the-galactic-dragon

[the-galactic-dragon]

Unfortunately for Nader and his family, these futures have been taken from Gaza. Bullets fly all around them, and the occupation uses aid as a weapon while children starve. My friend Nader @abdalsalam2000 needs our support now to save his family and survive. His campaign is #4 on the gazavetters list, and the need is urgent! If you cannot donate, PLEASE share! https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-nader-alanqar-and-his-family-overcome-this-war-in-gaza

[the-galactic-dragon]

I saw a post earlier, I will not be appending my response to that post to the post itself, but I did want to touch upon it.

The post was about how trans men and transmasculine people afab don't have any media tropes that are, we'll say, problematic for them, the way that the 'funny man in a dress' trope is trans-misogynistic, I wanted to discuss that and lay that claim to rest.

Below I will be discussing some tropes in media that affect trans masculine people afab. Some may be worse than others, some accidental, some maybe on purpose, but I've compiled them because I think it's important to understand that just how the harmful tropes aimed at masculine people afab do exist, they just differ in their execution.

DISCLAIMER: If I have worded anything poorly in this post please tolerate it, English is my fourth language and it can be overwhelming to attempt linguistic perfection or the performance of it for native English Speaker.

EDIT: tumblr really messed my layout and formatting up, sorry for that but I'm not fixing it unless I really need to.

1. “Tomboy Gets a Makeover” = Suddenly She’s Worth Something (AKA: Now She’s Fuckable)

This one’s everywhere. You’ve got a character who’s rough around the edges, usually wears hoodies, maybe doesn’t shave, maybe doesn’t even care what people think. And the story punishes her for that. Until someone (usually a fairy godmother or mean girl turned ally) shoves her into a dress, puts some gloss on her lips, straightens her hair...

and then she’s finally seen as beautiful, desirable, and valid.

The core message? Your masculinity is temporary, and your value doesn’t actually exist until you conform to traditional femininity. You weren’t lovable, datable, or even visible until you softened up and got pretty.

This trope tells young people AFAB:

You're not enough unless you perform femininity

Your gender nonconformity is a flaw to fix

If you're not seen as sexy in the "right" way, you're invisible

And this sticks. Especially for transmascs, who grew up seeing their natural instincts or styles treated like a before picture.

Examples:

The Princess Diaries – Mia goes from “invisible frizzy nerd” to prom-queen level once her hair is flat and her legs are waxed.

A Cinderella Story – Sam’s baggy clothes are treated like a shield for her insecurity, until she shows up in a dress and suddenly earns male attention.

The Breakfast Club – Allison is artsy and weird and quietly masc... until she’s quite literally pink-washed and given a makeover so she can be datable.

She's All That – Laney is cool and self-possessed in her own way, but the movie waits until she’s in a red dress and contacts to take her seriously.

Meteor Garden – Shan Cai’s toughness is tolerable, but she’s still only framed as truly “lovable” after being softened through male attention.

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2. “She Pretended to Be a Boy” = She’s a Lying Snake Whore

When characters AFAB dress or live as boys, it’s almost always framed as deception. Not survival. Not autonomy. Not self-expression. Just trickery. There’s a dramatic “reveal” scene where everyone suddenly feels betrayed, like the character has been scheming the whole time instead of just…

living. Sound familiar?

This isn’t just about fiction. It directly echoes how transmasc people are treated in reality, as liars, as fake men, as threats to those around them just by existing. The idea that someone AFAB could be masculine, or just a guy, is treated like a trap set for unsuspecting cis people.

The underlying message:

You can’t be trusted if you present as masculine

Your gender is a mask, a trick, a crime

If people liked you before, they were duped

it’s the same logic used to justify violence and exclusion towards Transmasculine people AFAB in reality.

Examples:

She’s the Man – Viola pretends to be her brother to play soccer, but it’s all “uh-oh she has boobs” humor. Her gender presentation is the punchline.

The King’s Affection – She lives as the crown prince and does a damn good job, but the tension constantly hinges on whether she’s tricking people by being there at all. Masculinity is okay only if it’s secret and painful.

Coffee Prince – Go Eun-chan presents as male to get a job, and instead of critiquing the system that forces her to do it, the narrative focuses on her guilt and “the reveal.” Masculinity is tolerated, but never fully respected.

Victor/Victoria – Gender is treated as a clever disguise. The moment someone finds out “the truth,” it’s all shock, betrayal, and drama. Queerness framed as a con.

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3. “It’s Just a Phase” = You’ll Be a Real Girl™️ Eventually

You can be a tomboy for now. Run around, get messy, be loud. It’s even kind of cute! As a little kid who needs to grow up. Then suddenly, your masculinity isn’t just childish! it’s a problem. Something to “grow out of.” Something to fix!

This trope trains audiences to see AFAB masculinity as:

Immature

A quirk of childhood

A stepping stone to real femininity

And what does “real girlhood” mean in this context? Dresses. Lip gloss. Boys. The implication is that your value kicks in when you start performing the kind of femininity that makes you palatable and desirable. You were allowed to be wild for a minute, but only if you clean up nice later.

It reinforces the same tired message: Girlhood = destination, not a choice. Masculinity is just the wrong stop on the way. If you are Transmasculine AFAB, you are a child who should grow up, immature, being treated as much younger than they are is a huge issue with transmasculine people AFAB.

I would like to add that this is also a misogynistic trope, but misogyny intersects with transandrophobia in ways that are valid to talk about.

Examples:

The Parent Trap – Annie and Hallie are opposites, but Hallie (tomboy-coded) only really “settles down” and softens once she’s back with her mom. Her rougher edge is charming but temporary.

Now and Then – Roberta is the tomboy of the group, and her Big Moment of Growth™ comes when she puts on a dress. Not solving childhood trauma. Not emotional healing. The dress.

Boys Over Flowers – Jan-di is scrappy, resilient, athletic! and then she falls for the male lead and gradually loses every bit of that fire. By the end, she’s quiet, deferential, and soft. like that’s her natural arc.

Hi My Sweetheart– Rainie Yang’s character starts out masc-presenting and bold. She’s mocked, corrected, and eventually “fixed” into a soft, pink, cutesy girl. Her makeover isn’t for her. it’s the narrative giving her permission to be “dateable.”

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5. “One of the Boys” But Never Really One of the Boys

She’s tough. She’s cool. She fights. She hangs with the guys. She might even burp. But make no mistake! she’s never actually allowed to be one. This trope gives characters AFAB just enough masculinity to seem "interesting," then punishes them if they go too far with it.

Again, this is also a misogynistic trope, but the intersectionality here is important even in the ones that don't seem obvious, some people will poke fun at me putting Natasha here for example, but if you do that you're misunderstanding my intent and I do not care for it.

I am not saying ANY of these characters are coded transmasculine, I am discussing how masculinity is treated in regards to characters AFAB.

The message is clear: You can borrow masculinity, but don’t get comfortable in it.

These characters:

Get constant reminders that they're different

Are sexualized, softened, or sidelined the moment they get too close to “boyish”

Exist to complement the boys, not compete with them

Examples:

Avengers – Natasha Romanoff is deadly, competent, cool under pressure, but also constantly shoved into the “team mom” or “sexy redhead with feelings” role. Her backstory centers around forced sterilization, and her arc in Age of Ultron literally says she’s a “monster” for not being able to have kids. Tell me again how she’s treated like “one of the guys.”

How to Train Your Dragon – Astrid starts out as the alpha fighter, but as soon as Hiccup grows up, she becomes a background girlfriend with no arc of her own. Her sharp edge gets smoothed into supportiveness.

My Hero Academia – Nearly every tough AFAB character gets undercut. Mirko is badass but exists on the fringes. Jirou gets development, but only as support. Bakugo’s mom is comic relief. Meanwhile, male characters are allowed complex, messy, powerful arcs without ever needing to "soften" for the audience.

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“AFAB Character Learns to Embrace Womanhood” = Moral Victory!

You start with a tough, scrappy, masculine-coded person AFAB, maybe she fights, maybe she’s emotionally shut down, maybe she just doesn’t want to be like other girls. It doesn't matter, this is how it ends:

She softens. She submits. She “grows” by becoming a wife, a mom, a love interest, a Real Girl™️.

This isn’t healing. It’s containment. The message is: your rebellion was cute, but it’s time to settle down and accept the role assigned to you.

“Growth” = compliance. “Strength” = giving it up. “Maturity” = pink, dresses, and a baby carriage.

Examples:

The Hunger Games – Katniss Everdeen is trauma-coded, masc-leaning, and uncomfortable with romance or traditional femininity. So what’s her ending? A baby epilogue where she’s in a dress, quietly settled into nuclear family life. Is she happy about it? No, but there's no denying that this is her ending.

Mulan II– In the original, she challenges gender roles and becomes a literal war hero. In the sequel? The plot revolves around her needing to prove she can still be soft, feminine, and wife-material. Her masculinity is not allowed to just exist.

Jojo Rabbit – Rosie (the mother) is framed as the ideal woman: warm, loving, feminine. Meanwhile, Elsa (a girl in hiding) starts out guarded and hard-edged, but only becomes “redeemed” once she softens and embraces traditional femininity.

A Silent Voice / Koe no Katachi – The narrative constantly punishes her for not being “nice enough,” and her arc only begins to shift once she becomes more demure and apologetic. She cannot be both a good person and brash or hotheaded, submit or be branded evil.

Inuyasha – Sango is introduced as a demon-slaying warrior. But her story ends in the most vanilla way possible: marriage, motherhood, and sidelining. She loses her edge completely. I hate the end of Inuyasha so much it is borderline a meme in my circles.

Fruits Basket - Uotani is tall, tomboyish, and used to be in a girl gang. She has strength, history, and depth. And then her “big growth moment”? Realizing she wants to be softer and more ladylike, because femininity is treated as the finish line within the story.

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“Masculine Presentation” = Joke Costume or Moral Failure

When characters AFAB wear suits, cut their hair short, or pass as masc in any way, media rarely lets it land without a laugh track, or a moral consequence.

Masculine presentation is treated as:

A silly costume

A failed experiment

A sign of monstrosity

Or something to be shamed out of.

The story makes sure you feel embarrassed for them. It invites the audience to laugh, cringe, or judge, because “girl in boy clothes” is still a punchline in mainstream media. Just like 'Boy in girl clothes' is.

And yes, this hurts trans women, but it also absolutely targets butch, GNC, and transmasc folks. Masculinity is marked as wrong on AFAB bodies, funny if temporary, disgusting if permanent.

Examples:

Scooby-Doo – Velma’s masc coding (short hair, flat clothes, practical shoes) constantly becomes the joke. If she dresses even more masc? She’s “mistaken” for a man and ridiculed. Her queerness and presentation are treated like a quirk at best, a problem at worst.

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody – London Tipton wears a single masc outfit and the laugh track explodes. The outfit itself isn’t weird, but the show acts like the sight of her in anything non-feminine is a cosmic-level joke.

Friends – Rachel and Monica wear tuxedos in one episode, and the joke is entirely that it looks “wrong.” Chandler mocks them, the camera lingers on how “awkward” they look.

iCarly – Sam dresses masc semi-regularly, and is constantly mocked for acting “like a guy.” In interviews, actress Jennette McCurdy has said this ongoing joke contributed directly to her eating disorder relapse. This is not harmless.

Matilda - Miss Trunchbull is heavily masc-coded: big build, short hair, no makeup, harsh voice. She’s a literal villain, and her appearance is meant to be scary. Her masculinity is associated directly with her monstrosity.

Aikatsu! – Girls in suits are used as performance shock value. “Omg, a girl in a tuxedo??” is the whole joke.

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IN CLOSING.

These tropes don’t exist in a vacuum.

they shape how people see us, and how we see ourselves.

When characters AFAB exploring masculinity are only ever jokes, villains, phases, or tragedies, it sends a message: You don’t get to be this. You’re only allowed to visit. And when you're done, you better come back “correct.”

But we’re not punchlines. We’re not broken girls. Some of us are boys.

Some of us are neither.

Some of us are just butch as hell and happy about it.

We deserve stories where we aren’t corrected. Where masculinity on AFAB people isn’t a phase, a disguise, or a joke. But our lives, and the truth of them.

[the-galactic-dragon]

it's true and you should say it.

[the-galactic-dragon]

But the truth is far more painful than any of these. Sami and his family are living outside this entire cycle. For over two years, they've been under constant bombing, displacement, and death. And the most heartbreaking part? His 7-year-old daughter, Leen, was seriously injured just days ago. Her back is wounded, there's no medicine, no food, and no relief from the pain. Do you think Leen deserves this? Shouldn't she have a chance to heal, to smile again?

Don't leave them alone. Donate now. Your support could open a door to hope.

[the-galactic-dragon]

I can vouch personally for the validity of this campaign, as well as GazaVetters (#6 on the list). They urgently, URGENTLY need your donation. 

A reblog -- that's all it really takes. There are campaigns on here with tens of thousands of notes—how do you think they got there? By everyone scrolling past? Complain about morality OCD and compassion burnout all you want. My friend’s family might die tomorrow. Might die right now. In any moment I am not speaking to Ghada, it is possible that she is dead.

So when I ask you to reblog this post, think about the lack of effort it would take to flick your thumb—and realize it could be saving the lives of 14 people, affected by the horrors of war more than you could possibly imagine on your own.

Think about the sound of artillery firing. Even simply guns nearby. There's no "getting used to" that as your constant reality.

Thank you.

@rickybabyboy @valtsv @komsomolka @prisonhannibal @hotvampireadjacent @r0zeclawz @marxism-transgenderism @teaboot  @boobieteriat @chokulit @3000s @ot3 @90-ghost @apas-95 @pitbolshevik  @punkitt-is-here @b0tster @vampiricvenus @ankle-beez @remindertoclick @dyrdeer @tamamita @omegaversereloaded @sawasawako  @feluka  @postanagramgenerator @memingursa  @certifiedsexed @afro-elf @11thsense  @spacebeyonce  @dailyquests  @neechees @beserkerjewel @beetledrink @spaghettioverdose @specialmouse @tlirsgender @grox @minmos @paparoach  @slimetony @liberalsarecool @charlott2n @juney-blues @hollowtones @aflo @skunkes @wolfertinger666

[the-galactic-dragon]

Hello my friends on Tumblr,

Unfortunately, my previous campaign was shut down because some people were receiving the donations and I was robbed. I lost the support I desperately needed.

But the suffering continues, and the pain grows every day… So I’ve launched a new campaign, and I truly hope you can stand by me once again.

🔗 Here is the link to my new campaign (For proof, the link to the old, closed campaign is still on my page)

Every share, every donation, every word of support… means the world to me and my family.

Please, share my campaign and help me once more.

You can donate as little as $1 via PayPal or $5 via Chuffed. 🙏💙

vetted here

@afro-elf @ankle-beez @a-shade-of-blue @noble-kale @rickybabyboy @irangp @imlizy @caffeccino @cfo-of-antifa @amvs @artwheat @butchfeygela @amygdalae @punkitt-is-here @paper-mario-wiki @prisonhannibal @postanagramgenerator @magic-can @mens-rights-activia @fray @kibumkim @klapollo @ot3 @omegaversereloaded @skunkes @sporesgalaxy @zzoupz @sayruq @tamamita @taffybuns @xenomorphique @yekkes @yiddishfisting @wilted @notedchampagne @nocakeno @meshugenist @mushroomjar @murderbot @frazzledhare @bilal-sala7 @skunkes @sayruq @isuggestforcefem

[the-galactic-dragon]

i am Thinking about how quickly and how well susie and tenna started getting along. i am Thinking about it

[the-galactic-dragon]

In the heart of Gaza, where hope fades and destruction grows, nothing feels like life anymore. People die in silence—under the rubble, from hunger, from the cold, from fear. Children are pulled lifeless from beneath the ruins, and mothers scream with no one to hear. Every day we lose our loved ones, and a part of us dies with them.

We desperately need every hand that can reach us. If you’re able to help, please donate through (GoFundMe) or directly via (PayPal).

Your donation could mean everything to a family like mine. Don’t wait

[the-galactic-dragon]

[the-galactic-dragon]

HELP A BROKE DISABLED TRANSFEM OUT

Hi y’all. I’m Amelia. I have Long Covid (and all the disorders that come with it) that went from Mild to Moderate-Severe and has made surviving a bit more difficult. I’m mostly bedbound now and had to withdraw from classes because they were making my health worse.

With these in mind, I’m kind of in a position where I can’t really work and thus don’t have an income. I currently only have $30 left in savings, lost my EBT earlier this year, and am having to deal with insurance crap. My parents are not able to reliably support me financially and are also just not good people, iykyk.

Anyways here are my links:

Venmo: https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3657717386315736477

Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/ameliabennett/goal?g=0

Cashapp: $AmeliaBedelia52

Thanks a heap! Tumblr trannies, you know what to do.

[the-galactic-dragon]

I beg you to help my dear friend Mohamed, who does everything he can to help his family even in these dire circumstances. The unending siege on Gaza has driven prices for the most basic items very high and the bombing never ceases.

His wife, Manal, needs chemotherapy treatment. She was not able to receive her latest dose because of donations slowing. His son Abdul Rahman remains in recovery in the hospital after a recent shelling, in need of skin grafts and hospital care. His two girls Sarah and Lynn are going hungry. Through all this Mohamed battles with own injuries and illnesses. He desperately needs donations that are steady and reliable to continue helping his family.

GFM Poster @save-mohamed-family

[the-galactic-dragon]

Spent tonight at a local short film festival. One of the shorts was made by two 12 year olds in their backyard and it was the best short of the entire night

[the-galactic-dragon]

[the-galactic-dragon]

a post for my friend Ahmed ( @zinaanqar16 ) please read to the end and do not vote without reblogging thank you 🫶🏾

Recently I was able to talk with Ahmed for a bit, He spoke to me generally about the difficult situation there in Gaza and the lack of goods and the minimum necessities of life. He also spoke about little Ronza and how she suffers from malnutrition and anemia, and how there is no milk or nutritional supplements available for her.

No child, no person, should have to suffer like this ever. Please if you are able. Donate and Share so that Ahmed's children and family are able to eat and survive during the ongoing genocide.

€6,131/€40K (6/21/25) They have been at the 15% mark of the

[the-galactic-dragon]

hey yall! amidst the newest chaos, i wanted to direct some attention to sami’s campaign :-) he and his family have been displaced several times on foot and been raising funds on here for some time now. any participation or donation would be greatly appreciated since, as we all know, gaza is still under heavy bombardment

[the-galactic-dragon]

If you've ever appreciated my posts about LGBTQ issues, this Pride month, as a favor to me, please do something to help my friend Fadel ( @fadel-dani ).

Fadel is multiply disabled.

A very serious accident left his leg paralyzed for a long time, and now he walks with great difficulty. He also has thalassemia, a blood disorder, which leaves him incredibly fatigued. The medication he needs costs €400 every month. He needs to buy medication as soon as possible, because he has not been able to afford it so far this month. He suffers from dizziness and nausea all the time because he has not been able to buy his medication yet.

Fadel needs urgent surgery

Over 550 days ago, Fadel's family home was bombed and he was left with iron shrapnel embedded in his body. The medical infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated and he URGENTLY needs to get to a better-resourced hospital to get this shrapnel surgically removed safely.

Fadel's family is starving

Israel has created and maintained famine in Gaza as a genocidal tactic. Not only do they prevent food aid from entering, but they target crowds of Palestinians waiting for the distribution of aid.

Fadel and his brothers recently traveled together to an aid site, hungry and desperate for food, only to be met with Israeli snipers.

He recounted, "I saw many martyrs die in front of my eyes. Unfortunately we fled and were not able to take any food or anything. Now we have nothing to eat. A bag of flour costs 800 euros, a kilo of sugar costs 100 euros, a kilo of tomatoes costs 50 euros, and a liter of milk costs 80 euros. What's worse is that my medication is about to run out. I don't know what to do. Should I spend my surgery money to buy medicine and food to eat, or what?"

He told me today that for the last two days his family has been rationing their remaining supplies so that they have only been able to eat once a day. They are always hungry.

Fadel's campaign is vetted

His campaign has been vetted by @gazavetters (#197) and 90-ghost.

Earlier this year he raised nearly 50% of his goal, but on April 25th, 2025, GoFundMe cruelly deleted his fundraiser with no warning or explanation (something this company has done to many Palestinians trying to survive genocide) and he was forced to start over with a new campaign.

Despite GoFundMe's deletion of his first campaign automatically returning all donations to the donors, most people who previously donated have not taken the time to send that money back to him.

Today as I write this (June 22, 2025), he has has raised 39% of his goal, still over €3,000 below the amount he had raised back in April.

He has escaped death so many times, and he needs our help to survive long enough to get to a hospital who can treat his injuries.

What you can do:

Donate any amount you can to his campaign

Make a post about Fadel to share his story and encourage others to donate

Share this post with your followers

Send him a kind message at @fadel-dani and offer your friendship

[the-galactic-dragon]

Hi, I'm going to try and start this a little earlier to avoid previous issues. We need to raise $700 for rent. We're two disabled trans women that help @rickybabyboy run his account, please help if you can.

ID: Orange and white tabby yawning very big

$0/$700 raised

Venmo: AGIEF

Paypal: agieocean@gmail.com

Ko-fi: