#gowing up trans

[tailsbeth-writes]

Favourite Books of 2024

Tagged by @myheartalivewrites & I can't say no to chatting about books.

If you happen to be on Goodreads or Storygraph, add me. Always like more book pals! In no particular order, here's my faves:

Fraternity by Andy Mientus: this was a dark academia queer treat. If you thought Dead Poet's Society should have been more gay & have black magic, this is the book for you.

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow: I listened to this, started it at the gym... Cue me, crying on the treadmill. This middle grade novel deals with grief and gender identity via letters sent to Mothman.

P.S. Burn This Letter Please by Craig Olsen: If you've got an interest in queer history or drag culture, you gotta read this nonfiction. Pieced together from letters, we hear about the New York queens from the 1950s and the beginnings of modern drag culture as we know it.

Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil & George Williams: This graphic novel is gorgeous, I just really jelled with the style. It's a classic satanic panic story set in 1979, with a wonderfully queer cast.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White: this book is not for the queasy of stomach. This historical novel has been on my TBR for a while but the book club I'm in (Bisexual Disasters Book Club) chose it for October and I'm so glad they did! It follows Silas, an autistic trans man in Victorian London who is being sent to a Sanitarium & Finishing school. There's lots of TWs provided by the author, please do take care.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston: The king of romance does it again! Genuinely my fave McQuiston book (someone cover RWRB's ears) & I was so lucky to get a digital ARC of it. I bought a copy for my birthday I loved it that much & it ended up being chosen for my book club. We were all collectively obsessed with Theo and Kit, the whole tour gang and those pornographic descriptions of food. Can't wait to re-read next summer, hopefully on holiday!

Honourable Mention - The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch: I haven't finished this book yet (over 70% through) but it's been such a joy! It's got holidays, princes kissing, moments of surprising depth and a lot of laughter. If you're a RWRB fan but need something with holiday vibes, you'll love this.

In summary: a very queer reading year (as it should be.)

(Apologies if you were already tagged)

Tag You're It: @taste-thewaste @judasofsuburbia @suseagull5914 @onthewaytosomewhere @run-for-chamo-miles & open tag, I wanna see who the readers are in my feed!

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Gooseberry by Robin Gow

goodreads

B has lived with so many different foster families and youth programs that they have to invent nicknames for them to keep track. Their parents died in a car accident when they were four, and they’ve been moved around ever since. And even though some foster families don’t really get B or why they haven’t picked a new name yet (though B has been grappling with that for a while), B tries their best to stay positive. They try to keep a list of names that might fit, and they dream of being able to live in a home where they could adopt a dog and teach him all sorts of tricks. So when they meet Gooseberry, they know they have to adopt him and give him a loving home. But training a dog isn’t as easy as B first suspected. Gooseberry is anxious and barely even wants to let B pet him. But the queer couple B is staying with, Eri and Jodie, help them to adopt Gooseberry and start training him. Even when Gooseberry snaps and growls, B doesn’t give up. But is this new home enough to change things for good for B and Gooseberry? Moving, heartwarming, and full of hope, Gooseberry is a friendship story classic in the making!

Mod opinion: I haven't and probably won't read this book as I rarely read middle grade novels anymore, but I think this could be fascinating with the right audience.

[headmates-for-you]

hii. it may be a weird request but can we request a "fake anti" subsys? as in like. a subsys to help us to hide the fact that we're rq when we're talking to our anti friends online or when we're in anti spaces. btw we'll pretend as if a lot of the transids and cisids of the host of that subsys are our actually bodily cisids just for the funsies lol.

it'd be cool if the host was on the younger side. and the count of headmates in the subsys is up to you. thank you!!

-⭐️

Name(s): Marshall (subsys host)

Nickname(s): Marsh

Age(s): 13-15

Pronouns: he/him

Gender(s): trans male

Orientation(s): panromantic demisexual

TransID(s): transanti, transrqhater, transgender, transemo, transobsessive, transforgetful, transADHD, transseveriADHD, transautism, transRAADS-Rscore(179/240)

Source(s): brainmade

Paras: antiphilia

Emoji signoff: 🚫💻

Positive trigger(s): online discourse, antirqDMs

Faceclaim: 

Name(s): Rennay

Nickname(s): Renn

Age(s): 17

Pronouns: she/her, he/him, it/its

Gender(s): genderfluid

Orientation(s): achillian 

TransID(s): transanti, transrqhater, transfighter, transOCD, transsociopath

Source(s): brainmade

Paras: sinefaciemphilia, maniaphilia

Emoji signoff: 🚫🥊

Positive trigger(s): rude comments, people starting fights online

Faceclaim: 

Name(s): Soleil

Nickname(s): Sol

Age(s): 16

Pronouns: he/him, it/its, star/stars, glow/gows

Gender(s): stargender, galaxygender

Orientation(s): cupio

TransID(s): transanti, transrqhater, transcrocheter, transartist, transtransgender, transAFAB, transdysphoric, transbeing, transgalaxyorigin

Source(s): brainmade

Paras: astrophilia, antiphilia

Emoji signoff: 🚫💫

Positive trigger(s): crochet, anti spaces

Faceclaim: 

Name(s): Reymond

Nickname(s): Rey

Age(s): 19

Pronouns: he/him

Gender(s): bigender masc

Orientation(s): bi

TransID(s): transanti, transrqhater, transjerk, transasshole, transbitch, transwhore, transharmful, transprogrammer, transproship

Source(s): brainmade

Paras: shotacon, lolicon, fictophilia, zoophilia

Emoji signoff: 🚫🛳

Positive trigger(s): his paras, discourse over paras (especially his own)

Faceclaim: 

Name(s): Dimitri

Nickname(s): Demi

Age(s): 15

Pronouns: he/him, she/her, they/them, it/its, any weirdcore xenos

Gender(s): agender, weirdcoric

Orientation(s): open to anything but doesn’t want to call it pan, masc preferred

TransID(s): transanti, transrqhater, transtourettes, transgenderless, transbeing, transcreature, transbackrooms, transhunted, transparanoid

Source(s): brainmade

Paras: teratophilia, hybristophilia, misophilia

Emoji signoff: 🚫🚨

Positive trigger(s): backrooms, discourse surrounding content creators

Faceclaim:

[lgbtqreads]

hi! i’m looking for some nonbinary/trans books. preferably middle grade, maybe younger YA. queer joy is a bonus!

You got it! There are all MG, with asterisks signifying books coming later in the year:

Trans Boys:

Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Trans Girls:

Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker

Joy, to the World by Lisa Bunker and Kai Shappley

Melissa by Alex Gino

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith (Graphic Novel)

The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio (text) and Jenn St-Onge (illustration) (Graphic Novel)

Nonbinary MCs:

*Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge

Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

*Green by Alex Gino

*The Lonely Book by Meg Grehan

Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon

*Elle Campbell Saves Their Saturday by Ben Kahn

Both Can Be True by Jules Machias (Genderfluid)

The One Who Loves You Most by medina – A

Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensée and K.C. Oster (Graphic Novel)

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo

Spin With Me by Ami Polonsky

Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley

Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass

Ellen Outside the Lines by AJ Sass

Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby and AJ Sass

The Fabulous Zeb Watson! by Kevin Sylvester and Basil Sylvester

The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson

The House that Whispers by Lin Thompson (Amz)

*The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

There is also very significant nonbinary representation in Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff, Twelfth by Janet Key, and A Touch of Ruckus by Ash Van Otterloo.

In younger YA, there's not a ton, but I'd definitely give a shout to the genderqueer paranormal Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve, and I think the trans girl graphic novel romance Cheer Up! could work too!

(If you want all these links on one page, and/or to track ones coming up even further in the future, here's the MG page: https://lgbtqreads.com/middle-grade/)

[brandyschillace]

Join the revolution

Three beautiful autistic/neurodivergent trans women musicians came and stayed with me/us on their way home to Brooklyn, NY from tour. We had an impromptu jam session by the fire (with tea and snacks) and talked about revolution.

I am autistic and non-binary. It’s pretty common really—many neurodivergent people are also LGBTQ, and trans in particular. Because as someone who sees much of human behavior as a performance we have to learn (and mimic), we see the performative aspect of many things. And the masks, and the forced compliance. Most of us also see that gender is fuzzy around the edges. Or that there aren’t edges, at all.

We sang songs and played with my cat and talked about fighting for Justice. We have to be justice warriors, and to make friends across our communities, to stand up against the hard things. But we can do it with story and song and toasty fireside chats. Art is revolution. Books, especially the banned ones, are revolution. Listen to authors and creators who are allies (like Atlantic writer Ed Yong, or @neil-gaiman who openly supports and writes trans characters, or Judy Blume who spoke out against JKR); read books by trans authors like Kacen Callender or poems by Robin Gow, and there are many more. Listen to music by my wonderful friend Mya Byrne (above) who is a star country/blues singer also working on a book for kids. Follow neurodivergent authors (I am one, but there are so many wonderful folk—and several articles and sites that list their work, fiction and nonfiction).

We are all part of the revolution. ❤️

[transbookoftheday]

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

A moving middle-grade novel in verse, about a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman

Halfway through sixth grade, Noah’s best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Lewis was adventurous and curious, always bringing a new paranormal story to share with Noah. Together they daydreamed about cryptids and shared discovering their genders and names. After his death, lonely and yearning for someone who could understand him like Lewis once did, Noah starts writing letters to Mothman, wondering if he would understand how Noah feels and also looking for evidence of Mothman’s existence in the vast woods surrounding his small Poconos town. Noah becomes determined to make his science fair project about Mothman, despite his teachers and parents urging him to make a project about something “real.”

Meanwhile, as Noah tries to find Mothman, Noah also starts to make friends with a group of girls in his grade, Hanna, Molly, and Alice, with whom he’d been friendly, but never close to. Now, they welcome him, and he starts to open up to each of them, especially Hanna, who Noah has a crush on. But as strange things start to happen and Noah becomes sure of Mothman’s existence, his parents and teachers don’t believe him. Noah decides it’s up to him to risk everything, trek into the woods, and find Mothman himself.

[annunakitty]

I've been addicted to Yakuza 0 and I'm so glad that I gave it a shot because it's an excellent game. I've heard that it's the grind-iest of the Yakuza games, but despite that I'm really enjoying it. I love the two main protagonists; Kiryu is a little bit of a dipshit but love that he always tries to do the right thing, and ngl Majima is my fave; I love the whole "scary looking gruff dude" who's actually a complete and total sweetheart thing.

I think what impresses me most is the animations. There are three kinds of rendering going on in the game, which is kinda wild; obviously there's the pre-rendered cutscenes, and there's the general-purpose renderer for most of the gameplay, but then there's a more advanced renderer for non-pre-rendered cutscenes and more closed and intimate scenes, where the animations are just... impeccable. Particularly the facial animations, though this game isn't photorealistic sometimes the way the eyes and skin and mouths are animated they somehow MOVE so real.

I first really noticed it with Majima's boss, Sagawa-sama. The imperfections they gave the textures for his face despite not being photorealistic in rendering, the animating felt like I was looking at a real guy.

Then I got to the Cabaret Club and the "customer service training" (dating sim) you can do with the Platinum girls, and micro-movements in the eyes as they flit back and forth, the way they "smize," the movement of eyebrows when they talk, the way the model's "skin" deforms around the mouth and cheeks when they talk, the way the bottom lip puffs out when they pout or scrunches when they're annoyed, it's like... Almost eerie. It's not in the uncanny vally, but it's so far on the side of realism that it feels like I'm looking at a real person.

I think game devs can learn a LOT from this game's animations. I think the closest I've seen to this quality of facial animations was in Horizon: Zero Dawn, maybe Dad of Boy (God of War), but both of those fell short in various ways. Horizon's characters just had kinda dead eye-d stares, and God of War... Well, GoW's animations were pretty beautiful, and the graphic are better than Y0 in general, but the facial animations didn't blow me away quite like this.

Anyway, that's my Yakuza 0 dump. Play this game.

CW for transphobia, there's a character called "Pleasure King" in Kiryu's story that is a trans woman but everyone refers to as a man with he/him pronouns, and Kiryu treats her as kinda gross. Similarly there's a bartender called Mama-san in the bar Earth Angel who is a trans woman, there's a substory involving her that's kinda gross. It's more than a little sexist, too, but imho makes up for it with how kind and chivalrous the two protags are even.

Honestly I kinda want to write a video essay about the sexism in this game because it's a very interesting blend and contrast of real-world sexism and absurd sexist caricatures, and I think it's worth exploring how Kiryu and Majima navigate that world that is for men while (mostly) genuinely respecting the women around them. It's kinda fascinating

Anyway, bye

[bookishandproud]

Dear Mothman

by Robin Gow

Book Cover Picture

Genre or category

LGBTQIA+

Target Age Group

Pre-K to 6th

Summary

After losing his best friend Lewis, Noah writes letters dealing with the loss to Lewis' favorite cryptid, Mothman. Through these letters, Noah comes to terms with losing his best friend and helps him process his grief and other emotions, while finding himself not only opening up through the letters, but to others around him.

Justification

I chose this book because it features LGBTQIA+ characters and deals with processing really tough emotions like grief. The book has also been nominated for and won many awards for it's representation and style, as it's told in letters and poems. Grief can be a really hard thing to process, especially when you're young and haven't experienced it before, so this book offers a great representation and coping mechanism for processing grief and opening up to those around you that kids learn.

Evaluation

For this review, I will be evaluating style and language, mood, and pacing.

The style of this book is what makes it really stand out. Told through letters and exposition in verse of a grieving trans kid, readers really get a sense of Noah's grief over his friend. Reading his feelings through the letters offers a very deep look into Noah and allows the reader to empathize with him as he processes this grief. The language of the book also represents that of a kid his age, giving a strong voice to the character. The inclusion of a few sketches and drawings in the letters really adds to the development and voice of Noah as a character. The letters, verse, and voice of Noah all weave together, creating a doorway for readers to see inside of his mind and step into his shoes.

Losing his best friend to a car accident and processing the grief from that makes the mood of the book very somber. Noah's letters come from a very vulnerable place of complex emotions that create a depth to the mood. Through the beginning, Noah is heartbroken and melancholic, but as he opens up to the cryptid Mothman, and to others, a little bit of hope and bittersweet remembrance step in and take over toward the end of the book as Noah processes his grief more and more. The letters and verse of the book really set the mood for it, putting readers right into Noah's mind and breaking the wall between reader and Noah, allowing the mood to really seep into the experience of reading the book.

Although the book is fairly easy to read, the pacing of the book is unhurried. The letters and verse exposition, along with the topic at hand, really make the reader stop and sit with the emotions that Noah is feeling. There is a sort of intimate rhythm to reading Noah's letters where moments of grief, self-reflection, and connection unfold naturally. This unhurried pace provides space for readers to process the heavy themes of loss and identity alongside Noah, building a quiet intensity that draws them closer to the character’s journey while allowing for gradual healing and self-acceptance.

Rating: ★★★★★

References

Gow, R. (2023). Dear Mothman. Amulet Books.

[scarletwelly-boots]

Books Read 2023

I read 33 books this year, which is 3 more than last year. I also read 22 graphic novels/comics that I did not factor into the challenge. Not counting those comics, I completed 66% of the challenge. This is my eighth year doing the Popsugar Reading Challenge. Let’s get into it under the cut.

The Famine Plot, by Tim Pat Coogan (a book you meant to read in 2022). I barely remember this book. This book was vindicating to read but it also pissed me off. It’s an Irish history book about the Great Hunger, basically highlighting the conscious failure on the part of the British to relieve the suffering of the Irish during this time and the lack of effort that essentially caused the crisis to become as devastating as it was. Coogan is a very good writer so the book is easy to get through even if you don’t know much about Irish history, but if you’re not really a big nonfiction reader, it might not be the book for you.

How to Be Ace, by Rebecca Burgess (a book you bought from an independent bookstore). This is a graphic novel memoir of the author growing up and discovering she is asexual. It was really interesting, as an ace person myself who also took a very long time to figure it out, to see how similar my experience was to hers. Definitely recommend if you’re ace, think you might be ace, or want to learn more about what it means to be ace.

The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley (a book about a vacation). This was okay. It was a book club book, and there were some things I liked about it, but for the most part I wasn’t impressed. A group of friends makes a pact in college to hold each other’s funerals while they’re still alive to help them appreciate life and the people who care about them while they still have the time to do so. I’m told Guncle was better. I haven’t read that book yet.

The Reckless Kind, by Carly Heath (a book by a first-time author). Really good. Queer and ace and queerplatonic. Three young adults who are sort of outcasted for more than just their sexuality (but that becomes part of it) become a sort of found family in nineteenth (?) century Scandinavia (the country is specific in the book but I don’t remember which it is). Definitely recommend.

Dear Mothman, by Robin Gow (a book with mythical creatures). This was so good! It’s a middle grade book told in verse and partially epistolary. A trans boy (I think he’s in sixth grade) takes to writing letters to Mothman to cope with the death of his friend, who was also trans. It was so good, but honestly I ended the book pissed off that (I’m pretty sure) Mothman isn’t real (irl, I will neither confirm nor deny whether Mothman is real in the book), so I’ll never get to meet him. Highly recommend.

Playing the Palace, by Paul Rudnik (a book about a forbidden romance) Terrible, stupid. Another Red White and Royal Blue wannabe and doesn’t even come close to the original. Just read the original, it’s so much better. He doesn’t even use the Oxford comma in this and it honestly makes me so mad. Do not recommend.

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (a book with a color in the title). Oh my god. I love this book so fucking much, guys. This was amazing, and I did not expect it to be as good as it was. I had been meaning to read it for awhile, but after the end of the Loki show, I needed something queer and vaguely related (as in time travel; Loki is obviously not involved in this book). First, I botched this entry. As you can tell, there is not a color in the title, but the characters’ names are Blue and Red, and the cover (of my copy at least) had a bluebird and redbird on it, so I counted it. This book is so beautifully well written, I was not expecting it to be so lovely. It is the kind of flowing, descriptive writing I strive to do myself. I think I devoured this book in less than a week. It isn’t a very long book, but I’m an incredibly slow reader, so regardless of its length this is still quite the feat for me as an adult with responsibilities and more distractions than I had in school. It is partially epistolary and, as I previously mentioned, queer. It is also (by my interpretation) a fantastic demonstration of the difference between being able to shape-shift and identifying as genderfluid. Highly recommend.

The Daughters of Madurai, by Rajasree Variyar (a book published in spring 2023). Another book club book, but my pick this time. Really good. Dual timelines, following a mother and daughter as they deal with their very different experiences as women in different times and places, and how these experiences impact how they relate to and understand (or misunderstand) one another. Recommend.

Rose Daughter, by Robin McKinley (a modern retelling of a classic). This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and is McKinley’s second Beauty and the Beast retelling. In junior high, I loved Beauty and the Beast and devoured every retelling I could get my hands on. I read McKinley’s Beauty, which was published in the 70s, during junior high, though I don’t remember much of it. This one was very good but very archetypal. This one came out about 20 years after (which I was surprised to note upon double checking just now; I thought the first was in the 90s and this was like 2013). I meant to reread Beauty to compare, since this book also temporarily reawakened my Beauty and the Beast obsession, but I ended up sating that by just watching the animated and live action Disney films, and a very weird semi-stage performance on Disney+ that had been created for the 30th (?) anniversary of the animated film. Recommend (the book, not necessarily the production).

Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe (a book that’s been banned or challenged by any state in 2022). This was so good. This is another graphic novel memoir, this time about discovering you’re genderqueer. Even though the author is genderqueer and I’m genderfluid, the experiences were very similar, and I spent so much of the book hollering, “Me too!” It was really fun and quick to read. Definitely recommend.

In Deeper Waters, by FT Lukens (a book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past challenge). I don’t remember much of this. I think I liked it. It took me way too long to realize it was not just a fantasy book with mermaids but legit like a queer retelling of The Little Mermaid. The boys are very cute with each other and it was a fun read, what I can remember of it. Recommend if you like queer retellings of fairy tales that aren’t necessarily beat for beat retellings.

Erasure, by Percival Everett (a book becoming a TV series or movie in 2023). Book club read, didn’t like it. I felt like the themes were interesting and some of it resonated with me as a writer myself, since the protagonist is also a writer. But he was just so pretentious and unlikeable to me. I have to like the main character in order to get anywhere with a book, and I know that’s kind of looked down upon in the literary world, like just because a protagonist is unlikeable doesn’t mean the book is bad, but I’m here to say I personally think that’s bullshit. I need a buy-in to read your book, and if I fucking hate the guy I have to follow around the entire time, I’m not gonna like your book. Sorry about it. If you like books that make you feel like you’re too stupid to understand them, or you like pretending like you understood a book like that to get one over on people, go for it. The main character is an asshole, the premise says good things but the person who says them is unlikeable so it’s like that meme and I should have just read that meme whose exact wording I forget and moved on with my life.

This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub (a book set in the decade you were born). Another book club read, but this one I actually enjoyed. It’s time travel, which normally I don’t love, and a time loop, which I love even less. But it did a pretty good job of it and kind of rushing through the repetitive parts, which is the main bit I don’t like about this trope. The relationship between the main characters was really great, and I was also laughing uproariously because the main character’s dad is an author, and his first (and for the first run of time, only) novel got adapted into a tv show that is basically Supernatural but time travel. Like eerily similar, like Straub definitely watched at least a couple episodes of the show. Recommend (the Supernatural references are brief and honestly easy to miss).

Self-Made Boys, by Anna-Marie McLemore (a book with a queer lead). Ugh, so so so good oh my god. I think I included this in last year’s even though I wasn’t finished because I needed to talk about it so bad. This is a trans retelling of The Great Gatsby where Nick and Gatsby get together and it’s all I’ve wanted since I read this novel in high school. McLemore does this retelling soooo well.

The Universal Christ, by Richard Rohr (a book with just text on the cover). I had to read this for my class at church. I do not remember it very well. It was kind of about the difference between Jesus the Man and Christ the cosmic entity. Rohr needs an editor is the conclusion we came to. And there were some chapters I wished were longer and some I wished were shorter. If you like Christian books that should be shorter, knock yourself out. Otherwise, maybe avoid.

[Omitted for personal information] (the shortest book on your TBR list). Sorry guys. This book is about murals in my hometown, and I’m not disclosing the title or giving more information about the book.

Imogen, Obviously, by Becky Albertalli (a BookTok Buzzfeed recommendation). This book was so funny. It was like Albertalli followed me around my freshman year of college taking embarrassingly detailed notes and then wrote a novel about it. Imogen is convinced she’s straight as a line (despite years of hints to the contrary) until she meets one girl that completely upsets that assumption. And now you know how I figured out I was bi. Like this story is so scary accurate, down to both my and my ex’s names being included somewhere in the narrative (not as important characters, mostly just mentioned once, but it’s still eerie). I recommend, but I think a really huge reason why I liked this book is because I was cracking up every time Imogen said something I thought as an eighteen year old idiot.

The First Christmas, by Marcus Borg (a book you bought secondhand). Another church class read. This was really interesting. It compared the Christmas story in the gospels and how it ended up in the gospel with the Roman dogma of the time that the Christians were trying to disprove with the mythos of the Christ child. It was a little hard to read as a reformed Catholic, because even though I know the Nativity story isn’t wholly (or at all) accurate, I like pretending that it is and the residual Catholic guilt doesn’t like starting out the discussion with the understanding that the Christmas story is apocryphal. Again, recommend if you like Christian books, but otherwise probably not.

Loveless, by Alice Oseman (a book your friend recommended). This book was really good too. Another book of “I didn’t realize I was [blank], but I fucking should have.” There’s a literal line in it that says “There were signs. I had missed every one,” which I immediately screenshotted and sent to my friend with the caption ME. This time, it’s a college student figuring out she’s ace, which is earlier than I figured it out, but again, shouldn’t be. Same with Imogen, Obviously, I recommend, but it might just be because of how similar to my experience it was that it had me laughing multiple times.

Flight, by Lynn Steger Strong (a book about a family). Another book club book, with a million characters that almost all have at least one chapter from their perspective. It was a little hard to keep the characters straight, but because I have a large family, I think it was a little easier for me because I’m predisposed by experience to keep a bunch of people straight. While they all had somewhat distinct personalities, the way the women related to the men was all kind of the same dismissive, annoyed tendency about everything. I was left wondering for different reasons why the couples were even together. The story was interesting, though. Somewhat recommend?

Good Night, Irene, by Luis Alberto Urrea (a historical fiction book). This book was really good. It’s another book club book. It’s a historical fiction book about women in World War II who made donuts and coffee for the troops as a way to raise morale (it was a real organization apparently, a non-medical branch of the Red Cross). Much of the real-life records have been lost, so a lot of the research the author had to do for the book was through oral histories with women who actually volunteered, who knew his mother when she was part of the group or knew women who knew his mother. The main character is loosely based on his mother, but my favorite character was the other woman that Irene works with, because it’s implied that she is probably queer in some capacity (though she doesn’t really make that clear in the book and her only relationships are with men, but that means nothing). I thought it was really good, but it really doesn’t gloss over the grittier parts of war (which is a good thing, just hard to read at times). Recommend.

Loki: Agent of Asgard, by Al Ewing (a book you think your best friend would like). This is a reread, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t listed it on any Books Read Posts (I didn’t go back to check though). This is the second comic I ever read, and the first comic run I read straight through. It’s so good. It’s what made me really fall in love with Loki as a character and made me like comics. Al Ewing is far and away my favorite comic book writer because of this story, too. I love how he characterizes Loki. This is also the comic where we meet Verity Willis, perfect woman and love of my life and ace icon. This comic is my Loki fan bible. I love it and I don’t care if I’ve already put this on a top ten list, it’s going on the Top 10 this year. It’s been several years since I’ve reread it straight through.

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (a book you should have read in high school). I reread this every year, so if you want more information about it, look at the posts from 2022, 2021, and 2020. I love this book so much. It’s a graphic novel about a genderfluid prince whose masc name is (sort of) my masc name. The category isn’t quite botched, as I do think if I’d read it in high school I might have been able to figure out I was genderfluid (but as mentioned above, I was/am an idiot, so maybe not). However, this book had not been published when I was in high school. Still highly recommend.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman (a book you wish you could read for the first time again). Another reread every year. I’m obsessed with this book. Not sure how many book posts I’ve included this one on, but it’s several. Gaiman is my favorite author, and this book is in part why. I love his retelling of the myths and his characterizations of Thor and Loki (and Freyja as well). The audiobook is the best way to read this book, I think, because it’s read by Gaiman. Still highly recommend.

Family Lore, by Elizabeth Acevedo (a book by an author with the same name as you). Another book club read. I liked this one. It’s magical realism (sort of), following a family where all the women have an ability. Each chapter changes perspective, and there are quite a few characters like Flight, but I liked this book better than that one. Recommend.

Disney’s Treasury of Children’s Classics, by C. Coombs (a book based on a popular movie). This is a very large book with a bunch of Disney films adapted for abridged text (they take out a lot of the film and leave only the main part of the story, so that they can tell the story in 3-4 pages with a lot of the page dedicated to the artwork of the films). The edition I have belonged to my mom, so while it’s been updated a couple times with more recent films over the decades, the edition I have is from 1978. I’ve never read it straight through, so mostly that was the goal with this entry. It’s fine, but it’s faster and more interesting to just watch the movies. I guess the only interesting thing is that since this edition was published in ‘78, one of the stories comes from Song of the South, which Disney will not let you view anymore. It’s a story from the movie rather than the live-action portion, which I think is where most of the racism problems come from (but I’ve never seen the movie, so I don’t know for sure), so the story itself seemed more like an adaptation of a folktale and less racist than those parts of the movie, but I don’t know if I’d necessarily advocate buying this book if you can find one nowadays, if you’re trying to avoid supporting that movie? I don’t know, the debate is complicated, and I’m neither equipped nor do I have the time to get into the nuances of it here. I’m not even sure if you can find this edition anywhere now.

Peter Darling, by Austin Chant (a book that was self-published). Another reread. I love this book. Again, you can find more information about this book in previous posts. This is simultaneously a sequel and retelling of Peter Pan. Peter is trans and gay, and some parts of the book follow Peter as a child to explain how he found himself in Neverland to begin with and why he returned as an adult, but most of the book takes place when he’s a young man, so the ENEMIES TO LOVERS ROMANTIC STORYLINE is a lot less problematic than it sounds when I explain this book incorrectly to people. You know which enemy, you do. Stop grimacing, you were here for the Onceler shit and you at least thought about it. I know you, veteran Tumblerite. Don’t @ me. This is hot, and we’ve both shipped worse things in our time (and probably ship worse things right now). Okay, I’m done being unnecessarily over-defensive about this pairing. Highly recommend.

Point Pleasant, by Jen Archer Wood (a book that started out as fan fiction). All right, veteran Tumblerite, strap in for this. This is a 2012 self-published (I think) Mothman-featured destiel AU. Yes, I read a published destiel fanfic in the Year of our Lord 2023. And I mostly loved it. Guys, it’s Mothman! Destiel! Dean knows he’s gay! Two Cas inserts! Cop Cas! Actually, no, that last one was the only thing I hated. ACAB, including, apparently, Please-Don’t-Sue-Me Cas. His “overprotectiveness” of Dean expresses itself in some really gross ways, to the point that there was a good several chapters where I didn’t want them to end up together. Overall it was pretty good, though. I read this right after Dear Mothman, and it was so fun for how different Mothman is portrayed in both books, like he’s kind of scary in this book. Recommend, if you ship destiel. Just be aware there’s some moments where Cas acts kinda horribly.

The Friend, by Sigrid Nunez (a book with a pet character). Another book club book. I read this in January, so I don’t fully remember this book. I think it was okay, but I was projecting a lot on these characters so it was kind of hard to get through. The main character ends up taking in her best friend’s massive dog when he dies suddenly (it happens I think before the book starts so not a spoiler). It was fine.

Dark Rise, by CS Pacat (the longest book on your TBR list). This was a reread, because I read it when it came out two years ago and then the sequel came out in November and I couldn’t remember much of what happened. This is another of my favorite authors, and I love this book, though I’m really looking forward to the sequel because I’m hoping the boys are going to get closer to getting together this time. She does a lot of enemies to lovers, and this is a trilogy so my guess is they won’t get together-together until the last book, but they’re starting the sequel as a little less of enemies at least, so that’s a positive. This is a dark fantasy that takes place in the Victorian era. If you want more of a description, see the books post for 2021.

Last Summer on State Street, by Toya Wolfe (a book with alliteration in the title). Another book club book. I liked it, but I wasn’t as impressed with this as I was hoping I would be. It was interesting but I was expecting more. The majority of the book is about a middle school girl growing up in the projects in Chicago in the last few months that her building is open, as the entire neighborhood was torn down by the end of the nineties I believe. It’s a novel but I think the author also grew up in this area so she drew somewhat on her personal experience. Sort of recommend? It was okay.

The Hate Project, by Kris Ripper (a romance with a fat lead). I barely remember this one too, but it was okay what I remember. This is a companion to The Love Study, which I read a few years ago. It was another enemies to lovers, which I liked. I did not remember any of the other characters from the other book, so it was like I was reading them for the first time. I’m sorry, I don’t remember enough to give you a summary, but I liked it. Recommend.

Dark Heir, by CS Pacat (A book that comes out in the second half of 2023). I’m still reading this one, but I’ll be done by the end of the year (possibly by the time this goes up. I’m queuing it a few days before posting). This is the sequel to Dark Rise, and I’m loving it. The enemies-to-lovers are interacting more than they did in the first one, and the stakes feel higher because of what was revealed at the very end of the first book. Definitely recommend.

Comics (Not counted in challenge)

Animal Crossing, by Kokonasu Rumba

Marvel Voices: Pride (2022), by Charlie Jane Anders, Andrew Wheeler, Christopher Cantwell, Danny Lore

The Defenders, by Al Ewing

4-7. Loki: The Liar #1-4, by Dan Watters

8. Fence: Redemption #1, by CS Pacat

9. What If…Dark Loki, by Walt Simonson

10-14. The Immortal Thor #1-5, by Al Ewing

15. Guardians of the Galaxy, by Al Ewing

16. Alligator Loki #1, by Alyssa Wong

17. Scarlet Witch #8, by Steve Orlando

18. Loki: The God Who Fell to Earth, by Daniel Kibblesmith

19. Thor and Loki: Double Trouble, by Mariko Tamaki

20. The Mighty Thor #359 (1984), by Walt Simonson

21. The Mighty Thor #353 (1984), by Walt Simonson

22. The Defenders: Beyond, by Al Ewing

My top ten new reads of 2023 will be coming in another post.

[sforzesco]

this has less to do with sulla showing up in caesar's actions or ghosts, but something about building on top of bodies, foundational sacrifices, memory etc. you know.

remus and romulus' foundational violence was fratricide, then lucius junius brutus comes in with filicide, a succession of civil wars leading to philippi, which is the funeral that the empire is built on, and then trajan enters resurrecting the idea of the republic, but it's not actually the republic, it's something else, so that's another displacement.

or maybe! rome is a body, that's a whole thing too! sulla marched on rome, but caesar did it too, and his march on rome is the one that stands out more in popular memory! maybe sulla exists forever in that open wound

The Brothers of Romulus, Cynthia J Bannon

Roman Antiquities, Dionysius of Halicarnassus

The Deaths of the Republic: Imagery of the Body Politic in Ciceronian Rome, Brian Walters

The Defeat of Rome: Crassus, Carrhae and the Invasion of the East, Gareth C. Sampson

Lucan’s Civil War (trans. Michael Fox)

The Memory of Philippi in Horace and the Interpretation of the Epistle 1.20.23, Mario Citroni

Empire and Memory, Alain M Gowing

anyway. it's a bunch of graves on top of each other, civil wars and family murder and foundational sacrifices for the next era all the way down, so people don't die right, they go through funeral actions while they're still alive, sometimes they're doing some kind of necromancy with the republic, but the republic is already dead! it wont come back!! but what if we made something that LOOKED like the republic, how about that! so everyone is alive and dead at the same time, ALL walking in a living tomb.

tldr; it's all very "how many ages hence shall this our lofty scene be acted over in states unborn and accents yet unknown!" served with a side of "Architect Peter Stamatin survives as long as the Polyhedron, the paramount of his creation, survives."

Does Rome ever get rid of Sulla's ghost ?

tbh I don't think rome ever really gets rid of anyone's ghost. the whole concept of rome is one giant grave piled on top of another grave. sometimes people are dead before they've actually died.

[feral-trans-faerieboy]

y'know it's not like I wanted to grow into a bitter adult over topics like church but, growing up queer, and autistic, and not knowing either, wasn't a shield from trauma and abuse and seeing people act like the churches i went to as a kid/adult are better now actually isn't even the work of a single band aid on a hangnail on my pinky.

I was abused by these people (no but like physically at one of them!) and no one wants to simply admit that some christians are in fact evil. it's the lack of accountability, it's the denial, it's the lies they assume will be forgiven, it's the way they'll scroll on by posts by survivors forever

[thisqueerlove]

My list of Queer books.

Now my labeling only has to do with the main protagonist, except for the books labeled "Queer" some of those the main protagonist is not Queer but the book has lots of Queer main and side characters. I only included the first books to make it easier but some of these are series.

The problem with making lists for books is that there's So. Goddamn. Many! New ones are being released every single day so all I can really do is add as I go. I also take recommendations so let me know of books I missed (specify what category they go in please 😊). I could also add specific Sexualities and Genders but right now I'm just doing basic categories because this is going to take time.

MLM:

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

In Deeper Waters by F.T Lukans

So This Is Ever After by F.T Lukans

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston

The Taking Of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice

Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Call Down The Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Zachary Ying and The Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Disasters by M.K England

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

And They Lived... by Steven Salvatore

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzalez and Cale Dietrich

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

The Song Of Achilles by Madeleine Miller

WLW:

A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

The Unbroken by C.L Clark

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Deliah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

She's Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

One Last Stop by Casey Mcquiston

The Girl From The Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

Polyamorous:

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (F/M/M)

The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare (F/M/M)

A Dowry Of Blood by S.T Gibson (F/F/M/M)

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin (F/M/M)

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton (M/F/M)

She Whom I Love by Tess Bowery (F/F/M)

Knell, Mr. President by Lauren Gallagher (F/M/M)

Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylvester (F/F/F)

Midnight At The Orpheus by Alyssa Linn Palmer (F/M/F Poly V)

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi (Multiple Interlinked Poly V's)

The Fell Of Dark by Caleb Roehrig (M/M/M)

Books Of Raksura by Martha Wells

Lifelode by Jo Walton (M/M/F/F)

The Elemental Logic by Laurie Mark (6 person polycule)

The Tale Of The Five by Diane Duane (Group Polycule)

In The Ravenous Dark by A.M Strickland

Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Queer (Books that have characters of many different identities):

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A Song Of Wraiths And Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

The City We Became by N.K Jemisin

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (everything written by them is Queer)

Chef's Kiss by T.J Alexander

The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

The Backstagers and The Ghost Light by Andy Mientus and Ryan Sygh

Once & Future by A.R Capetta and Cory McCarthy

Nimona by N.D Stevenson

Trans/Non-Binary/GNC:

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

The One True Me And You by Remi K. England

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M Johnson

When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callander

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore

Aro/Ace Spectrum:

Loveless by Alice Oseman

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Bardger

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire l

Tarnished By The Stars by Rosiee Thorr

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

The Sound Of Stars by Alechia Dow

Thaw by Elyse Springer

The Ladies Guide To Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee

[hadesbullshit]

I'm trying to watch shamless and i need then to shop beimg so fucking transphobic. constaly, all the fucking time. i know frank is a peice of hsit but that liek his whole thing. feonia is suposed to be likable so I'm gonna need her to stop telling this tran sgilr that shes actaully a boy. like that now how gender works. i was torl a was a gilr gowing up and I'm still a guy. fuck you.

[autistic-dean-winchester]

This is gold why yall hiding this gold in the tags?

there’s something very sweet about the fact that femininity is fascinating to dean. like he always seems transfixed by it. I don’t mean sexually I mean like anything that he mentally categorises as feminine is tantalising to him. and obviously this has a lot to do with his dad forcing him to be the perfect macho son, so as a consequence dean thinks watching certain movies makes you a girl or whatever. he doesn’t have a very coherent definition of femininity aside from “shit I’m not allowed to do” so you end up talking about it in these very coarse and rudimentary terms. and like the sting of dean thinking it’s gay to drink a smoothie is usually soothed by the fact that he WANTS to drink that smoothie so so so bad but the spectre of his father looms large over his life. it’s not so much genuine animus as it is a defence mechanism against punishment from his dad, because deep down dean really wants to just be himself but he can’t. but idk it’s just very endearing watching him privately marvel at what is by all accounts pretty mundane stuff most of the time, like pop music or glittery fabric. he gets that little sparkle in his eye you know

[averytiredbitch]

Funny OC vs OC intro dialogues part1

IT IS FINALLY DONE! AFTER WEEKS OF FUCKING AROUND, I GOT IT DONE!

HERE ARE THE OC VS OC FUNNY DIALOGUES I PROMISED YA'LL

Ombra and Gizem belong to @theelderhazelnut Wuhe belongs to @shadonut Lady Xuna belongs to @bisexualjohnnycage Senna belongs to @solari-needs-therapy (IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO FIND OUT WHO'S OC SHE WAS, THANK YOU @ninibear3000 FOR HELPING ME WITH THAT) Sienna belongs to @loverofthewindgod Doktor and Mesmer belong to @yuvon Tora belongs to @tora-lotus Billie belongs to @maddenedroses and, Nozomi, Michiko, Klaudia, Reiki, Fuyuka, Melantha, Phantos, and Ash all belong to me.

ENJOY! (tw/cw: possible nsfw implications between Mesmer and Nozomi)

Ombra vs Nozomi

Ombra: I have come to see the tall lady.

Nozomi: Are you talking about my mom?

Ombra: … yes-

------

Nozomi: Alright young Metalhead, listen up-

Ombra: But I’m 33...

Nozomi: And I’m ageless, so listen up!

Ombra vs Michiko

Ombra: Let’s play a game!

Michiko: Ok what are we playing? Mahjong? Mancala? Pai gow?

Ombra: I… what?

---

Michiko: Hey! Wanna play another game?

Ombra: Can we please play a normal game!

Michiko: What do you mean? Those are normal games.

Gizem vs Klaudia

Gizem: What happened to your eye?

Klaudia: The same thing that’ll happen to your face if you ask that question again.

Gizem: Ok then. Nevermind.

---

Klaudia: Hey! What are you pronouns

Gizem: They/them.

Klaudia: Thanks. I wanted to roast you, but didn’t wanna get your pronouns wrong.

Gizem vs Reiki

Gizem: What type of fire do you wield?

Reiki: Soul-fire. Why?

Gizem: Great, please burn my soul.

---

Reiki: On a scale of 1-10, what are your gender vibes?

Gizem: -1000

Reiki: SAME!

Wuhe vs Nozomi

Wuhe: I swear I wasn’t slacking off in Earthrealm again.

Nozomi: Mhm. Tell me, how was karaoke?

Wuhe: Oh it was- Hey wait a minute!

---

Nozomi: Where are you going?

Wuhe: Uh, out.

Nozomi: Take me with you. Please!

Lady Xuna Vs Fuyuka

Lady Xuna: How tall are you?

Fuyuka: Naturally 8’3. But I can change my height.

Lady Xuna: And I thought I was tall.

---

Fuyuka: You remind me a lot of my daughter.

Lady Xuna: How so?

Fuyuka: A natural mother type, and a serious force to be reckoned with.

Senna vs Reiki

Senna: Can you please stop suggesting we burn our enemies.

Reiki: No no. I said let me burn your enemies.

Senna: NO!

---

Reiki: My black soul-burning flames are still on the table

Senna: Please stop

Reiki: I don’t know, roasted Shao Kahn sounds really good right now

Sienna vs Melantha

Sienna: You’re a war and nature goddess?

Melantha: And a death goddess too

Sienna: How do you do it?

--- Melantha: Wanna join me on the battlefield?

Sienna: Mmm, I was thinking maybe in the flower fields

Melantha: If you’re able to endure it, I can show you mama’s garden in the Netherrealm.

Doktor vs Reiki

Doktor: There is so much I can teach you.

Reiki: And there is so much I don’t care to hear from you.

Doktor: Reiki, please.

---

Reiki: About your offer of mentorship-

Doktor: Have you come to accept it?!

Reiki: ….MAYBE!

Mesmer vs Nozomi

Mesmer: You look like a sweet raspberry shortcake.~

Nozomi: I’m only 5���3!

Mesmer: And I’m only in the mood for sweets.~

---

Nozomi: I’m about to pull a move from my dad here.

Mesmer: Oh?

Nozomi: You’re a pretty tall lady. Emphasis on the pretty.

Tora vs Phantos

Tora: You’re a stinky fish

Phantos: Cute. But I don’t play kitty.

Tora: I’ll bite you fish boy!

---

Phantos: Well well well, look what the cat dragged in.

Tora: I‘ll drag you back into that muddy bog trap of a home, you outdated, toxic ass, patchwork, reject of nature.

Phantos: Someone needs their claws clipped!

Billie vs Ash

Billie: So what’s your dad like?

Ash: As Kano as he can be.

Billie: Beautiful

---

Ash: You’re cis and Bi

Billie: You’re trans and gay

Ash: Together we are the best of odd friends.

I know they aren't as funny as I planned, but I do hope ya'll like em.

and please do not be afraid to make requests for having your oc interact with mine

@that-one-snake-art @calcium1790 @suga-catt @ninibear3000 @starneko123 @earthrealmclown @rainbowfatality @ghastlyrider @subzerossnowflake @sketchingdead @irrelevant-subjects

you can have multiple ocs interact with multiples of mine. Just give me their bio or a link to where their bio is set up at.

[blackpheonixdemon]

I need to put this somewhere... 😩

I think I am trans.

I am currently 31 years old. I grew up in a generation where that topic wasn't one that was held with respect or curiosity.

I am struggling with accepting this truth about myself even though I would whole heartily support anyone in my social circle if they announced the same thing.

I dont think I can transition. I have huge amounts of psychological trauma from the males in my family and if I transitioned and looked just like them I would gave CPTSD flash backs every time I saw a picture of myaelf or looked in the mirror. This already happens because I look like my mother and sisters. There's also trauma there. So why spend thousands of dollars to also just hate gow I look 🤔 😒 🙄

I would want top surgery.... but my BF has beef with that.

I dont know how to start any of this any how. I feel so lost...

I'm terrified to bring it up to my GP because they have been sketchy in other areas of my medical advocacy. 🙃 I also live in a very conservative province.

I cant afford anything anyways. Poor AF right now.

I feel trapped in limbo and it makes me angry. Non of this should be so taboo and difficult. Sometimes I just think of all the people already doing this and think to myself well I am just a coward. I also think I am terrified that my ex husband would use this to try and take my kids away. I also worry I would loose my privilege of passing as a normal white woman and it'll hurt my kids somehow.

Like I said I live in a conservative province. I dont want or need extra discrimination making life harder then it is. I need to be able to take care of my babies first and foremost.

I think I am forced to put a pause on this till they are adults.

I dont want to wait till I am mid 40s to do something but I dont have a lot of options. That makes me increasingly sad and depressed. But also this world is cruel and unforgiving and also Increasingly unsafe for trans and LGBTQIA2 folks. 😭🥺

Its not fair.