Testosterone: "Well, it's been nearly five years. I think it's time for a beard." Me: "Finally! Is it going to grow in evenly?" Testosterone: "'iS iT gOiNg To GrOw In EvEnLy--lmfao fuck no, know what it is gonna do though?" Me: "...Give me acne?" Testosterone: "Give you acne."

I don’t usually thirst trap these days, but this lighting was great.

AAVE is not TikTok Slang 

AVE is not TikTok slang, not generational slang etc. It's AAVE that gets popularized by others in their communities and repeated to the point online of it being labeled as such. Point blank. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk 🙃

New video is posted and I hope it helps wake some people up.

What if I told you that the antidote to Islamophobia isn't Antisemitism?

CW for this post (you have seen the title.) I feel like this shouldn't need explaining, but merciful Brigid, some of the shit I have seen. It's time for Led Tasso to come out. I'm not Jewish, let's just get that out of the way first, but my position on Palestine is largely informed by Jewish people who have been protesting for decades about the horrific treatment of Palestinians being done by a settler colonial state appropriating their religion, culture, language, and trauma. Fascist governments weaponizing fear and hiding behind religion is a well known tactic, and the fact that so many people have put this readily available information from their minds, specifically in this conversation, speaks to how incredibly pernicious antisemitism really is. I'm treading lightly here because as someone who's not Jewish, it really isn't my place to explain the cultural complexities, trauma, or general experiences of Jewish people. But if you haven't seen those discussions crossing your feed, you should be looking inward and asking why. Because if you're not invested in Jewish voices right now (or in general), that's a red flag for the kind of rhetoric you've internalized and the struggles you take seriously. The position I can speak from, however, is one of being committed to challenging all forms of systemic violence and oppression. So from that stance, and I cannot stress this enough: If you are fighting for some at cost to others, you are reinforcing oppression. It is wild to me that "Nazi" has come to mean "The worst thing a person can be" without recognition of the fact that the ideology is inherently antisemitic, that this is its centrepiece, that Jews are the number one target. This separation is, once again, an example of how insidious this brand of hatred really is--blatant erasure of the way Jewish people are uniquely targeted. I know a lot of trans people follow me, so here's a fun fact: You know the "Doctors are transing our kids to damage fertility rates!" conspiracy? You can thank antisemitism for that, too! It's literally just a rebrand of the Great Replacement conspiracy, which is modernized "protection of Aryan bloodlines." The most recent chapter of "My Life as A Bigot" by Joanne Klan Rowling isn't just another gleeful display of her hatred of trans people, it's another addition to the laundry list of antisemitic beliefs and talking points she's been peddling for years. The Charlottesville "unite the right" Nazi rally was spurred on by the removal of confederate statues and anti-Black racism. What is it they were chanting, again? Anyone remember? Any of this ringing a bell? OH RIGHT. "Jews will not replace us." So many other forms of systemic violence are steeped in the poisonous rhetoric of antisemitism. Acting like this isn't the case damns our Jewish siblings who need us while weakening our understanding of the oppressive forces we're fighting. "One struggle" includes all of us. The fact that the Likud government uses accusations of antisemitism as a cover for their violence should make you more diligent about condemning antisemitism, not less. Because letting them weaponize something that is already so widespread and destructive makes it that much harder to dismantle.

Do not stop talking about Palestine. Do not stop speaking up against the horrors of settler colonial violence. But if you can't do this without throwing another group of oppressed people under the bus, you need to question where you learned your resistance tactics, because the company you're keeping there should disgust and terrify you.

Hi Swolesome,

I enjoy your content on YouTube, and I was wondering if I could ask for some advise.

I'm a writer among other things (another one of those things is also being a fellow bisexual disaster), and I do a lot of writing on this and other sites. But lately I've been thinking about trying my hand at starting my own channel on YouTube.

I don't exactly have high expectations for my future channel in terms of how many people will watch, nor am I anywhere near expecting to acquire much in terms of monetary gain. I don't exactly expect to gain the following the likes that Contrapoints or Philosophy Tube have gained over the years

But I do have ideas to share for video essays topics (original ideas and work with sources cited of course, I've been keeping up with that particular discourse). I guess what I'm trying to say is I could use a little advice as someone who is just starting out. What to do, what to say, HOW to say things? I'm not the best actor, but I think I'm fairly descent in terms of presenting things (I've also been pretty good at writing both fiction AND essays both online and in school).

Also maybe some tips on actually creating videos.

Thank you :)

Hey! So glad you reached out, and thank you so much--I'm really happy to hear you enjoy the content I make. :) Also stoked to hear you're looking to start a channel of your own! It sounds like you're coming at it from a very realistic place, because it's kinda thankless work, especially in the early days. Some people know how to game the algorithm, but I am sadly not one of them, so I don't want to lead you astray on that front (FD Signifier would be a good source there, he has some more recent videos talking about content creation with some tips and tricks included.) The advice I can confidently offer is to be yourself. And I know that sounds like cliché right out of an after school special, but I mean it. What do you love? What perspective do you bring to a subject? If you're more of a presenter, you might find yourself connecting with educational content. If you're a writer, you might be drawn to storytelling or poetry. One of the nice things about videos as a medium, if the focus is specifically art and communication, is that they're so flexible. I fell into my style of videos because I genuinely love connecting with people and encouraging honest examination of thoughts, emotions, and how they interact; this is why I never say anything unless I mean it. Even if I later come to change my mind on a subject (which definitely happens), I think it's important to give people the same honesty I'm trying to encourage in them. Every YouTuber has an onscreen persona, of course. We all contain multitudes and it's important to have your self-self and your visible-self, if that makes sense, both for your style to come forward and for your mental health. But the content that will be the most enjoyable and rewarding will be whatever you can bring sincerity to. While there is certainly something to be said for acting as a talent in itself, I personally love creating and viewing YouTube content that gives a glimpse into the person making it. It doesn't have to be baring your soul (not unless that's what you want), but rather something about yourself that you're secure in sharing: an artistic talent, education you've received, your sense of humour--that part is up to you.

And don't get discouraged if there's something you want to talk about that other people have already addressed. This is something I still struggle with, worrying that my voice is just adding clutter, but we need more people sharing their passions and insights. Every perspective brings something new and increases the likelihood of someone else connecting with the subject. Whether you're everyone's cup of tea or someone's shot of whiskey, you're reaching others. Finding your voice is the key to getting started, recognizing its value is the drive to keep going. Oh, and on the tech side, if you had to select only one thing starting out, make sure it's a good mic. For a hearing audience, good audio is often the deciding factor as to whether or not someone will watch. You got this! 💙

I think it's clear a lot of people think the Nazis were bad because they regard them as the ultimate cartoon villain, and not because they think genocide against Jews is bad.

I had to reupload the video due to an improper copyright claim. i really like this video and would appreciate it getting the love I hoped for it before being dunked on by the algorithm.

Expanding on this great post by Aranock. I have talked about this before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuRpNDgp5Ck&t I will be talking about it again, because for whatever reason, the message is not sinking in with a great many people. This "The left doesn't try to reach men" narrative is one of absolving responsibility and placing blame; not only is this not helpful to boys and men, it is actively harmful to all of us. Quite frankly, the right treats men like absolute shit, reinforcing the idea that all men are in a constant battle for dominance (and thus, that there are "superior" and "inferior" men), or that they must perform to a certain contrived patriarchal standard to be adequate in their manhood or worthy of acceptance. Whether it is Andrew Tate peddling vicious misogyny, or Jordan Peterson cramming bioessentialism down our throats and acting like crying while he does so makes it a balanced and compassionate take, the mechanism is the same: Boys and men are drawn in by the reinforcement of what patriarchy has taught them about manhood. That it is domineering, aggressive, violent, and positively correlated with power. It is validation of patriarchy, that is the appeal, it is not because "the left doesn't try to reach men." Are there problems in leftist and progressive spaces in how we talk about boys and men? Yes. Absolutely. Unfortunately, this is an inevitable byproduct of the trauma so many people have experienced at the hands of men. It's also an inevitable byproduct of a space where diversity and self-determination are core values for most people. There is no specific, strict behavioural doctrine we're all beholden to--that's kind of the point, and it means we have to engage with problems as they arise rather than downplay or deny them. Social cohesion and change is work, and that's that. But we all need to stop acting like someone on social media posting "Men are trash" is the driving force behind this problem. Andrew Tate literally uses his fans as foot stools and calls them pathetic wastes of space, yet he raked in millions and rose to unimaginable influence specifically because of this unapologetic contempt toward his target audience. If you take twenty seconds to look beneath the surface, it becomes painfully obvious that the issue isn't what's being said, it's who's saying it. Boys and men who have taken the patriarchy pill do not listen to women, and they do not listen to anyone challenging their worldview because the very idea of being challenged is a threat to their identity. Men do not compromise. Men dominate. Men do not listen. Men already know what's real and true. Leaving space for correction is admitting weakness. Pushing this idea that leftists aren't trying not only erases the hard work so many of us are doing, it absolves the men suffering under patriarchy from doing the internal work that would free them from that suffering. Like I said, it is not. Helping. And relying on the input of a literal sex pest to elaborate on this problem not only keeps this creep relevant by giving him a foot in the rhetoric door, it just ain't a good look. We should be having this conversation, being able to talk about this stuff is part of the solution, but you can find better sources of insight flipping logs in a swamp. My guess is that the reason Vaush even takes this stance is because it protects him from having to face his own inability to admit wrongdoing and concede space to people who know better. It's the same male dominance concept masquerading as "progressive" because the guy pushing it publicly says "trans rights" while privately salivating in the DMs of every trans woman content creator this side of Saturn. Let's clean it the fuck up, boys. We're better than this.

Seeing people fall for the "left doesnt speak enough to young men, and I the most sexist creep whos platform is devoted to harassing women and who thinks you need tactical n words am definitely a good source on this" stuff again and I just am so sick of it. There are actually a lot of leftist people, particularly leftist men, who are speaking and reaching out and trying to help young men grow.

Please go watch; F.D. Signifier or Swolesome or Colormind or Babila or Noah Samsen or 50 other of my colleagues who do good work online.

Trying to find a progressive way of doing sexism is not a solution and seeing multiple people sharing a fucking v**sh tweet on here is disheartening. Like no actually the racist sexist creep does not have a point, catering to sexism is not going to help young men. Yes of course the right appeals more to young white men, because power is appealing, being told that "you deserve everything and you are better than everyone else and actually women not having sex with you, which obviously you are entitled to, is because traditional gender roles(ones which benefit you) are being taken away" is more appealing then "actually you do need to work on yourself, you are not entitled to sex or power" then idk what to say. But theres no world in which you should want to cater more to the first thing and still genuinely call yourself feminist.

did he forget that we could, like, fact check

Cis people have been doing the same shit for the past 200 years (a kind-of-update on Project Transmasculine Deep Dive.)

It's astonishing to me how thoroughly erased transmasc people have been throughout history not because I'm shocked by bigotry (that is, sadly, completely unsurprising from certain demographics) but because so many Western newspapers were completely and utterly obsessed with us. If you were born with internal reproductive organs and put on a pair of trousers, white cis people acted like you were belching flames and pooping gem stones while handstanding on a penny-farthing and foretelling the end of humanity. I used to get distressed and frustrated over the lies they push regarding "trans reactionaries" but these days I'm just fucking embarrassed for them over their lack of self-awareness and total ignorance of their own ongoing pattern of doomsday-level reactions to clothing. What a bizarre group of people.

Following up on this--I have been applying to a uni program and it has been eating up all my time and brain power, but this is still happening, research has begun, and I will be getting back to everyone ASAP!

Transmasc Tumblr, I need you.

I dunno if there's a rallying cry or some kind of ancient incantation I gotta bust out, but HEY TRANSMASC FOLKS AND TRANS MEN, EXCUSE ME PLEASE. I'm a trans dude with a small-ish YouTube channel working on a video about the erasure of transmasculinity, particularly in the wake of the recent debacle involving a former YouTuber who I won't mention directly but his name rhymes with Sames Jomerton. His plagiarism of Alexander Avila and Jes Tom, and outright misgendering of ND Stevenson got me fired up about how often we're overlooked or merely an asterisk in queer discourse, so much so that even those of us in this community need to search high and low for resources on our history and health care. So I'd like to hear from you. If you're comfortable, I'd love for anyone who's part of this community (and not a transmedicalist) to message me directly with something you wish more people knew about us, or an anecdote about one of your experiences (happy, sad, angering, your call.) A paragraph or two is ideal--for longer posts, I will likely not be able to include them in their entirety, but I will quote them where I can. If you'd like to be involved, please let me know if you'd prefer to be anonymous or to have your name dropped and socials linked; I'm hoping for the latter given that the idea is to shout out more artists and creators, but I want to give the anons space to be heard, too. You can also help by recommending transmasc YouTubers (especially essayists) who could use more eyes! I'm looking for more creators to enjoy personally, and I'd love to shout them out if it would help them. If y'all could reblog this, I'd be very appreciative, and if you read all of this, dog bless you. 💙 And an extra special thanks to @socksonat3am for being such a great friend with exceptional meme game. He blindsided me with a compliment so now I'm getting him back because he needs to know how talented and delightful and magical he is. Take that, Socks. Get absolutely treasured.

A comic collab I made with my non-binary transmasc friend LM about our experiences feeling at home in our bodies 🪷

Check out more from my amazingly talented friend LM on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/lmperttula_design?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

In order to prevent the spread of fake news, here is a quick guide to spotting it.

1. Read Past The Headline

One way that fake news gets amplified is that busy readers may not look past the headline or opening paragraph before they decide to share an article. Fake news publishers sometimes exploit this tendency, writing the beginning of a story in a straightforward way before filling in the rest with obviously false information.

In other cases, clicking through to the article will reveal that the story really has nothing to do with the headline at all or provides nothing to back it up.

2. Check What News Outlet Published It

Unfamiliar websites plastered with ads and all-caps headlines should draw immediate skepticism. Googling a site’s name and checking out other articles it posts should also help determine whether it’s trustworthy.

Many fake news sites will outright say that they are satire or don’t contain factual information, but others are made to mimic major news outlets. Check the URL names of pages that look suspect, making sure that it’s not a hoax site that is pretending to be a trusted source.

3. Check The Publish Date And Time

Another common element in fake news is that old articles or events can resurface and lead people to believe they just happened. Checking the publish time stamp is something readers can quickly do to prevent being misled.

Sometimes, however, finding out when an event happened can take a bit more work ― such as when the date of an article is current, but the events described within it are old. Click through links and read carefully to determine when the event described actually happened.

4. Who Is The Author?

Looking at who wrote the article can reveal a lot of information about the news source. Searching through the author’s previous articles can show whether they are a legitimate journalist or have a history of hoaxes.

5. Look At What Links And Sources Are Used

A lack of links or sources for claims in an article is an obvious warning sign that the post is likely false. Fake sites may also provide numerous links to sites that appear to back up their claims, but are themselves spreading misinformation. Check to see that claims supported by links actually come from reliable sources.

6. Look Out For Questionable Quotes And Photos

It’s incredibly easy for fake news writers to invent false quotes, even attributing them to major public figures. Be skeptical of shocking or suspicious quotes, and search to see if they have been reported elsewhere.

Likewise, it’s easy to take a photo from one event and say it’s from another. Images can also be altered for a certain story. Reverse image searches, either through Google or tools like TinEye, can help you find where an image originated.

7. Beware Confirmation Bias

People are often drawn to stories that reinforce the way they see the world and how they feel about certain issues. Fake news is no exception, and many of the articles that fall under its umbrella are designed to stir up emotion in readers and prey on their biases.

It’s important to check that news stories are based in fact, rather than sharing them because they support one side of an argument or bolster pre-existing political beliefs.

8. Search If Other News Outlets Are Reporting It

If a story looks suspicious or claims to reveal major news, search to see if other news outlets are also reporting the story. A single article from a suspicious source making a grand claim should be viewed with heavy skepticism. If no reliable news outlets are also reporting the story, then it’s very likely fake.

9. Think Before You Share

Fake news sites rely on readers to share and engage with their articles in order for them to spread. In extreme cases, these fake articles can balloon out of control and have unintended consequences for those involved in the stories.

Family Gatherings

I was the youngest child, I've never spent much time around children, I don't really know how to talk to them? So I end up in situations like:

My baby niece: [cries loudly]

Me:

"This will not achieve the goal of removing the shit from your pants."

Another fun fact, many transmasc people on testosterone develop prostate tissue when they formerly had none (even those who start HRT after natal puberty.) So even moving beyond homologous structures, we often do indeed have prostates.

your hormonally induced clitoromegaly will NEVER be a real penis. stop calling it that.

where are your testicles? where is your scrotum? where is your shaft? where are your glans? where is your frenulum? where is your spermatic cord? where is your prostate? exactly. you don't have any of these anatomical structures. because you don't have a penis.

and enlarged clitoris is not a penis. forearm tissue transplanted onto your pelvis is not a penis. stop lying.

well first of all, i’m not sure who told you that dicks and balls are the same thing, but i’m here to tell you that having balls is not a requirement for having a dick. you can in fact have one of them without the other.

second of all, i’m so sorry to break this to you but i’m afraid you just don’t know shit about how bodies work. surprise! clitorises, with or without t, also have a shaft and glans. you just don’t know how anatomy works!

and as for everything else, i would love to know you why you feel the need to know! maybe no one ever told you this but turning a stranger’s dick into a game of where’s waldo is weird as hell. i’d love to have a word with whoever raised you because i know they didn’t teach you to talk to strangers like that.

in conclusion, if someone else’s dick makes you that mad, you have some soul searching to do because the existence of my dick and what i call it should not matter to you. it has absolutely no affect on your life and i would highly suggest you try spending your time caring about literally anything else instead.

it feels like a lot of "progressive" online spaces have really latched onto this ooo boykisser pastel stockings kitty femboy image of GNC men and i have to admit i have concerns about how those spaces would respond to GNC men who either can't or simply don't want to look like that