#but this whole thing also for trans people!!

[mask131]

I have not looked at all the notes below, just at these pictures.

This discussion, unfortunately coming up in the lights of all these horrible things, is something I do wish to explore further and that I already kind of felt before - see my last post about Good Omens, as the TV show adaptation and Gaiman's handling of it DID make me doubt some of his claims. While I do believe the first season was made with respect and care for Pratchett's work (despite failing to do justice to Pratchett for me, but at least there was a real sincere effort there), I also believe that with the additional seasons Gaiman was milking the non-existent cow that was the unwritten sequel and that we can't fully trust what he claims when it comes to idea planned since the early beginning and stuff he might want to add or project or on his own... But that's something that tends to happen with every book that is co-authored, so I won't go down there much further.

What I DO want to stress however is that, while yes we can put into doubt how much Gaiman was truly close or "in the papers" of Pratchett (a part of it isn't just Gaiman's own invention, another part is also a lot of popular culture projection and fan assumptions, we can't throw the stones just at Gaiman, there was also the whole cult following thingy at play), we also have to put into doubt WHO is currently putting into doubt the Gaiman-Pratchett connections.

I'll explain: Internet seems to have a very short-term memory, and people tend to forget that not so long ago transphobes literaly tried to mass-gaslight people (and gaslighted themselves) into thinking Pratchett would be against trans people, when Pratchett literaly wrote an entire book about accepting trans people. And for all Gaiman has done or has been accused of doing, we can't forget that he was one of the two fervent defensors of Pratchett - or rather one of the two major voices to denounce the absolute craziness of these people (alongside Pratchett's own daughter). And that's something people did NOT like. A lot of people got angry at Gaiman for "pretending to know" what Pratchett would think...

... This is exactly the same kind of talk that is starting to appear here and there. For very different reasons, from different people, but it is still the same doubt and so it means there's a bridge here ready to be crossed. The same way there is a certain amount of people who try to use the Gaiman scandal to "justify" or "defend" J.K. Rowling, and turn a very serious case of sex crime accusations into somehow a "turns out the transphobe was right all along".

Don't be fooled, the people who are outraged, angry or mobbing against Gaiman aren't not all defendors of women's rights, or betrayed fans, or even just decent people shocked at such a case. Some don't even want to know the truth. There's a lot of people who are ready to pounce and get in the fight just because they hated the guts out of Gaiman for being against transphobia, and for gay people, and for a lot of other causes they want to persecute or eliminate.

There was an interesting thread on Bluesky dissecting Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's relationship

TL:DR - It seems like Gaiman has been exaggerating the level of closeness between them for YEARS

[velvetvexations]

"Women you're allowed to abuse" is obviously ridiculous and self-centered nonsense that completely disregards the fact that cis women are still very much allowed to be abused on a horrific scale, but "women you can treat like men" is even more incoherent because it also implies cis women have it great and I guess get luxuries like having the door held open for them, and then in addition to that implies being treated like a man is a bad thing? But I thought the whole idea was that being treated like a man is always a social benefit? What does 'treat like a man' mean here?

This is just linguistic self-hypnotism. By all means if your therapist says it'll help repeat it to yourself at bed every night but I don't think you can call that theory.

And the thing is, people say "well if I were cis I'd still be oppressed, but trans men wouldn't be." And it's like, yeah, but that's not the reality we live in. A world where you're a cis woman is equally as fictional as a world where a trans man is a cis man, but perhaps more importantly is as fictional as one where YOU are a cis man. Like, YOU could hypothetcally be a cis man if you want to get into simulating parallel universes.

How can you say trans women are oppressed for being both trans and women, but trans men are only oppressed for being trans? Your status as a woman and not a man is just as inextricably tied to being trans as it is for them. How could it not be?

And for the record: anyone can reblog this! I highly encourage you to do so! This is a trans woman speaking to trans women and you are amplifying a transfeminine voice when you share it.

[plaidos]

hello! i saw in your pinned that you and your partner are looking to move to the states due to the transphobia in the uk and was curious if this last week has maybe impacted that and what you think is best for staying safe in the coming years?im non binary and doing the opposite - im moving from the states to the uk and its like. cool cool rising transphobia everywhere feels good feels comforting (/s) and obviously it is even worse for trans women! anyways maybe the answer is uhhh none of my business which is totally cool but i just wanted to hear your thoughts bc im kinda like oh this whole world is getting increasingly hostile and its hard to stay positive!

even with the new transphobic legislation under the trump administration, new york city is safer than the UK for trans women. period. also my partner already lives in the states, so the only reconsidering would be whether i go there or she comes here or we both go somewhere else (which is a lot less feasible).

i need you to understand that in the US right now courts are blocking attempts for Trump to move trans women into men’s prisons. in the UK, there is no question about it — trans women just go to men’s prison. this is just one example. here’s another: not disclosing you’re trans in the UK before you have sex with somebody can be legally considered rape by deception. which obviously is going to affect even people who do disclose.

from where i’m sitting there is absolutely no question about it. in the UK the so-called leftwing party is arguably even more transphobic than the right wing parties — I’d argue much more, even, considering that they’re rolling back trans legislation that the Conservatives put in place

i promise promise promise you things can be worse than outside your door. whilst “terf island” may be a nasty, unhelpful & cruel joke to the trans women living here, the situation it’s referencing is 100% true. in every practically university in the UK there are open terfs working and teaching there. just anecdotally, I was sexually harassed on the bus by a terf, my last cisgender ex-girlfriend introduced me to a terf she was friends with at her birthday party (and she somehow didn’t even twig her as a terf until I pointed it out).

like from context and the way you’ve phrased things i’m assuming you’re TME, so if the UK truly seems safer to you i say go ahead, everybody’s circumstances are their own. but if you want HRT or top surgery in the foreseeable future, expect to be on a waiting list for years if not a decade. also the trans scene here is utter shite. but again no offence if youre not a transfem you probably wouldn’t even notice (it’s fine if not thriving for nb folks cafab ime) so, grain of salt

[tumblebagel]

FOR ALL TRANS PEOPLE IN FLORIDA

Hi. I've been meaning to make a post like this for quite a long time now. As a person who's been trans in this state for... a while, I felt like I could be helpful by posting my catalogue of knowledge.

I also need to apologize in advance. I need to give you the facts and the current policies before I can give you the hope that you're looking for. I promise, there is hope. I swear it. But being well informed is my first priority for you right now, because it's the only thing I can do to make sure that you, the reader, stay safe. Okay?

Do me a favor and take a deep breath before you hit “Keep Reading,” alright?

The Facts.

Florida's bathroom laws are fucked. If you hear the term "Safety in Private Spaces Act" that is the exact law fucking trans people over. It was passed in 2023, and people are not afraid to use it. It only DIRECTLY applies to public state-owned buildings. If you attempt to enter a bathroom that does not match your sex, and you are at:

A public school

A state owned library

A state owned govt building (city hall, etc.)

Then you can, and likely WILL be arrested.

If you are in ANY restroom on the aforementioned properties, and are presenting as gender nonconforming, OR you're presenting as a gender that doesn't match the restroom you entered, you may still face harassment, and the police being contact anyways, although they won't have grounds for arrest. It's very much a lose-lose situation.

As someone who's worked at a public library in Florida for the past 5 years now, you can take all of the information above as a first hand reference.

While the "Safety in Private Spaces Act" is only DIRECTLY targeted at state owned & public buildings, private property needs to be taken at a case-by-case basis. People can still call the police, and if you're not certain that the people who own the location will defend you, it can be quite risky. Here's a list of common stores & restaurants and stuff that have protection policies in place for trans people using the restroom there (AKA, the GOOD ones).

Target

Starbucks

Barnes & Noble

Chipotle

Sears

Whole Foods

There's also this site: https://www.refugerestrooms.org where you plug in your address, and it lets you know if there are safe restrooms nearby. I believe it also has an app? I've heard some concerns about how often it's updated, but a resource is a resource.

You can also look for businesses with "family restrooms" which people might give you a weird look if you leave one alone, but more often than not they'll just assume whatever happened was simply too embarrassing for a public stall. Disney property is also surprisingly quite good at those with their "companion restrooms" you'll sometimes see.

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, I've made plenty of use of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiitty gas stations in my day. As in gas stations so tiny and run down in the middle of nowhere that they simply CANNOT AFFORD a second stall. It ain't hygienic by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is the back of a police cruiser.

Last resort, and I mean LAST resort, is personal bathrooms in the houses of allies. If you have a trusted support group, and their addresses, congratulations, consider that your gender-neutral bathroom map. They're almost assuredly not convenient, but some days they're the ONLY comfortable places to go.

Trans people are twice as likely to get a UTI in their life as cis people, simply from trying not to use a restroom. So first and foremost, please please please stay safe out there.

Second order of note is HRT.

I feel the need to very explicitly say DIY HORMONES CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. You need consistent bloodwork done to make sure your body is handling the treatment properly. In addition, improper dosage can lead to a bunch of awful symptoms, including tolerance to the medication. Please, work with a physician who can make sure you stay safe, don't do DIY unless it's your absolute last resort.

ITS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, that if you're a minor, you cannot begin gender affirming care in Florida, and if you are caught with it, Florida authorities have grounds to revoke your parents' custody. That is shit. I know that is shit. I was very recently a minor tearing my hair out trying to get HRT. While I'm now legally considered """an adult""", I still very very very much feel that pain. Comments are open if you'd like to scream a bit.

For people over 18, there are a bunch of additional restrictions in place for setting up care. First of all, with the informed consent model, you need to sign all of the paperwork *in-person* with the prescribing physician, which completely cuts out any Telehealth options. You'll also be pretty hard pressed to FIND a clinic willing to prescribe it.

I can't personally recommend Plume. I was on a several month long waiting list, only to have my appointment cancelled because a bill went into effect the week before I was supposed to go sign the informed consent paperwork. That being said, I know too many trans people here who LOVE Plume to denounce it. The pricing and services it offers sounds almost too good. The organization has helped a lot of people, so the most I can say is:

1: Do your research.

2: Don't feel tied down if it doesn't work out.

If you want to know how I, personally, started my care, I think it's now time to switch over from the Facts to the Hope.

The Hope.

Planned Parenthood.

I made my first appointment in South Carolina to try and circumvent that law that cancelled my Plume appointment. You'll want to do your research on what Planned Parenthood location you're going to, because not all of them provide the same services. That being said... worse case scenario... South Carolina really ain't too far away, as long as you've got a free weekend for a road trip there and back.

I'm getting off track, Planned Parenthood is amazing. The people there are REALLY nice. My physician very much has an "OH MY GOD YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT" energy about her.

I scheduled my first appointment just a week out, though timing may vary now that a lot more pressure is being put on them. Hours after my first appointment I had both estradiol and spironolactone physically in my hands, and the biggest dorky grin on my face.

In terms of access, this is probably one of the BEST options at your disposal. Please be sure to do some research beforehand about appointment costs, and medication costs, especially since insurance REALLY isn't going to want to cover it.

Once you're ready, mentally and financially, the power to get GAHT is in your hands.

Also, now when I take their post-appointment survey, I can say "yes, I would recommend this location to someone else" :D

A lot of public universities have been implementing more gender neutral bathrooms, and can potentially even provide you a map of where they are on campus if you ask.

Name change forms are also easily accessible for most schools if you ask, both for social recognition with teachers, and digital changes in academic portals and websites.

While LGBTQ+ oppression hasn’t gone down, neither has our fighting. You’ll see more pride pins and flags than ever, especially in the cities.

If you need mental/emotional help or support, I can't recommend anyone more than the Trevor Project:

https://www.thetrevorproject.org

Their help hotline is entirely confidential. Life as a trans person is hella stressful, and living in Florida can make that a lot worse. Whatever you're going through right now, I can tell you that there are people ready and willing to accept you and care for you.

I've also gotten glowing reviews from my sibling about the Orlando Youth Alliance. If you're a trans minor in Florida, you may not be able to get HRT... but you can occasionally get a trip to Disney World.

https://orlandoyouthalliance.org

Lastly, if you're out and about in Florida, and you see a girl in a black-grey hoodie, a big chunky heart necklace, and 1/2 peach colored hair dye, feel free to go up to her and tell her "I like your shoelaces," and you can get a free hug, no questions asked.

Keeping Tabs.

I'm gonna do my best to keep updating this post as much as I can. I've assuredly forgotten something. News details and policy updates will be my main focus. If you think of something important you'd like me to add, please don't hesitate to let me know

[butchpeace]

Hey, how do you feel about Trump taking all mentions of transgender people off of all government websites?

Censorship won’t fix the problem of people transitioning, it will just drive the problem underground and allow it to pop up again at a later date. The government’s new policies will stop a lot of people from transitioning, and that can be seen as a net positive, but many people will just start getting HRT illegally and continuing their transitions without medical help or information.

It also seems that it may not be possible for them to ban transition nationwide, and that it may always come down to the states. Which means that many trans-identified people will just relocate in order to transition.

If the conservative government wanted to actually help trans-identified people, they would be talking about things like the Cass Review and other research that show the flaws in the whole thing and how transition is medically bad for people.

But they don’t actually want to help people. They just want GNC people to go away and to have their return to traditional gender roles and marriage. Many people can and will detransition without issue and never look back, but the conservative policies to come, and the general conservative attitude about gender nonconforming people, will continue to hurt gay, GNC, and intersex people, as well as trans and detrans people who are visibly androgynous and can’t or won’t “effectively” detransition.

The conservative government and many conservative people are full of hate - They don’t care about us. Censorship is just a way to prevent the public from getting the real information they need.

When we return to a liberal government, transition will continue on as usual, because most people aren’t learning anything deeper about the harms of it.

[autisticadaineabernant]

My Bad Kids (Plus Some Others) Pronouns Headcannons

Adaine Abernant - Any? She leans she/her but ultimately as a much longer living creature has a much different experience with gender than the usual and so doesn't super connect with the whole gender thing but also acknowledges that she was socialized as a woman

Aelwyn Abernant - She/Her to everyone but Adaine and then it's She/He but only sometimes and she doesn't feel comfortable with it at all because she can't let go of the shame that her parents imparted in her

Ayda Aguefort - They/She Phoenix and long living does make it impossible to be cisgender

Fabian Seacaster - He/Him (Trans Man but transitioned young. Bill Seacaster was a good father in that respect)

Fig Faeth - They/She Nonbinary and I think with the tiefling thing would also not feel entirely like a she/her woman and so that's why they lean they/she

Gorgug Thistlespring - He/They/She. Nonbinary favourite I love them and the many varied pronouns

Kristen Applebees - She/Her but it's loose. Every so often uses new pronouns to help encourage people to try new pronouns. Will unironically use neopronouns if she hears someone making fun of them

Ragh Barkrock - He/Him Cisgender but does learn as much as he can

Riz Gukgak - It/They/He - Also not connected to the human concept of gender. Would probably use the label agender if pressed but doesn't really think about it. Probably tries out some neos in university

[crazylittlejester]

Could you give us more about trans Time? (If that’s okay!)

Love that hc btw, it makes me really happy ^^

hell yes i can!! I love trans Time, trans that man's gender. oot link is like the vibes of transgenderism compressed into one single silly little guy (gender neutral). however people trans oot link's gender is always correct in my mind (i personally hc him to be ftm but i really do love seeing any version of him that's not cis)

im gonna apologize rn for any typos or oddly autocorrected words im dyslexic and my laptop works against me sometimes lmao

anyways not sure what exactly you wanted to know (and feel free to ask more questions!!) but i think this was in reference to my modern au post so!!:

Time was born in the late 70s (since the au takes place in present day and he is a good 25 years older than Twi), so growing up he didn't really see a whole lot of trans people who could've helped him realize he was trans sooner, especially because his childhood was mostly him having an awful time with his physical health and arguing with his father for the chance to go to public school and not be homeschooled like his siblings (he is the youngest of 6) because he didn't get along with all of them and wanted to meet new people

Looking back on it NOW he can recognize he realized he was trans when he was like, 12, but at the time he didn't really know what that was and just cut his hair short and didn't understand why he got so happy when people mistakenly called him a boy

There was a period of time where he was confused and thought he was a lesbian (he is bisexual) and he dated Ruto for like a year in high school but they kinda ended up becoming friends instead (they're STILL friends), and then he dated Sheik, who is a trans man, and the realization hit him like a bus

He graduated high school and then just kinda dipped off the map, he didn't realy have friends (besides Ruto, and MALON considered them friends but he didn't realize she liked him that much) so he didn't really keep in contact with people except for Sheik (he was also doing pretty bad physically at this point in time), but he started socially transitioning around 18 and was able to start medically transitioning around 20. Not all his siblings were super accepting, and he's completely cut contact with one of them, but his sister closest to him in age who was his best friend growing up was his biggest supporter

(this modern au takes place in a modernized Hyrule kingdom loosely based on where I live because obviously where I live is the best idea I have of how modern sociey works since I'm living in it, lmao, but Hyrule kingdom was a little more progressive in the late 90s and while gender affirming care wasn't SUPER easy to access, it WAS accessable. the main issue for Time was transphobia from his oldest brother and the people from his INCREDIBLY tightknit town, because outside of that people didn't know he was trans)

Malon was fully aware he was trans because she met him before HE realized that, so when those two got together he didn't have to worry about telling her or anything. And they WERE going to adopt kids at some point, but then Time's sister died and her husband had passed away too and she'd written in her will that she'd wanted Time to take care of her baby (Twi), because she wanted him to have a wonderful environment growing up and she trusted Time more than their other siblings even though they'd all already settled down and had their own kids and were experienced parents (also to be fair, she didn't expect to die and leave her 13 month old an orphan. it was just an IN the event of her death kinda thing, she very much would've rather been able to raise her kid herself)

Time doesn't really give two fucks about passing, not anymore, he wears what he wants, but most people DO assume he's a cis man because he's decently tall and has a deeper, monotoned voice. Transphobia does still exist in Hyrule Kingdom, though it's not as bad as it was when Time was a kid, and also the city where the boys' apartment in is incredibly LGBTQ+ friendly (not that that means homophobia and transphobia don't exist, it's just a much safer area to be out that other places in the kingdom) so he doesn't ever feel like he has to HIDE being trans. He goes to pride parades sometimes (when he knows he won't get overwhelmed) and he and Malon are definitely that older couple who give out free supportive parent hugs to people who really need it

Legend in this au is also a trans man, and I wouldn't call Wild cis but he's amab and uses he/him pronouns at the moment while he figures things out (he's also perfectly fine with they/them)

[witchytakes]

you sounds very much pro trump lol

the thing is that being trans would be considered already a felony, US is gonna do a Section 28 shit there and many trans women would be arrested by simply living their own lives, do you guys sees what they do to arrest black people? Like they go arrested and thrown in jail for anything even some small felonies, until the 1940s black people were arrested for shit like "vagrancy" and even until today they are arrested for small felonies, pretty much this also happens to trans folk

And there's also the V-coding shit, where trans women are literally sex toys for men arrested for sexual violence or heinous crimes and you guys seems pretty ok with it "boys will be boys" thing aren't ya

Like trans women which are lucky to got into a female prison didn't even get together with the other prisioners, there's a separate ward for them, why they can't be on the separate ward? Those who commited sexual crimes And those who didn't could be on the normal ward with other women Like why don't you guys criticize the whole ass prison system

Do you guys know how USA is fucked?

“trump wants to put trans women in men’s prison, which leaves them vulnerable” um so don’t do shit that would make you have to go to prison lmao 😭

no but for real, that’s where they belong. males belong with males, regardless of how they dress. you think females, who’ve been oppressed by males for centuries, want to be in prison w them? be so fucking serious. males belong in male prisons 🤷‍♀️

edit: rereading this makes it sound like i’m like pro trump 😬. for clarification, i am not, i’m just saying i do think males should be with other males and females with other females.

[coffeecacao]

Okay, let's talk about the coming out scene, because people are saying Taash was the one out of line.

Shathann is a sympathetic character. That does not make her a good person. She saved her child from a life of servitude by leaving the country she loved and tried to preserve that culture in her child. I respect that. I also wish there was a way to encourage Taash to embrace both sides of their culture.

BUT.

From the moment we meet her, Shathann criticizes literally everything her child does. Taash runs an errand for her, and Shathann criticizes their posture, pronunciation, gender presentation, AND sexuality, completely unprovoked, yes, in one fucking conversation. Shathann invites Taash over for dinner and then makes Taash cook that fucking dinner. And this has happened before, as stated in the dialogue. Taash is so affected by this behavior and probably worse they have endured their entire life that they say "you don't get to tell me who I am" at a simple question about their heritage, out of pure instinct.

Now to the actual scene.

Taash invites their mother to their new home and prepares a dinner for her, which Shathann immediately criticizes and has Taash make vegetables to go with. Can you imagine inviting someone into your home for dinner you prepare only for them to shit on it and ask you to cook more. And Taash does so, with a grunt. I'd be like bitch you're in my house, I cooked, eat. But they just do it.

Then they say it. "Im nonbinary." Shathann asks what that means, completely fair, and Taash explains that it means they're not a man or a woman.

Shathann asks if this is because she criticizes their gender presentation. Now listen. I have a parent who thinks nearly everything "wrong" with me is a reaction to their actions. It pisses me off. So Taash is getting reasonably frustrated, and insists that's not why. VALID. They were asked a question and they answered.

Let's talk about the Qun and gender identity. Yes they have a word for people who identify as a different gender than they were assigned. But this is implied to apply to trans men and women, not nonbinary people, so Shathann is asking Taash if they "just" identify as a man, because that's something Shathann can better understand, something more convenient for her to process. Sort of like when trans people come out to someone and are asked if they're "just gay."

No. And Taash says no. They have explained who they are. If Shathann was just having a hard time processing it that would be one thing, but she basically talked over Taash and tried to suggest that they were just a man, which they are not. Taash is being vulnerable. Taash doesn't even HAVE to tell Shathann this, but they want to, they think she deserves to know.

And what Taash says next is not purely to do with this one conversation, as explicit in the text. "why am I never enough for you." Never. Not now. We have seen Shathann critique Taash in every scene they share, and that's with a whole other person present who is not in the family. We don't know what happens in private. Shathann signed her child up for a fucking war without even talking to them about it. What Taash says is the build up of years of being talked over and criticized for everything they do, provoked by offering themselves to that person in a vulnerable position only to be talked over and criticized more.

"Why am I never enough for you."

And Shathann does not answer. She doesnt say "of course you are." Even if she disagreed with Taash's identity, which would be shitty, she could still affirm that they are enough for her. She doesn't.

She fucking leaves.

Maybe she thinks that's what Taash wants. Maybe not. But if someone asks you something like that, you affirm them. You say they are enough. Especially if they're your fucking child. But no, this conversation is too inconvenient for Shathann, she's not getting her way like she did when she signed Taash up for a war without their consent, so she just leaves. She could've said "I don't understand, but I love you." She couldve said anything. But she just left.

I'm sad she died. Im glad she accepted her child in the end. But no, Taash was not in any way out of line in this conversation.

Shathann was.

[madlificent]

Death Before Detransition

Been feeling some emotions lately with the state of gestures around everything. And I was recently pondering one of the questions posed to everyone in the RP I've recently joined.

Could Ro kill if she had to?

And uh… yeah. I think she could. Because even though her mental health is in the gutter right now, her biggest motivator through her whole life has been to persevere to the other side. Things maybe rough, but she can't deny that who she is now, who she sees in the mirror each day, is the woman she always wanted to be. And no one is going to take that from her. Not again.

That's something I hold pretty tightly to myself, to be honest.

Also, to all the new people who came here because of bugs and whimsical cicada girls, uh... welcome! My art is a bit of a range and this gal here, Sorochi, is fairly often the focal point of my personal vents and emotional journey. Regardless how she is presented, I have always used her for my own personal exploration and journaling, even way back before I ever realized I was trans. And with such a tumultuous time happening for so many people in the US right now, myself included, I needed to put my emotions down somewhere.

[messrsrarchives]

Can you address representation in fics and bad vs good representation. I understand that taking say a black or trans character and making them the villain is bad representation. Or portraying those characters negatively would also be bad representation.

But i keep seeing things about femme Sirius being bad representation and I don't understand it. How is it bad, when some men present that way? Along those same lines, portraying Evan or Pandora as POC is done consistently but doesn't seem to be criticized at all, however I see people say all the time to not just make James "latino" unless you have a good reason to do it.

I'd really appreciate a yap on representation and how to do it well vs how it's done poorly.

i have a draft about this !! i'll add screenshots of it below the cut, but i'll yap first <3 BUT the screenshots are v important for the "representation in fandom" so pls, read those too 🙂↕️

(first of all ! i am white. discussions of representations of pocs are not mine to lead and i recommend reaching out to other people for this ! not a discussion for me to Lead. i'll yap a bit! but you need to be listening to the voices that matter here and that's not mine)

inherently,,, those first two examples aren't BAD rep, it depends what you're doing, yk? if you were to turn around and change voldemort's race you'd be asked why and that would be (imo) poor rep. but say,,, you're exploring a canon divergent dorcas? say you want to explore the fact she was taken down by voldemort personally - that's a lotttt of power she has, how quickly could that go wrong? maybe her break up with marlene puts the war into perspective for her and she gets blinded by how powerful she is, she thinks she can make a genuine change etc etc, ends up doing bad things. would we consider that bad rep? i wouldn't personally??? so like. taking a villain character and changing their race with no lore? issue. taking a black character (canon or accepted fanon) and exploring how different their character could be? depends how you've done it and why and what your motivations are etc etc -> it's all individual! and again, not my discussion to lead, this is from listening to those affected 🙂↕️

in terms of the trans rep, again, it depends why. if you were to now make voldie trans with no backstory and kept everything else the same? yeah, i'd raise my brow at you. buttt say you take a villain character and give backstory to them being trans, you haven't just thrown it in for no reason and there's actual lore behind it? then idk. i wouldn't consider it bad rep if done well. because a trans person that happens to be bad is not bad trans rep unless the Reason they're trans is because they're bad,,, if that makes sense? a trans person can be a villain! but have you made them the villain purely because they're trans? why? what's the story? etc etc

it's all individual (see screenshots below)

FEMME SIRIUS DONT GET ME STARTEDDDDD. its not bad 😭😭 "it reinforces heterosexuality" no. it's a feminine man existing. or a transfem existing. actually, it's a FICTIONAL CHARACTER 😭😭 and ofc there's instances where it does reinforce heterosexuality and they make sirius petite and weak and blah bla- IT'S FICTIONAL 😖😖😖 they aren't a real couple 😖😖😖 and that is SOMEtimes !!! stop demonising the existence of it as a whole omgomgomg. femme sirius is just transphobic most of the time. and i don't throw those kinda words around lightly but,,, "he's meant to be MANLY" alright well now i feel like fucking shit because you're arguing about what makes a Real Man in MY comment section. "making him shorter is forced heterosexualit-" i am a 5'6 trans man 😖😖😖😖 like you can prefer certain characterisations!! ofc!! but the stuff you say about fictional queer characters does infact affect the queer prople you're saying it to 😭 -> fem sirius post

ahem. anyway. no, femme sirius is not inherently bad.

moving onto the other point ! one of my friends has spoken about this over on tt so i recommend checking that video out and talking to pocs because i am infact a white person so this isn't a conversation for me to lead. it's about latino james representation and how it's a culture, not a race, yet the culture is never included etc etc!! i'm sending you there, very informative video, go listen to the voices that matter here-> video here

AND THENNNNN representation as a whole, i present my drafted yap that i never posted that i'll hide here instead:

[velvetvexations]

Recently I made a survey for two cis allies - both women, one involved in discourse, one very much not, for contrast - to get a look at their perspective. This is nowhere near scientific, but hopefully it works as a small look at how the cis people in our camp view and relate to us.

Thank you and so much love to the participants. <3 You are vitally necessary.

Questions and answers the cut!

Do you know anyone IRL who’s trans? Co-workers, friends, family?

No, live somewhere more small and rural, so the chance of meeting any queer people, much less ones open about it, is slim.

I knew one trans girl in middle school, and I have a cousin who's a trans woman.

Have you ever considered being trans, or had any adjacent unusual feelings about your own gender?

I have, but I've ultimately arrived at "I don't know, I don't care, whatever". Maybe somewhere agender-adjacent, if I'd have to put a word to it? I ultimately don't consider myself trans, though.

No. I very strongly identify as a cis woman.

Are you a fan of any trans content creators?

I don't think so? I don't consider myself a fan of a lot of content creators in general.

Yes, I'm pretty sure.

Do you feel you think often about trans people’s struggles?

Yes.

I try to think about and participate in activism in a lot of different areas that don't directly affect me, so yes, sometimes.

Would you consider yourself knowledgeable about trans issues?

More than the average cis person, at least.

Not really, but I think that's mainly because I never want to feel like I'm overstepping, since I'm a cis woman.

In what ways do you feel the plight of trans people is similar to the suffering of cis women under the patriarchy? How is it different?

Both trans people and cis women (and a lot of cis men, really) suffer from being forced into a box. You have to be this way, and you do not get any say. If you aren't, you're either broken and shouldnt have agency (for your own good), or a threat. People will dish out violence and try to remove your rights to force you into that box, and punish you for stepping outside of it. I think these issues are heavily linked, and while the specifics of what each demographic faces is different (nevermind intersections), i believe the overall problem is the same; what society wants you to be, and how they want you to be it.

I think it's similar in that trans people are discriminated against and we cis women are also discriminated against, like, on a systemic level. The specifics are different, though.

Do you feel that you've ever contributed to transphobia in society?

Yeah. Especially when i was younger, and haven't examined any of it yet. Growing up in a transphobic society inevitably left me with some stuff to work out, and I've done my best to do so, and i will continue to. That's the important part, i think.

Not that I know of, and I would feel really bad if I thought I had accidentally.

Do you believe trans women or trans men have ��male privilege”? 

No, that's a really loaded term. Individual trans people may get some advantages in certain settings depending on how they're perceived, but I don't think any of them can really be considered to get any gendered form of privilege, considering their gender is directly what makes them marginalized. Hiding your identity in order to not be mistreated isn't a privilege, it's a result of being oppressed.

I don't think so. This isn't an issue where I feel comfortable speaking as I said. Not that I know of, though.

Do you think things have gotten better or worse for trans people in the last ten years?

Besides the... recent pushback, as a whole, yes.

I think it's a mixture of both, but that's just my outside perspective.

Are you optimistic about where the struggle for trans rights is headed?

I refuse to be anything but. No matter what happens, there will always be trans people, and there will always be allies, and we'll continue fighting. There's simply no other option.

Once again, it's hard to tell as an outsider. Things seem mixed.

How would you react to a trans person being transphobic in your presence? Forex: misgendering someone they dislike.

Just correct them/express my disapproval as i would if they were cis, really? Transphobia is transphobia.

I would feel uncomfortable. Since I'm cis, I don't know if I would feel comfortable saying something, though.

Do you have any message you’d like to give as an ally?

Don't let anyone convince you you're alone in this, and that cis people are all against you. We're here, we love you, and we'll continue to fight for you. Please, don't give up. The world is a better place for having you in it.

Yeah, just that if there's anything I can ever do to support people I would love to!

[simptasia]

phew... that hit a nerve for me

[marshmellowtea]

trying to interact with cis woman-centric feminist media as a trans man (especially a gnc trans man) is a simultaneously bizarre and exhausting experience lmao. do you know how offputting it is to read about how men are the root of all evils in the world and how they'll never understand what it's like to be a woman when you literally have boobs and wear dresses and look far more like barbie than you ever will ken like please motherfucker i don't think i'm incapable of understanding your experiences actually. el oh el

[rjalker]

It's also just blatant sex shaming, and even if the person is normal about trans women and butches, the fact that they're not normal about bi women and like to sex shame and victim blame is enough to make them a terrible person.

(the victim blaming comes in because there are 100% bi women out there who are victims of SA from men, and the way these misogynists frame their whole thing is 100% victim blaming and acting like these women are tainted because of what happened to them, and claiming they 'let' it happen.)

These kinds of people make it very clear they're okay with women being SA'd as long as they experience any attraction to men whatsoever, because they think that's the same thing as "asking for it", and they think the only SA that's really real and bad is when it happens to a lesbian who feels zero attraction to men in any form.

oh you don't like bisexual women? because you think it's disgusting they let men touch them? and you're a lesbian. and a feminist, okay. cool, cool. im sure you're SO normal about trans women and butches. im sure of it

[nightmarish-fallen-angel]

... this is incredibly hurtful and transphobic.

I shouldn't have to detransition to talk about the issues I face because I am transmasc, and implying such is fucking awful. We are not "obsessed with our status as AFABs" (those of us that are). It's not bioessentialist to state that some of us experience misogyny or bigotry relating to our bodies.

And they are literally just calling us "misguided little girls" and saying the TERFS are right (also wild to acknowledge terf rhetoric that primarily targets transmasc/some nonbinary people then... agree with it???)