The Obsidian Advocacy Project

04/23/2026

It's United Way of South Central TN’s Volunteer Week! 🙌Don't forget to drop by any of Wilson Bank & Trust's Rutherford County locations, this week until April 25th, to donate baby basics for local infants and toddlers in our programs!

01/24/2026

Fascism isn’t about individual politicians.
It’s about systems of power.

Fascism isn’t just a historical term or a political insult. It’s a recognizable system that relies on fear, control, and dehumanization. It has real, documented impacts on public health, mental health, and community safety.

When power is centralized and dissent is suppressed, marginalized communities are harmed first. Fear-based systems discourage people from seeking healthcare, mental health support, and social services. Trust in institutions erodes. Trauma increases.

From a public health and human services perspective, these outcomes are not coincidental, it's predictable.

At OAP, we name harmful systems so we can prevent harm. This work isn’t about partisanship. It’s about education, autonomy, and protecting community wellbeing.

Clarity over chaos.
Education over fear.
Prevention over silence.

If this resonates:
• Stay engaged
• Share with those who need language for what they’re experiencing
• Join the conversation!

12/29/2025

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TENNESSEE: Savanna's Law, enacted as Tennessee Public Chapter 520, creates a public registry maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for PERSISTENT domestic violence offenders!! The searchable registry is available for FREE! The registry goes live 1/1/2026

https://dvr.tbi.tn.gov/

Add this registry to your dating toolkit! Make sure to ‘vet’ people before getting involved!

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12/20/2025

Initial donation drive to stockpile our community food pantry!! We are beyond grateful to everyone who showed up and supported the cause! We are initiating this project to nurture our community with love, care, and zero obstacles. We are all human. We all deserve dignity and community support.

11/14/2025

If you’ve spent the week masking, educating others, or trying to be “easy to handle,” please remember...Your mental health is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

Whatever your weekend looks like: rest, rituals, connection, or chaos...make sure you pour back into yourself. YOU matter. 🖤

11/13/2025

Check out our Mobile Pantry calendar for details on this week's distributions at SecondHarvestETN.org/mobile-pantries or via the link tree in our bio.

Loudon County: Monday 11/10 from 10:00 am until all allotted food is distributed
Grainger County: Tuesday 11/11 from 10:00 am until all allotted food is distributed
Scott County: Wednesday 11/12 from 11:00 am until all allotted food is distributed
Anderson County: Thursday 11/13 from 10:00 am until all allotted food is distributed
Knox County: Thursday 11/13 from 2:00 pm until all allotted food is distributed
Cumberland County: Friday 11/14 from 10:00 am until all allotted food is distributed

For locations and other details, and a full list of upcoming mobile pantries, please visit our website by heading to the link tree in our bio.

11/13/2025

Thank you to Macy with A Step Ahead Foundation of Middle Tennessee for the informative presentation this evening on access to LARC methods in Middle TN!

A Step Ahead of Middle Tennessee helps prevent unplanned pregnancies | IUDs | Implant | Effective 3 - 10 years | 615-671-7837

11/07/2025

We have partnered with FeedTN & Second Harvest Food Bank to host a Virtual Food Drive!

The OAP is proud to fundraise on behalf of Second Harvest. Just $1 provides four nutritious meals for children, families, and seniors facing hunger in Middle and West Tennessee. Access to food is a human right and you can help make that right a reality!!

As the young mother of two-year-old Jacelyn, and with another child on the way, Cheyenne’s world was turned upside down when she was no longer able to work due to her pregnancy. Suddenly, her family found themselves trying to balance the overwhelming weight of childcare, car payments, and basic li...

10/20/2025

🌟 It's Medical Monday! 🌟
Today, we're talking about one of the most powerful and most ignored pieces of healthcare real estate:

Your Medical Chart 📋.

Tired of seeing your deadname or having a non-affirming "Marital Status" box erase your relationship structure?
Your chart is the gatekeeper to affirming care. If it doesn't reflect you accurately, your provider can't see you accurately. Taking control of what's in your chart is a key step in self-advocacy!

Here's how to take control today:
1. Your Name & Pronouns: Your legal name might be necessary for billing/insurance, but for everything else (wristbands, notes, staff communication), YOU enforce your chosen name and pronouns.
• What to say: "I need my legal name for billing, but please ensure my chosen name, [Your Name], and my pronouns, [Your Pronouns], are the primary identifier for all clinical notes and staff communication." Get them to confirm this!
2. Affirming Your Family: For our non-monogamous and chosen family friends—don't let outdated forms dictate who is an "emergency contact" or "spouse."
• What to say: "I have multiple support partners who need to be listed. Please list [Partner A] and [Partner B] as both emergency contacts and authorized communication/support people. I can provide the proper Power of Attorney documents for legal recognition."
• Pro-Tip: If you have formal legal agreements (POA), make sure they scan and add them to your chart!
Why does this matter? You are proactively eliminating points of friction, misgendering, and pathologization before they even happen. When an issue arises, you can confidently say, “Check. The. Chart."
🔥 Your Turn: What non-affirming question on an intake form do you wish you could throw in the trash? Share the struggle and how you currently navigate it in the comments!
Know Your Rights! Check out these resources highlighting your FEDERAL RIGHTS as a healthcare patient:
• 42 CFR § 482.13 – Condition of participation: Patient’s rights
• 45 CFR § 164.526 – Amendment of protected health information (HIPAA)