#TRANS JOY IS RESISTANCE

[queertranshappiness]

You deserve happiness, no matter what anybody else says. Even in a dark world and a political moment so shitty, your happiness is worth more than appeasing a bunch of sad hateful idiots who don't know what they're talking about. Your joy is resistance. So don't be afraid to bite straight in and get it all down your face, metaphorically. Your peace comes first, so block that trigger word or tag or news site, have a nice hot or cold drink, and do something you love. The world may be dark, but fighting for happiness as an act of rebellion is a much better alternative than not. Queer and trans lives, joy, community, hope, rest and peace are sacred. Do not forget that.

[your-queer-dad]

To every trans, Non-binary and genderqueer kid, teen, young person or adult out there and reading this:

Hold on. For the love of god, hold on. Keep going, find things to live for. This world is awful and hard and dark, but your life is worth so much and you existing simply as yourself makes this world a better place. There are things worth living for. There's cups of tea to be drunk, laughter to be laughed, new songs to hear for the first time, surgeries and treatments to get if that's your thing, friends to be made and memories to be experienced. Even in the world of people hating and oppressing us, we will thrive with love and care. And that includes love and care for ourselves. So hold on for today, ignore the news for today, ignore the terfs and the transphobes and the Bible preachers telling us we're a sin. Ignore all that today, and let yourself be for today. Tomorrow can come tomorrow. Just hold on for today. And we can try again tomorrow. I love you. I'm proud of you, little solider. Keep pushing. <3

[degenderates]

and what if i said i love the word “transsexual” not because of an indication of “changing sexes” but instead a connotation of sexuality (regarding both sexual orientation as well as sexual feelings generally) inherent in gender euphoria. what then.

[lowresolutioncryptid]

I’ve been seeing a lot of terfs deny the very clear link between trans exclusionism and nvzism/white supremacy simply because they do not understand the history behind it. ignorance is not a legitimate excuse to perpetuate systems of white supremacy. And it is further testament to the harm that banning critical race theory and queer studies in schools is doing to y’all’s brains. Because if I’m being completely honest, I’m seeing an alarming amount of self-identified terfs and radfems who are legit STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. My blog is 18+, not for children, anyone under 18 gets immediately blocked. Anyway…

Transphobia and anti-blackness are historically linked and continue, to this day, to be overlapping forms of systemic oppression. Black trans women, specifically, have higher murder rates than any other group. Both trans and black people statistically face more medical discrimination than cis and white people, respectively. The combination of both of these marginalized identities forms a particular and very sinister intersection of oppression.

Not only do both of these systems of privilege work to uphold the social and structural power of cis people and white people.. biological essentialism and transphobia also, historically, were used to define the beliefs of white supremacy and race essentialism. Race essentialism is the false belief that it is “natural order” for whites to oppress other races. For centuries, white “philosophers” made up a whole list of pseudoscientific “reasons” WHY they believed racism was “natural”. One of them was the idea that “distinct and separate biological sexes were the mark of a more evolved race-“ meaning the white race.. they compared European patriarchal sex roles and gender roles to the matriarchal cultures and gender variance that they observed in communities of color.

I have seen terfs accuse people who bring up this historical fact of “masculinizing” black women and women of color, which is a very real issue, but in this case and with historical context, that is a misunderstanding and most of the time is being said by people who want to silence trans people and shut down any criticism of terfism.

Acknowledging the thousands of years of acceptance of gender variance and third/fourth gender categories within pre-colonial African, Indigenous, Latin, Asian, & Middle eastern cultures, is not to blame for the masculinization of women of color, and as a matter of fact: the invention and enforcement of Eurocentric gender roles REQUIRES and RELIES on the masculinization of women of color in order to uphold white women’s place within white supremist systems as the “ideal of femininity” that they can then weaponize against women of color when they do not adhere to those Eurocentric standards.

During times of enslavement and segregation, black women were forced, legally and socially, to conform to very strict Eurocentric femininity standards in order to avoid harassment and violence, and if they deviated from these norms and codes they were dehumanized, masculinized, and were “made into examples” of white femininity being “superior”. Gender roles and biological essentialism do not exist in a vacuum outside of the white supremist systems that they were created within and invented to maintain. To imply that all women share the same experiences within these systems is akin to saying “I don’t see color”.. it’s denying the lived experiences of people of color.

Most gays are familiar with the symbol of the pink triangle, the badge worn by LGBT victims of ww2 concentration camps, but the transgender victims are often overlooked..

“Hitler’s Nazi government, however, brutally targeted the trans community, deporting many trans people to concentration camps and wiping out vibrant community structures.” - Museum of Jewish Heritage.

The US holocaust memorial museum that holds remembrance vigils for the victims persecuted by the nazis, under the Obama administration, included both gay men and transgender people in their list of victims. However, under the Trump administration this was changed to only include gay men. When asked about this change one of the museum’s head curators responded that because trans people were viewed by the nazis as indistinguishable from gay men that they are “included” with the definition. This is an obvious cop-out. The other reason that they gave was that the term “transgender” was only officially coined in the 1980’s, despite the thriving population of German trans people and gender-nonconforming subcultures that pre-date the nazi control of Germany.

Ancient Judaism recognizes at least six (6) distinct sex categories and gender roles, our women fulfilling “traditionally masculine” roles and vice versa.. this is a direct threat and opposition to nazism which relies on Eurocentric patriarchal gender roles. White women serve one purpose within nazi ranks: BIOLOGICAL incubators for white babies. If you don’t have 1) European genetic material 2) biological capabilities of reproduction (vagina, womb, mammaries) to be exploited for domestic labor, you are not considered a “true” woman by nazis. “Woman” being defined within nazism by biological, reproductive traits is so eerily similar to terf’s definition of woman that the only explanation for still perpetuating these ideas that I can think of, other than apathy or being full blown nazis, would be ignorance and historical illiteracy. The systemic eradication and erasure of trans and gender-nonconforming people by the nazi party was essential in maintaining these standards at a structural level, as well as the reinforcement of these false beliefs within popular culture. In order to maintain that false image of “dominance” “supremacy”, they had to invent a subclass that was then deemed “inferior” by their own standards.

When trans people of color and trans Jews are explicitly telling y’all that the harmful rhetoric you spread about trans people has DIRECT historical links to white supremacy and nazism, and (whether intentionally or unintentionally) upholds these systems that are killing us, it’s not your place to dig your heels into the ground and come up with excuses. It’s your place to listen and reevaluate your views.

[em0-opossum]

my gender is deer in headlights, my gender is party poison, my gender is 90s roller skates embellished with bright colors and patterns, my gender is the lyrics I write in sharpie on my arms to cover my scars, my gender is femboy who has just tried on a skirt for the first time and twirls around and around, my gender is pastel 80s toys, my gender is teddy bears left unloved and uncared for on the sidewalk or in the back of the closet, my gender is the letter v, my gender is forest cryptid that everyone knows about but no one quite believes in, my gender is childhood nostalgia, my gender is those sparkly rocks I find on the ground and happily gift to my friends, my gender is scene aesthetics, my gender is the sound of the running water of a creek, my gender can be found everywhere and in everything, my gender is beautiful, my gender cannot be defined by your binary ideas

[toritatertotart]

Made this for all those who need to hear it. Kinda of a late post, but I made this piece for Trans Day of Remembrance.

[Image Description: In the center of the art piece is Rita Hester. To the right and behind her is Gwen Amber Rose Araujo and E.J. Boykin. To the left and behind Rita is Kelly Stough and Brandon Teena. Above the figures it reads "Through your Existence" and continued below them it reads "you honor you Trans Ancestors". Behind both the text and the figures is the trans flag. End Image Description.]

[bandofvengefulchickadees]

Bow Down

Fuck a “princess”, bitch, I’ll be King.

I ain’t no damn damsel in distress, this ain’t mutilation,

It’s beautification, I don't need to be saved.

My body is not a temple, no ma’am, I’m not a holy man,

No fun to be had in a temple, you see, no shaking the sheets in a house of God,

But in my house you can.

My body is my palace, my home, made for me and me alone.

Scars of rubies, syringes filled with diamond dust, I grew into my crown, that old tiara left to rust.

I have never been alone;

not in this fight, not upon this throne.

Others have paved the road for me and still walk by my side.

Folks tear me down, or at least they try, but Queen Marsha told me to

“pay it no mind”.

I am revered and respected, adored and feared.

Child of the Lady of Love and the Lord of Thieves,

I am the Ideal.

A quick wit, an even quicker tongue.

A soft kiss, an iron fist.

Do not waste your time.

I don’t need you to understand me, you couldn’t possibly.

Kiss my rings.

Shine my boots.

Admire my crown.

For I am His Majesty, the King.

And you will bow down

[transitioningpirate]

i've been on T for a little over two weeks now (15 days today, october 18) and i haven't noticed a lot for obvious reasons but i have noticed some things, like:

voice cracks. a lot of voice cracks, and my voice sounds rough, like i have a sore throat. it doesn't hurt at all, and it actually sounds deeper! two (02) people have commented on it, but to be fair, their exact comment was "have you been screaming?"

increase in appetite. which is... i knew it was a possible side effect, but it's much more than i expected, especially since i haven't eaten very well these past months (college is Kicking My Ass) and suddenly i'm hungry, like, all the time. it's actually kind of good for me, because it's forcing me to eat more, and i end up eating healthier, like, i eat better too!

i've been sleeping better? though i'm, like, 99% sure that's just a psychosomatic effect. i've definitely been much, much happier just with the idea of becoming the person i've always known i was deep down. it's significantly increased my mood and my self esteem, even if the effects aren't apparent yet. just the idea of it has made me so much more hopeful! i'm so glad i've made it this far and i get to make it even further!!

oily skin. so oily. the fuck? i mean, i was thoroughly warned and i was ready for it, but it's still more than i expected. i have to wash my face like four times a day now :v soooo annoying

cw: slightly nsfw content. a lot of sensitivity down there. i don't know if it's necessarily bottom growth already, but i've noticed by touch that it seems a bit, enlarged? is that the word? it's a bit bigger. and a lot more sensitive. certain poses i used to sit in, for instance, are almost a bit painful now. it doesn't actually hurt, just bothers a bit, it's only some really specific positions and, well, sensitivity has it's upsides, you know?

im so much warmer?? i feel so hot all the time - in the literal sense!!!! like, okay, im currently living in a state known for being hot and dry and we're getting to november, also known for it's heat waves around here, but seriously, it's so hot. everything is so hot, im running warmer than usual, and ive been sweating so much and i cant sleep without a ventilator in my room anymore! it's also an expected side effect, but it definitely didn't pair well with the state im in for college

more energy! i honestly do believe this is related to #3, though. i don't think it's anything physical, especially because to get to college there's this slope i have to walk and everytime coming home i'm always exhausted and out of air, and that hasn't changed, but for little things - more energy to study, to cook, to clean the house, even at work i've been more proactive and i don't feel as tired as i used to! definitely an upside, though it's probably psychological, i'm fine with that and i'm still so thankful!

[crownedpigeonart]

TRANS JOY IS RESISTANCE

[transexualpirate]

today on things i am mad about: people that complain about trans people medically transitioning, about how unnecessary and "harmful" it is and then turn around and on the same breath talk about how someone isn't really trans or isn't really their gender unless they pass perfectly under no reasonable doubt like. you did this. you caused the thing you're telling about. the call is coming from inside the house!!!!!!

[ethaninthewilde]

my experience with top surgery

with Dr. Lisa Friederich in Sydney, Australia

because i needed to write about this beautiful, ethereal experience, even though I do not think I can do it justice in words.

so i had pedicle top surgery with dr. lisa friederich at hunters' hill hospital three days ago and it went as amazing as I ever could have hoped. incredibly beautiful results that have me made me cry with happiness multiple times.

I went in at 8am, the surgery lasted about 4 hours and I woke up about two hours after. i was pretty wiped but my boyfriend was there when i woke up and he just kissed me and i went back to sleep. i woke up again about seven hours later, probably with a 2/10 pain, but that's as bad as my pain has been this whole time and i've been prescribed oxycodone to take as needed (no more than one per four hours) with panadol and that's worked wonders. the drains were attached and there was a little more fluid than i was expecting but that was okay. the nurse came in to take my blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels, and check my drains. i took some oxycodone and was asleep again in the next hour or so. woke up again around 4am feeling much more myself. managed to walk myself to the bathroom (a big thing for me post-major surgery since I really struggle to walk sometimes) and I saw my chest in the compression binder for the first time. i was so so happy with it being flat and i couldn't stop running my hands over the flat (flat! flat!!!!) surface and i took a lil video of myself and i truly think i will remember that moment forever as the most confident i have ever felt in my body--and i hadn't even seen my actual chest yet.

as euphoric as I was, I was still pretty tired so I went back to bed and called the nurse for some more endone bc I could feel the pain starting to come back. all the nurses that came in the two days I was in the hospital were truly so kind, and so competent and lovely. I did get deadnamed a few times, but I haven't legally changed my name yet so that's what was on my documents, and the nurses who did it all apologised and fixed it so that was wonderful. the nurse took my levels again--everything was fine--and i called my friends who were in different timezones and i cannot describe how it felt to sit with my friends who I'd been talking about getting top surgery with for nearly eight years and now it was just done and my god everything felt so beautiful and it's cliche but everything in life was worth it for these last few days post-op. i had been working toward this surgery for so so long, moved across the country for it, worked four jobs at 15 for it, been homeless for it, had the thought of eventually being able to get this surgery keep me alive for so long when i was alone, depressed, suicidal and self-loathing--and i had finally made it. i finally fucking made it. i was fucking beautiful and i had made it and i finally felt loveable. i finally felt like myself. trans joy is godhood. trans joy is lifesaving. i truly believe this surgery saved my life.

anyways!! i was awake for a few hours until about seven am when i went back to sleep until about 11. my boyfriend was coming to pick me up around 12 after he finished work so i called the nurse in to let her know and she gave me some more endone and removed my first drain. this felt very weird, like a tube was being pulled from the top of my chest through the side, almost alien-like, and i felt a little dizzy and lightheaded so the nurse put an oxygen mask on me and laid the bed down for about five - ten minutes until i felt better. she was really patient which was lovely because i get regular seizures and whenever i get dizzy I always get scared one is coming since it's a regular warning sign, but she just let me lie there with my eyes closed and focus on my breathing. at this point my boyfriend had turned up, and he held my hand whilst she took the other drain out, which had considerably less fluid in it.

i saw the surgeon again before I was discharged--and Dr. Lisa is genuinely one of the kindest, well-conducted doctors I have ever dealt with (and I have been in hospital over 35 times in the last 7 months or so). she replaced the top layer of clear dressing over my nipples, and worked a needle through them to de-congest some of the blood, which turned them back to the more-typical pink. she then gave me a fresh binder and gauze pads to take home, along with a box of oxycodone for the pain and told me to book a follow-up appointment with her in the next seven days. she also told me to do regular compressions of the nipple area to continue decongesting the blood over the next few days, which would help with the colour. now this was the moment because i got to take the binder off to do these compressions and i saw my chest for the first time. and truly, truly, truly--the innate, inherent holy shit, that's me feeling that fucking swept through was overwhelming i teared up and almost hugged my surgeon. i didn't have a lot of time to contemplate bc I had to put the binder back on and the nurse came back in with the paperwork and suddenly I was packing up (though they were very kind and said i could stay for as long as I wanted to, if I had any more questions, etc.)

boyfriend made me food when we got home and insisted I go to bed despite feeling completely fine if a bit tired still, so I did and we watched an episode of drag race. we're staying at his parents' place whilst i'm recovering and both of his parents are/used to be nurses so this was a reassurance if anything were to go wrong. i had soup for dinner that night which hurt my throat a little but the main issue is was the massive bruise on the inside of my lip from when i was intubated in surgery (which should go away in the next few days, but to me has honestly been the most frustrating part of this whole recovery). took some panadol and endone and did my compressions. taking off the binder and being able to look at my chest properly for the first time was the most tender moment of my entire life, with ethan whispering "you're so beautiful" and "baby, you made it" and "look at you, love, holy shit" into my ear and into my shoulder as i sat there, completely exposed, completely vulnerable, bandaged, and completely myself for the first time in my life. i think i spent about 45 minutes just going back and forth between him and the mirror, laughing and crying and laughing and just being so indescribably euphoric and overcome with it all. i'd finally made it. here, right now, even with all my unresolved medical issues and trauma and fears, i had everything i had ever wanted and it was real. it was REAL. i do not think i will ever feel that strong of a sense of peace and contentness again in my life. in that moment i felt unbreakable. in that moment i felt invincible, indestructible, fucking untouchable. i fucking made it, and no one could take that away from me. no one, nothing, ever. i had saved my life. i had saved my own life. i was here and i was real and i was finally myself. how do i explain this? i cannot keep repeating this but it seems the only way. lord, if only you could feel the godhood i have been given. the power i have in my hands. the power this body has.

it took me too long to realise how beautiful this trans body of mine is. but i am here now. i am never letting go.

dr. lisa friederich: i think you saved my life. thank you for bringing me back. thank you. thank you. thank you. i finally made it.

[i will add to this over the next few days, but right now i need to go back to sleep. i love you all]

[the-t-boy-king]

I need some trans joy right now. Please send me something that brought you trans joy recently. It can be anything that brought you euphoria and joy. A dress that goes spiny or your voice getting deeper. Literally anything. I'll start:

Last Saturday, I used the men's bathroom for the first time at a queer bar. It was a bit scary but over all, it was exciting and really affirming.

[psychomorphary]

[degenderates]

If being trans was a choice I'd choose it every time

[softservecanine]

I have given myself time to grieve the losses in my community. I have given my time to be sad, and afraid, and angry, and hopeless. But I’m tired of being hopeless. I want to fight for trans liberation. I want to be an example of a joyful, living, breathing transgender person. I want to live my life outside of the misery that they want to suck me into.

[em0-opossum]

being multigender simply means that mind reading would be useless on me because my brain is just the everybody hates the eagles lyrics "I'm her kind of boy/and ALSO, her girl" on repeat at all times