Part of the Series
Ladydrawers
Recent debates over the always enraging but never changing VIDA byline stats (which document the percentage of women’s bylines in major media outlets) have seemingly devolved into hopelessness, with some parties claiming that editors don’t care or they would hire more women creators, editors using the moment to trumpet perhaps marginal accomplishments in bringing in new women’s voices, and women writers still floundering in a field of cultural production that clearly doesn’t value their labor as highly as men’s. Here at Ladydrawers, of course, we feel that byline counts are just the most immediate proof of a deeply flawed system. This system includes differences in how published content is acquired, a pay gap across a range of gender identities, and unique but consistent forms of gender-based and sexual harassment. It is also a reflection of a larger gender bias in media and labor in general.
This flawed system was built outside the arena of cultural production, of course, which is why the last two strips have focused on a history of women’s struggle for equal political representation and pay, and women’s recent gains in Congress. But a lack of political representation across a spectrum of gender identities has had real impacts on laws and policies upon which our culture is built. Over the next few strips, we’ll explore how intellectual property rights law has had an impact on culture, culling from research done in residency at the Provisions Library in Washington, DC. This one, a collaboration with Ladydrawer’s second male artist Clay Harris, features portraits of cultural producers from the DC area.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $81,000 in one-time donations and to add 1250 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy