Nurse Kelley and I are on a mission to celebrate indiemcemopants, force o’ nature and DKos blogger extraordinaire in a very tangible way.
You’ve undoubtedly read at least some of his diaries on disability, LGBTQ struggles, torture, and other issues, all of them characterized by that singular indie voice that is at once smart, fiery, bold, blunt, and powerful.
But if you haven’t, you should.
He’s here, he’s proudly queer, and we’re all the better for it! He’s played a foundational role in KosAbility, one of DKos’ exceptional community diary series. And he works to challenge political wedges and bring us together.
Here’s how indie describes himself: I'm a 27 year old crippled faggot. I write about cripple and faggot issues. I've also written a lot about torture. I hate writing bios.
Here’s how his good friend Nurse Kelly describes him:
Imagine growing up in the backwoods of the South, surrounded by homophobia and racism. Then imagine, in your middle teen years, becoming confined to a wheelchair and realizing you’re gay. Imagine the poverty, the isolation, the loneliness, the lack of of opportunities, and the poor sense of self-worth. That’s what Scottie’s life is like. His salvation is a blazing intellect, a wonderful sense of humor, great compassion, and rare gifts as a writer and a researcher. We need to keep this young man’s voice on Daily Kos, and we can only imagine how he will grow if we help him escape the confines of Alabama, if only for a while.
I spent a week with Scottie last summer, and I love him dearly. Please, folks, let’s get this done!
Here’s how I describe indie: A clarion voice and a natural bridge-builder. This is a guy who’s got integrity. When he feels he made a mistake, he apologizes. He fights hard without making enemies of people with whom he sometimes disagrees. He knows how to move out into great political storms with passion, persistence, and grace. And indie has an acid wit that somehow manages never to be unkind.
We need a hell of a lot more people like this at Dkos and Netroots Nation: young, wildly queer, won’t-shut-up disability rights/accessibility advocates, low-income, anti-racist bloggers who are also skilled bridge-builders.
But indie lives in a small Alabama town, getting by on a very small SSI disability income – about $600/month with an old, hopelessly virus-infected computer that’s been verging on system collapse for quite some time.
And it is freaking expensive to go to Netroots Nation. Even if you have a scholarship – and indie had one last year – it covers only a fraction of expenses. Yet it’s where bloggers like indie need to be. (Let’s hope it’s more accessible this year for people with disabilities.)
But right now he’s in a low-income apartment in Loxley, AL, a town of about 1300 folks. He’s lived on his own since he was 19; he drives a truck with hand controls, and has to pay insurance on that, along with other recurring bills. He has special nutritional requirements – and additional grocery expenses – because he’s a paraplegic who needs to avoid pressure sores, which are a nightmare as well as a health threat. indie has a tiny amount in savings, but Nurse Kelley and I don’t think he should have to drain that right now. Because we all know emergencies come along…
The Fundraising Pitch
We’re not only going to raise money to cover all of indie’s expenses to get to Netroots Nation in Minneapolis this summer – all transportation, lodging, and meals expenses (and remember, there are extra disability-related transportation expenses and considerations), but also to permit him to finally make a side trip by Amtrak to Chicago to visit that beloved friend he’s never met in person, but has known since he was 14.
And to make sure he can keep blogging for the next few years without having to drain his already minuscule budget for computer repairs and upgrades that an older/used computer would require, we also plan to raise enough $$ to permit our fiery blogger to buy a good, new, powerful laptop.
Together with indie, we’ve totaled up the basic costs, and are going for $1800 for NN-related travel and $1000 for a new computer. So: $2800 - $3000.
indie’s given us so much. Now, let’s see if we can return the favor.
Here’s How to Contribute
Since indie’s own PayPal account is tied up in virtual hell (endlessly repeating “change your password” messages when he tries to log on, etc.), Nurse Kelley is lending her PayPal Account to The Cause.
To contribute to our celebrating indie travel & technology fund:
If you have a PayPal account, please plunk funds into Kelley's PayPal account under KelleyRN2(at)gmail(dot)com). Simply sign in to PayPal, click the "Send" tab at the top, enter Kelley's e-mail address where asked, enter the amount to donate, then look for the button near the bottom to donate.
OR - if you're just not a PayPal person and would prefer to send a contribution directly to indie, please message KelleyRN2 or me here on at DKos for a snailmail address.
If you would like to email indie, feel free to do so at lowly_anonymity(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thanks.
Like Nurse Kelley says: Let’s just get this done!
Please Note: indie cannot comment in the diary today because his computer is all f$#@d up. So if you leave a lovely message for him and he doesn't reply, that's why! But leave messages anyway, because he will be able to read them at some point soon! Or email him - info above.
indie with exmearden, NN 2010.
and here's indie, in our faces, fighting for justice!