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gingersnapwolves · 1 month ago

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So today I want to talk about puberty blockers for transgender kids, because despite being cisgender, this is a subject I’m actually well-versed in. Specifically, I want to talk about how far backwards things have gone.

This story starts almost 20 years ago, and it’s kind of long, but I think it’s important to give you the full history. At the time, I was working as an administrative assistant for a pediatric endocrinologist in a red state. Not a deep deep red state like Alabama, we had a little bit of a purple trend, but still very much red. (I don’t want to say the state at the risk of doxxing myself.) And I took a phone call from a woman who said, “My son is transgender. Does your doctor do hormone therapy?”

I said, “Good question! Let me find out.”

I went into the back and found the doctor playing Solitaire on his computer and said, “Do you do hormone therapy for transgender kids?” It had literally never come up before. He had opened his practice there in the early 2000s. This was roughly 2006, and the first time someone asked. Without looking up from his game of Solitaire, the doctor said, “I’ve never done it before, but I know how it works, so sure.”

I got back on the phone and told the mom, who was overjoyed, and scheduled an appointment for her son. He was the first transgender child we treated with puberty blockers. But not, by far, the first child we treated with puberty blockers, period. Because puberty blockers are used very commonly for children with precocious puberty (early-onset puberty). I would say about twenty percent of the kids our doctor treated were for precocious puberty and were on puberty blockers. They have been well studied and are widely used, safe, and effective.

Well. It turned out, the doctor I worked for was the only doctor in the state who was willing to do this. And word spread pretty fast in the tight-knit community of ‘parents of transgender children in a red state’. We started seeing more kids. A better drug came out. We saw some kids who were at the age where they were past puberty, and prescribed them estrogen or testosterone. Our doctor became, I’m fairly sure, a small folk hero to this community.

Insurance coverage was a struggle. I remember copying articles and pages out of the Endocrine Society Manual to submit with prior authorization requests for the medications. Insurance coverage was a struggle for a lot of what we did, though. Growth hormone for kids with severe idiopathic short stature. Insulin pumps, which weren’t as common at the time, and then continuous glucose monitoring, when that came out. Insurance struggles were just part and parcel of the job.

I remember vividly when CVS Caremark, a pharmaceutical management company, changed their criteria and included gender dysphoria as a covered diagnosis for puberty blockers. I thought they had put the option on the questionnaire to trigger an automatic denial. But no - it triggered an approval. Medicaid started to cover it. I got so good at getting approvals with my by then tidy packet of articles and documentation that I actually had people in other states calling me to see what I was submitting (the pharmaceutical rep gave them my number because they wanted more people on their drug, which, shady, but sure. He did ask me if it was okay first).

And here’s the key point of this story:

At no point, during any of this, did it ever even occur to any of us that we might have to worry about whether or not what we were doing was legal.

It just never even came up. It was the medically recommended treatment so we did it. And seeing what’s happening in the UK and certain states in America is both terrifying and genuinely shocking to me, as someone who did this for almost fifteen years, without ever even wondering about the legality of it.

The doctor retired some years ago, at which point there were two other doctors in the state who were willing to prescribe the medications for transgender kids. I truly think that he would still be working if nobody else had been willing to take those kids on as patients. He was, by the way, a white cisgender heterosexual Boomer. I remember when he was introduced to the concept of ‘genderfluid’ because one of our patients on HRT wanted to go off. He said ‘that’s so interesting!’ and immediately went to Google to learn more about it.

I watched these kids transform. I saw them come into the office the first time, sometimes anxious and uncertain, sometimes sullen and angry. I saw them come in the subsequent times, once they were on hormone therapy, how they gradually became happy and confident in themselves. I saw the smiles on their faces when I gave them a gender marker letter for the DMV. I heard them cheer when I called to tell them I’d gotten HRT approved by insurance and we were calling in a prescription. It was honestly amazing and I will always consider the work I did in that red state with those kids to be something I am incredibly proud of. I was honored to be a part of it.

When I see all this transgender backlash, it’s horrifying, because it was well on the way to become standard and accepted treatment. Insurances started to cover it. Other doctors were learning to prescribe it. And now … it’s fucking illegal? Like what the actual fuck. We have gone so far backwards that it makes me want to cry. I don’t know how to stop this slide. But I wrote this so people would understand exactly how steep the slide is.

#personal #transgender issues #politics

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lynzishell · 7 months ago

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The Past 💛 Atlas

I return to the table and set the drink down in front of Asher. He takes a sip and smiles, “Much better, thank you.”

“No problem,” I reply, sliding onto my stool. I try to lift my feet back onto the footrest, but something is off. I glance down curiously. Are our stools closer together than they were before? Subtle, I smile to myself, though the act doesn’t completely surprise me. The energy has shifted between us since we hung out that day in his living room. While it’s true that we haven’t had a chance to really chat much since then, there have been moments when we occupy the same space, when we have the opportunity to be close. He’ll stand next to me in our morning meetings, near enough that if I shift my weight, I can rest my arm against his, so I do. My body instantly relaxes when we’re touching. Sometimes I don’t even realize how much tension I’m carrying until I lean against him and feel it release.

I’d assumed I was probably imagining things, that none of it was intentional on his part. He really is a very physical person by nature, and doesn’t have much of a personal bubble, so it seemed reasonable that I was reading into it too much. But now with the stools, I think maybe it was intentional all along.

I suppose now I have to decide whether to scoot away or stay where I’m at, not that I have to think about it too hard, more just an observation really. Without a word, I move my foot to the footrest on the side of Asher’s stool since it no longer fits on my own.

Realizing that I now have two drinks to finish instead of one, I take a large gulp of my beer, taking a moment to appreciate the warmth in my belly before stealing a glance at Ash who’s gone surprisingly quiet while I chase my own random string of thoughts.

He’s leaning forward on the table, propped up on one hand with the other wrapped around his drink, watching me.

“What?” I ask, suddenly feeling awkward.

“Nothing. You’re cute.”

Normally, a direct compliment like that would embarrass me, but with my anxiety slightly dampened under the weight of the alcohol, I feel relaxed, and I lean forward, matching his posture. My eyes drift down to the birthmark that starts at his jaw and trails down the side of his neck, disappearing into the black of his hoodie. I allow myself a moment to imagine what it would be like to kiss him there. To breathe him in and feel his pulse quicken beneath my lips.

I glance away briefly in an attempt to stop myself before my mind wanders too far in that direction. When I look back at him, the corner of his mouth is turned up into a half-smile that has now become familiar, and the second our eyes meet, he winks at me, immediately breaking my demeanor and causing my cheeks to burn. I laugh and sit up to finish my beer before swapping the glasses in front of me and starting on the one I stole from him earlier.

“That’s never gonna get old, y’know,” he takes a sip of his whiskey and then leans into me, “Okay, so, I’m curious.”

“About what?”

“You actually came out for a drink – which, they all told me you wouldn’t, by the way – but you walked right past everyone and sat back here in the corner. Is it because you secretly hate them all? Or did you just want me all to yourself?”

I can’t help but smile at that last bit, but I sidestep it and answer with a shrug, “Ah, no, they’re all fine. I just don’t like big groups. I get agitated when there are lots of conversations going on at once, and it gets worse when everyone is drinking and loud. It’s why I usually don’t go out with everyone.”

“I see. So, why’d you come out today?”

“Because you asked me to.”

“Aha, you did want me all to yourself!”

“Well, I wouldn’t word it that way. It sounds so… possessive. But, yeah, I guess I did.”

“Well, you’ve got me, so tell me something.”

“Tell you what?”

“Anything. Tell me something about you that I don’t know yet. Something that would surprise me.”

Oh god, he’s really putting me on the spot now, isn’t he? I buy myself some time by taking a drink of my beer and then settle on what feels like the easiest. “Alright, um, I like to rock climb.”

“Ahh, that explains it.”

“Explains what?”

“How you’re that fit when you spend all day sitting at a desk. I was starting to wonder if you live at the gym on eighty-third.”

“Well, I kind of do. I’m at the gym five days a week, and in the mountains every other weekend. I’m training to climb Mt. Komorebi.”

“You are?!”

“Yeah.”

“Like the actual mountain. You’re just gonna climb it.”

“Yes,” I laugh, “I’m going to climb it.”

“With who?”

“Um, my sister and her boyfriend. And Kiyoshi, he’s done it before, so he’s leading us.”

“Well, shit,” he takes a sip of his drink, shaking his head as if he still doesn’t quite believe it, “Okay, yeah, you surprised me.”

“Your turn then.”

“I’m gonna need another drink first. You want one?”

Since I’m training, I’m supposed to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum, but now that I have a buzz, I’m feeling far more relaxed and cheerful than usual, and I want to hold on to this feeling a little longer, so I tell him, “Sure, just one more,” a sentence I’ll likely repeat multiple times tonight if past experience has taught me anything.

While Ash goes up to the bar to get us another round of drinks, I notice that the group of our co-workers is getting up to leave. I can only imagine what they must be thinking or saying about us right now. I couldn’t care less, though. Let them say what they want. A couple of them look over and wave goodbye, so I raise my hand and give a small wave in return.

Ash comes back with our drinks and says goodbye to a few of them before sitting down. Once they’re out of earshot, he nudges my arm and says quietly, “Most of them are intimidated by you, y’know.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Probably because you’re really good at what you do. And you just sit back there all brilliant and serious all the time.”

“But you don’t think I’m intimidating?”

“Nah, I think you’re sweet.”

I give him a small smile, noticing the compliments that have started to pile up. Oddly enough, they feel sincere, and I’m not quite sure what to do with that, but, thanks to the alcohol, the filter between my thoughts and my words has started to dissolve and I say, “I see. So, I’m cute and fit and brilliant and sweet?”

He chuckles softly, looking embarrassed, “Yeah. Yeah, you are. And, as long as we’re keeping track, you’re funny too. Sometimes.”

“Sometimes,” I laugh quietly, more to myself than anything as I remember that first moment we met. And then I look down, down to where I feel his hand come to rest on my leg, the heat of it warming my thigh.

“Is that okay?” He asks, “Do you want me to move my hand?”

I look up into his eyes and shake my head slightly, “No. No, it’s okay.” I lick my lips and watch his eyes flick down to my mouth and back up again, and for a brief moment I think he’s going to lean in and kiss me. Or maybe not. Maybe I imagined it. Or maybe he got nervous and changed his mind. I’m not sure. But, instead, he reaches over and takes a sip of his drink.

As I watch him, it occurs to me that he’s cleverly kept the conversation focused on me the whole time, so I place my hand on top of his, as if to reiterate that I don’t want him to move it, and say, “So, you never told me.”

Looking confused, he asks, “Told you what?”

“Something about you that I don’t know.”

“Oh, that,” he grins up at me, “I won’t be able to top climbing a mountain.”

“That’s okay, it’s not a competition,” I assure him, “It doesn’t have to be anything big or surprising. I just want to learn something new about you.”

His grin stretches wider, reaching his eyes. He pulls the corner of his lip between his teeth, chewing on it as he considers his answer, and I run my thumb over the back of his hand while I wait patiently. Finally, he takes a breath, having made a decision, “Okay. I have an idea for a video game, and I’ve been working on it for the last, I don’t know, three or four years. Storyboarding it and sketching it out, the world, characters, environment, everything.”

“Really?” I ask, intrigued, “Can I see it?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“The thing is, I’m an artist, not a developer. The mechanics and the code, I basically only know enough to make a real mess of things.”

“What about Lex?”

“Yeah, she’s good. But you’re better.”

“Are you asking me to code your game?”

“Only if you want to. If you don’t, that’s okay. But, I don’t know, it could be fun.”

“Well, I can’t agree without knowing anything about it. For all I know, your idea is shit.”

He laughs at that, nodding, “Fair enough. It probably is.” He takes a moment to finish his drink, crunching down on a piece of ice, and then turns back to me, “Okay, long version or short version?”

It’s getting late, but I have no intention of ending the night anytime soon, so I say, “Long version.”

“Good. There is no short version,” he admits, his face is already lighting up the way it does when he talks about things he loves, making me all the more excited to hear this idea of his. “So, when I was in college—”

“Where?” I ask, cutting him off already.

“Oh, um, the Brindleton Bay School of Design.”

“Nice. Okay, sorry, go on.”

“Right, so I was studying architecture for a bit because it was a weak area of mine, and it’s good knowledge to have because you never know what you’re going to be asked to create in gaming, y’know.”

“Is that what you always wanted to do, be a game artist?”

“Not always. When I was younger, I wanted to write graphic novels.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I only ever finished one, though. And once I finished it, I never really got the same inspiration to write another, and then I started getting into digital art and, like, 3D modeling and stuff.”

“Do you still have it? The one you finished?”

“Of course. It’s locked away at my parents’ house.”

“Can I read it sometime?”

“No,” he shakes his head, “it’s, um, too personal. I like you, but I don’t know you that well yet.”

“Fair enough. Anyway, sorry again, you were studying architecture.”

“Yeah, and I got really into it, like obsessed.”

“Like the aspens?”

“Oh, so much more than the aspens. There’s just so much, y’know. It made me want to create these whole worlds that are set in different places and in different time periods, right. And then I wanted to bring them all together somehow, so I got this idea for a video game where you have this character who travels through time in their dreams, to each of these worlds, and each one is like a level with its own story and objective, and they’re each like a piece of the puzzle of the overarching story of this character’s life. And, like, the world they visit in their dreams each night would be determined by the choices made during their waking hours, right, so the story itself can change depending on how you play. And I know it’s a lot, but I know I can design it, I’ll just never be able to make it functional. I’ve tried to learn how to code, but my brain just doesn’t work that way. And now I’m rambling, but I can’t stop talking because now I’m nervous to hear what you think. Actually, don’t tell me yet. Do you want one more drink?”

My cheeks hurt from smiling as I listen to him, completely mesmerized by the passion in his voice, and the way the energy is practically vibrating around him. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like him. And I certainly don’t want this night to end, so I say, “Yeah, just one more.”

Prev // Next

✨I have to give a MASSIVE thank you to @herecirmsims for making the poses for this scene!! They are absolutely perfect 😭 I am always in awe of your talent and creativity, and you've been so lovely and kind, I just adore you! Words cannot express how grateful I am! These boys are so special to me and it means the world to be able to bring these moments to life for them! 💖

#cw alcohol #it's another long one today guys #i just hate splitting these moments up and losing the vibes yknow #but it's the last super long one for a while #i mean.. as long as we agree that super long means anything over 2000 words lol #but i promise we'll be checking in with everyone else next week #i'm just being super indulgent with this chapter and don't want to break it up #i'm sure you understand 💛🩵#also if evan looks like they're giving atlas weird side-eye it's cos they are #someone's jealous #thanks to ww doing what it does best and my brain deciding to make a storyline out of it #it's now a whole thing #but this part is already so chaotic that i can't add in another thing #so i'm just sneaking bits into my screenshots to amuse myself #sorry evan.. you are v sweet but it's not gonna happen babe #n e way i've rambled enough #back to our regularly scheduled tags #ts4 #ts4 simblr #ts4 story #sims 4 #sims 4 storytelling #sims 4 challenge #starsignchallenge #starsignlegacychallenge #gen1 aries #aries pt4 #past #atlas stephens #asher goode

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kerosene-saint · 11 months ago

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me when I fall down a rabbit hole and spend literally over 7 hours reading a first hand account of a horrifying situation and it feels like the pages are never ending and I get so deep into it all that I immerse myself too far and feel like everything is out of control and I'm in the situation that I'm reading and I'm trying to fight tooth and nail to escape a situation I'm not even in but have somehow entered into the mindset of someone who is.

#guys I'm terrified right now and want to scream and cry and everything feels wrong and bad #and on top of this my night schedule got all fucked up and it made me really upset #and i forgot to do my laundry so i don't have any of my good fitting underwear tomorrow #which will leave me feeling like absolute shit #and i already have to ask my youth group leader about a walk out and work a 4 hour shift at a gs cookie booth tomorrow #and i was planning on streaming today BUT I FUCKING RUINED MY ENTIRE DAY WITH THIS #AND I WANT TO FUCKING CRY BECAUSE I WASTED LITERALLY MY ENTIRE DAY TORTURING MYSELF OVER THIS FUCKING THING #AND ALL I WANT IS MY DAY BACK BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO DO SO MUCH #BUT I JUST HAD TO FUCKING WATCH THE VIDEO ESSAY ON IT AND THEN GOOGLE AND I WANT TO THROW UP #tw vent

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cutieln4 · 7 months ago

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PR Problem | LN4 smau

lando norris x reader

summary: in which lando's girlfriend is gorgeous, and he is not afraid to be horny on main

fc: madison beer

yourusername

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yourusername life recently :)

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y/nupdates

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y/nupdates Y/n in her latest photo shoot

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f1wags

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f1wags Y/n spotted in Miami ahead of the race

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username1 looked at myself and sighed

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yourusername appreciation post for my handsome winner💞

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y/nupdates

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y/nupdates y/n in her new music video

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#lando norris #f1 #f1 x reader #lando norris smau #lando norris fanfic #lando norris x reader #smau #oscar piastri #daniel ricciardo #madison beer #max fewtrell #mclaren #formula 1 #f1 smau #social media au #f1 fanfic

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