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#you're discriminating against other genders :(
t-lostinworlds · 1 year
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ppl in america really be suing for the pettiest/shittiest reasons ever lmao
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stupidphototricks · 2 months
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More Cheery Littlebottom, talking to Vimes (her commanding officer, hence the "sir"):
"Is that what you'll be wearing, Cheery?" "Yes, sir." "But it's just... ordinary dwarf clothes. Trousers and everything." "Yes, sir." "But Sybil said you'd got a fetching little green number and a helmet with a feather in it." "Yes, sir." "You're free to wear whatever you want, you know that." "Yes, sir. And then I thought about Dee. And I watched the king when he was talking to you, and... well, I can wear what I like, sir. That's the point. I don't have to wear that dress. I can wear what I like. I don't have to wear something just because other people don't want me to. Anyway, it made me look a rather stupid lettuce." -- Terry Pratchett,The Fifth Elephant (emphasis on "don't" added by me because I think it's important)
One of the many things that Sir Terry was excellent at is writing characters that start out as caricatures, and end up being the realest people ever. Cheery Littlebottom, who by the name is obviously a throwaway ridiculous character. And dwarfs in general (on Discworld, dwarfs and humans are two of many intelligent species) are absurd. Dwarfs sing songs about gold, they make inedible bread that's mostly used as weapons, they all have beards and wear helmets and carry axes. And yet. By the time you finish the book, real.
Now about Discworld dwarfs and gender. In dwarf society, gender is largely ignored and almost irrelevant; all dwarfs use the same pronouns, dress the same, do the same jobs. Gender-based discrimination can't even exist! I mean. Women in the real world have been fighting for this sort of equality for decades, right?
But it's not quite right. There's "equal," and then there's "being exactly the same as everyone else." So there are dwarfs who rebel against the homogeneous status quo by choosing to use different pronouns (she/her), and wear dresses and makeup.
Gender expression! It's a battle against the old ways, but dwarfs are good at fighting.
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lesbianchemicalplant · 9 months
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I get that “you can just not wear makeup, it's okay to not wear makeup” can sometimes be the exact thing that someone needs to hear, or to be reassured about. but some people are really condescending about when and how they pull that out and who they say it to
like, there is a social reality of misogyny that women are punished for not appearing a certain way, with all the more severity as a function of class, racism, transmisogyny, etc.
that punishment can be the difference between employed and unemployed. having food and not having food. being treated as less competent and less worthy as a person not only by men, but also by other women and people of any gender in general
and tbh, it's especially fucked how some transmisogyny-exempt people say this to trans women, particularly toward those of us with facial hair / stubble that stands out very visibly from our skin. like a trans woman wearing makeup is obviously just too dumb, shallow, misogynistic, and femininity-obsessed to know better, so they take it upon themselves to remind her that “you can be a woman without wearing makeup! :)” in the same voice they use to tell a toddler that the mushy peas are good
do you think trans women wearing makeup while going to job interviews or working customer service positions (or even, yes, trying to exist in public life in general) are all just stuck-up assimilationists with Bad Ideas about gender? do you think it's only trans women with pointedly transmisogynistic values about “passing” who would ever wear makeup or dress a certain way to try to be treated less horribly by the world around us?
especially if you're vividly aware of how you yourself are punished for not wearing makeup—how do you not extend that awareness to other women? including other women who would pretty fucking obviously be treated even worse for it than you are? (how seriously have you considered that some women might be treated worse for it than you are? treated worse by someone like you, even?)
“you can just not wear makeup” “you don't need makeup, there's nothing about your face that needs fixing” okay well hiring managers will absolutely discriminate against me for not wearing makeup to job interviews, but thanks for enlightening me I guess
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disaster-theysbian · 11 months
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Gotta say, I've been out as a lesbian for 3 years and nonbinary for a year and a half. And I've noticed something.
Just because someone *always* gets your name and pronous correct, and angrily calls out anyone who forgets, doesn't necessarily mean they support you.
Conversely, just because someone struggles to remember your name and pronouns, or can't wrap their head around gender neutral/neo pronouns at all, doesn't necessarily mean they DON'T support you.
This is applicable to any situation really not just queer shit. Watch what people do, not just what they say, and you will find your friends. Someone might shower you with compliments and have common interests with you, but what happens when you tell them no? Do they get angry when they are corrected? Do they have kind things to say about other people?
My colleagues wouldn't know a gender-neutral pronoun if one hit them in the face with a dictionary, but they make sure I've had a lunch break and get home safely. They have my back if I have a difficult patient. They defend me against other staff members who like to create drama and bitch about people as if they're still in the school playground. If someone has something to say about me being a big ol' queer, they make it known that discrimination has no place in our unit.
My best friend in the whole entire world forgets my name and pronouns every day. When the organisers of her therapy group changed "men and women" to "people" and "he/she" to "they" in order to be more inclusive, there was outcry. Everything from the "it just doesn't sound right" grammar-policing nonsense to the "f*cking special snowflakes are offended by everything". She came down on them like a ton of bricks. She said if the organisers hadn't told them that it was changing, that they wouldn't have noticed. She told them they obviously haven't loved someone outside of the gender binary and they were missing out. She then told them how she had seen me grow and develop since I came out, and how in awe she was of the person I had become. No, she doesn't understand it at all, but why should that mean that she can't be there for me and appreciate how happy I am to be able to be me? Why should that mean, because you lot don't understand it, that someone with the same issues as the rest of the therapy group feels unsafe and unwelcome and doesn't get their issues resolved? As a result, a few of them changed their minds, INCLUDING HER OWN FATHER, and the rest at least shut the hell up about it.
ON THE FLIP SIDE...
A queer person who used my correct name and pronouns delighted in making me walk on eggshells, inventing reasons to be angry with me, convinced me I was a terrible person and even went as far as to try and turn me against my own therapist. They tried to tell me that my therapist only said I was a good person because she was paid to, and that because they themselves had a psychology degree that they could tell I had all these complexes and needed to work hard to be a good person, and it was unlikely I'd never get there. (I chose to listen to my therapist and stop being friends with this person).
A queer person who used my correct name and pronouns continued to do things that made me uncomfortable when I asked them to stop. Never said in as many words "you're not allowed to hang out with your friends" but conveniently had an emergency every time I had plans, and accused me of being uncaring if I needed my own space. They knew I had difficulty asking for help, but still got angry with me when I asked because I didn't ask "soon enough".
A queer person who used my correct name and pronouns told me they would look after me and they didnt. .
A queer person threatened to misgender me MORE when I corrected them.
I'm just saying, that if you choose to yeet everyone who doesn't get your name and pronouns right... that doesn't necessarily make you safe. We live in a very binary world. As much as we want that to change, it won't if we ignore or shout at the bits we don't like. (Believe me, I've tried).
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secondbeatsongs · 2 years
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Hello! I'm Julie from Cariona and I just want to ask if you're interested in doing ads/promotions here on Tumblr? If yes, how much do you charge per reblog?
For proof of legitimate promotions, you can check @catchymemes, @sulfatto, @isnt, and many others.
Website for reference: http://cariona.com Over 200 five star Facebook reviews: https://www.facebook.com/carionaproducts/reviews
Please feel free to respond here or reach out to us on [email protected] for more details! Thank you once again and have a great week!
absolutely fascinating that you decided to send this as an ask, when you also DM'd me. unfortunately, you may realize that this was a mistake - you see, asks can be responded to publicly.
so, allow me to respond:
hi, Julie! I'd never heard about Cariona before, so I decided to go poking around, and I learned something!
well, I learned a few things, actually. from your site, Cariona seems to be a small business that sells reusable menstrual products. and while I will never advertise a product that I haven't used, there's nothing wrong with wanting people to promote your company.
I have, however, found a few problems.
the first thing I found was this post by @crafiet from May 12th of last year, saying that shortly after making a purchase on your website, her debit card info was leaked, and used to make facebook ad purchases.
it seems that at least back then, your payment system was insecure. I'm really hoping you've fixed that, because. yikes.
and when I messaged crafiet to ask if it was okay if I linked to her post, she also mentioned that even though your website says you ship from Georgia, her package came shipped from China, and took a long time to arrive.
that's pretty sketchy.
the next thing I found was some folks talking about receiving cards with their orders that have a QR code on them with the words "Scan For God's Message To You", and that on the other side, have this bible verse:
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Psalm 63:1
fun fact! that's from the King James Version (which I have a lot of thoughts about, but I'm not going to get into that right now).
additional fun fact! that particular psalm is from that time David fled to the wilderness because Jonathan's dad was trying to kill him.
and that's why I have to talk about the verses that follow it:
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(ID in alt text; link to the NIV version if you want it)
so...are we like 100% sure it's god that David is thinking about here? because...I mean...that's pretty horny, right? and all of this while on the run from his boyfriend's dad?
I'm not saying anything, but like...¯\_(ツ)_/¯
it's a weird verse to choose for this, that's all.
anyway, back to you, Cariona: after seeing people talking about the bible verse cards, I decided to poke around your website more, and allll the way at the bottom of it, finally found your "About Us" page, which ends with this:
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...look. there's nothing inherently wrong with being christian. but to say "we do not wish to impose any beliefs on our customers", and to then put bible verse cards in people's orders? that's sneaky, and I don't like it.
I also think it's a bit sneaky that you've flagged your tumblr account as pro-trans on shinigami eyes. at least, I assume you flagged it yourselves, because I didn't find a single post on your blog that mentions trans issues.
(though you have, entertainingly, reblogged some stranger things fanart, and a castiel cat cosplay)
and while your website uses very gender-neutral language, your "About Us" page doesn't say anything about being inclusive of trans people, just that you don't "discriminate against anyone who has a different belief than ours."
unfortunately, that's not good enough for me. I have this sneaking suspicion that "trans people are the gender they say they are" counts as a "different belief".
lastly, since you say on your website that people can message you asking about your faith, I had a friend do that!
baptists. you're baptists, which is a pretty conservative denomination.
and according to you, part of that 10% you donate goes to your local churches, and some missionaries. who are also probably baptists.
so.
in the end, I just...don't trust you? I don't trust that the 10% you're donating is going to organizations that aren't homophobic or transphobic. I don't believe that you're not trying to impose your beliefs on others, because that's what you're obviously doing. I mean, your "About Me" says that one of the reasons you built this company is to spread the gospel.
and I especially don't like it that you reached out to me (an openly queer person) for promotion without mentioning that you're an evangelical company.
so to answer your question, Julie: no. I am not interested in doing ads or promotions for you on tumblr. and honestly, you probably picked the wrong website for this kind of thing.
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tizeline · 9 days
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Happy pride month and all!
I figured now was a good time to ask, but do you have any thoughts about the sexuality of the characters in your Sep AU?
Sorry if you’ve been asked already, and the answer can definitely be no, I’m just curious :)
Happy pride!! ✨
Here's the thing about headcanons about queer identities, I personally prefer to not get too stuck on specific labels. While there are exceptions, I generally try to remain flexible if that makes sense? As in I like having multiple different interpritation about characters' identities so deciding on One Particular Label can feel limiting to me.
I mentioned it before, but I do plan on making Capril an established relationship in the AU sooner or later, so April and Casey are definitely sapphic. But more specific than that? Are they lesbian or bi or pan or whatever?? I dunno!! It's not really relevant to the story so I might as well leave that up to interpretation.
My approach to creating stories is that I'll usually only decide on specific labels if it is plot relevant, Schrödingers Identity if you will, lol, it can be anything if you don't decide on it beforehand. Again, there are exceptions, Leo is gay 100% like duh I can't interpret him any other way XD. Splinter is a Bi-Icon and I will STAND BY THAT!
Raph, Donnie and Mikey? Man who knows, canon Donnie seems to be into girls at least so it's the same in the AU, but more specific than that I dunno, I'm not planning on the story really focusing on romance (aside from a little capril because every story needs sapphics that's like the law)
Actually, you know what I find fun? World building! I honestly tend to be more interested in how queer identities are viewed and treated in a story's world as a whole as opposed to induvidual character's identities. Human society in rottmnt seems to be mostly the same as our IRL society, but what about Yōkai society!? With how diverse yōkai are I think it'd be fun if people in The Hidden City just... didn't care about who you loved or what you identified as. As a result of that, I don't think yōkai would care that much about terminology and labels, you just kinda loved whoever you loved.
It'd be honestly be kinda interesting if Donnie and April used terminology that related to queer stuff and Raph, Leo and Mikey are just really confused. Like for example, April is complaining about one of her classmates who's homophobic and the The Drax Bros are just like "Home-phobic??? They're afraid of homes??" cuz the concept of discriminating against someone based on which gender they're attracted to is completely foreign to them. Actually, Leo might be more knowledgable about human queer culture considering he's interested in human cultures in general. He calls himself gay at one point and Draxum is all like "you're happy? good for you?" and he'd just be wondering why Leo is using such an old-timey word considering Leo doesn't exactly have the most advanced vocabulary.
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rivetgoth · 9 months
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Learned recently that studies have shown that trans men are 8-10x more likely to have inadequate Pap smear results than cis female counterparts with a positive correlation with length of time on testosterone for reasons not 100% fully understood but known to be connected to cervical/reproductive atrophy. This happened to me recently (Pap smear came back unviable and I was referred to a specialist) and when I talked to a few other trans men about it I learned that others have had similar issues, usually with little to no explanation from their providers about why their results couldn't be obtained. I had no idea this was a thing despite spending years researching HRT on my own and navigating stuff like alleviating atrophy symptoms and pursuing a hysterectomy so I figured I'd put it out there for anyone else.
I don't say this to fearmonger against testosterone HRT (obviously lol) but I think it's good to be informed, especially when reproductive atrophy is already an extremely fearmongered and misunderstood effect of testosterone and when trans men already face enough barriers as it is when it comes to accessing quality gyno/reproductive care for a ton of different reasons ranging from dysphoria preventing us from wanting to in the first place, to insurance fuckery denying us coverage on account of our genders, to facing discrimination and transphobia from doctors, to just the straight up lack of consistent education and proper care guidelines for us in the medical world, and we know that trans men generally have a lower general rate of actually seeking out gynecological care at all than cis female counterparts, as well as the lowest rate of obtaining the HPV vaccine of the entire trans umbrella. I don't necessarily have any incredible conclusions to this but I think it's information that's worth being aware of if you're on testosterone and seeking out gyno/reproductive health care (which I highly encourage you to do).
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puppiekit · 6 days
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I think the funniest thing ever to me is seeing people on tumblr preach "transandrophobia bad" but then you look at the transandrophobia tag and its basically just "transmascs are not cis, do not have cis privileges, and still face oppression / societal discrimination" and "I have personally faced (X) and (Y) issue because of my tansmasc identity"
.... Aka literally no different from any other minority on planet earth talking about their issues.
But for some reason people on tumblr want to tell you acknowledging this issue specifically, and putting a name to it, is not only bad (because for some reason acknowledging that transmascs have issues = claiming cis men are oppressed...? Because idk people feel the need to make shit up);
but actively harmful to transfems (And I'm going to be blunt here: acting like transfems are the only ones who have problems, or are the only ones allowed to talk about their problems, is so incredibly horrible it's actually insane. And quiet frankly very infantilizing).
To be quiet frank it only boils down to the communities continuous hatred for masculinity. Nobody wants to admit the fact that their community will never be a truly safe space before they stop labeling people "good" or "bad" dependent on who they are or how they chose to identify. It's harmful when cis people do it, and it's equally as harmful when queers do it.
And don't even get me started on the fact that a large part of this pointless beef is rooted in the communities refusal to acknowledge intersectionality (aka a bunch of white people unable to grasp the fact that they are not the default and peoples race can play a part in their gender, how it is perceived, and how it effects their oppression... Including masculinity).
I know this is going to piss a bunch of people off but to be entirely honest I was raised a woman for 18+ years, and I still socially pass for a woman NOW, and the shit I get in my day to day life does not even compare to the amount of hostility I face FROM MY OWN COMMUNITY as a transmasc.
At least a random person on the street will be blatant about their hatred for me, trans or not. The people in this community will instead manipulate and gaslight and try to convince you their crap treatment towards transmascs is "a good thing" or "good allyship". No, hating others for identifying a way you don't like and and "betraying their womanhood" does not make you a good ally to anybody, and especially transfems -- in fact, I'd say you're kind of throwing them under the bus by using them as an excuse to be a terrible person.
Whatever... Ignore my rant... I'm tired of people being terrible to eachother. And also it super pissed me off as a POC to see people compare talking about the problems transmascs face to "what if white people claimed they were being discriminated against for being white?!?!?!" as if that is anywhere near the same..... Like are you a legitimate dumbass or what? Why the hell do you people always use POC and their experiences as leverage against others.
How are you going to compare a TRANS person talking about their unique experiences with TRANSPHOBIA to a person at a societal advantage falsely claiming to be oppressed??? POC are only worth considering when you can use our issues to your benefit I guess
WHATEVER.....
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saminsecret · 2 years
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How the slashers would react to a male s/o
just a little something to jumpstart this page ❤️
tw for some mentions of homophobia/outdated views
Michael Myers ('78):
He wouldn't care. He's got a lot more on his plate than worrying about whether his partner has a dick or a vagina. The fact that he hasn't killed you yet should be enough for you.
He wouldn't understand your insecurities. Why does it matter so much to you? He thinks you focus on the wrong things, but he won't say that to you. Not because he cares if he hurts your feelings, he just doesn't want to deal with your emotional turmoil at the moment. Although, if someone were to criticize your relationship, he might get irritated enough to kill them. Depends on your reaction and his current mood at the moment. Michael isn't the best at emotional support, sorry.
He'd defend you after a while. Lets not beat around the bush, its the 70s/80s, your gonna experience a lot of homophobia if your openly gay/bi. Michael knows what it's like being tormented by others, he was in a mental institution his entire life. If you end up getting discriminated against, verbally or physically, he'd kill the bully, plain and simple. He doesn't see this as an act of affection though; just something he needed to do. Still, your heart swoons a bit when he protects you. Enjoy it Y/N!
Daniel Robitaille
He'd be...confused. Daniel grew up in the late 1800s, and while being gay wasn't unheard of, it was definitely seen as a sin. He never thought he himself could ever be in love with another man.
He'd need time. He wouldn't know what to do with himself as this was entirely new territory for him. Homophobia was most definitely a value he grew up around, although he himself might not be homophobic. He was the son of a slave, a black man in the 1800s, an artist only loved for what he could make. He understands discrimination more than anyone else, so he defiantly wouldn't use your identity against you. Still, its a change so he'd be cautious to start anything with you.
He loves you no matter what. Ultimately, it only takes him a little while to come to terms with the fact that he doesn't care what you are, he loves you all the same. "We are one of the same, Y/N. Without you, I am nothing. Our pain will be told for generations. Be my victim, Y/N."
Jason Vorhees
Is this okay, mother? Pamela was a christian woman, so its pretty likely she had some outdated views on gay people. Not necessarily homophobic in nature, but she said some questionable things out of ignorance. Jason was raised with her values, so he'd have the same outdated views. He'd have to unlearn a few things for this relationship to really work. That being said...
Jason understands you. This is what really brings you two into an eventual relationship. He was born disfigured, and the world never let him forget it. And you? Well, it was the 80s, so... both of you were treated harshly for things you have no control over. Pamela would be more sympathetic towards you as well, and would eventually approve of this relationship, as you've proven you can give Jason everything he deserves. "Oh Jason, I knew Y/N was a good boy, just like you!'
He'd adore you all the same. Oh, to have someone (other than Pamela) who loves him! He would ultimately not care about your gender, and would make sure to let you know it. He loves you Y/N, don't ever doubt it!
Brahms Heelshire
Realistically... You wouldn't have been considered for the babysitting job as Brahm's parents probably only considered female candidates. That being said, you'd be hired after a slew of failed female nannies; Brahms wanted to try something new!
He'd love watching you. Oh Y/N, you may be a boy, but you're the prettiest boy he's ever seen! Seriously though, he loves to watch you taking care of doll, cooking food, moving around the estate, existing...you're just so different, Y/N! And he'd feel more connected to you because you understand certain problems...especially morning problems if you catch my drift.
He'd fall into stereotypes. Listen listen, Brahms was raised with old values, like 18th century old values, so even though you're both guys, he still expects you to fall into the "woman" role (cooking, cleaning, taking care of him, ect..). Brahms is a man, Y/N! Treat him like a king! Wait, what do you mean you're a man too? I-Its different, okay?! (You're gonna have to sit him down and talk out all those old value views if you want to be able to tolerate him).
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sheisraging · 11 days
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If you're considering not voting or casting a pointless 3rd party vote in the upcoming US elections*, I'd urge you to read about Project 2025, which is the Republican transition plan for if they win the 2024 election (link is for the wiki page, not the actual website).
A short summary:
Project 2025, also known as the Presidential Transition Project, is a collection of policy proposals to fundamentally reshape the U.S. federal government in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Established in 2022, the project aims to recruit tens of thousands of conservatives to the District of Columbia to replace existing federal civil servants—whom Republicans characterize as part of the "deep state"—and to further the objectives of the next Republican president. It adopts a maximalist version of the unitary executive theory, a widely disputed interpretation of Article II of the Constitution of the United States, which asserts that the president has absolute power over the executive branch upon inauguration.
Among the many horrifying and notable points:
Abolishing the Department of Education, whose programs would be either transferred to other government agencies, or terminated. Basic research would only be funded if it suits conservative principles.
Promotes the ideal that the government should "maintain a biblically based, social-science-reinforced definition of marriage and family."
Proposed recognition of only heterosexual men and women, the removal of protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual or gender identity, and the elimination of provisions pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from federal legislation.
Individuals who have participated in DEI programs or any initiatives involving critical race theory might be fired.
Explicitly reject abortion as health care
Revive provisions of the Comstock Act of the 1870s that banned mail delivery of any "instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing" that could be used for an abortion.
Restrict access to contraception.
Infuse the government with elements of Christianity, and its contributors believe that "freedom is defined by God, not man."
Criminalizing pornography
Combat "affirmative discrimination" or "anti-white racism," citing the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Deploy the military for domestic law enforcement and to direct the DOJ to pursue Donald Trump's adversaries by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807.
Recommend the arrest, detention, and deportation of undocumented immigrants across the country.
Promotes capital punishment and the speedy "finality" of such sentences.
Reform the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) so that the nuclear household structure is emphasized.
Give state governments the authority impose stricter work requirements for beneficiaries of Medicaid
Mandate that federal healthcare providers should deny gender-affirming care to transgender people
Eliminate insurance coverage of the morning-after-pill Ella (required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010).
Remove Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices.
These are just a few things and I'm sure lots of people will be like lol this will never happen but lots of people said this about overturning Roe, as well.
*FWIW - I think it is absolutely valid to be angry, discouraged, and disappointed in our current administration.
Be mad at Biden! (though I would encourage looking into some of the actually positive things his administration has achieved).
But also consider what's at stake for a huge population of this country if we wind up with a GOP win.
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russellsppttemplates · 6 months
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From the start, it was you (George Russell)
The heart doesn't seem to choose by team colours
Note: english is not my first language. This is the first driver!reader I've ever written, so I hope I've done a good job. Also, I did not plan to post this piece specifically now, but seems fitting with the whole shitshow that has been going on the past couple of days. Also, this is a plot I've seen written a lot, so I know there are many other pieces that are way better, and hopefully my take on it isn't too bad!
Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!
my masterlist
Tw: race collision, medical exams, curse words, gender inequality comments
Tag list: @myloverjk-blog
Your purple race suit made you stand out amongst all of the other kids as you walked back from the podium, proudly smiling at your trophy, "Y/N! We're here!", you heard your father as he waved so you'd know where they stood, "congratulations, darling! That was an impressive overtake you did there in the last lap!", he praised, scratching your head before placing a kiss there, "I was trying to get first, but I couldn't get it", you admitted it, looking sideways at the boy who you couldn't take the first place from.
George Russell was a tall boy, same age as you, so you often raced against eachother. While you had become friends with some of the other kids, Russell wasn't one of them. It began when you tried to congratulate him for his P3 a few years ago, stretching your hand out politely, a smile on your face as he turned his back to you, mumbling something as he walked towards his parents. So, you weren't the best of friends if anyone asked.
"Y/N, darling, go stand next to the boys so I can take a picture of you! It will be such a good memory for when you're older!", your mother said excitedly, making you, George and the boy that finished his race behind you on each of your sides, smiling at the camera and hoping it would be as quick as possible, not wanting to stand next to him for a second longer than you should.
.
"I have your media day schedules here", Mary said as she handed you and Oscar your respective schedules, "Y/N, you're going to get interviewed with Charles, Yuki, George and Fernando", she stated as she then moved on to Oscar, explaing a few things to him since he was going first.
"And Y/N, while you're in there, try not to kill George, even with your eyes, okay?", she advised, tapping your shoulder softly as you looked at her sideways, "last time you were both in the same panel, you managed to be out of qualifying", she nodded, "only because our car wasn't that reliable, and we all know how theirs is", you pointed out, smiling sweetly and hoping to get on her side, "you're lucky you don't annoy me too much, Y/N", she smiled back.
The team had made many improvements to the car, granting you and Oscar the possibility to aim for higher places on the grid, and since you were a nerd about all things engineering, too, you loved when you were asked about the topic. But lately, the questions about the car seemed to get asked to your teammate Oscar, leaving the excuse that "the journalists already have the information they need", and because they didn't want to be accused of not asking you questions like it had happened before, it seemed to divert to other topics.
"Y/N, here", one of the journalists waved, grabbing your attention, "With the recent events and new propositions from the F1 Academy, do you think the sport is going to suffer from having a bigger opportunity that's being given to women in motorsport?", your heard him say, making your blood boil.
Despite the constant raised awareness for gender discrimination and discrimination in motorsport, especially in the last couple of years, some people still had it pretty engraved in their system, and while sometimes it came out looking a little bit more subtle, this one didn't even bother to soften the edges.
You'd be lying if you said this was the first time you heard these comments directed at you, or that you thought it would be the last, no matter how much you wished some sort of disciplinary measure was taken, "I woul-", you began before you heard a loud clash on the floor and felt water on your legs. The trousers you were wearing were soaked around your thighs and knees as George got up to grab the bottle that belonged to him, "I'm so sorry, Y/N", he apoligised as he put the lid back on, "I think it's best if we call it a day, hm? The next group needs to have this cleaned before they come in here", the Mercedes driver said as everyone seemed to agree and get up, bidding goodbye as Charles and George stayed until the end.
"Careful, don't slip", the monegasque driver said, making sure you wouldn't fall and walking out of the room with you, "figures the guy wouldn't even be here to check if everything's fine", you muttered as Charles chuckled, "you two really are like the cat and the mouse".
"He's not even here! He just flew off to his fancy room to delight in the joy of making fun of me", you grumbled, bidding goodbye to Charles as you found yourself by the entrance of Ferrari.
Walking the distance to meet your team, Mary was the first to get you, "I'm sorry they asked that", she said, "it's a good thing Russell spilled his drink", she teased, knowing you wouldn't want to dwell on the comments for long. It hardly solved the problem and you'd look into it in the team meeting when the time called for it, "promise you won't take him out in the race?".
Laughingly at her assumption and the fact that she had managed to pull you out of your misery as you walked to you driver's room, "don't worry, and tell the guys downstairs to now worry either, they're not going to have to build me a new car either", you flashed a smile before closing the door, changing into another pair of trousers you had brought with you.
.
"You're starting P4, Y/N", your race engineer said over the radio, "we are going to give it our all to support you and help you".
"And I'm going to drive the beat I can for you guys. Today, we get orange flying around and its going to be because of the Papaya team", you smiled under your helmet, "Oscar is P6, so I think we can even aim for a Podium, depends on how things go", you said.
As soon as the lights went out, you reacted quickly and passed the car that had been sitting next to yours, your race engineer confirming your third place and giving you a run down of all the grid changes.
"Do us proud, you're doing well, good pace", you heard on your speakers. You were enjoying the drive, analysing the data without team and looking for the right opportunity to overtake Charles, "go after the next turn, Y/N. Charles' tyres are not looking so good, so we think you have the upper hand there. George's car seems to be having some issues, too, he won't go after you", the pit wall channeled in your radio.
You looked in your mirrors as you were about to make the overtake, having patiently waited to reach the specific turn and going with it, confident that you would be able to overtake the red car.
A fraction of a second, you would always say, was game changing in Formula One. A decision to overtake or stay back, to accept the call to the pits or a new strategy, sometimes all it took was less than a second. And it also took less than a second for your car to start spinning, making you remove your hands from your steering wheel and brace yourself for the collision that would soon enough happen.
The impact wasn't as hard as you had expected, having felt most of it in your hips and shoulders. Groaning, you opened your eyes to see the damage, hearing "Y/N, can you tell us if you are okay?" over the radio.
Pressing the button, you heard the equipment's buzz, "I'm okay. I'm sorry about the car, guys", you gulped, adjusting yourself, "another car tapped me, right? Are they okay?", you asked, "George's fine from what we've heard".
After the marshalls confirmed you were free to go with the medical car to get checked over, you were back in the hospitality as the race continued, "doctor said I'll have some bruises, nothing too bad though", you gave them the report as you apoligised and thanked everyone on your side of the garage.
"Turns out they'll have to build you a new car after all", Mary offered as she hugged you, "if Russell had been more careful, this could've ended differently", you groaned.
"From what I've heard, he was trying a risky move and the car had an issue and locked up. He lost control of it and his front wing tapped your rear wheels just about enough to cause the crash", she explained, "it's not like he purposefully wanted to take you out", she reasoned.
"I know, it's just not ideal", you sighed, "we could both be in there". On the screen, Oscar was sitting P2, having successfully overtaken Charles a few laps in after the race resumed.
Even though George was far from your friend, you still wanted to check if he was okay, specially after seeing the impact the crash had on his car, too.
Walking to the Mercedes hospitality, a few people stopped you on your tracks briefly to express their relief on seeing you up and about and wishing you well before you found yourself by the glass doors.
"Is George here? I'd like to see if he's doing alright, but only if that's okay, I'm sure you're busy", you asked one of the media girls, Holly, recognising her from previous encounters.
"He's in his driver's room, yes, let me walk you there", she smiled, walking with you and knocking on the door, "George, may I come in?", she asked before he gave a positive answer, "Y/N is here, she wanted to talk to you", she stated, backing up so you could be seen, "yes, that's alright", the tall man said as Holly held out her arm, gesturing you to walk inside the room as she closed the door behind her, most likely going back to work on the race content.
"Hey", you waved awkwardly, "I don't have any other way to contact you, and asking your team how you were didn't seem... right? So, yeah, I came here", you gulped, suddenly feeling a weird pressure to act properly, whatever that meant.
"I'm good, barely got a scratch since I was able to stop the car before it hit the barriers", George explained, "and you? It looked pretty bad", he checked.
"I have some bruises, I think the adrenaline is slowing down now, so it's a bit painful, but nothing major", you clarified.
"The car had some issue and there was not way to control it, I just let it go because there wasn't anything I could do. I'm very glad you're okay", he half smiled as he looked at you.
In all the years you've known him and interacted with him, there had never been a time where he was this relaxed and smiley around you, not even when he had overtaken you in the last lap of the race. And while it was new, it was also comfortable.
"Me too, it looked scarier than it felt, though", you offered as he grabbed his water bottle to take a sip from it, "Oh, close the lid properly on that one", you chuckled playfully, not imagining the backlash and reaction it would have.
The new and comfortable mood turned back to the old and expecting one.
"Do you really think I'm that clumsy to drop a bottle like that? I wanted to get us out of there, to get you out of there because they were asking sexist questions", he stated, "and I didn't do it because I thought you couldn't defend yourself, because you sure know how to stop your foot and put it down, but because they don't deserve your time like that. Hell, I wish you spent that little time with me instead!", George yelled out, not missing your shocked expression, "maybe there was a time that I didn't like how you just showed up and got things done, but in the end, it's not because it's you, or because you're a woman. I wanted to be the one to show up and get things done, because I admire you so much", he gulped.
"So you're saying it's my fault that I've been labelled a bad sport because we constantly fight out there? That's why you've hated me?", your defensive side turned up, not dwelling on his kind words.
"I'm not saying it is either of our fault! I'm just trying to explain to you that I don't hate you like you think I do", he put his hands on his hips, walking around his room, "you might hate me, and that's fine, you know? I'm not going to be the one to tell you how you should feel, that's not how it works, but I have never hate you.
"I might've said I hated you when we were little, but that's because you probably stole my place on the podium, and even that was probably well deserved. I never thought I'd feel like this about you", he concluded.
"And what is it that you feel about me? Because I would like a warning should you want to beat me up to deal with all it is that you're feeling...?", you gestured to his stance. Was he saying he didn't hate you? Did he have other feelings that were actually in the happiness section of the emotion wheel and not near the anger section?
Chuckling, he approached you, "I have had feelings for you since we started driving in F2. At first I thought it was just the thrill of the competition and of having someone to challenge me, and when you got the Mclaren seat, I was so happy that you'd be racing against me", he further offered, "I don't know when it came out that we hated eachother, and when you didn't seem to feel otherwise, I tried to hate you, or at least dislike you, and it wasn't working, so I just let it go however it went, and it's led me here. And I'm being honest with you, so laugh all you want, or deal with it however you want to", he raised his hands as he excused himself.
"George, I nerve said anything because I can't afford to say those things. How many rivalries have you seen in motorsport? So many, and many more that are not written in books and shown off in videos. And none of them have apoligies to offer, or rather, the very few that have done it, turned out okay. But if I was the one to talk about it? A female driver talking about how she cares that her colleagues and her have a good relation and that they don't hate eachother like the press wants people to believe?", you scoffed, "That's not on my books, that's not something I can consider.
"And I don't hate you, George. For Goodness' sake, I came here to see of you were alright. Any other person would've yelled that you ruined their race, but I understand that there are things we can't control and shit like this happens. It sucks, but that's how it is. Like Charles says all the time, 'sometimes it's like this'", you giggled, "I actually think you're a pretty decent guy", you blushed.
Over the years, the bickering had only spurred you on even more, and maybe it wasn't just the thrill of seeing him so on edge that made you continue to do so.
"So you're saying you've never hated me?",
George said as he offered you his chair to sit down as he prepared tea for both of you, "Maybe I didn't like you so much when we did karting, but that was just because you were really tall and actually gave me fair competition", you winked.
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fairladyjenny · 2 months
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i think the responce to transmisandry/transandrophobia has been mostly reactionary in that trans people (in my experience, transmasc and transfem and nonbinary alike) refuse to interact with the whole premise partly due to the underlying problems of "misandry" as a whole and partly due to bad actors' assimilation of the topic, but it's definitely unfair and dishonest to throw all transmasculine experiences with discrimination under the blanket term "transphobia" while separately recognizing the issue of transmisogyny [in the specific misogyny-based transfeminine experiences with discrimination]
the common (and very valid) justification for not wanting to see misandry as a problem relies on the correct premise that cis men, by default, face almost no gendered discrimination, and as such it is counterproductive to discuss such discrimination in the same optic that you would use to describe misogyny; transmisogyny is the extension of the common variety misogyny in a way which is specific to transfeminine people, with how some form of violence [mostly] do not apply to trans women and how other forms of violence are applied disproportionately, or are unique to trans women. in this sense, there is a strong case to be made about the existence of gender-specific violence against trans men too: they [mostly] do not face some forms of gendered violence, and have other forms of gendered violence, again, applied to them disproportionately
since i'm russian one of the examples of such disproportionately applied violence would be the draft: trans men who changed their documents when that was still a thing that could happen can be drafted (since F64.0 is no longer a valid reason to avoid the draft), and, henceforth, have to face unique transphobic violence, that, i hope, needs no explanation. yes, trans women who haven't changed their documents can be drafted too, and cis men and cis women can be drafted also, but:
1. some experiences of transmisogyny can be shared between not only transfeminine people (which is why the whole TMA/TME doesn't really make sense, if you happen to live in a v. supportive environment even as a trans woman you could experience no transmisogyny in your life, and vice versa); some experiences of other forms of discrimination can happen outside the particular group they're specific to also; there's no reason why this wouldn't apply here
2. it's painfully obvious that trans men are going to have very different experiences with the draft than trans women or cis women or cis men.
though, one could argue that at this point you're just making up more and more convenient little boxes with names that sound catchy for the purpose of melting down everyone's unique experiences in a pot, and that this could be counter-productive with how many identities exist out there... but this kinda goes both ways and why not just call all prejudice and acted out discrimination against specific groups of people "chauvinism" and be done with it. having specific words for specific topics is nice
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lilacsupernova · 1 month
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The feminist lifecycle (in T-shirts)
Stage One: You hate sexism and are eager to smash the patriarchy/live beyond the gender binary/[insert your own vague objective here]. What's more, you're definitely going to win because you are nothing like those mean, useless older women who fucked things up last time. T-shirt slogan: Riots not Diets.
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Stage Two: Okay, so you're still nothing like those mean, useless older women who fucked things up last time. That said, you sort of agree with them about some things, only for different reasons, e.g. you worry about choking in porn because it might hurt women, whereas they just have some weird sex phobia thing. Or you think sex matters because you sex discrimination exists, whereas they think sex matters because women are brood mares. You're still going to win, but you're not going to mention the choking/sex discrimination stuff in public in case it gives the wrong impression. T-shirt slogan: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun(dumental) Rights).
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Stage Three: Actually, you have to admit this, but those mean, useless older women? They were right about many things, and when you look at it, their justifications make sense. The trouble is how badly they marketed their arguments. They're appalling at PR, which is why everyone thinks they're mean, bigoted and essentialist. You, however, will be able to translate for them, making the case against choking women in sex and telling women their bodies don't matter in a way that is nuanced, persuasive, and above all, kind. Those bitches sure are lucky to have you! T-shirt slogan: Eat the Patriarchy.
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Stage Four: Bollocks. Turns out that no one cares how euphemistic you feminism is. The issue was always about the content, so you might as well express what you believe, and not on a T-shirt. How come no one – apart from those useless older women – warned you it would be this much work?
I'm not saying all women go through all stages in order. I know some who seem to have been born at Stage Four, others who never get to Stage One. There are women who hit Four then, on witnessing the response, retreat to Three (though they're never the same again). A significant proportion of mainstream feminism hovers between One and Two while thinking it's a Three or Four. Nonetheless, the overall direction of travel is clear, and what's needed is some serious acceleration. This is why Mumsnet, with its effective methods of hauling women over to the dark side, has been causing so much consternation. Most of the time, getting the process to speed up is a challenge.
– Victoria Smith, Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-aged Women, pp. 298-9.
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inuette · 5 months
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Radinclus does NOT mean Radqueer
[PT: Radinclus does not mean Radqueer. END PT.]
 🦴🎀 — proof read by the boyfie & ⛪️ — unedited
essay under the cut due to length
Well, to start with, what do either of these terms even mean? We have an explanation of radqueers (and why the community is flawed) here! If the post is too long for you to read, a basis is: They steal terms from others, support transitioning for terms that never supported it in the first place or that are impossible to transition to (i.e. transracial and/or transage) and their community is full of entirely pro-contact beings (people who support paraphiles, all of them, acting on their paraphilias) and groomers whether a "good radqueer" or not.
But then, what's a radinclus? It's a term that's commonly associated with and mixed up with the term radqueer. Radinclus is short for "radically inclusive," the term generally means one is in support of identities like gaybians, lesboys & veldigirls/turigirls and mspec monos (pan lesbians, bi gays, etc.) All of these terms are known as "contradictory" and/or good faith terms.
So, what's the difference? Radqueers have outright stolen terms and are misusing them, whether using the terms in good faith or because they think it's "cute" or "fun" in some way, they're still being misused and causing harm. These terms belonged to different groups that weren't necessarily queer, but are being taken to mean something they never meant in the first place. Terms that those who are radinclus support have history in queer culture and have existed long before radqueers ever decided to appropriate other groups' terms.
The terms lesboy and veldigirl/turigirl are typically used by systems, those who are multigender or those who are trans and still feel a queer attraction towards women or men. These terms were never meant to be used by solely cisgender heterosexual men or solely cisgender heterosexual women. To say that multigender people who may identify as a man and a woman don't belong in either gay nor lesbian communities IS discrimination. You can be a minority and a marginalized group and discriminate against other marginalized groups, excluding multigender people from these spaces is discrimination. By letting them into your spaces, no, we aren't forcing you to date them. But acknowledge that they exist — acknowledge that gender is different for everyone and because of that, so is sexuality.
For those who are trans and still feel a queer attraction towards the opposite gender, that is entirely valid! The NWLNW (Non-Women Loving Non-Women) and NMLNM (Non-Men Loving Non-Men) terms were historically used by TERFs to discriminate against trans men and women and imply that they were not 'actual men' or 'actual women'. Alternative terms to NWLNW and NMLNM are QLM & QLW (Queer Loving Men and Queer Loving Women). A cisgender heterosexual man would never understand the queer attraction that a trans man might feel towards women, nor would a cisgender heterosexual woman be able to understand the queer attraction towards men that a trans woman may hold. And no, a trans man using the term lesbian or a trans woman using the term gay isn't misgendering themselves — if one label fits them more than another & they're using it in good faith, let them!
Now, what's a 'gaybian'? Or a 'lesgay'? Or a 'straightbian'!? Someone who identifies as both gay & a lesbian (or straight and a lesbian, but we'll be focusing on what a gaybian because the same explanation can be used for other variations). You might be thinking now, well if the definition for lesbian and gay are queer loving men and queer loving women, how can you experience queer attraction to both if you're not both genders? Well, for one, most people who are gaybian are multigender — the way they view their attraction to both genders may be different because of that. They may view themself as both a gay man and a lesbian woman, and that's perfectly valid! If you believe that one or both of their identities as such are invalid or that they need to make their own community, that just means you have internalized biases against multigendered people. Others who may use this term are systems due to the varying genders and orientations between the alters.
Finally, mspec monos, also known as mspec gays or lesbians. Firstly, what does 'mspec' mean? Mspec is short for multispec, which is the umbrella term for identities in which one is attracted to multiple genders — i.e. pansexual, bisexual, omnisexual, etc. How can one be both multispec and lesbian? The most common explanation are those who use SAM, the split-attraction model. Many use the argument that SAM was made for aspecs by aspecs, and therefore mspecs cannot use it, but the first example of the SAM was in 1879 by Karl Heinrich Ulrich who used the example of heteroromantic homosexual in his writings. While romantic and sexual attraction may not be as separate and more intertwined for others, that isn't the case for everyone. Not everyone has to use the split attraction model, but it does work for those who's sexuality and romantic orientations are aimed towards separate genders.
Some people just ARE multispec and gay/lesbian — not understanding an identity isn't an excuse to shit on or discriminate against it. That's not to say blindly accept it, but there is proof and recorded history of these identities existing in the queer community for years. You cannot brush them off as "just a new fad" or "trend" when they've existed since before you did. Most radqueers support harmful beliefs and encourage them, radinclus is the inclusion of identities that have always been apart of our community — but have been thrown to the side for more 'easy to understand' ones. Whether you think they're 'the reason people aren't willing to understand' or not, don't fight against people who're in the same community fighting the same fight as you. There will be people who will hate you whether you're the most 'normal', 'straight-person-looking' lesbian ever or the people that you hate in your own community — the only difference is that when they're driving YOU out, there'll be no one left to help you.
Other Good Faith Identity Resources : Lesboys Carrd , Good Faith Resources Hub , Bi Gay / Lesbian Masterdoc
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Is it being discriminatory or offensive to think that being mtf is always going to be harder than being ftm? (I am enby afab)
Lee says:
Your question touches on a complex and sensitive topic within the trans community, and it's important to approach this with an understanding that every individual's experience with gender identity and transition is unique, and there are various factors that can influence the challenges they face.
The concept of intersectionality is crucial here. People experience discrimination differently based on intersecting aspects of their identity like race, class, age, disability, and their socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, etc.
And even beyond that, each person's journey is shaped by a multitude of factors including their family dynamics, social environment, cultural context. These factors can make the experience of being trans vastly different for each individual.
You can't compare two people based on a single identity and say "ah this person must have had it worse because they are [X identity]!" because people aren't just one single identity, they're whole people.
Certain things can affect one part of the trans community more than another, like hypervisibility vs invisibility/erasure for example, or the rhetoric supporting laws that prevent trans people from competing on teams that match their identified gender. It's true that trans woman are often dehumanized and seen as either sexual predators, as sexual objects, or as a joke, and as a result are often the targets of a lot of transphobic rhetoric.
Minority stress is real, and it can affect people's physical and mental health even if they are not personally facing a current physical threat to their safety.
While trans people who were AMAB may be more affected by some of that stress, that doesn't mean it exclusively affects them-- often the whole community ends up feeling the effects.
Even if trans women are often targeted in bathroom bills, for example, the end result is no trans person can use the bathroom that aligns with their gender. And being discriminated against for being transgender and seeing others face discrimination for a shared identity can create distress and that should be acknowledged.
Comparing the struggles between segments of the trans community can inadvertently create a hierarchy of suffering, which is not constructive. It's more helpful to acknowledge that while experiences can be different, each individual's challenges are valid and deserving of support and understanding.
We get variations on this discourse pretty frequently and I used to answer this question when it was asked. But recently I started to wonder what good my answer will do-- If I tell you "x group is Most Oppressed tm" how does that change anyone's lives for the better?
If you're interested in this type of thing from an academic perspective then you can study the issue more, and make up all the "What if" scenarios you want. A trans woman who grows up in a supportive white liberal NYC family, starts puberty blockers at age 12, starts estrogen and legally changes her name and gender marker at age 15, has bottom surgery at 18 and goes off to college having been "passing" as female since childhood is going to have a vastly different experience than a Black transmasculine person who grew up in poverty in the South, doesn't have a supportive family, came out at 16 and was kicked out and then never finished high school, manages to start testosterone at 23 but isn't able to afford top surgery until they 34 and is often misgendered as a result of not being able to bind in their physical job. They will have completely different backgrounds, experiences, and privileges even if they both started to transition before middle age. And of course "passing privilege" is another can of worms that I'm not going to open here.
Instead of focusing on which group has it harder, it's beneficial to recognize that yes, there are some differences in our experiences, when viewed on average, but that should be used as motivation to help people who genuinely need it instead of just being divisive.
When you notice someone using transphobic arguments or targeting any trans people, you should obviously speak up and fight back on their behalf if you're comfortable-- we have to support each other, but we're all part of the same community and everyone's safety is important. Don't put yourself in danger.
So yeah, I'm tired of rehashing the Discourse and won't be answering questions about that type of topic. Good vibes only lol. In general, we all need to work to foster a sense of solidarity and support within the trans community and be open to listening to the experiences of all trans individuals. Understanding the diverse perspectives within the transgender community can lead to greater empathy and support, and mutual support can be a powerful tool in navigating the challenges of living in a transphobic culture.
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all-seeing-ifer · 4 months
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Aromanticism in Academia
Since it's currently Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week and I'm currently in the middle of a master's research project about aromanticism and asexuality, I figured I'd contribute by putting together a list of some books and other academic sources I've read so far that deal with aromanticism! There's very little written about aromanticism in academia, so I think it's important to spotlight what we do have.
DISCLAIMER BEFORE THE LIST: Due to the lack of discussion of aromanticism specifically in academia, most of what I've found are texts that are primarily about asexuality but also discuss aromanticism. It's unfortunate, but it is also where we're kind of at right now in terms of academia, so bear that in mind.
Books:
Ace Voices: What it means to be asexual, aromantic, demi, or grey-ace by Eris Young - Definitely has the most focus on aromanticism of everything that I've read so far, this book draws from a combination of the author's personal experiences and interviews with other members of the a-spec community, including aroace and alloaro people. A good source of discussion of aro issues and how they interact with things like gender stereotypes. Also notable for its discussion of QPRs, a topic which I find has generally been ignored in academia about a-spec identities.
Ace: What Asexuality reveals about desire, society, and the meaning of sex by Angela Chen - Primarily deals with asexuality, as the title suggests, but also contains some relevant discussions of aromanticism, including the experiences of aroallo people. If you're going to check out the book, I would especially recommending looking at chapter 7: Romance, Reconsidered, which features most of the discussion of aromanticism and non-normative relationships
Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J Brown - Again, asexuality is the main focus here, but I would still recommend checking out this book as it does still contain some useful discussion of aromanticism, particularly an extended critique of "singlism" (i.e. discrimination of single people) and how it is weaponised against aros. I also find Brown's criticism of the dehumanisation of aromanticism in media to be very compelling!
Minimizing Marriage: Marriage, Morality, and the Law - I would be remiss not to mention Brake's work here. While Minimizing Marriage is not specificallly about aromanticism and deals with marriage reform and the concept of amatonormativity more broadly, I think it's fair to say that many of Brake's ideas (particularly her coining of amatonormativity as a term) have become vital to the aro community and aro activism in recent years. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in deconstructing amatonormativity and in contemporary critiques of marriage as an institution, though it's worth noting that this is a work of moral/political philosophy first and foremost, and as such it gets very into the weeds of things. Available on the Internet Archive here
Academic Articles/Essays (all can be found in the collection Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives):
"Why didn't you tell me that I love you?": Asexuality, Polymorphous Perversity, and the Liberation of the Cinematic Clown by Andrew Grossman - A really interesting and engaging analysis of the archetype of the silent film clown, and how it can be read as an a-spec figure. While Grossman uses the language of asexuality, his analysis makes it clear that he is looking at the clown as both an asexual AND aromantic character.
On the Racialization of Asexuality by Ianna Hawkins Owen - A personal favourite of mine. I think many parts of this essay will be very relevant to aromantic people, particularly Owen's investigation of how romantic love came to be pedastalised and her critique of attempts to normalise asexuality by distancing it from aromanticism.
Mismeasures of Asexual Desires by Jacinthe Flore - A critique of the pathologisation of asexuality that also discusses how aromanticism challenges common discourses around intimate relationships
Finally, I would like to mention the work of Bella DePaulo, who has written extensively about singlism and compulsory coupling, and who Brown uses extensively as a source in their writing on aromanticism. I didn't want to make this part of the main list because I haven't yet had a chance to get stuck into DePaulo's work, but based on Brown's mentions of her work I believe she has some very interesting ideas that are very relevant to aro people.
As you can probably tell, the list of academic sources dealing with aromanticism and aro issues is very limited. However, while aromanticism is vastly underdiscussed in an academic context, I'd like to point out that this is also only what I've been able to find so far. If anyone has any other recommendations please do add them to this post - I for one would love to hear about them!
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