It's Iimi! After The Purge

 Ms. Otios has ended the Socratic Club, and the girls are told they have one week to find another. Instead of protesting, the remaining members seem more interested in making a new club and keeping the club room. What is going on… After the Purge

 

Post-Comic Notes

Samizdat, from the title of part II, was a system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident ideas in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations.

 The song referenced on page 18 is called Yakety Sax and was composed by James Q. "Spider" Rich and Boots Randolph. The notes shown are from the song. It's also known as the "Benny Hill Chase Theme." The piece can be heard here if you're unfamiliar with it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnHmskwqCCQ

 Protected classes are groups of people with "special legal protection against discrimination in the workplace based on specifically identified traits." They include race, color, religion, sex/gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, and marital status. Technically, anyone discriminated against on one of these grounds can take action. But it's not always enforced equally.

 Because the re-created club was established by Lilavati, Mike, and Najiyah, if Ms. Otios tried to shut down the club, Mike could allege that he was discriminated against on the grounds of sexual orientation, while Lilavati and Najiyah could allege it was because of race, skin color, or religion… theoretically. But whether or not it would happen in real life, Machen and Dahlia are trying to appeal to the legal consequences as a way to get Ms. Otios to back off and avoid trouble that they fear is coming.

It's Iimi! Just A Pinch of Incense

 Ms. Otios and company move forward with their plans to either force our heroines' compliance or to take disciplinary action against them. On the surface, it looks simple enough to go along. But Pagan Rome shows the dangers of compromising over… Just a Pinch of Incense.

 

 

Post-Comic Notes:

The title derives from one of the ways the pagan Romans used to force Christians to apostatize. They said it was a matter of dropping "just a pinch of incense" into a brazier before an idol, and they could go free. But the martyrs knew that the seemingly small act carried a more significant meaning: Offering sacrifice to a false god.

 Likewise, Iimi and her friends are being pressured to acknowledge something as "true" that goes against their moral beliefs. So they cannot go along or even pretend to do so.

 Yes, I know transgenderism doesn't promote mandating one set of pronouns for all. I know the whole pronoun game is about self-identification (as Ms. Machen pointed out). To understand WHY the teachers are doing this, I suggest reviewing Issue 173. They want to make Iimi and her friends stand out as intolerant.

 But, when you think about it, what Ms. Otios and her companions are doing is just a step beyond forcing others to use pronouns that don't correspond to reality.

 The students singing "Zicky-Zi-Zoh-Zoo" was adapted from the Three Stooges:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgmdnxtz3Bo

It's Iimi! O is for… Obey!

 The school year begins, and Ms. Otios is running logic class?! Will she teach them anything relevant? Or is her lesson plan going to teach them: O is for… Obey!

 

Post-Comic Notes:

Barbara Celarent is a logic-based pun. The explanation can be found HERE. If I could go back in time to when I first began the comic, I'd probably give this name to Anne Baculum. Anne was initially envisioned in the role Machen holds. But after the Vile Evil trilogy, that behavior no longer fits.

 Celerant's character is designed to be neither a sycophant nor agenda-driven. But as to whether she's an ally, an enemy, or neutral, you'll have to wait and see.

 The Supreme Court case Ms. Otios is ranting about is found HERE.

 The objections that Iimi refuted came from actual attacks made by politicians and by people on social media. Yes, their arguments are wrong. But they are ignorant about that fact and do not seem to know they are ignorant.