friends in different states change their names and/or genders over the years.

Whether you're trans or not, the process is the same, so even if you're solely wanting to change your name, this will still be helpful to you.

✬✬✬✬✬

This is my very first zine ever! I'm so excited to have finally fulfilled this lifelong dream of making a zine. It was hard figuring out what the first topic of my zine should be, and I finally realized that I have information not everyone has access to thanks to my education, personal experiences, and personality. I always wish I could help everyone get their legal documents changed to reflect their identity, so maybe with this, I can somewhat do that.

I got the DIY zine booklet paper from strangeandunusual.design/punchkisspress. Going to my local zine fest was extra inspiring for finally actually making a zine, and shout out to brattyxbre for all of her resources!

Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate it more than you can imagine! Share this resource with anyone know who needs it, please. :) We all deserve to have our identities reflected in reality.

  • Published March 2025
  • 10 pages
  • Each page is about 4.5" wide and 5.6" tall
hexalt

if you’d like to print a copy for yourself, your loved ones, or to distribute in your community, i’ve added a PDF for printing!

image
9 months ago
3,146 notes
ahmedaldani333

For three days I've been battling this illness alone. A severe case of the flu has exhausted me; my weak body can't take it anymore. The cough won't subside, and my fever worsens day by day. I haven't slept a wink, not only because of the illness, but also because my bed is completely soaked with rainwater. I sleep on the cold floor, wet, shivering, and in pain.

ahmedaldani333

I can't eat anymore. Every bite hurts; my throat is inflamed, and my stomach is empty. I went looking for medicine, something to ease this pain, but it was too expensive, so I returned empty-handed, suffering in silence.

Donate to Help Ahmed And His Family Live Safely., organized by Ahmad dany
My name is Ahmad Dany. I am writing to you from the heart of the daily suffering we … Ahmad dany needs your support for Help Ahmed And His F
gofundme.com
ahmedaldani333

The pain has become unbearable; I even wish for death. There's no rest at night, no medicine during the day, and I can't endure any longer. Every passing moment feels like my last. My only wish is that my voice reaches everyone who can help me by donating so I can buy medicine and repair our torn tent. Please donate and don't abandon us.

closet-keys

Please help my friend Ahmed. I beg you to send him survival funds as soon as possible. I am so afraid for him

ahmedaldani333

Please, friends, help me and don't leave me. My illness is still ravaging me and destroying my health, and my pain is increasing because I haven't been able to afford the medicine yet. Our tent and mattress are completely soaked because winter hasn't ended. I need your help with donations so I can buy the medicine and raise the money to repair our tent. Please help us with donations and don't abandon us.

beserkerjewel

Please do whatever you can!

pitbolshevik

please donate

sporesgalaxy

Please help Ahmed and his family so they can afford medicine

ahmedaldani333

Please, friends, help me. I am extremely exhausted and unable to move or get out of my wet bed because my pain is increasing due to the cold and winter weather that has seeped into our ruined tent. I cannot sleep; I just cry. I am sick and confined to my wet bed. Please help me by donating so I can buy my medicine. Please donate and don't leave me.

1 day ago
29,981 notes
friend-crow

Apparently ICE now has agents posing as utility workers to get into people's homes. The electric and gas companies have posted information on how to tell if it's one of their workers, and numbers to call to confirm whether they've sent someone to do utility work on your house.

Stay safe, friends.

alexwrekk
ICE posing as utility workers to detain immigrants, Gresham lawmaker warns
Oregon state Rep. Ricki Ruiz said three people were detained in his district after ICE agents posed as utility workers.
opb
parsio

Some people have shared stories of suspicious “sales representatives” knocking on homes, asking about the home owners and who lives there, fishing for phone numbers, but do not provide business cards, company id, company phone numbers, etc when asked.

They come in pairs, never one person though one may hag back a bit. They have been seen using cars with significantly tinted windows, no business logos anywhere on the vehicle, or parking close to the home they walked up to only to drive away right after without visiting other homes, almost as if they’re not real sales people.

True door to door salespeople need a sort of peddler’s license, subject to city and county law, to solicit at your door. You can ask to see this permit. If they don’t provide one or make an excuse, they are likely bogus.

They wear a jacket with a company logo but likely don’t wear name tags and the Don’t provide id.

Tell them you’ll call the company about a noncompliant representative. Make them leave. Better yet not to open the door to them, and tell them nothing.

Actual sales reps also generally do follow “no soliciting” signs. Be aware, be safe, don’t give out your information or that of others under duplicitous means.

2 days ago
1,920 notes
save-the-child-qais

Today I woke up to a terrifying message from my baby Qais’s doctor. He told me Qais’s wound will keep bleeding pus and blood unless his surgery is done urgently. I will not forgive anyone who scrolls past and keeps browsing without sharing my post.

save-the-child-qais

I am a helpless mother in Gaza. I cannot afford the surgery or the medication. Every donation, no matter how small, could stop this bleeding and save my child’s life. Please donate for Qais.

save-the-child-qais

Please don’t scroll past us in this critical moment; even a small share or donation could ease suffering and give Qais another chance.

Gofundme - Vetted#679

2 days ago
3 notes

I’m getting back into sharing these yearly lists! Some favorites include I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, South of Midnight, and The Drifter. As always, I love games with beautiful and unique art and animations, deep stories, and immersive worlds.

Favorite Games Played in 2025
grungegamer.wordpress.com
2 days ago
1,109 notes
art-creature

image

Words by Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer (1979-2023). The poem in full:

If I must die, 

you must live 

to tell my story 

to sell my things 

to buy a piece of cloth 

and some strings, 

(make it white with a long tail) 

so that a child, somewhere in Gaza 

while looking heaven in the eye 

awaiting his dad who left in a blaze— 

and bid no one farewell 

not even to his flesh 

not even to himself— 

sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above 

and thinks for a moment an angel is there 

bringing back love 

If I must die 

let it bring hope 

let it be a tale

3 days ago
2,904 notes
shahdgazza

‼️🚨Urgent appeal, very IMPORTANT 🚨‼️

🔴Farah urgently needs your support to undergo speech therapy sessions, behavioral therapy, and visual and auditory communication therapy.🙏🏻🥹

🆘Don't be stingy with her; these sessions are expensive, but they are essential.begging you to give a chance at a better life. I'm not asking for the impossible; I just need your humanity.😭🙏🏻💔


image

⚠️‼️Is there anything more genuine than my poor girl's tears? Don't let her down. It's my right to try to address her mental disability too. I'm a mother, and my heart breaks for her.

🛑My child makes unintelligible sounds, trying to express herself through screams. Doesn't your conscience stir, oh human being? How can you lay your head on the pillow to sleep with my daughter's cries echoing in your mind, without offering a helping hand? Search for humanity in your souls. I am a mother whose heart breaks for her. It is not enough that she is unaware of the death that surrounds her, whether from a sudden cardiac arrest due to potassium deficiency or from facing the symptoms of viral diseases. Every day I wake up with a deferred hope for Farah's survival Make patience a roof One of the dreams is to see her playing, laughing, and talking someday.😭💔

🟥People with disabilities in Gaza endure double the suffering and endless patience, as they face the biting cold of winter and constant hunger in a dilapidated tent. Their options have dwindled, and their bodies are failing, but this failure lies not in their physical condition, but in a world that remains silent.

No one can truly imagine the scenes and images of destruction, bombing, devastation, health failures, and environmental pollution unless they experience it firsthand, and that is something we would not wish on anyone.

image

My children are sick because of the harsh winter and the viruses spreading every day. Every day brings new expenses – water, milk, diapers, and medicine, the most important of which now is antibiotics – and all of this requires money. There is nothing more painful than having your children suffer.All you have is love - but there is no way to give them safety and health.

🟥🫂My hope is that generous souls will stand by us and donate, even a little. Every contribution is a seed of hope for my child to speak and survive.🙏🏻🙏🏻

In closing my remarks about our suffering, I will thank you, and especially the humanitarian butterfly. @oediex 💗🦋♥️

Urgent appeal: kidney failure and autism threaten Farah
Note: if you would prefer to pay via paypal, you can do so here.
Chuffed

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #451 )✅️


image

💥This is my son Abdullah. I gave birth to him after 10 years of waiting. He came after I had four daughters. He's suffering from a sore throat, severe flu symptoms, and pneumonia due to cooking smoke. He tries to help me when I prepare their food. I need to buy him medicine. Please help me. Be compassionate and kind to my family. Thank you. 🫂🙏🏻😭

c-u-c-koo-4-40k

Verified means this has been cleared/supported by a trusted source.


Gazavetters is trusted because they are Palestinian run AND they call out spammers and scammers they find. You can check their list here.

GazaVetters
Google Docs


Donations on Chuffed can be as low as 3$ or 1€.


Donating and Sharing helps even more!


Shares help reach more donors.


If you can, do Both. If not. STILL SHARE - It can help this reach someone who Can donate.


There's always a way to help and no action is too small.

apostura

€4,352 / €15,000

as of January 12th

3 days ago
35,919 notes
padawan-historian

image

Original Post: Keith Porter was tragically taken from us by an off-duty ice agent, and his family is seeking justice during this difficult time. Every donation can help support their fight for truth and accountability. Please consider clicking the link below to contribute or share it with others who might want to help. Thank you for your support! https://gofund.me/530afb61e

https://gofund.me/530afb61e

4 days ago
1,701 notes
bideogaymes

i got unceremoniously laid off from my case management job this past Wednesday 11/12/25 (ironically my position was helping chronically homeless tenants keep their housing). All this within the same month of the sudden passing of my grandma and barely 5 days after her funeral. I’m going through an incredibly difficult time that I’ve gotten no time to adjust to.

i have to raise m*ney for rent & bills until i can get my unemployment claim opened and re-examined, seeing as im still in the process of disputing a false denial of firing from my last employer before this one, which caused a benefit overpayment judgement in January of this year.

UPDATE 12/09/25: i was denied unemployment benefits.

if you have the ability to donate, please send to:

venmo: sleepisforlovers

paypal.me/sleepisforlovers

Chip in to "Laid Off Job & Lost Grandma In The Same Month" until Dec 31, 2025
Chip in to "Laid Off Job & Lost Grandma In The Same Month" until Dec 31, 2025
paypal.com


$294.04/$2,500

(as of 12/27/25)

image
bideogaymes

i had to buy cat food and litter on a payment plan and i still haven’t raised enough to make rent on January 1st.

please, if you are able, share and d*nate so i can stay housed and pay my bills until i can find at least part time work in the midst of this hiring freeze. i also need help getting to my grandma’s home to begin packing up/throwing away her belongings bc we are losing her house she’s been living in since i was in middle school.

the turnaround time for everything has been really tight, & continues to be so.

thank you to everybody who has pitched in thus far, i wouldn’t have been able to get through this grief and breakdown of my family without yall collective kindness. im still hurting and trying to honor her memory by not giving up and moving forward in my journey to security and living a life worth loving.

venmo: sleepisforlovers

paypal.me/sleepisforlovers

image
4 days ago
4,375 notes
neechees

Ice is now targeting Native Americans on reservations, specifically Standing Rock.

Source.

image

[Image description: mobile screenshot taken from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Facebook that is a statement released by the Chief of Standing Rock. The statement reads as follows:

Chairman sitting Bear's statement regarding SRST Public Safety, January 9th, 2026.

I have been receiving reports and evidence of First Nations people being racially targeted, assaulted, and detained by the federal agency Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). We want to remind our members to be safe and proactive by carrying with you at a minimum your tribal identification cards or a copy of your degree of Indian Blood. Our tribal identification affirms our citizenship and political status.

Our Nation is a sovereign government and our members are not immigrants. We are not subject to immigrant enforcement on our own lands. Any federal activity within our boundaries must recognize and respect our tribal sovereignty, treaty obligations, and established jurisdictional boundaries. Any ICE presence or activity within our lands is not authorized, not welcome, and will be addressed. Unauthorized personnel will be escorted off our lands.

If you are profiled, harassed, or detained, please notify us immediately (701) 854-8529. My staff is working on a "Know Your Rights" information phone line that will be released in the incoming days. Please watch our social media page for further communication.

Again, I strongly advise all First Nations people to carry your tribal information as a practical measure. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is committed to the protection, dignity, and well-being of our own people and to the continued exercise of our rights and jurisdiction. End image description.]

4 days ago