Kouki.dough

greek mythology | gods & goddesses | Δυσνομια

I don’t know how universally relevant this is (I guess no part of queer history ever is) but I wonder how many trans people know the history of T&T groups.

Like, in the 90′s and 00′s in the Netherlands almost every trans related groups was a T&T ‘Transsexual and Transvestites’ group and that seemed to also be a quite common thing in other north-west European countries for as far as I can see. Maybe beyond Europe too? I’m not sure.

People who called themselves transsexual and transvestites at the time felt that they had many experiences in common that made organising together valuable and many agreed that there was a large grey area of overlapping identities. With very little information available, a lot of trans women identified as transvestites first, before identifying at trans women (in that period often using the term Male-to-Female transsexual and transwoman without the space between the words).

Then, in about 2007-2012, things changed. Transgender became more popular than transsexual and crossdresser largely replaced transvestite. In those early days, the term transgender was often understood to include crossdressers. The transgender umbrella is from that time:

Back then, the word transgender was seen by many as the umbrella term that would unite all the struggles against gender roles. But that grouping together was far from uncontroversial and a lot of heated debates took place over how broad or narrow the transgender umbrella term should be. Some feared too wide an umbrella would take attention away from transsexuals, others feared it would be confusing, some groups that had previously only had transwomen and transvestites did not appreciate the new presence of transmen and transmasculine people in their transgender community, some felt that it was very important to distinguish binary-identified transsexuals from all sorts of weird non-binary identities.

Those who took part in the debates probably remember the specific standpoints in more detail. For me, I just remember how in 2008-2012 all the T&T groups started changing their names to ‘transgender groups’ and then slowly but surely focussing more on only those transgender people that wanted some kind of transition, physical or social. Eventually, transvestites (or crossdressers, as the common term was by then) disappeared entirely from the transgender groups and a lot of transgender people forgot about the earlier wider meaning of transgender as an umbrella term.

Within that same period, there started to be a LOT of new and fairly positive media attention for transgender issues, specifically transition related atttention. The media was no participant at all in the ‘what does transgender mean’ question but the questions they did ask were ‘are you on hormones yet?’ and ‘did you have the surgery’? Since that was a lot better than ‘so are you mentally ill because you want to be a woman?’ a lot of people who fitted the hormones + surgery narrative eagerly accepted this ‘positive visibility’ and did not question the narrow focus. This further cemented the view that transgender meant transition.

And the transgender activists? Well, let’s just say many of them, knee deep in a struggle against terrible health care and cruel human rights violations, leaped at the opportunity to seize the momentum and finally make some changes and many didn’t really give much thought to the slow disappearance of transvestites from the newly named ‘transgender’ community.

So where are we now, in 2018?

The transgender community seems to have largely forgotten about their T&T history. The terms transvestite and crossdresser both seem to be in decline, as are the communities that meet around those identities. Younger people who don’t fit the gender binary but also do not desire social or physical transition, are now more likely to identify themselves as some kind of genderqueer and nonbinary or just ‘not into labels’ or just to wear whatever they want and rock it. Some of them find their way back under the transgender umbrella after all. Which I guess is some kind of a happy ending.

I am not going to dignify these comments with a response because they’re too disgusting to reblog, I do not think they would listen and frankly reading them fills me with far too much emotion to write coherently.

I just wanna say: this is what happens when we are so quick to forget our very recent history. Despite the many debates and divisions that have existed in the past, few trans people could have had these completely off-the-wall misguided ideas 15 years ago because if they travelled in trans spaces they would have met so many transvestites and crossdressers. They would chat and hang out and probably make friends. They would swap experiences, share hardships and learn to recognize transvestites and crossdressers as siblings in the community of gendernonconforming and marginalized people.

My heart breaks for the young crossdresser out there today who might enter a trans space looking for their community of supporting likeminded people, only to find out that they are not welcome and even despised. I can only hope that if this happens, some older trans people will talk some sense into their younger community members and remind them of the long road transgender people and crossdressers have walked together, the battles we fought together, the crossdressers who fought for trans rights and the trans people who fought for their siblings too because we understood those struggles as interconnected.

Actually, I have more! But first, a little google advice when researching recent post-internet history: type in phrases from the time you want to find, in this case stuff like ‘transsexual’, ‘transgender’, ‘transvestite’, ‘transgenderist’ (no really that was a word people used). Click Tools > time > custom range and set a range you want. Like maybe 200 to 2010? See if that helps. 

ok, now my stuff, ill start with some more from the Netherlands

This is a 1975 party ticket to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of the Transvestite and Transsexual workgroup and contact group (meaning they did activism and community meetings).

This is another 1975 document: a brochure of the National Contact Group for Transvestites and Transsexuals, which, according to the content, strives towards self-acceptance, emancipation and education. Their ‘target groups’ are listed as transsexuals, intersexuals, transvestites and men who wear skirts. Believe it or not, for a while man-in-skirt was treated as an identity label for gendernonconforming men, who formed communities with other men-in-skirts.

There’s more recent stuff to be found too. 

This 2012 poster has it all. It announces a transgender information day with information for transvestites, transsexuals, crossdressers and part-time women.

Something in English? Alright, here’s an image from 2014 when, for a short time, people tried to make trans* with a * the most inclusive term like the + in lgbt+:

Something older in English too?

This is a 1994 transgender umbrella, from when the concept was still quite new. You’ll notice that the language here is pathologizing. This is the only source on my list not written by a trans person but by a cis therapist.

And here’s a 1990 leaflet showing some terms considered ‘respectful’ by many community members then.

Even older?

Here’s a beautiful 1971 article from the Detroit Gay Liberator, (Volume 1, issue 8, January 1, 1971) titles ‘transvestite and transsexual liberation’.

There is a gap, as you’ll probably notice. A lot of 70′s stuff has already been archives and a lot of 2010+ stuff is easily accessible online, but the early internet stuff is harder to find and not as prominent in archives yet. Still, there is much more like this out there. www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net has a lot of it.

How do I know what this mean? What do they want? Is this god trying to tell me something?

Ask them.

My answer to questions about the behaviour of the theoi is going to be “try divination” 99.9% of the time (I didn’t say it recently, once, and it’s eating at me).

Here are some online tools relevant to hellenic polytheism that you can freely access from your phone or PC. I personally use and recommend these, and know others in the community use them as well.

Homeromanteion

The Homeric Oracle, an oracular text-based tool that casts three dice to generate one of 216 possible numbers relating to a line selected from Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey.

Sortes Virgilianae

Sortes Virgilianae is an ancient method of seeking advice or telling your fortune through passages selected randomly from works by the Roman poet Virgil. There’s also a Latin version if you’re interested.

Apollo’s Oracle

A few days ago, I came across a document I had created nearly a year ago when I was first beginning to seriously consider that I could be bisexual. In the document were a myriad of links and resources I had found that discussed being queerness and Muslim. I thought that these links and resources, which had taken me last year a while to compile, could inshAllah help any other Muslims who identify as queer, are questioning or are struggling to reconcile certain parts of their identity together. Some of these resources provide explicit reconciliation for LGBTQ+ Muslims, while others thoroughly explore several views of LGBTQ+ within Islam and the Muslim community, including views that are disagreeing, homophobic and/or hostile. InshAllah, I will add more as I find more. While I tried to look into these resources thoroughly, some of the longer ones were skimmed through at some parts. Anyone is welcomed to add more, and please, let me know if there are any problems found in this post and/or the resources listed below.

TW // Several of these resources either briefly mention or thoroughly discuss sexual violence, homophobia, transphobia, problematic age gaps, Islamophobia, assault, hate crimes, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, questionable/ambiguous age gaps and unbalanced power dynamics.

Platforms, Organizations and/or Guides That Contain a Multitude of Articles, Essays, Resources, Sermons, Stories of the Prophet (PBUH), Proofs from the Quran & Hadiths, or Groups for Muslims to Explore and Join:

Muslims for Progressive Values

Queer Jihad

Salaam Canada

I’m Muslim And I Might Not Be Straight

I’m Muslim And My Gender Doesn’t Fit Me

The Muslim Alliance for Sexual & Gender Diversity

Coming Home to Islam and to Self

Mecca Institute

Queer Muslim Resistance

Queer Muslim Reading Group

Resources Organized by Queer Muslim Resistance –> Highly, highly recommend this! The documents included in this folder explore films, books, podcasts, books, literature, accounts, poetry and many articles that are resources for queer Muslims.

What Imams/Scholars Have to Say:

There are 8 openly Gay imams in the world

A gay IMAM’S story: ‘the dialogue is open in Islam – 10 years ago it wasn’t’

Q&A: Islamic scholar Omar Suleiman on the Quran and homosexuality

Affirming mosques help gay Muslims RECONCILE Faith, sexuality

Essentialism and islamic theology of homosexuality: A critical reflection on an essentialist epistemology toward same-sex desires and acts in islam

Includes Evidence and/or References to the Quran and Hadiths:

Q&A: Islamic scholar Omar Suleiman on the Quran and homosexuality

Opinion | What Does Islam Say About Being Gay? (Published 2015)

Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ Issues: Islam - Sunni and Shi'a - HRC

Affirming mosques help gay Muslims RECONCILE Faith, sexuality

Essentialism and islamic theology of homosexuality: A critical reflection on an essentialist epistemology toward same-sex desires and acts in islam

Islamic Texts: A Source for Acceptance of Queer Individuals into Mainstream Muslim Society

The Qur’an, the Bible and homosexuality in Islam

A Muslim Non-Heteronormative Reading of the Story of Lot: Liberation Theology for LGBTIQ Muslims?

What’s wrong with being gay and Muslim?

Sexual Diversity in Islam

Homosexuality, Transidentity, and Islam

Queer Muslims (+ their experiences) and Community:

What’s wrong with being gay and Muslim?

Gay Muslims - How you can be LGBTQ+ and Muslim

What’s it like to be queer and Muslim? Let this photographer show you

Lut’s People: The struggle to be gay & Muslim in South Africa

As a trans Muslim, I used to feel vulnerable all the time. Then I found a community of people like me.

Persian poetry lovers

‘I feel caught in the middle’: queer Muslims on the LGBTQ lessons row

Just Me and Allah: A Queer Muslim Photo Project

How Queer Muslims are Rewriting Their Stories

Queer Muslim Heroes to Celebrate This Muslim Women’s Day

Queer Muslim Women Reflect On Navigating Their Faith and Sexuality

Queer Muslims Are Carving Out Their Space On TikTok

Why Samra Habib wrote a memoir about growing up as a queer Muslim woman — and it’s now a Canada Reads winner

Being a black, British, queer, non-binary Muslim isn’t a contradiction

Bangladesh opens first Islamic school for transgender Muslims

Affirming mosques help gay Muslims RECONCILE Faith, sexuality

Interview: Summayah Dawud talks about being a transgender Muslim woman

“It’s between me and Allah!”: Queer Muslims explain how they reconcile faith with love

Homosexuality, Transidentity, and Islam

Views Throughout History:

A historical look at attitudes to homosexuality in the Islamic world

Gay Sex Didn’t Scare Muslims in Islam’s Golden Age

Medieval Arab Lesbians and Lesbian-Like Women

The Amazing Way Islamic Middle Ages Celebrated Lesbian Loves

How homosexuality became a crime in the Middle East

Vanishing Source Materials and Medieval Arabic Lesbianism, by Boyda Johnstone

The Historical Context and Reception of the First Arabic-Lesbian Novel, I Am You, by Elham Mansour

Study examines the same-sex relationships of Medieval Arab Women

Persian poetry lovers

Sexual Diversity in Islam

The Qur’an, the Bible and homosexuality in Islam

Literature and Poetry:

A historical look at attitudes to homosexuality in the Islamic world

Gay Sex Didn’t Scare Muslims in Islam’s Golden Age

Study examines the same-sex relationships of Medieval Arab Women

How homosexuality became a crime in the Middle East

Vanishing Source Materials and Medieval Arabic Lesbianism, by Boyda Johnstone

Persian poetry lovers

For Queer Muslims, Islamic Poetry Represents Solace and Acceptance

Male-Male Love in Classical Arabic Poetry (Chapter 6) - The Cambridge History of Gay and Lesbian Literature

Persian Literature from Homoeroticism to Representations of the LGBT Community: an Introduction

The Amazing Way Islamic Middle Ages Celebrated Lesbian Loves

time for a final push!!!!

with all donations combined, we only need 50k more to have enough for a tender! we can do this!

remember that it is in NZD so if you are american your money goes further! $1US is worth $1.42NZ

any amount donated makes a difference, this is sacred land with key burial sites, water, and mountains, and the iwi deserves it back

“Help Us Buy Our Land Back

Bank Account

We are trying as many avenues of raising funds to meet the tender price. All contributions are greatly appreciated.

We have set up a ‘koha’ bank account for anyone who wants to contribute directly. This means we don’t lose money through service fees to Givealittle. We will keep a record of all generous donations. Can all donors please email [email protected] so we can keep a record of our donors.

Bank: ANZ Account Number: 01-0505-0905360-50

Kōreo

Our tūpuna Pōuri migrated to Walrarapa many generations ago and made it home for Ngāti Kahukuraawhitia.

Our whenua, particularly our awa, Waiohine and our maunga Tararua are central to our identity as Ngāti Kahukuraawhitia

The process of colonization alienated our whenua. We now have barely any whenua to build papakāinga and thrive as a people.

What’s Happening

182.41 hectares of our ancestral land in Wairarapa has come up for sale.

This whenua backs onto our maunga Tararua, our awa, Waiohine and is near our whānau urupā, Te Uru o Tāneroa.

The tender price Is between $1.2-1.5 million.

Our whānau are trying to raise money to meet the tender price.

Our iwi has not settled, so we have no collective financial base.

Our whānau want to buy back our whenua and establish papakāinga and sustainable business to bring our people home to Wairarapa to thrive on their tūpuna land. 

Tenders Close Tuesday 13 April, 4 PM

Contact

Can all questions please be directed to:

Amber Craig 027 255 5663 | [email protected]

Joel Ngātuere 021 211 0334 | [email protected]

The bid to the real estate agent will be put forward by Amber and Joel on behalf of our whānau.

If the tender is unsuccessful we will keep all donations for the next bit of land that comes up.

If you area business and would like to sponsor us please make contact with Amber (above).

From our tūpuna, to future generations, to us - thank you for your help!”

Sooo, the new music video....

🏳️‍🌈  means there is queer rep

Out Already: 

- the poppy war series (extremely popular. fantasy based off the Song Dynasty, amoral/morally grey brown asian girl protagonist. i haven’t read this yet but all of my poc mutuals have this as their favorite book of all time. pls read tw warnings. no romance only faint subtext)

- jade city series (another favorite of the poc that i haven’t read. no romance) 

- the bone shard daughter trilogy 🏳️‍🌈  (set on a strand of fantasy islands based on imperial china but has a healthy mix of various asian representation - south asian, southeast asian. queernormative and no patriarchy. main lesbians. one of my favs)

- these violent delights duology  🏳️‍🌈 (a side mlm couple, 1920s gangster shanghai, romeo and juliet retelling. one of my favs)

- warcross duology 🏳️‍🌈 (set in futuristic tokyo. ft. a side mlm couple, sci fi. one of my favs)

- not your sidekick triology 🏳️‍🌈 (sapphic superheroes and sidekicks. vietnamese bisexual protag, sci fi)

- girls of paper and fire triology 🏳️‍🌈 (extremely popular, chinese lesbian protag but other asian rep as well, fantasy) 

- parachutes 🏳️‍🌈 (side sapphic couple, read tw warnings, contemporary).

- huntress 🏳️‍🌈 (east asian sapphics)

- last night at the telegraph club 🏳️‍🌈 (chinese lesbian protag. 1900s fiction)

- forest of a thousand laterns (morally grey angry chinese female protag)

- the space between worlds 🏳️‍🌈 (main southeast asian and east asian sapphics, sci fi dystopian. read tw)

- everything i never told you 🏳️‍🌈 (mlm rep. 1900s biracial family deals with the death of their daughter)

- the gilded wolves 🏳️‍🌈 (be gay do crime, indian love interest. historical fantasy)

- the weight of our sky (set in 1960s malaysia. historical fiction)

- spin the dawn (fantasy)

- descendant of the crane (fantasy)

Out In 2021: 

-  she who became the sun 🏳️‍🌈 (one of my most anticipated releases. genderqueer sapphic protag with a sapphic love interest, mlm main characters. set in the ming dynasty of china. the official advertisement is the song of achilles meets the untamed meets mulan)

- jade fire and gold 🏳️‍🌈 (the pitch was “what if katara was the dark avatar and zuko was chasing her down?” main sapphics) 

- the ones we’re meant to find (i literally don’t know what this is about but the cover is gorgeous)

- counting down with you 🏳️‍🌈 (fake dating romcom b/w a south asian brown girl and the bad boy who is a himbo. ft. diverse girl gang so im interpreting that as lgbtq)

- the jasmine throne 🏳️‍🌈 (morally grey lesbians tearing an emperor from his throne/washing each other’s hair/holding sharp-edged knives to each other’s ribs. set in india) 

- gearbreakers 🏳️‍🌈 (cyberpunk japanese sapphics. there is a tender tattooing scene) 

- six crimson cranes (fantasy)

- black water sister 🏳️‍🌈 (sapphic malaysian protag, fantasy/sci-fi)

- how we fall apart (dark academia murder mystery thriller but make it asian american)

- you’ve reached sam (contemporary)

- love and other natural disasters 🏳️‍🌈 (sapphic fake dating b/w japanese girls)

- the chosen and the beautiful 🏳️‍🌈 (queer sapphic retelling of the great gatsby)

- hani and ishu’s guide to fake dating 🏳️‍🌈 (south asian sapphics)

In the Vanishers’ Palace 🏳️‍🌈 by Aliette de Bodard (sapphic beauty and the beast retelling)

The Tensorite series by Neon Yang  🏳️‍🌈 (fantasy novellas, lots of queer rep)

The Devourers by Indra Das (speculative fiction / dark fantasy)