pom💫

Project Hail Mary writer Andy Weir on social commentary in books: "I dislike social commentary. Like… I really hate it. When I’m reading a book, I just want to be entertained, not preached at by the author. Plus, it ruins the wonder of the story if I know the author has a political or social axe to grind. I no longer speculate about all possible outcomes of the story because I know for a fact that the universe of that book will conspire to ensure that the author’s political agenda is validated. I hate that." "I put no politics or social commentary into my stories at all. Anyone who thinks they see something like that is reading it in on their own. I have no point to make, and I’m not trying to affect the reader’s opinion on anything. My sole job is to entertain, and I stick to that." "To that end, I also don’t talk about my personal political opinions publicly. I don’t want readers to even know, honestly. I don’t want that in the back of their minds as they read my stuff." Is this why he has the #1 sci-fi movie in decades?

#India: We regret fast passage of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, without adequate stakeholder consultation. The amendments risk setting back hard-won rights of transgender people, replacing self-identification with mandatory medical verification processes. India has been a pioneer for rights of transgender & gender-diverse people. This Bill will have far-reaching impacts on right to privacy & risk marginalisation of transgender people.

📍 Bangladesh 🏳️‍⚧️ When she was 10 years old, Joya Sikder began to feel and express herself as a girl. Today, she’s a trans woman and human rights defender with over 22 years of work in Bangladesh—advocating for: • The Hijra community, a culturally rooted gender identity from South Asia—representing a diverse community of transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming people—and recognised as a third gender in Bangladesh. •Awareness of HIV/AIDS and condom use. •Sex workers’ rights. •The inclusion of marginalised women and LGBTQIA+ voices in the UN Universal Periodic Review. As founder and chief executive of Sompurna, Joya continues to champion the rights of transgender and gender-diverse communities. ✨ This International Transgender Day of Visibility, we honour defenders like Joya Sikder who inspire change worldwide. 🔗 Learn more: frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/joy…