#and dysphoric.

[roboromantic]

y'know, one of the few good things about the church I grew up in is that there was a big push for us to fact-check things. If someone cites the Bible, we should look it up and make sure that quote actually exists - hell, the preachers would always pause after citing a verse and you could hear people flipping the pages of their Bibles to find it. I don't actually remember if other coc churches did this or if it was just bc of the main preacher we had, I'm kinda curious. Also do other denominations do this? I imagine statistically there must be some but idk how common that is

Certain CoC arguments (complete immersion of "adults" for baptism, no musical instruments in worship) rely on analyzing the original Greek of the New Testament, so at the very least the preachers did some research into that, however biased. Even back then my father used an app that let you compare different translations, though I uh. don't think that was something most other people did.

He also encouraged me to look up English words I didn't know in a dictionary rather than just ask him, and it was definitely in an "encouraging learning" way and not a "stop bothering me" way, so it wasn't JUST the CoC. But it's really quite ironic that this cult-like group actually helped to teach me one of the most important critical thinking skills, lmao.

like what prompted this is I saw this post a while back by a 16 y/o being corrected on some fandom lore stuff where they basically said "oh I'm gullible and don't really know how to research, and that's probably not gonna change XD" and I mean, they're just a kid. At their age I was still very much entrenched in the CoC so I don't exactly have room to criticize.

But if they don't know how to research information for a fandom they love, then I'm genuinely concerned for how they interact with a world of fake news, graphs and statistics distorted to look like something completely different than what they actually represent, search engines that give you ads ahead of and mixed in with actually relevant results, clickbait, and so many things that care more about making you emotional so you engage with their content more than they do about facts.

Odds are they're probably still in secondary education, so hopefully they'll be taught some researching skills that way? There's no guarantee that they are or that said education is any good though, and even if this person wants to get better at research on their own......well, how do they research how to get better at it?

and like. we already know a good chunk of people on this site don't bother to read beyond headlines or fact-check stuff, and their media literacy and analysis is abyssmal; they can't all be 16 year olds. It's a problem for people of any age and/or educational status and this is starting to sound like the paper I wrote on the problems with religious literacy in the US. it comes full circle lmao

OH RIGHT there's this other post of twitter screenshots that's like "google is HIDING other search engines from us" and then has a bunch of links to......academic sites? do they really expect people to use worldcat (which at least while I was in college was actively recommended) to find out when a movie comes out or what time a store closes or the gazillion other mundane things people google. Like just mention yahoo or bing or even marginalia, THOSE have similar functions to google. the links that person is listing are more along the lines of scholar.google.com. the OP has since left twitter so idk if they ever addressed that point

Anyway. I almost wish I could meet this kid and teach them how to do research but I don't know that I'd be any good at it. it feels like that xkcd comic where it's just something I've done forever so what seems like common knowledge to me still sounds intimidating to those who aren't familiar with it

[shamebats]

[oversizedhoodielovingboi]

Doofus forced to wake up

[drchucktingle]

i have copied this comment without name because i think it is very kind and respectful and i do not want buckaroos interpreting it the wrong way. PLEASE UNDERSTAND this buckaroo is very sincere and has important points and please respect their way. i am going to answer in a way that is counter to their point and i do not want buds to go after them IN ANY WAY. THEY ARE PROVING LOVE AND THEY HAVE GOOD POINTS

okay here is what i have to say:

i have not transitioned and in this lifetime i do not expect to. i think you have a good point of 'how can you know?' and honestly i cannot know that is just how timelines and reality and perception work

HOWEVER i must caution against this train of thought slightly because what works for one buckaroos MAY NOT WORK for another. every time i talk about my non-dysphoric way there are plenty of well meaning buds, particularly fellow trans buds, who show up with posts in the tone of 'its only matter of time.' like i just do not understand yet.

this reminds me of bisexual buckaroos who are told 'you just do not know you are gay yet'. as difficult as it is to step out of our own dang minds, i implore buckaroos to accept that there VERY JOYFUL AND FULFILLED NON-DYSPHORIC TRANS BUCKAROOS who do not need to transition and never will and are healthy and happy without that. just like there are bisexual buckaroos who are not just on their way to being gay

a good way to look at it is like this: I LOVE MY MALE BODY. i think i am a very handsome buckaroo. i have masculine features in my muscle and height and frame. as far as how fate could have placed me on this timeline I WON MY OWN PERSONAL FOOTRACE. i am up on the podium and i am standing here with a medal around my neck. GOOD JOB CHUCK

HOWEVER when i look down i see that medal is silver. i am not going to lie and say it is gold. it is silver.

YES my gold medal is a female body. that is an objective truth to my trot. i believe my gender way is that of a women, but there is no part of me that is upset about where i have placed.

I GOT SILVER. i am not upset. there is no tragedy. in fact i am OVERWHLEMED WITH JOY not just to be on the podium but to be in this race in the first place. HECK YEAH I DID IT AND I GOT A MEDAL

of course this is not to dismiss the difficult journey of others. many do not feel the way i do and their trot is VALID. a dysphoric way matters and is important and these voices are important. they should be elevated and supported. i understand some do not share this podium imagery, and they feel PAINED by trappings of their body.

i feel so much for this. i understand and care for my dysphoric buds, but the simple truth is that is not my story. i cant just lie and say that it is.

it will never be my story. i cannot say this enough: i love my body. however i STILL believe my truest way is that of a ladybuck. if it was a simple button push to change me, then i would push it without hesitation.

but it is not a simple button push.

talk to almost any buckaroo who has transitioned and they will say 'transitioning is hard'. it takes time and work and money and emotional support. i am in awe of the bravery of buckaroos who trot this path, but all of that is not worth it for something that i already feel good about. SCRATCH THAT, i feel GREAT ABOUT. i feel overwhelmed with joy every day over just existing in this male body that i have been blessed with. YES buckaroo, i feel joy existing in a male body that i know is ladybuck on the inside. it feels interesting a cool and exciting.

but my truest way is STILL a ladybuck trot

i guess i am just trying to say that i love second place. im happy to celebrate it. i think my male body is really dang cool. it is not a 'perfect me' but it is really dang awesome, and i never really bothered with trying to be perfect

[nixiecat]

I'm actually so pretty btw in case you weren't aware

[iliothermia]

[snoozingrabbits]

Ugghgghhhh somone get me testosterone please PLEASEEEE I need to look like these guys

I NEED TO LOOK LIKE ALL OF THEM UGHHHHH SOMEONE LET ME BE A GUY IN A 2010'S SLENDERVERSE SERIES RIGHT NOW

[consang]

when your boymoder gets dysphoric, make sure to mating press her into the bed and cum inside unprotected until she learns her place

[satyrradio]

Sparkledog

A non-conventional queer individual, especially those who are seen as "cringe" by others. This can includes aspecs, microlabel users, xenine ppl, nonbinary ppl, alternative queer ppl, contradictory queers, polyamorous ppl, mspecs, label collectors, nondysphoric ppl, nonhuman queers, loud queers, etc etc etc.

@presentationflag-archive @radiomogai

[living-with-pmd]

Comic from the Washington Post

[iltaimpi]

A New, Very Real and Serious Vessel: The Gun

{ The princess pulls out a gun and immediately pulls the trigger. You die. There isn't any time for everything to go black. You just die. }

[roguerocketz]

and you will continue to live.

you must.

[uncanny-tranny]

The hardest, but most important, part of my transition has been untangling what my personal dysphoria is, and what is more a result of cissexism.

What I mean by this is that I learned that I am not dysphoric about certain aspects of myself, my body, and my life, but my discomfort in these aspects was influenced by the cissexist culture I live in which told me I couldn't exist as myself.

It's definitely a slow process, but I have found that it helps me self-actualize and actually see myself instead of what others demand of me.

[drchucktingle]

What flavor of queer are you, if that's not too invasive of a question?

question is just fine with chuck it is kind of interesting story.

on LGBTQIA trot i am TECHNICALLY two letters

easy first one is B that does not need any more explanation. that has always been my trot

second way is what i have learned through talkin with my online buds way of non-dysphoric trans. it has taken chuck LONG time to understand this but it has been fruitful journey i think. long ago chuck would post online about becoming other people or things or concepts or wrestling with my IDENTITY as a buckaroo (whether that meant becoming sweet barbara or becoming my reverse twin or becoming the entire seahawks footballs team, very handsome). in fitting with my entire heckin LIFE some buds probably thought these were jokes when they were not at all. they were just personal artistic bubbles tumbling up and popping in ways i didnt understand yet.

but through posting these thoughts and THEN writing trans tinglers and talking to my trans buds online, i started to realize there are all kinds of versions of a trans identity INCLUDING the ones that rolled around deep inside of me that i never had a name for.

three events helped chuck understand this

first: the trans buds chuck talked to while researching harriet porber said 'well i always knew if i could press a button and change my body to match my gender i would instantly do this' and chuck thought 'of course woudlnt we all do this?' and they said 'well no, do you feel this way?' and i would say 'yes very strongly'. i will FOREVER be grateful to trans community for these conversations and maybe it is another reason why being anti-gatekeeping is so important to chuck.

second: thought about all the games i have ever played like a dang videogame or a role playing game, chuck would ALWAYS choose ladybuck character. didnt really think this was a unique thing at time but it is a pattern across whole life

third: chuck was trotting around with some buds and they all said 'whose bod would you choose if you could transform into any body?' (this is common topic for chuck believe it or not.) and the buckaroo guys went around naming the usual brats pitt or handsome channing and it got to chuck and i said 'obviously brie larson' and then the dang guys just kind of stared at chuck and then i realized 'oh, i didnt even think my answer was unusual but i guess they were only talkin guy bods'

these three things happened pretty close to one another but they were all bubbling up for decades and expressed in various ways even chuck did not entirely understand

anyway. chucks way is NOT that i feel uncomfortable in my body and it does not bring me grief. i am not upset about it honestly. i do not even THINK about it most days. however, it is all TRUE and in a purely technical and utilitarian sense of A PLUS B then YES, male would not be my preferred gender.

didnt talk on this for a while because there are MANY dysphoric trans buckaroos who go through a lot of hardships and i have gone through ABSOLUTELY NONE IN THIS WAY. it has not made my life more difficult and it does not haunt me, so i do not want to have my voice drown out other trans buds who need space to shout. i am very privileged so even though technically this applies to chuck i do not need or want any bonus points.

that beings said, part of my journey on the autistic spectrum was to recognize that EVEN THOUGH my personal story is not tragic, it is still an important one to get out there onto this timeline. IN FACT there should be more stories of buckaroos who love being autistic like chuck. i am PROUD of my trot and i love my autism (this is also why i wanted to explicitly say my lead character in camp damascus is autistic)

so in the same way, when directly asked, i will say: i am technically non-dysphoric trans ALSO this has not weighed on my life at all. my story is not tragic it is full of joy and excitement. i will not shy away from this because there are all kinds of buckaroos on this spectrum.

anyway that is my VERY LONG TROT hope you enjoyed getting to know chuck a little more thank you for this question buckaroo

[bunnyboy-juice]

NO MORE ASSOCIATING THINGS WITH FEMMES ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE PINK!HYPERFEM FEMMES ARE GREAT AND I LOVE YOU CAMPY FEMMES WHO EMBODY PINK BUT ALSO JESUS CHRIST CAN YOU GUYS NOT GO MORE THAN ONE DAY W/O TRYING TO SHOEHORN FEMMES INTO BEING ONLY PINK UWU BABIES. I AM FEMME AS IN GRASS AS IN DIRT AS IN TREE BARK AS IN WEEDS SPROUTING THROUGH THE SIDEWALK CEMENT. FEMME AS IN GENDER NONCONFORMITY AS IN FUCK YOU MY FEMININITY IS WHAT *I* SAY IT IS. FEMME AS IN DEPTH AND DARKNESS AND WARMTH AND TERROR. FEMME AS IN CAVES. FEMME AS IN LIGHTNING. FEMME AS IN AN AMALGAMATION OF TRAITS THAT I HAVE DECIDED ARE FEMININE REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOCIETY SAYS. FUCK IS IT THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND?!???