This Week in Wizard Activism: An INCREDIBLE Edition

By Jessica Rozycki

Graphic of our This Week in Wizard Activism logo! It features the words “This Week in Wizard Activism” and our logo on a blue background.

WHAT? YOU FORGOT ABOUT THIS WEEK IN WIZARD ACTIVISM?

A gif from the movie The Incredibles. In the gif, Edna Mode is hitting Helen with a roll of paper and yelling, “PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!”

Okay, now that I’ve got your attention, — welcome to This Week in Wizard Activism! I’ve got some pretty incredible stuff to share so…please take a moment to enjoy my dad joke and then we’ll get started.

Accio Books is in full swing, which means tensions are high to win the House Cup. There’s only one outfit suited for the task.

A gif from the movie The Incredibles. In the gif, Frozone is saying, “Honey, where’s my super suit?”

In case you were wondering — no, I will never stop with the puns. In the world of Accio Books, good deeds equal points for your house, so it’s pretty much the perfect representation of the HPA. And this week, Gryffindor is finally on the board! Remember to keep submitting your actions and book donations (especially you, Puffs #ThirdOrNothing).

Also, we’ve got two Medium articles published; I wrote all about the importance of LGBTQ representation in children’s literature, and our Mental Health Researcher Anna wrote about how much of an impact Accio Books can make on the lives of survivors in Puerto Rico. These articles are sure to get you in the mood to donate some books, share your wizard activist magic, and earn bragging rights for your house!

You know when you read the news because you’re excited about staying informed, and then it all just kinda sounds like…

A gif from the movie The Incredibles. In the gif, Jack Jack is smiling and the caption just says “[Mumbles].”

Same. Luckily, our fabulous research team is here to help. Here’s some current news from our Reasearch Team!

• It’s prom season and it’s gayer than ever. 20gayteen is fully thriving, folks.
• And in other great internet triumph, our environmental reporter reminded us how much SCIENCE RULES with the news of scientists discovering a new water beetle and naming it after Leonardo DiCaprio. Because, why not?
• We also have news that may not make us happy, but will certainly keep us motivated to fight against injustice. In recent immigration news, we learned that Jeff Sessions is pushing an agenda that involves prosecuting everyone who crosses the US border without legal authorization. Including people seeking asylum. Including parents with children who will therefore be separated. And we fight on.

Hockey Stuff with the HPA Staff

A gif that switches between two screens. The first says “Hockey Stuff with Sara, Karley, Carolyn, & AJ” and the second says: “safe space n. 1. A space in which you feel safe, happy, and comfortable being yourself. Characterized by an ability to relax and let down your guard. May come with pie.” Gif made by AJ Solomon

Over on our Fandom Forward Medium Publication, we recently published an article about the hit webcomic Check, Please! Fandom Forward is a project that looks at activism and social justice through the lens of many different fandoms. We create toolkits and Medium articles to discuss how our favorite stories address issues all over the map from representation, to sexism, to media censorship, to female friendships!

In this article, we talk about how Check, Please! (a webcomic created by Ngozi Ukazu) can help us talk about safe spaces. Check, Please! follows the story of Eric “Bitty” Bittle, a gay former figure skater turned hockey player and small-town southerner, who moves to Massachusetts for school. Read the full article here.

Volunteer opportunities AND a brand new, beautiful layout for our volunteer page?!

A gif from the movie The Incredibles. In the gif, Dash falls back on a seat while saying, “I love our family.”

Interested in joining our epic family? We basically fight crime every day just like Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. Find info about all of the open positions here!