#bringing this back for pride month

[hellyeahscarleteen]

Welcome to Trans Summer School! This series is meant to be a thorough guide for trans, non-binary, and other gender nonconforming folks (and for everyone else) to learn about all the different ways one can be trans. Check out the introduction above, or skip ahead to one of the sections below!

Trans Summer School: What's the Deal With Gender?

We've got more genders that you can shake a stick at in Trans Summer School, but what goes with who, where, when, and how?

Trans Summer School: So I Think I Might Be Trans. Now What?

There are lots of safe and fun ways to explore gender expression while you figure out who you are. So let's have at it!

Trans Summer School: Gender Expression Gear

A guide to finding items to help you express your gender.

Trans Summer School: Let's Bust Out of This Closet!

Coming out as trans doesn't have to be scary, as long as you have a little help from your friends.

Trans Summer School: Say My Name, Doc, and the Administrative Side of Coming Out

Who would have guessed that coming out involved so much paperwork? The deets on changing your records from the doctor's office to school files.

Trans Summer School: The Magic of Hormones!

The ins, outs, whys, and what fors of hormone replacement therapy and blockers.

Trans Summer School: The Wide World of Surgical Transition

What's the deal with "the surgery"? Learn your phalloplasty from your metoidioplasty and find out about the ins and outs of gender confirmation surgery.

Trans Summer School: Dating While Trans, Yes You Can!

The lowdown on how to date and have sex as a trans or otherwise gender nonconforming person.

Trans Summer School: When Things Go Wrong

Sometimes, bad things happen to you because you're trans or otherwise gender nonconforming. What can you do to get through them?

Trans Summer School: Am I Trans Enough?

In the final chapter of Trans Summer School, we take on a tough question many trans people encounter: Am I trans enough? (Spoiler: You are!)

[scrap-brainzone]

[magpiefngrl]

Reblogging for June 2023 with new additions:

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (historical f/f fantasy)

Read this if you want lush prose, a magical take on Golden Age Hollywood, and a queer POC heroine.

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner (fantasy of manners)

Read this if you're looking for a Dangerous Liaisons type of story with aristocrats, twisted politics, and with a gay love story at its heart.

A Marvellous Light and its sequel A Restless Truth by Freya Marske (historical fantasy, the first m/m, the second f/f)

Read this if you're looking for historical romances with magic and have read all of KJC. Both books have great prose and well-drawn protagonists but I'm anxiously awaiting the third as the ship that features in the novel-to-come feels like it'll be my fave.

Elegy and Swansong by Vale Aida (fantasy, m/m with background f/f)

Self-published duology by a fanfic author, lots of political intrigue, Machiavellian characters, and queer protags.

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (sci/fi m/m romance)

Currently reading this and it's fab so far. Sci-fi setting, telepathic powers, bonding, all great fun. I'm at 40% and can't put it down. If it continues like this, it'll be a 5 star read.

LGBTQ+ Book Recs for Pride Month

To celebrate Pride Month, here's a list of novels I enjoyed with queer themes, characters and relationships. There's a wealth of diverse stories out there now, often written by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Buying a book or requesting one from the library (if you're in the US) is a great way to support an author and to ensure there's more demand for inclusive stories.

Some of these are fairly popular already, but I hope you find something new to you that you'll enjoy.

(I've starred my personal favourites)

YA

*Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (YA contemporary)

Read this if you are looking for a tender coming-of-age and falling-in-love story between two boys of Mexican descent.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (YA urban fantasy)

Read this if you are looking for strong friendships, a dreamy mood, lyrical prose, and some of the best characters I've encountered in YA ever.

When We Were Ghosts by E. J. Philips (f/f relationship, urban fantasy)

Read this if you are looking for a profound, dreamy story about grief and home, featuring a road trip along the Australian coast, fascinating magic and ghosts. Disclaimer that I helped dev edit this novel.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (historical with magic)

OK so haven't finished this one, so it's not quite a rec, but so far it is very enjoyable. The MC is a bi disaster and I love him. The prose is wonderful; the story flows; the love interest is a sweetheart. I'm hoping it continues being fun.

SFF

Shades of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab (Fantasy, not YA but er...it felt a lot like YA to me)

Read this if you are looking for a fantasy adventure in a world with three different Londons and interesting magic. Queer secondary characters that become main characters in Book 2. Disclaimer that I haven't read the last book of the trilogy yet.

*The Space Between the Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (f/f relationship, sci-fi with alternate universes)

Read this if you are looking for an amazing story with a bisexual POC woman falling for her female coworker while travelling to alternate universes. This is one of the best novels I read last year READ IT

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mochtar and Max Gladstone (f/f relationship, sci-fi, literary)

Read this if you are looking for gorgeous prose, creative worldbuilding and two agents of opposing factions in the time war writing letters to each other and falling in love.

*Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (novella, historical fantasy)

Read this if you are looking for a heartfelt fokloric story in lovely prose with a very sweet main couple.

The Terracota Bride by Zen Cho (novella, f/f relationship, fantasy)

Read this if you are looking for a Chinese-inspired story set in the afterworld.

*Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat (fantasy)

Read this if you are looking for unbearable UST and the best enemies-to-lovers story ever created.

Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (f/f relationship, historical fantasy)

Er... haven't finished this one either, but so far it has: strong writing, feminist themes, magic, and lesbians, so it's a safe bet to say that it'll be a decent read.

Literary

What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

Read this if you are looking for a literary novel about a USian man in Bulgaria and his relationship with a rentboy.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (short stories, most f/f)

Read this if you are looking for experimental, feminist, weird fiction that might veer towards the absurd.

*On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Read this if you're looking for truly phenomenal prose and a story that feels raw and autobiographical.

Romance

*Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox (m/m, historical with hints of magic)

Read this if you are looking for an absorbing story set in the North England during the Viking invasions, with a wonderful couple, gorgeous prose, and magical realism elements. This is a novel that reads more as historical fiction than romance.

*Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (m/m contemporary)

Read this is you're looking for a fake dating story between a gay disaster and a dignified gay with lots of humour, Britishness, and an array of (a tad exaggerated but written with love) quirky secondary characters.

Mended with Gold by Lee Welch (novella, m/m contemporary)

Read this if you are looking for a sweet romance between two men with PTSD, set in a small NZ village.

*Anything by KJ Charles. Historical queer fantasy, often with magic. Personal favourites are The Magpie Lord trilogy, Jackdaw and Spectred Isle, all with magic, but I also love Think of England (gave me Captive Prince vibes) and Band Sinister (fluffy and heart-warming with a poly relationship). The author has a list of content warnings for her novels here.

It Takes Two To Tumble by Cat Sebastian (m/m historical)

Read this if you are looking for a low-angst love story with a bunch of wild kids that I utterly adored (I'm not one for kidfic normally, but I loved those rascals).

A Taste of Blue by Camden Moore (m/m, erotic romance, contemporary)

Read this if you are looking for a hot, HOT story between a disgraced Marine and the son of a prominent Republican with strong supporting characters and amazing sex scenes (honestly, you'll die), written by our own @ruinsplume.

Comics

Fence by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad

Read this if you like sports anime type stories and electric relationships between boys.

*The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen

Read this if you are looking for a bonkers story about gods reincarnated and rock/pop stars, featuring absolutely stunning design and a variety of queer characters and identities. Warning for lots of death and blood.

*Εσμέ (Esme) by Steve Stivaktis

Read this if you are looking for a Greek folklore fantasy featuring queer characters and created by a trans artist. It's been translated in English too.

[is9vhl]

missing them hours

[forsapphics]

GENTLEMAN JACK (2019 - 2022)

S01, E08: Are You Still Talking? — dir. Sally Wainwright

[h00d13d09]

Actually I think we're way too normal about this scene.

Like wdym Tommy said "god I hope so🫠😩😏"

😃??????

[doppelneer]

Doodle Dump let's gooooooooo

So in the front of treasure reef area there is this flock of birds that have seagull noises. What if they actually looked like sea gulls??? So made a bunch of fun doodles (plus a lil comic) relating to that.

Comic

Also happy pride month ya!!!

Made a new icon for my discord profile to celebrate. And yeah nonbinary cannoneer head canon let's goooooooooo.

[semiotomatics]

Now, my own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.

— J.B.S. Haldane

[diangelosdays]

i love them

[notwordsspoken]

Can't wait for the Tweek and Craig Pride Month special soon

[hellyeahscarleteen]

"We at Scarleteen hope that every time you open up to someone about your truth they respond with love and kindness. But we also want to make sure you're prepared in case they don't and give you some practical strategies and tools to look after yourself if that’s what happens. It can hurt a lot when people we love and look up to or rely upon let us down, for a whole range of reasons, but you are not alone, and you can get through it."

[scarefox]

Found these pride month pics on the Playboyy account (+ the last one on Auns account). Which first of all is damn nice~ but also the Panromantic and Aromantic flags? Oddly specific and we love to see it.

[rexecutioner]

“Maybe in another universe.”

IbisPaint kept crashing while drawing this 😭 I hope the quality isn’t absolute garbage because this is the biggest canvas I have ever used

Listen to Tongues and Teeth by The Crane Wives I beg of you

I’m so normal about these block people all of the time 💔

[afteraftercare]

boycotting pride month until waiting room goes back on spotify

[saspitite]

"queerest place on the internet" my ass

[cuntwrap--supreme]