#Cause it feels wrong to be called trans

[littleaxoltotlisabouttokill]

is girlflux trans?? It's not right? Cause I said I was genderqueer once (easier than explaining girlflux) and then someone said "this trans person" it makes sense in the context I swear

Anyway.like I'm not right? cause I'm still a girl but umbrella terms confuse me

[hecticelectron]

Hi, this is a big post about my new TTRPG, Defy the Gods, which is in its last two days on Kickstarter! It’s a queer sword & sorcery adventure-romance set in fantasy ancient Mesopotamia. I was inspired by Conan, Clash of the Titans (1981!) and Princess Mononoke.

Back the Kickstarter here!

Art by Thalie Shelen! @thalieshelen

(Btw hi I'm Chrys, a queer, trans game designer in Columbus, Ohio. This will be my second published game. The first was a furry pack of nonsense called Raccoon Sky Pirates.)

Defy the Gods is sword & sorcery as a story game. My favorite PbtA games emulate specific stories and lead you to resonant emotional moments like you find in those stories. Here, I used PbtA to emulate sword & sorcery, with an emphasis on the romantic moments—but also plenty of metal 🤘. You use the flirtation mechanics (taken from Thirsty Sword Lesbians) to tempt, support, or thwart others. But then, you can roll too high (taken from Apocalypse Keys), where you get more than you bargained for. Like Conan running out of the Tower of the Elephant while it crumbles around him.

Also like Conan, you have a glorious destiny, but in this case it ain’t good. Rising to your most powerful self makes you monstrous, heralding your character’s end as a hero and their beginning as an NPC antagonist.

It’s a queer game. You can fall in love with anyone, or make them fall in love with you. But because the game is also about power, the gods and tyrants wait to stomp on you if your enticement falls flat. Like if you flirt with someone in the wrong neighborhood. Every character has their own arc, and one of the things I had the most fun with was making those feel like queer problems as well as ancient-world sword & sorcery problems.

Play a fierce Sword, chaos-loving Sorcerer, fugitive Revenant, mischievous Sailor, immortal-sworn Vessel, or wild-raised Wolfling. (All character portraits by Thalie Shelen @thalieshelen)

The Sword is big-hearted and violent. You have a move that lets you kill any human-sized mortal NPC within arm’s reach, without rolling, if you’re not already in combat. This always causes more problems than it solves.

While most players roll just 2d6 & add their stat, the Sorcerer casts spells by rolling a lot of dice & looking for patterns in them. If you can’t find any patterns, your sorcery runs amok. This chaos is kind of lovely. For instance, you're always changing your body—sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But always gorgeous.

The Revenant is like Inanna, or if Eurydice made it out. They escaped the land of the dead. They aren’t who they were in their past life, nor who they were as a shade. They're still figuring out who they are now. Demons pursue them to claw them back to the Underworld.

The Sailor can call on a cast of past friends and lovers for help. They always have a plan, and an eye for the exit. One of their moves lets you fill in the map of the otherwise unknown world.

The Vessel is in love with a minor god. They channel their patron’s power by wounding themself, but their patron can also soothe their pain.

The Wolfling was raised by animals in the Wilds and is curious about the humans, but they belong in neither world. They're definitely the part most directly inspired by Princess Mononoke.

The World Forces are the antagonist. You build them at the table, in quick rounds of pick lists. They are:

The Pantheon: gods, goddesses, and demons. They make the rules, but maybe you can break them.

The City: tyrants, the wealthy, and others with the gods' blessing. They push you to the margins, but you can fight to be seen.

The Wilds: gigantic creatures and their trackless wilderness home. It's place of danger and new rules, but you'll probably break them.

The Shadow of Atlantis: long-gone elders. They dared to scorn the gods, and the Pantheon destroyed them for it, but through you they may live again.

Death: a hungry, totalitarian force. Its underground domain is the end for all mortals and the mockery of hope. But maybe you can return.

Art by Shan Bennion! @anonbeadraws

This was an intensely personal project, but it was too big for me to do by myself. Here are all the people who helped make it a reality:

Avery Alder: Design advisor

Basheer Ghouse: @basheerghouse Cultural consultant

Cat Tobin: Horizons Mentor https://www.pelgranepress.com

Cris Viana: Graphic designer & layout artist

Ezra Rose: Interior art

Kanesha Bryant: Interior art

Katrin Dirim: Interior art

Jaqueline Florencio: Cover art

Lyla Fujiwara: Developmental editor https://www.jarofeyes.com

Mary Verhoeven: Interior art

Omar Ramadan-Santiago: Cultural consultant

Rae Nedjadi: Developmental editor https://temporalhiccup.itch.io

Rue Dickey: @ilananight Copy editor

Sean D’souza: World-builder & writer https://linktr.ee/seandsouzax

Shan Bennion: Interior art

Thalie Shelen: Interior art

(art by Shan again! @anonbeadraws)

Thanks for reading! Back the Kickstarter here before it ends!

[acid-ixx]

i don't even get why she was so salty over "woke" propaganda when the fandom she literally writes for is inherently woke from the start 😭 you can never deny how superman is an illegal alien immigrant who is titled champion of the oppressed, who fights not just for america but for human rights as a whole, then there's also batman, wonder woman, literally green arrow, every superhero you idolize are woke as hell, let's not forget how writers planned to make conner kent a trans woman? 🤨—

then you gotta tell me she came to a conclusion to form bigoted opinions, and THEN tell others not to dabble into her own country's politics when she spews shit about the damn issues happening in america (fuck ICE, fuck the government, and most especially you tr*mp 🤮)??? also, as far as a stretch as this sounds, the tim drake hate feels very much targeted, cause ik she mentioned how the writers "ruined" his character by making him bi and ruining his romance with steph, when the latter has already broken up with him long ago (homophobia much??? for someone who claims she actually doesn't care about his character, why so salty then? and why complain about him being bi when that was also announced YEARS ago)

and also, her one pinning a long message saying the blog is supposed to be free from politics or whatsoever, but damn what a hypocrite, especially when she calls everyone who rebuts the r slur? i have had so much gripes on her from the start damn 😭

just saying, if you're a writer with a big following, like me with a big platform, that doesn't mean you automatically have the power to talk about your dogshit, uneducated opinions and expect to NOT get attacked or called out for it, ESPECIALLY if it's targeted to minorities, and especially if you know you can't defend yourself and end up deleting your blog cause you know you're in the wrong LMAO

(yes, this is about luv-lock. i once vaguely mentioned her in my account, idc if i get attacked for this, i'm just pointing out my own observations)

[uncle-fruity]

Damn, can a trans guy make a singular post about his lived experiences without some fucko coming out of the woodwork to put words in his mouth and call him a transmisogynist?

If you think transfeminism is ONLY about trans women, you don't know what you're talking about AND you're actively contributing to the EXTREMELY HARMFUL ERASURE of trans men and transmascs. Our voices fucking matter.

If you think every trans guy who talks about his oppression in the transandrophobia tag or who critiques "transfeminist" theories THAT ACTIVELY EXCLUDES HIM is implying that trans women and transfems are his oppressors & that the criticisms are exclusively directed at trans women, that is demonizing him, erasing the trans men who also have dogshit opinions, and assuming that he can't be trusted to have an opinion on these things.

If a trans guy makes a post about his oppression and never once mentions trans women or transfems and you accuse him of HATING trans women and transfems, I'm sorry but you are maliciously misrepresenting his argument to shut down conversarions about his experiences and to discredit him within the trans community. You are an active contributer to the bigotry he faces and you should feel ashamed and embarrassed.

It is SO transparent to me that these jerks are just trying to sew seeds of discord amongst trans people, and I'm telling you right now that I will NEVER fall for it.

There is NOTHING you can say to me that's going to get me to throw trans women and transfems as a whole under the bus. I KNOW these tactics. Younger or less experienced trans folks might believe that your horseshit opinions which you spout in the name of trans women are actually representative of trans women, but I know too many incredible and inclusive trans women and transfems to fall for it. And hopefully, with time and experience, the trans folks who think other trans people are their primary enemies will wake up to the fact that we are ALL in this together and that we're STRONGER when we stand up for each other and love each other. If the only people you're listening to are assholes, that's the only type of people you're gonna hear from. Y'all cannot throw other trans people under the bus or treat all trans people as a monolith; that is exactly the kind of divisive shit that causes a rift in transfeminist movements and keeps us fighting each other instead of organizing against our REAL oppressors. And if a trans person IS the one who's harassing you, you should block them and forget they exist. You don't owe them an explanation or a defense. They are nothing but an internet stranger who knows nothing about you, and you don't owe them the effort of saving them from their pit of hatred.

I think all y'all who come onto my posts and try to make a transmisogynistic version of me to argue with are miserable little bugs who need to bully people online to feel like you've got power, but you fucking don't have any power over me and I will NOT sit by and let you slander me without a fight.

You think I'm a transmisogynist? I don't give a SINGULAR HOMEGROWN FUCK about your opinion. I'm tight with all the trans women and transfems who actually literally know me, and YOU don't even know my FUCKING name. If you're so fucking upset about the things I say, you are more than welcome to block me. I will continue to listen to the trans women and transfems who know me, who care about me, and who sure as fuck are not afraid to call me out if I ever said anything *actually* transmisogynistic.

Which is how I know these clowns are acting in bad faith. You press them for proof. You say, "Show me where I'm being transmisogynistic. Break it down for me," and they can't. All they have to show for it is a weak argument that you're "implying" the transmisogyny and a bunch of assumptions about you that have nothing to actually do with you. If there was a real critique and they ACTUALLY wanted to support me or educate me on what I did wrong, I would take them a little more seriously. But they never do. They just make 1001 transandrophobic assumptions, show their lack of basic reading comprehension, and have a little tantrum because they made themselves mad about a person who doesn't exist.

I will never stop loving THE WHOLE AND ENTIRE TRANS COMMUNITY. I will never stop fighting for us. I will never stop trying to build community with other trans people, and your exclusionary bullshit doesn't mean shit to me. The world isn't and never will be boys vs girls. Not to me it won't.

I will never stop talking about transandrophobia. I will never shut up about the experiences trans men and transmascs have. I KNOW my theory. I KNOW myself. You are not going to guilt trip me or gaslight me into thinking I'm a bad person for speaking up on my own behalf.

You will have to kill me if you want to silence me, and don't even think I'll let you off easy by killing myself. Y'all are gonna have to work if you want to silence this loudmouth cockroach motherfucking queer.

KINDLY fuck off, rudeass.

[greenandsorrow]

Sunflower, in a field of roses.

CHAPTER 2: Close Quarters

Cho Hyun-ju x fem!reader

🌻 Masterpost & Summary: click here

!!! obliviously!flirty!reader, blonde!reader, co-worker tension, mutual pining & mutual sapphic awakening, pre-op!Hyunju, early transition, dysphoria themes, trans visibility, menstruation talk, financial struggles, slow burn, w|w, suggestive themes, POV changes

To ground this in Hyun-ju's specific experience: she's not someone who would use celebratory language for her body. (She wouldn't call it a girlcock, not because it's wrong, but because she's not there, at least not yet.)

(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡ Double the word count of the first chapter, just for you! A big thank you for all the comments & reblogs. They're so important to me!

This chap is establishing a dynamic through every day interactions. We also get to see the reader's POV, 'cause Hyun-ju ain't the only one suffering in gay panic 🩷

You show up to work on a casual Friday in a low-cut peasant blouse. Nothing too revealing. Nothing performative. It looks effortless from your part.

Your cleavage forms a delicate curve, the kind that dips when you lean over the table.

Hyun-ju can't stop seeing it.

Not because she's staring. Not exactly.

You do catch her looking once and grin. Not coy, just amused.

"What?" you tease. "You can't possible be jealous I got back problems at my age."

Hyun-ju flinches before she can school her face.

She laughs it off, but inside, she wants to scream. Luckily, there's always something to do to distract herself around here.

Stacks of beauty product boxes line the walls. Serums, moisturizers, imported lip tints. Hyun-ju starts lifting three at a time like they're featherlight. You're crouched by the label printer, trying to make the machine stop beeping.

She squats beside you in silence, offering a roll of tape. You take it with a soft "Thanks", your fingers brushing briefly against hers.

Cold against warm.

You look up -and up- eyes rounding at just how tall she looks this close. It hits you then, how powerful she must be.

Strong. Silent. Mysterious.

Captivating.

"Do you work out?" you ask, innocent but genuine.

Hyun-ju blinks. "I used to. Army."

Your lips part slightly.

"No way! You were a soldier?"

"Sergeant."

There's a pause.

You study her for a moment longer, eyes flicking to her sharp jawline, her shiny bob, her soft eyeliner.

"So that's why you look like you could crush a man with your thighs" you mutter with a little grin, thinking Hyun-ju won't catch it.

Hyun-ju does catch it.

And freezes.

For a second, she doesn't know what to say.

She feels heat crawl up her neck. Not from the compliment, but from the fact that it means something. That it came from a girl like this.

You don't notice the full effect you're having. You're already talking again –soft, fast, head tilted.

"I could never survive the army. I get a rash on my elbows if I forget to moisturize. Plus, I'd cry if someone yelled at me."

Hyun-ju lets out a breath that might've been a laugh if she wasn't clenching her jaw.

Her eyes flick over your nails –painted bright pink, glossy like candy. Your wrist is wrapped in bracelets and hair ties. You look like you belong in a field of flowers. Or on a Parisian balcony, sipping tea and reading romance.

She looks away.

"She's too much of a girl. Too beautiful. Too... everything."

"You're not supposed to want that."

"You're not supposed to want her."

"You're not even supposed to want at all. Not so early. Not so soon."

"You always smell like a garden" Hyun-ju blurts suddenly.

You blush ...and change the subject a bit too fast for it to be coincidental.

Oh you.

You just never stop talking.

Not in a bad way.

You talk while folding boxes, while microwaving lunch, while putting on your little pink gloves to tape up another stack of sad, dented packages. You speak shifting between English and accented Korean.

And Hyun-ju listens.

Not because she wants to. Not always. But because you always seem to find her.

You're currently sorting inventory together –the usual.

"Do you think this color is cute?"

Hyun-ju turns to find you holding up a lip oil, one you definitely shouldn't have opened.

You've already applied it. Your mouth sparkles.

"Sure, it's cute" she answers, trying to keep her tone flat, but not entirely cold.

You beam. "I knew it! And! It tastes like apple pie."

You lean closer.

Too close.

Hyun-ju catches a whiff of perfume and shampoo –and warmth.

She flinches like it burned.

"You okay?" you ask, brows lifting in interest.

"I'm fine."

Before long, your wrist is dotted with swatches of moisturizers you've been "testing", like you're on a makeup counter instead of a grimy backroom.

"This one's niacinamide-based" you ramble, handing her a pale tube. "Your skin's kind of dry since this shitty weather started, y'know. No offense."

"None taken" she mumbles, a little too quietly. She doesn't tell you that she tried the chamomile toner from last time and that she liked it. A lot. But she does hope her internal gratitude is enough, in some weird cosmic sense???

She takes the sample, holds it awkwardly.

Doesn't know how to say she can't afford stuff like this. That she's still rationing her HRT. That skincare isn't just luxury for her –it's camouflage.

You lean into her personal space once again, your fingers grazing hers as you take the cap to show her how much to use.

Hyun-ju feels her breath hitch –just a second too late.

"She touches me like we're the same. No tension. No pause. How?"

Then, the locker room again.

Hyun-ju is alone, just out of the shower, towel around her neck, only a black sports bra on. Her skin still glistens, abs and chest slightly damp, stomach firm, carved from years of military discipline.

Her body feels like a betrayal sometimes.

It's strong. Respected.

But it's not what she wants to see.

She had made sure that she'd take her shower only after everyone else had gone home –she has to save water somehow, these bills keep piling up. She had double-checked that no one would walk in on her, under any circumstances.

The door opens.

"Oh my God—I'm sorry!"

You freeze, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Not with disgust. Not even shock. Just… stunned.

You're in a cropped graphic tee and nothing else, clutching your work shirt to your chest, eyes wide.

"Shit—I'm sorry, so sorry! I didn't mean—" you stammer, eyes darting away, cheeks red.

Hyun-ju pulls her own shirt on quickly, face a blank mask, but her voice comes out clipped. "It's okay."

You don't leave.

"I've never seen abs like that" you say softly. "You're kinda… wow."

"Don't look at me like that."

"L-like what?"

"Like I'm not… like I don't belong in here."

"I wasn't" you insist. "I swear, I wasn't."

But it's too late. Hyun-ju feels disgusting. Masculine. Alien. A soldier-shaped thing in a girl's locker room.

"Please go."

Silence.

You back out, nodding wordlessly.

But the next day, you're still somehow orbiting around her. Still smiling. Still chirping about skincare and quick breakfast recipes and your awful ex.

It seems annoyingly repetitive today.

"Period's killing me" you groan, holding your stomach. "I swear my uterus has grown little monkey hands."

Hyun-ju stiffens.

You notice.

"Sorry. Was that too much?"

"No." She clears her throat. "Just don't know what to say."

"Oh, you don't have to say anything." Then softer, "I just like when you listen."

You pause after that.

Blink.

"Oh. Right–"

A reddish hue paints your chicks and you mentally scold yourself for being inconsiderate. However, you recover fast, switching back to your cheeky, unstoppable self.

"Lucky bitch."

Hyun-ju doesn't smile.

Because she would deal with it. She would bleed. She would take the cramps and the bloating and the wretched inconvenience if it meant being seen -known- as a woman, without question.

She wants the whole damn curse of being "Her".

And that thought leaves her feeling like a monster.

The song had played on accident the first time.

Spotify shuffle. She was too tired to skip, most likely out of turns anyway.

Now, it's in all her playlists and she's listening to it on the way home.

“And who's gonna kiss the brown haired girls

Who's gonna wipe away their tears

And what about the black haired girls

Who's gonna whisper filthy things into their ears”

When Hyun-ju gets home, she untucks, tucks again, and lies awake.

She has stopped touching herself altogether.

Simply can't.

But she remembers the flash of skin in the locker room so clearly.

She contemplates the way you don't flinch around her, no matter her physical state. Hair up or down. Looser or tighter clothes. Make-up or bare faced. Sitting cross legged or crouched down, knees apart.

Tonight, she dreams of you, again.

This time you're leaning over her, whispering something sweet. Something cruel. Something true.

She wakes up semi-hard, hurting, folded tight against herself like a secret she'll never get to speak out loud...

“It's just unearned admiration

Are you sick of all the stares

You don't need to hide yourself away

You only need to dye your hair”

She's been quiet about it.

About the ache behind her nipples, the way her chest stings when she bumps into something. The tissue there feels new. Foreign. Fragile. She holds her arms crossed when it gets bad, pretends it's just the cold.

Fat has started to shift too –her hips are softer, thighs with a little more weight. Her old pants don't sit right, and she hasn't figured out if that's comforting or humiliating.

Her arms have lost that tight edge, the hardness she used to work so hard for.

And shaving...

God, shaving. Every damn day. She asked you once what razor you use, all shy and stiff, like it was classified information.

“But it won't do you any good

'Cause pretty soon your roots will be showing

And anytime you try to leave the room

They'll ask you just where the hell do you think you're going”

The hormones hit hard sometimes.

Not in ways you'd notice –no breakdowns, no sobbing fits. She swallows it down, military-style. Discipline over emotion.

But sometimes, it hits her. When you laugh. When you lean against her shoulder. When she thinks about the way you looked at her once, like you wanted her.

And then she remembers: she still has a cock.

Her body still doesn't fit the softness she's trying to perform.

She's not fragile. She's trying so hard to be though.

How can that be achieved when sometimes her hands still curl like they're waiting for a rifle, and her thighs are still wide from combat training?

Her softness feels like drag sometimes.

And what if she's hard for you? What does that make her?

Still a man? Still a fucking fraud?

(No.)

And yet, she paints her nails.

Lets her hair grow longer.

Wears floral deodorant.

She tries.

God, she tries. Even when she sometimes feels like she's playacting at being your kind of girl.

She can't forget it.

You had said something like, "You'd make a terrifying butch" and smirked like you'd still want her anyway –and she wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss you or cry on your shoulder.

Lying on her side in the dark, sports bra off, chest sore, feet swollen, the lyrics drift around her in the air...

“And anyone who ever had a heart

Or sang a lonesome song

Would sell their little souls

Just to make it with the blonde”

You are in her head.

Your perfume. Your peachy lip gloss and constantly blushing cheeks.

The way you always grab her wrist instead of her hand.

The way your hair sticks to your neck after work.

The way you talk about cramps like you're narrating a battle report.

She doesn't cry. Not this time. But she doesn't skip the song either.

She closes her eyes, listening. Imagining what it would feel like to be looked at the way she looks at you. Imagining a world where she didn't have to tuck, or flinch at your jokes, or pretend she doesn't notice the softness of your belly when you bend over to grab the exacto knife back in the warehouse.

In the dark, Hyun-ju aches –not with lust, but with grief.

She covers her face and listens to the rest of the song play out –'till an ad pops up. Then, she groans softly into her pillow in frustration.

Your own moment?

It happened on the bus ride after work, quietly.

You were looking out the window. The sky was soft, kind of gold.

In your peripheral, you could see the fine hairs at the back of her neck in the light, the shape of her profile –how full her lips are.

You didn't know what you were thinking until she shifted and her thigh brushed yours, and your whole body lit up like you touched an outlet.

You stared down at your knees.

Thought about the way her voice drops when she says your name.

Thought about how her hand had looked curled around a bottle of rosehip oil earlier, tentative, like she didn't deserve to hold something delicate –yet, looked so beautiful doing so.

You've never wanted to kiss someone out of pure awe before.

But now you do.

And somewhere inside your chest, something soft and pink and very, very gay opens like a window.

Thank you for reading! I appreciate you 🩷🌻

You can ask to be added to the taglist! Just shoot me an ask or reply ♡

Support your gal who's currently trying to survive uni. Every penny/euro means the world. Thank you so much! CLICK HERE [PayPal Link]

Sunflower by @kodaswrld and sparkles by @saradika-graphics.

Taglist: @euryalex @hyunjusbiggestfan @applepie1000 @vexineew @relaps3 @unjuuu @shamidreamer @onlysarang @deltamoon666 @radioloom @lunaryoongie @uccidila @thatfictionalwh0re

[bomber-grl]

SAL FISHER RELATIONSHIP HC ! ₊˚⊹

₊˚⊹ PAIRING(s): Sal fisher x Gn!reader

He’s so sweet it hurts

Honestly, Sal is the best boyfriend ever, he’s always there for you and he always knows the perfect things to say when comforting you.

The two of you met because of the ghosts and the whole cult thing while at high school.

You were the more outspoken one out of the two of you since Sal was mostly against violence even when Travis was brought into the convo.

I can definitely see Sal being the first one to approach you.

It all started when Sal started becoming increasingly interested in you to the point that Larry and even ash started teasing and encouraging him to talk to you.

He would fluster, occasionally and say the wrong words out of nervousness however with luck, he managed to get your number.

It was hard not to fall for him, especially with how lovable he is.

He’s so genuinely nice and actually cares for others.

Of course, you eventually see his face, and although he was neutral about it since he trusted you he was still a bit nervous.

Definitely warms his heart when you not only accept his face but also kiss it.

He flusters and stutters so badly afterwards.

Continuing from that, he’s definitely the type to tease lightheartedly

Definitely not in the beginning though

So when you first started teasing and provoking him, causing him to get super flustered

He wouldn’t really know what to do except accept it, so imagine your surprise when he turns the tables once day and makes you a blushing mess

Most times when you hang out, you usually hang at the apartments in his room, or when sals an adult you’d hang out in his room in the house

During these hang outs you guys would usually listen to some music or just enjoy each others presence

Most times it’s just you and sal cuddling and ngl he smells rlly good

Like I’m not even joking and when you mention this, he can’t help but laugh and just tells you do too

However, when you guys hang out with Larry (which is more often than not) you guys end up in more than sus situations 😭😭

Then Larry is all like “I’ll leave you guys at it” and dips

Like??? We’re not doing anything 😭🗣️

Anyway

While you’re at high school ofc Travis has something to say, and if you’re a guy then he obviously calls you the f slur and a lot of homophobic nonsense

And if you’re a girl Travis still calls y’all homos in a negative way, and always says shit about you two

And I don’t think I need elaborate further about how Travis would probably hate crime you if you were non-binary, gender fluid, or basically anything under the trans umbrella

(Basically any gender identity that isn’t your assigned one 😭

Larry, ash, and Todd all get pissed at Travis , and they always come to the both of your guy’s defense

And ofc Sal is bit lenient towards Travis, well only ever when Travis is talking shit about him

If Travis talks shit about you he’d be pissed

But ofc younger Sal is less violent and more open so he’d obvs be kinder

Anyway, we all know what happens at the apartments and if you live there-

Let’s just say it pains Sal so much to have to kill you

I mean him having to kill all the people he grew up with and the people he cares for is horrible but he knows he has to

However, if you don’t, well let’s say you know about the cult and why he did it

Still doesn’t stop you from trying to find a way to get a lower sentence and from trying the convince ash of the truth

When sal dies, let’s just say you feel so alone

Of course you have ash by your side but it’s just horrible

Eventually you’re the person that sals soul would enter and you’d defeat the cult that way

But let’s all pretend that they were able to defeat the cult without having to kill the innocent tenants

Making sal a free man

Well if it were that way, you and Sal would be together for a long time, and if you both wished it, married too

———

Art credits : @/toasterdoodle22

[tales-of-a-seahorse]

I needed a few days to put all my thoughts together on this, so forgive the delay.

At my 24 week scan, my amniotic fluid was a little low. My OB asks me to come back in a week for a follow up because they can measure amniotic fluid differently starting at 25 weeks. At the 25 week appointment, my amniotic fluid is measuring in the low-normal range. It's borderline. The problem with having low amniotic fluid is it can cause fetal growth restriction and given my history that is a concern. So, my OB referred me to Maternal Fetal Medicine.

I have some not so great experience with MFM from my last pregnancy. I was misgendered by multiple ultrasound techs and often made to feel out of place. So, I was kind of stressed about having to go there again. But my OB had her nurses try to coordinate with them so to try to avoid any unpleasant interactions this time around. Unfortunately that wasn't enough. I missed the call from the MFM scheduler because I was in a work meeting. When I called back, I got a different person. I said to them: "I'm returning a call from [scheduler]. My OB referred me to MFM for a consult regarding my low amniotic fluid and I'm hoping to speak with them to get that taken care of." There was a long pause before the person responded with: "Sir, you're calling Fetal Imaging..."

"Okay. Maybe I pushed the wrong options in the phone tree? This was the number I was given in the voicemail left by [scheduler]. Can you transfer me to them?" Before she would transfer me, I needed to reexplain why I was calling- I'm pregnant, I have low amniotic fluid, my OB referred me to MFM because of this, and I needed to schedule an appointment. I then had to out myself when she apologized for calling me sir. She looked up my information and eventually agreed to transfer me. The scheduler was much nicer. She got me scheduled for an appointment the next day.

Thankfully, at my appointment the next day, the ultrasound tech was nice and respectful. The MFM doctor didn't seem to have a problem with my gender. She had other problems with some things my OB has told me were okay, but that is neither here nor there. All I'm really concerned about is that she says my amniotic fluid is on the low end, but she thinks it's okay.

These are the two sides of being a trans man and seeking "women's health care". I'm either perceived as a stupid and/or creepy man calling a "women's health" office or I'm misgendered and forced to out myself. Either way, it is unsafe for trans men to seek care, not just for ourselves but for our families as well.

[gyaruhana]

Do you write for hyun ju? Cause i have this idea where she and reader are dating and in the mingle game, we saved young mi and took her place in dying hehehehehe thats all tyy

Hyun-Ju/Player 120 - Sacrifice

Synopsis: you sacrifice yourself to save Youngmi.

A/N: sad sad sad idea ughh

Warnings: angst..

From the moment you stepped foot in this hellhole, death had been looming over your shoulder.

If it were up to you, you would've left after the first game. Sure, money was an issue but you valued your life more than you valued money. Even if the sum was 45.6 billion won, you didn't want to risk your life so carelessly. Besides, there were 455 other people who you'd have to compete against. You didn't see the odds being in your favor.

Fortunately, you managed to make a nice group of friends who you grew to trust through each passing game. You grew closest with a trans woman by the name of Hyun-Ju. You were honestly surprised to make such a good friend here of all places but you were certainly glad you did. Hyun-Ju provided you with much needed comfort and your conversations always filled the quiet air after a particularly challenging game.

Strangely enough, you didn't feel as scared when she was close by. Even though you watched so many people die, you didn't fear you'd be next when she was around. You knew she'd keep you safe and you'd gladly return the favor.

That's how you're here now.

The game was mingle and it involved making groups based on the number called out before the timer runs out. Things had gotten a little messy as Youngmi had accidentally been knocked down while running behind them. Of course, Hyun-Ju realized this after stepping in the room when there was little time left on the clock.

She ran out to try grab Youngmi when someone else barged in, pushing her back and telling her there wasn't enough time. You looked at Hyun-Ju's distraught face as she tried to move past and get out to help Youngmi. It was a rather reckless desperation but Youngmi was important to her. A friend who she cared for.

You glanced toward the timer and read the clock. 6 seconds left.

Without another thought, you pushed past them and opened the door before grabbing Youngmi and helping her up. You didn't waste any time in pushing her in the room before closing the door behind her knowing that you couldn't stay when they already had enough people in the room. On que, the door locked and Hyun-Ju immediately went to it, banging on it desperately.

"What are you doing? Why would you do that?!" She yelled angrily as she looked at you. Hyun-Ju wanted nothing more than for this door to burst open. She would've pushed that guy out for you. She didn't want you to die - not like this. Not when you were one of the few people who actually showed her a shred of empathy and kindness.

"Hyun-Ju, it's fine. I'm fine," you say reassuringly. While you were scared that death would soon take you, you put on a brave face for her. Even as tears formed in both your eyes and hers. "I'm sorry," Hyun-Ju spoke and you quickly shake your head in disapproval. She had no reason to be sorry. This was your choice.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. This was my decision. My decision, okay?" you speak with a smile that didn't match the fear and worry in your eyes. "You're still going to win that money and go to Thailand, yeah? For me?" you speak and Hyun-Ju couldn't help but let out a choked sob at your words.

"..Yeah," she responded with a nod as she averted her gaze for a moment to compose herself. "Good," you say before the sound of footsteps comes closer to you. You turned around and were met face to face with a guard holding his gun to your face. The sight immediately made Hyun-Ju panic as she started banging on the door again and yelling again.

"No! No!" Hyun-Ju cried out but her cries were quickly cut off by the sound of a gunshot. Some of your blood splattered on her face leaving her in a stunned silence as she came to terms with what just happened. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door as she cried. She was upset and angry. You were supposed to live. Not die like this.

But it was too late now. You were dead, and you were never coming back.

[sloanout]

The bad rap Taash and veilguard as a whole get remains equal parts confusing and frustrating to me. It's one thing to see culture war chuds seething over woke or whatever, but really I expected better from Tumblr of all places. Whether or not you enjoyed DA:tV, it is objectively an incredibly inclusive game that did a lot more for representation across the board than most titles, and trying to debate that fact or tear it down because it didn't do its representation exactly to the letter of how you wanted it is, straightforwardly, poisonous to the fight for diversity in gaming as a whole. Call me dramatic, but every time you act like a spoiled child and pitch a bitch fit over a nonbinary or trans character not being exactly what you wanted, you are actively hurting your own cause. You don't have to like Taash, but if you care about the community it's the least you can do to restrain yourself from posting freezing cold, Steven Universe discourse level takes about how they are actually "harmful" or would have "put you back in the closet".

Here's the tough truth about portraying nonbinary and trans perspectives in media: these identities are not a monolith. Nonbinary, as a whole, is not a secret third gender with its own set of trappings, it's a wide, wide label that means many different things to many different people. That you can look at an nb character written by a nb person and say "they did it wrong" with your whole chest speaks more to your own limited viewpoint and disconnection from the greater queer community than it does to the actual quality of the character.

The impossible challenge that creators face when their writing hits fandom spaces is that people want many different things from art. I've seen people adamant that the correct and most helpful way to do rep is to have a character turn directly to the camera and say "I am transgender" and then have that part of their identity explored for the next 300 pages. I have also seen people, just as adamant and righteous as the first, claim that representation is best and most correctly done when queerness is an incidental background detail in the same vein as hair color or favorite food. The truth is that neither of these perspectives, nor any in-between is inherently more or less correct than the other. Different people will want different things, because at the end of the day different people have different experiences with their queerness and would like to see that reflected in the things they love.

The only real way to be incorrect here is to malign and defame a story for daring to depict something outside of your particular experience - as I see many people do with Taash. I had to read with my own eyes a post about how their romance with Harding is predatory or some shit and that it reflects poorly on the nb community. Quick question: could you please go do your moral crusade about 50 Shades of Grey or some other piece of work so I don't have to see it? You help no one with this hyperbolic bullshit. The only thing you're doing is handing the worst people in this world further unsubstantiated ammo for casting genderqueer people as inherently sexually abusive. Think for a second about who and what you sound like for the love of God. Taash and Harding are both into what happens on screen, your weird moral panic is your own problem. Once again, you don't have to like it, but please do not try to frame something as ontologically evil and harmful to the community because it doesn't suit your tastes.

Taash is fine nonbinary rep. As a nonbinary person, especially one who is afab and spent most of my life feeling a bit out of place and uncomfortable with what the world expected of me, I think it's just right. They managed to represent me. Sorry that it didn't get to be your experience that got put in the game, but it's impossible to tell every single queer story at once. If you really give a shit about the community, celebrate the wins of your fellows, not just your own.

And the sad thing is, I see two big 'critiques' about Taash's questline - either that it's all about their gender identity, or that it doesn't explore their gender identity enough. Sometimes I see these takes in the same post and I can only imagine what sort of doublethink Koolaid the culture war nonsense has gotten you to drink. Taash's gender is front and center, and that's great! But it's a part of a larger story - a story about a difficult family relationship. Taash's story is about the ebb and flow of their relationship with their mother more than anything else, and to be honest? It's one of the best in the series.

Family drama has been a mainstay of Dragon Age - you have Hawke's personal tragedy in DA2, Dorian's alienation over his identity and beliefs in Inquisition, and hell, Morrigan throughout the series tends to be more tied up with family dynamics than anything else. Taash is the continuation of that tradition, and I love what they have. The binary choice at the end is pretty weak and downright misunderstands the experience of being mixed race, but the dynamic between Taash and Shathann is fantastic. It's pained and restrained in such a realistic way, two people struggling with the old and new who dearly care about each other but can never seem to see eye to eye, and end up falling back on their worst vices - anger for Taash, and discipline for Shathann.

Veilguard has a tendency to pull its punches and make everyone a bit too chipper and chill, that's a legitimate criticism given the series' history, but I was deeply struck by how unforgiving Shathann's death was. It was really, unrelentingly realistic - life happened, and Taash never got the chance to sort out their relationship with her. They didn't get to reconcile or ever see eye to eye. Despite spending most of their screen time together bitter and simmering, Taash is so devastated by their mother's death that you have to pull them out of certain death. It was cathartic and brutal for me, a nb person who has had a really really poor relationship with my mother in the past, it made me go plan a lunch with her because I was so grateful that things didn't end like that for us, that I did get the time to work through it.

And sure, you can accuse me of going easy on Taash because their story resonated with me - but isn't that what a story is supposed to do? Reflect the real and sincere, evoke emotion in the audience and crystalize experience and feeling on the stage? Isn't that proof of its value?

At the end of the day, representation has no single golden standard. The only real end goal is to be represented at all - not only by shining heroes and perfectly squeaky clean moralists, but also by characters who are just as human and fallible as the real life people they draw from. Taash succeeds there, and I think they deserve a lot more love and grace than many in the fandom want to show them. If you still want to slander Taash as harmful or bad, why don't you call me that too? Why not call every non binary person who fails to meet your rigid standards evil and degenerate while you're at it? See how much of a community you're left with, and who the ghouls cheering for you actually are.

[picturejasper20]

Another thing about Steven Universe as character (and the series) that has been mischaracterized over the course of the years and the source of a good chunk of discourse online is the relationship that Steven has with the Diamonds.

A lot of videos, posts and memes have spread around the idea that Steven went to Homeworld in the final arc of the series because he wanted to ¨be besties¨ with the Diamonds, when what happens in the actual show is very different.

In the episode "Legs from Here to Homeworld"-which takes place after the episode ¨Reunited¨ that Blue and Yellow Diamond find out that Rose Quartz was in fact Pink Diamond- Steven shows to Blue and Yellow one of the corrupted gems (Centipeetle) and helds them accountable for making a lot of gems end up this way and orders them to fix the mess they caused.

Steven: ¨Do it again! It was working!¨ Yellow Diamond: ¨How long do you expect us to hold her together?¨ Steven: ¨I don’t know. Forever! You did this! So you have to do something!¨

Seeing they need White Diamond to fix the corrupted gems, Steven thinks of going to gem Homeworld to see if he can talk to White about the corrupted gems and convince her to come to Earth and help them.

That's the main reason Steven goes to Homeworld- he doesn't like the Diamonds nor wants to be friends with them- he just wants to see if White Diamond can listen to him and help to heal the corrupted gems.

He is aware that the Diamonds listen to him because he himself is a Diamond-Pink Diamond. So he goes along with this little game pretending to be Pink thinking that way White Diamond and the others will listen to him. He believes that maybe as ¨Pink¨ he can make them see the errors of their ways and stop this mini war conflict that he has been caught on in the last few years.

Others have made more detailed analysis about this in the past, that a good part of this arc has a huge trans/queer metaphor for Steven's character- where he keeps being refered to and imposed an identity he doesn't see himself as. He gets called by the Diamonds and other homeworld gems as ¨Pink Diamond¨ and refered to as ¨She¨, when he often corrects and clarifies that he prefers to be called ¨Steven¨.

The final showdown against White Diamond is about this: White keeps trying to play mind games with Steven, making him believe that Pink/Rose is still alive in him and he is in fact Pink/Rose. Because Steven doesn't know this for certain, it proves to be effective for a while, making him feel very confused.

White believes that she is perfect in every way- it is what all her identity is about. She is obsessed with her own perfection so much that she doesn't allow herself to think that she has flaws nor she can't be wrong about something- and because she thinks she has to be perfect, that means that she is right about Pink Diamond still existing inside Steven.

The reality proves her wrong when she takes out Steven's gem and everyone sees that the gem part turns into Steven. As a way of metaphor to a trans allegory and self love, Steven sees that he has always been himself and he shouldn't let other people define what his identity should be, that only him should decide that.

So, in a way, the Diamonds Days arc is intended to be seen as a metaphor to a LGBT+ kid/teenager standing up against their relatives, grandmothers or aunts in this case- and prove them wrong about their identity, that they are what they are and their family can't change that.

Okay, so Steven proves the Diamonds that they are wrong, they change their minds and they help with healing the corrupted gems by the end of ¨Change Your Mind¨.

Does this means Steven becomes friends with them after this?

Well... no

In Steven Universe The Movie, during the song sequence ¨Lets Us Adore You¨ the Diamonds beg Steven to stay with them a bit longer because they miss having Pink around, Steven is seen very uncomfortable around them and wants to get out as quickly as possible to return to Earth.

He sees them as somewhat allies and tries to persuade them in different ways to improve the current situation on Homeworld but he doesn't seem to like them much and doesn't enjoy being around them even if they aren't acting antagonistic towards him anymore.

He has a similar reaction when they come to Earth near the end of the movie. He is very done with them and says that they staying to leave on Earth isn't a good idea on the long run. Instead he shows Spinel to them and Spinel sees this as an opportunity to make a new friend again.

Well, about SU Future? How does Steven feel about them in that series?

In Future is where Steven begins to show real strong PTSD trauma symptoms (something he has had for a while except it wasn't nearly as strong). He knows that he has a problem most of the show but he avoids going to ask the Diamonds for help because he just feels very uncomfortable around them and it reminds him of traumatic experiences he had with them in Diamonds Days arc.

He doesn't go to them until after he accidentally shatters Jasper in ¨Fragments¨ and sees himself as a monster because of this. He separates himself from the rest of the crystal gems, feeling like he is as terrible as the Diamonds were. In ¨Homeworld Bound¨ he interacts with the three Diamonds, asking them for any way they can help him with his powers.

Most of the episode he feels frustrated because A) He can't find a solution to his problem and B) Sees that the Diamonds and Spinel are doing pretty well and he has been getting worse. It makes him get more and more angry the more time he spends in there.

The scene that leaves pretty clear how he feels about them, specially White, is when he talks to White. As shown in the gif above, when White touches Steven near where his gem is, Steven pushes her hand off from him, clearly being reminded of the time White ripped his gem off him in ¨Change Your Mind¨.

White uses her powers so Steven can talk to own self. This leads to an iconic scene that Steven gets angry at himself and White. He has a very strong intrusive thought of crashing White's gem into a pillar for what she put him through. He gets shocked for this and makes him run away scared as result.

This scene leaves clear that Steven has a lot of buried resentment for what the Diamonds did to him, mainly White. Being around them reminds him of his trauma, it makes him deeply uncomfortable and he would rather avoid them as much as possible.

The Diamonds get concerned about Steven and show up during the events of ¨I Am My Monster¨ when Steven transforms into gem like monster. The Diamonds and Spinel blame themselves for Steven feeling this way because of their past actions. White feels it is her fault because of how she hurt Pink Diamond and this brought problems to Steven.

They help with calming Steven down and him returning to his human form. Now there is some argument to be said about why they took part of this hug aside from using their powers to help the gems. I have talked more about this in here but i think it is to represent Steven accepting himself as being part Diamond and maybe forgiving, realizing that he isn't an ¨irredeemable monster¨ because of what he did, that way he stops seeing himself as one and goes back to his normal form.

After this, it is a bit unclear where Steven stands his opinion on his relationship with the Diamonds. I would assume that it is probably not much different than it was before. He still doesn't like them and probably doesn't want to be around them even after all that happened.

In short: Steven sees the Diamonds as allies and post the events of ¨Change Your Mind¨ he shows to be uncomfortable being around them, he doesn't seem to like them and mostly prefers to avoid them. He is glad that they are changing their ways for the better but he would prefer to not interact with them if he doesn't have to due to his own trauma.

The Diamonds regret how they have hurt Steven (and Pink) and care about Steven but he thinks it is better for him to have a distant relationship with them for the reasons i discussed. They can still improve and make amends for everything they did and Steven doesn't have to feel forced to have a relationship with them if he doesn't want to.

There are other things that could be discussed, about how the Diamonds Days arcs should have been longer or how the Diamonds needed more screen time- However, the point of this post is talk about people have mischaracterized Steven's relationship with the Diamonds, saying Steven is best friends with them when in reality he doesn't like them and spends most of Future series avoiding them.

[intersex-questions]

as a (im pretty sure) perisex being, we have pretty clear dysphoria for being intersex. This has been strong enough that we've seriously considered if we are, though fairly sure we're not. Do you have any recommendations for this, like ways to speak of and talk about it? So far we've been saying things like "we think of ourselves as intersex in preference" or such, like trying to acknowledge our lack of shared experience, but not sure if that's best. Thank you!

Please see this post on being altersex! There's absolutely ways to talk about this and I think that my altersex post might give you a good starting point!

You are not alone in how you feel and there is nothing wrong with your feelings, dysphoria, or desires for your body and what you want your body to look like. However, it is very important that you do not ever call yourself intersex. Being intersex is something you are either born as or are not born as. It isn't the same thing as a gender identity because intersex is defined by an inherent variance in sex and sex characteristics that affect one's body, medical treatment, trauma, societal treatment, etc., and is not caused by differences from HRT as a trans+ person.

Again, that's why I highly encourage people like you to look into the label altersex. There are many, many people who "wish" they could be intersex, which typically ultimately means they want to have mixed sex characteristics. Not only is that an entirely viable transition path both surgically (if someone desired that), but there are many labels that fall under the altersex umbrella that encompass this (bigenital or salmacian for example).

I hope this helps answer somewhat! You are not alone in how you feel. There are terms/language, communities, and resources for you out there.

(I would highly encourage you to not use the language you're currently using though i.e., "we think of yourselves as intersex" as this is typically seen as intersexist/an intersexist microaggression by most people, although I do not personally fault you for it because you did not/do not have the language to describe your experience in any other way. Many intersex people take problem with this type of language! /not mad at you at all though I am just letting you know)

[forsaken-headcanons]

-Chance is a man hating lesbian

-TwoTime and Azure both have an accent but it's really hard to detect what exactly it is. it's kinda like the accent religious women are taught if that makes any sense? I can't remember exactly what it's called but I know there's a name for it

-Azure is really good with kids, they were pretty much the cult's assigned babysitter

-TwoTime was the "model" cultist for the spawn followers, they were often used as an example of "be more like them and you'll gett better stuff" kinda. Like their job in the cult was more just sitting there and looking pretty while worshipping and the higher members of the church would tell other members if they were just as good as following their god as two time was that they would also get to just sit around like decoration all day while others did more intense work

-007n7 is more so C00lkidd's mom than dad, not in a "he falls more into stereotypical female gender roles" way and not a trans way, he's just mom not dad. For some reason calling him C00lkidd's dad feels wrong to me, calling him C00lkidd's mom feels more right idk why

-i feel like the characters, especially admins, know they're in a game kinda. Like they know Roblox is a game and they're just existing in their own different Roblox worlds before suddenly being sent to this new game. Maybe some of them wouldn't know, like the cult probably kept that kinda information from TwoTime and Azure, or Guest 1337 wouldn't know because he was from a movie and not a game.

-Guest 1337 would HATE modern day military, when he joined there was reasonable cause for defending his home and loved ones

-Mafioso has hypersexuality and is seriously ashamed of it

Strange Green Bug Anon

I love that about Two Time being a "model" cultist... Oh my god that one post on the priest's favourite sacrificial lamb. So docile and sweet and obedient, taking everything as is even when tasked with the most heinous acts

The characters knowing they're in a game makes sense! Especially the admins as you said and hackers like 007n7 I would imagine

[birdburrito]

I have been a huge Harry Potter Fan in my Childhood. Harry Potter was the first book i enjoyed reading. I won a reading contest in my school witha part of the first Harry Potter book. I wanted to become an author in fourth grade because of the books. I wrote my own fantasy story based on the books and i loved pottermore when it first came out. I can emphasize with the Harry Potter Fans who dont want to let go of the series because it means so much to them like it meant so much to me as a child. Often in online debates people get very defensive. Short snappy comments are better for the algorithms and its easier to hate people who still like Harry Potter despite knowing what J K Rowling political stance is on many issues. But I believe you cant convince anyone by just attacking them so here are some general thoughts from me on losing something you used to really really like. Im german and in Germany we have some very old children stories called Struwwelpeter. They seem very cruel to modern readers. A boy for example gets his thumbs cut off because he keeps sucking them. As a child these stories were very disturbing to me. Later i learnt that this story for example was written in a time where children often would die because they would get diseases from sucking there thumbs. Medicine was not evolved enough to save these children and the concept to keep children save by scaring them seemed like a good idea. The fairytales, a lot of people only know the disney version of, many of them also have a more cruel ending for similar reasons. Why am I bringing this up? Context matters to a story. Harry Potter wasnt a perfect story that got ruined by Rowlings tweets in the last few years there are many bigoted ideas in Harry Potter from the beginning. Also just because you liked something as a child it doesnt mean it was very good media. Lets talk about behaviour therapy shall we. The whole idea of behaviour therapy is that you can become a happier person if you change your behaviour (very simplified). The process of that however means a lot of times, that first you are going to be struggling or unhappier then before. Change is never comfortable. Humans love to stay in there behaviour patterns they know and new things are scary. But in the end behaviour therapy does work! If you get over your discomfort you will develop healthier coping mechanisms for example and you will get better. Now back to Harry Potter. Yes it is uncomfortable and sad to admit something you love isnt as good as you thought it was. Yes it can also feel embarassing to admit you were wrong. But to change is to grow. It might sound over dramatic talking about a children book series like this, but giving J K Rowling more money does cause real harm for people (especially trans people) in the real world. Also my concern is if you cant let go of a book you really like how far will it go? What about a person you admired that turns out to be bad for you? What about a political party? Its not nice to be wrong but its something we all have to learn to live with and its ok. You will be fine. This post is specifically about harry potter fans that are not transphobic, terfs or agree in any other way with Rowlings political views ofc Here are some youtube videos about things being wrong in the original Harry Potter series:

(you can also search harry potter bad on youtube for many many more videos)

[anti-terf-posts]

Saw this somewhere. Can't remember who it is. Couldn't have said more truer.

[Image ID: A post that reads "don't debate terfs, they don't operate on logic, just reactivity from trauma. It's pretty sad, a lot of them have genuinely awful experiences that deserve to be acknowledged- but they spiral into hate over their own pain, and try desperately to justify their need for absolute control in order to feel safe. It's what actually makes them right wing/fascist: a desire for total authoritarian control over making sure what they see out in the world never causes discomfort. When you debate them, it just makes them feel more justified in their victim complex cult. Please try to block and move on /end ID]

Yeah actually. I've gotten one or two asks wondering why I have some level of sympathy for terfs, and why I greet ex-terfs with open arms into my space I've set up.

For one, as the post says, terfs' hatred usually stems from some form of trauma or negative experience with men or trans people. I came across a tiktok a while ago of a young girl sharing her shitty experience with her trans mother, who utilized her being trans to manipulate the girl in the tiktok.* The girl in the tiktok was replying to a bunch of comments, and even made a separate video explaining that she doesn't have any hatred for trans people, she just didn't like her mother. There was, however, an obvious red flag, which was her continuing to misgender her mother. (It wasn't just referring to her with they/them or "parent", it was straight-up using he/him and calling her "dad") This is where a good amount of terfs start out. It starts with misgendering one trans person who wronged them as a way to cope, and then it pipelines into hatred for all trans people. Whenever I come across these posts, I usually comment something like "I'm so sorry this happened to you and you had a bad experience with a trans person. What they did was unacceptable, and I hope you are able to heal. The majority of us aren't like this, so I hope you only have good experiences with us from now on."

It does feel a bit dehumanizing to have to convince someone that we're not bad people, but unfortunately, bigots tend to only listen when you treat them with kindness. (Not true 100% of the time of course, but it's a big enough number).

*going to make it as clear as possible; any comments/asks on this part in bad faith will be deleted. No, I do not think that the mother was faking being trans or wasn't actually trans. I do believe that the mother was actually trans, but she just happened to be a bad person who used her identity for evil. This isn't a very common experience, as this is like one of only a few times I've heard of this happening.

[syscest]

hi im assuming the us vs them post is about a specific term, which one would that be?

so the sysmed out-group term being referenced in the joke post was (as the reblogs guessed) "endogenic", and I'll lay our thoughts out straight just once to avoid being potentially taken the wrong way

I've got two angles here, existential theological linguistic bullshit, and harm-reduction. stay with me here because even if you're not on board with the first thing you'll want to see the second.

so "traumagenic vs endogenic" is a false dichotomy, and I don't just mean "there's a secret third thing", I mean both classifications are fundamentally not real.

personally? we haven't the foggiest idea why we're a system. but the thing is, I don't think anybody else does either - I think it's genuinely impossible to know why your own consciousness is behind your own eyes and controlling your own body, why you *experience* existing in first-person at all. Like shit, lots of singlets believe it's because a soul has been created or introduced to their flesh, and a bunch of others think that's a load of crap and the chemicals just *do this* on their own. Singlets get this unalienable right to believe whatever the hell they want about why they're experiencing being themselves all the damn time, and I refuse to believe that systems are uniquely special in a way that singlets are not such that anyone can fucking flawlessly divine the cause of our consciousness all of a sudden. These are existential-tier questions and to deny their impossible complexity and the right to self-belief over them is, in my eyes, to deny systems something many singlets feel is part of what makes them human.

You can believe all sorts of stuff about the nature of your own systemhood just like how you can believe all sorts of stuff about the nature of your own existence - that doesn't make you definitively right, it's just a meaningful mechanism through which you understand your own experiences that other people should respect - it's like any faith, go figure.

Frustratingly, these words - traumagenic, endogenic - they're not talking about belief, they're objective buckets actively being used for exclusion. So every time we use the term "traumagenic systems", in saying "systems that objectively exist because of trauma" we are saying, loudly, "it is possible to know why a system exists". and frankly? no the fuck it isn't.

Anyway that's airy bullshit and reflects very idealised interactions so - practical, realist opinions, and harm reduction:

Saying "I'm pro-endo" is a net good, though I think "I support all systems" is probably marginally better because it doesn't perpetuate categories pushed by sysmeds for exclusionary reasons as being essential to defining systemhood - as we joked about.

Contrastingly, self-declaring "traumagenic" or "endogenic" in a bio is a net bad. Saying "I'm a traumagenic system" also says "Hello sysmeds, I believe in your dichotomy and I'm one of the good ones" (great way to get sysmed followers), and that factor doesn't go away if you go on to say that you support all systems - you've already thrown away your opportunity to shield more vulnerable systems from harassment through making who sysmeds need to target more obscure.

In fact, regardless of whether your bio says to sysmeds "I am a target" or "I'm not a target", by saying it explicitly, you're pressuring other, more vulnerable systems to similarly self-declare. It's like cis people putting pronouns in their bio to shield trans people from harassment through obscurity and embarrassment, but in reverse - if you shut up about it, and *just* call yourself a plural system, even if you do believe in their categorisations, you stop the propogation of the self-labelling and exclusionists are forced to make themselves look like idiots because most of their harassment would have to be done at random. It's basically herd immunity - nobody talks, everybody walks.

anyway yeah there's context for future, though honestly the section in plural respect is a lot more succinct lmao

[dunesofpriam]

Actually, the reason misgendering is hurtful is because it sucks having people tell you you're something you're not. It's hard enough to be born into the wrong body and to deal with the ways one's mind can try to destroy you because it recognizes how you exist as wrong, it doesn't help that when you ask someone for a little respect they spit in your face. Calling me a woman isn't wrong because being a woman is a bad thing to be, it's wrong because I was never supposed to be one and the "female body" I was born into just feels like a cheap, ill fitting costume that is constantly choking me. All most of us want is to be treated with respect. Me being trans isn't anymore of an ideology than me being bisexual is.

I'm sure it does hurt having someone tell you you're something you're not. When I was a kid my grandma told me dragons aren't real so I can't have one as a pet. Made me cry.

That doesn't make dragons real.

You can't be born in the wrong body, that mindset is born out of a the view that your body is just some vessel for your mind. You are the whole thing. Your body is you. I can understand you may have a condition(s) which make your life harder and I sympathize with that.

You say you were never supposed to be born into a female body; says who? Either you're looking to religion (which I don't ascribe to and can simply tell you I don't share your faith) or you're looking to biology, which has yet to show any actual physical condition which causes a person to be trans. At best you could say you were never supposed to feel you should have been male.

You will never be able to escape your female body, because you are female. Therefore your body will always be a female body. Perhaps if you were a frog or a parrot fish, but alas, we cannot change sex. You might feel no longer trapped if you were "perceived" as male - so you're referring to the societal constructs around male and female, in which case; congrats! That is the core of radical feminism - to deconstruct that. Women are adult female humans in the same way a bull is a male cow. It's just the term used to differentiate our sexually dimorphic species. No further inferences which can be controlled by free will should be ascribed to that, however those decisions made under free will should be analyzed and discussed to identify the societal factors causing them, and to figure out whether there is a biological component.