02/08/2026
As I finish printing these shirts for today’s noon release, I thought I should put my thoughts down about why they’re important:
Fascism isn’t a buzzword or an insult — it’s a political ideology with a real, documented history. At its core, fascism is about concentrating power, silencing dissent, rejecting democratic norms, targeting minorities or “outsiders,” and using fear and nationalism to control people rather than represent them.
That’s why it matters when we see attacks on a free press, the erosion of democratic institutions, the normalization of political violence, and the scapegoating of immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized communities. These are not abstract concerns — they are warning signs we’ve seen before, both globally and in our own history.
There’s been a lot of confusion around the word fascism, especially over the past decade. When the term “ANTIFA” (short for anti-fascist) began being used as a slur, it blurred the meaning of what people were actually opposing. But being anti-fascist doesn’t mean supporting chaos or violence — it simply means believing that authoritarianism, political repression, and rule by fear are wrong.
In reality, most people are against fascism, even if they’ve never used the word. If you believe in free and fair elections, freedom of speech, equal rights under the law, not targeting people based on their race, and a government accountable to its people — you are opposed to fascism.
This shirt isn’t about party politics. It’s about shared values.
It’s about saying that Alaska — independent, resilient, community-minded Alaska — stands against authoritarianism in all its forms.
Opposing fascism shouldn’t be controversial.
It should be a baseline.
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The profits from the release of these shirts today will again go to the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund organized by The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.