The Amidala Initiative for Equality Texas

“They'll stall you," Organa said. "I know it's a horrifying situation, but you can't fight every evil in the galaxy."

 

"Evil? " Padmé said. "I've fought evil and it was easy: I shot it. It's apathy I can't stand.”

-E.K. Johnston, Queen's Shadow

 

 

 

 

On February 22nd, 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services calling for "a prompt and thorough investigation" into any families suspected of allowing their child to receive gender-affirming medical care after Attorney General Ken Paxton released Opinion KP-0401 stating that such medical care--including the most commonly used and reversible puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy--constitutes as child abuse.

 

Similar to recent bills specifically targeting trans and non-binary youth in Arizona, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and South Dakota, this latest example of bad faith fear-mongering exists solely to intimidate and erase transgender people of all ages under the guise of "protection". This latest example, in particular, seeks to weaponize systems designed to protect children from actual abuse in order to wage a scare campaign of state-enforced monitoring in a manner eerily similar to the McCarthy era. This is something we refuse to stand by silently for.

 

 

 

“You are an idealist," Bonteri said. "That's not a bad thing."

 

"I know," Padmé said. "I have worked very hard at it.”

-E.K. Johnston, Queen's Shadow

 

We, the undersigned, are 77 fan content creators, podcasters, YouTubers, TikTokers, artists, writers and cosplayers who have joined together to use our limited platforms to stand in solidarity with our trans siblings and their families in Texas. No child should fear that their teachers will report their parents to the government for allowing them to live as their true gender. No parent should fear criminal charges for supporting their transgender child and helping them seek therapeutic and medical support to treat their gender dysphoria. Trans people exist. Trans children exist. This is not a topic up for debate as decades of peer reviewed medical, pyschological and scientific research have validated time and time again.

 

This community-operated, nonprofit campaign--which we have chosen to call The Amidala Initiative--seeks to use our platform to raise funds for Equality Texas, the largest nonpartisan statewide political advocacy organization working to eliminate discrimination targeting the LGBTQ+ community in the state of Texas. It is our goal to show that our community can follow in the footsteps of a character like Padmé Amidala, who tirelessly used her voice to speak up to protect disenfranchised and endangered people within a flawed political system. While we may not have the reach, impact or resources of larger online presences, we do not believe that is an excuse to sit by silently as hate seeks to establish stronger footholds and threaten our most vulnerable siblings in our own galaxy.

 

The Amidala Initiative was created collaboratively by the following creators:

 

Aaron Skyguy

A Larger View of the Force

Ace of Geeks

Ahch-To Radio

All Remaining Systems

Aphra's Artifacts

Around the Galaxy Podcast

Austin SWE

Blast Points Podcast

Blue Bantha Milk Co.

Bombadcast

The Bright Suns Podcast

Broaxium

Byn McDonald

Canto Bight Dispatch

Clashing Sabers

The Clone Cast

Darth Astris

El Podcast De Estar Güars

Emma Mieko Candon

Fear Queers

Force Friends Rewatch Podcast

The Force Losers Podcast

Force Toast

Friends of the Force

The GALactic Podcast

Galaxy of Queers

Hope Makes Chris Watch Cartoons

Idiot's Array

The Imperial Senate Podcast

I Rebel

Jack Ingram

Jaig Eyes and Jedi

Jammed Transmissions

Jonah Edward

Jordan Maison

Kanata's Castle

Krypton to Alderaan

Ky-e Bricks

Kyle Katarn

Lipstick and Lightstabers

Live Action Star Wars

Logan Arch

Meg Dowell

Mynock Manor

The Nerd Academy Podcast

Nerdherder

Outer Rim Reads

Pink Milk

Podcast of the Whills

The Queer Ascendancy

Radio Rebellion

The Resistance Broadcast

Roberto Venegas

Rik Villanueva

RuPalp's Podrace

Shaylo Ren

Sistas with Sabers

The Sith List

Sithty Minutes

Skytalkers

Skywalking Through the League

Starbird Files

Star Wars Explained

Star Wars: In A Galaxy Podcast

Star Wars Thrifting

Star Wars Queers Watch

Steele Wars

Stitchcrvft

Talking Bay 94

Tarkin's Top Shelf

That Gay Jedi

That Geek Pod

Triad of the Force

Vader's Thoughts

Yavin Radio

Youtini Network