#and that regardless of whether or not i give birth that i am and have the capacity to be MOTHER

[thebeigelunatics]

this quote by eve best from an article in the standard (2017) is doing a lot for me tbh.

[doberbutts]

With this latest round of discourse being "trans men shouldn't complain about being kicked out of women's spaces", I felt the urge to write up a relatively long post regarding the topic, as I feel it is a long tangled mess and involves a significant amount of people simply talking past each other.

To begin, what is a woman's space? I ask this, because "women's spaces" often fall under one of three categories: medical services, social services, and social gatherings. Of the three, trans men need access to nearly everything if not everything included within "medical services" and "social services". These things often need to be considered co-ed anyway, but are still considered "for women" and often are labeled things like "women's health" or "women's defense". Social gatherings- things such as book clubs, concerts, festivals, and other similar outings- can have a nuanced and complicated history when it comes to the inclusion, or exclusion, of trans men.

As an example- I am a binary, gay trans man who has not yet been sterilized. If I become pregnant and need to seek out social services, I must do so via my provider's "Women and Babies" department. I am neither of those things, and yet regardless of whether I am completing or terminating the pregnancy, I must label myself a woman in order to receive care. If I wish to have a pap smear, receive birth control, or investigate my chances of ovarian and cervical cancer, I must do so via the "Women's Health Clinic". I am not a woman, but I must label myself as one in order to discuss sterilization options. Many trans men who have had their gender markers changed prior to sterilization have reported difficulty even booking an appointment, as well as difficulty convincing their insurance to pay for this appointment due to a discrepancy with gender markers vs gendered care. Many have discussed the realities of being a pregnant man, whether they remained pregnant until their child was born, or whether they terminated said pregnancy with an abortion.

It should come as no surprise that the statistics for trans men receiving quality gynecological care are abysmal. It should be equally unsurprising to hear how many trans men have died from botched abortions, untreated miscarriages, infections and cancers of the uterus and cervix and ovaries, and complications during pregnancy or birth. We belong in this space, despite it being labeled "for women", and the only thing pushing us out has done is quite literally what's been killing us.

This is, of course, not even taking into account the numbers of trans men who have been forced to become pregnant via their husbands or families as a means to detransition them, and those who have become pregnant as a result of corrective rape. There is a saying among trans men of my age- it isn't "we all know a guy this has happened to", it's "which of us haven't experienced this? who among us doesn't fear this? who will it happen to next?"

Which brings me to my next point: women's social services. As with women's medical care, nearly everything labeled "for women" as a social service must be inclusive to trans men. Shelters for domestic violence survivors, rape crisis centers, self defense classes, family planning, these are all things that honestly should already be co-ed. But, many times, they are exclusively targeted towards women. I understand why, I do. But with trans men being statistically more likely than cis women to experience the need for these services, it seems a cruelty to close their doors to a vulnerable demographic reaching out for help.

Where should trans men in crisis go? Shutting the door to us without addressing the reason we need to access these resources gives us a single ultimatum: detransition, or die. Go back to being a woman, or die knowing the likelihood that a woman's name will adorn your headstone, and "daughter, wife, mother" will be said in your obituary. Much like the medical services, this incomplete answer has lead many trans men to their deaths. Whether by their own hands, or by their attackers'.

But there are other social services out there that perhaps are not as dire. Women's scholarships, colleges, all girls schools. Girl Scouts, women's sport leagues, gym memberships. Trans men don't need access to these, right?

Well... is the trans man in question out? Has he been living as a man, or is he still closeted? Is it safe for him to come out? Does he pass, or has he just bought his first binder and given himself his first buzz cut? Is he living under the control of his parents, or is he able to freely decide for himself the type of person he'd like to be and the type of life he'd like to live?

You see, I was a Girl Scout once. And, if we are to believe to our core that trans men are men even before they know the words "transgender", this means I was a boy in a girl's space. I didn't know that being transgender was an option for me at the point where my troop disbanded, and another leader to replace the first within my local area was not found until after I had aged out.

But also... I was in 7th grade when my troop disbanded. Two years later, I would learn the word "transgender", and suddenly everything would make sense. Two years later, I would come out to my parents and my sisters. To put this into perspective, I graduated high school in 2010. The Boy Scouts officially allowed cisgender girls and transgender people of all genders to join all programs in 2019.

I was not expelled from my Girl Scout troop. My leader simply stopped showing up to meetings, and my troop disbanded to go our separate ways when leadership could not find someone quickly enough to replace her. But... if this had not happened, I would have been a recently out transgender boy in a girl's social service, still wearing push up bras and frilly shirts because that's all my parents would buy me until I became an adult and moved out and had a job with my own money to re-purchase myself a wardrobe. Indistinguishable from any of the others, outside of what went on inside my own mind.

I would not have been accepted into the Boy Scouts, if Girl Scouts had been taken from me as abruptly as it was from a different transgender boy in the same state I was born and raised. Which would have left me with... nothing. Neither. And the only reason I even joined the Girl Scouts was because I had wanted to join the Boy Scouts and the local troop had refused to allow me, because they had labeled me a girl.

I don't believe I'm the one that coined Schrodinger's Gender, but I do reference it often. In this situation, one is both a boy when it hurts, and a girl when it hurts. Even if that gender label changes by the second, the point is to use your gender and your assigned sex to hurt you.

But then, why do these services even have to be gendered to begin with? After all, Boy Scouts just updated to be The Scouts, and has removed (on paper) the insistence on gendering.

Well... I certainly agree that the majority of gendering these services is at this point a concept that needs to be reformed, but I'm unconvinced that we will be able to completely integrate without addressing the reason they were segregated by gender in the first place.

Women's gym memberships are gender segregated for two reasons. Women and girls- and anyone labeled as women and girls, regardless of true identity- are frequently not afforded the same access to resources as cisgender men and boys. Women and girls- and anyone labeled such- are frequently at high risk of predatory sexual behavior and physical violence. Both of these problems are symptoms of a larger system of misogyny at play, and both of these problems directly affect trans men especially those who have not transitioned in a way that makes them pass for cis men.

Regardless of the truth of my identity, the reality is that I was seen as and treated as a girl when it came to physical fitness, and thus barred from the same activities freely offered to the boys. Regardless of the truth of my identity, I have experienced predatory sexual behavior from cis men as young as 8 or 9 years old, continuing past when I came out and began to transition socially.

If the problem is not addressed, cis women cannot re-integrate with cis men. But, additionally, if the problem is not addressed, the choice still remains clear for trans men. Detransition, stay closeted, or go without.

A common complaint of trans men is the invisibility and erasure our demographic faces. It should be easy to see why this happens. The problem of a misogynistic society is one that continues to this day, and without addressing the problem we cannot hope for success in creating a more inclusive space. At the same time, trans men are being pushed out and isolated as they realize they must make a choice.

As for social gatherings, such as a woman's retreat or a woman's music festival? Of course, it may sound odd to say that a trans man should feel welcome there. But the truth of the matter is the majority of the trans men asking for the ability to stay are trans men who have been within that space for years already, prior to coming out, prior to realizing some things about their genders, prior to taking their first steps as men.

I'm pretty good friends with an older butch who told me that I am the first person they ever told that they were a nonbinary man. This person is in their 50s. They're married. But the wife doesn't like it, and they love their wife too much to cause friction in the relationship, so they keep it to themselves, and they keep quiet, and they don't say anything about being transgender, but in their head they aren't a woman. This person is not a woman, by their own insistence. Should this person be forcibly ejected from their local lesbian community, which they and the wife helped form decades ago? Should they divorce their wife, since that would make her not a lesbian anymore?

What harm is it, truly, to allow this person to stay? Social isolation kills people. The trans man suicide statistics are just as abysmal as any of the others I've mentioned here. Forcing someone to burn 20, 30, 40 years of their lives and their friends and their achievements because they are finally living as themselves is a deeply hurtful and isolating experience.

The majority of trans men asking to be included in these spaces are not trans men like me- who never really jived with the idea of womanhood and distanced ourselves as much as possible the moment we saw the opportunity. They are men like my friend, often existing outside of the binary, often with a deep love and appreciation for womanhood despite realizing that perhaps the label does not fit them as well as they once thought. They often have many years of connection, entire lives spent intwined in these spaces.

What good does it do to chase them out? What harm does it to do let them stay?

[genderqueerdykes]

the reason intersex people need to be visible and at the forefront of every queer's activism is because we are completely devoid of autonomy when it comes to identifying ourselves. no matter how hard we try to speak up on how we are treated, how we are dehumanized, how we are refused our right to say who we are, it falls through the cracks because of how many people continue to diminish our issues, and espouse intersexist beliefs.

when i speak up about being transfemme, and a trans girl, it's not because i'm trying to step on people's toes or speak about something i don't understand. i speak up about it because this is the life i've lived. it doesn't matter if strangers see me this way or not, this is how i've been my entire life. whether or not someone knows i was technically born AMAB and then had my gender "corrected" shouldn't matter.

trans people do not only come in binary sexes- just like gender, physical sex is also not a binary. i am an intersex trans girl , even if my agab didn't stay AMAB forever. I would be an intersex trans girl regardless of whether or not they assigned me male at birth, because my experience with womanhood and femininity is that they've always been held away from me, way farther than it would ever be possible for me to reach.

i've had to take estrogen & progesterone HRT in the past in order to "correct" my masculine features in order to look like and be a girl "correctly". the subject of my body and my gender has never been something i've been able to control. my whole live i've just been told that i'm a girl wrong, and that i need to "Fix" it.

boyhood or manhood weren't options either, that was held away from me with a 10 foot pole as well. i've had to transition into gender, itself, because i was forbidden to be a boy or a girl. i was always too sensitive or soft to be a real boy. gender as a concept has been a source of control and degredation for me. i had to transition into both manhood and womanhood in order to have control over how i identify. even now when i talk about manhood and being a man, people tell me that i'm not a trans man because of how i look. i'm routinely denied manhood, I "have" to be a trans woman only to some.

due to my intersex condition, i'm a trans man and a trans woman, transfemme and transmasc, but people struggle to accept this. there's no reason for people to give me hell about these parts of myself, and yet people still do. intersex awareness matters because we fight to be seen as the people we are. we struggle to have our identities be addressed correctly. we are in the same fight as trans individuals, and we owe it to intersex trans men, women, and people to help people understand that trans folks come in all different types of bodies, and that biological sex is not a binary, either.

we have to fight for each other's autonomy. for all of us. together we are stronger, louder, and braver.

[luxiomahariel]

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do you consider a "tankie"? I'm a communist, am I a "tankie"?

i dont have a problem with you if you just call yourself a communist, what i have a problem with is people who theme their blog around lenin, stalin, or mao, because those three are fascists.

i am russian-american and my family is from the soviet union. they have told me all about their experiences growing up in the ussr and it was all horrific. i dont take kindly to people who downplay the atrocities of the ussr, or the chinese communist party for that matter. theming your blog after those three is no different to someone theming their blog around donald trump, elon musk, or putin in my eyes.

i greatly dislike modern day communists using the ussr flag and the hammer & sickle as their symbols because they are both symbols made by fascists, but i wont block someone over this because i think most people dont fully realize just how harmful those symbols are to the people that were oppressed under them. however, i do urge you to reconsider using them.

Q: Why are you against people reclaiming the r slur?

my issue with people trying to “reclaim” the r slur is that theyre not actually reclaiming it. reclamation requires turning a word used against you into something positive. what people are actually doing when they “reclaim” the r slur is continuing to use it to degrade other people, which is not reclamation, it is continuing to use that word as a slur. it is contributing to the harm caused by that slur and i want nothing to do with you if i see you using it.

Q: What does mtm mean?

mtm is a term for transgender men who consider themselves transitioning from male to male, as they have always been male, just not in the way being male is traditionally defined as

i have always been male and will always be male regardless of whatever genital, hormonal, or chromosomal arrangements i was born with, and whether i choose to make changes to my body or not

ftm implies that someone was female at some point, then transitioned to male, which does not accurately describe how some trans men view their gender. its rooted in the concept of binary sex distinctions and assuming gender based on sex, which many trans people want to do away with entirely

it can be considered an agab-punk identity, agab-punk meaning someone who does not wish to disclose their agab for any reason, or simply doesn��t find the concept of agab to be important or relevant

it can also be used by intersex people who are close-to-male or ‘almost wolffian’ but aren’t actually wolffian (wolffian meaning someone who has a penis and testes, the capacity to produce sperm unless if sterile, and has testosterone as ones natural primary sex hormone) and who transitions to a male gender identity

these people can also choose to call themselves ctmtm (close-to-male to male)

Q: What does müllerian/wolffian mean?

müllerian is a descriptor for when people have this set of sex traits:

a vulva and vagina

a uterus and ovaries

the capacity for ovogenesis / the ability to give birth unless if sterile

having estrogen as ones primary sex hormone

generally having breasts as secondary sex traits

wolffian is a descriptor for when people have this set of sex traits:

a penis and testes

the capacity for spermatogenesis unless if sterile

having testosterone as ones primary sex hormone

intersex people that have a mix of müllerian and wolffian traits would be considered müllwolf or wolfmüll

Q: Can I use your pixel pride flags for my pronouns.page / pronouns.cc / pronouny.xyz / pluralkit / carrd / strawpage / rentry profile? Should I credit you?

yep, you can use my pixel flags for those! credit is appreciated though not required, just dont claim you made them and link to my itch.io if asked lol

Q: What is Shinigami Eyes?

shinigami eyes is a browser extension that was developed in order to tell trans and nonbinary people using it what websites/people are and arent safe. it was inspired by the anime death note where, in the series, shinigami eyes are a gift that shinigami are able to give to owners of the death note that grant them the ability to see peoples names and lifespans just by looking at their face, that way death note owners are able to kill people easier since they need a name and a face in order for the death note to work. in a similar way, the extension is supposed to give you all the information you need to know about a website/person by how theyre marked:

websites/people that are anti-trans would be marked in red and websites/people that are trans-friendly would be marked in green

that was how it was supposed to work anyway

Q: Are you aware that youre flagged as anti-trans on Shinigami Eyes?

yes, i am aware

shinigami eyes has become increasingly transphobic against trans men/mascs that speak out about our oppression, against trans women/fems that support us, against nonbinary people by not taking the pejorative 'theyfab' as a serious issue that targets nonbinary people, against intersex trans women/fems afab and intersex men/mascs amab by claiming their identities arent valid, and against trans and nonbinary people of color speaking out about racism in the queer community. it may have been useful at one point but there have been far too many people marked as "trans-friendly" who want trans men/mascs to be killed or get cancer or are comparing trans men/mascs to nazis/hitler that it has become useless and i encourage you to uninstall it and leave a review about how useless this extension is now.

Q: Do you know why theres been so much transandrophobia lately?

its not just lately, trans men/mascs have been trying for over a decade now to coin a term in order to describe the ways in which sexism and transphobia intersect that primarily target trans men/mascs but every time these terms have been shot down and nitpicked to hell and back

well recently an indigenous trans man coined the term transandrophobia to use in order to discuss our oppression and transandrophobes think that the term is inherently transmisogynistic so theyve ramped up the “jokes” about wanting trans men/mascs dead

since transandrophobia has gone so unchecked for so long in the queer community, trans men/mascs are digging our heels in with the term transandrophobia because we know that continuing to hop from one term to another to appease transandrophobes will result in no progress being made to address the actual issues that we're bringing up when we talk about societal transandrophobia

Q: What does tme/tma mean?

tma stands for transmisogyny applicable tme stand for transmisogyny exempt

the terms are intersexist and transmisogynistic because people keep defining tme to include every single person that was assigned female at birth even though intersex people have pointed out time and time again that gender assignment is an event that happens to you at birth and is not representative of a persons sex traits nor is it indicative of what gender a person was raised as or if that person experienced the puberty aligned with their assigned gender. people using tma/tme constantly categorize trans women/fems afab as "tme trans women/fems" and are openly hostile towards everyone they deem as "tme", especially trans men/mascs

even though tme is meant to include cis people, it is most often used to attack trans men/mascs without outright stating that they are attacking specifically trans men/mascs

you can see how tme/tma are actually being used here

Q: What are bæddels?

around 2012-2016, there was a group of trans women/fems that co-opted the intersexist slur which they believed had actually targeted trans women/fems and started calling themselves baeddels (even putting the word baeddel in their url or bio). they believed that the root of all bigotry was actually transmisogyny, much like how radical feminists believe that the root of all bigotry is actually misogyny. this group of trans women/fems repeatedly targeted and harassed trans men/mascs and also nonbinary people (mainly nonbinary people afab but the group also held general transmed beliefs and thought nonbinary people amab were just transfem eggs) on the assumption that they were not oppressed and actually benefited from the patriarchy in order to oppress trans women/fems.

the main perpetrators of this toxic rhetoric ended up living together and eventually it came out that one of them had raped another trans women at knifepoint. through a lot of gaslighting and manipulation, the rapist had convinced the other trans women/fems in the group to harass and shun the victim when, painting the victim as being transmisogynistic. eventually the group had learned what had actually happened to the victim and disbanded due to guilt.

do not trust anyone who self identifies as a baeddel because this is the shit they are defending when they attempt to "reclaim" it. and do not call anyone who doesnt self identify as one a baeddel because it is still am intersexist slur.

you can find evidence of everything that the baeddels said and did documented on this blog: https://www.tumblr.com/baeddel-txt

Q: Why do you think transmisogyny isn't real?

i do think its real. stop lying about me.

Q: What does cafab/camab mean?

it stands for coercively assigned [gender] at birth and those terms are used to refer to intersex people who were medically abused at birth and forcibly assigned their gender

they are intersex exclusive and people who are not intersex should not be using these terms to describe themselves

Q: What does radqueer mean?

radqueer stands for radical queer. theres a lot of things that fall under the label radqueer, like being inclusive of contradictory identities as well as non-traumagenic systems, but the main issue that everyone against radqueers is their acceptable of racist, intersexist, and ableist transids.

transid is shortened from trans identity, but radqueers dont use them for just gender. you might have heard of the term "transrace" (or "trace") before, someone who wishes to transition to be a different race or believes themselves to be a different race than what they actually are. people of color have largely denounced transrace, calling it racist. this is because transrace identities rely heavily on racist stereotypes of the races or ethnicities the transrace person claims to be a part of. one such example is oli london, who had stated that he wanted to get a penis reduction surgery because he identified as korean and the average penis size of koreans is 3.5". he has also gotten plastic surgery in order to look like the bts band member, jimin. this is all a very shallow and racist understanding of korean people and their culture.

another transid is transintersex, believing that one can transition to being intersex. this one is unfortunately a more widespread problem, not limited to just the radqueer community but to the rest of the queer community as a whole. many queer people are under the false assumption that intersex just means "having both a penis and vagina", when intersex is an umbrella term that covers many sexual, chromosomal, and hormonal variations. when someone says they "want to transition to being intersex", a fused labia is an intersex condition, as is a micropenis, and polycystic ovary syndrome, or just having different chromosomes like xxy/xyy/xxx/xxxy/etc. but a person who wants to "transition to being intersex" doesnt want any of that, nor the complications that come with these variations. its important to let these people know that theres better terms to describe what kind of genitals they would like to have as part of their transition, terms like bigenital, multigenital, angenital (not agenital because that one is an intersex variation), varsex, or maybe they simply want to present androgynously. these terms are a clearer way to communicate what you would like to achieve with your transition than the intersexist phrase that is "i want to transition to be intersex".

one thing i would like to add, however, is that intersex people have been reclaiming the term transintersex and redefining it to mean "someone that is trans in a way that feels connected to or influenced by being intersex". i personally reclaim transintersex and use it in this way because my transgender identity and intersex identity feel interconnected in a way that is impossible for me to untangle.

the final transid, transabled, is an umbrella term for people that wish to "transition to being disabled". there is an actual psychological term to describe a similar phenomenon to this called body integrity dysphoria that is often used to justify transabled identities. people with biid have spoken out about transabled identities. but i also urge people who might identify as transabled to see if they might have biid and possibly find resources because biid can be distressing.

beyond these theres also transharmful identities like transnazi, transstalker, transmurderer, etc. i feel like those speak for themselves. basically people who are against radqueers are against these main transids that are normalized in the radqueer community and want nothing to do with these bigoted identities and people.

[intersex-support]

Intersex Support FAQ

1. What is intersex?

Intersex is an umbrella term that describes people who have variations in sex characteristics that fall outside of the sex binary. This includes variations in genitals, internal reproductive organs like testes and ovaries, chromosomes, secondary sex characteristics, and/or the way that your body produces or responds to hormones. Some examples of intersex variations include AIS, CAH, PCOS, Klinefelters, hypospadias, and more. 

The three main factors that define intersex variations are: 

Variation in sex characteristics 

The variation falls outside of the sex binary and is different from what is considered typical “male” or “female” development. These variations in traits might often be stigmatized and discriminated against for being outside of the sex binary.

This variation is either present from birth or develops spontaneously later in life. It is not caused by transitioning or by something temporary like a medication side effect, tumor, or other medical diagnosis. 

(This definition is inspired by InterACT).

2. Does ____ count as intersex? 

There are around 40 different intersex variations that are currently known. InterACT”s intersex variation glossary lists out those intersex variations and gives a brief description of each one.

However, we know that isn’t a complete list. People have intersex variations that haven’t been medically researched yet, or might have a rare variation that the intersex community isn’t aware of yet. 

There are also some variations that might seem on the border between perisex and intersex. Some types of hormonal or reproductive diagnoses might not have a clear answer on whether they’re intersex or not. 

Ultimately,  intersex is a social/political identity rather than a strictly medical one. Increased research and changing social attitudes can cause the definition of intersex to expand over time. Regardless of whether someone has a confirmed intersex variation or an “intersex adjacent” diagnosis, if intersex resources are helpful to you, we hope that you continue to use them and act in solidarity with the intersex community. 

On this blog, we do include PCOS with hyperandrogenism as part of the intersex community. Check out our PCOS tag for more posts about our reasoning, and PCOS specific resources.

3. Am I intersex?

We cannot diagnose you with an intersex variation over the internet. We can share resources such as the intersex variations glossary, share tips for navigating the medical system, and share information on other non-clinical signs of being intersex. 

Some questions to ask yourself that can help you start the process of intersex discovery:

What do my sex traits (genitalia, secondary sex characteristics, hormone levels, etc) look like? Does this seem like it lines up with the “typical” descriptions of those sex traits? 

Do I have any information about my birth? Were there any complications? Did doctors do extra testing at birth? Did doctors take me away from my parents for long periods of time? Did it take me longer to have my sex assigned at birth?

What was puberty like for me? Did I have early or late puberty? Did I have to go on hormones to start puberty? Did I have any variations in puberty, such as unexpected breast growth, irregular periods, or other changes? Did I go through puberty at all?

If you’ve tried to have children, are you infertile or struggling with fertility?

Did I have any unexplained surgeries or medical procedures as a child? Was I ever told I had to have organs removed and was told it was because of a cancer risk? Did I have to be on specific medications or hormones throughout my childhood? Did I have to go see a doctor more frequently? Did I go to an endocrinologist or pediatric urologist as a child? 

Do I have surgery scars or scar tissue? Do I have more frequent UTIs than typical?

Do I have access to my medical records? Is there records of hormone panels, ultrasounds, physical exams, surgeries, or other medical procedures? 

This kind of information can help you start to piece together if you think you might have an intersex variation, or if you think your intersex variation was hidden from you. 

If you’re sending in an ask trying to figure out if your symptoms line up with a specific intersex variation, please share as much information as you’re comfortable with so that we can answer with the most helpful resources. 

4. Can I self diagnose as intersex? 

It’s complicated! Intersex is different from other LGBTQIA identities, in that it’s not only about self determination, but also about our embodied experience in a very specific way. In order to be intersex, you have to have an intersex variation. And there are many intersex variations that can only be confirmed through medical testing, so it’s not something that is easy to self-diagnose.

However, we recognize that the medical system is expensive, discriminatory, and often actively hides information about people’s intersex variations from them. (it wasn’t even until 2006 that the AAP stopped recommending that doctors lie to their patients about intersex status, so many intersex adults were born before that policy change!) Considering all that we know about intersex oppression, curative violence, and medical abuse, it feels incredibly cruel to tell people that they have to force themself through that system in order to seek answers. 

So, we understand that there are ways of finding out that you are intersex without having a specific, confirmed, medical diagnosis. Many of us might find out that we’re intersex because we realize that our genitalia visibly looks different, and we can tell that we are intersex, even if we don’t know our specific diagnosis. Others might find out that we’re intersex because of strange discrepancies in our medical record. We might find out through discovering surgery scars on our body. We might go through puberty and realize that we’re developing in an atypical way to our peers. We might do a lot of research into intersex variations and have a pretty good guess into what variation lines up with our experiences. We might have some test results that help us understand we have intersex traits, even if we don’t know our specific diagnosis.  

Before self diagnosing, we think it’s important to do thorough research into intersex variations, so that you truly understand what intersex means, what intersex variations exist, and understand how that information applies to yourself. It’s also important to be considerate of how we interact in community spaces, and respect other intersex people's boundaries as you engage in a questioning or diagnosis process. 

5.  Are intersex people trans?

Some intersex people are trans, and some aren’t. Most intersex people are still assigned a gender at birth, and many intersex people who are raised as one gender and then later identify as another gender identify with the label trans. Intersex people can be cis or trans just like any other group of people. 

Many intersex people have complicated relationships with gender, and don’t feel like labels like cis or trans really fit their experiences. For this reason, terms like intergender and ipsogender were coined.

6. Are intersex people LGBTQIA?

It’s complicated! The “I” in LGBTQIA stands for intersex. Intersex history is intertwined with other parts of queer history. For example, the very first protest for intersex people in the United States was organized by Hermaphrodites with Attitude and Transexual Menace. There are intersex inclusive versions of community pride flags. Many intersex people view their intersex identity as a queer identity. Intersex oppression overlaps in many ways with homophobia and transphobia. 

However, not all intersex people think that intersex should be included in the LGBTQIA community. Sometimes this is for bigoted reasons, with intersex radfems who use this stance as a way to be transphobic. But there are also intersex people who think that the “I” should only be included in the acronym when intersex people are actually meaningfully being included in queer spaces and resources. Many of us feel frustrated when people put “LGBTQIA” on a resource but then don’t actually have any intersex specific information in those resources. 

In general, this is an ongoing intracommunity discussion where we don’t have a consensus. 

7. Are intersex people disabled? 

It’s complicated! Intersex is an umbrella term for many different experiences, and there is not one universal intersex experience. Some intersex people identify as disabled. Some intersex people do not.

Many intersex variations do cause disabling impacts in our bodies and lives. Some intersex variations are comorbid with other health conditions. Other intersex people become disabled because of violent normalizing interventions we’ve survived, such as forced surgery or other types of medical abuse. 

Intersex people are also impacted by many of the same structures of oppression that harm disabled people. Both intersex people and disabled people are harmed by ableism. Both intersex people and disabled people are harmed by pathologization. Both intersex people and disabled people are harmed by curative violence. 

In the book Cripping Intersex, Celeste Orr explores all these concepts and creates something called “intersex is/and/as/with disability,” which is a model to think about all these different and sometimes conflicting relationships with disability. Some intersex people might identify directly as disabled. Others might sometimes think about the way that intersex is treated as a disability. Other intersex people might think about intersex and disability as a way to have solidarity. All of these relationships with disability are meaningful parts of the intersex community. 

8. What is intersex oppression/intersexism/interphobia/compulsory dyadism? 

Intersex people face a lot of oppression in many ways in society. At the core, intersex oppression relies on the idea that the only acceptable sex traits are sex traits that fit into the sex binary. Intersex oppression relies on mythical ideas of the “ideal male or female” body, where someone's chromosomes perfectly line up with their genitalia and internal reproductive organs, with perfectly normal hormone levels and perfect secondary sex characteristics that don’t have any variation. When people don’t fit into that “perfect” sex binary, they are seen as less valuable, abnormal, and threatening. There is then a societal pressure to eradicate any traits and people that fall outside of the sex binary, which causes a lot of targeted discrimination of intersex people. This form of oppression is called “compulsory dyadism,” and was coined by Celeste Orr. 

Compulsory dyadism is also rooted in, overlaps with, and is the foundation for many other types of oppression. For example, ableism is another form of oppression that creates ways of harming people whose bodies and minds are labeled as less valuable for societally constructed reasons. Check out Talila Lewis’s definition of ableism for more information. Another example is how racialized people are targeted by sex testing policies in sports--both intersex and perisex women of color are consistently targeted by sex testing policies designed to exclude intersex people from sports. Another example is that homophobia and transphobia contribute to why intersex bodies are seen as threats that need to be eradicated--society views existing with intersex sex traits as a slippery slope to growing up as a gay or trans adult. Compulsory dyadism is also at the root of a lot of transphobic rhetoric about how transitioning “ruins” people’s bodies. All these forms of oppression are connected. 

There are a lot of ways that compulsory dyadism causes intersex people to be targeted and discriminated against. A huge issue is nonconsensual surgeries at birth, that attempt to “normalize” ambiguous genitalia, remove intersex people’s gonads, and otherwise alter genitalia or internal structures. These surgeries are often referred to as intersex genital mutilation, or IGM. These surgeries do not have any medical necessity, but doctors lobby to continue to be allowed to perform them anyway. These surgeries can sterilize intersex people, cause lifelong trauma, and also cause many disabling medical complications. Alongside IGM, intersex people also face a lot of different types of medical abuse. 

Besides curative violence and medical abuse, intersex people also face discrimination in our schools, jobs, and public places. We face legal discrimination in changing our names and sex markers. We face discrimination from institutions like CPS, which often target parents, especially people of color, that refuse to put their children through intersex genital mutilation. Many intersex people survive targeted sexual violence. We have a widespread lack of resources, visibility, and representation. Many people still have prejudiced ideas about intersex people and call us slurs. These are just a few examples of the many way that interphobia/intersexism show up in our lives. 

9. What is intersex justice? 

Intersex justice is a framework created by intersex activists through the Intersex Justice Project as a way to fight for intersex liberation. 

“Intersex justice is a decolonizing framework that affirms the labor of intersex people of color fighting for change across social justice movements. By definition, intersex justice affirms bodily integrity and bodily autonomy as the practice of liberation. Intersex justice is intrinsically tied to justice movements that center race, ability, gender identity & expression, migrant status, and access to sexual & reproductive healthcare. Intersex justice articulates a commitment to these movements as central to its intersectional analysis and praxis. Intersex justice acknowledges the trauma caused by medically unnecessary and nonconsensual cosmetic genital surgeries and addresses the culture of shame, silence and stigma surrounding intersex variations that perpetuate further harm.

The marginalization of intersex people is rooted in colonization and white supremacy. Colonization created a taxonomy of human bodies that privileged typical white male and female bodies, prescribing a gender binary that would ultimately harm atypical black and indigenous bodies. As part of a liberation movement, intersex activists challenge not only the medical establishment, which is often the initial site of harm, but also governments, institutions, legal structures, and sociocultural norms that exclude intersex people. Intersex people should be allowed complete and uninhibited access to obtaining identity documents, exercising their birth and adoption rights, receiving unbiased healthcare, and securing education and employment opportunities that are free from harm and harassment.” (Source: Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis through the Intersex Justice Project.)

There are seven principles to intersex justice: 

Informed consent

Reparations

Legal protections

Accountability

Language

Children's rights

Patient-centered healthcare

10. What is intergender? 

Intergender is a gender identity for use by intersex people only. It doesn’t have one specific definition-it is used by intersex people to mean a whole variety of things. It’s used to describe the unique ways our intersex experience intersects with and influences our gender.  Some people use it as a modifying term, such as calling themselves an intergender man or woman, as a way to explain the way being intersex affects their identity. Other people identify solely as intergender, and have that be their whole gender. 

11. What is dyadic/perisex/endosex? 

All are words that mean “not intersex.” Different groups will have different preferences on which one they like to use. 

12. Is hermaphrodite an offensive term? 

Yes. It is an incredibly offensive slur that perisex people should never say. Many intersex people have a very painful history with the slur. Some of us reclaim the term, which can be an important act of healing and celebration for us.

12. Can perisex people follow? 

Feel free, but understand that questions by intersex people are prioritized! Anyone is welcome to follow.

13. I’m writing a character who’s intersex…

Check out this post:  https://trans-axolotl.tumblr.com/post/188153640308/intersex-representation. If you’re writing about intersex people for a paid project, you should pay an intersex person to act as a sensitivity reader before publishing. 

Check out our Resources and Intersex Organizations pages as well!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hello, love! I l absolutely adore your blog, I was wondering if you have any tips/notes on writing someone else's biography? In my case, this is a living person I am very close to, but anything would help. Thank you so much!

Writing Notes: Biography

Biography - A detailed third person account of another person’s life story.

Contains basic information about the subject’s life—like their place of birth, education, and interests.

May also chronicle relationships with family members, as well as major events in the subject’s childhood and how those influenced their upbringing.

Details the various accomplishments and life events of a real person, but it’s more than facts and figures—it comes to life with great stories told from beginning to middle to end.

Tips on How to Write a Biography

To write the story of a person’s life, you need to know more than just the basic facts. A good biography delves into what is really interesting about a person’s life—noteworthy achievements, moments of adversity, and major turning points. The best biography can encapsulate a subject’s entire life in an engaging way and provide enough personal details to give the reader an intimate look at their character. If you’re interested in writing a biography, the following steps can get you started:

Get permission. Once you’ve chosen the subject of the biography, seek permission to write about their life. While in some cases it may not be necessary (like if the subject is a public figure or deceased), getting permission will make the research portion of your writing process much easier. If the subject is willing to be biographied, they may provide significant details about their own story up front that will help make your writing about them more compelling.

Do your research. Regardless of how much you know about your subject, an extensive amount of research is necessary to paint a thorough picture of this person. If they’re a historical figure, include information about the time period they lived in and how it affected the way they lived their life. Primary sources are firsthand accounts of your subject’s life and tend to be the most reliable sources. These can include journal entries, emails, interviews, or memoirs. A primary source can also be any other information the subject has provided, such as a personal website, Twitter bio, social media account or professional bio. Secondary sources, like magazines or documentaries, can also be used if the information is proven accurate.

Visit significant places in their life. A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story.

Form your thesis. Your first paragraph or chapter should inform the reader what they will learn about this person from this biography. A thesis makes a declaration about the biographee which the rest of the biography will provide relevant information to support.

Choose your focus. Knowing how you'd like to divide the story and what points you'd like to discuss will help you determine what information is most important. For example, if the focus of your biography is on someone's service in a war, then you wouldn't need to spend a lot of time on their early career as a salesman, unless that had an impact on their actions during the war.

Make a timeline. A biography usually structures the main points of a person’s life in chronological order. Knowing the order of key events before you start writing can save you the hassle of having to reorganize your whole story later.

Use flashbacks. While writing the text of your biography, you may want to intercut between an experience from your subject’s adult life and one from their high school days. Using flashbacks allows the author to introduce relevant past information to the reader without bogging them down with paragraphs of background exposition.

Include your thoughts. A biography isn’t just a transaction of facts. A biographer can share their own feelings and opinions on their subject’s life. If the subject did something noteworthy, the author may include why they feel that moment was significant, how it was affected by the time period, and what it meant for society as a whole. This will support why this person deserves to be written about and keep the audience reading from the first sentence to the last.

Consider your audience. The key to writing a great biography is really found within this idea: choose facts that are both relevant and interesting to your audience. In order to do this, you should consider why the biography is needed and who will be reading it, then focus on those areas of the person's life that the audience will likely want to know about.

Get feedback and polish the text. If you’re going to publish your own biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and edit your own manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.” Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style.

Some basic facts about the person:

date and place of birth (and death, if applicable)

current location of residence

educational background

professional experience

area of expertise

major achievements

These elements don’t all have to be included in every bio. Consider what makes the most sense in light of the story of the person the bio is about and the purpose for which the bio is being created. Use that information to determine what parts of a biography need to be included.

In-Depth Information. A few key components you may want to include in a longer biography are:

birth and childhood - Providing details about the time and place someone was raised will give your readers historical context.

adult life - The majority of your biography is probably going to focus on the subject's adult life, when significant events started to unfold. Focus on notable events, such as the start of a relationship, a dramatic life change or another major turning point.

death - If the subject of your story is deceased, you'll probably want to cover the events that unfolded before their passing. What legacy did they leave behind?

interesting facts or anecdotes - Share interesting stories about the individual’s life story, selecting things that will be engaging to readers or particularly relevant to the purpose for which the biography is being written

quotes about the person - If the person has been the subject of articles, books or news stories, consider working in a few quotes illustrating what others have said about the individual.

photograph of the person - Include a photo of the person.

Writing for an Unknown Audience. Of course, you won't always know who your target audience is — if you're writing a book, for example, you can't always tell who will read it. In these cases, it's safe to assume that those who will read the biography are interested in the person, and that's why they're reading.

In such a situation, a good approach is to focus primarily on what makes this person special, and target your research accordingly.

A biography about someone who achieved a great scientific discovery may focus on the person's education and early experiments that led to the great discovery.

It may also talk about how the discovery impacted the person’s life, the lives of others, or the individual’s profession or field of study.

These are the things that people reading about the subject are probably interested in learning.

Examples of Famous Biographies

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert

Her Own Woman: The Life of Mary Wollstonecraft by Diane Jacobs

Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller by Jackie Wullschlager

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Thanks so much for your kind words, you are too lovely! Here are some tips and notes from different sources. Choose which ones are most appropriate for your writing. All the best with the biography!

[icyg4l]

Pick-A-Girl Group: What Purpose Do the Women In Your Life Serve?

Continuing on with my Women’s History Month series, I am going to do a reading on how the women in your life feel about you and the effect of these feelings. I am going to be using the True Heart Tarot Deck and the Archetype Oracle Deck. These readings are supposed to uplift, relate to and inspire women so I hope they serve their purpose. I Without further ado, please pick your pile. 🫶

***Disclaimer: Regardless of your gender identity, the women that are in your life deserve to be celebrated as long as they have pure intentions. Much love. 🩷

Left-to-Right (1-4):

Pile One: If you resonate with the image of FLO, then you deserve the whole fucking world. Pile One, the women in your life absolutely adore you. You probably resonate with the song’s theme: recognizing beauty in yourself when everyone is against you, specifically as a black woman. You have come such a long way. The women that are currently in your life have seen you make mistakes and allowed you to do so. They recognize your evolution. A lot of you have a best friend who you’ve been friends with for a long time and she is so proud of you. She is proud of the person that you have become. This pile has some cheerleaders around them. I feel like the women in your life are meant to take inspiration from what you are going through right now. I think that you may be going through your redemption arc.You’re forgiving yourself for a lot of things that you’ve done in the past. The women in your life see that and are following suit. After all, living life does mean not being a robot. These women who are around you are all ears, very receptive to what it is that you are doing with your life. You’re like their Oprah, lol. If you have a story to tell, share it with her. She may need to hear it. I channeled the show: Beyond Scared Straight; specifically the parts where the prisoners talk to the kids about their life stories and the reasoning for why they should not end up in jail. I feel like you could be someone’s mentor, whether they’re younger or the same age as you, perhaps even older. You are someone’s Reesa Teesa too, lol. I get the feeling that you need to be talking about yourself, Pile One. There is an audience full of women who are willing to hear you out and listen. When I pulled from the oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

God: Benevolence and compassion. Recognizing the eternal force within yourself and others/Despotism and cruelty. Using power to control people 

Mother: Nurturance, patience, unconditional love. Joy in giving birth to life/Smothering or abandoning children. Instilling guilt in children for becoming independent.

Poet: Expresses soul insights in symbolic language/Turns a lyric gift to negative or destructive effect. 

Cards Used: 2 of Swords, 4 of Discs, 9 of Cups, Prince of Wands (RX), King of Discs, Four of Cups, Temperance.

Pile Two: If you resonate with the photo of Destiny’s Child, you got some ride or dies around you for real. I think that you’ve been through hell and back with the women in your life and they do not play about you. I think the women in your life want you to know that you are so worth it. I’m not going to lie Pile Two, it sounds like you’re in a toxic love situation and your girls want you out of it. Your friends, cousin or little sister could have told you that you need to exit stage left multiple times. They absolutely believe you deserve better. Hypothetically speaking, If y’all fell out today and an emergency happened tomorrow, they would be on the way to the hospital. I feel like family is so important to you. They feel like you’ve forgot about them but I don’t think that you have. Circumstances make it difficult for you all to see eye-to-eye. The women in your life want you to know that you are not alone. They will forever be there for you no matter what, even if you have lost your damn mind. These challenging times will make the bond between you and these women stronger. When I pulled from the oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

Artist: Expressing a dimension of life that is beyond the five senses. Inspiring others to see life symbolically / Using talent as an excuse to mistreat others. Posing as the Starving Artist to elicit pity.

God:  Benevolence and compassion. Recognizing the eternal force within yourself and others / Despotism and cruelty. Using power to control people 

Goddess: The feminine expressed through wisdom. Nature, life force, and sensuality / Exploitation of the female nature and form 

Cards Used: Ace of Discs, 9 of Swords, Princess of Cups (RX), Prince of Discs, The Hierophant, Princess of Discs, 4 of Cups (RX), The Devil (RX), 10 of Cups.

Pile Three: If you resonate with the photo of TWICE, you got the grandmother spirit around you. Did you grow up in the church? Or at least with a god-fearing grandmother? I feel like the women in your life hate to see you unhappy and this is what you’re feeling right now. I think that you may be uninspired/unfulfilled with what life is giving you right now. It’s not an uncommon feeling. But smiling can make all the difference. The women in your life want to see you smile, make you smile and laugh. They want to be there for you like how your grandmother was. No one will ever replace Granny but her presence is always there. You may be questioning God/your higher powers because of something that deeply affected you. But the women around you want you to not feel ashamed or want you to feel like they are judging you. They have been in the same predicament. They only want to see you get better. They hate to see you like this. It may be hard to do this but look at the glass half full, rather than half empty. They want you to get back to yourself, the version of you that isn’t defeated. When I pulled from the oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

Child: Nature: Friendships with animals. Communication with nature spirits / Tendency to abuse animals, people and the environment. 

Destroyer: Releasing what is potentially destructive. Preparing for new life / Intoxication with destructive power. Destroying others’ dreams or potential.

Child: Magical: Seeing the potential for sacred beauty in all things. The belief that everything is possible / Pessimism, depression and disbelief in miracles. Believing that energy and action are not required for growth.

Cards Used: The Devil, Princess of Cups, The Star, Judgment, The Moon, Temperance, Seven of Swords.

Pile Four: And lastly, if you resonated with the photo of the Spice Girls, you seem very sensual. Are you a SWer? Do you attend pole dancing classes for fun? Do you know someone who does either of these things? I feel like the women in your life appreciate how physical you are. You’re probably an artist and you're sensitive about your shit too. The women in your life feel as though you have a lot of talents. You’re very multifaceted and they love to brag about it, especially the older women. You could been the cousin who had to show off the latest dance move. So as a result, you became the leader of the pack. You can be naturally nurturing but it can drain you. The women around you feel like you need to put up some boundaries so that you can still worry about you. They respect your quality of being a giver, but do you even respect yours-[GUNSHOT]. There is a woman that you are close to that admires a quality that you hate. She compliments it any chance she can get because she wants to uplift you. I feel like people always try to touch you, whether it’s your hair, your arms, or even your butt. The women around you could immediately shut it down or call them out or defend it. They want to protect your innocence. Even though you are grown, you have that ingenue within you. They know how you can get (especially while under the influence) so they refuse to let you get that way. When I pulled from my oracle deck, I got the following cards: 

Servant: Delight in serving others with a free and loving heart / Using the lack of money as an excuse not to move forward with life 

Bully: Highlights your tendency to intimidate others. Helps you confront the inner fears that bully you / Conceals deep fears behind verbal or physical abuse.

Hedonist: Inspires creative energy to embrace the good things in life. Celebrates the beauty in yourself / Pursues pleasure to the detriment of health. Indulges at the expense of others.

Cards Used: The Star, The Lovers, Judgment, The Emperor, 7 of Cups, 10 of Swords, Ace of Cups, The Moon, 8 of Cups (RX).

[this-is-exorsexism]

I just saw a post about how transmasc and transfem aren't labels you can "opt out of," how if you transition like this then you ARE transmasc and if you transition like that then you ARE transfem, whether you like it or not. Because it's just a "fact" about your transition, not an identity.

And it just made me so sad. I'm transneutral. Sure, my transition might look binary to an outside observer. Yeah, people might look at me now and see me as far more masculine than I was before I transitioned. But that's other people. Not me.

Does this count as exorsexism? I feel like it does but I'm also worried that they're right, and maybe my identity is offensive and maybe I AM lying for not calling myself transmasc. I don't know. I just feel really bad and insecure right now.

this is exorsexism.

through and through.

i'm assuming this post was by a trans person, because cis people tend to be less educated about trans terminology in the first place, and will often just parrot whatever is popular but not think of it any further.

a lot of trans people, even some nonbinary people, seem to be really invested in upholding the gender binary in its various forms. "these are the two options you have, and you cannot be neither" is just gender binary 2.0.

people want to group especially nonbinary people by our AGAB, because a lot of people can't handle the fact that us simply saying "i'm nonbinary" doesn't give them any information about our AGAB, about "where we came from" the way that "trans woman" or "trans man" does. never mind the fact that some intersex people who were (c)afab are trans women and some intersex people who were (c)amab are trans men, but these people usually aren't just exorsexist, they're intersexist too. if the term "trans woman" doesn't necessarily tell you what gender someone was assigned at birth anymore, apparently the term loses all its meaning, since everything hinges on AGAB... somehow. but i digress.

and people have definitely started using transmasculine and transfeminine as "acceptable" shorthands for AGAB language, whether they admit it or not. if you were afab, your only options are cis woman, trans man or transmasculine nonbinary, and if you're transmasculine nonbinary we treat you like a man anyway, and vice versa for amab folk.

bonus points if it all hinges on transition steps, i.e. if you were amab and take oestrogen, you're automatically transfem regardless of how you identify (and if you don't take enough transition steps you're basically cis anyway - their line of thinking, not mine).

because we're definitely dismantling cissexism by still acting as if hormones are inherently masculine or feminine. we're definitely deconstructing the gender binary by just changing the words from male and female to transmasc and transfem. (heavy sarcasm)

so much of it goes back to people really just upholding cissexism and the binary, probably without even realising it. by saying it's about "what we were born as" or about how we transition, people are just using the same violence on nonbinary people as cis people use on all trans people. just because cis people assume you're masculine, trans people somehow think it's what you want and do it as well.

transmasc and transfem nonbinary people obviously exist. it's part of many people's identity. others actually do just use the term as a shorthand to what they're transitioning from, where they're transitioning to, how they're transitioning, certain experiences of transmisia, etc. and that's fine - if you use it like that for yourself and don't force it onto others.

and people also love framing words that have a heavy nonbinary association as somehow offensive, dirty or otherwise bad. people will go so far to avoid saying the word "nonbinary", they hate the word "enby", in fact, they hate when we have any term that is more specific than nonbinary, and they also hate our trans- terms, be it transneutral, transandrogynous or the many others. they really hate when we're actually somewhat equal.

[archivalofsins]

Thoughts on Life Trailer?

Okay, I want to preface what I say in here with this is going to be incredibly blunt as I have a lot of feelings on Yuno's character, the fanon surrounding it, and what has happened since the release of the Life trailer.

Also because it's that time of the month for me and I'm just a bit more irritated than usual. So this might be all over the place.

I've made a lot of posts on Yuno, my feelings around her character, what I believe her crime to be, etc.

Fuck them kids.

The Big Yuno Post (that links to other ones)

I've never humored the idea of her crime being abortion or anything less than murder. I'm not going to start now either even with the lyrics shown in the Life trailer my opinion on this has not changed. I will never consider abortion murder.

Just not going to do that.

That's just my personal line. I'm not going to tell others what they can consider murder or not I'm just saying how I feel personally. I would not have cared about that baby regardless of how it died and when. I've said it before and I'll say it again-

I simply honestly don't give a fuck about Yuno's potential children at all.

Look I understand this is interesting to some people and many would enjoy having that sort of story. As well as the fact that there are more ways for a baby to be involved in this narrative without relating it to abortion. Even while still having it so Yuno did in fact have an abortion I've spoken about the many ways this is possible.

I'm well aware there are people who commit filicide. I consider that murder but depending on the circumstances it's not something I would personally vote Yuno guilty over.

Because postpartum depression is real and absolutely devastating and a lot of people develop it. This impacts not only how they take care of and view their child but themselves. So if it was a situation of Yuno had that, wasn't getting proper treatment for it, and that impacted her doing the things that she did. I would not vote that guilty.

However, I would simply not vote at all because that sort of story wouldn't interest me. So, I would not engage with it. It's just a matter of my personal preferences I've seen other works do that story and well many times before. At this point I'm just a bit like show me something I haven't seen before.

So, that would honestly bore me. Then on top of that I tend to like my murder mystery victims like I like myself usually alive before dying, having had a life that they lived and were now having ripped away from them too soon for no good reason, connections that would feel the loss of them, and a future.

That's the thing that hurts me about Mahiru dying. We knew her plans for the future. Her wishes and desires what she wanted to do when she left Milgram. An unborn child would not have planned out their life to that extent yet. Something can't plan out what it never had.

However I fundamentally believe once that baby is out of your body. It's looking forward to something, waking up the next day, it's favorite thing of baby food, seeing it's caretaker it's a baby at that point. You get what I mean? It can't think of tomorrow in the broad terms say all of the Milgram prisoners can. But it's no longer apart of the person that birthed it whether that person wants to be in the kids life or not...

I will never believe in the "I brought you into this world I can take you out of it". However, I do believe one has to at least be brought into the world to be taken out. I am not counting the death of something that was alive in theory as murder but again that's just me.

Yuno's sentiments in the lyrics displayed in the trailer did not surprise me. It couldn't surprise me that Yuno felt this way about abortion because she'd said so before.

"You want to make clear the truth...huh? Fu... Haha!"

(-273.15°C) 4:20s

Yes. Of course. As Milgram's guard, in order to correctly judge your sins-

"The result of doing loooots of sugar-daddying; ......abortion."

...!

"That's probably my murder. Well, please go ahead and partake of the truth."

...

"How is it? Satisfied? Then can we be done already?"

Yuno...you.

"You don't surprise much. As I thought, you knew it from the song extraction."

It's not as though Yuno was being subtle. Plus we still don't know how much the prisoners know of each others songs and their own. However given the direct references to MeMe in Doubles, This Is How To Be In Love With You in I Love You, how Cat seems to start off the tail end of Half, Kotoko's reference to Undercover and all of the first trial songs in Deep Cover, and now Futa referencing The Purge March with The Appare March.

I think we've hit the point past coincidence and can say for sure the prisoners are viewing their song extractions and the one's of others inside of the prison. Or have access to do so after the trial is complete in order to allow them to prepare for the next one.

Yuno plays it off like it's because I was hearing these voices but hearing isn't seeing what happened in the extraction. She wouldn't know we gleamed that from the visuals of the extraction unless she saw the visuals herself.

On top of that the phrases she claim to have heard that alluded to this have nothing to do with abortion,

(-273.15°C) 6:19s

"Second cool off reason is...... To put it simply, the fact that I was forgiven." What? "Well, to be precise, it's not the forgiveness itself, but..." I don't understand say it clearly. "Hm... Well then, should I tell you what I heard the voices in my head saying? "Because she's pitiable.", "There's no mistake that she has some kind of reason." "She's become like this because there's some problem in her home life- Because she doesn't know love yet!" Ah...! "Because of that... I'll forgive her."." It's true that I arrived at those kind of analogical reasonings. "Ah, yes yes. Well, this is going to be a purely- purely personal opinion but...... I find those kinds of assumptions preachy and unpleasant!" ...

"They're worthless! Arbitrarily deciding that I'm pitiable. Arbitrarily making up a backstory for me."

"Creating a personally idealized version of me. Creating an acceptable version of me."

"What changed her wasn’t MILGRAM." / "Not the judgements of MILGRAM, or being found “innocent” by strangers."

Oh Yuno learned through Mahiru's death that all life is precious and by extension that what she did was wrong. The reason she's suddenly reevaluating having an abortion is because of how much she cared about Mahiru and how much having a family and children mattered to her friend. Now she finally understands the value of what she gave up through seeing Mahiru try so hard and never be able to achieve her dream of being a mother.

Broke mindset abortion is never wrong if you wanna get one go ahead. Doesn't matter if that woman over there wants to get married, have and then raise several children you're not living her fucking life and if she can't do that you didn't stop her from directly achieving her dreams sometimes people can't do the things they want to. That doesn't mean one should stop themselves from doing what they want to placate some internalized guilt around having the options when others don't.

I can't have fucking steak often if my friend started eating steak daily I wouldn't ask them to abstain for my benefit I'd be like yeah buddy you eat that steak, that's a good steak right there send me pictures I'm really missing out right now but I'm so happy for you. My friend going out of country my whiney bitch ass who makes everything about me for some reason,

"But I don't have the financial security to leave my country right now so you should stay home in solidarity."

I can't have kids you have one for me individual that is what a surrogate is for. Modern problems have modern solutions. Live vicariously through someone a consensual way. Not whatever weird I wanted to be a mom again through you daughter shit being projected on Yuno right now. Where everyone expects her to leave Milgram and live out all of Mahiru's dreams for her.

Then look into the sunset and go I'm doing right by you as Mahiru's visage covers the sky cheering her on. Because that's how it has to be. Because that's how a bunch of strangers looking in on someone else's relationship would view it. So it has to be that simple.

It can't be because- I don't know the one person who tried to know her for who she was and accepted her for how she naturally is just died right in front of her as a bunch of strangers continue to try to tell her how she should feel about her life and her choices. Still creating the best personally idealized version of her to like instead of looking at her for who she's consistently been.

Also while we're here-

What's with this assumption that Mahiru was just over here talking to Yuno daily about wanting to go off and have kids. We saw Shidou during the intermission literally go you should become a doctor Yuno,

24/09/02 (Yuno’s Birthday)

Shidou: Thank you for your assistance with Shiina-kun’s treatment. It’s been a big help having you here. Both for her and for me. It’s good to know that even if something happens to me, you’ll still be around. Yuno: No way. I can’t do anything on my own. All I’m doing is helping with whatever you’re doing. It’s just like playing pretend as a nurse. Shidou: No, you’ve got a good sense for things like this. You’re quick to notice things, calm, and fearless. If you haven’t decided what you want to be in the future, maybe you should consider becoming a doctor yourself. Yuno: You think so? ……haha, stop it. I don’t want to be thinking about the future right now. And for someone like me to have other people’s lives in my hands…… that’s no laughing matter.

We saw Mahiru literally have conversations about kids with Shidou???

23/10/24 (Shidou’s Birthday)

Mahiru: You have a family right, Shidou-san……? How does it feel, being married, having kids……? Shidou: ……yeah, it’s a wonderful thing. Children…… yeah. They really are hope for the future. When you have your own, suddenly it becomes fun growing old. Since as you grow older, you get to see them grow up. Mahiru: Ah…… how lovely. It was always my dream to become a bride. Though maybe that seems a bit outdated. I wish it could’ve come true…… Shidou: It isn’t too late. I’m going to make sure you live. So let’s get out of here, and you make your wish come true. ……you still have so much to live for.

Like it wasn't even Mahiru's fucking dream to have kids. That's just what Shidou Kirisaki homed in on. Mahiru asked if he had a family but her first thing was literally asking how is it being married and the secondary thing was kids.

Then she plainly states that her dream was to get married. After he's like having kids is a beautiful and amazing thing Mahiru she goes that's nice I want to be married. I need to make that clear I want to be wed. You could say my dream is to be a bride not a mother. How was the marriage.

Shidou, "It isn't too late" Mahiru Shiina who did not get the answer to her fucking question, "..." When you want to vicariously feel what marriage is like through someone else but this guy is like kids, kids did you mention children?! Raising a kid is great when you have your own suddenly growing old isn't that bad anymore.

This would have been a great time to display her interest in having kids instead narrative had her blow past this and go I want to be a bride. Like I can guess where this assumptions comes from.

It more than like originates from this question and answer,

Q.17 If you had to describe yourself with an animal, what would it be?

Shidou: A ray, maybe. I don’t have any particular reason, I just like them Mahiru: Penguin! The way they raise a child together as a couple is wonderful!

But even then the focus isn't on the child it's the fact the couple is doing the work together.

Oh and maybe this assumption could be tied back to this timeline as well,

20/07/06

Amane: You want to know about my family……? My father is a truly wonderful person. He’s honest, values fairness and justice above all else, and will work himself to the bone for other people’s sake……. Why do you want to know? Mahiru: Oh, I was just wondering what sort of parents you must have for them to have raised such a good child like you. Fufu, I’ll keep it in mind for the future when I raise my own family. Amane: I see. If it will be of use to you, I’ll tell you more. It’s still a long way off for me, but for someone your age the prospect of finding a partner and having a family must be feeling a lot more real. Now that I think about it, I recall my mother was around your age when she gave birth to me…… Mahiru: Oof…! Even though you meant no ill with that statement, Mahiru onee-chan is suddenly really feeling the pressure~~!

Even so saying that Mahiru's dream was to raise kids and create a family is just not what she said. She said what her dream was being a bride. Sure being a bride can lead to doing those things of course. However being married doesn't always mean having kids or raising a family sometimes people are just married.

Outside of that we'd have to assume that Yuno was just around listening to all these conversations when anyone could just as easily look at all the conversations they had together.

In fact let me practice what I'm about to preach real quick here's every conversation they ever had,

20/06/29

Yuno: ……mmm, the food here is actually pretty nice. I wonder if the guard made it…… Oh yeah, Mahiru-san, do you cook?

Mahiru: Hm? I do~ Cooking, washing, cleaning, I love doing all those sorts of things~ Fufufu, I passed all my self-imposed training to become the perfect wife with flying colours!

Yuno: Wow, incredible… I don’t know whether to call that old-fashioned or what. ……isn’t it a pain?

Mahiru: Eh~? I don’t think it’s a pain at all~ It’s fun~

20/08/02

Mahiru: Yeah, I’m asking for what you like in the opposite sex! I mean, with a lifestyle like this we have a lot of free time, right? So earlier when I was talking with all the other girls we got onto the topic! It’s not often you get a chance like this to live with a mix of men and women together, so I thought it might be nice to use the chance to talk about stuff like this in preparation for when we leave.

Kazui: Ah…… Haha, I understand. I can see that’d be the sort of thing girls your age would be interested in, huh. How peaceful. What I like in the opposite sex… I don’t know if what I say will really be a good reference for you…… Ah, you know, since I’m at this age. I like a girl who can just smile free of worries. Seeing that’d make my old, tired heart feel young again.

Yuno: Uh-huh, I see, I see. ……that’s a total lie, right?

Kazui: Haha…… Give me a break here. You sure don’t make things easy for people, Kashiki-chan.

22/01/17 (Mahiru’s Birthday)

Mahiru: My birthday…… the day I was born…… But was there really any reason for me being born? Lately I’ve started to wonder that. Do you ever think about stuff like that, Yuno-chan?

Yuno: Eh? Not really. I mean, Mahiru-san, you’re really the romantic type, right? Not that I have anything against that. But isn’t it a bit much to think that everything in life has a meaning? If it makes you happy to think like that then go ahead, but if it doesn’t, then isn’t that in itself meaningless?

Mahiru: : ……you might be right. I’ve always just lived my life like this, so I don’t really know.

Yuno: We’ve all just gone through a bunch of things in life that happened to lead us here. It’s nothing more than a coincidence. Definitely not fate or anything. Probably. Even if there isn’t a meaning, you can still be happy that it’s your birthday. That sort of thing’s all you need in life really. So happy birthday, Mahiru-san.

22/09/02 (Yuno’s Birthday)

Mahiru: ……no, I’m fine. As long as I don’t move too much I don’t even feel any pain. Sorry for making you worry.

Yuno: Oh, really? That’s good then. Mahiru-san, if there’s anything you want then just ask. It’s not like it’s a huge burden, I can just ask for it along with my own stuff.

Mahiru: Ok…… I’m fine for now. Sorry, for making you worry. Ah, Yuno-chan…… Today’s your birthday, right? Happy birthday.

Yuno: ………… Haha, thanks. Thank you, but y’know. Is it really ok for you to be saying that to me when you’re in that situation? ……you really aren’t suited for Milgram, huh, Mahiru-san.

There every timeline conversation they ever had not one mention of kids having them or otherwise. However Mahiru pondering,

"But was there really any reason for me being born?"

With Yuno is more than likely what prompted her to ask Amane if she ever wished she were never born,

23/06/27 (Amane’s Birthday)

Amane: What is it…… Kashiki Yuno. Don’t sit so close to me. Go away. Yuno: Sorry for barging in when you’re getting into your worldview thing. But Mahiru-san’s finally managed to get to sleep. Humour me with some small talk while I take a break. By the way, Amane. Have you ever wished you were never born? I’ve thankfully lived a pretty fun life so far, so haven’t really. But you seem to be struggling with something. So I kinda wondered if you thought like that. Amane: ……I don’t think that. Being born into this world is the first miracle any person experiences, and is something to celebrate. Even if after birth I was put through trial after trial, the value of that will never disappear. Yuno: Hmm. Ok. ……happy birthday, then. It’s good that you were brought into the world, I guess.

My main point by getting sidetracked by Yuno's relationships with other prisoners and Mahiru specifically is to touch on that Mahiru probably has nothing to do with Yuno's beliefs around abortion because those sentiments predate Mahiru's death,

(-273.15°C) 8:52s

"Yes yes. Of course, I think criminal offenses fundamentally aren't good." ... "But immoral acts that don't cause anyone misfortune do exist, right? Just like sugar-daddying, because it's been deemed ethically wrong, I was hiding it... But... Is someone being troubled by it? it's a win-win engagement, isn't it?" ... It's as I said before, I have no intent to pursue the rights and wrongs of your acts outside of murder. However, the reality is that that is connected to your murder. "Hm... that's true. I have no intent to say abortion isn't murder. I'm a respectable murderer after all."

One could say that the only reason that Yuno began to consider abortion in the way she did is because of the audience and Es. Es over the course of the Yuno's second interrogation states that they consider abortion murder and they are unwilling to weigh in on anything else outside of that.

Not even humoring engaging in Yuno's point on the other things she was more uncomfortable displaying and to her own admission hid because she recognized how socially unacceptable those things were,

"Just like sugar-daddying, because it's been deemed ethically wrong, I was hiding it..."

Until Es could relate it to what they and the audience believed Yuno's murder to be they weren't even going to consider what she was saying or her feelings on that topic,

It's as I said before, I have no intent to pursue the rights and wrongs of your acts outside of murder. However, the reality is that that is connected to your murder.

However this is the topic that matters to Yuno.

Because it's a topic that impacts her personally. There's no real use in arguing with Es about if abortion is murder or not because ultimately when she gets out of here she's going back into a society that has had legalized abortion since 1948 but only under special circumstances and the woman needs the consent of their spouse to have one. This is still true to this day.

"The Maternal Health Act requires spousal consent for all abortions without exception."

"Chapter II Sterilization Article 3(1)A doctor may perform Sterilization on a person who falls under any of the following items after obtaining consent from said person and said person's spouse (if said person is not legally married, including a person who in practical terms is in a relationship like a marital relationship with said person; the same applies hereinafter) if one exists. However, this does not apply to a minor: (i)a person whose pregnancy or delivery may endanger the life; and (ii)a person who currently has several children, and whose physical health may be lowered significantly with every delivery. (2)In the cases listed in the preceding items the doctor may also perform Sterilization on the spouse pursuant to the provisions of each item of the preceding paragraph. (3)Regarding the consent provided in paragraph (1), the consent of the spouse is not necessary if the spouse is not known or cannot express the spouse's intention."

I mean I guess it took two people to make that baby so they should both discuss what to do about that. However, it is a bit of a culture shock to read the the pregnant individual needs their partners consent in order to get an abortion. That is simply something I never expected in all honesty.

However, this is how my Yuno didn't want that guy's kid specifically thing can still win. Because hear me out what if you just personally don't want to have a kid with that specific person, never did, never will and you're pretty damn sure of that but the guy does want a kid with you and the law says his word matters more than yours in this instance. Unless you're a minor which Yuno was at the time of Milgram's start so honestly if she can legally get away with it then yeah do it.

This could mean that Yuno is more than likely saying I selfishly aborted you to allude to the I didn't get the father's consent before going forward with getting an abortion. I made that decision all on my own because it was what was best for me which is illegal under Japan's abortion laws actually unless you're a minor.

This could play into why she is asking for the person who conceived this child with her consent throughout all of Umbilical,

"What do you want to do? Please tell me."

Something that I didn't pick up on as necessary until finding out this other information. In the states it's just polite to discuss what one is going to do about the pregnancy with the person who conceived the child with them. It's just the appropriate thing to do even if you plan to get an abortion.

This is something depicted pretty decently in the movie Juno. Where the girl ultimately makes the decision on how to handle the pregnancy on her own throughout the movie. She does tell the guy in the situation but he's just supportive of whatever she wants to do because she's the one carrying the life.

So, my American ass just assumed she was just being very considerate when she kept asking this or wanted him to tell her not to have the abortion. I was unaware of the other contexts of this question could be viewed under until literally looking into stuff for this post.

“Abortion and Spousal Consent in Japan”

"This article discusses the legal situation surrounding abortion in Japan, with particular attention to the requirement of spousal consent. In essence, the legal system surrounding abortion in Japan lacks a women’s, trans, or nonbinary people’s “rights” perspective. 1. Maternal Health Act and Abortion Japan was one of the first countries in the world to legalize abortion. Although the crime of abortion continues to exist in the penal code, the Eugenic Protection Act was enacted in 1948, opening the way for legal abortion. In 1996, the eugenic provisions of this Act were removed, and the Act was renamed the Maternal Health Act. However, it still retains abortion as a crime in the penal code, and the Act with a history of population policy makes abortion possible. Article 14 of the Maternal Health Act provides that, with the consent of the spouse, a designated doctor may perform an abortion in cases where- 1) The continuation of pregnancy or delivery may significantly damage the pregnant person’s physical health due to bodily or economic reasons. Or, 2) A person was raped in a violent or threatening manner or at a time when the person could neither resist nor refuse and becomes pregnant. The term “abortion” as defined in the Act means artificially discharging a fetus and its appendages out of its pregnant person’s body in a period when the fetus cannot survive outside the pregnant person’s body, and the notice stipulates that the “time when life cannot be sustained outside the pregnant person’s body” is up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. "

Now I can't talk about abortion laws of other places from where I'm sitting... Oh; wait yes I can~ Because I'm from Michigan born and raised and in 2022 we legalized abortion on a state level. Put that shit in our state constitution. Like we don't do everything right here but oh my god looking into this stuff has made me appreciate some things. Having to ask a man for permission to abort when his pull out game was weak, condom was thin, or no contraceptive was used. People with a sperm count out here pregnancy entrapping women okay men can do it too I see y'all again.

Seriously everything keeps going back to what that one student that taught my sex-ed class said, "Pregnancy entrapment doesn't know gender stay alert out there." If nothing else got me I know that one dude junior year of high school who gave the most thorough sex education speech because he had to leave on time and our teacher was squeamish got me. I don't believe in fate but I'm thankful I happened to be in health class with him.

I should've applied the golden rule before this... It's not like I forgot it. Everyone is always looking for a shortcut to a committed relationship and there are people in the world who view pregnancy and children as that. Hope that dude is doing well.

Thank you for everything...

Like I might not be wrong in my last Yuno thing. However, I just thought that she tried to entrap a guy and got the wrong dude and went no don't want your kid goodbye. I didn't think she got "no you" on the entrapment gambit. Like I didn't even think of the possibility of a reverse uno in this situation because that's shit wild to me. She's over here trying to trap a completely different man into a pregnancy and then she gets trapped herself- Wait oh my god....

"I messed up, I found out."

New connotations to the entrapment theory this information adds soooo many fucking new layers. At first I only took this as her finding out that the person she wanted to be the father wasn't and this other guy was. But this adds so many more layers in this the final hour... Oh my god girl you're so fucking messy this is ridiculous not as messy as your fans but we'll get to that.

Like I'm willing to admit I never thought that looking into this would lead to oh yeah you need the guy who conceived the child with you to consent for you to get the abortion if you know who they are unless you're a minor.

Honestly, I think I would kill that man in this situation too. I think I would do it. I'm not even in this situation and would never be in a circumstance that could result in me being in this sort of situation. But if she did not kill this man I will write a fic where she did for my own sanity.

Because fuck that dude.

This man over here like I said before being a pick me. Like,

"We could be a family together. It would be great I always wanted to be a father don't do it. I don't consent to you doing that with your body."

Well I don't need your consent if you're dead that's an option too. We can abort two things today because I don't want to have kids with you and I never will want to have kids with you fuck off!

Chat should I fold that bitch, no yoga mat? Do I let him bump his gums or get him whacked? Because he's talking game like he's not afraid of the death screen right now. Got me fucked up; I gotta carry this baby to term and you around for life naww fuck that.

Like I would be out my body if someone had the audacity to go,

"I've never carried my own weight let alone that of another life but I'm gonna make you do it for my personal convenience and to fulfill my wishes."

I would have to throw hands publicly I'd catch an assault charge. It's pissing me off right now. Whatever it always devolves into this each time I talk about this character just ignore that. Fuck it.

Where were we? Oh yeah...

The time allowed to get an abortion was later shortened in Japan to 21 weeks because,

"A new regulation became effective that shortened the duration of pregnancy termination from 23 weeks of gestation to 21 weeks in view of the advancement of medicine that made it possible for prematurely born children to survive outside the uterus. In one case in 1988, when the fetus of a 16-year old girl was aborted in the 25th week of pregnancy and left unattended although alive, the doctor was indicted and punished, although the probability of survival of the child was estimated at about 50%. Under law the doctor who has performed a legal abortion is obligated to report it to the authorities who compile annual statistics. Since 1955, when the abortion rate was the highest (about 1,150,000 abortions), the number has been decreasing steadily. In 1991 the abortion rate was 13.9/1000 women of reproductive age (15-50 years); however, great differences existed between prefectures (6.4-26.0/1000). The decline of the incidence of abortion can be attributed to the increase of contraceptive usage.

Abortion in Japan

The same link states this if that helps for some reason that is unnecessary for me to specify.

"According to the law, the artificial abortion is restricted to the period, in which the fetus is not viable outside of the uterus. This period is prescribed by notification from the Ministry of Public Welfare; up to now it has been shortened twice (1976, 1991). Due to the introduction of economic reasons in the list of conditions and the simplification of the procedure the artificial abortion in Japan was virtually liberalized. Prosecution for illegal abortion is very rare in recent years. The number of reported artificial abortions decreases; in the about last 30 years it reduced by half. However, the increase in the number of abortions in women younger than 20 years of age is a problem. The abortion in teenagers is late compared with that in other age groups. Although the number of neonaticides does not seem to increase, the increase in the number of abortions in teenagers remains a serious problem in Japan."

So, that may give a bit of cultural context to why Yuno's statements on abortion are the way they are. However this isn't about all that. This is about how Yuno has always had this complicated relationship with the concept of abortion far before Mahiru died. As shown in her second voice drama.

The lyrics highlighted in the trailer and on her cd cover only serve to expand on this,

"LIFE, it can’t be ok that I’m the one who survived. LIFE, I thought only of me, and aborted you. LIFE, I wanted you to care enough to scold me and tell me I was wrong. Damn you."

This is just the continuing her narrative arc the one that was implied since the series began. So lyrics or the fact that Yuno herself views abortion as murder and something selfish didn't really surprise me. Because to be honest Milgram has been going on for several years I would have to simply be watching the series in a way where I was putting the interpretation that makes me feels the happiest first to not notice these things about Yuno.

She isn't specifically subtle in her beliefs. In fact she puts forth the effort to be true to herself and speaks her mind openly. She gives her personal opinions and prefaces them with those are her personal opinions. She admits to hiding what she did in regards to sex work because she recognized it was something look down upon in the environment she came up in and that made her feel the need to hide it.

Yuno has always had a complicated relationship with the concept of abortion. This is something that's been alluded to since the start of Milgram. The first thing she thought of upon being incarcerated for murder within Milgram involved blatant imagery and phrases that could easily be related to pregnancy and abortion.

Those were the images that came from her own mind at the very start of this. It is not surprising for someone who upon being arrested of murder thought it must be because of the abortion I had or simply focused on the abortion to hide the whole sex work thing which she does blatantly admit to attempting to hide that so I can't fully rule that out. Just clarifying that second part because I don't want to come off as being unfair to Yuno or saying she has sentiments that would be viewed as antiabortion under an American framework without giving due deligence.

Because she could simply be lying and picking the lesser of two evils that she has committed in order to receive lenience. But it doesn't seem like that's what she wants. Because the only thing being innocent has done for her is made her more upset. She does have a desire to be told she was wrong and held accountable to the same extent that Kazui does so that enforces this idea that she genuinely believes what she has done is wrong and wants it to be viewed as such.

That's something consistent with her characterization over the series.

Plus...

I can't help but find this situation Yuno's case is now in incredibly hilarious. Like I just can't help but laugh. The entirety of trial two people were harassing others for even being slightly critical of Yuno's behavior and saying if anyone voted her Guilty they were pro-life. They used the overturning of Roe v Wade at the time of the release of her second trial to push for her innocent verdict.

MILGRAM / Yuno - Tear Drop [The Second Trial Music Video] Premiered Sep 21, 2022

In June 2022, in a devastating decision that will reverberate for generations, the U.S. Supreme Court abandoned its duty to protect fundamental rights and overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling there is no federal constitutional right to abortion. The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization abandoned nearly 50 years of precedent and marked the first time in history that the Supreme Court has taken away a fundamental right. 

Like the fans of the series were the ones to connect Yuno's case to a very real issue millions of Americans were reckoning with at the time in a shameless bid to get their favorite fictional girl a innocent verdict with no concern to anyone in real life.

Unlike a good portion of the Michigan constituents and legislature who had me when no one else did. Just want to shout you out too real quick. Like that shit was overturned in June 2022 and y'all came together and said we're getting it back this fucking year it's going to state vote. Did that shit with a quickness. I don't think Yuno's trial even ended yet before that happened.

I'm saying this to point out it was Yuno's defenders and diehard fans who put her in this situation. Those are the people who put her case into this pro-choice or pro-life framing. Nobody else and I believe they did that because it was the easiest way to secure her innocence not because they ever cared about women's autonomy and right to choose.

This framing was at times the only justification a large majority of people hinged their forgiveness of her on.

So of course now these same people are scrambling trying to convince people that conflating abortion to murder isn't a "pro-life" sentiment. Contorting themselves as much as they can to go in fact the belief that abortion is a selfish act is a totally okay belief that should go unquestioned especially if the character making these statements is a woman herself that has had an abortion.

We shouldn't police how people feel about their individual actions. Women should have the freedom to feel the ways they do about the choices they make with their bodies, their lives, and so on. Doing anything can led to a plethora of different responses and the same act won't impact people the same way. Just like they won't have the same reasons for doing it.

Yes, Karen. People are allowed to have complicated feelings on actions they've done and your strawman is doing a bang-up job on the soapbox you placed it out on today. However, this actually has very little overlap with blatantly stating abortion- An at times life saving medical procedure that everyone should have the right and safe access to is the same as murder.

We all recognize that right?

Also just because everyone should have the right to their feelings and space to process them doesn't mean the statements they make during that process exist in a vacuum. If someone says some discriminatory shit simply because they were having a bad time that doesn't make the thing they said any less rooted in discrimination or above being interrogated.

Moralizing getting an abortion a medical procedure that people decide to receive for a myriad of reasons is something I personally consider wrong no question because of the ways that mindset has been used to disenfranchise women in my environment. Especially when that escalates to comparing the act to murder or to the unfortunate death of an adult. Sure there may be cultural reasons as to why Yuno views this topic in the way she does and those reasons do deserve to be respected. However claiming that one cannot have pro-life sentiments or conservative values simply because they don't know what that is and that's not the language used around it where they come from...

Is like me responding to someone saying I hurt their feelings with,

"Well what I did wouldn't hurt my own feelings. So, why don't you just look at it from my perspective. Just put yourself in my shoes for a little bit then you'll see why you shouldn't feel so badly about what I did to you."

I'm not telling Yuno how to feel about her abortion.

Saying that certain statements mirror a sort of ideology that is prevalent in your own culture and examining that isn't a personal attack on the person making those statements. It's just an observation. Usually it's considered this cool thing called starting a dialogue.

However in this case it seems like a lot people simply ended up feeling personally attacked then wound up getting offended. In a similar way to how someone gets offended when a minority goes hey that thing you said was kind of discriminatory which made me feel this way and instead of going oh shit how could I change that, that wasn't my intent I'm so sorry. They go, "Are you calling me a bigot?! Are you saying I'm [form of discrimination of your choice here]."

Then the person who brought this up to begin with has to feel like an ass, try to deescalate, and assuage the other persons bruised ego and go no I was just trying to say that what you said has a cultural connotation that comes off as exclusionary and it made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcomed. It wasn't an attack on your character but an assertion of my boundaries and what I'm okay with. So, I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak about those things around me or like that to me again. Which at worst will ultimately end in the other party going everyone's too sensitive *continues punching down* no one can take a joke.

Instead of even attempting to learn about the social issue that the audience was so quick to weaponize in order to push Yuno to the innocent verdict she received last trial. A social issue that is rooted in the United States where the terminology and case used to push for that verdict came from. People would rather spend their time going no she's not that she can't be that and it's fine to have complicated feelings on the abortion you got.

To me everything I've seen mostly from comments on the trailer for Life on YouTube appear to be incredible leaps the audience has taken in order to end up landing on,

"This is why abortion is morally wrong and unethical as well as why viewing it that way even if you had one is correct and should go unquestioned."

Even if a person has one it's emotionally understandable for one to consider that as taking a life in the same way as murder is taking a life. It's fine for those that do it to find it sinful and indefensible. Especially if that's only their personal belief and they have no intention of pushing it on anyone else.

That's a really weird sentiment to see getting spread around and discussed as though it does no harm. As though it actually exists in a vacuum simply because the person says it is like well this is just how I feel though. It even weirder with how people previously framed voting Yuno Innocent or Guilty as Pro-choice vs Pro-Life debate.

Like trial two if someone even considered the guilty verdict for Yuno they were a misogynist who didn't think women should have autonomy and the right to choose. Like everyone pretended to be ten toes down for a woman's right to choose until it came down to having to question how some woman in society are not down for a woman's right to choose and do think abortion is morally wrong and comparable to murder.

It reflects this belief in modern society that just because someone is a part of a marginalized group in this case a woman they cannot inflict marginalization upon others in that group. I.E I can't be sexist I'm a woman, I can't be homophobic I'm lgbtqia, I can't be racist I'm black. All convenient things people tell themselves to avoid having to reckon with their own internalized biases and capacity for bigotry.

I mean I can't believe I'm gonna say this in 2025 but maybe these lyrics from Everyone's A little Bit Racist from Avenue Q will be helpful here.

"You're a little bit racist. Well, you're a little bit too. I guess we're both a little bit racist. Admitting it is not an easy thing to do." "Between me and you, I think everyone's a little bit racist sometimes. Doesn't mean we go around committing hate crimes. Look around and you will find no one's really color-blind. Maybe it's a fact we all should face." "If we all could just admit that we are racist a little bit- Even though we all know that it's wrong maybe it would help us get along."

Overall the song is about recognizing that everyone has biases and makes snaps judgments on others based using racism as the vehicle to display this concept. Basically it displays racism to showcase that everyone has biases and no one is exempt from discriminating.

It's best lines in my opinion being,

"Bigotry has never been exclusively white." And "Everyone's a little bit racist it's true but everyone is just about as racist as you."

The lines to me serve as a reminder that just because one is marginalized or one is in a position of privilege it doesn't immediately mean one person is more or less discriminatory than the other. The only thing that can cause a person to remain inconsiderate, bigotted and discriminatory or racist is them being to afraid to interrogate the fact they can be that. So, instead they keep coming up with justifications as to why they can't.

Which is exactly what's happening with Yuno in this case. Because instead of interrogating the idea that the mindset she has could be harmful to not only others but herself. People want to explain it away because they don't want to accept that this character they've spent years justifying can have beliefs they may disagree with and consider wrong due to their own experiences.

However, I can accept and I can fully say that her stance on abortion is wrong and it does bring to pro-life and anti-abortion sentiments that I've had to deal with in my own life. It simply is what it is. Also I personally don't believe someone's personal beliefs on abortion should impact whether their right to get one should be respected and secured. I don't give a fuck what someone's personal beliefs on abortion are I give a fuck about people having access to the procedure if they want to receive it or need to.

It really is that simple a person doesn't have to be signing praises for abortion, what it is, or even believe an unborn child isn't a person until after a certain number of weeks. They could very much think it was murder and consider that bundle of cells a life. The point is they had access to the option not how they feel about the act itself.

It's simply my personal belief we shouldn't be moralizing medical procedures. That's just a me thing.

Hell, at the time her case was being looked at under this framing during trial two I found it really silly. I also thought wow can't wait to see how this bites you all in the ass which lol, lmao even. I mostly thought this because it was just a gross misuse of that terminology.

To me it seemed as though those using these terms don't seem to understand the full weight, connotations, and historical context of them in American culture even if they live in the west.

I feel if people did understand they would recognize a lot of what they're saying about Yuno's case aligns a good deal with antiabortion sentiments within the US. As well as calls back to Americans tentative history with abortion rights and access to them.

Abolishing Abortion: The History of the Pro-Life Movement in America By Organization of American Historians

"Whatever the rationale, few abortions were prosecuted before the mid-nineteenth century because quickening was so difficult to prove. Only women themselves could testify to fetal movement. This system of legal but quiet abortions fell apart in the mid-nineteenth century. The first “right-to-life” movement was not led by grassroots activists, but rather physicians, anxious about their professional status. Before then, physicians had been a largely unregulated bunch, without the institutional or cultural authority to corner the market on healing. In the early nineteenth century, a variety of other healers competed with physicians for business, especially the business of women’s reproductive healthcare. While many physicians believed that scientific medicine would benefit their patients, some, in order to hurt lay healers’ business, sought governmental licensing and regulation to weed out the competition. Physicians used anti-abortion laws, pushed in state legislatures, to increase their own stature and undermine their opponents. Of course, many would have narrated this story very differently. Some physicians claimed that this campaign was a product of superior medical knowledge. Many argued that women (and rag-tag group of healers who offered abortion) did not have adequate embryonic knowledge to determine when life began. But historians have noted that this medical insight was not a result of any advancements in embryonic knowledge. In fact, there were none during these campaigns. Instead, the fetus was merely a stand-in for a broader cultural project. Here, the movement tapped into concerns over women’s increasing education, autonomy, and the extension of rights, as it reasserted women’s connection to and limitation by their own reproductive anatomy. Women’s bodies, not their words or actions, confessed to doctors the “naturalness” of uninterrupted reproduction and the “truth” about fetal life. Bodily processes could “speak for themselves,” though they did need doctors to translate. This effort largely succeeded. By 1900 every state had a law forbidding abortion at any stage, whether through the use of drugs or procedures. Almost all the laws passed during this time included a therapeutic exception, where licensed physicians could provide abortions at their own discretion as long as the abortion preserved the life of the mother. "

"While this loophole allowed many women to obtain abortions, it also made doctors the ultimate arbiters of the morality and legality of abortions."

Which continues,

"In 1959 the American Law Institute, a group of professionals that put together model legislation, advocated for the liberalization of abortion law. They suggested that the law should make exceptions for women who were raped, whose fetuses were deformed, and whose mental or physical health was at stake. The abortion reform movement was made possible by a larger cultural shift in Americans’ ideas about reproduction and abortion. In the 1960s Americans witnessed the heartbreak of infant death and extreme fetal deformity. Thalidomide, a sleeping pill, caused thousands of birth defects in Europe and the United States. Later, an outbreak of German measles produced thousands of stillbirths and cases of babies born with major abnormalities. Images of white middle-class women and their deformed infants peppered American media, capturing the imaginations and parental fears of many Americans.  In the late 1960s a nascent feminist movement began to argue that women could not be full citizens unless they could control reproduction. Together these shifts helped push state legislatures to reform their abortion laws. Colorado was the first to amend its law in 1967, followed quickly by others, most famously California in 1967 and New York in 1970."

Now I'm not going to quote this whole thing only highlight the important bits so we are all on the same page about this. Instead of just throwing around terms like they mean fucking nothing and pretending something isn't what it is.

However, I do highly recommend reading the whole thing.

"In the midst of states’ efforts at abortion reform, the modern antiabortion political movement was born. Small groups of Catholic doctors, nurses, lawyers, and housewives joined together to oppose liberalization. In 1967 the National Council of Catholic Bishops aided their campaigns with support, money, and the formation of the National Right to Life Committee. Early Catholic activists were often joined by a handful of non-Catholics, usually Protestants, Mormons, or Orthodox Christians. Supporters of abortion reform argued that “right-to-life” forces were attempting to push Catholic values on a diverse American populace, and consequently many antiabortion groups worked to present themselves as ecumenical or non-denominational. Most of these early groups failed to stop changes in their state’s abortion law but they did have some successes in the early 1970s, suggesting that not every state was ready for abortion reform. The 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, legalizing abortion in all fifty states, changed everything and nothing. In the 1970s the anti-abortion movement remained heavily Catholic, and they continued to pitch their issue as a rights issue rather than a religious one. But in other essential ways the movement changed. Before Roe, the anti-abortion movement was very small, geographically disperse, and focused on individual state legislatures. After 1973 activists and state legislators alike worried that Roe prescribed a one-size-fits-all abortion law that could only be addressed at the national level. Thus, in the 1970s, activists promoted the Hyde Amendment (which successfully prohibited federal funding of abortions through Medicaid) and pushed, unsuccessfully, a constitutional amendment banning abortion. After 1973 the direction of pro-life activism changed, even as its demographics and core political arguments remained the same. "

"While antiabortion activists retained their focus on individual fetal rights, they began to develop new ways to convey that message to the public that focused on the fetus and excised the woman."

"The tools that had the largest effect were graphic pictures of aborted fetuses, the most important drawn from John and Barbara Willke’s Handbook on Abortion. Some later called it the “Bible of the pro-life movement.” The Willkes were a Catholic couple, a doctor and a nurse, who became convinced that pictures would help end legal abortion. The four pictures they put in their book, collected from sympathetic doctors and pathologists, were quickly reproduced and used in all parts of the movement."

"Their work built on a longer, medical history of viewing and personifying the fetus."

That is a person the individual it's in however is not. They're a selfish demonic creature that is trying to rob this other person of their right to life. They're stopping them before they can even start.

I love it when people are like that's not a pro-life sentiment.

Doesn't know the history and the myriad of other ways people have illustrated this belief that would make it abundantly clear yes it is the thing. Also doesn't care to educate themselves. Because in actuality most people now a days don't care about women's autonomy and everyone's right to it further than trying to make other people believe they do.

So, they can feel like a good person for a few fucking milliseconds by parroting her body her choice mindlessly and never engaging further than that catchy little phrase.

"Feeling magnanimous? INNOCENT? I’m so not that."/ "Where’d you get your half-baked sense of justice?"

Because all they really want is to be able to pat themselves on the shoulder and go I was really pro-choice today, that was so progressive of me, I'm such a good person. Even if they were only that in theory.

Because the woman in the scenario remains a vehicle for the speaker to assert their own moral superiority and intelligence either by the speaker coming to their defense or scrutinizing the woman's life choices. Never realizing the woman has been excised through the act of the public reducing her choice into their moral dilemma but let's not talk about that.

Because that would actually be facing the problem.

Instead let's just put a convenient labels on the situation and then do mental gymnastics to say that's not what's going on when the dichotomy of those labels are no longer in the favor of those who placed them there.

She still has the right feel however she personally does over her abortion. If it was something she feels guilt or has trauma over that's natural and saying that can't possibly,

"In the 1980s and 1990s, many pro-lifers, especially those who remained in more mainstream right to life groups, focused on making access to abortion more difficult on the state level. Due to their efforts, states across the country passed laws that required parental notification, “informed consent” (mandating women view materials about fetal development and the risks of abortion), and waiting periods between the initial consultation and the abortion. In 1992 the Supreme Court validated the legality of such laws in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, crafting a new rationale to determine the constitutionality of laws regulating abortion. Restrictions were legal as long as they did not place an “undue burden” on women seeking the procedure, validating the work of anti-abortion activists and making abortion increasingly difficult to access—especially for rural or poor women. The radical and moderate groups differed in terms of strategy, but together they succeeded at reorienting the conversation about abortion. Both types of groups worked to make pro-life politics central to social conservatism and by extension the Republican party. They made fetal life central to how many Christians viewed their religion and their politics. They asked conservative children to think of themselves as “survivors of the Abortion Holocaust.” And they helped new “family values” constituents consider the fetus a member of the family and legal abortion the biggest challenge facing the modern family. In all these efforts, activists were successful, not for all Americans but for enough to build an expansive movement with the defense of fetal life as its core. Perhaps most importantly, activists from the 1980s onward reinterpreted women’s relationship to abortion. They brought back the old argument about the “truth” told by women’s bodies and gave it a modern twist. Feminists, they argued, had persuaded women to deny the fundamental truth of fetal life. Abortion damaged women’s bodies, but also their psyches. Women, they argued, were traumatized by abortion and like veterans, suffered from a form of post-traumatic stress. Only the pro-life movement could turn the tide against the psychological and physical damage of abortion and feminism. In the 1980s and 1990s pro-life activists recast themselves as both the protectors of women and the true women’s rights movement. Increasingly, they claimed to be an individual rights movement, a civil rights movement, a family values movement, and a women’s movement. "

Bitch the pro-life movement in the states wrote that before any of Yuno's fans thought it don't let them people in the states play you like it didn't. Because they're about to make people who don't know get acquainted and it's a slippery slope and they're hoping you're all stupid enough to slide down it. I mean in their opinion you already did once,

Hey you know the game. Give some off us an inch and we'll take a mile before you even start. As Shidou Kirisaki said this world is cruel and merciless. Best to remember that before trial three start hitting different. Because once it hits you might not have time to counter.

I mean they even went the extra mile to assert that this is the authors personal opinion and he's the one making it come off that way and not a consistent part of the characters characterization up until this point that the audience ignored and the choices made by the voters exacerbated.

So much so that the writer made a comment on it,

"The debate over whether one is pro-life or pro-choice is not something that tends to be discussed with the same intensity or frequency in Japan as it is in many other countries. Even the terminology itself is not particularly embedded in everyday discourse here. This is not to say that such discussions lack value, but because I depict the characters as people living in Japan, it wouldn’t feel realistic to have them directly express those kinds of positions. Ideologies and philosophies don’t come first—they are formed through personal experiences and emotions. The characters in MILGRAM are currently encountering such formative moments. Had they made different choices, they would have encountered different experiences, felt different emotions, and perhaps even arrived at entirely different philosophies. There are many possible outcomes for how they might have felt, and how they might have thought. This isn’t unique to MILGRAM. In all of my works, I don’t aim to present a single “correct” answer. What I try to depict is the process of being human—uncertainty, inner conflict, and the ambiguity that comes with it. If I had a fixed message or ideology that I wanted to convey through the characters in MILGRAM, I would have written a predetermined, closed narrative. I wouldn’t be using the kind of interactive system that the project is built on now. As a writer, I would be truly grateful if readers could focus on what a character feels and how they change in response to the events that unfold before them. It’s not about saying, “this is how all people should be,” but rather, “this is how he or she ended up.” If that humanity—the individuality of each character—can be acknowledged, I would deeply appreciate it. That said, I fully believe it’s valid and even important for the story to be received and interpreted through the lens of each culture’s unique values and sensitivities as it spreads internationally. I only hope that these differences can be respected—and even enjoyed—as part of what makes diverse perspectives so meaningful."

SOURCE

Also,

"I would also like to clarify that the characters in MILGRAM are not intended to represent all Japanese people, or even people of their generation or social category. Haruka, Yuno, Futa, Mu, Shidou, Mahiru, Kazui, Amane, Mikoto, and Kotoko are simply who they are. They may be like you, or they may be entirely different—and both are valid possibilities."

SOURCE

All again while using labels most seem to not know the meaning of because they truly seem to believe that getting an abortion immediately means someone is in favor of reproductive rights, woman's right to choose, or even simply believe abortion is ok when none of those things have ever been mutually exclusive.

Regardless of how either side of the this issue has been labelled over the years one having many more labels than the other antiabortion, abortion abolitionist, pro-life- Pro-choice, abortion reform. The sentiment has remained the same and it's a sentiment the audience echoed not only in the states but globally in regards to Yuno's case.

That unborn child is just as alive as the twenty-two year old woman that was brought into Milgram and died over the course of it. That unborn possibly not even half-bakes bundle of cells had just as much of a right to life as any of the people in that prison and that evil wretch of a woman decided it didn't. Decided that life wasn't convenient for her and snuffed it out. No, I will not interrogate her killing anything else it must be this and me believing that says nothing about my beliefs or relationship with the concept of abortion.

What type of cruel callous person with the ability to conceive a child wouldn't realize they're ending a life by not carrying that to term?

Me, actually. What the fuck do you have to say about it? Why is it your business, why did you make it your business? Contraceptive does not have one hundred percent success rate, plan b fails, condoms break, birth control goes bad, you forget to take it, or it also just fucking doesn't work sometimes magically even if you get that shit put in your arm. Then sometimes fetuses develop in such a way it could literally kill the mother.

But again you know what being pro-choice means it means accepting the fact you don't need to know any of that information or receive justifications that are reasonable to you to respect someone else's choice.

I don't go up to guys being like,

"How, how could you be so reckless? One of those sperm cells could have grown up to be the person who created the cure for cancer but since you were jacking it millions will continue to suffer. That could have been the kid, our kid! Yet, your early ejaculation and/or pull out game stopped it before it even had a chance! You're a fucking murderer. You are a diseased and sinful perverse person who cares about nothing but your own satisfaction. Sexual gratification, no; sex done for anything outside of the expressed purpose of reproduction is wrong and you sir should be ready to have child if you want to feel the pleasure of intercourse. It doesn't matter if you did it alone Kevin it's wasteful and wrong you didn't even give them a chance to swim for it- So gross; disgusting."

Because that sounds fucking wild- That is weird! Yet, this is exactly how it's sounded to me each time people have treated abortion like it was Yuno's crime. That's how so many people have sounded talking about Yuno from jump.

Like oh you've got me fucked up. I'm supposed to drastically uproot my life because the little swimmer that could swam the mile to fertilize one of my eggs instead of ending up in a sock or sheet of tissue. No, ridiculous assertion. Ridiculous to actually assert and conflate my basic human right to get a medical procedure if I so choose and if it's of benefit to me, my safety, and well being to selfish filicide.

I will actually throw hands one hundred percent that is my line.

But to then state that the views expressed around the concept of abortion by the audience including how the audience criminalized it by putting it on the table as her crime and only focusing on that. Regardless of if this was done because it was the easiest way for others to sympathize with her or find it in their shallow hearts to forgive her.

To see it stated that view is not pro-life and how the audience engaged with her story had nothing to do with her feeling how she does now.

Naw wild, I'll vote her guilty simply because y'all pissing me off now. 2025 is fuck around find out year. I'd do it if turns out she's in here simply for abortion because I'd be voting her guilty for wasting my fucking time at that point. I was on the phone with a friend yesterday and they asked what do you think of that and I said,

"I think that if the only reason she's in here is because she's conceptualized getting an abortion as being as bad as murder to the extent that her guilt over it brought her here. That's a skill issue."

Like Yamanaka said the prisoners could be like you and they may be nothing like you at all both of those things are valid. We can vote for any reason and I don't like having my time wasted on things that aren't murder. I just don't. Literally the guy coming up after her is coming closer and closer to going I committed arson on a local building many people died and the person before is going boo-hoo I had a medical procedure and believe I deserve to be punished for doing so because that was akin to murder and you're being mean by not saying it is.

Alright be punished then. Sorry damn. Okay have fun with that. Yeah, girl pop off I'll give you what you're asking for.

I don't like being made to be apart of your self flagellation routine but have at it. I don't know I feel really uncomfortable right now I don't think I personally need to be involved in your degradation kink but if you're making it into that... Yeah...who's a terrible murderer? For getting that abortion you baby killer you- Is this doing it for you??? What do you want girl I don't understand...

Meanwhile over in cooler Milgram where murder is murder and we party about it,

"Clear roads ahead APPARADE, the dogma can't be stopped."

When I compare this line to these,

"LIFE, it can’t be ok that I’m the one who survived. LIFE, I thought only of me, and aborted you. LIFE, I wanted you to care enough to scold me and tell me I was wrong. Damn you."

All I can think is Jackalope saying,

"It all feels very emo and I can’t bring myself to be very interested."

Something that makes sense because Yuno does admit she is the most like Kazui without a doubt.

Q.18 Which of the other prisoners is most like you?

Yuno: Kazui without a doubt.

Yet, this feels more like it may turn out to be like her Half song where she's just getting down on herself for things not going how she wanted or expected them to.

Which outside of all the politicizing and misuse of terminology thing is fine.

It's just not something I'm excited for given the current state of politics where I live.

Ultimately I ended up having a lot of thoughts because in my excitement for more Yuno content I looked at the comments on her trailer and learned of this is she pro-life or pro-choice debacle. So when I did set out to write this I was actually really annoyed. I was so annoyed at the comments on Life that I actually just went fuck it let's watch Juno and Easy A then wound up doing that with friends.

I just fucking despise the way in which people consistently belittle women then try to soften their choices and statements to make them more palatable ad better fit their personal preferences like they're doing the other person or character a service like,

"So nauseating...so creepy...will you please disappear."

Glad this statement by her continues to be completely correct.

Whelp I'll end with this which is I was super tempted to just answer this ask with but ended up writing all this instead,

"Very tempted to answer the ask, "Don't fuck with Milgram fans they'll shun a woman for having bodily autonomy so hard it makes her socially conservative.""

Got mention this a joke and huge reduction of what transpired here.

[paintingwhiteceilings]

can you make exo members as your childhood best friend? and with fem reader please! love your writing <3

❃EXO members as your childhood best friend❃

A/N: Hiii thank you so much for this ask! I am so sorry that it has taken me months to finally respond to it :’)  I spent the last few months birthing a 35.000-word, 65-page thesis so I didn’t have any time/energy left to do any creative writing. Regardless, thank you for this cute ask! It was fun reminiscing over my memories with my childhood friend that I have known since I was four months old. Thank you for being so patient with me the very long wait, hopefully, this makes up for it!

Xiumin/Minseok:

✾ Xiumin and you became friends during recess in primary school. He noticed your classmates constantly picked you last whenever you played a game together during recess. Thus, whenever he was chosen to be a team captain, he made sure to pick you first, resulting in you two becoming close friends.

✾ Your mom adores him; heck, she prefers him over you. Xiumin has always been the perfect son; he got perfect grades, is polite, is handsome, cleans up after himself, etc. Whenever you call her, she asks whether you can pass the phone to him so she can ask her favourite child how he is doing.

✾ He is a very consistent friend. Regardless of how busy his schedule is, he makes sure to drop by your place regularly. If he can't visit you in person, he will have a four-hour phone call with you instead, where you two talk about everything and anything happening in your lives.

✾ At some point during your friendship, he had a massive crush on you. He never told you -and you might not have noticed it- but it was incredibly obvious to everyone around you as they watched him follow you with puppy dog eyes. Your mother still holds out hope that you will end up together.

Suho/Junmyeon:

✾ You guys became friends all the way back in pre-school when Suho noticed you were having trouble learning how to tie your shoelaces. Five-year-old Suho wasted no time and offered to help you out, patiently teaching you how to do it. You have stuck together ever since, remaining close throughout your teenage years.

✾ Suho dragged you through secondary school; if it hadn't been for him functioning as your tutor throughout your educational career, you would not have had the grades you ended up graduating with. Nowadays, he mostly gives you advice on work and will look over contract details with you when needed.

✾ He was 1000% your wealthy, rich best friend growing up. His childhood birthday parties were incredibly lavish; he would take all his friends to theme parks when he was younger, his parents paying for every expense. Even nowadays, he never misses a chance to spoil you rotten, taking you on already-paid-for trips whenever he is able to.

✾ You guys have stayed at each other's places so often that you call each other's parents mom and dad. It is not unusual for one of you to have dinner with the other's parents without the other present.  

✾ Compared to the other members, he is less consistent with meetups, not minding it too much when a lot of time passes between phone calls. You can go months without talking to each other before sending the other a random TikTok or stopping by each other's place unannounced.

Baekhyun:

✾ The two of you have a crazy story of how you met. You met Baekyhun shortly after moving into the same street. At the time, you were convinced mermaids were real, so you decided it was perfectly reasonable to dive into the river running next to your house to introduce yourself to them without actually being able to swim. Luckily for you, Baekyhun happened to be playing nearby and jumped in after you without a second thought, rescuing you from drowning. He still holds it over you whenever he needs a favour.  

✾ You have so many weird stories of when you were growing up together. You two would constantly get into trouble, most of it initiated by Baekyhun. It got to the point where your teachers decided to put you in different classes to prevent you two from pulling pranks during class.

✾ Your place is his place, and vice versa. On one occasion, you accidentally switched apartments; Baekyhun had gone over to yours whilst you had visited him. You still complain that he should cover your grocery bills as he tends to eat most of the food in your fridge whenever he is over.

✾ Baekyhun is such a loyal friend; he will always have your back and drop everything to come running when you tell him you need him. Baekyhun has friends he has known for over 20 years; he is a friend for life.

Chen/Jongdae:

✾ Your dad and his dad were best friends, introducing you to one another when you were two years old in the hopes you would become best friends, too. At first, you two were painfully shy, hiding behind your fathers to stare at the other strange kid, but after leaving you two alone for an hour, you two became quick friends.

✾ He acts very much like a brother. Chen can be super annoying, teasing you whenever he gets a chance, but he will drop everything and anything when you call him. He will not let anyone else -not even his members- tease you; it is only okay if he does it.

✾ You two give each other the best advice. You guys regularly call each other to talk about whatever problems and hardships you are going through. 

✾ Chen wasted no time in asking you to be one of the bridesmaids at his wedding. God knows how much you contributed to the two getting together and how much time you spent helping Chen plan the proposal. 

✾ Chen and his wife immediately called you to ask whether you wanted to be the godmother the moment they discovered she was pregnant. He cannot wait for you to have a child of your own so they can become best friends, too.

Chanyeol:

✾ You two met in primary school when you were six, and your teacher decided to have you sit together. Chanyeol got super competitive when he discovered you had gotten a higher grade than him on a spelling test, resulting in a friendly rivalry. To this day, you two get along perfectly well, but the moment that grades or board games are involved, a war will break out.

✾ He 1000% bullied you into playing video games with him. Chanyeol even bought you a gaming laptop, trying to convince you to join him. Regardless of his schedule or location, you have a regular game night where you play random multiplayer games, affectionately yelling at each other.

✾ You developed a tiny crush on Chanyeol when you first saw him after he got his growth spurt. It did not last very long, however; you remembered he was the same Chayeol who once ate a crayon on a dare and puked the contents of his stomach all over your shoes.

✾ Chanyeol is the worst wingman. He is very protective over you, and, according to his opinion, nobody is good enough to date you. Whenever you go out drinking, he will lurk behind you, attempting to intimidate whoever dares to come up to you. This man might be secretly in love with you and absolutely in denial about his feelings.

✾ Chanyeol once wrote a song about your friendship, but he has not yet made up his mind on whether he wants to release it. Part of him feels he should save it for a solo album.

D.O./Kyungsoo:

✾ You met Kyungsoo as he is the son of your mother's best friend. His mother had asked yours to introduce you two as Kyungsoo was a painfully shy child, and she wanted him to have more friends his age. Initially, he was quiet around you, hiding behind his mother whenever she brought him over. However, he slowly came out of his shell the more you played together.  

✾ You two didn’t attend the same schools but remained good friends nonetheless. Whenever school would end, you would rush to meet up underneath a big old tree in the park near your house. You would sit there for hours, talking about your day or doing your homework together, until it got dark.

✾ Kyungsoo never told you, but you were the main reason why he pursued a career in acting and singing. You never failed to hype him up, giving him the confidence to put himself out there. He fondly remembers the countless karaoke nights where you would be his biggest fan, praising his skills when the song would end.

✾ He definitely developed a crush on you somewhere during your teenage years. Kyungsoo never felt the need to act on it, finding your friendship too precious to risk anything. His friends were very aware of it, though, teasing him whenever he would rush out the moment school ended to meet up with you.

Kai/Jongin:

✾ You two met on a playground when you were three years old. Someone had pushed you off the wigwam, and Kai, seeing you cry, stood up for you as much as a three-year-old can stand up for someone else. He refused to leave your side after, playing with you until it was time to go home. You two have been close friends ever since.

✾ He insisted on you taking dance classes with him, thinking it was fun to have something to do together. It became your regular weekly meetup point, enabling you to stay connected even when you went to different schools. You would show up an hour before class would start, just so you could talk without being scolded by the teacher, and would take your sweet time walking home, squeezing out as much time as you could.  

✾ You recognize that Kai is incredibly handsome whenever you see him perform, but all you are able to see when he thrusts his hips is the same kid who once fell into a pond when he was collecting a bunch of rocks because he thought they were pretty and cried over a feather because he felt bad for the bird that lost it. Having so many embarrassing childhood memories of him is why you are still sane and not drooling over him.

✾ Kai bombards you with messages throughout the day; you once had over fifty notifications from him as he sent you every video and photo of a dog or cat he stumbled upon.

Sehun:

✾ You and Sehun met during daycare and initially did not get along whatsoever. You two got into a fight when Sehun stole the stuffed animal you were playing with, resulting in the caretaker putting the both of you in time-out. Weirdly enough, you bonded over your time in toddler jail, becoming inseparable after you were set free.

✾ Sehun and you constantly bicker with one another, having no problem calling the other one out or, as you like to put it, keeping the other person humble. To those who know you well, they liken your dynamic to that of an old married couple. However, people who do not know your friendship tend to assume you hate each other.

✾ Sehun gets insanely jealous when you hang out with his members or other friends of his. You are his friend, and as much as he likes his friends getting along, the bratty part of him hates when you do not have time for him. He will become incredibly whiny when too much time has passed between meetups and when he feels like you are ditching him for your friends.

✾ Sehun is your favourite gossip buddy. He will randomly call you to tell you whatever drama he witnessed or caught wind of. If calling is not an option, he will instead send you a thirty-minute voice note explaining the situation in full detail. Your chat is basically a podcast where you update one another about people you do not know and drama that does not concern you.

Masterlist

[k-tarotz]

i dont know if you would do astrology placements or zodiac signs but in any case i will ask and if not ignore this ask, what zodiac signs placements would bts fs have?

thanks a lot in advance!

this ask is actually very interesting!! i will try to give it a go ,, thank you for sending in the ask

way of doing the reading: I will do the reading based on tarot, not by analysing the birth charts. someone who has passion for astrology could be better at this than me, I do this for fun, not as a certain statement. the question I will ask is, “what astrological placement of (blank)’s future spouse show through the most? “. If someone is really good in astrology feel free to correct me if I say anything that could be incorrect.

Jin - Capricorn! The energy surrounding his FS is very loving, caring kind and supportive. Filled with warmth, but the first colour that comes through when thinking about this person is pastel green so that could be their main aura colour. Which would explain the compassionate, forgiving and healing energy that surrounds them. An extremely selfless person. Since their guides are leading me to focus on how his FS treats others I assume the Capricorn placement lays in their 3rd or 11th house. Mercury, Venus or Mars are also options here. I am not quite sure but my best guess is that they have multiple Capricorn placements and it shows through most in Mercury due to communication and in Mars due to action. [ queen of pentacles ]

Yoongi - Sagittarius! Now, his FS is the kind of person that burdens themselves with the problems of others. Making things harder for themselves, just so they can help others have a brighter future. They do also believe that because of this, sooner or later they will be rewarded in life even if they can’t immediately see this. Meaning, potentially believing in good karma. Their energy is rather sad and burdened, so this is a kind of person that works hard and swallows their problems for a better future, because they believe it’s the best. A person that is very hard on themselves, believes they should endure hardships rather than reach out. They can handle themselves though, they don’t enjoy being pitied. There’s just this potential of being too giving to the point they hurt themselves mentally. So because of this I believe that their placement is either in 11th or 12th house, although the later is more likely. Possibly in Mercury, but not necessarily. [ ten of wands ]

Hobi - Taurus and Capricorn! Now, I would like to point out that the card that fell out for Hoseok is associated with these two zodiac signs, to the best of my knowledge. I do think his future spouse is someone that is very unique, extraordinary if you will. I do not mean they are edgy, quirky or anything of the sort but rather they are unapologetically themselves without the desire for approval from anyone. They don’t copy anyone to be seen different by other people, rather they just allow themselves to be who they are. Due to this they will know exactly how to love him the way he is and in what way to respond to his different moods without making anything heavy or awkward. I truly do think they are soulmates as his future spouse has a very unapologetic way of loving him as well. Meaning they do it with their full heart, not caring about the opinion of other people and just doing what is best for the both of them. They know how to take care of him and they know he got their back as well. They could also be very successful in their field regardless of what their job is, so they are a hard worker who knows what they are doing. My best guess is Taurus in Venus and Capricorn somewhere in 8th house. [ king of pentacles ]

For those who are curious I asked whether he is polygamous or not and the six of cups fell out. I will not be assuming about his romantic life or preferences, however if you wish to you can form your own opinion on it.

Namjoon - Libra! I actually shuffled twice for this due to being unsure, and both times a Libra card fell out so I would say that’s a pretty strong confirmation. Now, his person is a very strong minded, honest and just person who always does their best to be level headed and fair in situations. A good human to the core, is what they aim to be. They have a really strong sense of personal morals and discipline that they make sure to follow even on their hardest days. A very self righteous person who just aims to better this world. Though, they are also very playful and can be emotional if things go differently from what they expected, where Namjoon comes into play and helps ground them. It’s a very interesting dynamic, they lack where the other excels at which just causes them to have more love for one another and want to help each other out in hard times. Also, the attraction between them is strong, Beyonce’s Dejavu is coming through strong as a sign so I thought it’s important to mention. This could be either in their Sun or Mars sign, but that’s just my guess. [ queen of swords]

Jimin - Scorpio! Now, I know that a lot of people think that Scorpio as a sign is a very mean and bad one to have anywhere in your placement but that is certainly not true. A lot of Scorpio people are very tender hearted and just want what is best for people, which his FS’ is not an expectation from. This person has a very good heart but could be misunderstood due to their looks as they could have sharper features or possibly a colder appearance. It’s the kind of scenario where you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, you know? ‘Looks like they could kill you, but is a cinnamon roll.’ No, but seriously. This person is a really gentle person and desires the world to be a better place, possibly could often cry over world events that do not affect them, not because they are sensitive but due to having so much empathy within their heart. Due to this being the person they are to their core I do think this is either their sun sign or 12th house energy. [ death ]

Taehyung - Pisces! Now, I would love to point out that his FS spouse is extremely loving and most important of all mature. They will have a family together for sure and this person is very much aware of to take care of everyone in the way they need it yet they still feel like they aren’t lacking in anything at all, rather even grateful for the things that they have. Also, their loyalty is very much so highlighted and this pure, raw and genuine love they have for Taehyung. I am not saying he would, but even if he were to hurt them they would forgive him without having any kind of hatred in their heart. The best way I can describe them is ‘saint’. The kind of person to not judge, let alone hold a grudge towards their loved ones or anybody else. They were put on this earth because they are made to love wholeheartedly, really. My best guess is their placement being in 7th or 4th house looking at the fact that family and a stable home is very important to them.

Jungkook - Leo! Their person has a very fiery energy, I think the tower at the bottom of the desk proves this as its related to Aries. This person is very calm, collected, rational, intelligent and friendly, but, they are not going to shy away from a fight if they need to be involved in one. Especially if it’s about their loved ones. Of course, they will stand up for themselves too, but if a person they love or adore is being hurt or disrespected the person provoking them better prepare for what’s coming next. They can use both their words and their fist, whatever is necessary tbh. I do not think they look for fights on purpose though, it’s just that they have quite a strong personality and their own way of dealing with things. They don’t mean harm. As previously said, they are quite friendly and laid back. Really playful as well. Could at times playfully bicker with Jungkook, which he would actually like, it could bring out his competitive side a little bit. Aiming to “win”, I do think it’s something he likes about them. This could sit in either their 11th or 10th house although I think 10th is more likely. Possibly their moon as well.

that’s all! remember that this is for fun, don’t take it to heart. after all I do not know any of these people personally,, regardless I do hope it was a fun read!!

– Candy

[themoonlitquill]

Team Black vs. Team Green.

I recently have gotten a LOT of asks about my position on TB vs. TG due to me making a poll about a fanfic I'm in the process of writing about Aegon II Targaryen and an OC of mine. There have been many that have said something along the lines of 'did you watch the show? look at all the SA he did and how EVIL he is towards Rhaenyra' and 'how can you support decisions of TG when they are the ones usurping' etc., etc., and it's EXTREMELY frustrating to me and here's why.

First of all, it is a FANFIC, a work of FICTION created by FANS, which means that 90% of it is NOT canon (whether it be show, movie, or book) and that means a lot of the ORIGINAL story/plot could be changed, along with the direction of the characters and their development. Which MEANS, that while I understand some of the stipulation behind it, that isn't going to change my mind or sway me away from diving into how utterly fascinating I find Aegon and the Greens to be.

Secondly, I have indeed watched the show, both seasons, more times than I can count. When I say that I am a House of the Dragon nut, I mean it. And when I say that I am a Targaryen, I mean it. I have been completely obsessed with their house and their lore and their history and EVERYTHING to do with them since I first seen Emilia Clarke show up on my screen like the ethereal goddess that she is. I know A LOT (both show AND book canon), which is why I have no qualms when I say that if I were to write about ANY in the fandom, it would be the Greens, regardless of the fact that I am TECHNICALLY for Rhaenyra and the Blacks.

In my opinion, there is a lot that was missed when it came to the Greens and their situation. Where was the turmoil that Alicent went through giving birth to her first son when she was a child, the product of a marriage that she was thrust into by her father? And before any of you stans come at me and say 'she should've told Rhaenyra, that's where the betrayal started' when in reality all the problems started with Viserys and his innate desire for a son that ended up killing Aemma. And ALSO his decision to NOT betroth Rhaenyra and Daemon YEARS BEFORE when he knew damn well that it would've stopped a lot of the issues, but ya'll ain't ready for that yet apparently.

And coming back to Aegon and the whole 'usurpur' angle. Did he or didn't he? When you break it down, it's both a yes and a no. He is the FIRST BORN SON of the King and has a very good claim to the Throne. It isn't like in GoT with Robert's Rebellion and Kingslaying for Baratheons and Lannisters to take it; this is a TARGARYEN PRINCE. Viserys named Rhaenyra his Heir and all the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms swore an oath, BUT Otto (ugh, sorry can't stand him, but Rhys SLAYED his portrayal) was smart enough to know that when it came down to it, if Aegon were to be put on the Throne instead, it would still be accepted to a point DESPITE those oaths because Aegon is male AND is BLOOD RELATED TO THE KING. So really? Why is everyone reaching so hard? This is the entire POINT of the show and the whole ASOIAF universe. There are LAYERS to EVERYTHING, but there are so many that refuse to see the grey areas and instead resort to making it all black and white, which just doesn't make sense to me.

So in conclusion, don't flood my ask and messages with comments about a FANFIC when there is so much to consider when you get down to the nitty gritty of it all. What I choose to create isn't affecting anything and if you think that it does, well, I'm sorry to hear that and I hope you take the time to actually research things before being rude.

[hold-fast-to-hope]

a love letter for my siblings in Christ for whom their birth sex feels like a stranger

Grace and peace to you! I am deeply thankful that you exist and that we follow God together. I'm still learning about all of these things, but here are some encouragements I've found along the way; I give them to you in hope that they will strengthen you as you walk a difficult path, and if you find them not useful, I hope you will overlook them; I am flawed and my words often fall short. I hope, if nothing else, you will remember the perfect love that Jesus has for you and is teaching all your siblings to have for you as well (imperfect as ours presently is).

We know that the current world (including its conceptions of gender) is in a fallen (i.e. messed-up) state. This is also the case in Christian communities; God is still teaching us to follow him, and we struggle with sin's aftereffects as we do so. Some of the divide you feel between yourself and the vision of your gender that you see around you is due to that divide between how gender should be and how it is. The end goal is not to be conformed to the world's pattern of masculinity or femininity, but to honor God with your body. You want to make decisions that say you are committed to loving what God loves, even when he loves a body that you don't always feel love for. This means that your gender alignment decisions will be focused on not doing things that say "this body should have been sexed differently," because God doesn't think that. Instead, you focus on making decisions that say, "In having its birth sex, this body was already good when it was first formed, and I trust God that he saw a woman/man to love in me when I could not." This is both more freeing and more all-encompassing than saying "I need to be more masculine/feminine." There are also more grey areas; is it saying you want to change your body's sex if you wear this or do that? Conversely, is wearing that or doing this actually a gender stereotype that gives into the lie of the world by pretending to be a genuine requirement for men/women? Practice and the Holy Spirit will make clear to you over time what wise behavior is in your situation.

It might be encouraging to note that your body need not feel like yours in order for you to love it faithfully. Our bodies belong to God, as do our inner selves. We know that both maleness and femaleness are things God loves, things he made before anyone messed up his creation. We would affirm that someone else's bodily sex is a good thing to exist, regardless of whether it is the same or different from our own. So on days when your body feels like a stranger to you, you can love it as you would love a stranger on God's behalf.

As an aside, if you are intersex, my own feeling is that in this case, you show the work of God in having both types of features that God loves, and the advice on accepting your body as Christ accepted you is the same — you are not a third mistaken thing, you are both God's good things at once. (I am less informed about this matter than I am about the other matters, though, and I don't want to speak for you. If any of my siblings in Christ who have experience with this want to weigh in further, I'd welcome it. People who "weigh in" by talking about others' real-life situations as though they were merely argument fodder are not welcome to engage in this way, for both this and other issues.)

There are various speculations about what our resurrected bodies will be like; I tend to think it is largely unhelpful to engage in these, as that seems to be Paul's view of the matter in 1 Corinthians 15. However, this much we do know: When our bodies and inner selves are fully restored and raised to the glorious life that God will one day give us, it will be good news for all who love God. You will have whole integration with your physical self one day, even if it doesn't feel like it now. There will be no discomfort and pain. All your current struggles have meaning and will have that meaning forever; they are precious to God, who will take our actions in our current bodies into account (2 Corinthians 5). In the meantime, it is normal to feel like living in your present body is like living long-term in a camping tent that isn't designed for long-term use; that's what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 (that whole chapter is really helpful for thinking about this). It can be tempting to think that being disconnected from the physical world is the way to go, like being less tied to a body will be your ideal state. This, however, is what Paul is talking about when he says "we do not wish to be unclothed" (i.e. bodiless) "but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling," which I know is confusing poetic language but which means that we want to have the sort of permanent, perfectly-suited, Holy Spirit-led body that God will one day give us.

Some days, it may also help to think of your struggle in terms of the advice Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 7 about remaining in the situation that you were in when you were called. You have a body from God; the Lord therefore has given this body to you as an assignment from him, like being put into a diplomatic post. The story he wants to tell in you is one of great adventure; he wants to create in you a narrative of what it can look like, this time, to be beloved by God in this sort of body, with this sort of struggle, and to love God back. "Contentment" is perhaps too small a word. You are playing a crucial role in letting God make the masterpiece he wants to create with you.

Lastly, dear sibling, keep this in mind: however things may appear, your struggles in this matter build up the family of God and make us all stronger. We are all better because your experience reminds us that this world and its present ways, even our mortal bodies, are not our ultimate goal, that we look for a truer embodiment, that God fiercely loves femaleness and maleness and we are called to do the same, even when it doesn't profit us. You are a vital part of the Church (the people God the Father called out to follow him, be united in the Spirit, and reach the world with the good news that the Son rules). Your daily choices have the power to further our mission and build us all up. Whether we recognize it or not, we bleed with you and are blessed with you.

Peace be with you!

[manifestingitgurlll]

Hi my love,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice? I am turning 16 this year, and I’m honestly so tired of high school, assignments and I can’t bear the thought of graduating. I have this weird fear of aging, knowing that one day I will have to move out, work, marry, have kids and so on. I wish I could stay young forever, with no academic stress or carry the burden of worrying so much about my future. Hence, the reason I would like to revise my age. I want to be a child again, a 5 year old innocent girl who doesn’t endure any kind of stress, yet. Back when the only thing I worried about was whether I could have ice cream after dinner. I feel that my teenage years passed in a blur since I was always so busy with school and my studies, I never had time to spend with my friends or family. I constantly have this nagging feeling that I’ve practically wasted what’s supposed to be my most precious and enjoyable years. Everyday it’s like I’m living just for the sake of it, but not really living, yk? I’ve made a mess of my life, I have no proper friendships, and I feel guilty for putting my family through my troubles. When I look at my old childhood photos, the only thing I find myself wishing is that I could go back to how it was before. I know that 16 is still quite young and it’s still not too late to fix my situation, but I don’t particularly want to. I want to have a fresh and clean start in my life. I know what to do know, I want to have a second chance at living. I want to spend time with my loved ones, build strong friendships, and create new memories. So, I was wondering if it’s possible? I’ve seen a few age revision success stories but it’s usually a small gap, unlike mine which is 11 years lol. I also want to revise my five year old appearance to my desired one. Please provide some tips on ignoring circumstances, like acknowledging my birth year, the fact that I’m the oldest from my cousins, my grade.

hey! i feel you a LOT. as someone who was homeschooled and never got that highschool experience, i also sometimes feel like yk i wasted my childhood and stuff, especially based on what u see online. but everything can always be changed!

i have a lot more in depth posts on my master list abt ignoring the ego and such, so definitely read those!

but short answer - just know it’s not real and it’s not you. time is just a concept, it manes nothing. “i’m the oldest of my cousins” no ur not? ur 5 🤨

see how i dismiss it? thats what you have to do. if the thought comes, dismiss and ignore. your ego is still thinking about the old story, sure, but its not you! think of it like acting. YOU know the real truth, regardless of everything else, and that’s all that matters.

[majokkid]

It’s my birthday! To celebrate my 32nd solar return, I thought I’d share a little bit about myself!

Regardless if you keep reading, I wanted to thank everyone who has supported this blog so far by liking and sharing my posts! Y’all have helped make my return to Tumblr truly special and I hope I can continue to share content that inspires others to embrace a softer side of magical work. ☆

I’m Lachan (they/them), a visual artist, ritualist, and real-life non-binary magical girl! After being a city kid for a little over a decade, I’m now living in the country with my partner, our two cats, and some fish! We have a lot of work to do on our old house but she’s already come leaps and bounds since we moved in last summer.

Among my various interests, I enjoy shōjo manga and other cutesy/kitschy things and certainly take inspiration from mahō shōjo works in my personal magia. While I use ‘kid’ freely to describe myself, I am not an age regressor; I have no delusions regarding my age and I fully, wholeheartedly accept my adulthood but at the same time I have an ageless view of myself. Whether this is a product of memories of a life before birth or approaching life with a ‘beginner’s mind’ (or something else entirely), I find it prudent to mention as to not give anyone the wrong impression.

Unlike a lot of practitioners I have recently met in the magical hero community, I’m not a fictionkin or a reality shifter. I have characters that I definitely relate to and I have had life experiences that bear striking resemblance to their stories but as the Dimension Witch from xxxHOLiC says, “There is no such thing as coincidence. There is only hituzen.” I cannot confirm or deny the possibility that there are other realities—the only thing I do know is my own experience.

[rocknrolloccultist93]

The Soulless Vincent Theory

Ok so, this is something I typed out on Discord on a whim but I've been thinking about it FOREVER and needed an excuse to finally put it into words that make sense. TW because the Black Butler lore is fucked up, obviously. Also sorry for the lack of paragraphs

Am I the only one who thinks it's possible that Vincent either has no soul or only has a partial soul? Assuming Undertaker is the father, it could be the case that reapers aren't allowed to "meddle in human affairs" because only two humans can create a child with a whole soul. We know reapers should be able to have children because they're essentially in an OP human body (and Grelle's whole motivation in the Jack the Ripper arc revolves around being jealous of cis women specifically which suggests that if she were a cis woman, she'd be able to have children, reaper or not.) This would also make sense of the "new recruits" (citing the reaper ova here) seemingly being all the same age and younger than the on-duty reapers. If reapers have children together, they can't give birth to a body with a soul unless there's a fresh suicide victim's soul waiting in the wings, because if they could, there would be no shortage of staff for Will to complain about. Back to Undertaker though, if he had children with Cloudia, just as in real genetics, they'd have a mix of the parents' traits. So, maybe Francis got the white hair and wicked fighting skills, and Vincent got the lack of a soul. There's something wrong about Vincent's demeanor to me. He's always smiling, it's basically his neutral expression. We almost never see him actually emote about anything, and though he does seem to care about others (his family, for example), so does Real Ciel, who we know for a fact, doesn't have a soul. The same behavior we see in Vincent, we see in real Ciel, not just because they're father and son, but because they both lack a soul. Real Ciel does act more like Vincent in the flashbacks, but not to that extent. He clearly emotes and cares deeply about his brother and his family, to the extent that he wants to give up his position as earl to be with Our Ciel forever. We see no such concern in Bizarre Doll Ciel, who actively sabotages everything his brother worked for and forces him to go on the run. He no longer seems to care for Our Ciel's safety. Similarly, Vincent doesn't even think to train both the boys in the same manner to take over the earldom and title as watchdog, even though there's a chance the younger might have to. Francis on the other hand, trains both her children the same way, because whether or not they're going down the same path, they're still skills that will help them survive and succeed. Vincent, frankly, doesn't seem to care that much about the younger twin's ability to thrive after he's gone. Real Ciel doesn't lack the empathy required to care about others when they're not benefitting him, neither does Our Ciel despite his attitude. Vincent and Bizarre Doll Ciel do. They know enough about human emotions to say what's expected of them. Of course BD Ciel cares about Lizzie, because she's supposed to marry him. Of course Vincent cares about the elder sibling, because he's supposed to take his place as Earl and Watchdog. The people these two care about benefit them in some way. Our Ciel cares about people regardless. He has no reason to let Prince Soma and Agni watch his townhouse, he could just order Sebastian to prevent intruders either himself or by hiring guards. Soma annoys him, but Our Ciel keeps him around despite that.