vaguely-human-man

[vaguely-human-man]

Man don't worry getting a job is super easy. Just go on Jooble. You can apply instantly to 20 jobs with CareerBomb. Literally just use Glimple. Man seriously I promise that Workly will get you a job in no time. Oh how did I get *my* job? Well, you see, my dad is friends with the owner.

[vaguely-human-man]

I don't even really have a horse in this race and there's definitely more important shit to be worried about right now in terms of queer rights, but I *do* think it's really interesting how people will Discourse until the cows come fucking home about he/him lesbians but I've literally almost never heard anyone say a singular peep about cis gay men (drag queens and otherwise) who use she, let alone seen a large-scale heated debate about the topic. Hm. Interesting how that happens.

[vaguely-human-man]

'They can't put mentally ill people in camps and force them to work that would never happen in the US'.

Look into the Troubled Teen Industry. All of it- their 'wellness retreats', their 'therapeutic boarding schools', their 'camps'. There are thousands if not millions of people - children, but some are even kept past their 18th birthdays- in this country and many others who are being forced to do manual labor and endure psychological and physical torture for crimes as small as smoking a joint or not listening to their parents. Children have *died* in these places from neglect, improper restraint, and worse. And those who survive struggle with trauma, not being believed about their experiences, and all the baggage that comes with that.

The most common kids who end up in TTI facilities are foster or adopted youth, LGBTQ+ teenagers coming from conservative families (Conversion therapy- which is still legal in many states- is often offered by these TTI facilities even if that isn't their primary listed function), and teenagers with mental illness or who struggle to maintain grades in school. Many of these children have unidentified learning disabilities or have been misdiagnosed in some way.

Their parents are preyed on by 'counselors' or 'professionals' claiming this beautiful wellness retreat in the woods will make your kids feel better and give them the tools to be productive members of society. They're offered glossy pamphlets full of smiling children and beautiful campuses. They're told their kids will do activities like 'horse therapy' or 'nature appreciation', maybe they're even encouraged to talk to a parent whose kid is currently in the program and hear about how much more peaceful their lives have become with their problem child off 'getting the help they need'.

Calls and communication out of these facilities are tightly monitored. Children lose privileges if they speak badly about the program, their parents are told their kids will lie about the treatment and try to manipulate them to come home early. These kids are forced to perform manual labor in the form of animal care, fence building, hole digging, and much much more. They are publicly humiliated and punished for misbehavior, subjected to unapproved 'therapy' techniques, and often physically and sexually abused by staff. These facilities come up with any excuse to get parents to keep their kids in the program longer, they lie about children misbehaving and recommend more time. It is one of the most evil and predatory industries that exists and while some individual programs have been shut down or exposed, there has been no large-scale effort to stop this problem. And there's a reason why. Many of the people running these places are in politicians' pockets, have influence in high circles and cut their buddies in on the profits or even send a few kids to work on their land to 'learn responsibility'. It's trafficking, torture, and enslavement.

The framework for what we're scared of already exists. The *facilities* for it already exist- ranches, boarding schools, campuses, residential treatment facilities. All they have to do is change a few laws around and use some fancy language and suddenly instead of a mandatory 72-hour hold after a suicide attempt or something similar you have to go to a 'wellness retreat' instead. Get caught with weed in an illegal state? Mandatory 'rehab' at a forest facility or some shit. And people will not leave these places because they won't have parents waiting on the other side wondering where all their money is going.

You think it can't happen because you aren't paying attention to what already *is* happening. Wake up. Fight back. Now.

[vaguely-human-man]

"Don't let your transness define you,"

When I picked my first adult car, my two biggest concerns were space and gas efficiency. With every new option I envisioned how easy it would be to load the thing up with my cats, my most important belongings, and the people who mean the most to me in a hurry. I envisioned having to live in each one, how easy it would be to pull off a road and lay low for a few hours of sleep. In many ways, I felt like I was being excessive, but I am someone who plans for worst-case scenarios.

I was more honest with the salesman than I planned on being, and he pleasantly surprised me by seeming to understand my concerns and my priorities. When I said 'I need a big car that I can load up and get out of this state quickly while stopping as little as possible' he took me right to his best option.

When we closed the deal, he asked if he could say a prayer over the vehicle. He informed me I was more than welcome to say no, which only made the word 'yes' fly from my lips faster. I'm agnostic at this point, but I recognized the offer for what it was. A kindness, a way to say 'good luck', a sincere moment of appealing to his God for my safety and success. And in a way, I suspect, his way to say 'Not everyone who believes in my god hates you. You are not in danger with me,' because I had been hesitant about admitting my transness to explain the discrepancy between my appearance and the letter on my license. I had also described an unpleasant experience with another dealer earlier in the day to him.

He used my real name to ask God to protect that car and its passengers. He prayed for safe voyage and swift travels, and when we both said 'Amen' it felt like something shifted inside of me, or maybe in the air around me. I certainly felt safer, and while I go back and forth often on whether or not I believe in any god, I undoubtedly believe in people. His words changed something, somewhere, no matter how small. They mattered a great deal no matter if mine were the only ears who heard them or not.

When people first meet me, they do not expect that the big black 'soccer mom' type car in the parking lot belongs to me. Most express some amount of surprise, some even ask what made me pick it. I cannot give them an honest answer without outing myself. I own the car that I do because I am trans, and because I lived in the heart of one of the reddest states on the map. It successfully sailed me and mine out of danger when the time came, and continues to ferry me where I need to go. It has genuinely saved my life more than once.

"Don't let your transness define you,"

I'm glad I did. A Prius never would have gotten us out of there.

[vaguely-human-man]

Understand this. Internalize it, tattoo it on your heart and let the ink seep into your bloodstream - There's enough resources. More than enough. For every single human on earth and many more to have food, homes, healthcare, education, safety, equity. But they're being hoarded, mishandled, destroyed in the name of maximum profit, and dangled over our heads to keep us exhausted from jumping.

Something's gotta give.

[vaguely-human-man]

Objective: Escape Texas

Status: Complete.

[vaguely-human-man]

im trying to go to sleep but i cannotttttt stop thinking about this and laughing

[vaguely-human-man]

Until people stop saying stuff like 'well maybe bullying is okay sometimes' in relation to children with conservative beliefs or whatever we're never getting anywhere, btw.

[vaguely-human-man]

Who up wanting to slam their head through the wall

[vaguely-human-man]

Please remember intersex people during these next 4 years. To support and worry about us too, not just perisex trans people. Intersex people are fully affected by the idea of "only male and female allowed" laws. Intersex people are affected by anti trans laws even if not all of us are trans. Many of us can't pass or hide our features, similar to how some trans people can't. We (the systems body) for example are physically incapable of passing as "cis" unless we get surgeries and hormones which still wouldn't change the fact we're intersex. We can't blend in, we get clocked as "queer looking" no matter what we wear or how we act. Don't forget about us when making posts about protecting trans and queer people. - ❔️

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[vaguely-human-man]

BTW i see these posts all the time like "ohhh i dont know what to comment on fics.." and every response is "keysmashes! or hearts!! anything works :3" and thats GREAT!! thats helpful!!

but: consider. if u genuinely like analyzing writing.. do u know ur just allowed to go through and quote your favorite parts and ramble abt what they mean to u and the author will LOSE IT WITH HYPE?

genuinely. i felt SO WEIRD the first time i did it.. but like. holy shit authors love it. its crack for authors. the first time i did it, it was on a fic that hadnt updated in half a year, give or take, and the author made 3 updates that month BECAUSE OF MY COMMENT.

LIKE. as an author every comment is INCREDIBLE!!! but also, dont feel like your comment has to be short or otherwise ur invasive or smth!! authors ADORE long comments more than ANYTHING.

[vaguely-human-man]

[vaguely-human-man]

Hello artists. Writers, illustrators, singers, anyone who creates anything. Your job is really, really important right now and will continue to be instrumental.

I beg you, create. Write about what you're seeing, hearing, and feeling. Paint about your life story and your dreams. Dare to imagine a good world and bring it to life any way you can. Create art that is joyful, that celebrates your unique place in this world and the people you value.

Fascism relies on a killing of joy and hope. We must combat this in any and every way possible. Go draw that funny little stick figure and show it to a friend, give them a giggle to keep going. Do not ever underestimate the power of creation.

[vaguely-human-man]

A better world is always possible, btw.

[vaguely-human-man]

So are we ready to admit the world is doomed yet <3

No cuz I'm not a little bitch

[vaguely-human-man]

My least favorite things about anti- UBI discourse is always the techbros whining that "nobody is going to work anymore! People will just watch Netflix all day!" and I have 2 responses:

1) Who the fuck cares. Who the fuck cares what people do with their time! That's kind of the fucking point!

2) People aren't going to stop laboring. Housework (look, it's right there in the word!) will still need to be done. So will maintenance on our homes and personal spaces. Children will still need carers, as will the elderly and disabled. There are millions of examples of ~work~ that we do all the time, uncompensated, that won't suddenly stop because we aren't forced to sell our labor to provide corporation's profits.

I'm not surprised that what is traditionally women's work is invisible to these dipshits, but it never fails to anger me.

Anyway. Join the IWW.

[vaguely-human-man]

Never trust a single thing your brain tells you during January.

Mental Illness gets a 500% Damage Buff for the first month of every year, don't forget that.