Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
@mwyarbrough.bsky.social
JD/PhD. Interdisciplinary sociologist, law & society, transnational gender & sexuality. I research marriage, esp in S Africa. And I organize with colleagues to defend higher ed. Opinions mine not employer's.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2802-3365
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2802-3365
Pinned
TBH sometimes it's hilarious to me that they think they can erase LGBTQ+ people. Girl don't you know what we've ALREADY SURVIVED?
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
"Legal experts point out that this effectively hands Trump the authority to unilaterally execute civilians who are not waging war against the United States in any recognizable sense."
Read that again, I had to.
Read that again, I had to.
Trump's illegal murders in the Caribbean just got worse. An internal DOJ memo on the bombings says the victims are waging war on the US, but per NYT, it extensively cites the WH's *own claims* to this effect as evidence!
It gets even darker than that. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
It gets even darker than that. 1/
(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2032...
Trump Boat Bombings Take Dark, Unnerving Turn with Leaked Memo Stunner
A new Trump administration memo argues that those carrying out the boat attacks can’t be prosecuted. Why? Because the administration says so!
newrepublic.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:13 PM
"Legal experts point out that this effectively hands Trump the authority to unilaterally execute civilians who are not waging war against the United States in any recognizable sense."
Read that again, I had to.
Read that again, I had to.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
I think that's part of why I'm so shocked that someone can't see how political this is. You know real life people whose grants were canceled and that money is likely being repurposed to fund you.
November 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I think that's part of why I'm so shocked that someone can't see how political this is. You know real life people whose grants were canceled and that money is likely being repurposed to fund you.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
If you haven't joined your local AAUP, now is a great time to do so.
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:51 AM
If you haven't joined your local AAUP, now is a great time to do so.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
As this is reported, you’ll hear “UCLA won,” and every time you hear that I want you to remember WHO TF UCLA IS
November 15, 2025 at 12:03 AM
As this is reported, you’ll hear “UCLA won,” and every time you hear that I want you to remember WHO TF UCLA IS
There are 219 Congressmen/women and 53 U.S. Senators whose calls he would take.
Trump pulls his support for Marjorie Taylor Greene, calls her “Wacky” in quotes and encourages a primary challenger.
November 15, 2025 at 1:38 AM
There are 219 Congressmen/women and 53 U.S. Senators whose calls he would take.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Institutions are failing us, including universities that, in principle, ought to be standing up for academic freedom.
Academic friends, if you want to survive this moment, join the AAUP. Help yourself and colleagues at other institutions.
Academic friends, if you want to survive this moment, join the AAUP. Help yourself and colleagues at other institutions.
November 15, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Institutions are failing us, including universities that, in principle, ought to be standing up for academic freedom.
Academic friends, if you want to survive this moment, join the AAUP. Help yourself and colleagues at other institutions.
Academic friends, if you want to survive this moment, join the AAUP. Help yourself and colleagues at other institutions.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:55 PM
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:01 AM
WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.
wow what choices future looks great
"Several Democrats clued into party dynamics suggested that centrist Sen. Cortez Masto could be a potential challenger to Schatz [for the Senate Democratic Leader position]" puck.news/democrats-tu...
Tick, Tick… Schumer
The embattled Senate minority leader once again faces calls to step down.
puck.news
November 14, 2025 at 11:26 PM
wow what choices future looks great
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Realizing that I appreciate seeing all of your shocked and outraged responses to this, because coming out of Indiana has desensitized me more than I'd realized...
🧵
🧵
Message to all faculty: your expertise is no longer trusted or valued at this so-called “university.”
November 14, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Realizing that I appreciate seeing all of your shocked and outraged responses to this, because coming out of Indiana has desensitized me more than I'd realized...
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
We can claw it all back and put them in prison for accepting it in the first place
Basically saying "if you do crime for me, I won't only pardon you--I'll give you millions of dollars of public money." Truly unprecedented level of corruption
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Michael Flynn, DOJ in Settlement Talks Over $50 Million Claim
The Justice Department has been discussing settlements with two former officials from Donald Trump’s first term who — like the president — claim they’re owed major payouts from the US government as vi...
www.bloomberg.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:37 PM
We can claw it all back and put them in prison for accepting it in the first place
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Something the US needs to accept too is that without a large-scale correction imposing consequences on a large number of people, the crisis of governance here will continue indefinitely
November 12, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Something the US needs to accept too is that without a large-scale correction imposing consequences on a large number of people, the crisis of governance here will continue indefinitely
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
If you have to get permission to teach in your area of expertise from people who are definitionally not qualified to adjudicate your expertise then you are no longer working at a university.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:48 PM
If you have to get permission to teach in your area of expertise from people who are definitionally not qualified to adjudicate your expertise then you are no longer working at a university.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
seeing a lot of of "technically it's ephebophilia" so i remind you that sexology is a pseudoscience akin to evopsych or phrenology. the "science" of "male chronophilias" from which this distinction is derived, is total nonsense. it's a pseudoscientific medicalized naturalization of *SOCIAL* violence
November 14, 2025 at 1:51 AM
seeing a lot of of "technically it's ephebophilia" so i remind you that sexology is a pseudoscience akin to evopsych or phrenology. the "science" of "male chronophilias" from which this distinction is derived, is total nonsense. it's a pseudoscientific medicalized naturalization of *SOCIAL* violence
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
November 12, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Is there ANY aspect of this story that is not a condemnation of our civilization?
November 12, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Is there ANY aspect of this story that is not a condemnation of our civilization?
y'all dead end wordlers have to give it up. long past time.
November 13, 2025 at 12:21 AM
y'all dead end wordlers have to give it up. long past time.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.
November 12, 2025 at 8:05 PM
The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.
I'm deeply honored to have been elected to the LSA Board of Trustees!
Few fields have more to say about our current crises than law and society. I'm excited to help get our lessons out there and lay the groundwork for a better future.
Few fields have more to say about our current crises than law and society. I'm excited to help get our lessons out there and lay the groundwork for a better future.
Congrats LSA Class of 2028 Board of Trustees!
@monicacbell.bsky.social, @yale.edu
@meeradeo.bsky.social, Southwestern
Howard Erlanger, @law.wisc.edu
Jonathan Liljeblad, ANU
@qianliuedu.bsky.social, @ucalgary.bsky.social
OTA Shozo, Meiji Uni
Mary Rose, UTAustin
@mwyarbrough.bsky.social, CUNY
@monicacbell.bsky.social, @yale.edu
@meeradeo.bsky.social, Southwestern
Howard Erlanger, @law.wisc.edu
Jonathan Liljeblad, ANU
@qianliuedu.bsky.social, @ucalgary.bsky.social
OTA Shozo, Meiji Uni
Mary Rose, UTAustin
@mwyarbrough.bsky.social, CUNY
November 12, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I'm deeply honored to have been elected to the LSA Board of Trustees!
Few fields have more to say about our current crises than law and society. I'm excited to help get our lessons out there and lay the groundwork for a better future.
Few fields have more to say about our current crises than law and society. I'm excited to help get our lessons out there and lay the groundwork for a better future.
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
seeing LLMs as "ideology that can pretend to be a person" helps make it clear what "talking to chatbots" accomplishes: Althusserian "interpellation"
I do, of course, have a paragraph from "Why We Fear AI" for this
November 11, 2025 at 9:11 PM
seeing LLMs as "ideology that can pretend to be a person" helps make it clear what "talking to chatbots" accomplishes: Althusserian "interpellation"
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Too many treat loss of public education as unfortunate collateral damage. But there is no greater democratic institution than the one responsible for renewing faith in and principles of democracy for each generation.
We lose public education, we lose the long game, the short game, the whole goddamn game, people.
"Should the school privatization agenda succeed, our education systems would be beyond all recognition—exponentially more stratified, segregated, and sectarianized than they are now, further balkanizing an already bitterly divided nation."
edlawprof.substack.com/p/what-rhyme...
edlawprof.substack.com/p/what-rhyme...
November 12, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Too many treat loss of public education as unfortunate collateral damage. But there is no greater democratic institution than the one responsible for renewing faith in and principles of democracy for each generation.
As long as I live I will never understand the attitude of "I must understand this thing better than all these kajillions of people who've spent their entire adult lives doing it!"
“I’ve been hearing that standards will be eliminated or severely cut back. Bari has told people that she wants to get rid of standards and is shocked that they have so much power. She also asked openly, ‘What’s the point of standards?’” one CBS source said.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Bari Weiss wants to take down ‘too much power’ CBS News Standards unit: sources
EXCLUSIVE: Internal rumblings within the newsroom come after the S&P head resigned and the network disbanded its vaunted Race and Culture unit.
www.independent.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 7:20 PM
As long as I live I will never understand the attitude of "I must understand this thing better than all these kajillions of people who've spent their entire adult lives doing it!"
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
John Singer Sargent "The Staircase at Capri" (1878)
November 10, 2025 at 6:07 PM
John Singer Sargent "The Staircase at Capri" (1878)
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Idea: Tell Durbin to retire early. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
November 10, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Idea: Tell Durbin to retire early. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
Reposted by Michael Yarbrough (he/him)
Yup, and the damage isn’t so much in the story as in the proof of weakness. Trump now knows he has new torture tools to make Dems do what he wants. It’s why at least one of the 7 capitulators oughta be run out of office now, mid session. Get that number down to 6. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
November 10, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Yup, and the damage isn’t so much in the story as in the proof of weakness. Trump now knows he has new torture tools to make Dems do what he wants. It’s why at least one of the 7 capitulators oughta be run out of office now, mid session. Get that number down to 6. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...