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Earlier this year a relatively prominent right winger posted a picture of my friend to farm outrage from his cretinous followers. A few larger accounts boosted it, one going so far as to equate queer people to mutants. I'd already been gaining an interest in Magneto. Specifically I was interested in how, over the character's history, liberal authors failed repeatedly to provide any logical counterpoint to Magneto when his argument is well-focused: you cannot liberate from within an authoritarian system. It must have someone underfoot. Often the only way to make Magneto the misguided option is to frame him as *too* extreme (which works for liberal povs) or, insidiously, make him an Authoritarian and allege that his mission of liberation actually makes him similar to Nazis who destroyed his family. 2022 was the year of Magnetoposting. A year of refusing sympathy for those who wish to kill me and those like me. The 2000 film features Magneto warning Charles that a war is coming, but this overlooks the history of extreme violent persecution states have wielded against minorities. That may not meet the definition of war, but all of us under the crushing heel should really start considering it one. I already know what posting style will represent next year, and look forward to writing about it soon. Until then, remember these: You deserve to live. You deserve food and shelter and clothing and leisure, and you deserve to do it all as your authentic self. Criminality largely exists as a justification to withhold these from you. Reject the framing. Build communities of support and love. Fight your oppressors. Do not give in, do not surrender. Things are gonna get worse in a lot of ways but everything you need is in those you support. They'll never kill all of us; we're born every day.

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A small congregation of exiles.