#trans rights aren't a minor difference

[batboyblog]

oh silly liberal me thinking such silly stupid meaningless differences over superficial questions like: "are trans people really humans? and do they deserve to live?" was really important. ha ha ha of course have to keep the eyes on the prize for that worker's revolution that is totally totally coming and will totally be pro-LGBT rights, trust us.

any ways listen to real Unions not people who aren't in a union but shit post about things they don't understand:

AFL-CIO to give Biden the earliest Endorsement in it's History

oh whats that America's biggest labor union to endorse Biden earlier than it's ever endorsed a candidate before? but but... teens on the internet keep telling me Biden is the most anti-Union President ever, the Union buster of the 21st century!

this might be because the White House has been working for the rail union since December (when these people stopped checking the story) and has gotten agreements to sick leave all the major train companies have made deals with the union since the strike failure:

When Joe Biden and Congress enacted legislation in December that blocked a threatened freight rail strike, many workers angrily faulted Biden for not ensuring that the legislation also guaranteed paid sick days. But since then, union officials says, members of the Biden administration, including the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, and labor secretary, Marty Walsh, who stepped down on 11 March, lobbied the railroads, telling them it was wrong not to grant paid sick days.

oh wow look, Union officials crediting the Biden team's work on this very subject wild (the union officials are Artie Maratea, president of the Transportation Communications Union, and Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO)

Joseph McCartin, a labor historian at Georgetown University, said: “It’s a significant set of quiet victories. It shows that it really makes a difference to have a pro-labor president.”

of course, people like the commenter don't want railway workers to get sick time, or anything else. They want a strike! not a strike to win better deals no no no! but for the REVOLUTION! that will totally happen... sometime... and the brave men (and I guess women..) of the working class will rise up overthrow capital! while he sits in his room and posts about it (bravely!)

[catboybiologist]

Yay I'm going to get all Political and angry again.

So pretty much every trans American is probably aware of the Sarah McBride situation at this point, but here's the bullet point summary if needed for anyone else:

Sarah McBride gets elected to the House as the first transgender member of Congress in US history.

Republicans predictably flip their shit. They pass internal rules of conduct that prohibit trans people from using bathrooms of their gender and stating that bathroom use is defined by AGAB. It obviously singles out McBride, but I believe there are trans staffers that are also affected.

McBride issues a statement that she will abide by these rules, and pretty much only use the bathroom directly associated with her physical office. She issues a statement saying she "wasn't elected for bathrooms" and will instead fight in issues that matter, with a milquetoast criticism of Republicans for wasting time on this.

Many trans Americans are predictably scared and disappointed by this, especially because this internal house rule is being used as a blueprint for more extensive laws, including a likely ban on trans people in gendered bathrooms in all federal land and buildings (including, notably for me, national parks. Which breaks my heart, but that's a different rant.)

There's been a lot of disappointment and criticism of McBride over this. The general leftist reaction has been criticism. There's lots of people that have expressed disappointment or rage, including Erin Reed, and also more "personality" type people like Vaush and Jessie Gender.

Now.

I'm disappointed too.

But. And please keep reading before chewing me out for being an apologist.

I think we can all understand that McBride is in an impossible situation. If she fights this too hard, then it vindicates the Republican rhetoric that Dems are crazy trans obsessed leftists. But there's a fear that this will only lead to more infringements of rights for trans people. McBride is completely stuck, and is a junior, freshly elected member of Congress who is trying to figure out how to make her voice the most effective.

I am so, so fucking tired of rights being ceded one by one. So I'm disappointed. But yeah, I understand McBride's statement.

But there's just one tiny. Eeny weeny. Minor. Itty Bitty question having over all of this. Just one little concern.

Where.

The fuck.

Are the rest of the Democrats?!?!?!?

There is a PAINFULLY fucking easy solution to all of this. McBride needs backing, solidarity, and other people to speak for her. If she's worried about her voice being effective, and being branded as the crazy trans representative, then step the fucking up, you spineless liberal slimebags.

AOC is the only one that I know of that has expressed any real opposition or anger. Her statements are getting aaallll the airtime.

But the real story is McBride's sentiment being echoed amongst the entire party. This is absolutely some kind of official platform. The fucking grumbling, milquetoast finger waving and "well I don't like this, but there's nothing to be done! Anyways"

Of fucking course minorites are abandoning the left. The message they're sending is "we'll abandon you with the most pathetic of excuses. We don't give a shit." Trimming groups out of their support one by one.

McBride is doing the impossible calculus of trying to be the most effective on the house floor. It's an insane task for a trans woman. And yeah, she got it wrong this time. But where the fuck is the anger for her cis colleagues? Why the fuck aren't people angry and terrified for everyone that let this shit happen?

As much as people love the narrative of the line wolf resistor, resistance takes coordination, effort, and solidarity. Without that, what would McBride raising opposition even be? One representative against the hundreds of others.

And yeah, of course I didn't expect any better from the Democratic party. But you should be disappointed and mad at your representative, not just McBride.

[dervampireprince]

[dni minors, dni blogs that have no 18+ age listed in their bio] astarion x trans man! reader/tav /// smut, dysphoria comfort, reader's chest is un-described and untouched, reader has a vulva, soft dom top astarion, bottom reader

whenever there's a day when you feel off, wrong, you're hyper aware of your body and how it doesn't feel right to you, he'll notice. perhaps not at first, but the way your posture is different, the way you reject and shy away from his touch, don't flush or scowl at his flirting.

it's late when he decides he has to ask you what's wrong, him not being used to having others to care about, to worry for.

"have i done something wrong?" his voice is quiet and yet it startles you from your thoughts.

"no? no, of course no," guilt festers in you. "i'm sorry."

"there's no need to apologise, darling. as i've been told by someone quite dear to me, there's nothing wrong with not wanting to be touched."

"it's not that. i do, i," you breathe. "i want you to touch me quite badly."

"then i don't understand."

his fingers twitch, wanting to reach for you as your eyes flicker to the mirror across the room.

"when you look at me... what do you see? that is, i mean... you could have anyone you wanted, and i know what you'll say to that. and i believe you. that you want me. i just, sometimes it's hard thinking about the men you've been with, hells just men in general, and then... how they compare to... me. because sometimes, sometimes it's hard to see myself as... as..."

you trail off, aware of your shaking breath, aware of the wetness on your eyelashes, aware that you want to bury yourself against him but find yourself scared.

just as you start to wonder if you've ruined something, his hands hover by your face, not touching, waiting. and so you nod, and his he cups his palms against your cheeks, tilting your head to look at him.

"my sweet boy."

those words and his voice make everything the smallest bit better, you hold back a sob and place your head into the crook of his neck. him calling you a boy both soothing and comforting, but also always slightly arouses you.

"you know i love you? exactly as you are, because of who you are."

"i know."

he raises one of your hands to his lips and kisses it.

"would you let me show you?"

he's not used to being so careful with someone else, not that he hasn't been gentle before but it's never been out of his own desire to cherish the person he's with. but perhaps he can understand, in his own way, feeling disconnected to your own body.

"you're such a handsome man, such a pretty boy. and aren't i ever so lucky. when i was a child i would fantasize about some dashing prince, but i could have never imagined i'd find one like you. you're far lovelier than any dream. you're real. and for some unknown reason managed to see something good in me. you're the most incredible person i've ever met, and i'm going to help you see that."

your shirt stays on if you wish it, as much as he loves every inch of your body, and will continue to regardless of if it stays as it is, or if parts of it change. but he wants you to be comfortable.

he kisses you, trailing down from your lips to your neck, never meaning to get carried away there but always does. you find it hard to mind though as he kisses, teeth nipping but not drinking, leaving faint little marks. he likes leaving marks on you, a reminder that you're here, that you're proud to be with him.

his hands slide down your sides, over your stomach, they pull at the laces of your trousers, sliding them off you legs, leaving your bottom half bare, waiting for his attention.

you flush as he maintains eye contact with you as he slides a hand under your ankle, then down your leg as his mouth moves with it, kissing you calf, next to your knee, up your thigh. and if there's more to grab there, he reveals in it, adoring any curves, your softness. he pauses when he reaches the top of your thigh and chuckles, smirks to himself

"such a sensitive boy, i haven't even touched you anywhere intimate yet and look," you gasped as he glides a couple of fingers between your folds and then holds them up. "already wet for me."

he slides his fingers back against you, teasing around you before thrusting in, curling them upwards as he lowers his head.

"we can'tbe neglecting your cock can we darling? it's straining so hard. and just because it looks different than mine, doesn't make it less of a cock, does it?"

he stays blinking up at you until he realise he wants an answer and you shake your head no.

"good boy, that's right," he purrs and you want to feel condescended, but you just whine, flushing hot, wanting to be good for him, wanting to be his good boy, wanting him to call you that again. "and what shall we do with your pretty cock? shall i suck you off?"

you nod your head, eyes pleading with him and he laughs, not to make fun of you, but because your neediness, your eagerness for him endears him.

"very well then," his lips close around your cock, sucking and suctioning while his fingers continue to stroke inside you, your hands slip into his hair and tug accidentally and he moans around you.

"cheeky boy," he pulls back. "do you wish to come like this or..."

"fuck me," you say, and then. "please? please, astarion, i need you."

astarion always flushes when you tell him you need him. he slides up your body, "i suppose i shouldn't tease, you've been deprived of my touch all week, my poor boy thinking he didn't deserve this. don't worry, i'll fuck you like need."

his cock slips between you, holding you close, kissing your neck, hands stroking your waist as he pushes inside of you,

"that's it, such a good boy. always taking me so well," he loses control of his voice as he fucks you, murmuring praises as his hips snap against you, letting you tug him up to kiss you, pressing one of your hands down into the pillow so he can hold it.

he tells you that you're a good as you both come, he tells you that you're a good boy as you twitch, oversensitive, as he cleans you off, and he tells you that you're a good boy as you drift off in his arms.

[forgotten-daydreamer]

I love how inclusivity is handled in The Dragon Prince, here's why.

In most shows, as much as it bothers me to admit so, some people are right, inclusivity does feel forced sometimes. But it's not the characters' fault, it's not because of them being part of the lgbtq+ community, or being disabled, or being POC, or being strong women who do not conform to patriarchal standards.

It's not that.

It's that the show they are part of is a straight, white, abled parade - and notice, most of said shows won't even pass the Bechdel test.

So yes, in a show written by and aimed to straight, white, abled people, even I, a gay, non-binary, chronically ill person feel weird seeing charcters that are there just for the sake of inclusivity, albeit 'inorganic'.

In a show with the premise of "straight, white, abled men are the indiscussed MCs", seeing that one side-character that stands out and is often ridiculed and/or reduced to a single trait of their 'personality', such as 'the gay one', 'the asian one', 'the disabled one' (etc) is upsetting and feels uncomfortable as hell.

But TDP is different.

They immediately introduced powerful women, people of color, characters that are openly part of the lgbtq+ community, disabled characters etc. And not one of them per 'category', no. For the lgbtq+ community we have Amaya, Janai, Runaan, Ethari, Terry, Kazi. For the disabled community, we have Amaya again, Villads, and even a disabled wolf Ava. For the POC community, we have literally half of the cast, starting from King Harrow, then Ezran, every sunfire elf, Terry as well, etc. Same goes for women, who take up on roles that are rarely considered 'for women', like Opeli being the main member of the High Council, Amaya being the General, Rayla being the main Dragon Guard, Claudia being one of the main antagonists, etc.

Both main and side-characters are part of the communities, everything is so much more organic, enjoyable, thrilling.

We do not come in 'minor quantity'.

We are everywhere, among others, living our lives, doing our best, existing, thriving, proud. It's not just one or two of us among thousands. Surprise, 'categories' can mix! Just like I, a real human being, can be gay, enby as well as chronically ill, we can have characters like that as well! Amaya being lesbian and disabled, Terry being black and trans, Janai being black and lesbian, etc. And, another surprise, 'categories' don't define us. We don't 'shove it' in anyone's face like they say we do, we're just being us and cishets are upset because we don't conform to their sick standards.

Inclusivity is organic in TDP because nobody in that universe questions anyone else's color, gender, orientation, etc. And it's organic because we didn't have to wait half a season to see a black character, or a disabled character, or a gay character.

The key to inclusivity is to realise that we aren't just 'bonuses'. Fill shows and comics with lgbtq+, POC, disabled, and female characters. Not just one every 15, 20 characters. Everywhere.

We are everywhere! We are proud! We deserve to be seen! We deserve to be depicted as the normal people we are, without diminishing our traits but without making them our whole personality either. Treat us like human beings, be considerate like you should be with everyone on the planet of course, but treat us like humans.

Antagonising people who are 'different' (in the mind of straight, white, abled people) will not suppress us. We will keep insisting until you hear us. It's literally one of the main messages, one of the main teachings of TDP and it's so damn important.

Every single person on Earth should watch it. Every single kid should be introduced to TDP at an early age. Every old bigot should watch it, as well. Everybody. Even if it's considered a y7 (y10 for s4 and s5 apparently) show, everyone, no matter their age, should give it a try and watch it thoroughly.

Lots of love to the creators and everyone, literelly everyone involved in the production of one the best, most entertaining, most exciting, most formative shows ever. Please, keep it up! And thank you so much!

[intervex]

Three models of intersex

I made flags to illustrate different models of intersex, in the vein of models of disability.

At top: intersex human rights. The human rights model: intersex people are a minority group whose human rights are being violated. The dove symbol used in the middle of the intersex flag is a common symbol of human rights. Advocacy for intersex rights include creating legal protections for intersex people to ensure bodily integrity, medical autonomy, and anti-discrimination.

Bottom left: intersex liberation (interliberationism). The identity/radical model: there's nothing wrong with being intersex. Like other queer identities, intersex has been unfarily medicalized. Similar to how gayness has been de-medicalized and trans people are working towards de-medicalization, intersex needs to be de-pathologized.

The clenched fist is a common symbol of liberation movements. I posted this flag earlier - I took the fist from a transfeminist symbol, in recognition of the shared struggles between intersex & trans liberation.

Bottom right: intermedicalism. The medical model: intersex is a medical problem in need of treatment (and potentially: cure). The plus symbol is a reference to the transmedicalism flag. I wanna note that every intermedicalist I've met is against IGM and other violations of bodily autonomy. Intermedicalists advocate for better, *patient-responsive* care for intersex people.

The medical model and the liberationist model aren't really seen as compatible.

But the human rights model is compatible with *both* models: whether you understand intersex as disorder or not, intersex people deserve human rights. 💜

(Tagging for archival: @intersexflags @varsex-pride @radiomogai )

[doberbutts]

As seen on FB

Now correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that women's rights is about equalizing the playing field between "man" and "woman" in society?

"No man should get women's rights" I mean... in theory a man already HAS women's rights, as most of the things women's rights are about are about elevating women up to the status men already enjoy?

But then she leads this tirade with calling trans women (who she is misgendering as men don't get it twisted) a minority and claims that minorities destroy what's already built (she's got another comment about how being a white woman puts a target on her back from the liberal mob- scratch a transphobe and a racist appears as always) by... allowing trans women, a self-admitted minority and endangered population, the same rights that women's rights have consistantly said should belong to everyone.

I gotta say I hate the way so many people's feminism has gone. The feminism I remember was "men and women aren't that different from each other, have overlapping experiences, and should be considered equals" and not... whatever this person's point was. "Men shouldn't have women's rights" what... women's rights... are consistantly denied to men... considering the VAST MAJORITY of women's rights are put in place to elevate women to be on the same footing as men...

Outside of the handful of things called "women's rights" when they should be called something else due to affecting more than just women, and even STILL those are things everyone should have access to.

Men shouldn't have women's rights? EVERYONE should have EQUAL rights, Brenda.

This was a post regarding National Woman's Day where she went off about how it should only be for "genetical X/X women" because all the ads she saw for it were "blatantly trans".

[genderqueerdykes]

Could you explain what being detrans is to me? I can’t find anything besides terf bullshit on the matter. I’m probably looking at it incorrectly but I genuinely don’t understand how someone could fake their gender for years and randomly decide to switch back, from my perspective as someone who’s known their (trans)gender identity since toddlerhood.

hello! yes i can!

detrans people are not "faking" their gender during the time they are transitioning. generally speaking, what happens is a person who thought transition was right for them finds out it is not. not every person who wants to transition or takes HRT finds out that it's right for them- there's no way to predict the changes that come with HRT, even if you're familiar with its effects. hormones affect everyone differently, and maybe someone starts undergoing HRT only to find out that it does not give them the effects its looking for.

many people socially transition and find that they do not being addressed the way they thought they would. many folks find that dressing, sounding and acting certain ways just aren't for them. again, nobody can predict what will happen during transition, and nobody can predict exactly how they would feel if they are seen or addressed by a certain way. sometimes transitioning to a gender that doesn't suit them makes them find an appreciation for another gender that they perhaps previously felt dysphoric or neutral about

many detrans people are actually still trans- many of which being nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, multigender, and more. there are so many reasons why someone may transition, some people even detransition to avoid transphobia. some people transition in very transphobic areas and find the pressure too much, and go back to being stealth or closeted. try not to assume that the person is "faking" anything- it feels real to them at the time. just because someone changes their mind does not mean they were faking anything

identity can and does change. i didn't know i was trans until i was 18 or 19 year old. not everyone figures out they're trans during childhood. i had to be told what the word transgender even was at my local college's pride group. i had never heard it before. this doesn't make me any less of a trans person, nor anyone else. detrans people are human just like anyone else. just because someone doesn't figure out their identity right away doesn't mean they're faking anything. just because someone changes their mind after finding out something wasn't right for them doesn't mean they were faking

there is nothing wrong with being detrans. the terves you see online are a small, vocal minority. in reality, i know many detrans people who are still trans or gender non conforming, way more than i've ever met who have detransitioned and become hateful towards trans folk. the topic deserves to be approached with grace, kindness and respect- it may be worth reading into these subreddits, as opposed to using tumblr for this one. these two subs do not allow transphobia, terf or gender critical ideologies:

r/detransition_support

r/actual_detrans

[faelapis]

(gender)-only spaces are not a helpful idea. they are a way to avoid the problems of patriarchy rather than solve them. this is true not only because terfs are shitty non-feminists who don't actually care about women's liberation, but because "separate spheres" type-societies have never actually solved the problems of women's power imbalances, or indeed, the power imbalance of any gender minority. they have often reinforced them.

felix, what brings you to talk about this random topic today?

because i'm transgender and tired. for instance, i'm tired of fellow trans people's half-measures of trying to include us in the "right" sports categories rather than dismantling the idea of gendered sports altogether. i'm even more tired of terfs and other dumdumbs endless crying over the mere concept of sharing such spaces.

if you accept trans people, you should understand that the idea of "vast differences" between men and women is a Lie. there is no reason sports can't be organized along more objective measures, like strength/weight classes, rather than outdated gender models.

if you don't accept trans people, EVEN THEN, you should be critical of this notion that the only way to "save women" is to safeguard them like jewelry in glass cases. it has been tried in many different societies. somehow, it never leads to full liberation for women. unless you think ancient models wherein women were not to interact with strange men was Peak Feminism.

by the way, exclusionary spaces has never saved LGBT+ people, either. at most, its a supposedly "safe space" to vent. but even then, its usually not safe for trans people who either aren't out or don't perfectly conform to gender roles. it has only ever been "safe" for a certain "type" of cis LG person (if you're bi, you're definitely seen as suspect).

anyway, the real way of dealing with misogyny is to dismantle patriarchy and work towards equal socioeconomic power. the real way of dealing with transphobia is to give trans people equal rights and dismantle cisnormativity. both work towards the larger goal of dismantling gendered expectations and discrimination. good talk.

[innermost-memoirs]

Minorities getting representation in media, or even just being, whether that be in public or online, is not "woke" or "catering".

These people exist. It's a basic fact of reality. Step into a busy city centre and you will be surrounded by people of all different races, sexes, genders, religions, nationalities, appearances, and statuses.

The human race is incredibly diverse. Homogeny is non-existent. Trans people, gay people, people of color, and disabled people have always existed and aren't going to disappear just to preserve your fragile comfort.

I find it incredibly ironic that right wingers constantly accuse us of being sensitive, delusional, or attention seeking when they can't even handle the existence of a woman with brown skin, let alone blue hair or pronouns.

[whereserpentswalk]

It’s fascinating that you think trans people’s names come to them like wands in Harry Potter, you can’t just culturally appropriate bc you’re trans

Ok, this is about comments I made like a year ago on a comedy bit. While I stand by my feelings that the bit was bad and transphobic, my reasons why are a lot diffrent.

When I first wrote the comments my arguments were very thermian. I treated the story the comic was telling as if it was real and objective. Which feels right for most people, because stand up comedy is often presented like conversation, where we do treat stories like that as real things. But that's not how comedy works, comedians don't tell stories the way we do in conversation, they're creatives, the stories they tell are basically fictional, the art form might look like real conversations but it's not.

Comedians want to make you laugh, and sometimes want to send a message or make you think about things in a new way, but they have no reason to want to portray events accurately. They might be basing some things off of real experiences, but that's true for everyone, Tolkien might have chosen to explore his experience in world war one in lord of things, that doesn't mean we have to argue about orcs as if they're real entities when we're talking about if those books were racist.

So let's actually look at the skit, and analyze its outlook on trans people keeping in mind its a story that a cis man is telling, and not actual events: So the summery of the skit is that a white trans man comes out to his to his family, and he picked a name you'd expect a black person to have. He has older black relatives (who are implied to fully accept him, which would make him possibly the only trans person on earth with a fully accepting family) who refuse to use this name, and instead call him "the boy". The sketch ends with the comedian saying he should pick a name like Kevin, because even if he's trans he's not interesting (keep your thoughts on that last one).

Now, ignoring how this would play out in real life, what does this as a peice of fiction say about trans people:

First off: it's creating a plausible but unlikely situation where the woke thing to do is to not respect a trans person's identity. A lot of political humor exists to call ideas into question with hypotheticals, and the idea being questioned here is the idea that trans people's identities deserve respect.

Second off: it's creating a situation where a trans person is entitled and arogent for wanting his identity respected. In the fiction this trans person is that. But it's promoting the idea that they are in real life. Transphobes will show you a lot of spooky examples of trans identities that are unreasonable to respect, but that's not useally ever what it's like in real life. (An otherkin robotgirl isn't going to demand you communicate with her through beeps and boops, she probably just wants you not to laugh at her.)

Third off: it's pitting minorities agaisnt eachother. Conservatives love this, but it's super common when people try to convince progressives to a specific group from their advocacy. It shows us a world where trans rights and poc rights are at odds with eachother, in the real world they aren't, in the real world they're part of one larger struggle and diminishing one is diminishing the other. A lot of people do this with different identities, lgb types do it with gayness, terfs do it with womanhood, class reductionists do it with class, trscum do it between trans people. But it doesn't help one oppressed group when you shit on a diffrent oppressed group in their name. It's white conservatives who love it the most when trans people and poc at pit agaisnt eachother, and it's trans poc who suffer the most.

Fourth off: it's feeds into a very old myth amoung queerphobic progressives, which is the idea that queer people are privileged people looking to pose as the marginalized to get special rights. This is a myth we really have to get over, because its been internalized by a lot of people, and we get these hunts for fake minorities. This is why the "you're not interesting" line sticks out to me. Most trans people don't give themselves appropriative names, but trans people as a group constantly get accused of trying to steal other people's struggles. This is a myth that preys on the fact that white skined white colar queer people are more visible, and its one that is based on treating that disparity in visibility as a fact. We have to cut this out, nobody fakes minority status to get privileges because minorities aren't privileged. It's not true for queer people, even the queer people other queer people hate like bi people and ace people. It's not true about mentally ill and ND people, or converts to non Christian religions, or East Asian people, or anyone who gets accused of this. Stop it dearly.

Fifth off: this entire sketch is based in the idea that families can accept their trans kids, but only conditionally, only if they prove themselves to be doing it for the right reasons, and they please their family's whims. This is a transphobic idea, it's a transphobic idea most neolibs hold. Comedy bits are a lot like story books (no shade at either) where a problem is presented at the beginning, and a solution at the end, that the audience is expected to take for their own problems. And the solution here is a form of transphobia, the idea that trans people aren't owned acceptance, they need to earn it. I've seen a lot of trans people tormented by their families over that idea. And when a person of color goes and stage and wraps that idea in racial justice, it's young trans poc who get hurt by it the most.

Sixth off: not a huge point, but I feel like a cis black man, of all cis people, should be the most likely to understand that calling a trans man a boy is dehumanizing and insulting. I guess this goes to show he's not interested in thinking about how trans people's struggles are like his, he stands alongside a lot of marginalized trans people there.

Finally I kind of don't know how to end this. This is long. Really long. I don't know whose going to read this, because its a lot. Hopefully you got a bit of media literacy from reading all of this. Early on in my tumblr career, when I had just moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan, I had read an essay by @wifelinkmtg about a concept called the ditch. The idea was we often argue about media wrong, talking about things in hyper literal cannon obsessed terms, and that was the ditch, the ditch we dig for ourselves when we ignore things like themes and audience experiences. Hopefully this series of words dug less of a ditch than my words did a year ago. Sorry I don't have the actual sketch on hand. Mabye I'm wrong, but if someone wants to prove me wrong I'd rather they do it outside of a ditch. Mabye the ask wasn't even about that post. Mabye I'm tired. Maybe you should be tired too.

Sorry for the long post. Media literacy matters. Black trans lives matter. Goodbye, enjoy your night well.

[damnfandomproblems]

5961 763688457666265088

Anon, you just don't get it. What right do you have to judge someone based on their interests?

Someone liking or writing mostly het pairings does not mean they are homophobic. That's just what they're interested in.

Someone liking or writing mostly mlm pairings does not mean they are fetishizing gay people. That's just what they're interested in.

Someone liking or writing mostly wlw pairings does not mean they are homophobic, though I have noticed that they don't get accused of being a misandrist for doing so. Strange.

Someone you accuse of liking mostly 'white characters' could be POC themselves or the characters in question could be Japanese anime characters or Asian characters, because a lot of SJW types love lumping Asians in with white people. Not to mention that the vast continent of Europe, with it's many different cultures, are all white Americans/English, too. The only POCs that count are those with a certain skin color apparently.

For every post bashing a female character, there is a post shitting on a male character. And there is a radfem making posts insinuating that anyone liking male characters is sexist. That's Tumblr for you.

And stop accusing people of internalizing whatever. That's patronizing, gaslighting bullshit.

Are there people who are like what you accuse? Of course. But they are the minority. The vast majority are just enjoying themselves. No conspiracies involved. Take off your tin foil hat and let people be.

Trans people aren't suffering from internal transphobia for liking mostly 'cis' characters.

Gay people aren't suffering from internal homophobia for liking mostly 'straight' or het characters or pairings.

POCs aren't suffering from internal racism for liking mostly 'white' characters.

And women aren't suffering from internal misogyny for liking mostly male characters.

It's that simple.

Posting as a response to a previous ask.

[llyfrenfys]

Some really good notes from my post courtesy of @margridarnauds about that person accidentally using a white nationalist slogan to support the Welsh language:

I know someone who is doing a PhD on the Far Right and the co-option of cultural movements and these tags are bang on. Its the difference between a healthy nationalism and an unhealthy nationalism. A lot of this goes for Irish nationalism as well as it does for Welsh nationalism.

There's nothing wrong with (and arguably a lot right with) minority language preservation. It can be used for great good (strengthens community ties, preserves culture) but if co-option is not guarded against readily, it can also be used for great evil (see: using minority language struggles as an argument against immigration, for example).

The Far Right sees the cultural preservation of anything (white) and it's like a bat signal. These things are magnets for white supremacists and assorted fascists of all kinds. Which is why it is so goddamn important to be vigilant against people like that hijacking your movement.

I see a worrying amount of Welsh nationalists use (accidentally or not) the language of the far right to argue for Welsh language preservation. It can be as innocuous as advocating for a Welsh Academie Francaise to as obvious as insinuating that Wales must be kept "ethnically" Welsh in order to keep out foreign influence on the language. I see this go unchecked all the time in various Facebook groups for Welsh independence (most of which I've left since admins of these pages either don't know or don't care that people use their groups to share these sentiments).

Nationalism ≠ Fascism - but if you don't keep an eye on the company you're keeping, any well-meaning nationalist/independence or language preservation movement can be hijacked to promote hate. I only know a scant amount because I was only vaguely considering joining Yes Cymru a few years before they all went sideways (but I remember Owen Exie Hurcum talking about this on Twitter at the time) but the leadership of Yes Cymru began to squeeze out minorities from the group- nonwhite folks, gay people, trans people etc. Whole thing put me off from joining. I don't remember the full details but from the testimonies of others, the group was hijacked and steered into a reactionary way of being. Considering a large amount of Welsh nationalists also idolise groups like the FWA (Free Wales Army - a Welsh nationalist group formed in 1963 which tried to emulate the IRA in Ireland, with little success- mostly just playing paramilitary dress up) - whose symbol is this flag:

Even if the flag itself is based on Welsh folklore and is supposedly an entirely innocent, non fash design- it still is like a beacon to the Far Right who will take any amount of symbolic validation as a cue to join your movement and derail it for their own ends.

Which is why Celtic scholars, people with casual interest in Celtic languages and/or their respective cultures and civic nationalists alike need to be vigilant against those who would co-opt the field for their own twisted hate campaign.

So, one final thought,

Returning to my original post responding to that American chiming into Welsh politics from overseas. Please PLEASE be careful when wading into politics that isn't yours. Where the Far Right are involved, it doesn't take much to cause a dumpster fire - if you aren't 'on the ground' with these issues so to speak, you aren't in the firing line if your comments go sideways and enable/provoke the Far Right in this country.

If you have an interest in Celtic languages, countries and politics- you have a duty to be responsible with what you do and say. This isn't to say that you cannot engage with these topics- but that you should exercise caution lest you accidentally worsen an already delicate situation.

This has been your regularly scheduled Celtic anti-fascist tedtalk. Please reblog to make sure more people become aware of how delicate things can be and how to prevent fascists from getting a foothold in this field. Thank you.

[tanihanya]

Please don't use pro voting rhetoric for the US election. The person you are asking people to vote for is a terf who wants to commit genocide.

Heya, sorry i've slept on replying to this for so long, but it's was difficult to know where to even begin. I will never not use "pro voting rhetoric" for any election. I understand who Harris is, I understand how the democratic party acts and how it has acted, I understand that voting in the democrats is just the same as voting in another middle-of-the-road conservative party who are going to continue horrific and atrocious policies, aren't going to represent their voters on protecting the middle easy, and aren't going to help minorities in any meaningful way. I am not pretending not to know this. I am not pretending that I like Kamala Harris, or want her to be the president of the US.

However, I do know that Trump is a lot worse. Trump follows all of these same issues but is more radical and further right than the democrats on all of them-- You know this, I'm not gonna waste time talking about how awful another trump administration would be, not just for the US, but other countries like mine, too.

I'm not asking for anyone to vote for someone they like--- Voting has never been about choosing the perfect or ideal candidate, very rarely do people actually vote for a president that they would support in any other circumstance, because that's how this system happens to work. Stop envisioning every election as a summary of your ideology or political viewpoint, and see it for what it is- Damage control. Voting is a bare minimum, and so much more needs to be done outside of voting in national elections alone. Not voting achieves nothing. We've seen how the democrats act-- if they lose this election, it won't punish them, in fact-- They'll just move further to the republican-created centre like they always do. No. If the democrats lose the election, they don't suffer- You're not hurting them- You're hurting the minorities that live in utter fear of another trump presidency. you're hurting the people of gaza worse than the slightly-preferable Harris administration

and yes!! this is awful!! This isn't okay at all!! it's okay to be really fuckn frustrated and angry at the fact you have to vote for genocide or genocide lite, but holyshit it is VITAL that you do!! Much more change is needed, but that is action to be taken outside of elections AS WELL AS within them. you can't just wait around for a revolution to happen-- nothing will change if you don't make it change, and Voting is the bare minimum for creating change. I do not claim it will make any more than negligible difference on it's own, just that in order to make any meaningful change, you have to at the very least be prepared to vote for someone awful over someone even worse. Don't accept the system given to you. don't accept the two terrible choices you are given. I agree with this. But not voting isn't doing that. It's just keeling over for the worse option. You're not leaving the game, you're just skipping your turn. Please, I beg you, vote for Harris next week. Vote reluctantly and do whatever you can before the next election to make the next candidate even a little more desirable. But still vote. Voting for Harris unfortunately doesn't mean that things will get better, but less minorities will end up dead. Voting is a tool, not a summary of your politics. Please Remember that. Please Vote. I'm begging you for my trans and black friends in the US. I'm begging you for my friends in my country, which US policy influences so deeply. I'm begging you for at least a chance of- not things getting better, but rather things not getting worse. Vote Now. Campaign and Protest and Riot, Later.

[pillarsalt]

I sort of need help, I feel like I'm going insane! All the trans people I know believe that sex is a spectrum and use intersex people to justify this, or say that sex is a social construct, but I find the idea absolutely crazy. I'm a biology student, I know that sex is defined by our gametes and I know that we also produce only two kinds. I fully understand saying that our definitions of sex based on gametes is arbitrary but it's still a natural biological truth. We produce two gametes, that is a discreet category of things, and the sexual CHARACTERISTICS we have to produce those gametes can have a lot of variance within themselves but still end up being distributed in two groups.

Intersex people do not disprove this, I'm sorry but they only differ in sexual characteristics and not in actual sex. And even then, it's an exceptionally small minority for the ones who do have non male/female looking genitalia, and do result from chromosomal or gene dysfunction. It's totally neutral to say this. There is nothing wrong with those people and should not be mutilated but aren't some sort of talking point for trans people either.

And like I'm sorry but........ this is like someone trying to convince me the sky is red based on technicalities and false definitions of colors. It feels like I'm being gaslit. I just cannot accept it when my biological sex is the reason for my misogyny. This argument of biological sex not being innate/not binary/changeable was used to argue against sex based misogyny and I simply can't accept any of it. It is not that I'm too stupid or ignorant to understand what sex is - it's that our systems of oppression or life base themselves on the current definition of sex which is gametes and the bodies to produce them and trying to deny those systems are real because "sex is a spectrum" is stupid.

I've got nothing to add, you hit the nail on the head. Can't imagine how frustrating it is as a biology student, especially if other people in your program are proselytizing this shit. It kind of scares me how many seemingly intelligent people can deny a fact that's right in front of their eyes if they're ideologically motivated to do so.

[astral-wings]

Welcome to my blog!!

Hi! You may call me Atlas! I'm 18 and use he/they pronouns :3

(art very generously gifted to me by ToasterTeostra)

Here, you will find my dragonkin and witchcraft ramblings, as well as a TON of reposts and some art! I wanted to find a cool space online to share my alterhuman experiences without prejudice, and I figured tumblr would be a good place! I'm very new here, so please keep that in mind!

Wanna learn more about me? Keep reading :D!!

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My alterhuman experience

(art by me)

That adorable starry dragon right there is none other than me! I've identified as a dragon since early this year, however I've had dragon shifts for as long as I could remember. I like to describe myself as a Celestial Star dragon since I'm so gravitated towards stars and celestial bodies. I also have a minor affinity to water!

I don't experience species dysphoria that often. Dragons were my very first special interest, I've been obsessed with them ever since I was little. I'm almost always partially shifted to some capacity (the term for this is co-therian!), but often times when I'm comfortable or emotional, I would fully shift, completely altering my awareness and psych to that of a dragon. I've experienced these shifts my entire life. It's only up until several months ago that I've realized and came to terms with it. Very few people know I'm dragonkin, I mostly keep it to myself for my own safety and out of fear of discrimination.

Why am I dragonkin? I have no fucking clue ngl. I don't have a past life (that I know of). It's likely a trait that came along with my autism and ADHD

(I also drew this)

Here's me in my "half dragon" form, pretty much me partially shifted. I experience phantom limbs on a regular basis, so much so that I forget they're there. If I focus hard enough, I can feel them

I'm still learning more about my dragon self!✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

My gender identity and sexuality

I've been out as trans ever since I was 13-14. I went through many labels and phases until I finally found the term that perfectly describes my gender, genderfaun!

Genderfaun is a fluid gender that never encompasses female or feminine genders. I've experienced male, demiboy, non binary (in the sense that I have a gender it's just not a boy or girl), and agender, as well as multiple of them at the same time

But never have I felt feminine. Wardrobe wise, yes to an extent, like femboy but without the skirt or dresses

But internally I've never been female or feminine in any shape or form. But I've been everything else!

I'm also pansexual/bisexual and currently taken in a relationship (I use both labels)

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Witchcraft and my spiritual views

I was raised Lutheran but a few years ago I deviated from Christianity and experimented with witchcraft. I was Wiccan for a short bit before deciding that my views and theirs aren't completely aligned. I eventually just did my own thing, but my parents (still living with them) are completely against witchcraft as a whole and forced me back to Christianity. I tried, but I just can't, especially as a neurodivergent queer person who sees things differently. I felt so happy with my own path, and I long for that once again. However I love God, so there's a big conflict. I struggled with my faith and what it meant to be a Christian. Last year, I discovered that Christian witches are indeed a thing, and I was very happy to discover it. However, due to personal life and burnout, I've fallen out of it.

I'm currently trying to get back on my path again, now with a totally new view since I discovered I was dragonkin. I don't know how that's going to work out with God and witchcraft but that's why I'm trying to learn from other people and seek what's right for me, as well as hopefully heal from the religious guilt I've been carrying all these years

I've been slowly working myself back into spellwork and talking to God about these things. I'm interested in learning draconic magic, astrology, and crystal work, as well as divination.

I do not force my beliefs upon others, let me make that very clear. I am the complete opposite!! That's not what Jesus wanted and is completely against his word. I do not judge others spiritual paths unless it actually harms themselves or others. I am extremely open minded! Satanists, atheists, and everybody else is WELCOME!!

I have a very hard time calling myself "Christian". I'm more so a witch who follows God within my own path and what's best for me.

God doesn't hate anyone for being themselves. Don't let the fear people inflict upon you eat you away <3

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That's it for now!! If you've read this far, here's a cookie! 🍪

#astral dragon ramblings is my tag! Drink some water and don't forget to eat! :3

[intersexcat-tboy]

Perisex trans woman: trans people have intersex brains :333 thoughts? I think we should discuss this.

Some other commentor: I think this is insensitive towards intersex people

Perisex trans woman: ummm actually, I, in my privileged position, don't think it's insensitive. Since I absolutely have a place to speak on what is or is not harmful to another minority I clearly have little education on

Me: you don't really get to say that unless you're intersex. It's already a big misconception

Perisex: ummm reality is I can say whatever I want. Don't be a gatekeeper

Me: this is the same as a cis person claiming something isn't transphobic.

Perisex: you sound like the transmed of the intersex community :///

Mind you, believing there to be a medical condition behind being trans is the definition of transmedicalism (which, if the brain sex theory is ran with, would further gatekeep trans people), and I'm the transmed gatekeeper? I had also linked three different studies discussing the harm and need for separation, w like three other intersex activism articles from leading orgs in another comment, which were very obviously ignored, so that's what the studies were about bud, or whatever.

There was some other comment by another trans women "I like the concept of putting ourselves under the intersex umbrella" like please. Have you ever thought to maybe listen to us instead of just speaking. Do you even hear yourself.

Trans intersex individuals trying to exist in the trans community: / (own place being: finding solidarity and community w intersex individuals) / (intersexist) perisex trans ppl then joining intersex communities

What do you think happens to intersex needs, rights, experiences, stories, fights and struggles when you flood the community (with a group whose activism is only similar in bodily autonomy, but otherwise is nearly opposite yours)?

We get diluted. Our activism gets erased. We become more invisible. This isn't the "intersex version of TERFs claiming trans woman erase women" bc 1 the definition of woman doesn't mention it being an innate variation. And 2, 49% of the population is female. It's a lot easier to erase less than 2% than it is 49%

From the Intersex Human Rights of Australia, "conflation of intersex with being transgender […] obscures the specific goals of the intersex human rights movement". Trans rights is the right to say yes, intersex rights are the right to say no. Studies have discussed how "there is a need group to only those with somatic intersex variations due to their distinct medical experiences". Others discuss how the researchers "learned that researching intersex issues with greater accuracy would focus on people who are intersex. It would require the aid of people with intersex variations themselves as research allies and advisors, to capitalise on 'insider/ outsider access dynamics emphasised by intersex researchers, in order to foster more direct exploration of people with intersex variations'" (aka, there aren't a whole lot and we need to focus on actually intersex individuals).