#from including trans men in reproductive healthcare

[whitehairedanimeboyfriend]

Conversations on here will basically be like

"Hey these new reproductive rights issues are affecting trans men too so let's make sure we include them in the conversation, instead of calling it women's health issues."

"Would you stop complaining? Trans women have it worse than trans men. TERFs want to kill us but only detransition you."

"If living as the gender you are not is so easy why would you transition in the first place? Obviously trans people transition because they can't live with existing as a gender they are not. Obviously "just going back" isn't an option because we often fail to behave the way we're expected to anyway. Forcing any trans person to detransition is a death sentence in and of itself."

"Why are you always speaking over transfems when we talk about transmisogynistic violence???"

[fvckw4d]

Queer and disabled and nonwhite cis men have been fighting for reproductive rights for the entire fucking time, but sure, tell me how trans and intersex men can't possibly have any skin in the game "because they're men."

[transmascpetewentz]

i meant wrapped not trapped, I do not blame you for misunderstanding me, thats entirely my fault

I think you seem to believe that my issue with transandrophobia as a label is the idea that trans men face oppression (which they do), when instead its the idea that the oppression transmasculine people face is something completely unique to them, instead of being the underlying current of tranphobia

I literally spent the first paragraph explaining my issues with the *concept* of it before segawaying into my issue with it as a conterpart to transmisogyny due to them not sharing an underlying ideological framework

And to touch on some of doberbutts points, trans women are also correctively raped and have suicide rates, and the issue of access to abortion is for every person with a vagina, not just trans men

A frustrating thing that he does there is that instead of giving a counterargument to one of my points (what i personally believe to be a misnomer about the purpose of the label of transmisogyny, were you (nonspecific) view it as a threat to the validity of the trauma we face, and not as a way to describe their own, and what others believe to be just attention seeking) is to bring up severe (often sexual) trauma as a way to put a landmine on that specific point, because any attempt to explain why they are wrong becomes a personal attack on the traumatized parties

this got quite long, so response under the cut. @doberbutts this is the same anon you responded to (by reblogging my post) earlier.

ok

no form of violence experienced under an oppressive system is truly "unique" in that i don't think there are any experiences of violence or oppression that apply to only one specific group, but the motivations behind the violence can differ depending on the demographic it's being done to. i do not think that any specific example of transandrophobia is something that no one who isn't transmasc has experienced, but transandrophobia is the oppression specifically targeting transmascs. i and doberbutts have already pointed out how this works, so i don't feel the need to reiterate that.

you do not understand the concept of transandrophobia, and you regularly demonstrate that your understanding is surface-level and comes from people who have an interest in making it seem less credible. instead of asking people who theorize about anti-transmasculinity (including me and doberbutts!!!) you immediately become hostile and make many incorrect assumptions about our beliefs. i find this highly disrespectful and encourage you to stop getting all of your information about transandrophobia from people who misrepresent it to argue against the concept of anti-transmasculinity.

yes, abortion access is something that everyone who can get pregnant has to deal with, but trans men face unique discrimination wrt abortion access and access to reproductive healthcare that trans women do not. this is because there is a fundamental misogyny component to anti-transmasculinity that you and others who deny it because "it's transmisogynistic!!!" seem to have a failure to grasp. transandrophobia is transphobia, misogyny, homophobia, and the specific modifier of maleness on this oppression all at once. i wish there was a better word for how maleness adds to and modifies oppression in an intersectional way that wasn't associated with mras, but alas there is none that i am aware of. also: anti-transmasculinity never says or implies that trans women don't face some of the issues that trans men do! you are treating this like a pissing contest for who has it worse and that is an attitude i'll need you to drop.

denying transandrophobia is a sentiment that is directly hostile to transmasc survivors of sexual assault, abuse, hate crimes and other things that arise from living under a patriarchy that systemically excludes you from both the male and female classes. the reason why we use this rhetoric is because these types of things arise from the specific intersection that trans men face, and how that can further intersect with sexuality. you are simply making up what we believe on the spot and not actually listening. if you want to come off anon and have a conversation in dms, i'd be willing.

talking to people like you is frustrating because you make these claims about what transandrophobia theory is as if we're a monolith or a homogenous group instead of hundreds of trans men on tumblr dot com all contributing to a larger conversation. no matter how much you claim to be in good faith, you continue to disregard actual transandrophobia theory in favor of some bastardized version you got from someone with "white tme/tma" in their bio. i hope you take this criticism and reflect on how you may be wrong.

[fangirleaconmigo]

Abortion in The Witcher Books

Would anyone like to come along with me on a deep dive regarding abortion in The Witcher books? Not enough people talk about the fact that Geralt of Rivia is explicitly pro-choice and that the sorceresses are seen providing reproductive care, including abortion, on multiple occasions. So, let's do that.

There are a lot of things you can say about The Witcher books, feminism, misogyny, and the male gaze. (I am considering doing my first video on this very topic. It is complicated. This is not a 'the books are perfect' post) But one thing we can never say is that they are wishy washy about bodily autonomy, and more specifically, abortion. (In fact, that is the entire point of Ciri and Geralt's arc, which I will get to at the end of the post)

This topic came up awhile back because a 'witcher school' was closed after the owners were found to have ties to far right organizations, including anti-abortion organizations. So, I did a little thread on twitter about it, wondering how you can call yourself a Witcher fan (to the extent that you license a fan activity business!), and miss the entire fucking point. It was my most popular (and ofc hated by others) tweet ever, which was interesting, but I was mostly surprised that so many people were shocked to learn that Geralt of Rivia is, as a character, canonically, verbally, explicitly pro-abortion rights.

So I’m going to put the info here too in case any of you here find it interesting. Obviously there will be spoilers for the books.

TW: discussion of sexual assault, pregnancy, and basically anything having to do with reproductive health.

Before I start, I want to say that the book refers to abortion in reference to rights for women throughout, so that is the language in this article. I want to be clear that I (as an individual) understand that abortion is relevant to other genders and that I support it for trans men, non binary people, literally anyone. Abortion should be safe and on demand for all. But this is not a post analyzing my views on abortion, but the appearance of abortion in fictional psuedo medieval-esque fantasy world of The Witcher books.

Ok, I’ll start with the fact that sorceresses provide reproductive care in the books, including abortions.

In, The Last Wish (p210) Geralt tries to give Nenneke money to help Yen with fertility treatments. (In the books he does not mock her desire to have a child) He knows Yen wants to be a mother, and he wants to help. Nenneke replies that she does not need his money, and that providing abortions pays a hell of a lot better than witchering.

"You're more of an idiot than I thought." Nenneke picked up the basket from the ground. "A costly treatment? Help? Geralt, these jewels of yours are, to her, knickknacks not worth spitting on. Do you know how much Yennefer can earn for getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy for a great lady?"

Witches as providers of abortion is a very common trope in fantasy fiction for a very good reason. In order to stamp out paganism and polytheism, European colonists vilified the village wise woman as a murderer of children, hence the 'boil them in a pot, stuff them in the oven' stories about witches. Many people interpret this as the vilification of abortion. In the classic 1972 feminist text Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers, Ehrenreich and English quote Malleus Maleficarum, the witch hunting manual written by Catholic clergymen in 1487, to show that women providing reproductive healthcare was one of the 'characteristics' of a witch.

The witch that provides reproductive healthcare fits in very well in the witcher world, where Geralt and the witchers are embodiments of the working class who are used as tools and exploited. They are loathed until they are needed. The same is true of abortion providers. They are hated until they are needed, and they are always needed.

It also fits in well with the themes of class. In the Witcher books, it is stated multiple times that it is upper class women who are accessing this care from sorceresses. That is real. It is the truth that outlawing something very very often only means outlawing it for the poor and working class. The wealthy always find a way.

In Season of Storms, the sorceress Coral and her assistant Mozaïk provide reproductive healthcare to "wealthy, upper-class ladies" on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Geralt comes to speak to Coral in chapter sixteen and both of the women are wearing white doctor coats. They have just helped a woman deliver a baby and it is implied that the baby died and they are both upset. They do not want Geralt there, because (it seems to me) they need space to grieve, and they do not expect him to understand. They send send him away, suggesting he go spend time with Dandelion.

She walked over and kissed him on the cheek without a word. Her lips were cold. And she had dark circles under her eyes.

She smelled of medicine. And the fluid she used as disinfectant. It was a nasty, morbid scent. A scent full of fear.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she forestalled him...She looked at him and it was a faraway look, from beyond a chasm of time and events between them. He needed a few seconds to understand how deep that chasm was and how remote were the events separating them.

"Maybe the day after tomorrow would be better. Go to town. Meet that poet, he's been worried about you. But now go, please. I have to see a patient."

After she had gone, he glanced at Mozaïk....

"We had a birth this morning," she said, and her voice was a little different. "A difficult one. She decided to use forceps. And everything that could have gone badly did."

"I understand."

"I doubt it."

"Goodbye Mozaïk."

There are multiple other references to abortion in relation to sorceresses; I won't quote them all. But I'll leave you with one other reference. In Lady of the Lake (pp114), in a very funny moment, Angoulême says she has a 'small problem' and Fringilla replies:

"I understand," nodded the sorceress. "It's nothing dreadful. When was your last period?"

Angoulême is rather put out at the thought of being pregnant.

"What do you mean?" Angoulême leaped to her feet, frightening the chickens. "It's nothing of the sort. It's something completely different!"

So, sorceresses provide abortions and other reproductive care.

But what about the men? What about the heroes?

Well, several of the male protagonists state explicitly in no uncertain terms that abortion is an inalienable, sacred right. That includes Geralt himself.

Here is Geralt taking to Queen Calanthe in Sword of Destiny (p345). She asks him whether he hates his mother. In the course of his answer, Geralt says that abortion is “a choice which should be respected, for it is the holy and irrefutable right of every woman.”

"A choice. A choice which should be respected, for it is the holy and irrefutable right of every woman."

That’s a strong goddamn statement. There’s no doubting his meaning or the strength of his conviction. And it isn’t just Geralt. Dandelion (Jaskier), Cahir (he is traveling with Geralt as part of the hansa in the books, please set aside anything you think you know about him from TWN), and Regis (Geralts dear friend) all explicitly support abortion rights, quite passionately.

In Baptism of Fire (p317), one of Geralt’s dear friends (my favorite, the love of my life, Milva) shares that she is pregnant. They are on a brutal journey through a war zone looking for Ciri. So it’s complicated. Another friend, barber surgeon vampire Regis has prepared an elixir for her to induce an abortion. So, not only do sorceresses provide abortions, but so do vampire barber surgeons, one of the most lovable heroic characters in the books.

But before he administers it, Regis gathers the rest of the company. Regis knows Milva feels like shit at the prospect of burdening them, so he is worried that she is making the decision under duress. They don’t immediately understand why he is bringing the matter to them.

At first they think he is asking for opinions on whether she should get an abortion. They are baffled. Cahir answers first. He says in Nilfgaard it is always a woman’s right to choose.

"In Nilfgaard," Cahir said, blushing and lowering his head, "the woman decides. No one has the right to influence her decision. Regis said that Milva is certain she wants the medicament. Only for that reason, absolutely only for that reason, have I begun-in spite of myself-to think of it as an established fact. And to think about the consequences. But I'm a foreigner, who doesn't know...I ought not to get involved. I apologize."

So, Cahir says that maybe it’s a foreigner thing. Maybe it’s different for them. Dandelion (Jaskier) is offended and outraged by the implication that they believe any differently.

"What for?" the troubadour asked, surprised. "Do you think we're savages, Nilfgaardian? Primitive tribes, obeying some sort of shamanic taboo? It's obvious that only the woman can make a decision like that. It's her inalienable right. If Milva decides to--"

At this point, Geralt cuts Dandelion off. Geralt alone actually understands that there is something else happening here, that they are misunderstanding Regis and further questions are in order. Geralt begs Dandelion to stfu, which the bard misinterprets. He thinks Geralt is disagreeing with him and is considering opposing Milva's right to choose. Dandelion LOSES HIS TEMPER at the thought that Geralt would deny Milva her right.

Geralt becomes even more irritated and angry at the implication that he would do such a thing.

So, not only do we have witches as abortionists in The Witcher books, we have men, the hero (Geralt) his best friend (Dandelion), my beloved Regis, and Cahir say explicitly that abortion is an inalienable right.

And that should be no surprise.

Bodily autonomy and reproductive rights is at the very heart of the story. You do not have The Witcher story without it. It drives the narrative, the conflict, and Geralt and Yen's character arcs.

There is a criticism I see floating around quite a bit, that having Yen's story driven by her desire to be a mom and to physically reproduce is anti-feminist, or at least a tired reductive trope of women being defined by their maternal instincts.

I get that. I get tired of womanhood being defined by reproduction and motherhood as well. Biological essentialism when it comes to gender is exhausting and regressive. However, in this context, it is entirely clear to me that the point is NOT that all women should want to be pregnant. The point is the bodily autonomy, to be pregnant if you want to, and to not be pregnant if you don't want to.

Look at Ciri. She essentially becomes the main character by the end, and the idea of being pregnant repulses her.

So, in Lady of the Lake, Ciri is being held captive by elves, who want to do the same thing to her that everyone else does--breed her. The deal they offer her is, she does not 'have' to have sex with anyone until she is impregnated, but if she doesn't, she can't leave. (So, if she is to access what every human wants--freedom--she has to. This is still rape. It is coerced sex) She is understandably distraught and enraged. The part of that deal she seems most disgusted by, is the idea that she could be pregnant.

"But I don't want to!" yelled Ciri so loudly that the mare skittered beneath her. "I don't want to, understand? I don't want to! The thought of a bloody parasite being implanted in me is sickening. I feel nauseous when I think the parasite will grow inside me, that--"

She broke off, seeing the faces of the elf-women.

So yes, she is distraught that her bodily autonomy is being taken from her yet again. But perhaps the most upsetting part is the idea that she could be pregnant. It physically repulses her.

Now. Let's put this in context.

In this psuedo-medieval-esque setting with royal families, being used as a brood mare is COMMON and ACCEPTED. IN FACT, Calanthe, Ciri's OWN GRANDMOTHER was marrying her off against her will, betrothing her as a child. No one thought this was weird. It's your duty, right? No big deal. Even Geralt, when he first met Ciri, thought it would be a better life for her. Sure, it's against her will. But it's physically safe and luxurious. And he leaves her behind in Brokilon.

But at some point, Geralt puts two and two together. He connects his trauma with hers. He makes a decision that even if almost no one around him in his culture or on the continent, sees the importance of her bodily autonomy or agrees with him, he's protecting her. Not just against death, but against anyone taking her choice from her. When he is having a mental breakdown in Brokilon, worried about her, he tells Dandelion that he is trying to protect her from what happened to him. He doesn't say, she can't die. Or I can't let her be killed. He says she cannot be alone. She cannot go through what I went through. Here, I"ll let him say it: (Time of Contempt, p240)

"Listen to what?" shouted the Witcher, before his voice suddenly faltered. "I can't leave---I can't just leave her to her fate. She's completely alone...She cannot be left alone, Dandelion. You'll never understand that. No one will ever understand that, but I know. If she remains alone, the same thing will happen to her as once happened to me...You'll never understand that..."

"I do understand. Which is why I'm coming with you."

Honestly, I tear up thinking about it.

And Yen, well, she has a similar arc.

Yen has been abused and used as a tool, and along the way she has accepted that this is the way things are. Yen has even done the same to others. But she looked into that little face, those wide green eyes, and at some point she also connected the dots. There's another way of doing things, and maybe it is possible for a little girl to choose for herself. And even if it isn't possible, maybe the important thing is to fight for it. Maybe Yen can give her whole life to let a child just be a child.

Yen goes through torture and imprisonment for Ciri. She shoots lightning at a god, she shouts at a goddess, she drops through a portal into the sea, she gives up every last shred of political power she has spend ninety years accruing, she WILLINGLY tries to give her own life MULTIPLES TIMES, to save Ciri.

And from what? Death? Not always. At the heart of all this sacrifice is that Yen has made a decision that Ciri gets be a human who is given the dignity and respect of deciding what to do with her own body. To be a kid, not a tool. To be a person. To be free.

So Ciri gets to say, actually, for me, the idea of pregnancy is terrifying and repulsive and therefore, I don't want to do it.

In the end, Geralt, a person whose body was tortured and experimented on before he was too young to consent, and Yen, a woman who was abused and used, and BOTH of whom had their reproductive rights taken from them, decide to love Ciri and protect her bodily autonomy at any and all costs.

That is what drives the story. It drives the narrative. It drives both Geralt and Yen's character arcs. It is, in fact, the entire point.

So it should not be a surprise that abortion, and the right to have an abortion if necessary, is an inextricable part of The Witcher world. No, you cannot analyze these books and find 'perfect politics'. They are not politically correct. And there are many parts I can critique. I mean, we can critique anything. (and I do)

But I find it endlessly interesting that people who are conservative or right wing think that this property 'belongs' to them, and they want to push everyone else out, when all they have to do is pay the most minimal amount of attention and have really only two (2) brain cells to rub together, to see that they are indeed, incorrect.

[lostryu]

Jasmine Sherman's Policy on protection for Transgender Individuals:

I am just going to start posting Jasmine Sherman's policies cause I know a good portion of the people engaging with my posts aren't seeing the bigger picture. Please be aware that Jasmine uses they/them pronouns. no cut because this is revolutionary for the political climate in the US.

Introduction:

The United States government, under the Sherman administration, is committed to ensuring equal rights, protections, and opportunities for all individuals; including transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. This federal policy seeks to promote equity, eliminate discrimination, and protect the rights of transgender people in various aspects of public life, including education, employment, healthcare, and public accommodations.

Section 1: Definitions

1.1 LGBTQIA2S+: Stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and more. This acronym is used to describe the community of people whose sexual orientations or gender identities differ from the majority of the population.

1.2 Transgender Individual: A person whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. This term is inclusive of individuals who identify as transgender men, transgender women, and non-binary or as a genderqueer individual.

1.3 Gender Identity: A person’s innate sense of their own gender, which may be different from their sex assigned at birth. It encompasses a range of identities, expressions, and roles that may or may not align with an individual’s physical appearance or sex assigned at birth.

1.4 Sex: A set of biological attributes in humans and animals associated with physical and physiological features including chromosomes, hormone levels, and reproductive/sexual anatomy, typically categorized as male, female, or intersex.

1.5 Gender: Both a social and cultural construct related to behaviors, roles, expectations, and activities in society, and the behavioral, cultural, and/or psychological ideas associated with a particular gender identity. Gender can be fluid and varies across different societies and cultures.

1.6 Transgender: A shorthand medical term used to describe individuals whose gender identity or expression differs from what is traditionally associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. It serves as an umbrella term for various gender identities.

Trans: means on the opposite side of, or across

1.7 Cisgender: Refers to individuals whose gender identity matches the sex assigned to them at birth. The term highlights the congruence between an individual’s self-perception of their gender and their birth-assigned sex.

Cis: Latin term meaning on the same side of

1.8 Gender Binary: The classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, often based on one’s anatomy at birth.

1.9 Nonbinary: Describes a person whose gender identity does not fit within the traditional gender binary of male and female. Nonbinary individuals may identify as having no gender, both genders, or a different gender.

1.10 Agender: An adjective used to describe individuals who do not identify with any gender, or see their gender as irrelevant to their identity and experiences.

1.11 Bigender: Describes a person whose identity encompasses two genders, either simultaneously or varying between them over time.

1.12 Queer: An umbrella term used to describe individuals whose sexual orientation or gender identity does not conform to societal norms. While once pejorative, “queer” has been reclaimed by many in the LGBTQIA2S+ community as a term of empowerment.

1.13 Gender Expression: The external manifestation of an individual’s gender identity, through clothing, hairstyles, behavior, voice, and body characteristics. Gender expression can vary widely and may not necessarily correspond to societal expectations based on the individual’s sex assigned at birth.

1.14 Gender Affirmation: The process by which individuals recognize, accept, and express their gender identity, potentially through social, legal, and medical changes. This can include lifestyle changes, hormone therapy, surgery, and altering legal documents to reflect one’s gender identity.

1.15 Deadnaming: Referring to a transgender or non-binary person by a name they used before they transitioned. It is considered disrespectful and can be harmful, emphasizing the importance of using the name and pronouns that someone has chosen for themselves.

1.16 Two-Spirit: Refers to a person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit, and is used by some Indigenous people to describe their sexual, gender and/or spiritual identity.

Section 2: Non-Discrimination

2.1 Equal Treatment: It is the policy of all organizations, corporations, schools, agencies, contractors, and programs receiving or not receiving federal funds to ensure the equal treatment of transgender individuals. This policy mandates that transgender individuals shall not be discriminated against on the basis of their gender identity or expression. Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all entities that engage with the public. This includes, but is not limited to, the provision of services, employment practices, and interactions within these entities. The objective is to foster an inclusive environment that respects and acknowledges the gender identity and expression of all individuals.

2.2 Employment: All employers shall enact and enforce policies that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment and in the hiring practices of contractors. Employees are no longer granted religious exemptions to be bigots. If an employee wishes to use their religious beliefs as a way to harm or discriminate against a transgender individual, they will face disciplinary action, up to termination.

2.3 Education: Educational institutions and federally-funded educational programs shall ensure that transgender students have access to safe and supportive educational environments, including the use of facilities and participation in sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

2.4 Healthcare: Transgender individuals shall have access to healthcare services that are free from discrimination, including access to gender-affirming care, without barriers based on gender identity. Also, anyone who’s unsure of their gender or is questioning their identity can join support groups or get therapy from a professional, as part of our healthcare policy.

Section 3: Privacy and Identity Documents

3.1 Identification Documents: All organizations, corporations, schools, and agencies shall provide a streamlined and accessible process for transgender individuals to change the gender marker on their identification documents. This includes passports, identification cards, and driver’s licenses, consistent with their gender identity.

3.2 Privacy: All organizations, corporations, schools, and agencies shall respect the privacy and confidentiality of transgender individuals, of all ages, and shall not disclose information about an individual’s transgender status without their explicit consent.

Section 4: Hate Crimes and Violence

4.1 Hate Crimes: In connection with our Abolish the Police policy; all crimes committed against transgender individuals will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted to prevent and address bias-motivated violence. If a transgender individual is subjected to this, a provision will be made to provide legal recourse and financial resources to the individual until they have received resolution. We recognize the cost and time associated and feel the trans community deserves restorative justice for the trauma they have experienced.

4.2 Anti-Bullying: Federal educational institutions and programs shall develop and implement anti-bullying policies that specifically address bullying and harassment based on gender identity.

Section 5: Public Accommodations

5.1 Access to Facilities: Public accommodations, such as restrooms and locker rooms, are required to grant access to facilities in alignment with an individual’s gender identity. This provision mandates that public schools permit transgender students to use bathrooms and participate in sports teams that correspond with their gender identity.

Section 6: Training and Education

6.1 Training: Federal agencies shall provide training and education to their employees and contractors to ensure understanding and compliance with this policy.

Section 7: Enforcement

7.1 Enforcement Mechanisms: Federal agencies shall have mechanisms in place to enforce compliance with this policy, including investigation and sanctions for violations.

7.2 Reporting: Transgender individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination may report such incidents to the appropriate federal agency for investigation and resolution.

Section 8: Review and Updates

8.1 Periodic Review: This policy shall be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.

This federal policy on transgender rights and protections shall be implemented across all federal agencies, departments, and programs, and shall serve as a framework to promote equality, equity, inclusivity, and the protection of the rights of transgender individuals across the United States. The definitions mentioned in this policy are intended to foster understanding and respect for the diverse experiences and identities within the LGBTQIA2S+ community, emphasizing the complexity and fluidity of gender and sexuality. At the end of the day no one community is a monolith; if you have questions be respectful and ask them. These policies will be updated as needed, as new information or feedback is received.

[crippled-peeper]

trans men deserve access to reproductive healthcare *all of it and I don’t give a fuck about cis women’s feelings about the word “person”

*this includes cancer care this includes abortion this includes hysterectomies this includes endometriosis surgeries this includes Pap smears and STI screenings and breast exams and imaging like ultrasounds and mammograms and pregnancy care and birthing care and post partum care

if you’re offended by trans people accessing medical care that keeps them from literally dying in childbirth because they called themselves a “pregnant person” then pls pls go straight to hell and burn there forever you monstrous weird ass loser!!! 🙏 🖤✨

[gandalfsbignaturals]

please tell me you don’t believe transandrophobia is real

why the fuck wouldnt it be real? trans men face a wide range of issues, including access to reproductive healthcare and exclusion from queer spaces, which are specifically tied to them being both trans and men. do i believe trans women specifically hold societal privilege over trans men? no, but i also dont believe trans men hold privilege over trans women.

i think trans men should be allowed to talk about the issues they face and put words to them. i think denying them that and calling them misogynists for daring to bring up their problems is both cruel and counterproductive to trans rights. i think that infighting between trans men and trans women sucks shit and genuinely i really just wish we as trans people could all figure out how to get along and coexist together. i think that the more we divide the community over things like transandrophobia, the easier we make it for hate groups to get their way, and the easier we make it for members of our community to become isolated and taken advantage of.

i am not a trans men, but trans men were some of the very first people who accepted me as a woman. ive had many trans men in my life who were nothing but kind and loving to me. ive also known some trans men who were huge dicks to me, but that wasnt because they were trans men, it was because they were assholes who sucked.

i believe trans men have problems, and i believe they should be allowed to speak openly and honestly about them without being ridiculed for being MRAs or whatever. if they want to coin a term to do that more effectively, then i support them doing that, period.

[rjalker]

Edit: to clarify, (since I wrote this while overheating from lack of AC during a heatwave):

If you require access to gynecological care or abortions, you by definition do not have access to male privilege, because having male privilege means you are not subject to systemic misogyny, including medical misogyny.

Radical feminists love to pretend that trans men magically gain male privilege the instant they begin identifying as men, because radical feminists don't give a single flying shit about how the world actually works. Misogyny exists. Transmisia exists. No one is going to give you a free pass to get an abortion just because you don't identify as a woman. No one's gonna give you free and accessible gynecological care just because you don't identify as a woman.

The people who are standing outside the abortion clinic threatening to shoot anyone who goes in aren't gonna apologize and wave you in because you tell them you're not actually a woman.

The fact is that being a trans man makes it even more difficult to access reproductive and gynecological care, especially if you don't "look" like a woman anymore.

Trans men and any other trans people who need access to abortions and gynecological care do not benefit from male privilege because male privilege inherently precludes the necessity for accessing """"women's healthcare"""""". People who actually have male privilege are never going to need to get an abortion. They're never going to need to go to the gynecologist. They're never going to be told that they're a horrible child murderer for having a miscarriage or an abortion.

If you could ever need to get an abortion, something that is literally illegal in many parts of the US, you by definition literally do not have male privilege. Because if your bodily autonomy is controlled and made illegal by the patriarchy you by definition don't have male privilege.

If your ""feminism"" can't even grasp the most basic realities of how systemic misogyny works in the real world outside the fantasy version in your head where gender identities work like Pokemon types and simply identifying as a man gives you access to all aspects of male privilege and removes all barriers put in place by misogyny that's been going on for hundreds of years, you're not a feminist, you're just a misogynist who's putting a progressive spin on it.

Trans people who are subject to systemic misogyny inherently, by definition, do not have male privilege.

If you literally refuse to acknowledge the systemic medical misogyny that exists in the real world in your campaign to demonize and shit on trans men, you just need to admit you're not actually a feminist. The right to an abortion is one of the most blatant issues that feminists have been fighting for for decades. And you people want to pretend it's magically not a form of oppression as soon as the victims are trans people who don't identify as women.

Stop ignoring the reality of systemic misogyny in your quest to hate trans men. You are literally not helping anyone except the misogynists who are taking away our rights in the first place.

If you're literally willing to argue that needing access to abortions, which can get you arrested or murdered or both, isn't an issue for feminism, you're just a fucking hateful misogynists like any other conservative.

original post which I thought was clearer than it actually is but is actually extremely unclear and confusing:

people who have male privilege don't need access to abortions or gynecological care. you'd think this would be obvious, and yet….

[coochiequeens]

If a menstruation app wants to help women avoid headaches maybe they shouldn’t let men use the app.

An app created to help women track their menstrual cycles is under fire after it was revealed biological males were using private chat functions within the app to communicate with women on intimate matters.

Flo is a popular period tracking app that allows women to track their menstrual cycle allowing them to predict their next period, track their fertility, and to better understand their reproductive health. Though it is ranked the #7 most popular health app in the Apple Store, Flo is now sparking backlash after it was learned males who identify as “women” are being welcomed to use the app.

On January 12, a feminist account on Twitter kicked off the upset, calling attention to the fact she had witnessed self-described “trans women” using the app’s forums to communicate with female users about menstruation. 

Flo responded to the user saying: “We aim to support everyone with periods – regardless of gender.”

Despite Flo’s tweet that the app is suitable for “anyone with periods,” screenshots from the apps message boards, known as secret chats, began to circulate showing the app was being used by biological males who were communicating directly with the female users.

On Twitter, women began to rally under Flo’s posts, asserting that males do not have periods and thus should not be accepted on the application where women are discussing intimate details of their reproductive healthcare. Some insisted they would uninstall the app, disappointed with Flo’s response.

“That’s me uninstalling Flo App then. Can’t use an app that gaslights women into thinking men can have periods,” one Twitter user responded. 

“Right. And since males don’t have periods they have no business being in chats with women who do,” stated another.

Faith commentator and influencer Allie Beth Stuckeysimilarly called attention to the ordeal, reporting to her more than 390,000 followers that Flo was allowing men to take part in chats with women discussing intimate healthcare. Stuckey posted screenshots showing she had been blocked by the app’s official social media page after them “‘trans women’ don’t have periods. Women do.”

But Stuckey was just one of dozens of women Flo quickly blocked for issuing criticism of their “all genders get periods” mantra. Reduxx discovered our social media account was preemptively blocked by Flo despite never having interacted with it.

Screenshots rapidly began to circulate from women showing they had been blocked by Flo after pointing out that males do not have a uterus, and thus, do not experience menstruation. 

“Flo App blocked me, a woman who uses their app for my period tracking and fertility, for asking why they allow men on their period app. They allow ‘transwomen’ in their chats,” said one user. 

Reduxx has obtained further screenshots from Flo’s “secret chats” which show men discussing their “periods” and bathroom access with female users.

In some conversations held in the “secret chats,” trans-identified males discussed the possibility of getting uterus transplants. In one post seen by Reduxx, a trans-identified female offered up her womb to a male who was expressing a desire to have a baby.

A common theme amongst the trans-identified males using the app is the insistence they experience the symptoms of menstruation, including “cramps.”

But, according to the National Health Service of England and Wales, the “cramping” commonly associated with menstrual pain is the contraction of the muscular wall of the uterus.

“When the wall of the womb contracts, it compresses the blood vessels lining your womb. This temporarily cuts off the blood supply – and oxygen supply – to your womb. Without oxygen, the tissues in your womb release chemicals that trigger pain,” explains the medical authority.

The revelation that Flo welcomes males onto their app comes at a time where there has been a pointed uptick of males on social media platforms like TikTok claiming they experience “periods” or period-like symptoms as a result of taking cross-sex hormones. Many women have taken issue with this calling it a mockery, appropriation, and fetishization. 

Despite males not having a womb, it has become commonplace on social media for trans-identified males to report having accessed healthcare services to relieve them of their uterine cramping.

According to Flo’s terms of use, “Flo Secret Chats is a special feature of the App that allows users to communicate with each other on a set of different topics related to women’s health and wellbeing.” In the secret chat rules it states that users as young as 13 years old are allowed to participate in the chat community, potentially 

This is not the first time Flo has received backlash in 2021 a lawsuit was filed against the organisation alleging they were disclosing their users intimate data to third-parties. 

Flo Health allegedly violated users’ privacy by disclosing their information to third parties through software development kits incorporated into its app, despite the company’s privacy policies and “public assurances” that it would not share data, stated the complaint.

By Shay Woulahan Shay is a writer and social media content creator for Reduxx. She is a proud lesbian activist and feminist who lives in Northern Ireland with her partner and their four-legged, fluffy friends.

[cripple-punk-dad]

Hey, sorry to bother you, but whats transandraphobia? I try to stay out of discourse but i’ve heard it used a lot and was interested as to what it means. I’m probably being stupid lol :,)

Transandrophobia is a term referring to the intersection of oppression that trans men and transmasculine (and people perceived to be in that group regardless of their gender identity) face. Examples of this include: Lack of access to reproductive healthcare, exclusion and erasure from general media and from discussions about the trans community as a whole, and plenty of other things that I don't have the energy to and as nuanced examples

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

In an announcement for Pride Month, UN Women—the United Nations entity responsible for global women's issues—announced that anti-rights movements are on the rise across the world with respect to LGBTQ+ people. The organization highlighted steps being taken in several countries to target transgender people, women, and LGBTQ+ people with overtly discriminatory policies and restrictions. UN Women also explicitly called out several movements as "anti-rights," including the "gender-critical" movement, which frames women's rights as being in opposition to transgender people.

On June 11th, UN Women took to social media to sound the alarm on the surge of anti-LGBTQ+ movements, which have been fueled by a 50% funding increase over the past decade. The UN's arm for global women's issues highlighted how these anti-rights movements are gaining traction worldwide, notably those trying to pit trans rights against women's rights. "Some try to frame the human rights of transgender people as being at odds with women's rights, for instance, asserting that trans women pose a threat to the rights, spaces, and safety of cisgender women," the announcement stated. However, such assertions have no factual basis; transgender people are often the most at risk in such spaces, and hate-fueled rhetoric from these movements can increase that risk. Perhaps most impactful, though, is the full report released alongside the announcement. In the report, UN Women explicitly calls out the "gender-critical" movement, which has infamous adherents such as J.K. Rowling, as being an extremist "anti-rights" movement similar to "men's rights activism" in rhetoric.

[...]

Currently, the "gender-critical" movement is most active in the United Kingdom. Recently, Conservative Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch revealed that members of the movement were put in key health positions to produce the Cass Review, a report that resulted in broad-scale attacks on transgender youth and their medical care in the country. Similarly, the U.K. is currently grappling with attempts to promote conversion therapy of transgender youth, ban trans people from bathrooms that align with their gender identity, and exclude trans women from women's hospital wards. In the United States, Republican candidates and legislators have latched onto similar language, passing "Women's Bills of Rights" that contain little regarding women's rights but instead target transgender women's access to bathrooms and seek to end legal recognition of transgender people altogether. Notably, these legislators and the organizations that push the bills often oppose many other women's rights issues, such as reproductive healthcare access, abortion rights, and generous paid family leave.

The move to declare "gender-criticals" an anti-rights movement is a notable one. In recent years, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Reem Alsalem, has supported "gender-critical" issues and been praised by supporters of the movement for doing so.

Good on UN Women calling out the anti-trans "gender-critical" movement (among other anti-rights movements).

They take to task the false framing that women's rights and trans rights are in conflict, in which anti-trans extremists push the bigoted trope that trans women purportedly threaten cis women's safety and rights.

[ivyblooms]

"No matter how nicely it's phrased, body part focused language always exists to destroy the concept of female people as a real and unique group."

Actually, it exists so that a subsection of the group you'd consider "female people" can still get healthcare. If the government starts recognizing a trans man as a man because he's transitioned and applied for that recognition, suddenly insurance and similar things think he no longer needs reproductive healthcare. Whether you personally think of him as a real man or not is irrelevant. Trans men are the ones asking for inclusive language (in the right circumstances, the teargas example is nonsense by people who don't get why we ask for inclusive language) because without it, we get denied the same reproductive healthcare that we still need. Just because my brain doesn't match my body doesn't mean I don't need things like papsmears covered by insurance.

You are right that transmen often don't recieve appropriate healthcare and that is a real and important issue. However this is an issue that is best solved by transmen not lying about their biological sex on medical documents, and by insurance and medical institutions having policies in place specifically to ensure trans people still receive the unique, personalized care they need. I changed social documents I.e my passport, my work profile, club memberships etc but I never changed my medical documents so I didn't struggle with recieving papsmears when I was a transman.

The logical step to 'medical services are not proving people with needed healthcare' is to push for those services to do better, not to push to remove language from oppressed groups. The problem is real but the solution you propose actually makes things much harder for everyone in many contexts including and outside of medical ones. Come up with a better one.

Also ask why this is being pushed for women, but not for men. Because your reasoning should logically apply to both sexes and yet there are very few campaigns to start calling men testicle bearers, prostate bodies etc

[feckcops]

There is so much more for us to worry about than men masquerading as women to access single-sex spaces

“With so many real threats to women’s safety, it is confounding that this much time and attention is being lavished on a largely hypothetical risk. Every single case of someone being attacked is unacceptable, and everything must be done to protect women’s safety. Many cisgender women who support trans rights, myself included, have personal experience of sexual assault and take the topic extremely seriously. But the main threat to women comes overwhelmingly from men, not from trans women, who should not be penalised for the actions of predatory men ...

“Men continue to attack women and children at home, in the workplace and in public, often with no repercussions; they have no need to resort to impersonating trans women. Far from making women feel safer, controversies about single-sex bathrooms have led to increased harassment and hostility towards cis women who do not present in a traditionally feminine way.

“Much discussion around trans identity tends to focus insistently on genitalia. But where exactly does womanhood reside? In your ovaries, your cervix, your womb, your breasts? There are women who, for all sorts of reasons – illness, surgery, rare medical conditions – are missing one part or another of the female anatomy (Angelina Jolie, for example), and yet they do not cease to be women.

“Excluding anyone on the basis of biological difference demonstrates a spectacular failure of empathy; worse, it reduces women to their reproductive systems, which is surely something we should be trying to move on from.”

[yak-leather-whips]

So here’s a question I want everybody to answer, and I ask this genuinely: does transmisogyny include trans men? If not, what term should trans men use to refer to the specific intersectional experiences that affect them?

When I first caught wind of all this, the debate was about whether trans men were able to use the term transmisogyny for the ways in which their transness was punished as a result of being seen as a woman. It seems, from what I saw, that the transfeminine community felt that while our experiences were a result of an intersection of transphobia and misogyny, it is a different thing than transmisogyny.

While the discourse seems to have moved on, I’m self-aware enough to admit to still feeling conflicted about that, but regardless of that feeling, I can respect that this term was coined by transfemmes for transfemmes to describe their unique experiences. Okay, I can understand that. I truly want to be respectful of the transfemmes in this space. You are my sisters, even when we disagree, and I know many of you are coming at this from a place of genuine frustration. But I still can’t help but feel my own frustration at how this has played out, with transfeminine people laying exclusive claim to what they appear to see as the only coherent term for the intersection of misogyny and transphobia, and then calling transmasculine people incoherent when we attempt to create other terms for the other ways in which that intersection can manifest in other types of trans people.

Look, I see the discourse around transandrophobia, transmisandry and antitransmasculinity as terms. I hear it, I want to make space for that, and I understand where a lot of the heat is coming from. The major complaint I see is that misandry and androphobia aren’t real things, therefore transandrophobia is nonsensical, an attempt at creating an intersection between oppressions that do not exist, and that what we are really experiencing is “just transphobia.” Occasionally I will see some admission that there is also misogyny involved, though the role of that is often downplayed.

But I have to admit that I really struggle to understand that in terms of the intersectional framework as I understand it, because the way I learned about intersectional theory, there isn’t any such thing as “just” in term of oppressive systems. Society is not selective in the perceived aspects of you it chooses to oppress you based upon. Society sees trans men as trans (bad) and also women (bad), which results in the intersection of sexism and transphobia.

And there are definitely aspects of transphobia towards trans men that reek of misogyny to me! Being told that young trans men need to be “protected” from their own choices because its whats “best for them.” The amount of emphasis placed on “destroying your womb” in transition related discussions. The surprising amount of discussions I’ve had to have where someone asked if that meant I was going to stop shaving, only to act legitimately disgusted when I told them I hadn’t shaved any of my body parts since middle school. The doctor who tried to convince me I was legally barred from even getting a referral for top surgery until I’d had a child, despite me living in one of the most trans-friendly places on the planet where I think 1 in 10 people is some sort of queer, and where we have explicit laws on the books protecting my access to gender affirming care. Not even a hysterectomy, something that might actually affect my ability to bear kids. Top surgery. Like, no, having doctors try to deny you healthcare is not a uniquely transmasc thing, but having them explicitly say they’re basing that decision on the occupancy status of your womb certainly does feel like misogyny to me. It is a reduction of me to my reproductive capacity and saying my feelings don’t matter in the face of what my body can do for society. I can’t imagine a clearer manifestation of sexism, because that is not the sort of thing that happens to cis men.

And then there are the violence statistics showing trans men have on par rates of assault and rape with trans women, as well as all the anecdotal evidence of forced impregnation as a coercion tactic to keep trans men in line. The threats of “corrective rape” that are so integral to lesbophobia, that sense people have of lesbians men of being women out of line who need to be “put back in their place”, trans men experience those too. The fetishization, and particularly the prevalence of forcefem in transmasc chasers. Can’t possibly get more overt than “I like to sleep with trans guys so I can live out the fantasy of fucking them so good they become women again.”

So many of the posts I see upset about transandrophobia or transmisandry say that the people making these posts have made transmisogynist posts in the past, that the claims are transmisogynistic in themselves, and that these trans men are just looking for something to make them feel special. But…the whole point of intersectionality is that the intersections of our identity do create new and unique angles of oppression that weigh on us all differently, and we can use more specific terminology to communicate and foster solidarity across unique experiences. Like…the experiences of trans men are different from trans women, not because trans men don’t experience misogyny, or trans women don’t experience misogyny. We both experience misogyny. The difference is in the angle and which it intersects with our transness.

I don’t want to invalidate trans women’s experiences here. I am trying as hard as I can to be respectful, and mindful, and acknowledge the places in which the trans women speaking have real points to make about the origins of the words we use. But we have to use something. You may feel its a childish argument, but it truly isn’t fair for one side to lay claim to the idea of an intersection of transness and misogyny, and its not because trans men are such special guys who saw trans women had a toy and they wanted one too. Its because it limits the effectiveness of discussions about transmasculine oppression. Asking trans women not to use the term transmisogyny would limit the ways in which they can talk about their own oppression. Trans men also deserve to talk about their own oppression.

And its not good for trans women either! Saying that the things transmasculine people experience are “just transphobia”…kind of implies that the transmasc experiences is like…the default trans experience??? If an experience exclusive to transmasc people is “just transphobia,” doesn’t that imply that trans women’s experiences are somehow…tangential to transphobia? Like, from my perspective seems to just increase the burden on trans women to justify their experiences, in the same way viewing intersections of whiteness and misogyny as “just misogyny” puts the burden on women of color to justify their own experiences of misogyny as still being misogyny, even though it doesn’t line up with what white women experience.

Look, I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I guess the main thing is: yeah, you’re right, misandry isn’t a societal force like misogyny is, and cannot create intersections. The actual intersection happening here is an intersection between transphobia and misogyny. Unfortunately, what seems to be the only logical name for that intersection has been claimed in such a way that we are not really welcome to use it, so if we want to discuss our experiences with the intersection of transphobia and misogyny, we have to either a. Encroach on trans women’s language, or b. Invent a new term. I don’t know which is preferable here, but i know things cannot continue as they are.

This essay probably won’t reach anyone except my immediate circle, and even within that I’m likely to get some amount of my mutuals upset with me. If it does leave my immediate circle I know I’ll probably get a lot of shit thrown my way, and I’ve accepted that, but I decided I really just had to get this out, and I didn’t want to do it on someone else’s post. Just…I really hope I’ve been respectful enough in this post to warrant anyone responding to it to be respectful in turn.

[transmalewife]

fellow trans people, a reminder to be very, very careful when saying stuff like "isn't it fucked up that women can get sterilized at will or easily get hormones but trans people have to fight for the same thing" or "women can get the same surgery for *eye roll* back pain but trans men have to get a psychiatrist letter etc etc" because like no, actually. In many places it is functionally impossible for a woman to get willingly sterilized for any reason up to and including terminal illness in some cases. And no, getting a breast reduction for back pain is not a silly whim (and I say this as a trans man who's had top surgery at least in equal parts because of back pain form an overlarge chest and dysphoria). Cis women's reproductive healthcare is a fucking nightmare, and comparing that to trans healthcare in the context of 'they have it so easy' is fucking ridiculous. The issues we face are very similar and they are our natural allies in the fight against gendered discrimination in medical situations. Same with disabled people (and yeah, chronic pain from large breasts can absolutely be disabling). So many of our struggles overlap and we should be fighting together for bodily autonomy and easy, accessible healthcare based on informed consent. Those kinds of arguments are not only blatantly false half the time, they also only serve to alienate the people who are best placed to understand our struggles and unite with us to end them.

[rockislandadultreads]

Nonfiction Thursday: LGBTQIA+ Pride Month Picks

The LGBTQ+ History Book by D.K. Publishing

Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience. This diverse, global account explores the most important moments, movements, and phenomena, from the first known lesbian love poetry of Sappho to Kinsey's modern sexuality studies, and features biographies of key figures from Anne Lister to Audre Lorde.

Dive deep into the pages of The LGBTQ + History book to discover:

- Thought-provoking graphics and flow-charts demystify the central concepts behind key moments in LGBTQ+ history, from eromenos and erastes in the Ancient World to political lesbianism. - Features insightful quotes from leading historians, philosophers, cultural commentators, economists, anthropologists, sociologists, activists, and politicians. - Includes biography boxes and directory entries on the lives of important but lesser-known individuals, alongside well-known names including Sappho, Oscar Wilde, Anne Lister, Harvey Milk, and Marsha P. Johnson. - Global in scope with a localizable directory.

This is volume is part of the “Big Ideas Simply Explained” series.

Queer Conception by Kristin Liam Kali

The only evidence-based, up-to-date fertility guide for queer people from an experienced health care provider, this is also the first to be transgender inclusive and body-positive.

Here, queer prospective parents will find sound advice for navigating complex medical, social and financial decisions. Trusted fertility midwife Kristin Kali walks you through the baby-making process: creating a timeline; fertile health for every body; preconception tests; identifying ovulation; donors, gamete banks, and surrogacy; methods of insemination including IUI, IVF and reciprocal IVF; navigating early pregnancy; and preparing for infant feeding, including lactation induction for trans women and nongestational parents.

This book is for all LGBTQ+ readers interested in creating family through pregnancy: anyone who identifies as queer, lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, trans and nonbinary people, couples, single parents by choice, poly families, and coparents. It’s an antidote to a culture and medical system that all too often centers heterosexual couples experiencing infertility while overlooking our unique needs. It also contains sidebars with guidance for reproductive healthcare professionals.

It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful by Jack Lowery

In the late 1980s, the AIDS pandemic was annihilating queer people, intravenous drug users, and communities of color in America, and disinformation about the disease ran rampant. Out of the activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), an art collective that called itself Gran Fury formed to campaign against corporate greed, government inaction, stigma, and public indifference to the epidemic.

Writer Jack Lowery examines Gran Fury’s art and activism from iconic images like the “Kissing Doesn’t Kill” poster to the act of dropping piles of fake bills onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Lowery offers a complex, moving portrait of a collective and its members, who built essential solidarities with each other and whose lives evidenced the profound trauma of enduring the AIDS crisis.

Gran Fury and ACT UP’s strategies are still used frequently by the activists leading contemporary movements. In an era when structural violence and the devastation of COVID-19 continue to target the most vulnerable, this belief in the power of public art and action persists.

It Came From the Closet edited by Joe Vallese

Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropes—such as the circumspect and resilient “final girl,” body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closet—spark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world.

It Came from the Closet features twenty-five original essays by writers speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on "Jennifer’s Body", Jude Ellison S. Doyle on "In My Skin", Addie Tsai on "Dead Ringers", and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.