Maria Ressa - Telling the Truth, Globally
Shifting politics… nonstop lobbying… and wild waves of online disinformation — it all feels like a storm rolling across the world right now. And here’s the real talk: This storm is hitting democracy, safety, and vulnerable communities the hardest — including Lesbian+, Queer, and gender-marginalized women. But here’s the good news: When we understand the storm, we can learn to dance in it — and even build a community strong enough to transform it. And Maria Ressa is our role model!
In the last few years, governments, political parties, and big-money interests have learned one powerful lesson:
If you can control the information people see, you can control how they think, vote, fear, and fight.
So what’s happening?
1. Political leaders are amplifying fear instead of facts.
They target groups like queer women because stirring up panic brings votes.
2. Lobbyists are shaping policies behind closed doors.
Money talks — especially in laws about education, media, and online platforms.
3. Disinformation spreads faster than truth.
Fake stories travel the world before real information even puts on its shoes.
4. Algorithms reward anger, not accuracy.
What gets clicks gets shown. What gets shown gets believed.
5. Democracy weakens when truth becomes optional.
Without shared facts, people become easier to divide and manipulate.
Lesbian+ and Queer women are already navigating:
political attacks on LGBTQ+ rights
increasing censorship of queer content
disinformation designed to paint us as “dangerous” or “confusing”
online harassment
shrinking trust in news and science
communities fractured by fear and false narratives
And when trusted information breaks down, our community loses visibility, safety, and a voice in the public square.
But here’s where our magic steps in…
Nobel Prize–winning journalist Maria Ressa gives us one of the clearest, most urgent explanations of what the information apocalypse is:
social media platforms are built to spread emotion, not truth
outrage is more profitable than accuracy
disinformation isn’t random — it’s engineered
whole countries are being manipulated
women, LGBTQ+ people, and activists are targeted first
Her most powerful idea?
If you don’t control the information you receive, you don’t control your future.
But instead of panicking, she teaches us to get brave, intentional, and community powered.
What does this mean for Lesbian and Queer Women everywhere? This is why our community matters. We are building truth-centered spaces where information is clear and safe, creating our own storytelling power through newsletters, art, and events, and strengthening real-world relationships that can’t be manipulated or erased. In a time designed to confuse and divide, we choose resilience—and we protect joy as an act of resistance.
Keep it simple:
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Pause before you share—fear and outrage are often engineered.
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Follow trusted, Lesbian and queer-led sources.
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Don’t feed chaos; invest in real community instead.
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Choose creation over reaction—art, stories, and gatherings are how we build power.
Yes, disinformation is real. Yes, democracy is under pressure. But so are we.
Lesbian and queer women have always built clarity, connection, and joy in hard times. This isn’t the end of anything—it’s the beginning of owning our voice, our narrative, and our future.
And truly? You’re going to have the time of your life helping build it.