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[hormonalcryptid]

NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED!

All my stuff has been filed and no problems came up with the criminal background check!! I have to wait a while before my hearing because I can only do it on a Friday but I’m almost there!!!! I’M ALMOST FREE OF MY DEADNAME!!!!! I was kinda worried about the fingerprint cards because I got them done like, 8 months ago with an individual rather than through a law enforcement office. They were also kinda confusing to fill out but I passed the check and am officially a Good Noodle.

[hormonalcryptid]

Still. Waiting. For. Court. Date.

All my stuff has been filed and no problems came up with the criminal background check!! I have to wait a while before my hearing because I can only do it on a Friday but I’m almost there!!!! I’M ALMOST FREE OF MY DEADNAME!!!!! I was kinda worried about the fingerprint cards because I got them done like, 8 months ago with an individual rather than through a law enforcement office. They were also kinda confusing to fill out but I passed the check and am officially a Good Noodle.

[hormonalcryptid]

So I came up with this great idea for a fake beard using fiber mascara and I realized there were no tutorials out there for this already. So I made one myself. It works really well and is very realistic!!

here are some links to some fiber mascaras as well as the type I used (I’m sure you guys can find one at a cheaper price though)

here is the absolute best crossplay makeup tutorial I highly recommend it

I’m so sorry for my handwriting I did my best I swear

[hormonalcryptid]

Friendly reminder for all folks who bind, if you're under 18 and are still growing, REMEASURE YOUR CHEST EVERY COUPLE MONTHS to make sure your binder still fits. Remeasure if you feel any abnormalities at all in your ribs, too. Nobody told me this and I didn't think of it until after my ribs got bent beyond repair when I went from a B to a D in a matter of around 6 months, and now I'm living with near chronic pain. Be careful, lovelies. (I know you've got a lot of young trans followers!)

!!!! Very good advice, I never would have thought of that

[hormonalcryptid]

Well, the nexplanon implant seems to be doing its job thus far. Haven't bled in the past 2 months which is an improvement compared to pretty much constant bleeding on depo and The Pill. If this actually does last 3 years I'm hoping it won't interfere with hrt so I can leave it in.

[hormonalcryptid]

Is Anon here looking for a debate? Because my argumentative ass wrote a 7 page paper on LGBT Rights that touches on how being trans isn’t a mental illness. If they want an argument I’ll give ‘em an argument. A two-part argument in fact. Part I will address the “mental disorder” claim, Part II will discuss dysphoria because those quotes imply transitioning isn’t a “real treatment.”

“In Beyond Bathrooms – Meeting the Health Needs of Transgender People, previous statements pertaining to health care are supported, as well as the fact that Gender Dysphoria, unlike Body Dysmorphia, is a legitimate problem where physically altering the body is not a cosmetic desire, but a medical need. Unlike Dysmorphia, Dysphoria is a result of trans individuals’ brains developing closer to that of a cis person of the same gender rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. Ergo, a female to male individual has a male brain, and the brain cannot connect with the physical body it is in because that body does not align with the gender the brain exhibits, and this disconnect is the root of Dysphoria.” -My own essay

(I wasn’t going to put this under a read more but man, it’s long.)

Part I

“In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) revised its guidelines to indicate that being transgender is not a mental disorder and that genderaffirming treatments are a valid focus of care for people who desire them; the APA has included gender dysphoria in its guidelines partly to cover people who have substantial distress or impairment and to ensure access to and coverage of desired medical interventions and treatments.” - Beyond Bathrooms, pg. 103 (Schuster, Mark A., et al. “Beyond Bathrooms–Meeting the Health Needs of Transgender People.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 375, no. 2, 14 July 2016, pp. 101-103. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1605912.)

Oh look, one source (note the doi) and anon’s claim falls flat. Is my work here finished? Hell no. Anybody with common sense knows better than to think that just because one source says something then it’s the absolute truth.

So fuck it, let’s find more sources- Academic Journals to be exact. We aren’t going to cite NatGeo here mate, we’re going to look at legitimate sources. And, since anon sounds like they’ve been stuck under a rock for a century, an Academic/Scholarly Article/Journal is an article written by experts (think PhD), peer reviewed by other experts, and published for the sake of spreading knowledge. They can usually be found through a Digital Object Identifier (doi) code. I’ll also provide links to the full articles, or where they can be purchased if the full text is not available for free. You’re welcome. 

Vanderhorst, Blaise. “Whither Lies the Self: Intersex and Transgender Individuals and a Proposal for Brain-Based Legal Sex.” Harvard Law & Policy Review, vol. 9, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 241-274. 

“It is in the brain that individual identity lies, and indeed, gender identity. Scientists aided by powerful imaging technologies have discovered that that there are slight, but noticeable differences in brain structure between the male and female brain. Scientists have also discovered that transgender individuals, both before and after hormone therapy, have brains that correspond more to their identified gender than to their genetic or anatomic sex.” (pg. 244)

“A growing body of evidence demonstrates that gender identity is the result of neurological phenomena, and thus is an innate characteristic.” (pg. 245)

“Regardless, this article stands for the proposition that “neurological sex,” as expressed by the gender identity of the individual, is the only rational and humane criteria for legal sex, and that it would benefit intersex and transgender individuals if it was adopted as the universal standard.” (pg. 246)

Kreukels, Baudewijntje P.C. and Antonio Guillamon. “Neuroimaging Studies in People with Gender Incongruence.” International Review of Psychiatry, vol. 28, no. 1, Feb. 2016, pp. 120-128. doi:10.3109/09540261.2015.1113163.

“The current review gives an overview of brain studies in transgender people. First, we describe studies into the aetiology of feelings of gender incongruence, primarily addressing the sexual differentiation hypothesis: does the brain of transgender individuals resemble that of their natal sex, or that of their experienced gender? Findings from neuroimaging studies focusing on brain structure suggest that the brain phenotypes of trans women (MtF) and trans men (FtM) differ in various ways from control men and women with feminine, masculine, demasculinized and defeminized features.” (Abstract)  

“Nevertheless, a brain phenotype becomes apparent from DTI and CTh in early onset androphilic MtF and gynephilic FtM. Their gross morphology is similar to their natal sex, but white matter microstructure is demasculinized in androphilic MtF and masculinized in gynephilic FtM.” (Discussion)

“A difference in brain phenotype of people with GI compared to natal sex controls in various brain measures suggests a sex-atypical development of the brain.” (Discussion)

“After no more than seven months of cross-sex hormone treatment, we see decreased intracranial brain volume in MtF compared to controls, a generalized decrease in CTh and an expansion of the ventricles. After androgenization, an increase in intracranial volume and hypothalamus volumes and increases in CTh have been found in FtM. Suppression of androgens and/or the deleterious effects of estradiol may induce the decreases in MtF, whereas increases in FtM may be the result of anabolic effects of testosterone. These ideas are, at least with respect to estradiol, supported by the detrimental effects on the morphology of the brain of post-menopausal substitution therapy.“ (Discussion)

Mueller, Sven C., et al. “Circulating Androgens Correlate with Resting-State MRI in Transgender Men.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 73, Nov. 2016, pp. 91-98. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.07.212.

“Highlights

Lack of general information how cross-sex hormonal treatment impacts resting-state (rs) function.

[omitted]

rsfMRI was similar in transgender men and natal men relative to natal women in the cerebellum and frontal cortex.

The androgenization effect in transgender men in the cerebellum was associated with treatment duration.

Data provide first evidence for masculinization in rsMRI in cross sex hormone treated transgender men.” (Highlights)

“The results showed differences between transgender persons and non-transgender comparisons on both LFF and ReHo measures in the frontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, and cerebellum. More interestingly, circulating androgens correlated for TM in the cerebellum and regions of the frontal cortex, an effect that was associated with treatment duration in the cerebellum. By comparison, no associations were found for TW with estrogens. These data provide first evidence for a potential masculinization of local functional connectivity in hormonally-treated transgender men.” (Abstract)   

Santarnecchi, E., et al. “Intrinsic Cerebral Connectivity Analysis in an Untreated Female-To-Male Transsexual Subject: A First Attempt Using Resting-State Fmri.” Neuroendocrinology, vol. 96, no. 3, Nov. 2012, pp. 188-193. doi:10.1159/000342001. 

“Transsexualism is a gender identity disorder whose symptomatology could involve cognitive, neurobiological and psychological variance from biological sex standard. Several evidences support the hypothesis of a structural and functional brain reorganization in transgender subjects, with a different impact for male-to-female and female-to-male (FtM) subjects. Here we used resting-state fMRI to understand the similarities between the spontaneous brain connectivity of an untreated FtM subject and two male and female control groups.” (Abstract)

Note: this was published in 2012, before the APA changed the guidelines

Well, now we’re up to five Scholarly Articles. Five articles that can all be used to conclude that being trans is not a mental illness or disorder; the brain physically developed in a way that differs from what was expected. Just to be sure let’s check the APA’s transgender page: 

Q: Is being transgender a mental disorder?

A: A psychological state is considered a mental disorder only if it causes significant distress or disability. Many transgender people do not experience their gender as distressing or disabling, which implies that identifying as transgender does not constitute a mental disorder. For these individuals, the significant problem is finding affordable resources, such as counseling, hormone therapy, medical procedures and the social support necessary to freely express their gender identity and minimize discrimination. Many other obstacles may lead to distress, including a lack of acceptance within society, direct or indirect experiences with discrimination, or assault. These experiences may lead many transgender people to suffer with anxiety, depression or related disorders at higher rates than nontransgender persons.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), people who experience intense, persistent gender incongruence can be given the diagnosis of “gender dysphoria.” Some contend that the diagnosis inappropriately pathologizes gender noncongruence and should be eliminated. Others argue that it is essential to retain the diagnosis to ensure access to care. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is under revision and there may be changes to its current classification of intense persistent gender incongruence as “gender identity disorder.”

Well, anon, the APA says being trans is not a mental disorder. Are you going to tell the APA they’re wrong?

Part II

Gender Dysphoria, here’s a definition, is a legitimate medical diagnosis. There are ways to lessen the symptoms, thus it is treatable. However, due to the nature of Gender Dysphoria it cannot be cured. Transitioning dulls the symptoms, therefore it is a treatment for people who experience dysphoria. Dysphoria is not synonymous with Body Dysmorphia, which is a mental illness and is treated through counseling/therapy.

Continuing off from “ the brain physically developed in a way that differs from what was expected.” Because the brain is physically different the only way to treat dysphoria is through altering everything else until the brain is comfortable with the body it’s in. Therapy cannot alter the physical makeup of the brain. Before I hear anyone try to suggest giving a trans man more estrogen or a trans woman more testosterone, consider the following: go read up about boys who had too much snipped off after birth and were forced into presenting as female. I’m not googling any for you, but I can say without a doubt that they don’t turn out okay. The same goes for trans people: things go south when you make them be something they aren’t. You can’t make a cis person be trans, and you can’t make a trans person be cis. Transitioning is a treatment, not a “treatment.”

Lastly, transitioning is not solely a medical process. It is a long social, legal, and medical process. It’s nothing like electroshock therapy and pills are the only thing between me and being a dysfunctional human being, so shut your trap. And it doesn’t make people happy; it allows them to live in comfort. Some people may derive joy from making strides in the process, but ultimately it only muffles the voices of dysphoria. Some people might feel as though they no longer experience dysphoria, others may still be haunted by it. There is no guarantee that transitioning will rid a person of their dysphoria.

Counterarguments will only be accepted if they include multiple academic sources. 

hi, excuse me but, do you not believe that trans people have a mental disorder ???? it is scientifically proven... and you seem to take the words "mental disorder" as something horrible. it's not. and it can be helped. not in some freaky pill poppin electroshock way... but transitioning is what makes people with gender dysphoria happy. it is. a "treatment"?

Yeah and gay people were classified as “mentally ill” until the 80s you fuck, get this shit out of my inbox and stop demonizing trans people and the mentally ill.

[hormonalcryptid]

STP Tips (Compilation)

A few weeks ago I made this post asking for suggestions or tips on learning to use/getting used to using an STP packer, saying I’d make a post later compiling all of the feedback I received. Well, here’s that post.

-Tips-

Go in the shower to get your body get used to standing while peeing

Use the STP while sitting to get used to it

Practice in the shower

-Notable Comments-

Not all cis guys stand to pee

I’ll add onto this as time goes on, and if you have anything you think I should add please refer back to this post so everything stays as tidy as possible. I do not suggest reblogging this post as it will be edited to make additions, clarifications, etc.

[hormonalcryptid]

I got a Model D STP packer about a month ago, but in terms of using it to pee my body has this hookup about relaxing enough to actually let me use it. I didn't spend $100 for my bladder to fuck this up for me, so would anyone happen to have any tips on getting my muscles to relax, if stance affects it, etc? I've only managed to use it twice but still need more practice, and the goal is to get the hang of it by June. You can reblog this if you want but replies or sending an ask with a ♤ at the very beginning is preferred so I can easily compile everything into a reference post later. (The compilation post won't include names, just a list of all the suggestions)

[hormonalcryptid]

All my stuff has been filed and no problems came up with the criminal background check!! I have to wait a while before my hearing because I can only do it on a Friday but I'm almost there!!!! I'M ALMOST FREE OF MY DEADNAME!!!!! I was kinda worried about the fingerprint cards because I got them done like, 8 months ago with an individual rather than through a law enforcement office. They were also kinda confusing to fill out but I passed the check and am officially a Good Noodle.

[hormonalcryptid]

Reasons anti-trans bathroom laws are bad for everyone: April 5, 2017 I’m at college, just got outta class, and gotta go before driving home. Seeing as I’ve been cornered into using the womens’ room since starting college and suddenly switching mid semester would be suspicious, I walk into it again as usual, but this time moments after a cis girl had entered it. Despite having walked in first and surely seen the multiple signs, upon seeing me she asks “wait is this the boys’ room?” While usually knowing someone looked at me and thought ‘boy’ would be a small confidence booster, this was inside the fucking restroom. Being the only other person in there I couldn’t just not answer so I have to awkwardly come out to this stranger but only manage to mumble “no, Texas law…” before she heads out of the bathroom to check the sign. Now she either knows I’m trans or thinks I’m a cis dude in the wrong room and neither of those options are favorable.

[hormonalcryptid]

So, as it turns out, pulling off bandage wraps is actually kinda painful and your skin will hate you afterwards. At least if this thing works I can trick people into thinking I was tagged by the illuminati for being queer. (The implant is subdermal so it can't be seen most of the time but you can feel it under my skin.)

[hormonalcryptid]

March 27, 2017 Got a Nexplanon implant today. Was a really weird experience but nowhere near as painful as my anxiety was screaming for me to be ready for. -Wrap stays on for 24 hours -Bandages stay on for 48 hours -Gotta give it at least 3 months to see how it works

[hormonalcryptid]

Does anyone else feel like a lot of companies who make prosthetics marketed towards trans people charge a hell of a lot more than necessary because they see us as a target audience with few options? I saw a hyper realistic STP packer going for $500+ on a supposedly LGBT managed website. The cheapest I can find good binders for is no less than $30 a piece. Being trans is already expensive from a medical standpoint can these prosthetic companies maybe stop trying to take advantage of the lack competition this really isn't a fair space to start playing monopoly prices in. Scuse my language but can anyone offer a viable reason as to why I should spend almost $600 on some painted silicone junk instead of using that money on therapy, hormones, surgery, or legal changes? News flash: these things are a necessity for trans people and quite frankly I don't appreciate them being priced like luxury items. What about this goddamn fake wang makes it worth 2 Nintendo Switches (or possibly more if you luck out on eBay)? Also third party websites can fuck off. Just, fuck em. "Helpful" my ass they all just list products from a myriad of companies and charge more for the same goddamn product and if you wanna buy from the producer you have to go on a scavenger hunt to try to find them.

[hormonalcryptid]

I gotta cut class to make it to the gyno appointment on time tomorrow and if it has to be rescheduled again this woman is going on my hate list. I have tried two years of depo, been on birth control pills that are named after a fuckin flower for almost three months, and I have not escaped the bleeding. If I don’t get this implant before the fake pill bleedy week I swear to god and all that is holy I am dragging my parents into the suffering with me.

[hormonalcryptid]

Implant date had to be pushed back again because God forbid hospitals have gynecologists on site. I've lost count of the number of times my appointments have had to be pushed back days or weeks because the doc has to go deliver a baby. Please just stay at your office and let someone else take care of the hospital stuff you're inconveniencing so many people I just want this stupid stick in my arm so I can stop bleeding.

[hormonalcryptid]

My new packer is here and goddamn it feels so right. The old one hardly resembles a dick these days and really it was just a penis shaped lump of silicone that did nothing other than make a slight bulge in my pants, but I remember being so happy to get it. This new one? Whole new level of euphoria. I can’t even explain it it just feels like it belongs as part of my body @ genetics why’d you cheat me out of having a dick from birth? Fuckin rude.

[hormonalcryptid]