Help for two families in Gaza!

And another (hopefully short) queer short cuts hiatus

I’ve unfortunately been having some computer issues lately, and it’s resulted in my needing to send my laptop for servicing! So queer short cuts will be going on a hiatus until I get it back, since I don’t think I can manage watching short films and writing about them on just my phone.

However, I wanted to share a couple things before I send it off! Firstly, I wanted to once again plug my other newsletter , where I’ve been writing about topics like climate justice, Palestinian liberation, long COVID, and women’s sports, and also have plans for future pieces on caste abolition and anti-Hindutva movements, prison and psychiatric abolition, anti-Blackness in Asian communities, and more. I have far fewer subscribers there, so if any of those topics sound interesting to you, please do follow it!

Secondly, I’m currently part of a team of friends working with two young people in Gaza, Rozan and Aboud, who are supporting both of their families as well to try and survive genocide. Given that it’s near-impossible to get out of Gaza right now, their needs are ongoing just for them to be able to have food, water, and shelter, let alone more advanced medical needs. If you enjoy this newsletter at all, please, please subscribe here to become a monthly donor supporting Rozan and Aboud’s families!

Monthly donors will also have an opportunity to claim exclusive gifts:

Each month, an email will go out from hello@oldcowcreative.com with updates on Rozan and Aboud, and information about a special gift made by an artist, maker, or creator, and the first subscribers to respond claim the gift(s) will receive them!
If we reach 50 monthly subscribers, we’ll also be able to provide monthly stickers for ALL subscribers! We have many artists lined up and one sticker design already completed, but we need to get to 50 monthly donors to make the math work out.

Please see the end of this post for more details on the gifts for the first month!

Meet Rozan & Aboud

Split image: on the right is a woman wearing a red dress and a black hijab, her face turned away from the screen, and on the left is a man smiling while wearing an Adidas sweatshirt, in front of city lights Rozan and Aboud: Split image: on the right is a woman wearing a red dress and a black hijab, her face turned away from the screen, and on the left is a man smiling while wearing an Adidas sweatshirt, in front of city lights in the night. — Rozan and Aboud: Split image: on the right is a woman wearing a red dress and a black hijab, her face turned away from the screen, and on the left is a man smiling while wearing an Adidas sweatshirt, in front of city lights in the night.

A little more about Rozan, in her own words:

“My name is Rozan Fawaz Al-Najjar, and I humbly share my story as a Palestinian girl residing in the heart of Gaza City, where I am part of a family of 10 people, including 5 married sisters and 3 married brothers. At the age of twenty, I find myself navigating through the complexities of life in the midst of conflict, supported by a modest family of three, with my father sadly no longer with us.

Once, I cherished the opportunity to share the beauty of my life with friends and family through social media, capturing moments of joy and connection. However, as the tides of conflict swept over our lives, my posts have taken on a different tone, reflecting the harsh realities of war and the profound suffering endured by my community in Gaza.

In the past, I held aspirations and dreams close to my heart, eager to carve out a path of achievement and fulfillment. Yet, amidst the turmoil of ongoing conflict, those aspirations now seem distant and unattainable, overshadowed by the pressing need for survival and resilience.

The toll of this prolonged conflict has been staggering, stripping away not only material possessions but also the intangible treasures of family warmth, cherished friendships, and irreplaceable memories. Each passing day marks another chapter in our collective struggle, with more than 130 days of enduring hardship and uncertainty.

As prices soar and basic necessities become increasingly scarce, the weight of survival rests heavy on our shoulders, testing our resilience and resolve. In the face of such adversity, I find myself compelled to reach out for assistance, not only for myself but also for my family, striving to secure a livelihood amidst the chaos.

In sharing my story, I humbly appeal for empathy and support, recognizing the shared humanity that binds us all. May we stand together in solidarity, offering a helping hand to those in need, and may compassion and humility guide our actions as we navigate the turbulent waters of conflict and strife.”

And here’s Aboud:

“Peace be upon your heart. I always hope that you will be well, you who have a charitable heart.

I introduce myself to you. I am the injured person, Abdullah. They call me Aboud. I am 23 years old. I graduated from the University of Law with a bachelor’s degree. Then my dream was to complete a master’s degree, but the war came to steal everything beautiful from me.

I was displaced from my village since the 7th of October to this day, and I am far from my home, which was destroyed due to the ugliness of wars. I became displaced in my homeland on the 260th day of this war. I lost everything beautiful in my life (I lost my hearing in the left part of my ear, I lost my house, and my cat. , my village, and many of my family members) I even needed an eye operation and to this day I cannot have it done due to my financial circumstances and the difficulty of the matter.

I am Abboud, who was injured in this war in my ears, hands, head, and chest, which one day caused me shortness of breath, and before a while I was infected with hepatitis.

I have been, and still am, sleeping on the street to this day since the beginning of the war. There is no shelter to protect me from the cold of winter, and there is no shelter to protect me from the blazing summer sun. I do not know what to do, so I have begun to wish for death in every moment of the miserable life I live.

I am Abboud

I have a younger sister and an elderly mother who suffer from a difficult psychological and health condition. My sister also suffered from hepatitis, and she is in a very difficult health condition, mother.

My mother suffers from psychological disorders and war phobia. She even lost her teeth due to malnutrition. She suffers from very strong cramps, and her heart hurts. She is in a very difficult condition.

And here I am continuing to live in order to save my sister and mother at any cost, even if it costs me my life. I only appeal to you to stay by my side. My little sister and my mother, don’t let us die alone

Hunger, pain, illness, and fear”

Please subscribe here to donate monthly to Rozan, Aboud, and their families!

Monthly subscriber rewards

The first month’s gifts are hand built ceramic cups by Gretchen Siegrist Clay. They’re made of terra cotta clay, beautifully textured, etched, and glazed. On September 13, all monthly subscribers will receive an email from hello@oldcowcreative.com. The first two subscribers to respond will receive one of the two cups!

Graphic showing two sets of mugs that say "free free Palestine" and "from the river to the sea" on them, with the colors of the Palestinian flag.

And the first sticker will be a beautiful Palestinian sunbird created by pocketsizedquasar! They originally created this design for an audio production of The Gaza Monologues that I produced, and have generously given permission for it to be used for this purpose as well. However, we can’t justify the cost of printing and mailing out the stickers unless we reach 50 subscribers, so please help us get there!