@lj-writes / lj-writes.tumblr.com
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TRANSlator 3000: Amazing technology translates cissexist BS!
“Oh you’re trans but you look so good!” “Trans people are ugly.”
“I’ve never met a trans person before.” “I assume I can identify any trans person.”
“I would date a trans person.” “Trans people are usually undateable so I deserve a prize.”
“You look just like a real woman.” “Trans women aren’t really women.”
“I’m glad you’re being honest with me about being trans.” “Trans people who don’t tell me they’re trans are deceivers and liars.”
“I loooooove trans people!” “I fetishize trans people.”
“It’s so hard to switch pronouns.” “Trans people are an inconvenience to me.”
“I don’t have a problem with trans people.” “I have a problem with trans people.”
^^^^^^
im not even fuckin surprised that so many trans people relate so hard to monsters n animals n ghosts n aliens n abstract landscapes
what else are we supposed to see ourselves in
so i’m taking a class on monsters in theatre right now (yes really) and part of “monster theory” states that monsters refuse to be classified into binary categories and that they are often a demonization or exaggeration of the Other
for example: zombies, ghosts, and vampires all refuse to be classified as living or dead because they’re simultaneously neither but also both
the existence of transness serves to dismantle the gender binary of most cultures so it makes sense that one might find solace in the existence of these archetypes/characters/beings that also refuse to fit into binary categories
if anyone’s at all interested in any of this i highly recommend monster culture (seven theses) by jeffrey jerome cohen
the link is broken, here’s a version that should work.
I’d like to tell you all about the app REFUGE RESTROOMS :) This app is for my fellow transgender and gender nonconforming pals to find gender neutral / unisex restrooms!! As you can see, there aren’t too many downloads!! I love this app though and it is extremely helpful!!! You can log new restrooms as you find them to help your transgender and gender nonconforming pals!! Please help out!!!!!!
THIS IS AN AMAZING APP OKAY!! Signal boost the hell out of this it deserves a hell of a lot of recognition, the amount of times this has saved me from awkward or even dangerous situations is unbelievable
I am sad this is necessary and glad it exists.
Here’s your Sunday #goodread to wrap up the weekend:
Meet Rafi Daugherty, a Jewish trans man who recently gave birth to a new baby, Ettie Rose. This profile is the lovely story of Rafi navigating coming out to a religious community, giving birth, (single) parenthood, and keeping his Jewish faith as a trans man. Here’s how the article starts:
When Rafi Daugherty went to the hospital for the birth of his first child, he posted a sign on the delivery room door.
“I am a single transgender man having my first baby,” it read. “I use he/him/his pronouns and will be called ‘Abba’ (Hebrew for father) by the baby. Papa, Dad, Daddy, Father … are also ok.”
“I didn’t want them to assume that I identified as female because I was having a baby,” he said.
After eight hours of labor, Rafi was holding his 7-pound, 10-ounce daughter: Ettie Rose, named, in the Jewish tradition, for Rafi’s maternal grandmother and great-grandmother.
Rafi, 33, wanted hospital staff to be prepared for what they were about to see: a man laboring in bed.
The story is gorgeous and gives a small snippet of Rafi’s incredible journey. Amazing, truly. Congratulations to this beautiful family.
Do you want to write transgender characters in your (fan) fiction or RP a trans character? Genuinely interested but not quite sure if or how to approach the subject? Well you’re in luck, because I have gathered some advice to share with you.
First of all, should cis writers write trans characters? The answer is: absolutely. Representation in all media is important and we should all carry responsibility for it. If you’re not familiar with issues surrounding transgender people, you’re right to approach the subject carefully and there are few things you should be aware of.
Avoid:
Consider avoiding:
Please do:
Other things to consider:
How to find out more information about trans issues:
Did I miss miss something? Want to ask something? Feel free to send me an ask or a message.
And for those of you who want to participate in the Krem prompt challenge but are nervous because you’re cis, here’s a good place to start.
I’m also gonna reblog this and add: WRITE TRANS WOMEN. FUCKING WRITE TRANS WOMEN AND AMAB TRANS NONBINARY PEOPLE AND NOT JUST ALWAYS TRANS MEN. FUCKING DO IT. NO EXCUSES.
Her Story - episode 6
Watch here: http://www.herstoryshow.com/
Her Story is a web series about the dating lives of trans & queer women, which stars trans & queer women, and was written and directed by trans & queer women. (One of the creators Jen Richards is also on tumblr @smartassjen )
More gifs here
YES YES YES YES
I LOVE that this scene has been GIF’d.
Okay! Just wanted Season 1 and I’m really feeling it. My heart and eyes are open.
A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday for a 2014 hate crime that left a transgender woman with permanent neurological damage. Last month, a jury found Mashawn Sonds, 26, guilty of first-degree assault with a hate-crime enhancement for swinging a plexiglass 2-by-4 at Kimy Hartman, causing her to fall to the ground and strike her head on the sidewalk during a transphobic attack in Bushwick on October 12, 2014.
Hartman, a Native American trans woman, spent nearly a month in the hospital, and endured several surgeries that left her with slurred speech, loss of memory, and facial bruising as a result of the attack.
1. A surprise anal exam so I could get my birth control. I didn’t get much choice in the matter. Normally, I wouldn’t count this as a trans health fail, since I was closeted at the time, except…
2. …that surprise anal exam saved my ass (quite literally) and allowed me to have top surgery. (Yes, of COURSE I had to undergo a pelvic and anal exam to have a mastectomy. Didn’t YOU?)
3. Getting misgendered constantly during my top surgery. I pretty much expected that.
4. At my top surgery, I did what I always do and informed my team that I have a needle phobia so would appreciate chatter and distraction so I don’t faint. The anaesthesiologist, asides from the usual misgendering, told me he’d slap me if I fainted, and why was it such a big deal. I fainted, and he gave up in disgust, so his underling had to do it. (In respect to her, she looked at me apologetically the whole time and was very nice telling me about her trip to Paris. I didn’t faint on HER.)
And this is why I just avoid doctors as much as possible, presume all illnesses are psychosomatic or can’t be helped, and only go if the symptoms don’t resolve after a week or a month. Like, if I ever have a heart attack, I’m pretty much DOA, since I’ll just assume it’s a panic attack and try to wait it out.
And that’s not likely to change, since I’d need to get a new PCP and the only good PCPs I know in the Boston area aren’t taking new patients. It’s like, I can get good trans care, or I can get good rape survivor care, but rarely both, and there can still be ableism out the wazoo. (I actually try to avoid disclosing my disability as much as possible, because doctors can be REALLY shitty about it. I count on them seeing us rarely enough that they don’t notice the aberrations in our behavior.)
If glares could set things on fire, my screen would be burning. I’m sorry that that junk happened to you, and I’m ticked that your experience probably isn’t the exception to the rule, but is the rule. Medical people should be there to help people, darn it, and not be judgmental jerks who think they obviously know all the answers right away.
Also, needle phobias are totally valid and super common, so the anesthesiologist deserves triple the scowls of rawr. Quintuple when you add in the ‘threatening to slap’ and the acting ‘disgusted’. Seriously. As an EMT, we (as in medical people: career/volunteer/doctors/nurses) need to be better than this. I’m sorry.
Yeah, being threatened with slapping on a hospital bed was pretty notable, even for me. My top surgery was NOT a pleasant experience, but I didn’t expect it to be. I skipped out on my last follow-up appointment and just went the fuck home, because it was easier to deal with the pain than the douchebaggery. But at least back then, I was considered abled. Now, my biggest concerns are being labeled a ‘hysteric,’ at which point I become a waste of time and can’t get taken seriously about anything.
It’s especially frustrating because doctors seem to presume that I KNOW things like becoming so weak I can’t stand up is entirely psychological, so I’m intentionally coming and wasting their damn time. Or that knowing it’s psychological instantly cures the problem–if only it were so simple!
Healthcare professionals failing at healthcare. Like, what are you DOING with your lives you had ONE JOB
Also, while misgendering is shitty in general it’s just weird in the context of top surgery. Why would a woman want top surgery? (And why would an anal exam be needed but I’m not sure I ever want to know the answer)
19% of trans people have been refused healthcare because of their gender identity. 50% of trans people have had to teach their doctors about trans-related medical care. 28% of trans people have been harassed in medical settings. This app is desperately needed. Follow them at mytranshealth.
I AM CRYING HOLY SHIT. This is so important. You know I’m serious because I am actually using these things called capitalization and punctuation. You guys. Please. Please boost the hell out of this. It means so much.
*SLAMS THE SHIT OUT OF THE REBLOG BUTTON*
omg pls make this international / not just US-centric!
We won’t rest until every trans person on the planet has access to safe, affordable, and reliable health care.
@testosteroni-and-cheez !!!!!!
The “sex and gender are different” theory that cisgender people invented so they can grasp trans identity while still erasing it is toxic. It translates into “your gender may be ____ but biologically you are _____” which normalizes the concept that genitalia validates your gender. Its nothing less than bullshit.
It also creates this patronizing linguistic construction where you can just replace “biologically” with “really” and that’s the actual sentiment here, isn’t it? They’re humouring you, that’s it. Truth is that sex is as much a social construct as is gender, but admitting that debunks the status quo in a way that the simplistic sex/gender distinction doesn’t, so of course it hasn’t caught on yet.
Read and absorb this.
Hi! Do you possibly have any references for writing transgender characters? I've been thinking lately about making one, but I'm unsure how to go about doing so.
To preface: I identify as genderqueer only because I’m not comfortable identifying myself as trans for various reasons, so I have some knowledge of this, but it’s always going to be better to get the opinion/perspective of someone who identifies as trans.
As with any kind of question like this, focus on writing fleshed out people with goals, flaws, and strengths. The fact that they’re trans is only one facet of who they are, and shouldn’t be the focus (kind of tired of the whole coming out/transitioning category of stories as that seems to pigeonhole trans characters into a single role), though it should be explicit that this character identifies as trans. Have them say it, and say it with confidence. Please don’t do the “one character discovers the other is trans by observing their genitals”. Honestly, I’d avoid genitals all together.
Anyway, here are some resources for you that delve more deeply into the subject from trans people:
I’d also look up some books with trans protagonists written by trans authors, though that’s a very small group from what I understand, and I don’t know of any off the top of my head. If anyone does, feel free to send it in.
Happy writing.
-Morgan
I know trans books/characters by trans authors! Here, have a list! *throws books at head*
Stone Butch Blues, by Leslie Feinberg Drag King Dreams, by Leslie Feinberg (haven’t read myself) How Loathsome, by Tristan Crane and Ted Naifeh (comics) Khaos Komix by Tab Kimpton (webcomic) O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti (webcomic) (not sure if Blue is trans but she does a great job) Queerotica, by various (comic, alas only available in ebook now) To Catch a Dream Eater, by Maddie Prager (webcomic) Non-Binary, by Mel Gillman (comic) And not to toot my own horn, but I have LOTS of various trans characters in my own writing, to the point I have a list, complete with story links.
When I was little, the only dresses and skirts that I liked were the “spinnerooni” ones because they are so much fun to play in. After trying to come into myself, I decided to try killing every piece of me that was feminine because I was introduced to this “masculinity requirement” to pass as male and to be “trans enough” in general. For the past year and a half, I’ve been telling a lot of my friends to BREAK THE BINARY and I’m finally at a point where I have started to ease myself into physically expressing the boy inside. I’m very happy about this because I feel like, not only as a transman, but as a transman of color, my community isn’t generally happy about bois that are okay with their “femininity”, but I am finally realizing that I can’t really kill the person that I already am. I shouldn’t stop myself from feeling cute as fuck just because other people might not feel comfortable with it. It will probably take time until I can wear this out and about, but I am proud of myself for being able to put this on and take these pictures and make this post and not care too much about it.
I’m still a KING.
Blake (he/him/his)
[[[Thank you Nat & Kourt for the petticoats]]]
This has such a sad ending Rest in power, Blake. I’m sorry.
Oh no no no, why did these beautiful pictures have to end on such a sad note no... rest in peace, Blake. I’ll remember your smile.
Plis don’t be disrespectful and don’t ask this kind of things Pt.1
Fucking aye! This shit is so annoying and can be incredibly hurtful.
Backers of a proposed ballot initiative that sought to require transgender people to use the public restrooms that correspond with their biological sex say they have failed to qualify the measure for the California ballot. Dec. 21 was the deadline for the initiative’s sponsors to submit voter signatures to county election offices for verification.
Karen England of the Privacy for All campaign said in a statement that the volunteer-led effort fell short of the 365,880 signatures needed to get the initiative on the November 2016 ballot. England did not reveal by how much.
LGBT rights groups in California had been gearing up to campaign against the initiative in case it qualified.
And now they can just point and laugh instead. Holiday cheers all around!
So here’s the thing. Being called transphobic isn’t an attack, and it’s not insult. If you step on my toe I’m naturally going to scream, even if you did it accidentally because it still hurts. If you step on my toe you’d get your foot off my toe wouldn’t you? You’d understand that I’m screaming because it hurts, not attacking you. You wouldn’t keep your foot on my toe, telling me to shut up, that it doesn’t hurt that much, or that I’m making you feel bad
Same with race… and stuff
But of course, being called “transphobic” is a slur while misgendering people is A-OK because a cis person’s feelings are more important than trans people’s lives.
An Indiana state senator has proposed a bill making it a crime for trans people to use public bathrooms and locker rooms that do not conform with their genders at birth. The measure by Wadesville Republican Jim Tomes would make it a misdemeanor crime, carrying a punishment of up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Tomes says he doesn’t want to single out transgender people, but worries the privacy of women and children in bathrooms is at risk as society becomes more accepting. Advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights say Tomes’ explanation is absurd because the bill specifically singles out transgender people for ridicule.
Um, how are they even enforcing this? If someone calls the cops, do they ask to see ID? What if the person has legally transitioned? Do they do a ''visual check?"
Also, I've got to laugh (because otherwise I'll cry) at how Republicans are parroting the TERF narrative that trans women are male predators out to invade women's spaces. ALL THE RAGE.
