Erik Houdini

I was pretty panicked when I wrote that update about Jax, but I do have some good news. A person in my DSA chapter, a comrade, is able to foster my dog for a week, maybe two weeks at the most, while I find better housing arrangements, which is easier said than done given the time frame. But thanks to the donations and support of everyone, I should be able to handle this now that I have more time. The biggest concern was the 48 hours to leave if I couldn't find a solution to having my dog here, and it just goes to show how fast things can shift When you are living under such precarity. My dog and I, we've been through a lot together, and I'm so grateful for the people who have donated in support of this, because this money does go to helping me survive this precarity. And I'm so grateful for my DSA comrade for having shown that solidarity despite it being such an emergency situation. So I will keep everyone updated on this development as well as the case going forward. Thank you.

My landlord told me today that I have to leave. As soon as possible. Yesterday I paid nearly $400 to stay here another week. This man is my boss, and no doubt am I grateful for the chance to have a job, something stable, especially in this economy, but still, this makes things so much harder. I don't have money to leave. Where will I go? I have to leave as soon as possible, yet I just paid to stay here, at least until next Thursday morning. Afterall, that's what I paid for. Even if the notice, with the wi-fi password says that no refunds, no expections given reads true. So what are my choices? This is the cheapest motel in this city. That's why I live here, I wouldn't live here if it wasn't the cheapest, the roaches make up for the reduction in rent. I can't find a new home for my dog overnight, that's an impossiblity, and I do remember when the boss-man was talking about not being available because his dog was sick in the group chat. Look, I get it, he barks, he's barked a whole lot more ever since my arrest, ever since he spent time in the pound, where his execution was scheduled and adoption was just a faint dream. Dark thoughts hit the brain like a baseball bat hit's the ball. I love my dog, and I don't know how to make him not freak out whenever I'm not around, he didn't do this before. I have to work tonight, for him, for the landlord, for the bossman. How can I make use of such limited time when I have to show up to work and work all night? When, as I'm typing this, as I'm reading the message telling me to leave, I should be asleep so I can get my 8 hours before work. 8 hours. 48 hours to leave. Impossible math. I'm scared because I've grown comfortable. I've gotten used to the weekly rent, I've budgeted it in. I'm used to giving the staff food from our weekly community meal, I'm used to who works here, who lives here, who's my neighbor, who I can trust and who I can't. This comfort is ultimately my downfall. But I can't help but feel hurt. I walk a lot, a lot of shifts I walk to. 4 miles there, 4 miles back. I want to do what I can do be the good worker, to apply my labor meaningfully. All of that feels distance though, as I look at my dog, as I look at Jax. Polk County has some of the highest kill rates in the state, the nation even. Humane society surrender? That's the pound. That's a pound of sand in my mouth as I realize that my surrender of my companion, my dog, my homie, comes at a near certain price--his life. What am I do to? The majority of the reason I have stuck around at this motel is because of the challenge of finding housing I can afford that will allow me to keep my dog. I've paid more than I should for less than should be acceptable to keep him and I've been given 48 hours to figure it out. How is a man to respond to these circumstances? The spiral continues downward. I am so deeply sorry to everyone who donated with the hopes of keeping me and my dog Jax united, I don't know what happens next, I am panicked, afraid and do not want to lose my best friend. I have done everything I can. I've taken extra shifts. I've never missed a day of work aside from one day, because I wanted to go to an Angie Nixon event. I work at two locations, both owned by my boss, one of them being the place I live right now. It seems like there is no other alternative between surrendering my dog to the humane society and moving to a motel I cannot afford to keep him, hell I could barely afford this one. I'm holding him now, just wishing it didn't have to be this way. I'm sorry Jax.

I know it's been a while since my last update. It's been about two months, and I wish I could say that it's been an eventful two months in terms of this case, but really it hasn't. Courts move slow, and things move procedurally. But in some ways, no news is good news. I'm still free. Still walking, free, working free, contributing to my community as a free man. Twice weekly check-ins. The deposition was held in the middle of July. And while I can't give much in the way of detail due to legal concerns, I can say that the deposition made it abundantly clear that there is a political motivation to this case. She was very explicit about her support for MAGA and was explicit about her knowledge that I am a DSA member. My last pre-trial court date is set for October 8th. Now, I have been offered a plea verbally, not in writing, by the state. And I can tell you that these terms are egregious. Nearly half a decade on probation, intensive monitoring, drug testing, reduced internet access are just some of the things that have been floated on the table. This is without any negotiation. Just some of the raw deals being discussed. That said, my lawyer is actively negotiating for the potential to settle this without trial. I have pushed them to do so, given the circumstance. There is a fear that if this goes to trial, finding a jury will be difficult due to the political nature of this case. As some may know, Lakeland is the tenth most Republican city in the United States. The plaintiff made it very clear in her deposition that she is a Republican. The sheriff made it very clear in his press release where my oh-so-beautiful mugshot was held up, that free speech has its limitations in Florida. That said, I know I have a constitutional right to free speech. This right to free speech has predicated everything I have published, the creation of HOUDINI Magazine and every essay that has been published in it. I have a constitutional right to a free and fair trial and yet I know that something like 95% of all criminal cases that pass through our justice system end in a plea deal. I can say that I am so grateful to be inundated with the support that I have gotten, with the solidarity that has been shown for my struggle. When I look at the donations that have been received, when I look at the numerous people, over 40 people have donated, and hundreds of others have shared, it's impossible to feel like I am dealing with this alone. This is solidarity that gives me strength. It is solidarity that gives me the ability to push through the days of sleepless panic, wondering about my future. I want to thank everyone who has shown love and shown support. The fight is not over. In fact, it is just getting started. I have missed opportunities because of this trial, whether that be the loss of my job when I was arrested, or chances to travel. I have missed family events, birthdays. I have missed offers to be hosted by other creators in their city. Just like the plaintiff, I too have an internet presence. I am the editor-in-chief of HOUDINI Magazine, a culture magazine with a specific political bent, one of free speech and working-class values. I have missed opportunities to travel to places like Seattle or Chicago to work with other creators, artists. My future has been put on hold. And yet the arrest affidavit states that the plaintiff, who I will not name and have not named a single time since the arrest, could not do her on-demand interviews, could not do her job because of what was said. All the while the YouTube videos continued to roll up and through getting a federal citation in St. Augustine at an anti-ICE protest. I have never had a federal citation. I have never been asked to leave a business, a market or an event due to my conduct. I have zero criminal record. I feed the homeless twice a week in the park. The same park that they are trying to use as a means of showing that I have proximity, because occasionally at the farmer markets here, the plaintiff will come and do those same on-the-street interviews, interviews that I called trollings in the messages in question. But this is a city where I live. It is my city. It is a park downtown, and I feed the people twice a week with the same solidarity that the people who have donated to this cause have showed me. I have not stopped my work. I have not stopped integrating myself into the city, into the communitys. We have DSA socials planned at the Kitty Cat Lounge. We feed the people in the park twice a week, once with the DSA and another time with the Mutual Aid Coalition here. The state of Florida seeks to send a man who spends the majority of his free time doing the same good works that Christ preached to 15 years in prison over political hyperbole. At a certain point we have to stop and ask, who is this justice system serving by locking up the people that serve their communities? I am deeply grateful for all of the people who have come forward willing to testify on the stand should this go to trial in relation to my character, in relation to my presence in this city, and no doubt will those voices be critical in determining my future. Thank you for all of your support. Please share this, and share my story.

Two community members are without water, and have been without water for 3 weeks. The reason? Deposit costs, and a stack of monthly bills that add up. Simply put, living without running water is incredibly substandard, inhumane and a health hazard. 3 weeks without being able to flush, 3 weeks without being able to shower, 3 weeks without being able to wash dishes, and 3 weeks without being able to pour something a simple as a glass of water from the tap. The people suffering from this? They are key members of the community here in Lakeland, they show up, they contribute, they make our spaces better with their creative contributions. It's simply unacceptable to have people living in these conditions, especially when it's a matter of a lack of funds. It's a matter of "I work 40 hours a week but paying the back dated water bill would mean not paying rent." They've got a plan, and once the deposit is paid, and the backdated bills? The cost of having water becomes manageable, it becomes part of the monthly budget. What they need is our support, our help, our mutual aid to assure they have access to the necessities of life. Ultimately, these are my friends, and your friends too. Let's show them that no one in our community has to suffer in silence. Let's give them the support they need.

HOUDINI is assisting a trans woman and collective member, Trixie, in moving from Arkansas to a safe location in New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. We cannot accomplish this without the support of our audience. Our goal with this fundraising effort is to provide real material support to those who need it the most. These are actions we want to be taking, the liberation we want to be pushing. This is our first actual fundraiser to support someone materially, and we hope it will be far from the last. Heya its Trixie, I would like to first say thanks to Erik and the collective for not only supporting my artistic endeavors but also securing the road of my escape from this nightmare we call a state. Not only is philly a home to a few of my comrades whom im seeking asylum in but, its also home to an art I've yearned to pursue, mortuary science. In helping with this fundraiser you are helping both a wonderful community of very talented artists musicians and writers as well as, giving a member a second chance. It would mean the world to be able to have a proper chance of pursuing a new light! -Through deafening silence comes hopeful harmony Yomadrescque Trix HOUDINI as a collective has grown significantly. Over 200 people are in the official Discord. We average 20k weekly readers for our magazine, and over 750,000 unique visitors. We could never have grown like this without the support of our audience. HOUDINI is 100% audience funded; our money comes from donations, the occasional t-shirt sale, and our monthly magazine releases. Our resources are persistently stretched thin, yet we continue to maximize what we can do with so very little. It turns out you can do a whole lot with some gumption, group effort, and a vision. We've proved that, and we'll continue to prove that. The HOUDINI collective currently supports one full-time organizer (me) who makes a bit less than minimum wage after all is said and done. This fundraising effort is designed to lower the strain on the collective, while allowing us to support one of our biggest endeavors yet: moving a trans comrade from the deep red heart of Arkansas to a safe location in Philadelphia. This entire operation has been arranged by the HOUDINI collective and funded by collective members. However, this move, in combination with supporting a full-time organizer, has stretched our resources as thin as they can possibly go. This is why we've created this fundraiser. HOUDINI promises to use any funds donated for solely two purposes: - Ensure that Trixie, our trans comrade, is able to complete her move smoothly with a small cushion of income to help keep her footing solid as she settles in Philadelphia. - Ensure that the needs of our professional organizer are met, as the move expenses are being pulled primarily from the collective funds that support them. Therefore, we are asking for a total of $1500 to be split between these two purposes. This will allow our collective significant breathing room in terms of day-to-day operations, while allowing a much smoother transition for Trixie from Arkansas to Philadelphia. We're very proud of what we've been able to accomplish with the HOUDINI Collective and the magazine that it runs. We're even more excited to grow, and to see just how much good we can do with our platform. We are redistributing resources to directly save a comrade's life and sustain the organization that makes this work possible. Every dollar you contribute is a direct blow against the system that wants her trapped in Arkansas and wants our collective to starve. This is not charity; it's mutual aid. It's an investment in liberation. Thanks for the support. - Erik Houdini, Founder of HOUDINI