transknowledgable

[transknowledgable]

[transknowledgable]

i never see enough tips for trans women/transfem people so. here’s a video that came up about tucking :] (don’t worry she doesn’t use tape at all despite the thumbnail)

[transknowledgable]

Lee says:

Here’s a transitioning starter pack for all my trans folk out there! 

Your transition is up to you- we want to provide information on all your options so you can make an informed decision about what you want. If you find a resource useful, then use it! If you’re not interested in doing any of the things listed, then don’t!

Transfeminine resources:

Presentation:

Tucking

Chest area

Voice

Broad shoulders tips

Hair removal

Feminine walk

Curves

Waist training

Growing out your hair

Clothing

Makeup

Passing

Medical transitioning:

Not medically transitioning

Fertility

Puberty blockers

Estrogen & anti-androgens/testosterone blockers FAQ

The types of surgery available

Surgery: A guide for transfeminine people

Pumping (Silicone injections)

Facial Feminization Options

Breast Augmentation

Other:

Representation

What does it feel like to have a vagina?

What does it feel like to have breasts?

Transfeminine period dysphoria

Yes, Transfeminine People Can Get Period Symptoms

Slipping into masculinity

Women’s restroom etiquette

Transfeminine people can breastfeed

Having sex or masturbating

Transmasculine resources:

Presentation:

Binding FAQ

Clothing

Facial hair

Masculine makeup

Getting short hair / Masculine long hair

If you can’t start T

Lowering your voice

Packing and standing to pee

Passing as male

Not shaving legs

Medical transitioning:

Not medically transitioning

Fertility

Puberty blockers

Testosterone FAQ

Top surgery

Facial masculinization surgery

Body masculinization surgery

Hysterectomy and oophorectomy

Bottom surgery (genital surgery)

Other:

Periods and related things

Help! I need to see a gyno

Pumping

Masturbation and sex

Using the men’s bathroom

Hudson’s FTM Guide

Height dysphoria

Hip dysphoria

More resources:

What gender am I? A brief intro to questioning

Trans 101 for trans people

What is the transgender umbrella?

How do I choose a name?

How do I come out at work/school or to family/friends?

Dysphoria info and tips page

Mental health coping page

Being trans in school

Non-binary resources

Resources to send allies/friends

A page to send to parents/guardians

Convincing someone to respect name/pronouns 

Here is how to get hormones in the US

Here is how to get hormones in the UK

The NHS’s Guide For Young Trans People in England

Here’s a US resource with info on changing legally changing your name and gender marker 

What are the WPATH-SOC guidelines?

How to save money

How to buy a trans-related item online without parents knowing

I have to go swimming, what do I wear/do?

Trying to sleep when you have dysphoria

Airports and traveling by plane

Gender neutral bathrooms

Getting insurance to cover your transition

Does transitioning help mental health?

Trans teen’s experiences with inpatient hospitalization

Trans identity isn’t a mental disorder

Vaping prevalence

Summer tips

Being religious and LGBT

Transgender Lives: Your Stories (to see trans adults) 

Gender neutral pronouns in Spanish

Gender Variance Around the World Over Time

A map of gender-diverse cultures

American LGBT history by the National Parks Service

Crisis help: Suicide and crisis hotlines

Anyone can reblog, including allies!

[transknowledgable]

Hey! Are you a young trans (or just someone who wears a binder) who is still in school, is hiding a binder from their parents and doesn’t know how they’re going to wash it? Cause you’ve come to the right place!! (This is also just a tutorial on how I wash my binder).

Step 1: Be prepared.

It will be helpful if you go to a school where you carry a bag around. You need to prepare that morning. Make sure you have nothing going on that day after school. You’re going to need:

Your binder

A plastic bag (preferably two)

Washing detergent (either buy some before/after school, steal from your laundry or use hand soap like I did)

A sink (with water)

A normal bra

A clothes hanger

A school bag

And a towel.

You’re going to need to take a few of these to school with you (binder, bags, soap, bra, towel). And make sure you do this the moment you get home so your parents aren’t suspicious of why you are taking your school bag into your bathroom.

(I personally forgot this step and almost had to explain what I was doing).

Step 2: Washing time

Ok, take off your binder, and put on a bra (if you want to that is)

Pour warm water into your sink.

And soak your binder in it.

Pull it out and put some soap on it (I use A LOT)

And then rub it in and put the binder back into your sink.

Drain your sink and fill with cold water. Put binder in again and soak it.

Drain the sink and run your binder under cold water to get off the extra soap.

Get any extra water out by squeezing it and put it in the plastic bag/s.

Put it in your school bag (along with anything else) and sneak into your room.

Step 3: Drying it.

Pull out your binder and hang it up in your closet with a hanger.

I like to put a towel underneath to catch all the drips. And to prevent my carpet from being ruined.

Your binder will (hopefully) dry overnight.

I know a lot of people are in different conditions when it comes to family, resources etc. so this might not work for everyone. This is simply what works for me. If you need help/advice, you can always ask me.

[transknowledgable]

Food for thought! If you do a toned down version of this (blend away harsh lines and use colors closer to your natural skintone), you can create a more masculine appearing face. Don't forget to fill in your eyebrows! Brow pencil is like the masculine eyeliner.

How to do drag king makeup 1. Use a dark color to create shadows 2. Careful not to over highlight 3. Make sure its smooth! And clean 4. Guys have longer eyelashes, but don’t give yourself long girly eyelashes. Light, light eyeliner… Use feather strokes for your eye brows and get a color close to your color (or darker) 5. This is how i did it, different men have different facial hair. To get a more realistic look use fake hair over the shading… Also, if you are only using color use a thin brush and use feather strokes to give a beater texture

- i am a new drag king, i watched a lot of tutorials and saw a few diagrams and then combined them into this

coldspaghettipie

[transknowledgable]

For the longest time, I've tried to find the means of explaining the difference between pansexual and bisexual while still not assuming bisexual people are inherently transphobic, and I think this is the absolute best way of explaining it.

- the transmasc pansexual

From what I understand the difference between bi and pan is that bi people see gender and pan people do not like a big person could have a preference for girls but if they met the right guy they would date them (or vice versa) and a pan person does not care what gender someone is they just want someone who fits their criteria of a potential partner. Saying pan people will date trans people and bi people won’t is transphobic and bi people don’t just date guys and girls the middle stripe is for NB

This is a pretty good explanation, which is similar to my lived experience as a bisexual woman.

I identify as bi because I do have a very distinct gender preference. I am almost exclusively attracted to women, but my husband is a trans man. We have been together for over a decade. When he transitioned, I was able to maintain an attraction for him as an individual, even though I am not attracted to men as a group in general. I fully acknowledge that he is a man (which is why I no longer identify as a lesbian), but bisexual (and queer) fit better than pan for me, because gender plays a significant role in my attractions. If I wasn’t with Tory, I’d be with a woman. I wouldn’t be equal opportunity about my options.

The people I’ve talked to who identify as pan don’t rank gender very high on their list when determining whether they’re attracted to someone. This isn’t to say that pan folks aren’t selective about their partners, and it doesn’t mean that bi, lesbian, or gay people don’t look for other important criteria besides gender. A pan person isn’t going to be attracted to every human being, and a lesbian isn’t going to be attracted to every woman on earth. But gender is a crucial element to many bi (and lesbian) people, and it doesn’t seem to rank very high on the priority list for most pan people I know.

[transknowledgable]

Hi! I’m an ftm trans guy and I’ve been on hormones for a year and haven’t had my period in over a year. If I have unprotected sex with a guy would I be at risk at getting pregnant??

Yes, there’s still a risk, because the little guys could potentially swim their way all the way up there. It’s definitely much harder than for cis women, but possible until you at least have your ovaries removed.

[transknowledgable]

ok so i just ordered my first binder and i’m super excited! so i know i’m not supposed to wear it for more than 8-10 hours. i don’t want rib damage. but how much of a break do i need before wearing it again. like if i wear it for a whole school day and then i have something else to do later, can i just take it off for 1-2 hours and then wear it again? not for like 8 hours again probably just like 1-3 hours. would that be ok?

Yeah, in my experience that should be fine, especially if it fits correctly. To be honest, I've worn binder upwards of 20 hours without issue, though this was between washes so they were stretched out a little bit. Let your body be your guide. If you feel any pain, it's time to give it a rest for at least 8 hours.

[transknowledgable]

Was wondering if you could recommend some resources. I have a friend who's grandchild (11) recently came out as trans. The grandmother is supportive but doesn't really know a lot and is worried they may be bullied and wants to help but doesn't know the right thing to do or say. The grandmother is looking for books, websites, or groups that could help her learn more about how to support her grandchild.

So, I don't know what area they live in, or where on the gender spectrum the grandchild falls, so a lot of these resources are more generalized, but hopefully it can lead them down the right path to getting the support they need.https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5915beaae4b02d6199b2ee3f/ampThis is a pretty solid 'how-to' for parents that Huffpost wrote that I would say can help with the demistifying phase of learning about the community and its struggles without being too scary about them.https://www.genderspectrum.orgThis site has a TON of good resources for parents. Definitely worth looking through some articles on here.http://www.transyouthequality.org/for-parents/This is a nice list of books, how-tos and youtube videos geared towards parents of trans youth.https://www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-finding-support-for-you-and-your-familyThis is a good mini-article about looking for support with a couple good links, but should provide an idea of where to look for more information.https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapistsI super recommend getting a gender therapist, especially for someone so young. Gender therapists are typically well versed in helping prepare someone for all the changes, internally and externally, that happen during a transition. They are also the ones who can be the connect towards medically transitioning, if that's what the child will want in the future. This site, you can filter therapists down through area, type of practice and health insurance. I would recommend filtering for both "child or adolescent" and "transgender" categories in the area and go from there.I hope this helps, and you can certainly send them my way if they'd like to talk with an adult trans person to get some additional insight.

[transknowledgable]

I go to dr. Fisher, and I don’t think he does informed consent anymore

Really? Strange... There was such a shift around 2014 towards informed consent, now everyone is shifting away from it, and it really sucks.

[transknowledgable]

Hey im in arizona and trying hard to start T with my fiance and so far we have been struggling to find informed consent clinics and its honestly very disheartening. Know anything to help? Also, do you recommend any certain insurance that can cover anything trans related

It's definitely a struggle now to find informed consent, since a lot of places that did it have since closed or moved out of state. The only doctor I know of that for sure does informed consent is Dr. Fischer at 15th Ave and Bethany Home in Phoenix. You insurance, regardless of plan or company, should cover your visits and bloodwork with him, it's just the T itself that might not be covered. I know Aetna is the best plans as far as trans inclusivity, but besides that, you really just need to call. What you want to know is if they will cover self-injected testosterone cypionate, aka Depo-Testosterone, as a prescription for women (cuz unfortunately that's what you'll be coded as until you change your gender marker), anyone in their client service department should be able to answer that. You might also want to ask about top surgery, billed as a double or bilateral masectomy (I forget the diagnosis code, but you can certainly google it). If your insurance doesn't cover hormones, a 10ml vial at Costco runs you about $110, though I highly recommend the drive to Scottsdale Civic Center Pharmacy, who charged me $55 for my last 10ml and ten needles (this lasts me 5 months). I hear Melrose Pharmacy is also well priced.

[transknowledgable]

how do i come to terms with the fact that i'm trans? (sorry if this sent several times my wifi suuuucks)

It's not a problem about the multiple messages :)So, I apologize for the delay in the response, but I needed to consult a few of my other trans friends, because I'm not sure where to start. The general consensus is that you have to take the time to get to know yourself again. Being trans is a big part of most trans folk, and so it can take some time to digest and figure out where the rest of you fits in. Don't expect it to happen overnight. There will be the awkward growing period. But overtime, you'll start to feel... normal isn't quite the right word. Boring? Lol, my relationship with my transness is very boring, as I expect many cis-people feel with their cis-ness. It will come with time, don't worry, my friend.

[transknowledgable]

Hi, I'm a little confused about this so I was wondering if maybe you could help me out? So there's two sexes and multiple genders? Or am I wrong? I'm really lost with this and I wanna learn more about it!! Thanks in advance:)

First off, huge props to you for wanting to learn more. So, you're half right, there are multiple genders, but sexes are a little more complicated than one or the other. It's more of a spectrum with humans, which we know because of the existence of intersex people. There are some conditions out there that cause ambiguous looking genitalia, or external genitalia that doesn't match the internal gonads (think ovaries or testes).Honestly, if you think of sex as a spectrum on a line, and gender as a sort of grid, wheel, or other form of 2 dimensional chart, it makes a bit more sense, at least to me. I hope that helped, and don't hesitate to ask more questions.

[transknowledgable]

Worth a solid read if you aren't aware of the anti-lgbt history of the salvation army.

**DONT SCROLL PAST**

** PLEASE READ **

** OR EVEN JUST SKIM **

I know that everyone wants to give to the people wearing red and ringing bells outside of walmart during the holidays but here’s why you should not give a dollar to the Salvation Army:

“The Salvation Army of the United States attempted to make a deal with the Bush administration ensuring that religious charities receiving federal funding would be exempt from any local ordinances banning anti-gay discrimination. Church spokesman David A. Fuscus explained that the group did not want to extend medical benefits to same-sex partners of its employees. The deal fell through after it was publicized by the Washington Post.” Source: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4422938

“The centers found to be discriminating were the Addicts Rehabilitation Center (Manhattan), Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center (Brooklyn), Promesa Residential Health Care Facility (Bronx), and the Thomas and Marie White Health Center (Queens). The announcement did not specify which clinics engaged in which discriminatory behaviors, but the violations found included:

Refusing to accept transgender people as patients or tenants

Assigning trans people rooms based on their sex assigned at birth instead of their lived gender identity

Unwarranted physical examinations to determine if trans people are on hormone therapy or have had surgery

Segregating transgender patients into separate rooms

The discrimination was found through a testing process after the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) tipped off the commission that mistreatment was happening. One of the clinics told the testers outright, “No, we don’t [accept transgender patients].” Another clinic’s representative said, “People with moving male parts would be housed with men.” The NYCCHR has the authority to fine violators up to $250,000 and can also require trainings, policy changes, community service, and mediated apologies.” - source https://www.google.com/amp/s/thinkprogress.org/transgender-substance-abuse-discrimination-salvation-army-6470b6abc397/amp/

Don’t forget about how they have no respect for and use people with disabilities to guilt trip you into giving money. So please, just say “no thanks” and walk right on by. And oh by all means add everything else they’ve done and said bc theres a WHOLE LOT of shit.

[transknowledgable]

Post-T Transmasculine Folks - Let's Have A Talk

So, disclaimers, this might be triggering. I'm going to talk about my personal experience today, and about an issue that I'm finding is actually pretty common amongst us folks who have started hormones. Honestly, I don't really want to talk about, but I feel this is something that needs to be talked about.

Forgetting Your Shot

So, over the last two years or so, I've had a rough time taking my shot regularly. Be it because of my depression causing me to just forget, fear of running out of hormones, fear of going into a pharmacy just to buy more needles (which can be a bit difficult in AZ because of our state's laws trying to prevent intravenous drug use), fear of the pain or hitting a vein, or just feeling that there's nowhere clean enough to stick something into my leg, it's been rough for me. I haven't had an accurate blood test for over a year because of this.

These past few months have been the hardest, due to compounding factors from the above list. I haven't taken a shot in possibly close to 5 weeks. And, as such, my body has decided to go back to it's... Normally scheduled programming.

Not going to lie, I definitely tried to ignore the signs. The lack of energy, lack of libido, the growing cramps, the mood swings. I even tried to ignore when I saw blood this morning. Just went to work as normal, albeit wearing black underwear on purpose. Unfortunately, as per my body and the fact that I've stopped the menstrual clock for about 3 years, that, uh, wasn't going to be option.

I'm very fortunate to have a female co-worker who I'm out to, who generous handed me a pink-wrapped "manpon" stealthily during my lunch break. I hightailed it to the bathroom, and realized something I haven't been forced to think about before.

See, I didn't use male restrooms consistently until after I had started hormones, so I never had to deal with shark week in such an unaccommodating space. And, of course, the universe had more plans to make this new experience more nerve-wracking: I was not alone.

Dealing With 'Shark Week' In Public

I stood in my stall, carefully trying to open this wrapper silently, managed to do the deed, then realized I had... No way of disposing the evidence. Great. I quickly wrapped the offending object up in some toliet paper, flushed the toilet for good measure, and high-tailed it to the nearest trash can. Washed my hands extremely fast, and left before the other guy exited the stall.

As I returned to work, I could feel my heart racing. My hands shaking. I never thought that I would ever have to deal with this. But, here I was, trying to cope, while staying productive and hoping to all that was holy no one would ask what was wrong.

I tell you all this story for a couple reasons. Firstly, for you guys who haven't started hormones, I finally get it, and I'm so sorry this is something you experience regularly. I admire your strength, because I can't think of a more definitively brave and masculine thing to have to do. Secondly, to guys like me, who are struggling with keeping on top of your shots, the discomfort of the shot itself pales in comparison to this experience, when you've thought it'll never be a problem again. So, try to stay on top of it, even when the excitement of changes has passed.

Ways To Stick With It

Now, I know that cautionary tales only get us so far, so here's a couple suggestions I've been brainstorming for my own use that might help.

Use your phone to remind you

There's a couple medication remind apps out there, or you can even use your calendar to remind you. A close friend, roommate, or significant other can help keep you accountable, if that suits you. This actually helped me for about a year, and was working quite well, until my boy/girlfriend got a new phone and forgot to move the reminder over.

Look into alternatives to shots

While self-administered shots are the most common form of HRT for trans-masculine folks, it's not the only method. There are gels that you can apply daily that can work if you have a steady routine and sleep alone (you risk cross contamination with a partner or pets, so you may want to talk to you doctor about that if gel seems like a good method for you). There are also slow release shots that doctors adminster once every 2 to 3 months (in the US, it's called Aveed, in the UK and some other countries, they use Nebido). Talk with your doctor if that is something you can do instead. I plan on trying to switch to Aveed over the next month or two, so I'll give some updates on that.

Talk to other transmasculine folks about it

There's definte strength in numbers. It helps to know that you aren't the only one struggling with this. I know for me, it was difficult to accept that I had a problem taking my shot because I was once so excited to take my shot that I felt ashamed that I now dreaded the prospect. Perhaps others will have suggestions beyond mine that will work better for you.

Most importantly - forgetting your shot does not make you weak, it does not make you any less trans or any less of who you are. It's okay to struggle with this. And you can overcome it, just like you overcame the struggle to get hormones in the first place. Keep pushing yourself. I believe in you.

[transknowledgable]

What's third gender

Third gender denotes any gender that isn't on binary. The best example I have would be agender, or Maverick. The argument could be made that agender doesn't count, since it's defined as an adsence of gender.Maverick is best described using a metaphor. If female is blue, and male is red, then Maverick would be yellow, tied to the other two by category, but having no other relation to the other two besides that. I know it's pretty confusing, but I would say those of us who don't experience the Maverick gender, we're walking around color-blind, as mavericks see a whole other color spectrum.

[transknowledgable]

Hey so I'm looking into STP prosthetics and am torn between the The Jimmy STP and the FreeToM Rouge. I was wondering if you had any info or opinions on either. Which looks/ feels better. Which is easier to use as a STP?

So, I don't have a lot of personal experiences with STPs. I've tried a medicine spoon one as well as the gogirl, and in my brief experience, the bigger the reservoir, the better. So I would say the Jimmy, but I also recommend you read into the reviews.