Part of the Series
Ladydrawers
The Ladydrawers’ yearlong investigation into gender, labor and cultural production – “Our Fashion Year” – has unraveled the threads that bind the international garment trade to international anti-sex trafficking NGOs. Mainstream media recently witnessed the unraveling for itself with something we call the Somaly Problem – when a world-leading activist on sex trafficking gets caught in a series of lies. This strip, called “The Somaly Problem,” shows that the problem does not really lie in one woman’s trustworthiness. However, it exists in a vast network of media makers, celebrities and professional do-gooders with surprisingly imperialist agendas. This strip is by Leela Corman and Anne Elizabeth Moore.
It’s only the latest in our yearlong series, which you can read in its entirety here, including “Fast Fashion,” “Let’s Go Shopping” and “The Business of Thrift” (with Julia Gfrörer); and “Zoned,” “Red Tape” and “Outta Sight (Out of Mind)” (with Melissa Mendes), and Ellen Lindner’s “It’s the Money, Honey” and “Out of the Factories Part 1” and “Out of the Factories Part 2” (also with Melissa Gira Grant). Leela Corman’s first strip with us was “The Grey Area.” Next month, we’ll look at why corporate funding of human trafficking is so popular, and with whom – with a return by Melissa Mendes! Then we’ll wrap up the series in September with Corman’s final contribution (and start working on the book).
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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 $104,000 in one-time donations and to add 1340 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