#it’s an affirmation of her family’s acceptance of her gender identity

[1000dactyls]

We see a lot of trans hiccup (rightfully so!!) But with your t4t hiccstrid post, I'm curious what your thoughts/headcanons on trans Astrid are? (Idk I just feel like we don't see transfem headcanons talked abt enough. I LOVE your art btw)

you are absolutely correct and I’ve been turning over specifically astrid’s coming of age arc in my head for this reason!!!

Something interesting to me is how Astrid lacks the goofy naming tradition of Berk. To me, in part that’s because when she came out as a girl she really wanted to leave her old identity behind including the silly nature of her name… but ‘Astrid’? Now that’s a name worth fearing, that’s a name that sounds powerful, and for people to respect her and her being-a-girl, she needs to have a name worth respecting. she needs to be The Perfect Girl, the perfect warrior, so she trains day and night to become the best shieldmaiden because that’s what her community needs. They need someone who can fight and kill dragons and protect their home

and then all of that gets upended

And now she’s left with… Astrid the girl who is the best shieldmaiden of her age. but what use is that strength now that there’s peace? how does she come to terms with this new identity? With this name and this image that she picked out for herself that no longer needs to exist the way it once needed to?

Something I’m particularly interested in is exploring Astrid’s trans feminine identity in the largely violent, strength-dominant culture that does not need to exist as it once did. this is why astrid cooking in gotnf and episodes like flight of passage are so interesting to me… we get to see astrid express interest in new ideas and struggle with peacetime, but despite that, she’s clearly someone who loves deeply. Astrid loves Berk, she is willing to kill and die for it — now she has to learn to live for it

[pnfc]

here is some train-of-thought writing that came out today while i was thinking about labels/identity for d&p, sexuality and gender.

18+ for (brief) sex scenes, you’ve been warned, door is over there etc

When Perry laid out the realities of his private life to the Flynn-Fletcher family it was not, in his preplanning mind, a gay coming-out. That was like the 9th or 10th layer of the curtain he was pulling away in the grand reveal, a flimsy one attendant in its connection to Heinz Doofenshmirtz and all the messiness he embodied, mortal threats on Perry and tristate domination schemes and more than one cringeworthy viral video.

So it’s sweet and befuddling to Perry when Phineas and Ferb gift him a handknitted rainbow pride scarf for his birthday that year, maybe the last people he’d expect to take that particular tack.

“Phineas is really taking to Home Ec,” Ferb tells Perry as they refill at the coffee table. “I don’t mean to devalue our shared gift in your eyes, but he made that in just half a period, it was his first project. And I think,” Ferb continues in his low voice, as he retrieves the creamer for Perry. “He might be just a little excited to have a gay family member.”

That’s what Perry is, now that he and his connection with Heinz are out for the world to see. He’d never thought of it in those terms before, nor had Heinz used the word to describe their still-new romantic partnership. Perry’s gay and his former nemesis turned agent-partner is now his boyfriend, is the buzz at the office.

Perry thought it might have a welcome insulating effect, word spreading that Agent P isn’t into women, on an official basis this time. But it didn’t stop Agent Lyla from flirting at him, in fact seemed to goad her on, like Perry’s stony indifference to her was funny, fun to poke at. And it didn’t stop women from cooing over him in public, even with the enamel flag pin from Stacy pinned to his hat band -- again, that may have only exacerbated the situation.

But it did spare him from at least one Monogram holiday present, a profoundly haunting OWCA calendar starring female models in states of Christmassy undress, posed with plush animals. He’d yanked it back out of Perry’s hands, with what might have been bashfulness, and muttered “Gotta get a male model calendar for next year, too, so HR doesnt get on my keister. Carl! You’re in charge of the gay one.”

Perry accepted the designation of gay man, even if he didn’t feel it in his bones. It fit on him like a well tailored suit, the rainbow aesthetic was appealing, queer human history was deeply compelling and Stacy et al were so excited to share in his education on the subject, to share a place with him behind the marching banner. It affirmed Perry’s lifelong indifference to the human and non-human women he was assumed to feel attraction for. But it all felt a bit specious, since Perry harbored attraction for one person only. He couldn’t in a century feel for anyone else the way he does Heinz.

Still here he is, a man with a boyfriend, and if the fact that he’s a platypus threatens that definition, that opinion is not possessed by the people in his life who matter. So he’s gay.

Heinz shares Perry’s ambivalence around labeling, but out of a long legacy of experience that Perry lacks, so he’s a refuge in this. “Bisexual, yeah, that was the rage back in college,” he waxes nostalgic to Perry, during their nighttime couch convos. “The only way to be, unless you were a college republican finance major. But there’s pansexual now too, right? And so many flags -- Vanessa’s friends were over here trying to explain it to me. That girl Laci had so many flags on her bag, it was like the Olympics back there. Or like the last 50 years of Drusselstein regional flags from the warring states -- except like, in more colors than just grey and brown. Drusselstein had a serious dye shortage. They finally cut a deal with the Ukraine in 2006 for green, it was a real gamechanger, but it only complicated the flag design wars.”

“…Anyway it was fun to be bi, in the 80s,” Heinz says. He’s sprawled along the couch, Perry sitting against his bare bent leg, idly rubbing a paw around his knee. “Guys really put themselves together back then, they were electric. And if you slapped on enough liner and eyeshadow to partly obscure your weird shaped face maybe one of them would give you his number, if he had enough cocktails. And sometimes that number would even be legit.”

Pausing, Heinz looking up at the lofty ceiling, his head on the armrest. “I don’t know if I am bi anymore, Perry the Platypus,” he says with a note of regret. “Everyone’s just so sad now, so Linkedin and Panera Bread, even the evil scientists of the day are so sexless -- I dunno, maybe I’ve aged out of the crowd. Once I hit 30 it just seemed easier sticking with women. They can be a lot kinder, in my experience. Or at least more liable to pity a guy like me. Plus they’re, y’know, really hot -- trust me on that one, Perry the Platypus. So I dunno if I’ve got the right to be all ‘loud and proud’ just because I knew how to party in my 20s. …At least, I didn’t have the right for a good decade there.” Perry’s smirking across at him, elbow propped on the bend of Heinz’s knee. “You don’t need to give me that look,” Heinz scolds. “I know what you are to me. You don’t need to rub it in. “But, you know what I mean: you outgrow the bi phase, you get married, you work with a lot of cute dancers, accept an arduous future of heterosexual post-divorce dating efforts -- and then you, ah -- meet a very attractive platypus,” he says, struggling because Perry is pressing his hands into Heinz’s thigh, trailing a leisurely path upwards. “And it, uh. Gets confusing. …Oh my god, Perry.” His splayed leg shakes and he props it up on the back of the couch as Perry focuses on worsening the situation in his cotton workout shorts. He told Perry not to rub it in -- that’s always annoying, being told what not to do, what not to rub.

Despite all of Heinz’s wordy equivocating he is loud about Perry’s role in his life, the first to introduce Perry as his boyfriend or himself as Perry’s, though he tends to prefer the word partner, maybe for its alliterative quality. “Yes, Perry the Platypus is my partner,” is the line trod out to whichever party guest, since more often than not Perry is the one who needs no introduction. “And I mean romantic partner, just to be clear, so there’s no confusion. Because we used to be work partners too, and we still are. But we’re an item.” And if Heinz deems the partygoer in question to be sufficiently magnetic and therefore threatening he will follow this up with the even more unnecessary “So don’t even think about it.” Perry should find this more mortifying than he does, probably, except that it’s cut short conversations with a lot of people who turned out not to be worth Perry’s time. Quite efficient, letting your boyfriend trim the homophobic tallow off your social sphere with his blunt-sheared social crudity. More than one social blowout has turned into a furious makeout session back behind the venue, Perry dragging Heinz’s back down a brick wall so he can suck his tongue, so Heinz’s pleas of “Perry we’re parked right over there” muffle into whimpers under a canopy of evening cicada call.

Perry came up in OWCA right when they were transforming their internal messaging, making it superficially friendlier. Some changes were Carl’s well-meaning suggestions that became enshrined. “The agents shouldn’t be shamed out of exploring their natural desires,” was the gist of his plea to Monogram -- Perry retains a fuzzy memory of the scene, he couldn’t have been older than 3 then, was delivering a hot beverage to Monogram’s office as part of his daily duties. “Even the ones who aren’t, um… intact, they still feel things.”

“So we tell them not to. Anything less is insanity. It’s sick, Carl.” He took the heavy coffee from Perry’s hands. Perry’s palms were wet and burning. “The animals need to focus on one thing, and that’s the mission. Lord knows I don’t need to hear about whatever nasty business they get up to back at the zoo, in their off-hours. But we’re dealing with dumb, wild animals, Carl. We need to stamp out all that mating distraction with a vengeance. This is a war, Carl, against evil itself, and they’re humanity's front line.”

But Carl must’ve gotten something through, because the recruits younger than Perry endured less scare mongering around sex, fewer militaristic tirades from Monogram about the primacy of the fight and the evils of carnal temptation. Mono’s coffee mug featured a hula dancer whose bikini vanished at high temperatures -- it had always been difficult to take him seriously.

And one day they’d all been gifted a Carl-designed asexual pride tee, the OWCA logo in purple and grey, and a “Be who you are!” platitude written in Carl’s loopy cursive. This messaging was muddled to say the least. This was a human designation, asexuality, of which Perry had only partial comprehension -- and Carl seemed to be prescribing it to the agents even as his words encouraged free identity. But the design was nice, Carl had a flair for that -- the flag colors were classy and austere, not quite to Perry’s taste where t-shirts were concerned, but definitely suited to Heinz. Except Perry knew even back then that if any human pride flag fit Heinz, this was not it.

He still has that shirt bunched in the bottom of a drawer with the other old employee tees, including one with Carl’s face and chocolate stains on it. Maybe that human designation does fit Perry, in a certain technical sense. In the fall and winter. Seasons when he sits with Heinz watching trashy old 70s flicks that burgeon and bulge with more nudity than the plot demands. “You see how they filmed skin back then, Perry the Platypus?” Heinz will lament. “It’s crazy, her legs are like glowing -- people don’t look like this anymore.” He works himself up trying to explain the magic effect to Perry, while Perry just leans into his side and gazes up at him. Human attraction is cute, defanged like this, watching Heinz helpless in the thrall of some chainsmoking director’s bad movie about a city cop taking down apocalyptic gangs. And just to be mean Perry won’t touch Heinz’s hard-on -- but he’ll touch everywhere else, as the movie plays, nose his bill up the side of his shirt and kiss his hot skin, and he’ll watch Heinz shudder his way to breaking point, whereat he digs himself out of his pants and pulls himself off in a few fast strokes. Perry doesn’t need to get off to enjoy this. It satisfies just like the old thwartings. Perry’s just hitting other self-destruct buttons, on Heinz’s body -- he’s really one big button, if Perry’s honest, and Perry savors pushing it again, and again, and again.

So he could take or leave the labels. He likes that he and Heinz cut a different shape, one that doesn’t slot neatly into a human-made hole. But they mean a lot to the kids, Perry observes, as they grow into high schools and colleges, as they get passionate and motivated, as Vanessa breaks up with Monty and doesn’t look back. And Perry, Perry’s not even a person to so many of the humans he encounters, much less one with an orientation worth caring about. So it’s nice. He carries the cheery rainbow umbrella with the London skyline that Lawrence brought back from across the pond. He wears Ferb and Phineas’s snazzy rainbow scarf, Stacy’s hat pin. It’s not borne deep in Perry’s bones, this identity, but it’s a lovely accent, fortified by the people he loves. No depth required.

Which is why it does not seem too jarring, many years in the future, a decade onward, when his partnership with Heinz looks different. After they’ve danced through years of late night karaoke, hitting up gay bars and the vanishingly rare sapient-animal-friendly club, both of them growing loose and happy in their linkage to each other, holding each other’s hands and feeling the clink-clink of their rings. It was just more playtime for both of them, Heinz bustling around Perry to deck him out in 70s throwback fits with the big cheesewedge collars and migraine stripes, Perry standing tiptoe to zip up Heinz’s dress as he sits craned forward on the floor, holding frizzy wig ringlets out of the way, before Perry smooths his hands out across Heinz’s shoulders and he lets the hair bounce back down.

It’s still play, maybe, until the year that Heinz’s mousy hair is long and shoulder-brushing. Perry lounges in the balcony hammock with one hand trailing on the ground, as he watches Heinz pull it up into a ponytail before tearing into a vintage radio repair, an ongoing collaboration with Lawrence. And something that wasn’t serious now is, because even now, dressed down in oil-stained sweats and a holey tee, with wispy silver hair and no 80s eyeshadow on to obscure her charming face, Perry sees that she’s beautiful.

Perry wants to tell her this, when they’re getting in from an anniversary dinner out. He has the words in his hands, he’s already told her several times, because she needed to hear it those first few staggering attempts to hit the daytime streets in skirts, that she looked right in them, looked cute. Perry says it differently now, as he presses her down into the pillow with a hand, leaning across her skinny torso. Heinz’s natural hair fans the pillow, heat-curled and sprayed for the special night. Perry presses his soft bill to her forehead, trails down to her rouged cheek, further down to her lips, where her plum purple lipstick looks black in the dark. Perry says it with hands down her face, trailing into her soft hair and gripping it tight as she touches him. He says it with clawmarks trailing up her thighs and snapping the net of her tights as he swallows her down, the ritualistic tearing of Heinz’s fabric newly modified into a synthetic cherry pop, and if in the dark beads of blood flower up under his claws Perry licks them too, with love and apology, with a want to get more of Heinz into him. And he says it one more time when she’s asleep and curled around him like the crescent moon, and he reaches in to unhook her earrings, puts them on the nightstand.

Is Perry gay now, when the shape of him and Heinz seems so the same, despite her changes? Well, it’s not the most pressing question. It’s hard enough contemplating how Perry will introduce his girlfriend to his family, when he used to swear up and down the day would never come. But not girlfriend, wife, and not wife, partner -- so he’s circumvented it rather ingeniously, actually, a fact he hopes Phineas and Ferb appreciate. They decide to do it that week, packing the fixed-up radio and a few fresh loaves of zucchini bread, decoratively ribboned, into the truck. Perry helps smooth Heinz’s hair in the driver’s seat, and Heinz smooths her floral skirt down before taking off the brakes. Perry adjusts his hat in the mirror, and judges the scarf around his neck. It still looks cute on him, now flaming more vibrant in hue against the greying fur of his chest. It’s still his boys, hugging around him, all the unrestrained cheesy love they felt for Perry as kids preserved in rainbow yarn. So he wears it, as he and Heinz drive ahead together through the rest of it.

[reasonsforhope]

"While mainstream media increasingly cover violence and legislative attacks against trans people, many scholars and activists worry that focusing just on violence and discrimination fails to capture the full experience of being trans.

Drawing on the success of movements like the Black Joy Project, which uses art to promote Black healing and community-building, trans activists are challenging one-dimensional depictions of their community by highlighting the unique joys of being transgender.

My research on trans parents affirms the reality of trans joy. From 2019 to 2021, I interviewed 54 transgender women — both current and prospective parents — from diverse racial and class backgrounds across the country.

I found that while many have navigated discrimination in their parenting journeys, they also have fulfilling parent-child relationships, often with the support of partners, families of origin and their communities.

Gender euphoria

Scholars and community members use the term gender euphoria to describe a “joyful feeling of rightness in one’s gender/sex.”

It diverges from the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, or a sense of conflict between assigned sex and gender identity typically associated with feelings of distress and discomfort.

Gender euphoria celebrates feeling comfortable with who you are and how you are perceived by the world.

Some people transition with a specific set of goals, while others discover new sources of joy and new facets of their identity over time.

Many of the trans women I interviewed expressed their gender euphoria in relation to their role as mothers. A Black trans woman in her 20s, whom I will call Gloria, experiences joy in being recognized as a mother.

“I love being called Mom. That’s the greatest thing,” she told me. “I love waking up every morning to see [my child’s] beautiful face. It keeps me motivated.” ...

For many trans people, transitioning opens up a new set of possibilities. When I asked Adriana, a trans Latina in her 30s, what it was like to come out as trans, she told me,

“I’ve never been happier. The happiest day of my life was when my daughter was born, and the second happiest day of my life was when I [started transitioning].”

Family and community connections

While some trans people do experience rejection from their families of origin, that is not true for the majority of the community.

In a 2015 national survey of over 27,700 trans adults, the U.S. Trans Survey, 60% of respondents reported having families who are supportive of their trans identity.

Trans women also form chosen families with friends, co-workers and other community members. Relationships with other trans people can have particularly positive effects on identity development and overall well-being, including emotional resilience, self-acceptance and a sense of connection.

Trans community care

In addition to caring for their biological and adopted children, the trans women I interviewed felt a responsibility to take care of their community.

Sometimes this care manifested as parent-child relationships, in which respondents provide financial or emotional support to LGBTQ+ youth.

Maggie, a white woman in her 50s, didn’t know she was a parental figure for her “queer kids” until they tagged her on Instagram to celebrate Mother’s Day.

“Someone might go, ‘Hey, can I stay on your sofa tonight? I’m having a hard time.’ Well, yeah, of course,” she said.

“Or they might hang around the shop [I work at], and only later it dawns on me, ‘Oh, this was the only place they could come and get affirmed and not feel weird.’” ...

Miriam, a white trans woman in her 60s, agreed that she has a lot to learn from younger trans people.

“A lot of my community today, people who I count as family and my beloveds, are not of my generation,” she said. ‘Beloveds’ is the term she uses to describe her platonic loved ones.

“I learn a lot from my beloveds in their 20s and 30s, who don’t have the same baggage I [dealt with] about how I could be and who I could be.”"

-via GoodGoodGood via The Conversation, July 14, 2023

[esor-ogramira]

I've seen a lot of negativity about AMAB nonbinary people, so as an AFAB nonbinary person, here's a familial love letter to all my AMAB nonbinary siblings out there!

I love you AMAB nonbinary people who like having a beard! I love you AMAB nobinary people who prefer to keep your faces clean-shaven! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have hairy chests! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have no hair on your chests! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who shave your body hair! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't shave your body hair! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who developed breasts during puberty! I love you AMAB nonbinary people with flat chests! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are fat! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are slim-built! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are muscular! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't have much muscle tone! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy wearing dresses! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy wearing skirts! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't like wearing dresses! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't like wearing skirts! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy wearing makeup! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't wear makeup! I love you AMAB nonbinary people with long hair! I love you AMAB nonbinary people with short hair! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are balding at a young age! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are over the age of fifty! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are in high school! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are in college! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are trans and no-op and no-HRT! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are trans and no-op and on HRT! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have gotten the gender-affirming surgeries you want but don't want to/can't go on HRT! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are stealth! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are out and proud! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who can't come out/don't want to come out! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy presenting as masculine! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy presenting as feminine! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy presenting as androgynous! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy presenting as gender neutral! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who enjoy presenting your genders as something that confuses everyone who looks at you! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who aren't trans! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't refer to your previous names as your deadnames! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who don't want to change your names! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who've chosen masculine names for yourselves! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who've chosen feminine names for yourselves! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who've chosen gender neutral names for yourselves! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who love your previous names/deadnames too much to change them! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use he/him pronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use she/her pronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use they/them pronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use neopronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use no pronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use any pronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who use all pronouns! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are in high schools that aren't very accepting of your gender identities! (It will get better, I promise!) I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are autistic! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are ADHD! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are schizophrenic! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have dissociation disorders! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are systems! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have personality disorders! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have mood disorders! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who experience psychosis! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who experience delusions! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have learning disabilities! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who have intellectual disabilities! I love you AMAB nonbinary people who are neurotypical!

[saintjosie]

I'm gonna jump in the discourse lol, I don't pass as a trans woman and I don't think I'll care to. But demilypyro was advocating for living as your best self, she happens to be in a country that funded her transition? But other than that she's like poor too. Idk it feels like everyone's just looking for trouble because she was responding to hate with snark

okay people really don’t get this so i’m gonna tell y’all a story. my story.

i’m a trans woman with a fuckload of privilege. i’m pretty, i’m passing, and i have a platform, but most importantly, i had the privilege of starting my transition when i was financially stable on my own in largely supportive environments. and i recognize these things now but i didn’t always.

i started my transition in may of 2020, during the height of lockdown. and at that time, i was working a cushy corporate salaried desk job with full benefits which included both therapy and gender affirming care. i got on hrt quickly, and because of good genes, because masculine asian features are regarded as feminine in western beauty standards, because i’m really fucking good at makeup, and because i was working from home and there was no where to go, i was able to stop boymoding by october of 2020, about 6 months after i started hrt.

and then around that same time, i had another stroke of luck. i made a tiktok about coming out at work, which i did in the most extra way imaginable, and that tiktok went viral. it got 300k views and overnight i went from having 150 followers on tiktok to several thousand. and a less than a year later, that grew to 100k.

that year was rough as hell. i transitioned during a time where going out into the world to find community was impossible. and i lost my job. and i got divorced. and i cut out my family. and because of all of that, i felt like i was doing better than a lot of other trans people. cause i was facing hardships and still doing incredible.

but even so, i was longing for community that would validate and accept me the way that i was validated and accepted online. and so over the next year, i moved across the country three times, something i was able to do only because i was able to afford it

during that year i finally started to get out and meet queer people as the pandemic slowed down. and as i connected with queer and trans people in varying stages on their own journey, i realized the enormous privilege of being able to transition, afford therapy, afford my meds, afford moving to a place where i could find community. i wasn’t just “better at being trans”, i was just luckier than most.

being able to accept being trans is so dependent on having the support structure around you to process what you are feeling. being able to socially transition is dependent on having the people around you who will accept your identity and being in a place where you are able to do so safely. being able to medically transition is dependent on having the physical health and financial stability to do so.

privilege is something that needs to be constantly dismantled within our community because privilege is the main weapon that is used to oppress us.

the fact that this demily person made a snide sarcastic comment doesn’t change the fact that she sought out a person without a following to shit on someone without a following. the inherent privilege of saying something like, “i’m better at being trans” even if she didn’t mean it seriously, shows that she doesn’t recognize the privilege of being in a place where you can learn to accept yourself.

and on top of all that because she’s a person with a following and a platform, the danger of that kind of thinking compounds and is worth calling out.

i’m not misunderstanding her intentions or the context.

you are misunderstanding privilege.

[risingscorchingsuns]

What was hikaru's transition experience in the corps? How did they take his coming out (if that happened)? How easy was it for him to get care (you said shinobu did his top surgery)?

This is a great question! Unfortunately Hikaru being trans is one of the most historically inaccurate parts of his story, if not medically, then definitely socially. I use a lot more modern methods and language because I wanted Hikaru to be trans similarly to how I am. It’s my canon-accurate Achilles Heel 😭

Don’t get me wrong, trans people definitely existed back in the Taisho period!! We’ve always been here, but back then we were recorded a little differently, generally regarded as “women in men’s clothing”, et cetera. I will never deny their existence, and Hikaru being modern with his gender expression isn’t meant as erasure or denial to them, but as an expression of myself via a fictional character. Their existence is real, and valid, and they are no less trans than Hikaru- at the end of the day, he’s my silly little self insert, and I wanted to write his experiences based off of mine. If the focus of Hikaru’s story was his gender journey, I would put more emphasis on the time period and the difficulties surrounding being trans in the Taisho period, but the themes surrounding Blazing Heart’s Rhapsody are acceptance and solace found within family, and love in spite of war. This isn’t a story about trans people- Hikaru just happens to be trans ☺️

Hikaru realized he was a boy very very young, (probably around 6 or 7) and his father, Hiroki, encouraged him to live in whatever fashion made him feel most comfortable. Because Hikaru grew up in the woods with only his father and little brothers, he was never really socialized as a woman or a man- he was just Hikaru, the oldest Eritora child. He likely hit puberty while living on his own in the Sumitomo Forest, but didn’t experience dysphoria until he was found by the Kochos when he was 16. When he was brought into the Corps, Hikaru experienced gender norms full-force for the first time. It wasn’t really that they didn’t support Hikaru being trans, it was more that he didn’t fit. He was Different, and that made him Othered. For the first time, Hikaru was struggling with where he belonged, and that was when he started to really learn the societal importance placed on gender roles. Additionally, Hikaru is neurodivergent, so these norms never made much sense to him logically in the first place. So while he never really had to come out, he did have to fit in, which was difficult for him to navigate. He talked to Shinobu, who in all her medical expertise, gave him the best advice she could. She was the one who helped him hormonally transition, (if she can inject herself with 700x the lethal dose of wisteria without fucking poisoning herself, she can probably make Hikaru’s testosterone. She’s iconic like that I think.) and ultimately it was Shinobu who helped Hikaru figure out where he stood in terms of gender identity. Hikaru is a self-made man in every sense of the phrase, but he couldn’t have done it without the help of those around him.

As for top surgery, I don’t really have a canon-friendly justification for that. Shinobu’s not a plastic surgeon, she’s probably done minor surgeries before, but never anything to the level of gender-affirming surgery. I feel like she’d DIY that shit tbh. She could pull it off. I’d let her do my top surgery. Shinobu says trans rights 🗣️

Thank you for this ask!!! I rarely get to do longform Hikaru analysis :D

[variousqueerthings]

we have always been here: documentaries about trans people

documentaries about trans people, starting in the year 1953. I don't speak to filmic quality or whether or not something is problematic, what matters here is simply the testimony and the stamp of existence (including in those where the subject matter is spoken about, rather than getting to speak for themselves)

(I haven't seen every one of these yet, so some of them have slightly shorter texts to go along with them)

while (as you'll see) most of these are US-based movies, they are from all over the world. I'd be curious about whether there are any focused specifically on the intersection of transness and disability, I don't personally know of any, although of many speak to issues with access to healthcare (for example southern comfort)

all the ones that have links connected to them are watchable for free

some of these can be watched for free on the archive, youtube, vimeo, many could do with a few coins thrown their way: many of the movies, for example the the aggressives can be rented on vimeo, transgender tuesdays is free on youtube but accepting donations for trans women of colour, lotus sports club is doing festivals currently and is accepting donations to support the team and the vulnerable trans (now men) who have had to leave it to find work, call her ganda is accepting donations to support the family's legal costs in bringing justice for their daughter

remember, finding the stories that have been graciously shared is one thing, supporting our community is the next step

glen or glenda (1953): the first known movie about trans people, a mixed-media semi-fictional account (US)

the queen (1968) (US): following drag-queens at a national beauty pageant two years before stonewall, including footage of crystal labeija (US)

change of sex (1979-1999): a five-part series following trans woman julia grant as she tries to access gender affirming care via the gender identity clinic (UK - available on BBC iplayer)

paris is burning (1990): documenting queer people in the ballroom scene, community, competition, and challenges (US)

shinjuku boys (1995): following five young men who work at onabe bars, which cater to women, as they try to make ends meet (Japan)

transexual menace (1996): snapshots of the melting pot of trans life in new york, from famous faces, to protest, including several immigrants to america from columbia, west africa, japan, hawaii, and germany (Germany/US)

you don't know dick: courageous hearts of transsexual men (1997): about several trans men in different walks of life, who chat about their experiences, politics, and history (US)

the brandon teena story (1998): a documentation about the murder of brandon teena, using testimonies from the people involved (US)

southern comfort (2001): follows robert eads in the final year of his life, before he died of initially treatable ovarian cancer (US)

superstar in a housedress: the life and legend of jackie curtis (2004): a portrait of jackie curtis, one of the earliest punk pioneers, by (mainly cis) people who knew her (US)

screaming queens: the riot at compton’s cafeteria (2005): a rare documentary of the time featuring the voices of trans activists, about the pre-stonewall compton's cafeteria riot (US)

beautiful darling (2005): a portrait of candy darling (one of the trans woman superstars of the 60s) from the perspective of the (mainly cis) people who knew her (US)

the aggressives (2005): centered on black studs, mascs, and trans men, and more, exploring the term "aggressives," race and gender, filmed over five years (US)

Jayne County: man enough to be a woman (2005): a performance by veteran punk musician Jayne County and her band (UK/US) (excerpt)

beautiful daughters (2006): following a group of trans women who performed the vagina monologues in 2005 (US)

still black: a portrait of black transmen (2008): a series of interviews following black trans men speaking about their lives, careers, race, and gender (US)

the advocate for fagdom (2011): a series of political testimonies by queer activists, including the punk musician vaginal davis (US)

she said boom: the story of fifth column (2012): a documentary about seminal 1980s queercore punkband fifth column (Canada)

TRANS (2012): following a series of trans people at varying places in their transition, and the people around them (US)

hide & seek (2013): a group of trans people in pakistan speak about their experiences with the language they have access to (Pakistan)

before the last curtain falls (2014): transexuals and drag queens in their 60s-70s touring a show called "gardenias" (Germany)

mala mala (2014): following a number of trans people in puerto rico from all walks of life (Puerto Rico)

queercore: how to punk a revolution (2017): a primer to the history of queercore with interviews of some of the people who created the scene (US)

laerte-se (2017): a portrait of the underrated visual artist laerte (Brazil)

a year in transition (2018): 20 year old arab-american trans man documents one year of going on hormones (US)

call her ganda (2018): the story about the murder of a trans filipino woman named ganda by a us marine and the repercussions (Philippines)

indianara (2019): indianara is an activist fighting for trans survival and rights in brazil (Brazil)

disclosure (2020): going through a history of trans representation in the media (US)

transgender tuesdays (2020): featuring trans people talking about a groundbreaking gender-affirming clinic that opened in the 90s in the san franciscan tenderloin district (US)

prayers for sweet waters (2021): three trans sex-workers who live in cape town discuss their experience during covid (South Africa)

the end of wonderland (2021): follows erotic photographer tara emory as she goes through changes in her life (US)

travesía travesti (2021): the last performance of a cabaret during the chilean revolt of 2019 (Chile)

casa susanna (2022): documentary about the 50s summer retreat for male crossdressers and trans women (US)

la vida es un carnaval (2022): in a rural town, a group of trans women plan the first gay pride during its annual carnival and a bunch of scar tissue comes up (Mexico)

this is not me (2022): two young transmen in iran with supportive families share their daily lives (Iran)

lotus sports club (2022): a football club in cambodia run by trans man pa vann and a safe space for trans boys and lesbians (Cambodia)

nel mio nome (2022): four italian transmen share their thoughts, experiences, and identities (Italy)

the dads (2023): a group of dads of trans kids meet with the father of matthew shepard for a fishing trip (US)

kokomo city (2023): intra-community, celebratory documentary centering black trans sex-workers in america (US)

[thatstormygeek]

It’s the state’s obligation to make sure children in the foster care system are placed with families that will love and care for them unconditionally, and the Wuotis and Gantts were adamant that they were not going to be good parents to certain kids. The Wuotis said they would refuse to affirm trans identities or attend pride parades and gave themselves a “3” on a scale of 1-5 when it came to accepting and supporting an LGBTQ foster child. Katy said she understood what they were going through because she used to have “same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria'“ but “eventually grew out of her discomfort.” (It’s not clearly if she’s confusing that with being a proverbial “tomboy.” She didn’t elaborate in the lawsuit.) The Gantts openly said they don’t think trans people exist: They don’t believe “that gender identity can diverge from a person’s biological sex.” They added that they won’t attend pride parades or use someone’s pronouns if they don’t align with their biological sex. (Why the mention of the pride parades? Because Vermont says caregivers must facilitate access to “LGBTQ organizations and events in the community” if the children request it. It’s telling, though, that these couples think pride parades are the only examples of such gatherings.) Even if the couples are fine in other areas, and they certainly appear to be, the state can’t knowingly place children in homes where they would suffer even more.

ADF’s lawsuit against Vermont paints the two couples as sympathetic figures—the men are both pastors and the couples, we’re told, just hold “traditional religious beliefs about human sexuality”… which is a euphemism for being anti-trans. The same Christians said they wouldn’t stand for kids questioning their biological gender or even adopting hairstyles that didn’t conform to gender stereotypes. Even beyond that, the couples say “they are religiously motivated to share their beliefs about our God-given human nature with their future foster or adopted children—so long as their children are willing to listen.” (Emphasis mine.) While that caveat is important, it still suggests that children who aren’t Christian would be subject to their proselytizing, at least to a point. They’re taking in potential targets, not children who simply need a safe home.

[lokavisi]

Hail and welcome!

Hello! My name is Rory, aka Lokavísi. From what I can tell, Lokavísi is Old Icelandic for "Loki's prince." (Explanation for this name choice is here.) I've been working with Loki since 2020, and shortly thereafter He welcomed me into his family. I've done the most work with His Jotun family, but am feeling a growing connection to Sigyn and their children. Both are lovely families with much to teach us. I also practice rune readings and am spending more and more time learning tarot. I love using these tools to communicate with Deities and just generally seek guidance along my journey. (If you would like a reading' that also would support my wife and I through her gender affirmation surgery process, click here!)

As you may have noticed, I tend to refer to Loki with he/they pronouns. This is just based on how He tends to appear to me, but I fully understand and respect anyone else using any other pronouns to refer to Them. Loki is most definitely one to challenge gender norms and we all have our own experiences with Them. Whatever is right for you in your relationship to Loki is valid and awesome.

Other useful disclaimers:

- Any original posts of mine are my own thoughts and UPG stories. It's absolutely ok if your UPG or opinions are different from mine. I love to hear about other people's experiences with Loki, His family, or any other Norse deities. My experience, or your own, is no more or less "correct" than anyone else's.

- I may make or reblog posts about deities outside of the Norse pantheon. I am a Unitarian Universalist, in addition to being Heathen/Pagan, and have a deep love for pluralism. I am also looking to "shake hands," so to speak, with more deities from other pantheons for this reason. (And because I want to expand my oracular practice. I feel like getting to know the people you'll essentially be a mouthpiece for at times is just good practice lol.) This blog will largely focus on the Norse pantheon, but don't be surprised if you see or hear any UPG about others!

- I think it's also worth noting that I did find my way to this path through my interest in the Marvel characterizations of the gods. Personally, I don't think the Gods mind this too much as long as people are willing and able to move beyond the Marvel interpretations of Them. I also think the Gods can find Their ways into those stories whether the writers/performers even believe in them or not. I am in no way equating Marvel's versions of the gods to the Gods, or Tom Hiddleston to Loki here on this blog. That is simply just not a thing and I will not indulge that idea. We are, however, going to be respectful of people who engage with and enjoy Marvel content, and affirm that said content can still be a part of some people's practice. I sometimes use gifs of Tom-Loki. Just accept that and move on.

- I identify as Lokean and Heathen. As a neurodivergent queer person, I am all about making Heathenry inclusive. Gods call to who They call to, regardless of one's origins, abilities, or personal identity. You are welcome in this space. I will do everything I can to make my little corner of the internet here as safe a space as possible. I understand Loki to care so deeply for humanity, especially the most marginalized of us. If there is anything I post that is problematic or rubs you the wrong way, do not hesitate to message me and talk about it. I want to grow in my understanding and foster community. I take such call outs in good faith, and trust that my posts and responses will be taken in good faith, too. I'm not going to engage with personal attacks or attempts to discredit my personal spiritual experiences. Nazi punks fuck off. ✌️

Thanks for reading this novel of an introduction. Enjoy the blog!

[dressthesage]

Yeah, there is no way in hell I'm voting for Kid-Killer Kamala Harris.

+ She is the one who has been carrying out Biden's shift on border policy, which is to the RIGHT of Trump and the Republicans. Families and kids seaking asylum are STILL getting put in cages at the border, y'all just stopped pretending to care once a Dem was in office.

+ Biden's team has made it clear her position on Israel is IDENTICAL to his. She may have called for a temporary pause and called it a ceasefire, but she will not stop funding the genocide in Gaza. Most every major Palestinian organization in the U.S. has made it clear that they do not agree with those trying to say voting blue is "harm reduction" for Gaza. Democrats are party to a genocide, there should not be an "acceptable amount" of genocide a candidate can be party to and still get your vote.

+Harris's history as a prosecutor is rife with transphobia. She threw trans women in men's prisons and fought tooth and nail to deny them access to gender affirming care.

+ she supported Biden's gutting of food stamps, unemployment, and the child tax credit that threw millions of people off of life saving poverty alleviation programs.

+Harris will also most likely maintain the shift to the right Biden began earlier this year, where they're now saying there are certain kinds of gender affirming care trans youth should not have access to, and that trans kids can be barred from sports in specific instances.

+Harris is a cop through and through. Her history as a prosecutor is full of her targeting poor black moms and locking them up for their kids having a truancy.

+ She backed Biden's inaction on protecting abortion rights. Roe could've been enshrined in the first year of Biden's term if the Dems were willing to get rid of the filibuster but refused! A single executive order could have opened federal land to abortion providers nation wide, protection abortion access even in red states but the Dems refused to act beyond fundraising.

+She backed Biden's push for 100k new cops on the streets of the U.S., and the repression that has been used to target pro Palestine protests since October.

The fundamental issue is that the Democrats are recycling the 2016 playbook. They are offering us a candidate with a HORRIBLE track record on every major issue that they would need to mobilize voters like they need.

They have no program to run on that can offer the people that offers any concessions to mobilize their base. Their only strategy is to threaten us with trump and that DID NOT WORK ON 2016 AND WONT WORK NOW.

You can't win elections just off threatening your enemy, you have to have something to actually offer people. Anyone who comes in these comments screaming about "harm reduction" is a joke because our lives have all actively become worse under Biden because the Democrats have nothing to offer and are not interested in helping people beyond offering lip service! There is no harm reduction when both of the candidates are planning to support a genocide. There is no "lesser of 2 genocides".

We need to build an independent movement, outside of the Democrats and their cynical campaigning that can actually fight for our rights year round, not just when they need our vote. We need to be organizing in the streets, with our community, to not just ask but demand the changes we need and shut shit down if the people in office, Dem or Rep, refuse.

The only campaign and party really speaking to this, and the one I encourage everyone to check out and vote for, is Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia, running for the Vote Socialist 2024 campaign. They've made it clear they don't just want your votes, they want you. They want to bring people into the movement that can actually fight for their rights regardless of who wins the election. They have a program demanding actual change, and are on track to be on enough state ballots that they could actually reach 270 electors!

I highly encourage people to check them out.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Published: Mar 30, 2023

For over a decade, the Gender Affirmative Model has been the standard of care for gender dysphoric youth across the West. Yet, despite its widespread and long-standing use, good evidence to support it remains elusive.  Maybe that’s because there isn’t any.

A new paper reports on results from a survey of 1,655 parents of children who developed gender dysphoria during adolescence or soon after. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend affirming these kids in their new gender, and supporting them along the path to social, medical (hormonal), and surgical transition.

The results of this survey provide strong support for Dr. Littman’s Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) hypothesis, which suggests that gender dysphoria in this group may resolve with time and good psychological and social support, if needed.

Key Findings

Key findings of particular concern are that these children tend to have emotional problems that predate their gender-related issues by nearly four years. Furthermore, children with mental health issues were more likely than those without to have taken steps to transition.  Children who were referred to a gender specialist were also more likely to have taken steps to transition. Parents reported feeling pressured by these specialists to transition their child. And parents reported a decline in their child’s mental health and social functioning after transition.

History of Gender Dysphoria and Standards of Care

About 15 years ago, Western countries began experiencing an exponential rise in adolescents and young adults suddenly developing gender dysphoria and being referred to gender clinics for treatment. Around the same time, a new philosophy on transgenderism began to take root:  Just as there is nothing wrong with being attracted to the same sex, there was nothing wrong with identifying with a gender that did not match your biological sex.  In other words, being transgender is perfectly normal. It is not a mental illness.  If a trans person does have any mental health issues, it can be attributed to the extreme distress of having to live in a body that does not feel right (gender dysphoria), and the stress of living in a judgmental, transphobic world.

Out of this philosophy grew the Affirmative Care Model. This model focused on reassuring (affirming) people that their gender identity was real, normal and natural, and helping them take steps to relieve their gender dysphoria through social, medical (hormonal) and surgical transition. In order to address their social distress from lack of acceptance, much effort is devoted to creating a supportive environment among friends, family, schools and society in general.

Although there was almost no evidence to support it at the time, the Affirmative Care Model quickly became the standard of care in most Western countries.

In 2016, Dr. Littman noticed an anomalous spike in teenage girls suddenly declaring themselves transgender and became concerned.  She conducted a survey of their parents to learn more about this new phenomenon.  Based on what she found, she proposed that a new sub-category of gender dysphoria had emerged, this one sharing more similarities with anorexia and other eating disorders than with the previously recognized types of gender dysphoria.  Dr. Littman described Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) in her seminal paper published in 2018.

ROGD develops suddenly, during or after puberty in a person who would not have met the criteria for childhood gender dysphoria. Most often, these kids are white, highly intelligent and come from well-educated families. ROGD affects mainly girls, and groups of friends often come out as trans together. The influence of social media is believed to play a role. They often have a prior history of mental health issues, developmental difficulties or have experienced a traumatic or stressful event before developing gender dysphoria. A prior history of self-harm and difficulty fitting in with their peers are also common. Sadly, transitioning is not likely to help these kids with their issues as it does not address the root cause.  In fact, it has a good chance of making things much worse.

The ROGD hypothesis suggests that for these unhappy kids, “gender dysphoria” is a catch-all phrase for any kind of distress, and transition is the cure-all solution

Since the publication of Littman’s paper, the ROGD hypothesis has come under fire from proponents of the affirmative care model.  It’s easy to see why:  The affirmative care model is based on the premise that being transgender is perfectly normal. The ROGD model suggests that this particular kind of gender dysphoria – and the desire to transition – is most definitely not normal. It’s a maladaptive coping mechanism.

Unfortunately, there is little evidence to support either hypothesis.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s newest Standards of Care, published in Oct. 2022 admits, “A key challenge in adolescent transgender care is the quality of evidence evaluating the effectiveness of… gender-affirming medical and surgical treatments.” “The number of studies is still low and there are few outcome studies that follow youth into adulthood.”

Testing the ROGD hypothesis presents its own challenges.  In North America, gender clinics are still using the affirmative model as a standard of care, which views taking steps to transition as medically necessary and thus, would be unwilling to test the ROGD model. Further, ROGD has become such a contentious topic at universities that any academic who broaches the subject risks career suicide. Just ask Dr. Littman and Dr. James Caspian.

Survey Results

Concurring with Dr. Littman’s findings, our survey indicates children who are most likely to develop ROGD are of European descent (78.9%), with above-average intelligence. They are also more likely to be female (75%). Their gender dysphoria develops around the age of 14 for girls, and 16 for boys. This may be partly due to the fact that boys go through puberty later than girls.

Their parents are more likely to be progressive and hold positive views towards LGBTQ+ rights.  Frequently, parents went out of their way to make sure the reader understood this when they told their stories. Many had family and friends in the LGBTQ+ community, and some were members themselves. They just didn’t feel it made sense in their child’s case.

A majority of these kids were dealing with mental health issues (57%) that began around the age of 10, well before they developed gender dysphoria, and 42% of them had received a formal psychological diagnosis.  The most frequently-reported issues were anxiety and depression. Self-harm was also prevalent in girls. Attention deficit disorder, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder were reported in numbers higher than the general population.

Very often, these kids had experienced a stressful event before they developed gender dysphoria (72.6%). Some described issues that would be overwhelming even for an adult to deal with, such as the suicide of a close relative, receiving a serious medical diagnosis such as cancer, being sexually assaulted, or being present at a mass shooting. Sometimes, the stress was more mundane, like moving, breaking up with a girl- or boyfriend, or having a good friend turn on them, but the child was having a hard time dealing with it. During the lock downs due to COVID, the strain of isolation was especially hard on these kids.

Parents also reported that their kids were having a lot of trouble fitting in with their peers at an age when being accepted feels like the most important thing in the world. Only about a quarter of parents reported that their child was well liked, and only one third said their kids got along well with other kids.

Parents reported their kids spent an average of 4.5 hours per day on the internet and social media.

When asked whether their child had friends who came out at the same time, 60.9% said their daughters did, compared with only 38.7% of their sons.  The average number of friends who came out were 2.4.

“My daughter used to be so lonely her only friend was her guinea pig. At 11, a girl at school befriended her as did her group of friends. All of a sudden, my daughter said she was bi, then gay, then pan, then poly, then fluid, now trans. Her mental health is deteriorating and the psychiatrists (this is her 6th) seem to push their own agenda and label me transphobic. I KNOW my daughter. When no social group will welcome you and one finally does, you’ll conform to fit in, to not lose the only ‘friends’ you have.”

~Parent of an ROGD Kid

Transition

The majority of the children had socially transitioned at the time parents completed the survey (65.3%), and girls tended to socially transition earlier (age 15) than boys (age 17). In general, parents reported that their children had not started taking puberty blockers or hormones, and surgery was especially rare.

Girls who had friends who socially transitioned were more likely to do so themselves (73.3%), compared with only 39.5% of boys who were more likely to transition if they had a friend who did so.

One very concerning finding was that children with preexisting mental health issues were also more likely to socially transition than those without. This is worrisome, because children with emotional issues may lack the judgment needed to make serious, and sometimes irreversible, decisions about their bodies.

Another troubling finding was that children who received a referral to a gender specialist were more likely to have transitioned. This is especially concerning because 51% of parents who took their kids to a gender specialist also reported that they felt pressured to transition their child.

Effects of Transition on Mental Health and Social Functioning

When asked about the state of their child’s mental health after social transition, they were much more likely to say it had worsened than improved.

Sadly, the change in the quality of the parental relationships also declined, as shown in the table below:

Conclusion

The results of the largest survey to date on gender dysphoric adolescents support Dr. Littman’s ROGD hypothesis. These youth are most likely using “gender dysphoria” to describe general feelings of dysphoria that they have no other name for, and do not understand.  Transitioning will not help them. It can only cause irreversible harm and make things much worse.

Sweden, Norway, Finland, the UK and some States are backing away from the gender affirmative model, citing the lack of evidence and amid the growing number of detransitioners, many of whom are launching lawsuits against the gender specialists who harmed them. (See Ritchie Herron and Keira Bell, Michelle Zacchigna and Chloe Cole.)

Yet here in North America, the United States and Canadian Governments, the American Academy of Pediatrics and most other medical associations, are doubling down on the gender affirmative model.

If they truly want to “do no harm”, then they must follow Sweden’s lead and stop transitioning minors.

==

This should be good news. We have good reason to believe that distress can be resolved by treating the underlying cause, rather than through invasive and irreversible hormones, drugs and surgeries. How can this be a bad thing?

Because it's not about helping distress; if it was, they'd applaud the best treatment that causes the least harm. But it's about using anxious kids as pawns to remake society according to Queer Theory.

[cebwrites]

my second request: I'd love to read any headcanons you might have for ftm katakuri? 🥺❤️

a/n: took me a bit to get around to this but hell yeah i do!! >:D

ftm/transmasc headcanons (Katakuri)

word count: 0.7k

A hypermasculine man who's incredibly secretive and feels like he has to blockage himself up just to hide the "vulnerability" of him eating? Yeah, I can see a few trans hcs for Kat

Kata has an easier time than most on the Grand Line with getting his hrt and gender affirmation surgery just based on the sheer resources Big Mom has alone

He can't help but feel at times it's a performative acceptance though - that oh, he's just another diversity point for Mama's utopia so of course she'd take in his new identity with open arms without fully understanding him or why it's so important

He got a few confused looks from his siblings as well at first, but they got used to it over time; so long as Katakuri played the new role he so desperately wanted as a son with absolute perfection, he was allowed to make the change

I think it's important to note as well considering their age that this smooth transition was partly because Katakuri identified as a binary trans man who got the hormones he needed and "looked the part" post-haste somewhere in his early teens (but having always been described as a 'tomboy' even before that)

So it was easy for his cis peers to wrap their heads around the idea that oh, their brother was just a guy trapped in a girl's body, or some similar false sentiment that a trans person's person wasn't their own

Brulee was the first one to notice, with the help of her devil fruit, just how much her older sibling would avoid mirrors and resent the image reflected back to him, how he'd force himself not to flinch whenever someone got too close to his body but the absolute tension he carried everywhere was obvious

The rumors weren't too ridiculous back then, he was still a boy (with unfathomable expectations of being Big Mom's "best" on his head) allowed to sleep in his own bed, and Brulee was the one who saw just how many times he wanted to sink into it

If there ever was anyone kicking up a fuss about it when they were young, Brulee would be the first one to tell them off - even if it was an older sibling - and the second to jump to Kat's aid was Oven (very much in a "I don't quite understand this but I love you so I'm going to support you regardless" dudebro kind of way)

It was a huge relief to see how much happier Kata seemed after his gender affirming care, although with that did come the heavy burdens of masculinity - further burying his emotions not just for the sake of his beloved family, but also because that's just not what men did and that's how it always was/would be

Katakuri was very obsessive about passing growing up, he'd agonize over his posture, speech, mannerisms, anything to make sure he was walking the walk and talking the talk - where he'd been so desperate to avoid mirrors before, now he was constantly checking them subtly from the corner of his eyes to make sure he was performing his role (masculinity) well

It takes years and Katakuri well into his adulthood to disentangle presentation from identity, he hates to admit it but it's not like he was raised in a vacuum; the prejudices and hypocrisies of Tottoland have seeped well into his bones and now it's up to him to contend with that for his own sake and younger siblings, cherished family, who fall under similar but different umbrellas along the way

So, for a long, long time, he doesn't - Kata believes he has the luxury of simply not thinking about it because he has "more important things" to keep his mind occupied, to keep that nagging feeling that something's not quite right tucked deep in the recesses of his psyche

Times are changing, however, and Katakuri quickly realizes that within this New Era there are more and more people living their lives unrestrained, unbound by the confines of rigid gender stereotypes that he fought tooth and nail to uphold within himself, desperately beat imperfections away in spite of himself to fit the mold he was taught time and again he was supposed to embody

But now he sees that he sees the error in his ways, he's scared, scared of what that means for his identity, scared to face the queer siblings he's unintentionally hurt with these impossible standards, and for the first time in a long time Katakuri finds himself woefully out of his depth

And that leaves him with no choice but to ask for help or get washed beneath the new waves of progress

[bookworms-haven]

JOMP BPC: LGBTQIA+ PRIDE

For Pride month, I figured I'd share some of my favourite LGBT+ books!

Starting off easily, we have Heartstopper!

If you're looking for a heartfelt, uplifting story that beautifully explores LGBTQ+ themes, "Heartstopper" by Alice Oseman is a must-read. This graphic novel series follows the blossoming romance between Charlie, a shy, openly gay high school student, and Nick, a popular rugby player who starts to question his own sexuality. The series is celebrated for its authentic portrayal of LGBTQ+ experiences, capturing the nuances of coming out, self-discovery, and the importance of supportive friendships and family. With its charming illustrations and tender narrative, "Heartstopper" offers a positive and inclusive depiction of young love that resonates deeply with readers of all ages.

Next is Cinderella is dead!

"Cinderella Is Dead" by Kalynn Bayron offers a fresh and empowering twist on the classic fairy tale, set in a world where the story of Cinderella is weaponized to oppress women and girls. At its heart is Sophia, a determined young woman who is in love with her best friend, Erin, and refuses to conform to the rigid societal expectations. This LGBTQ+ inclusive retelling masterfully blends elements of romance, adventure, and social justice, providing a powerful narrative about resistance and self-acceptance. Bayron's novel not only challenges traditional gender roles but also celebrates queer love and the courage to fight for one's truth, making it an inspiring read for anyone seeking a vibrant and affirming story.

For a graphic novel, try The magic fish!

"The Magic Fish" by Trung Le Nguyen is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that seamlessly weaves together fairy tales and real-life struggles, offering a touching exploration of LGBTQ+ themes. The story centers around Tiến, a young Vietnamese-American boy who uses fairy tales to communicate with his non-English speaking mother about his own journey of self-discovery and coming out. This heartfelt narrative highlights the power of stories to bridge cultural and generational gaps, while celebrating the universal themes of love and acceptance. "The Magic Fish" is a poignant and visually stunning work that provides a compassionate and nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ+ identity, making it an essential read for those seeking a moving and inclusive tale.

For fantasy, how about A tale of magic!

"A Tale of Magic" by Chris Colfer is an enchanting prequel to his beloved "Land of Stories" series that weaves a rich tapestry of magic, adventure, and inclusive themes. The story follows Brystal Evergreen, a courageous girl who defies societal norms and discovers her own magical abilities in a world that forbids female magic users. Among the diverse cast of characters, Colfer introduces LGBTQ+ representation through various characters and their journeys, promoting themes of acceptance, self-empowerment, and breaking free from prejudice. With its imaginative world-building and heartfelt storytelling, "A Tale of Magic..." inspires readers to embrace their true selves and champions the beauty of diversity in all its forms.

"But what about sad romance?" I hear you say! How about If tomorrow doesn't come!

"If Tomorrow Doesn't Come" by Jen St. Jude is a profoundly moving novel that centers on LGBTQ+ themes with tenderness and authenticity. The story follows Avery, a young girl grappling with her mental health and the weight of unspoken feelings for her best friend, Cass. Set against the backdrop of an impending apocalypse, the novel beautifully explores Avery's journey of self-acceptance and the courage to embrace her queer identity. St. Jude's writing offers a poignant and hopeful message about the importance of love, connection, and finding strength in vulnerability. "If Tomorrow Doesn't Come" is a touching and inspiring read that celebrates the resilience and beauty of LGBTQ+ identities, making it a must-read for those seeking a deeply emotional and affirming story.

Looking for a graphic novel with trans representation? Take Welcome to St. Hell!

"Welcome to St. Hell" by Lewis Hancox is a powerful and candid graphic memoir that provides a deeply personal and humorous exploration of growing up transgender. Through his engaging illustrations and honest storytelling, Hancox recounts his experiences navigating life in a small town, dealing with the challenges of gender identity, and ultimately finding acceptance and happiness. The memoir captures the struggles and triumphs of transitioning, highlighting the importance of self-discovery, resilience, and the support of loved ones. "Welcome to St. Hell" offers an inspiring and relatable narrative for LGBTQ+ readers, making it a valuable addition to queer literature that encourages empathy and understanding.

And if you want a book without a queer lead: Me, my dad and the end of the rainbow!

"Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow" by Benjamin Dean is a heartwarming and vibrant middle-grade novel that beautifully explores LGBTQ+ themes through the eyes of a young protagonist. The story follows Archie Albright, a young boy who embarks on a colorful adventure with his friends to attend a Pride parade after discovering that his dad is gay. This journey not only strengthens the bond between Archie and his father but also introduces Archie to a diverse and supportive LGBTQ+ community. Dean's storytelling is filled with warmth, humor, and empathy, making the novel a joyous celebration of love, acceptance, and family. "Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow" is an uplifting and affirming read that highlights the importance of understanding and embracing one's true self and loved ones.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lil Kalish at HuffPost (09.13.2024):

Daniel Trujillo’s first month of junior year has been a “cakewalk.” He’s in two different jazz bands and is a member of his school’s chapter of March for Our Lives chapter, a student-led organization promoting gun control. He dreams of studying music in college. But getting there has not been easy for Daniel and his family ― especially in Arizona, where a barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric has threatened their sense of safety. In 2022, state Republicans banned gender-affirming surgeries for minors in Arizona, though those procedures were already rare, and barred trans girls from playing on girls sports teams in schools. (A federal appeals court decision this week stopped the latter law from going into effect.)

Lizette Trujillo, Daniel’s mom, has traveled from their home in Tucson to Phoenix each legislative session over the last six years, taking time off work to testify in opposition to such anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Daniel has joined her on those trips since 2020. “My husband and I are small business owners, and it’s given me the flexibility to devote my life in this really distinct way to fighting the trans legislation in our state. If I clocked the hours of free volunteer time, it’s significant,” Lizette Trujillo told HuffPost. And when they aren’t traveling to the state Capitol, the Trujillo family is focused on cultivating a safe, accepting community in their city. [...] Organizers across the country are sounding the alarm about the high stakes of the November presidential election and the looming threat of Project 2025, the conservative playbook for a second Trump presidency spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation. Project 2025 equates being transgender with pornography, calls for federal government to enforce sex discrimination protections based on the “binary biological meaning of ‘sex,’” and argues that educators and librarians who share materials about trans identity should have to register as sex offenders. In addition, Trump has vowed to roll back Title IX protections for transgender students and criminalize doctors who provide gender-affirming care if he’s reelected. The former president has spent the last few weeks repeating false claims that children are undergoing gender transition surgery at school and without parental consent. This week, he also refused to answer whether he’d veto a national abortion ban. By contrast, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has campaigned on the promise of restoring access to abortion and the “woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.” Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has been a champion of trans rights in his home state.

A forthcoming Supreme Court case, L.W. v. Skrmetti, will decide the legality of Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth. Justices will begin hearing oral arguments next month, and their decision, which is expected next summer, could have sweeping ramifications for the state of gender-affirming health care for trans youth nationwide. Activists argue that the outcome of the election and the court’s decision on gender-affirming care, like its decision overturning the right to an abortion, will affect all kinds of people who are made vulnerable in society. That’s why organizers are working so hard to bring those fights together, under the umbrella of the broader struggle for bodily autonomy — and to do so while also celebrating the beauty of self-determination. Daniel’s story is one of nine about trans and gender-nonconforming young people featured in the American Civil Liberties Union’s new “Freedom To Be” campaign, which launched this week and aims to spotlight two things that advocates say are largely missing from mainstream stories and coverage of transgender youth: joy and intersectional identities. And on Saturday, the Gender Liberation Movement — a new group to help bridge the gap between the trans rights and reproductive rights movements — will hold its first march and festival at Columbus Circle in Washington D.C., one block away from the Heritage Foundation’s headquarters. Daniel and Lizette Trujillo are slated to take the stage at the event, along with trans rights advocate Miss Major and actors Elliot Page and Julio Torres.

“At the heart of this effort is looking at the connections between all of the attacks, particularly from the right, on communities on the margins,” said Raquel Willis, a Black trans activist and writer who co-founded the Gender Liberation Movement with Eliel Cruz, an organizer and communications worker, and others. “We know that restrictions around access to abortion and reproductive justice have been a galvanizing fight for a lot of people on the left, and in queer and trans circles a lot of us have been fighting against restrictions around access to gender-affirming care.” Conservatives often use the same political playbook to target both abortion and trans rights, Willis said.

“The strongest connective tissue between our struggles is bodily autonomy,” she added. Restrictions on reproductive rights go hand in hand with the rollback of LGBTQ+ rights, harsher immigration policy and restrictions on what parts of U.S. history can be taught in schools — and what should be censored, Willis said. Everyone is harmed by anti-trans laws and rhetoric, she added, but especially cisgender women of color and gender-nonconforming women. For example, she pointed to Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, whose recent Olympic win in women’s boxing was heavily criticized by Trump, author J.K. Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk. They falsely claimed Khelif is trans and helped drum up a barrage of online abuse against her.

This past weekend featured a new protest movement called the Gender Liberation Movement that tackles abortion, gender-affirming care, and bodily autonomy.

[a-room-of-my-own]

A bill currently before the California Senate says parents who fail to ‘affirm’ their child’s gender identity should be classified as ‘abusive’.

(...)

Let’s put this into plain English. If your seven-year-old son tells you he’s a girl and you do not instantly treat him as a girl, you could lose him. He could be taken away from you. If your 11-year-old daughter tells you she doesn’t want to go through puberty, and you make her go through it anyway, you could be branded ‘abusive’. Simply for ensuring your child experiences the perfectly natural hormonal transition into adulthood.

(...)

The bill in question is Assembly Bill 957 (AB957). It is ‘aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ youth’, says ABC News, hence why it ‘encourages parents to affirm their child’s gender identity’. ‘Encourage’ is such a slippery euphemism here. When the state threatens to use its extraordinary power to take your children from you, it is doing more than ‘encouraging’ you to affirm your child’s gender identity.

(...)

This bill, if passed, would fundamentally redefine family life in California. It would devastate parents’ rights. Your rights over your children – to love them, to look after them, to socialise them as you see fit – would be utterly contingent on your acceptance of the new state religion of transgenderism. AB957 is best seen as an act of forced religious conversion.

(...)

There are other bills, too. Assembly Bill 665 would allow kids as young as 12 to seek mental-health treatment and other forms of counselling without parental knowledge. Assembly Bill 223 would seal any petition for a gender change filed by a minor – in short, keep a kid’s legal efforts to become a different gender hidden from his parents.

(...)

We need to talk about love. It is not bigotry or phobia or abuse for a parent to refuse to ‘affirm their child’s identity’ – it is an act of parental love. It is a loving parent who protects his or her children from the disorienting and destructive impacts of the gender hysteria.

[coochiequeens]

But no one transes kids. And on a more serious note have the TQ+ so internalized their emotional blackmail of "accept my gender identity or I might kill myself" that when they hear of a minor trying to commit suicide they refuse to consider other issues therefor sabotaging recovery?

By Reduxx Team July 19, 2024

A family from Maryland has accused the Children’s National Hospital of encouraging their autistic teenage son to identify as a “girl.” The biologically male child was then taken from his family’s care due to their refusal to “validate” his transition, and has now been placed in the home of the Hospital’s non-binary “chaplain,” who has connections to Assistant Secretary of Health, Rachel Levine.

The lawsuit, which was filed in March by Maryland couple John Doe II and his wife, states that their 16-year-old autistic son was admitted to the hospital after a suicide attempt in November 2021. Shortly after his admission, the parents allege that hospital staff began to insist their son was transgender, despite the boy never questioning his gender identity before his hospital stay.

According to a press release issued by Partners for Ethical Care, the suit claims that the hospital “intentionally set out on a … program to identify, critique and then rebuke the family’s professed religion… [and] to expressly require the parents to convert to the ‘new Christianity’ by engaging in faith-conversion sessions with the hand-selected [hospital] chaplain not of any of the Doe family’s faith, Lavender Kelley.”

Kelley, a biological female who identifies as non-binary transgender, has repeatedly posted in support of the medical transitioning of children against the wishes of their families.

“I’m so drained from watching children die because their families don’t understand the science of gender or the psychology of coercion or the damage of weaponized religion. And to see government be not just merely unhelpful but outright violating means only more suicides and profound mental anguish to come,” she wrote on Facebook in March 2022, only two months after the family were told in CPS court proceedings that their son would only be allowed home if they affirmed his new trans identity and stopped reading “particular passages” of the Bible at home.

“Even if you don’t agree with gender affirming therapies, please, please, please know that they stave off suicides and give children space to grow up and grow into authentic identity,” she continued in the post. “There’s nothing that’s done in gender affirming therapies for children and adolescents that isn’t 100% reversable [sic] if they change their mind. We’re buying them time to understand the complexities of gender but in a way that promotes psychological growth along the way,” Kelley continued.

Despite her insistence otherwise, “gender-affirming” therapies such as hormone treatment lead to permanent effects.

Prior to being placed directly with Kelley, the boy had been released into the home of a foster carer, one who is alleged to have been a close personal friend of Kelley.

The suit claims that the “foster mother” had a previous assault charge in Maryland, and began “exploiting” the teenage boy by posing him as a female in Instagram photos, despite allegedly writing that he “did not want to be a woman.”

Disturbingly, after being tested for sexually transmitted diseases in the summer of 2022, the boy was once again hospitalized for a suicide attempt.

The suit further adds that the “foster mother” suddenly died, and as a result, the teen was rehoused into the care of hospital Chaplain Kelly herself, where the parents claim he still resides to this day to the best of their knowledge, despite having turned 18 in March of last year.

In another Facebook post from June 2023, during the time period that the suit alleges the boy was living with Kelly, the chaplain and her partner are pictured at an event at the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, with transgender Assistant Health Secretary Admiral Rachel Levine.

Levine has been one of the most vocal proponents of the medical transitioning of children. “Gender-affirming care is life-saving, medically necessary, age-appropriate, and a critical tool for healthcare providers,” Levine said in June 2022. “As a pediatrician, when it comes to making sure kids are healthy and happy, I know how important care that affirms someone’s true identity can be.”

Even though a judge found in August of 2023 that abuse charges brought against the parents by the hospital were unsubstantiated, the parents have not had their son returned to them.

“This is the craziest case I’ve ever had,” said the family’s lawyer, Mr. Amos Jones in March. “I don’t know why there are people who think this makes sense. But I guess lots of people agree with this in Washington D.C. now… There is a sensitive way to welcome and serve families caring for a child struggling with identity concerns. Instead, this hospital decided to disregard the parents’ rights, and the oppression has operated over a period that now spans four years.”