#that is a transgender woman. there is no other explanation for this

[burstfoot]

Why does Bison look Like That in So Long, Adele. What is Ryuuzaki Ichi cooking

[the-man-horse]

hot take! cis people shut up about your opinion on whether or not a character is trans please and thanks 👍 🙏 😊

[coochiequeens]

Germany WTF?

By Genevieve Gluck September 23, 2023

A woman in Germany has been warned by a court after comparing a transgender organization’s recently-adopted mascot and a symbol known to be used by pedophiles. Rona Duwe, a women’s rights campaigner, has received an order from the Higher Regional Court in Cologne barring her from further comparisons.

The initial complaint, lodged against Duwe in March, referred to a series of comments she had made online criticizing the distinct pink and blue butterfly being utilized as a mascot by a board member of the German Society for Transidentity and Intersexuality (DGTI – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transidentität und Intersexualität).

The butterfly, which has been named Fiely, is a mascot of the northern German trans self-help group Fielappers – a low-German word translating to “butterflies.” Trans-identified male DGTI board member Julia Steenken has appeared holding the butterfly in public situations, and, according to Duwe, the mascot has been present in photos taken at several court proceedings, at meetings of the national parliament or Bundestag, in medical clinics, at events with families, and with the police.

The butterfly mascot was designed by Andrea Fleßner, a trans-identified male involved in the founding of Fielappers. Fleßner also has a close working relationship with DGTI.

Fiely is often seen posed amongst other childlike-toys on its dedicated Facebook page.

The butterfly symbol utilized by Fielappers [L], and a list of pedophilic symbols identified by the FBI [R].

See rest of article

By Genevieve Gluck September 25, 2023

The city of Berlin has prompted outrage from locals after offering a graphic picture book on prostitution to children via its official website. The book, titled Rosie Needs Money (Rosi sucht Geld), is advertised as a resource for youth aged 6 to 12 years old.

According to Equal Opportunities Officer Kerstin Drobick, the book is a “helpful tool” for explaining prostitution to children of families residing in a red-light district of Berlin, located in Kurfürstenkiez, known as Kurfürstenstraße.

“In the years in which the Tiergarten Süd and Schöneberger Norden neighborhood management offices dealt with the issue of street prostitution and also had many conversations with residents, this was one of the topics: What do I say to the child? The Tiergarten Süd district management has faced this courageously,” Dobrick says in her defense of the book.

“An order was placed for a children’s book that tried to explain to the children what was happening there. Interestingly, extensive research has shown that educational books for children aged 10 and over avoid this explanation.”

Drobick also explains that the book on prostitution, which features graphic illustrations, was created “with primary school children and other people [in mind].”

See rest of acticle

[transmalewife]

so back in my overanalizing pretentious fuck days I vaguely remember wanting to write a meta about the madonna whore complex in star wars costume. and while I still think theres a lot to work with there,

(like, a lot)

I'm just gonna focus on padme right now, specifically Padme's hair because something really interesting just hit me.

look at this for a moment

this is the most virginal imagery imaginable.

let's get the obvious out of the way and say the blue dress and shawl are almost on the nose references to the virgin mary (maybe a hint at luke being the real chosen one?). But more importantly, in so many cultures around the world, loose long hair, especially combined with flowers, is associated with young girls. there are countless traditions that dictate that women, once they get married or come of age, should wear their hair up, covered or short.

(this might be a good moment to disclaimer that I am very transgendered and irreligious and none of this analysis is coming from a tradwife mindset. it's coming from a 'this is the archetypes that exist in our culture being very clearly and skillfully referenced here')

her dress is made to look like flowing water, carrying flowers. in slavic cultures, on the summer solstice, young women would make flower crowns and throw them into rivers, so potential suitors could fish them out downstream and court them. They would also wear flowers in their hair on their wedding day, and after that, they would cover it with a kerchief. and those traditions still live on in some form in europe today. most girls in my class got their hair cut short after first communion. women still throw bouquets on their wedding day.

There are in universe explanations I could invent here, from the easy 'this is just naboo funeral tradition' to the political "they wanted to distance her from the secret marriage to spare her family the shame of the scandal" but i'm frankly not about all that. and now that i've noticed this, I can't ignore it. all throughout rots padme is shown with her hair down (partialy. will come back to that), and wearing long gowns and hoods. The virgin mary imagery remains in the cut of the velvet hooded gown, in the blue drape of her nightgown when she cries on the balcony, and the, also baby blue, nightgown she wears when anakin has his nightmare literally looks like 1950s sexy lingerie.

(Also, a note here that I'm not willing to let spiral into a tangent, is that she almost always, and iirc, only, wears blue when she's either on tatooine, or when it's just her and Anakin. And then in her coffin.)

We know, from lucas, from the costume designer and art director, of two costumes that were purposely designed to make her look sexy, romantic, seductive. The corset in the fireplace scene and the iconic lake house balcony dress.

That makes sense. Those are the scenes where she's falling in love with Anakin, but the corset is extremely restrictive both visually, (and physically, according to natalie portman.) She's wearing metal bands around her head, the scarf looks like a noose and prison bars at the same time, and her hair is pinned up tighter and closer that in any other costume (except maybe on mustafar). She's not allowed the freedom to live in the fantasy of their forbidden love. She's imprisoned in the conventions of her station, quite literally trapped by her clothing.

And while the lake dress does look very free and loose and open, which is what she's tying to let herself be, flirty even, her hair is still quite literally behind bars, (and that type of headwear repeats in many of her costumes) as are her neck and arms.

Worth mentioning that in the floral picnic dress, her hair, while the shape is quite obviously meant to reference Leia's buns, is still held neatly in place by hairnets. This isn't the typical imagery of a young woman enjoying her freedom, frolicking in fields of flowers for the last time before she puts her hair up and grows up.

Padme didn't get to grow up, because she was never a child. In tpm her costumes are heavy, royal, extravagant. they not only hide her hair, but her face and body as well. Because she doesn't really matter. The costume, the crown, her duty matters more than the child underneath. There's quite literally six more of her. (Leia goes through something similar, in that she only ever gets to let her hair down after a battle is won)

Thinking of the costumes in tcw for too long makes my blood boil so i won't linger too long, but the moment Padme takes off her wig to reveal long flowing hair underneath, implying that the short bob she wore for much of the show is also a wig, is incredibly important here. This is a girl who finally got one thing for herself. She got her summer fling turned secret marriage, the first thing in her life that isn't controlled by appearances. and the mask is starting to slip. she wants the freedom, she wants the dreamlike lakeside romance back. she's wearing a middle aged mom wig over her childish waist long curls.

The traditional, deeply ingrained in so many cultures in the world narrative of young girl with flowers in her loose hair, then braids, then cut short and/or covered with a scarf is entirely flipped here. We're introduced to her when she's barely a teenager, but already wearing the elaborate, heavy headgear of a medieval queen. Even when she's "undercover" as a handmaiden on Tatooine, her hair is up in tight, elaborate braids.

There are a lot of obvious east asian influences in her royal costumes, bordering on appropriation in some cases (like, frankly, the entirety of star wars) which I would not feel comfortable ignoring, but don't have nearly enough knowledge about them to properly explore their meaning and symbolism.

In aotc, she's 24, she's no longer a queen, but even when she's trying to act and look young, her hair is still pinned tightly up. Her gowns on coruscant are still elaborate and restrictive, but we start seeing her in more intimate situations, at home on Naboo, by the lake. (And she spends a good chunk of the last two movies in her pajamas)

I had originally written "she can quite literally only let her hair down around anakin" here, but on second thought, no. Not really. In the scenes I was thinking of, the scenes she's in a nightgown, her hair is loose and long, yes, but always in a half up half down situation. Even in her simplest nightgown, in the first ever pajama scene, the one in her apartment in aotc, a basic white chemise, without any of the capes and tiaras and lace we see on her other sleepwear, her hair is still pinned up.

She's at her most vulnerable, sleeping, literally acting as bait for an assasin, without any of her senatorial regalia to protect her, but her hair remains controled. (I could say something here about that being the scene where Anakin barges into her bed waving his lightsaber, but lets just keep things tasteful and move on.)

In rots is where we first see her hair actually loose for the first time, though it's still covered by the hood of the velvet gown. Her costumes become simpler, less decorative, to create a cohesive image with the entire galaxy becoming more drab and colorless as the war goes on, heading towards the fully grey hellscape of the original trilogy. And we see padme specifically in more intimate, personal situations, most of her screentime is at her home. She's growing up into her housewife role, but for her that means freedom. For her that means letting her hair down and sinking into the fantasy of running away to Naboo with Anakin and raising their 2.5 kids. But the first, and only time we truly see her with her hair fully loose and uncovered, is at her funeral.

another thing unworthy of a whole tangent here, is that corde dies with her hair falling apart, out of her updo. All the senatorial power that the costumes and the headdresses afford dissolves in death.

I could note here also that this is a weird way to emphasize the tragedy of a 27 year old woman dying in childbirth by associating her with youth. this is tragic regardless. the tragedy here is she never got to have that stage of her life. she never got to grow up, to be a mother. She remains, in anakin's memories, the 14 year old angel, the 24 year old rolling in the grass like a teenager, or rushing alongside him into battle without fear, and the wife in her sexy nightie waiting for him to come back from the war. In the galaxy's eyes however, she will always have been the strong queen, and the tragic martyr, taken before her time. Not a child soldier and a woman who died because she broke the rules and dared to fall in love.

Padme never gets the freedom of childhood. She only gets to let her hair down in death. Did she want it? Is it Naboo releasing her from her responsibility posthumously, or is is another denial of her freedom. She was a ruler when she should have been a girl, and she dies a child when she was ready to grow up.

[theweirderstuffblogdontlook]

Got two fanfics below the readmore, and a closing comic strip at the end of the fanfic showing what happens afterwards. So make sure to at least scroll to the bottom!

Sitting at the bar, a gay bar mostly frequented by lesbians which they had visited without incident a few times prior, Caprica alternated between sipping a drink, looking at her phone, and keeping an eye on Bob. Bob being currently disguised as Barbra, her "girlfriend" and former truck driver from out of town who’s been recovering from a car accident at her house.

It seemed everything was going pretty well. Bob's done a good job not being too suspicious and not breaking character, so she's been exploiting the bar over the past couple of days to keep Bob busy, and give herself a break from having the undivided attention of her obsessive stalker.

Though the unfortunate (in her opinion) trade off of being in a public location, is that sometimes people other than Bob will also take the initiative to bother her.

Case in point, as a lady sat in a barstool beside her, gesturing to get her attention and get Caprica to lean in a bit closer.

Saying in a bit of a hushed tone

"Hey, sorry to bother ya honey, but I figured I'd ask you instead. But Barbara's a Trans woman right?"

Oh… guess they clocked Bob. Still, that's a lot better than assuming he's a notorious criminal hiding out in disguise. 

She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Uhhhhh…. Yeah. She… uhhh, she'd rather not talk about it."

"Yeah I understand. Just figured I'd ask since we've got a support group coming up, in case she wants to participate. You can let her know just in case I don't get the chance to talk with her privately for a minute."

"No, it's probably best if I let her know myself, so she won't… uhhh… I'll let her know."

"Alright, just get back to me if Barb is interested or not. No pressure though if she isn comfortable bringing it up."

"Yeah, we'll let you know."

And she got up and left to go mingle, leaving Caprica alone with her thoughts.

Damn, she should probably get ahead of this before Bob does anything too suspicious.

Sometime later, she and Bob sat in the big truck that used to belong to her grandfather, getting ready to go home, though she got Bob to pause for a bit for a chat. 

"So there might be something we should go over in regards to your Barbra disguise. So just in case someone asks, let's go over what transgender means, and a few other relevant terms you should know."

"Well alright. If ya think it'll help."

(One explanation later…..)

"Alright, now say it back to me. Someone asks if you're a Trans woman, what do you think that means?"

Bob, with a bit of excitement in his tone, replies

"It means I'm a lady who hasn't chopped off her dick yet!"

"...."

"...."

"You know what, we'll work on that."

And they head home.

Another day, another time, but the same place, Caprica and Bob (disguised as Barbra) are sitting together at a table at the lesbian bar, sharing a plate of nachos. 

Though Caprica was more eating a small bowl of jalapeño rings that came with the nachos than the nachos themselves.

And Bob was more enjoying teasing and flirting with his grumpy unsociable girlfriend than snacking.

Until they are rudely interrupted.

Two men, acting tipsy either from alcohol or their own egotistical self satisfaction, sleased over, one of them leaning against the table beside Caprica while the other stood behind her.

"Hey cutie, how'd you like to get with a real man?"

"Yeah, we’d be happy to show what you’re missing, hanging out with a bunch of slutty rug munchers like these."

Without skipping a beat though, and more of reflex than anything, Caprica deadpanned,

"Dude, this is a gay bar…. For gays. Quit flirting with people like me and go suck each other's faces instead."

And reached to take a sip of her drink.

Before her eyes glance over, and notice Bob's hand balled into a tight fist, which shook slightly with rage.

Caprica choked on her drink

OH SHIT RIGHT BOB!!!!!

These guys just… Oh shit. Right in front of Bob.

Trying not to let the nerves show in her voice, she says

"Okay, you…. You guys need to leave…" 

Obviously not successful in putting up a brave front.

And the guys just leaned in a bit closer. Pitching their voices a bit lower to make it harder for any lookie-loos to hear them over the background music.

"Awwww, but we just got here! And somebody's gotta set these dykes straight, might as well be a couple of good Samaritans like us."

"Yeah, we'd be happy to show you chick's what dick tastes like."

SHIT what can she do!! These guys are literally digging their own graves! Eyes widening further in fear she glances between the guys and the barely disguised ball of murderous rage that was Bob. 

Probably the only things keeping these two guys alive right now, was one… Bob being a bit of a slow thinker, taking a minute to figure out how exactly he was gonna murder these two. And two, that she makes him leave his knives at home when they go out in disguise so he couldn’t impulse stab as easily.

She makes a snap decision. 

Maybe if she can make a scene first, Bob won't get the opportunity to do something drastic and reveal his identity in public.

She turns to glare at the two men, raising her voice to draw more attention and maybe get someone else to intervene first before any blood gets spilled.

"I am literally here with my fucking girlfriend!"

She says gesturing at Bob.

"Now unless you two assholes want the only thing you're ever known for around town, is that you two are the kind of guys to hit on other people's girlfriends, you'd better walk out those doors and never let anyone here see your faces ever again!"

And good lord, the condescending smugness of these dudes was palpable.

"Hey now, no need to get all hysterical on us."

"Yeah, how are we supposed to know if it's your time of the month or not?"

And the two snicker dumbly, while Capricas eyes dart around. 

Two of the women from the dance floor, who were regulars at the bar, seem to have gotten the hint that something was up and were heading this way.

Though the two guys then continued, clearly trying to cover their ass now that there was a risk of witnesses.

"Hey, if you… two aren't in an uhhhh… open relationship you coulda just let us know and not get all upset over nothing.

"Besides, with how gross, fat, and hairy your girlfriend is, maybe you don't need a guy after all!"

Their condescending laughter peters out with a squeak of Bob's chair as he stands. The two men's courage faltering for a moment as they see his stature dwarfing the both of theirs.

The two women who had been making their way over also pausing at the sight, the anger in Bob's posture being clear even from across the room.

Though he keeps his tone even, and thankfully doesn't drop the feminine affect in his voice (and thus his disguise). And with a slow, controlled movement, he takes off his sunglasses, folds them, and hangs them on the collar of his funny 'my other ride is your mom' novelty shirt.

He then leans over, resting one hand on the table, and staring down the men with his big crazy eyes and deranged grin.

"You boys know what happens when you try hitting on another man's girlfriend right in front of them?"

One of the men puts up his hands in a timid ‘alright, calm down’ sort of gesture. Trying to be sassy as he says, "Hey, no need to HURK!!"

Bob snatched the man by the throat, cutting him off and startling his friend, along with Caprica 

"HEY HEY HEY!!!"

"BARB DON'T!!"

Caprica shot up from her seat, as Bob calmly made his way around the table, gaze hungrily fixed on the choking man clawing at Bob's hand, trying to break the grip around his neck.

Though he's knocked out of his focus as the assholes friend winds up a punch, and clocks Bob in the face with an accompanying shout of,

"LET GO OF HIM YOU BITCH!!!"

Bob staggers at the hit, then stills, and turns his attention to the other man. Who's angry expression falters with fear as Bob meets his gaze.

Caprica scrambles over, trying to get between Bob and the man, but he is able to move past her easily to punch the guy in the gut, and he crumples, wind knocked out of him. 

As Caprica, in a hushed worried tone, pleaded,

"Barb, we're in public Barb, people are watching, Barb. You know the rules, don’t break character."

And Bob, appearing not to listen, grabbed the other man by the collar of his shirt as he wheezed and tried not to fall over. Bob not obliging this man's attempt to stay upright, kicking out one of his legs so he tumbled, and the only thing keeping his head from smacking on the ground, being the shirt collar Bob held. Letting the second man be pulled along like a struggling sack of flour, all while still pulling the first man along by the neck, and starting to walk. Caprica still panicking in a hushed tone as by now the attention of the whole bar was on them, and a number of bystanders got closer to get a better view of the action.

"Come on Barrrb, think about you're doing, if you hurt them we can't come back…."

Bob started dragging the two men towards the front door of the bar, wide manic grin still on his face with each heavy step, and Caprica following along beside him, frantically whispering.

"They'll come and find us at the house, they might figure things out before we even get a real chance to run. Don't do this."

Bob kicks the door open, dragging the two struggling men out with him, letting one of the guys get smacked on the doorframe on the way out, and letting the door swing shut behind him.

Leaving Caprica looking nervously across the audience of mostly lesbians, many of whom were now chatting amongst themselves conspiratorially.

Caprica being too stressed to get a read on how the audience might be feeling about the whole affair and if they’ve turned against her and Bob or not.

But she does take a moment to consider since there weren't any windows to look out of, either on the door or the adjacent wall, maybe if she just stood here she could keep people from going out and witnessing Bob ripping them apart and calling the cops and escalating the whole thing and everyone finding out about Bob and Bob grabbing her before she can run and him getting taken to prison while she’s still stuck inside him and…

There's entirely too many people looking at her, so she goes out the door in a hurry.

She finds Bob standing there calmly, hands in his pockets, looking out across the street. His eyes glance down at her when she asks

"Where are the!!!!"

But she's interrupted as Bob gestures slightly with his head in the direction he'd been looking before, and Caprica can see the two men shambling off, one supporting the other with their arm across his shoulders to keep them steady.

Caprica lets out a huge wheezy breath, bracing against Bob with one hand as she doubles over and says,

"Oh thank fuck."

And Bob looks at her with a sly cheeky grin. 

She takes a few more deep breaths to try and steady herself, Bob saying a teasing

"Y'all right there sweetiepie?"

"I'm just…. Wheeze, shit Bob…. Just…"

"Spooked ya good didn't I?"

She glares at him.

"Don't you go acting like some bastion of self control now you fucking asshole. I know you were barely an inch from ruining everything."

"Yeah, but it's still fun to watch you get mad about it."

Caprica presses her face into her hands and lets out a long annoyed tone to try and get the stress out,

"HHHHHRRRRRrrrrgggggg…. Come on…. We still gotta go back in there and sort this out. You're stable enough right?"

Bob chuckles in response.

And Caprica stands up straight with a clap of her hands and says

"WHELP! Alright it's settled! Let's just leave and never come back, and never speak of this again!"

Bob leans in, wrapping an arm around Caprica's shoulders tenderly and nuzzling against the top of her head while saying apologetically.

"Awww darlin, come on, you'll be okay, they ain't gonna…"

Bob's interrupted as the door beside them opens, it's the bouncer, who was looking thoroughly apologetic, along with someone who normally is working the bar, but from the more authoritative tone, they were probably a more managerial type on top of pouring drinks.

"Are you two alright? From the sound of it, one of them tried to grab Caprica and the other ended up punching you when you tried to stop them."

It not being lost on Bob that the events were already getting spun to make him and Caprica look more innocent and non-confrontational than they had been. Clearly, the community was gonna be much more invested in looking after their own than being sympathetic to a couple of assholes. And Bob was happy to lean into that impulse of theirs. After all, he quite liked it here too, even if it meant agreeing to expand his ‘dont eat the neighbors, that’s too suspicious’ compromise with Caprica to include ‘don’t eat anyone who’s clearly a lesbian. It is not a large community and word travels fast and it’ll be too suspicious’. Taking on a warm tone and shifting back into his feminine Barbra affect, he stands back to his full height, though keeping an arm around Caprica, and responds,

"Yeah, we're alright. Don't-chu worry."

"How about the two men?"

"I gave 'em an earful and let 'em limp off with their tail between their legs. Hopefully we won't be dealin with those two again any time soon."

The manager seems relieved, taking up a bit more confident, even somewhat protective tone as she responds,

"Alright, if they show up again and start getting butthurt about things and trying to twist everything around, we've got a bar full of witnesses to let the authorities know how big of a creep those guys were. And of course, it should go without saying that those guys are banned for life."

The bouncer holds open the door for them, the manager trying to usher them both inside.

"Come on, I'll give you both a free drink, or maybe something to eat to help ya calm down, or heck, both if you want. And let's get you an ice pack for that bruise Barbra."

Though with Caprica being obviously the more nervous of the two, the bulk of the fretting quickly turned to her, giving Bob a moment to fidget with what he had in his pocket.

The source of why Bob was able to do an emotional 180 so quickly, and turn so calm and confident after the insults and the jealous, possessive rage.

Taking them out covertly for a moment to examine.

Two leather wallets. And flipping open the top one, a drivers license can be clearly seen in the transparent pouch, belonging to the man he had threatened to strangle to death.

A drivers license and thus, a name, and an address.

Bob's grin widened with sinister glee, before he stowed the mens wallets away, and followed the group inside.

Then, the following night...

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

Virtual Character Tourney - Round 4 - Bracket III - 2

Propaganda below (May contain spoilers!)

Holly propaganda:

Due to a pay dispute with Holly's original actor, Norman Lovett, Holly was instead played by Hattie Hayridge during seasons 3-5. This was explained briefly in the show as them having gone through a "computer sex change". This makes Holly canonically trans do not @ me.

holly is the silliest most specialest ai ever. she has an iq of 6,000 but sometimes it seems like his iq is more like 6. they're possibly transgender (do computers have gender??) (i am panicking over pronouns while writing this propaganda) - holly goes from appearing like a man to appearing like a woman with no real explanation(??) and nobody questions this (the show is from the 90s btw). he's hilarious and sometimes lies to the crew for no reason other than 'its a laugh, innit'. shes everything to me <3

Holly is the computer of Red Dwarf, a Tenth Generation AI hologrammatic computer who appears as a floating head on a screen. Can be downloaded onto various other devices. also literally transgender.. meets a female appearing parallel version of itself in a parallel universe and then goes through a sex change after falling in love with her. transgender computer ftw

HAL 9000 propaganda:

One of the most iconic AI villains

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."

[sigyn-foxyposts]

"Happy pride Month!"

It's that time of the year where we all finally get to celebrate what makes us in the LGBTQA+ community so unique! We have been here all throughout history and what's not more perfect then the proof we have through our mythological gods and figures!

Featuring characters: Njord, Skadi, Heimdallr, Loki, Freyr, Gerdr, Sigyn, Hoenir, Natt and Fulla.

Explanations down below ⬇

Reasonings:

Loki is obviously gender fluid to our more modern understanding and I feel like he is bisexual with a preference for women! Biggest egg out there. 🥚🏳️‍⚧️

Heimdall is polyamorus and bisexual because he slept between a wife and husband 3 times to create the 3 classes of humanity.

Freyr was worshipped by gay men, either he is queer or a huge ally!

Gerdr is non binary because their name is a unisex name used for anybody!

I think Njord is transmasc because there is possible evidence of him having been a woman or had a female form at some point before the norse period. That's where we get the name Njorun!

Skadi is transfem even though she is presented as more masculine then the other goddesses and takes on a sons role in her very own myth!

Sigyn is on the asexual spectrum since she's one of very few goddesses who haven't cheated on their lover. Personally I see her as demi!

Hoenir is on the aroace spectrum, he seems to care more about anything but having a romantic relationship.

Natt is polyamorus because she has multiple husbands and divorce was never mentioned. They have multiple kids.

Fulla is lesbian because she and Frigg share their little secrets in her box 😏

‼️ Friendly reminder that for some transgender people, you can still present as the gender you were assigned with at birth. it's just that you feel more comfortable now that you're in the right body ‼️

[redditreceipts]

Thank you for documenting this madness. When I bring up to my feminist friends how trans ideology is basically reinventing gender roles, I'm shut down. When I talk to my fellow Black lib friends and ask them how transgender is ANY less offensive than transracial...silence and deflection. Makes a woman go mad in this clownscape.

thank you!!!!

also, I am white so I am not too confident in making this argument, but is there actually any difference between being transgender and being transracial? the only explanation I could find so far is that people have a gender identity but not a race identity... but I think that they have? I mean, white people probably don't have a race identity because they have always seen themselves as the default, but every other race would be forced to recognise the fact that they are not white.

or am I not seeing something here?

[ashs-cardboard-box]

In sync

~ Trans masc!Arthur Morgan/Trans masc!Reader

~ Romantic

~ 1k words

CW; periods, dysphoria, time appropriate trans/homophobia/racism/misogyny, mention of lynching

Oddly really fluffy (I have cavities from just writing it)

....................................................................................................

....................................................................................................

Being both transgender and homosexual men was as good enough a reason as any for lynching. You and Arthur were no different. As secretive as you tried to be, somehow, someway, it always managed to get out around whatever town you found yourself in. It didn’t help that the pair of you were always surrounded by other minorities like Charles, Lenny, Tilly, Abigail, Sadie, Susan or otherwise.

Ever since you had joined the gang all those years ago, surprisingly, most of them have been supportive of you. Albeit, not without questions, of course. Micah, however, was always an exception to this. He was a sour man and refused to accept anyone that wasn’t himself nor Dutch.

Despite this, you and Arthur had been largely accepted throughout the gang. Seen as nothing less than another brother in the family. Your bodies were different than a typical males, yet that didn’t stop either of you from properly completing your tasks on time.

That is, until, the dreadful month always rears its ugly head again. You had a particular disdain for those damn sanitary belts. They chafed like no other and were all in all uncomfortable. Arthur, however, powered through the discomfort. You almost envied him at times.

The two of you lie on your cot together in your tent, just in your union suits. Your chests bound with that familiar, overly tight fabric that seemed to crush the organs underneath. Not a word his shared for quite a long time. Only the occasional whimper or groan as another wave of cramps hit either of you.

Arthur’s head rests comfortably on your chest, his hand resting just above where your uterus would be. Stroking the wool of your union suit in an attempt to relieve your discomfort, despite feeling his own. Your hand combs through his hair and down the back of his skull repetitively until your hand goes numb.

“This sucks..” you grumble, complaining about it just like you do every month. Arthur chuckles in agreement, rumbling low in his chest. “Wish I were a man, y’know?” you continue with a short sigh. Your muscles tensing as a cramp constricts your inside. You’d rather get stabbed than deal with this.

“Hey.” Arthur chides, looking up towards you with his brows furrowed, causing his forehead to wrinkle. “I don’t wanna hear you talk like that.” “It’s the truth..” you try to protest, but Arthur isn’t having any of it. He lifts his head from your chest and props himself up on his elbow to look down towards you on your back.

“What? You sayin’ you actually like it?” you tease, a grin splitting across your face as he rolls his eyes. Before you can even register what he’s doing, Arthur is straddling your thighs and peering down at you, raising an eyebrow sternly. Leaning down, he begins to place several kisses across your face without a word of explanation.

“Arthur-” you start, only to get cut off by a gruff “admit it.” You were confused and starting to feel flustered. Your cheeks flushing a light tinge of pink. Your hands moving down to Arthur’s hips, your thumbs caressing over his union suit, feeling the sanitary belt underneath. Annoyingly, your cycles had synced with almost every womans’ in camp.

“Admit what?” you retort with a giggle as he continues to kiss your face. Your forehead, cheeks, bridge, nose, lips, chin..not an inch of skin is missed. Your hands move up to Arthur’s chest, placing your hands on his breasts and gently pushing on them to try and get him to quit. Knowing he’s as sensitive as you are, you don’t push hard. Trying to avoid unfastening his chest wrap.

“Admit you are one. You’re my handsome man. Most handsome man I ever met.” He murmurs against your skin, only stopping to look into your eyes. His elbows digging into the cot just above your shoulders. Both of you can feel the other’s breath hitting your faces– breathing slightly heavier due to your hearts racing.

“Sure as hell don’t feel like it..” you mumble, to which Arthur sighs in mock exasperation. Diving back down and trailing kisses across your cheeks and jawline, slowly making his way down your neck. His body tensing atop yours with a small grunt of pain as a particularly painful cramp twists in his gut. You remove one of your hands from his chest and place it on his abdomen in between your bodies, rubbing small circles like he had done for you.

As Arthur gets to a particularly sensitive spot on your neck, you squirm as a ticklish feeling overtakes you. Raising your shoulder and tilting your head to try and squeeze Arthur out of such an area. Laughing and struggling underneath him at his relentless attack.

“O-Okay! Okay! I give! I’m a man; your handsome man-” you cave in between breaths. Arthur sits back up with a satisfied smirk. Even if he hadn’t managed to rid your dysphoria completely, he sure as hell made you distracted enough to feel a bit better. “You’re a prick.” you chuckle with a shake of your head, trailing your hands down his body appreciatively and resting on his thighs.

“You know you love me.” Arthur retorts teasingly, leaning down to place one last kiss onto your forehead before he slides off of you, going back to laying next to you. He lazily lays one of his arms over your midsection, encouraging you closer.

“Unfortunately..” you groan in faux irritation, complying with his request and shifting closer to him. Laying your head on his bound chest as he wraps his arm around your back, rubbing it up and down soothingly. Your own hand returns to rub his sore abdomen, feeling the waistband of the sanitary belt underneath his red union suit. “If I’m your handsome man, then you’re mine.”

Arthur chuckles quietly and buries his nose into your hair, followed by a deep sigh. “‘M happy with that..” he mumbles. Even if it wasn’t an easy time for either of you, having each other’s support and love always made it easier to handle.

....................................................................................................

some t4t cause I can !!! >:3

[nanomooselet]

Elendira the Crimsonnail (I)

I'll start with my thoughts on the Maximum version; maybe it will soften some people's feelings to know I'm fond of her. To be clear, if I am wrong about this and Orange are just backdooring in loli fan service I will extremely displeased, but I don't think that's what they're doing.

When I read Trigun Maximum I couldn't figure out what El's deal was, thematically. Like all of Knives's followers, she had something going on with bodily autonomy (I've also heard it that they're all marginalised in some way, but I don't see it? However, they do all have unusual relationships with bodies and agency over them); she's a transgender woman who impales people with nails. But we learn nothing about her past, save that she's been at Knives's side for even longer than Legato has. We learn more about the inner life of Midvalley the Hornfreak.

The Guns are in many ways an argument in favour of Knives's beliefs about humans, but compared to… well really the majority of the cast, Elendira is self-confident and refreshingly free of angst. She sees no reason to deprive herself of the finer things in life or to refrain from doing what amuses or excites her, especially if it's violent. She's committed to assisting Knives in his genocide, knowing he will not spare her, but she claims to hate the suicidal (such as Legato) and is dismissive of immature men (such as Legato). Knives is respectful of her (in a way he isn't of, say, Legato - to whom Knives is attached, but deeply in denial about). They're very nearly equals. If he falls, Elendira will be the one to bring an end to the world. (Presumably because if Knives hasn't survived, there's no way Legato has.)

(Okay, I'll stop dunking on Legato but the way he and Elendira interact is absolutely hilarious. They hate each other so dearly you can feel the hostility crackling off the page whenever they're both on it, but they also rely on each other without question. I would read a workplace sitcom about these people in a heartbeat.)

There are theories - she has some sort of tragedy in her past ("I don't like nice men. They die too soon," gets brought up in this context) or that her transition was not met with acceptance. I can't disprove either one, but neither do I see solid evidence to support them in particular, I suppose? Beyond planetary society's general horribleness, we're given no clear reason she's in the position she's in. El has decided it's none of our business and that's that. It's her prerogative, though I do feel uneasy if "she's a transwoman" is supposed to serve as the entirety of the explanation for her being a willing accomplice to genocide.

So I have my own theory, and it's that Elendira defines and masters herself. She is resolutely singular. In a story where so much of who we are is shaped by others - via names, purpose, scars, grief, longing, imitation, jealousy, rivalry - Elendira neither needs nor is needed by anyone. Legato was rescued and named by Knives, the first ever to treat him as though he's any other human, and even his powers need other people to fully express themselves; Elendira named herself and presumably sought out Knives for her own reasons. Whatever the tragic backstory reasons for that, we don't learn them, because it doesn't matter to her. I wonder if Knives sees something to aspire to in her total self-sufficiency, or even in her nihilism. Of all the characters, Elendira does most consistently have her shit together, while Knives is… well, he was a sensitive boy.

Regardless, if ending the world presents an amusing enough challenge, Elendira sees no compelling reason she shouldn't take the shot. There's nothing else on, none of these people mean anything to her, and she'll look damn good doing it.

To her credit, she does look incredible. Being well-dressed in the face of the apocalypse is a very specific niche, but El owns it as few others could.

She's pitted against Razlo and Livio (I'd say particularly Razlo) because their purpose has always been to be needed by someone else; Razlo joined the Eye of Michael because it was a place where we will be needed. Not to mention their selfhood is by definition a little unstable, whereas Elendira knows of self-doubt and uncertain identity by reputation, but has never met either one of them face-to-face.

And yet in the end she's defeated. Because, having perfect mastery, she's not learned to recover from the kind of ego-shattering loss she regularly doles out. Razlo and Livio, for obvious reasons, have that shit down to a science - Razlo exists to step in when Livio's at the end of his strength, and Livio learns to step in when Razlo's at his limit. Whereas perfection has no room for improvement. There's certainly prestige in being peerless in your field and unbeatable one-on-one, but who do you rely on for back-up?

Elendira neither needs nor is needed by anyone. So in the end, with Legato fully occupied, when she's pushed right to the limit of her strength -

- there's no one to step in.

@ultraviolet-cello

Part II

[androgyne-homosapiens]

Androgyne gender identity

Definition:

Androgyne, androgyn or androgynous gender, is an identity under the nonbinary and transgender umbrellas. Androgynes have a gender identity that can be a blend of both or neither of the binary genders. They may describe this as being between female and male, between man and woman, between masculine and feminine or simply 'in between.' They can also identify as neither feminine or masculine, or neither female and male.

from the nonbinary wiki

As stated in the definition, androgyne people are trans (they don't identify exclusively as the gender they were assigned at birth), and nonbinary (they are not one of the binary genders). Of course it is up to an individual to choose the words they use to identify themselves with.

The word androgyne has an interesting history, at times it was used as an umbrella term similar to nonbinary (I won't go in to much more detail here, but there is more info in the nonbinary wiki).

androgyne, androgyny, androgynous

As a rule, androgyne refers to a gender identity, while Androgyny refers to gender expression (androgynous would be the word used to describe an individual using androgyny as their gender expression). A person may identify as androgyne, and not be androgynous, and a person my be androgynous and not identify as androgyne.

But the split isn't quite so clear. In theory:

Androgyny is a wide category of gender expression that either mixes or omits markers of both feminine and masculine gender expression.

The nonbinary wiki

But,

Androgyny possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression.

Wikipedia

It is explained well in this post, but I think a good way to understand the difference is that androgyne is an androgynous gender identity. While androgyne will be used as a gender identity, and androgyny is more general reference to a blend of male and female characteristics.

What is overall the most important to understand that use of these words for individuals will vary. General use of these terms has changed over time. If an individual feels that these words help them to understand themselves (even if they don't fit the "exact definitions") then that is what is important. Words are here to benefit us.

Here is a useful graphic to understand the "androgyne spectrum":

androgyne spectrum

[ID: a scale, starting from the left with "Female" and "Feminine", then "Gynx", "Androgyne" and "Androgynous", "Androx", "Male" and "Masculine". End]

from this post, by @bentonthegay. And this post gives a good explanation about it, and about androgyne as a gender identity:

I think that the specific thing that makes Androgyne an identity all its own that I believe is within the center of the gender spectrum, right alongside other non-binary genders that blur the line between “male” and “female”. Androgyne is the “neither” and/or “both” of the spectrum. It’s a bit of a blend of selected traits from both sides. Given, that means very different things to different people, so I imagine that not every Androgyne person dresses or behaves just like I do. [...] The part of the identity that sets it apart is how Androgyne people feel about themselves.  As an Androgyne person, I believe that I am not a man or a woman. I reside comfortably between the extremes. So I guess it’s not just a mix, it’s more that I’m a blurred segment of the gradient between them. I do believe that Androgyne is an identity by itself and not just “a mix of female and male traits”. Given, that’s like saying a banana split is just ice cream with bananas and sweet toppings. You’re not wrong, but it’s not just that.

post by @androgynepositivity

Another important point to remember that while androgyne is a mix of the two binary genders, it is also connected to neutrality, being in the middle of the spectrum, it is "both" and "neither", and can be different for each person.

Similarly, androgyny can be both presenting femininely and masculinely at the same time, or more of a neutral look, neither feminine nor masculine.

multigender?

Depending on the person, androgynes may see themselves as falling under the multigender umbrella.

in the "Brochure for the Human Outreach and Achievement Institute" (1987) the following definition is found:

Androgyne: A person who can comfortably express either alternative gender role in a variety of socially acceptable environments. (Includes bigenderist)

Source

This is both an interesting historical look on the meaning of androgyne, but also the close connection androgyne has with the multigender (and in particular bigender) community.

The meaning of bigender has expanded in the past 30+ years. It refers to people who have two specific gender identities, these identities may be male and female but also may not be. Seemingly this can include androgynes.

The choice to include oneself under the multigender/bigender umbrella should be a personnel one. Do I feel like being androgyne is a mix of two things? Or perhaps it is one identity, one gender? Maybe the experiences of multigendered people resonate with me, and I would like to be connected to their community regardless? The history connects androgynes and multigended people. At any rate, we are all queer and therefore connected.

micro-labels

Femandrogyne: an androgyne person that feels more feminine than masculine.

Mascandrogyne: an androgyne that feels more masculine than feminine.

Neutrandrogyne: an androgyne with equal amounts of masculinity and femininity, and/or simply neutral.

Versandrogyne: an androgyne with amounts of femininity and masculinity that fluctuate, for example they could go between femandrogyne and mascandrogyne.

Demiandrogyne: an androgyne who relates partially, but not fully, to the androgyne experience (this term is also under the demigender umbrella).

Thank to @androgyne-culture-is in this post for the deffintions, they can also be found in the LGBTQIA+ Wiki.

flags and symbols

The official androgyne pride flag is:

[ID: flag with three vertical stripes, in the colors, from left to right: pink, purple, and light blue. End]

The pink represents femininity, the light blue masculinity, and the purple a mix of them both.

This is a great post explaining about other flags that are less known, based off the nonbinary wiki.

One important symbol is:

[ID: a circle with an arrow coming out of the top, and a horizontal line underneath the triangle of the arrow. End]

This symbol is a mix of female (Venus) and male (Mars) symbols. It is also an intersex symbol, and a symbol for other genders. In the image the symbol is pointing up, but it is sometimes depicted pointing to other directions.

Another important symbol is the Necker Cube:

[ID: illustration of a cube. End]

Necker Cube n. 1. An optical illusion in the shape of a cube. May take either of two forms:

Proposed by the author as a symbol of androgyny, because it is either concave or convex depending on how you look at it. I prefer this to the mars-plus-venus sign, which depends upon a juxtaposition of stereotpyes (sword and shield for male, looking-glass for female), and which, furthermore, combines the signs for the two most irritating gods in the Roman pantheon. If we must depend on Greek mythology, I would prefer to take a cue from Janus and use some variation of the two-faces motif on the cover of some editions of The Left Hand of Darkness. The Necker cube, however, is simpler, and suggests ambiguity in more than mere gender. Who wants to design the lapel pin?

 The Angel’s Dictionary, part of the Androgyny RAQ

And for more info: Practical Androgyny

There is much more history to the word and identity. Many more experiences it could include, but there is only so much I can cover. I do hope that nothing I've written makes it seem like this identity has rigid rules that need to be adhered to in order to identify with it. On the contrary. This seems to be a very broad and open way of identifying, and different aspects of it may resonate with many.

[wizard-irl]

Is "Witch" Gender Neutral?

A lot of people say that the term "witch" is a gender-neutral term, and I agree. It's gender-neutral in that anyone should be able to freely identify with it, regardless of someone's sex or gender. People who don't identify as women are absolutely allowed to use the term "witch," and shouldn't have any other terms forced on them if that's what they prefer.

However.

There are a lot of witches who insist that "witch" has no gendered connotation, and that there is no reason why someone who practices witchcraft should want another term. "Witch" is purely gender neutral, isn't it?

"Witch" is not gender-neutral in that it connotes a person of any gender. Think of a witch. Do you think of a man? Do you think of someone whose masculine? Because I and many others do not.

Don't take my word for it? What does the internet define a witch to be and look like?

It's feminine connotation is further emphasised by its etymology and historical use:

Old English wicce "female magician, sorceress," in later use especially "a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits and to be able by their cooperation to perform supernatural acts," fem[inine form] of Old English wicca "sorcerer, wizard, man who practices witchcraft or magic[."] … [W]itchcraft was specifically singled out as a woman's craft[.] … Witch in reference to a man survived in dialect into [the 20th century], but the fem[inine] form was so dominant by 1601 that men-witches or he-witch began to be used.

"Witch" is a term with a feminine connotation. People who do not identify as women, especially those who are transgender, do not appreciate having a term like this forced upon them. I have seen multiple posts on this site from transmasculine people that say that this term is a source of dysphoria for them, that they are expected to identify as witches if they want to find community in witchcraft. It is cruel to suggest that these people should put up with tacit misgendering because "any gender can be a witch, including men!"

That's missing the point. Yes, any gender can identify with the term "witch." People who believe that “witch” is woman-exclusive often exclude other actual women from the term. However, just because they can identify with it, does not mean that they will. The reasons why they don't identify with the term are their own and they do not owe you an explanation for why they don't use it.

To everyone who doesn't identify as a woman fully or at all out there: you do not need to use the term "witch." If you feel a connection to the word, if it makes you happy to use it, by all means, use it. But if "witch" makes you feel dysphoric, if you cringe calling yourself it, or if you just don't like the way the word looks or sounds, you do not need to use it and you aren't any less of a serious practitioner for it.

Neutral/Masculine Terms

But that begs the question: what terms are out there that aren't "witch?" I've compiled a short list.

Wizard: Wizard is perhaps the most popular masculine alternative to witch, at least in fiction, and is the term I like since it communicates what it needs to. Wizard is derived from wise and -ard, an old suffix equivalent to modern -er. Initially it meant a philosopher or sage (someone who is wise, a wise-ard), and due to philosophy melding with magic in the Middle Ages, took on the meaning of "someone with magical power." Thanks it being a class in D&D, this may be applied to women, but this is a term mostly associated with men.

Warlock: This is another popular masculine term, almost exclusively associated with men. Warlock is derived from an Old English word meaning "traitor, oath-breaker," and initially applied to the Christian Satan. Over time, the word began to be used to refer to people connected with Satan, and from that, men who practice magic. I've only see women warlocks in D&D, where it is a player class.

Sorcerer: Compare with sorceress. Derived from Medieval Latin sortarius, meaning "fortune-teller." Due to a feminine term existing (sorceress), sorcerer is often only applied to men. Again, I have only seen women sorcerers in the context of D&D, where it is another class.

Mage: Mage is a gender-neutral term; a Google Image search returns roughly the same amount of men as it does women. Mage is derived from Latin magus, meaning "magician," which was in turn borrowed from a Persian word meaning the same thing. Magus is also used in magical communities, but I see it more applied to people in positions of power within magical organisations. Same meaning as above.

(Magical/Witchcraft) practitioner: This is the gender-neutral term I tend to prefer. This emphasises what we're doing more than what we are.

Occultist: Occultist seems to be a rarer term, and is defined as "someone who studies/practices the occult."

Magician: Another rarer term that I see with a lot of older ceremonial magic groups. Often not used to not be confused with stage-magicians, but can still be used to describe spiritual magic.

Specific paths: If you're referring to a group of people who follow a specific path connected to witchcraft, opt for the name of that path. If you're referring to Wiccans, use "Wiccans." If you're referring to Hellenics, use "Hellenics."

Specific practices: Again, if you're referring to a group of people who are doing a specific magical practice, use that practice. If you're talking about astrology, use "astrologer." If you're talking to people who worship demons, use "demonolater."

As with “witch,” just because a gender bias exists, does not mean that you can’t use a term. There’s no reason to stop a woman from being a warlock if they resonate with the term, just as there’s no reason to stop a man from being a witch. But if you’re looking for alternatives with a masculine or neutral gender bias, here you go.

I welcome any additions to the list, if anyone has them.

[pronoun-fucker]

A researcher who lost her job at a thinktank after tweeting that transgender women could not change their biological sex has won her claim that she was unfairly discriminated against because of her gender-critical beliefs.

Maya Forstater suffered direct discrimination when the Centre for Global Development (CGD), where she was a visiting fellow, did not renew her contract or fellowship, an employment tribunal found on Wednesday.

The tribunal also ruled that Forstater, the executive director of Sex Matters, suffered victimisation with respect to the removal of her profile from CGD’s website.

Its decision comes after Forstater successfully brought a test case to establish that gender-critical views are a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act. She initially lost that case at an employment tribunal in 2019 but won a landmark decision on appeal last year, with the judge stressing that while gender-critical views might be “profoundly offensive and even distressing to many others … they are beliefs that are and must be tolerated in a pluralist society”.

The case was then sent back to the tribunal to decide whether Forstater’s claim had been proved on the facts. It upheld two complaints of direct discrimination and one of victimisation. Two other complaints of direct discrimination and one of victimisation were unsuccessful.

The judgment stated: “Absent an explanation from the respondents, the facts are such that the tribunal could properly conclude that the tweets were a substantial part of the reason why Ms Forstater was not offered employment; and the respondent’s evidence, far from proving the contrary, supports the finding that they were …

“We reminded ourselves that it would be an error to treat a mere statement of Ms Forstater’s protected belief as inherently unreasonable or inappropriate.”

The tribunal examined a number of tweets by Forstater, including tweets in which she drew an analogy between self-identifying trans women and Rachel Dolezal, a white American woman who misrepresented herself as black, and another in which she said: “A man’s internal feeling that he is a woman has no basis in material reality.” It concluded that the tweets asserted her gender-critical beliefs.

It said the same of one that described self-identification as a woman as “a feeling in their head”, rejecting the suggestion that it equated self-identification with mental illness.

The tribunal also considered tweets in which Forstater said she was surprised people could say they believed that males could be women, and that they are “tying themselves in knots”.

It said they were “fairly mild examples” of mockery, adding: “Mocking or satirising the opposing view is part of the common currency of debate.”

The three-member panel, led by the employment judge Andrew Glennie, said a description of a Credit Suisse executive, Pips Bunce, who identified as a woman for part of the week, as a “part-time cross dresser” could have been put in “more moderate terms”.

But two of the three panel members said it “did not amount to an objectionable or inappropriate manifestation of Ms Forstater’s belief, given the context of a debate on a matter of public interest; the fact that Pips Bunce had put themself forward in public as a person who is gender fluid and who dresses sometimes as a woman and sometimes as a man”.

Responding to the decision, Forstater said: “My case matters for everyone who believes in the importance of truth and free speech. We are all free to believe whatever we wish. What we are not free to do is compel others to believe the same thing, to silence those who disagree with us or to force others to deny reality.”

She also thanked JK Rowling for standing by her. The Harry Potter author tweeted: “Every woman who’s been harassed, silenced, bullied or lost employment because of her gender critical beliefs is freer and safer today, thanks to the warrior that is @MForstater.”

Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ campaign group, said: “Today’s judgment … does not change the reality of trans people’s workplace protection. No one has the right to discriminate against, or harass, trans people simply because they disagree with their existence and participation in society.”

Amanda Glassman, chief executive of CGD, said: “We are reviewing today’s judgment, which found in favour of Ms Forstater on some claims, and dismissed others. CGD’s primary aim has always been to uphold our values and maintain a workplace and an environment that is welcoming, safe, and inclusive to all, including trans people.”

Remedies will be determined at a later date.

Link | Archived Link

[catgirlforeskin]

I am a wannabe historian, so I was reading some issues of Transvestia, a transvestite magazine from the '60s.

Oh gods.

Transsexualism was barely introduced into public consciousness, but some people already made their living by making transmisogynistic caricatures. Starting with cartoons of hyperfeminine people who fail to pass and "see, you really are just a boy" (hello traps), continuing with "accounts" of someone who "failed as a man and became a woman because that's easier", with bullshit descriptions of transvestites themselves as "loving everything female so much that they themselves become a little bit women" (hello AGP thing), or gender essentialism as an explanation (which feels one step away from "trans people are upholding gender stereotypes"), and ending it with "pretending to be a woman to fuck lesbians", being at least bi to receive at least hormonal therapy was still a requirement but this shit was already floating around, great.

Also, forcefem was already a thing apparently, but it's the least of issues.

And the only editor of this whole thing is "Virginia" Prince, the one who coined the term "transgender". I am not even sure about using this term to describe anyone.

I don't know how do you manage to live in this world, considering that it feels like 0 real progress was made (except for more humane requirements for gender-affirming care). I don't know how am I supposed to manage to live in this world in a place that's basically still in the '60s

Yeah it’s. Rough. For me finding a group of other trans people (and really, trans lesbians) I can chill with has helped immensely, makes it a lot easier to tune out the bad shit. Though that also depends on you living somewhere progressive enough to allow that, and “just move!” isn’t viable for a lot of people.

As long as we’re watching out for each other, we can handle whatever shit we gotta deal with from the outside. Strength in numbers 🤝

[dovewithscales]

What Otherkin Are and Are Not, Updated

This is an old social media post I made to dispel a few common misunderstandings about otherkin. I’m cleaning it up and updating it a little because the information is still useful. We’ll start by defining otherkin and go from there. 

What Otherkin Are:

Otherkin are people who identify either partially or wholly as non-human entities on a non-physical level. Different people explain how and why they have this identity in many different ways, whether spiritual or psychological. They may also describe and define their experiences in many different ways. Since we can’t really know the truth of how and why, the community largely accepts however people choose to understand their nature. 

What Otherkin Are Not:

A choice. Being otherkin is never a choice. Period. You can’t choose to be kin. You can’t choose a kintype. People who choose to identity as non-human (as a coping mechanism) are called copinglinkers, and there are other terms for other voluntary identities. “Roleplaying” comes to mind. Some of these people claim to be otherkin. These people are either confused about what otherkin means, or they are actively lying and co-opting our community, trying to change what it means to be kin. These people are categorically not members of our community. They do not get to speak for us. 

A coping mechanism. Many kin have coping mechanisms which relate to being otherkin. I have a literal hoard of jewelry and precious minerals in my bedroom, and I find its presence relaxing. But being otherkin in and of itself is never a coping mechanism. 

A mental illness. The DSM-V, the definitive resource on diagnosis of mental illness according to the American Psychiatric Association, hasn’t had a section labeled “Identity Disorders” since 1987, because no identity is considered inherently maladaptive or diagnostically relevant in terms of mental health. Most psychologists, therapists, and mental health experts who are aware we exist acknowledge otherkin identities as completely healthy.

A scapegoat for attacking transgender people. A scattering of trolls and alt-right morons trying to make otherkin look bad have spread misinformation relating otherkin to transgender experiences, for the purpose of using us as a smoke screen to attack trans rights. Now and then trans people who think they own the concept of dysphoria have also attacked otherkin for having similar experiences to them. Speaking as a trans woman who is otherkin, I experience both gender dysphoria and species dysphoria. There is a lot of overlap between how transgender people feel, and how many otherkin feel. There are also a lot of otherkin who are transgender, or at least queer. We are not in any way threatening the transgender community or co-opting transgender terms or experiences.

Physical shapeshifting or physically non-human identities. The definition of otherkin is flatly limited to identities with no physical component. There are people who wish they could physically become non-human creatures. There are people who believe this is possible. There are also people who use this desire to prey upon vulnerable people with promises that it’s possible. The otherkin community polices itself rigorously and has zero tolerance for people who prey on dysphoria to manipulate people. They are not welcomed in our community. 

Explanations for Otherkin:

Spiritual. For some of us, our identity is a spiritual belief, connected with reincarnation and even deeply rooted in religion.

Psychological. Some of us choose not to explain our identity in spiritual terms, and instead suggest developmental or neurological explanations.

How we choose to explain our identities is irrelevant. The effect is the same. We are what we are. It’s not a choice or a coping mechanism or anything other than simply who and what we are. 

Intersecting Groups and Subgroups:

Therians. Therians identify specifically as more animalistic creatures, as opposed to non-human creatures with human-like mentalities. Some people (incorrectly) gatekeep the term therian as referring only to “real” animals found in this world, but that is not correct. Some consider therians a subcategory of otherkin. Therianthropy used to be a separate community, and still is to some extent. 

Fictionkin. Fictionkin identify as characters or creatures from contemporary fiction. It is possible to be both, but being fictionkin does not automatically make one otherkin. Fictionkin who identify as a member of a non-human fiction species are also otherkin, but some fictionkin identity as humans from works of fiction. There’s really no fundamental difference between fictionkin and otherkin who identify as mythical creatures. All that separates the two is how old the source is.

Copinglinkers. These are people who choose to identify themselves as non-human as a coping mechanism. Some copinglinkers falsely claim to be otherkin and insist that being otherkin is a choice. They’re wrong. We have no qualms with copinglinkers in general, but copinglinkers who pretend to be otherkin are categorically unwelcomed in the kin community. It is possible to be both a copinglinker and otherkin, separately.

Otherhearted. These are people who identify with (but not as) a non-human identity, in the sense of kinship, similarity, and empathy. It is possible to be both otherkin and otherhearted, separately. 

Factkin. This concept was entirely invented by trolls mocking otherkin. It originally meant people who claim to identify as some other real living person (almost always a celebrity) which is absurd and a little messed up. I don’t necessarily approve of its use to describe people who feel they were some famous person in a past life, but I’ve been hearing it used that way. You can’t be otherkin with a human identity, so I find it rather silly to use our terms, but to each their own I suppose.

[aoifereal]

Okay here is the general outlining of my Vera and Slayer are both transgender women headcanon:

Vera realised that she's transgender at a fairly young age and with the full support of her dad socially + medically transitioned. Most people at spooky high more or forget that she's trans, or never knew in the first place. The slayer is still yet to realise she's transgender aged 16 - she knows something's up, and it's bothering her (dysphoria debuff is NOT good for any of your stats).

The slayer is experimenting with her gender presentation at one point, maybe she got some rare loot that's a skirt or something and she's wearing it to do something and justifying it to herself as if she has a powerful item she's going to use it. Vera somehow stumbles upon this and accepts the slayers hastily and preemptively given explanation. Weird antisocial guy she knows from school doing something not socially acceptable for contrived reason doesn't particularly stand out to her. Slayer feels ashamed and stops using the item. Further, she feels like she's being rude to Vera for being ashamed when Vera was extremely normal about the whole thing and avoids her because of it.

The slayer tries to repress her feelings (because of course she does lol) but it shows through occasionally only in private. She doesn't really have anyone to share it with, but she occasionally presents herself as a woman under a different name (aaravi!) when she accepts quests she deems to be far enough away from anyone she knows. She takes on particularly reckless quests during this time. Vera, meanwhile, is developing her entrepreneurial ambitions but is grappling with her struggles about not being good enough. Her need to be the best in the game leads to her developing her criminal empire. For one job, she ends up hiring the slayer as Aaravi and neither of them realise until they meet when the slayer is collecting payment. Vera clocks on to what's going on and asks aaravi about it, aaravi has a breakdown. Vera helps her through it. Has to come out during this. Aaravi is like holy shit I didn't know you were transgender - Zoe keeps saying she's the first trans girl at school. Vera's like "I know 🙄" Vera offers to help aaravi with like, trans + girl stuff. Aaravi accepts.

Vera starts helping Ravi with her transition after school, helping her find clothes that fit, starting hrt (which aaravi insists on crafting from raw materials), teaching her how to do makeup. Ravi throws herself full force into this, trying to be and act like Vera when she's being Aaravi, and Vera encourages this because it's how things worked out for her. Lots of dresses, heavy makeup to help with dysphoria around facial hair etc. Initially it's very good for Ravi, and she starts to come out in more contexts, but over time she starts to feel like something isn't quite right again, which she desperately tries to ignore - throwing herself back into doing dangerous quests. Vera picks up on this, but she isn't sure how to help - she ramps up giving Ravi advice and being complimenting her but because Ravi doesn't feel right this just makes her feel bad and she doesn't know why. She blows up at Vera and even though she feels bad about it doesn't know how to apologise and so doesn't. They stop talking.

Vera goes back to feeling very alone due to not knowing other trans people who know that she is trans also. She misses aaravi a lot but is also mad at her so she, like aaravi, doesn't do anything about it. Goes back to focusing on business but it sucks and she just feels she has to prove herself more and more. 

One of the dangerous quests aaravi is on causes her to meet dahlia while fighting in hell. They strike up a rapport quickly, having regular girls nights where they both try too hard to do "girl stuff" but it inevitably becomes them just dicking around. They both slowly start giving up on that element of girls night and those things in their life more generally at the same time. As a result, Ravi starts feeling more comfortable being a masculine woman.

Vera is noticing Ravis masculinity at school, and is worried Ravi is backsliding into being closeted. Eventually, she realises she needs to start talking to Ravi again for her own sake and her worry for her lets her push herself to action. She texts her, asking her about if she's okay and she's noticed the way she's dressed and is worried she's not comfortable being out anymore, is something happening at home or something? Ravi is initially pissed at this because she's feeling more comfortable as a woman than she has before, but she's more in touch with her emotions and empathy now and is able to realise that Vera was trying to be kind. They meet up, and talk things over, and Vera realises that pushing her to be feminine was the wrong thing to do and apologizes - Ravi denies that the apology is necessary and thanks Vera for giving her the push she needed to start on the path to being where she is, and apologizes for blowing up at her and not talking for ages. They agree to start hanging out again and get on great, Vera is happy having community again and Ravi is happy in herself, and they are both happy to have a friend back. Also dahlia is there sometimes the end