“Today is the day to make sure that the trans community is visible for who they are and what we stand for. Today is the day to make sure that a trans person in your community feels seen and that their opinions and ideas are heard. Today is the day to make sure that the trans community is seen and most importantly heard in any level of legislation, especially if our rights are up for debate.” 

Kiki (she/her), 14 yo Youth Voice from New Jersey

🏳️‍⚧️ Today is #TransDayofVisibility.

So, what exactly does that mean in a year when we've already been made VERY visible by lawmakers, school officials, and in the media? We asked around in our community. This year, it means...

🟣 Intentionally LISTENING to trans people (including trans youth) about our own personal stories, feelings, and experiences is so vital.

🟣 Allies need to stand UP and speak out alongside us - sometimes it's not safe for us to do so.

🟣 We need to engage with and share more trans content and uplift trans content creators to learn from each other and educate allies - we have amazing streamers weekly on our Twitch, tons of stories on Youtube, and a whole trans and nonbinary playlist on TikTok!

🟣 We need to share resources to support one another. We have an entire database of over 1,000 LGBTQ+ organizations on our Get Help page that you can filter by issue area and location, including a page just for trans and GNC people at itgetsbetter.org/gethelp. Save it for yourself and share with friends.

🟣 We're not going to stop celebrating trans joy...

🟣 And while we know hate is being projected by a vocal minority, there are still plenty of people who have our backs.

Hundreds rallied and marched at the National March to Protect Trans Youth in Orlando, Florida, on October 7.

'DeSantis says get back, we say fight back!'

Photos: Struggle-La Lucha, Workers Voice Socialist Movement

Happy pride 2023, everyone!

Gay Pride? No, Gay WRATH.

Pride this year feels less like a joyful party and more like a full throated war cry.

People are leaving states that have been their homes their whole lives. In many cases, those places have been their family's home for generations.

People are scared. People are angry. These are justifiable and understandable sentiments when many states are trying to legislate whole communities out of existence.

This IS fascism, this IS authoritarianism, and this IS extremely dangerous. Both to individual citizens and to the country as a whole.

This is not the time for "no kink at Pride." This is not the time to withold support from someone because they don't look or conduct themselves the way you think they "should." No amount of money, assimilation, or respectability will help you if your identity becomes illegal.

This is the time for solidarity, listening, and support.

This sticker is available on my Society6, and ALL PROCEEDS will be donated to Lambda Legal, and the Trans Justice Funding Project.

BUY IT HERE!

weeee! first art collab with the amazing & Talented @wakkoswrld! and here I am pushing the Trans Dot agenda, i don't personally hc her as trans but the opertunity was to perfect to NOT do. no one else was gonna do it so we stepped up :) you can find the Original book by @labellesophie (it is really good & a fun & pretty educational read!) followed by the drawing of Dot singular that I did,

I HIGHLY reccomend checking Sophie Labelle out.

Alberta is being horrible and I needed to make myself laugh

The history of transgender people

The history of transgender people is complex and varied, stretching back to ancient civilisations and continuing through to the present day. While there is no single narrative that can capture the full breadth of transgender experience, there are certain key moments and figures that have helped shape our understanding of gender identity and expression.

One of the earliest recorded examples of transgender identity comes from the ancient Sumerian civilisation in Mesopotamia, where priests and priestesses of the goddess Inanna would sometimes dress in clothing associated with the opposite sex and perform rituals that blurred traditional gender boundaries. In other cultures, such as the Native American tribes of the Two-Spirit tradition or the hijra communities of India, individuals who did not conform to traditional gender roles were often revered as having special spiritual or healing powers.

The modern concept of transgender identity emerged in the mid-20th century, when medical professionals began to recognise that some people experienced a persistent and distressing sense of incongruity between their gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth. This led to the development of gender-affirming medical treatments such as hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery.

One of the earliest known examples of gender-affirming medical treatment took place in Germany in the 1920s, when Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld established the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin. The institute offered medical and psychological support to people who experienced gender dysphoria, as well as advocating for legal and social recognition of transgender identity.

Unfortunately, the institute was destroyed by the Nazis in 1933, and many of its patients and staff members were killed or forced into hiding. It was not until the 1950s and 60s that transgender identity began to be more widely recognized in Western medical and psychological circles, thanks in part to the pioneering work of researchers such as Dr. Harry Benjamin.

In 1952, Benjamin published "The Transsexual Phenomenon," which outlined a clinical framework for understanding and treating gender dysphoria. He argued that transgender people should be allowed to access medical interventions such as hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery in order to align their bodies with their gender identity, and he helped establish the standards of care that are still used by many medical professionals today.

Throughout the 20th century, transgender people faced significant discrimination and marginalisation, particularly in the United States. Laws and social norms restricted their access to healthcare, education, employment, and other basic rights, and they were often subject to harassment and violence.

In the 1960s and 70s, however, transgender activists began to organise and advocate for their rights, paving the way for greater recognition and acceptance of transgender identity in the decades that followed. In 1975, for example, the first international conference on transgender rights was held in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing together activists from around the world to share their experiences and strategies.

Today, transgender people continue to face many challenges, including discrimination, violence, and lack of access to healthcare. However, there have also been significant gains in terms of legal protections and social acceptance, particularly in many Western countries. Transgender celebrities such as Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner have helped to raise awareness and visibility of transgender issues, and many organisations and advocacy groups are working to promote transgender rights and equality.

The history of transgender people is one of resilience and resistance, as individuals and communities have fought to assert their identities and secure their rights. While there is still much work to be done, the progress that has been made in recent decades provides hope for a more inclusive and just future.

Become yourself 💖

A holographic sticker by @hehymnhis! 

Use this artwork to adorn your favourite water bottle, journal, gender, skateboard, what have you.

mush.house/hehymn 🏳️‍⚧️

I did an image of Sugi and C-21 Highsinger (because he's cool looking) for this great project :)

What is it supposed to feel like?

One of my most humbling experiences was when I asked my friend, “what do you think gender dysphoria feels like?” Nothing could have prepared me for what she was going to say. “I am not sure, I guess it’s feeling that you’re in the wrong body?”

I felt myself get angry because of how many times I explained it to her. So many horrible thoughts ran in my head as I felt myself heat up. I sighed, mentally taking a step back and realizing the only person I am mad at is only myself. It was not her fault, but I did not know where the pain in my heart came from.

Within seconds, I looked at her replying “you aren’t wrong, but that isn’t the most part.” Memories flooded in reminding me how hard I tried to explain my dysphoria to her, but I ended up struggling. I never found the right words to explain the heaviness lingering on my heart, the pain that inhabited inside my gut, the feeling your soul and brain being detached from your body or seeing a random a male stranger in public and feeling attached to them because of how masculine presenting they are.

“I wish I could explain it in detail, but it’s difficult for me to.” I felt the cartilages of my throat tighten, making me struggle to speak or breathe. I stayed quiet for a moment, waiting for this horrible feeling to leave my body.

I remind myself every now and then that not everyone feels the same as me. Other people, unlike me, did not grow up wanting to “look like the other gender” or had that “sudden change of clothing” that my mom refused to get me in the store. Back then, I didn’t know what that feeling was and why I felt uncomfortable in my own skin.

Those feelings, I could not interpret and still cannot until today, were only mine and no one else. Not for someone who felt euphoric and comfortable in their own body. My one and only wish is to have these happy and good feelings towards my own body.

Today the far-right dominated Montana legislature, after first silencing her, plans to censure and expel its first elected trans woman member, Zooey Zephyr, just as the Tennessee legislature did to two young Black men. 

All because she dared to condemn legislation that will kill and torture trans children -- something that Democratic Party leaders and Joe Biden have refused to condemn, much less take action against.

These attacks go far beyond the scope of electoral politics. They are attacks on the right of oppressed people to be represented or even speak on matters that directly affect them. Fortunately, there is a growing fight-back movement to #LetHerSpeak. I have no doubt that there will be a fierce struggle to restore her seat if she is expelled, as there was for Justin Jones and Justin Pearson in Tennessee.

"Blue check" fans of Elon Musk are now openly calling for the public executions of trans people, their families and their health care providers. This is a fight for the whole working class and progressive movement. 

If you haven't spoken up, if you haven't joined a protest, if you haven't paid attention -- the time is now. 

- redguard

Artwork by Lee Leslie

Pride Reminder From A Pagan

This page is a safe space for all who identify with the beautiful spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. Those who spew harmful rhetoric are absolutely NOT welcome here, and anyone looking to find a Pagan blog that harbors bigots needs to git on elsewhere.

Gender essentialism within the Witchcraft community can be extremely dangerous for our trans siblings who also want to engage in this beautiful lifestyle. Embrace that people see the world, and therefore the craft, in more expansive ways than the binary is able to encompass. Forcing gender essentialism onto younger practitioners is just another way to exclude trans members of the community.

As I type this, there are over 380 anti-trans bills being proposed in the United States. Republicans in office have begun using genocidal language to talk about eliminating trans folks. I am a part of the #bookstagram and #booktok communities, and I want to see us DO SOMETHING about it. Several influential tiktok accounts have banded together to create various events throughout late March to help raise money and awareness for trans rights. I want to do my part in my own way to do the same. @mercurystardusttopz and @alluringskull have banded together to do a 30hr livestream on March 31st, which is #transdayofvisibility with the goal of raising $1M for @pointofprideorg Several book-related accounts (including my own) on #tiktok and #Instagram are planning to do a #readathon of books by #transauthors I'm writing this to ask you to sponsor me or another reader you know who will be participating and pledge to donate a certain amount of money for every book I read by trans (as in transgender/agender/genderqueer/non-binary/…) authors, and I will match those donations up to $100 (or more if I can get my finances to cooperate). Alternatively, you can donate to Point of Pride and/or tune into the tiktok livestream with me on March 31st. I'll #livestream as much of my reading process as I can on my tiktok and #twitch accounts, as well as be participating in pro-trans #writein or #writingstream sessions on my twitch channel. Feel free to follow me on tiktok @thatchickcanwrite and twitch at twitch.tv/alleyroseplays to participate, follow some of my favorite trans content creators (links will be made available) and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE donate, sponsor, and show up for our trans siblings throughout March because #transrightsarehumanrights and we cannot allow hate to win. -- Here's which books I plan to read: 🏳️‍⚧️ Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White 🏳️‍⚧️ Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas 🏳️‍⚧️ Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey -- #lgbtqia #transisbeautiful #protecttranskids #protecttranslives #blacktranslivesmatter #transrights https://www.instagram.com/p/CpmZKLKOwHJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Traditionally, Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the beautiful and diverse community of trans and gender diverse individuals. By affirming our existence and standing up for our rights, we aim to improve the world and work towards equality, dignity, and recognition of our humanity. This year, however, is different. In a time when hateful rhetoric and discriminatory policies are on the rise, visibility has taken on a new meaning. We are more visible than we have ever been. This Trans Day of Visibility, we urge our allies to step up and fight alongside us. We shouldn't have to carry the burden of visibility on our own. We are under fire and our right to live and thrive is at stake. We ask you to join our cause and become our shield. We don't need visibility, we need your support. Together, we can stand tall and let our voices echo across the globe. We will not be silenced. Let's show the world our strength, side by side. For all those who aren’t able to be visible, we see you! You are valid, and you are loved. 💙 At Amor Binders we want make a difference by helping our trans siblings feel affirmed and safe in who they are, today and every day. This TDOV we are offering a discount code to get 15% off chest binders and Gift Cards in our store, and for every donation to our Binder Program, we will match it to help get more binders out to disadvantaged trans folk in our community.* Simply enter the code TDOV23 at checkout, today through to Sunday. *This offer is valid until 11.59pm AEST Sunday 2nd of April. Love, Andy ~ Founder of @amor_binders [Image Description: text: 'Transgender Day of Visibility.' Trans Pride Flag.] #ChestBinder #tdov #tdov2023 #TDV #TransDayOfVisibility #AmorBinders #Trans #NonbinaryTrans #TransPride #NonbinaryPride #Transgender #TransAndProud #TransOwnedBusiness #QueerOwned #TransIsBeautiful #TransRightsAreHumanRights #ProtectTransKids https://www.instagram.com/p/CqcJiehprIR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=