Many small cats in a Pikachu onesie

-defines manhood through a cissexist framework and tries to force trans men’s experiences to fit within that framework. denies the manhood of any trans man whose experiences cannot be easily mapped onto cis men.

✓ “trans men ARE real men, but they are not granted systemic access to male privilege, and whatever benefits individual trans men ARE able to access are limited and highly conditional. We should expand our understanding of men/masculinity to better account for their unique experiences.”

You see this?

That's not a river. That's the South Canal in Mesa, Arizona (Phoenix metro area).

This is a view of the East and South canals. At least half of all the Phoenix metro canals were originally built by the Hohokam (from roughly 200-1400 CE), and are still in use (restored) today.

Phoenix, Arizona actually has more miles (kilometers) of Canals total than both Venice and Amsterdam. No, really. Phoenix has about 180 miles of canals, many of which are built on ancient canal foundations.

below is an aerial view photo taken in the late 1930's of one branch of Phoenix's canal systems:

Also have the "Montezuma Castle," if you need a castle:

I am trans. The only thought that kept me alive for over 3 years was the promise of top surgery in the future, if I wasn’t sure that’d be possible I would’ve been dead at 13.

I am trans. My family isn’t the super accepting type so I never came out to them as a teen. I was stealth at school and closeted at home. If they didn’t let me dress like a boy I’d be dead.

I am trans. Before I could get a binder I would layer waistband elastics, a crude homemade binder, and tight tank tops over my chest to get it flat, I would go to my 2 hour PE class and sometimes 14 hour school days like that. Sporadically I would get excruciating rib pain, even if I was just laying down in bed with no compression.

I am trans, I was functionally mute for half of my freshman year of highschool because I refused to talk in a voice that sounded like a girl.

I am trans. I get shoulder dislocations every couple months because of overbinding. This would not happen if I had access to hormone blockers. This would not happen if I got top surgery.

I am trans. I laid on my stomach for too long today and ended up with intense rib pain for half an hour. I cannot rest my arm or my hand on my ribs because the pressure is too much and will cause me pain. My ribs are noticeably flared. None of this would be a problem if I had access to top surgery.

I am trans, extreme chronic back pain runs in my family. I had to teach and force myself how to slouch to hide my chest at 14, while binding unsafely. My back sounds like microwave popcorn when I crack it. I would have significantly less back problems and perfect posture if I had had access to top surgery.

Just because trans kids getting the care they need and the puberty that wont traumatize/irreversibly harm them makes you feel some type of way doesn’t mean you should revoke access to that care. Same goes for trans adults.

If my family tried to stop me from binding, if my school outed me to keep me from transitioning, or if I was restricted in any way from transitioning how I could as a teen I would be dead. Death is more permanent than a delayed or regretted puberty.

If I had access to top surgery and hormones as a teen I would not have shoulder problems. I would not have rib problems. I would not have been suicidal for half of my teen years. All of that is more reversible than your imaginary regretted transition.

tell your friends something you like about them, look up local protests for causes you support or petitions you can sign. Draw a picture of some flowers or something.