Western States Center
@westernstatescenter
Based in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain States, Western States Center works nationwide to strengthen inclusive democracy. ✊🏿✊🏻✊🏽✊🏾✊🏼
Badlands and Toad Hall paused an AI face scanner marketed as security. Face scanners at the door do nothing for safety. They misID Black and brown patrons and take your biometric data. Your venue doesn't need a scanner. It needs trained staff and a solid plan. buff.ly/FbQGwjk
July 30, 1778: Congress passed America's first whistleblower law, after two officers were sued for reporting their commander's abuse of prisoners. Congress funded their defense instead. 248 years later, National Whistleblower Day marks the same duty: Truth over rank.
CW: suicide, anti-trans violence May Pollard, 16, died by suicide in January after years under Idaho's anti-trans care and bathroom bans. Her parents are speaking out. 🧵 (1/3)
Trump questions election security. Oregon's answer: signature-checked ballots, 24-hour surveillance, public observers, secure voter data. The facts: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Today is International Non-Binary People's Day. As anti-democracy movements work to erase non-binary people from public life, we're clear: a democracy where we all thrive includes non-binary people. Not as an exception, but as a given. #NonBinaryPeoplesDay
6 years after the passing of civil rights hero John Lewis, communities across the country will come together for a Weekend of Action from July 17-July 19 to urge and support their community members in exercising their sacred freedom to vote. 📍 Sign up to host/attend ➡️ GoodTroubleLivesOn.Org
Groups like Patriot Front march in masks because their vision can't survive in the open, and because they know most Americans reject it.
Democracy isn’t something we have. It’s something we do, especially when things get difficult. So while they're betting on our exhaustion, we're betting on each other.
Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the 6–3 majority in Trump v. Barbara: the Constitution's text controls, full stop. Birthright citizenship stands. (1/4)
Yesterday, SCOTUS dealt a blow to digital dragnets. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court held that police tracking your location history via geofence warrants is a Fourth Amendment search. Tech companies can't be weaponized into passive surveillance engines. Learn more: www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
🗳️ Today’s SCOTUS ruling in Watson v. RNC blocks a dangerous anti-democracy effort to throw out valid mail-in ballots facing postal delays. States keep the authority to protect voters and ensure accessible elections. Read LCCHR’s statement: civilrights.org/2026/06/29/t...
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the government can end TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, and courts are barred from reviewing whether it even followed its own legal requirements. Justices Jackson, Kagan, and Sotomayor dissented. Read more: buff.ly/22euSkJ
Our Culture Lab team was recently in Minneapolis for the NIVA convening and was fortunate enough to catch @jordanklepper.bsky.social's keynote!
Juneteenth is a mandate to defend democracy, not just a historical memory. We honor Black freedom by actively resisting bigotry and organizing for an inclusive society where everyone belongs. ✊🏾 🔗 Check out our resources to strengthen democracy in your area: buff.ly/v6vuKVk
FBI raids targeting the Ohio Organizing Collaborative are alarming political intimidation. For 20 years, OOC has protected voting rights for Black, brown, & working-class Ohioans. Voters choose leaders. Take action with Hands Off Ohio! Learn more at www.handsoffohio.org
Civil rights organizations protect your vote, fight the hate groups threatening your community, and tell the truth about our past. This administration's response? Indict them. We join @splcenter.org in calling for the DOJ to dismiss this case.
We are outraged by today’s verdict in the #Spokane3 trial, but we remain committed to defending democracy, immigrant justice, and civil rights. www.rangemedia.co/spokane-9-pr...
We honor those who lost their lives in military service. And we remember that the freedoms people for—safety, dignity, democracy, and the right to speak freely—require all of us to keep defending them here at home. Inclusive democracy is something we practice together.
We stand with the Southern Poverty Law Center and will continue to defend democracy and all its rights and freedoms. Speaking out against hate is not a crime, using research & advocacy is not a crime, protecting communities is not a crime. civilrights.org/resource/sig...
WSC Statement on the San Diego Islamic Center Shooting Resource: “Countering and Dismantling Islamophobia: A Comprehensive Guide for Individuals and Organizations” (ISPU): ispu.org/toolkits-and...
Immigration raids thrive on fear and confusion. They profit when we don’t know our rights. But venues aren't just businesses, they're community spaces that protect our crew and crowd. Get ready, stay calm, and know the law. Read the full piece and get the guide: buff.ly/CM1gxCI
International Museum Day reminder: Some of the most important histories live in memory, organizing, and community. No on 9 Remembered revisits Oregon’s 1992 defeat of anti-LGBTQIA+ ballot measures, and the lessons that still matter for defending inclusive democracy today. noon9remembered.org
Anti-LGBTQIA+ attacks are part of broader anti-democracy movements rooted in fear and exclusion. This International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia Day, we honor the organizers, educators, students, families, and communities building a democracy where everyone belongs.
People inside the military are asking hard questions right now, and they deserve real support. The GI Rights Hotline offers free, confidential help: 877-447-4487 girightshotline.org Also: aboutfaceveterans.org commondefense.us Communities are safer when conscience matters more than fear.
Ribbit. Resist. Repeat. 🐸💚 Hope isn’t passive. It’s something we build together by defending inclusive democracy, protecting each other, and refusing to let fear win. Today’s soundtrack: “Frogs of Portland” by @anaegge.bsky.social. #NationalFrogJumpingDay
The Variable Grad Project Series, Part 2: Theme: Community Safety Saturday | May 16, 2026 | 4pm-7pm Free! All-ages! 📍 Turn Turn Turn 8 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
To every teacher doing this work: We see you. We appreciate you. Thank you for showing up. For your students, and for our communities. (6/6)
Every day, teachers create compassionate spaces where students feel safe enough to learn, grow, and thrive. That’s how inclusive democracy is built. One classroom at a time. (5/6)
In the face of relentless attacks, teachers are building systems to protect their colleagues, their profession, and the integrity of our schools. (4/6)