so many queer thoughts, so little time

im reminded of when i went to sit my philosophy exam and had an ex-officer as an invidulator. he asked me if i was trans, something i had no obligation to answer. but if i didnt, i would be cagey. i would now paint an image of all trans people being rude in his mind, so i said yes

that invidulator asked me why, as a trans student, i should have my rights respected if there are so few of us

and instead of rightfully getting pissed off, i had to remember that i am currently representing a community of millions to a single man in a room with just the two of us in it. i could be the deciding factor on how he conducts behaviour with trans people in the future. what if he gets called to invidulate again in 20 years time and has another trans student? what if he remembers the one he met before, and instantly assumes he knows our community?

so i explained to him why i should have rights. and i used my words carefully, because if i slip up even once i have now put a trans person in danger, because he has made a choice based on me

trans people dont get to be angry. cis people always joke about how we demand a space, or we demand the right name, or we demand they bow down to us

think very carefully, did that trans woman demand that you use the right name, or did she correct you? did that trans man hold you at gunpoint, demanding you let him piss in public, or did he look like he wanted to use the disabled toilet to avoid bothering you all together. did the nonbinary trans person have you on your knees begging for forgiveness, or did they ask nicely for you to be mindful of their pronouns?

the transphobic narrative is one of victimhood, meanwhile if i even use the wrong tone cis people will act as a child does, and they will demand that the next trans person they meet apologise

every trans person you meet is aware of this too. we're all very tuned into the fact that we are ambassadors, and that we never asked to be that. i dont want to have to very carefully consider 'will a curt answer mean someome later dies', but every day of my life i do

and cis people need to know that. to be trans is to literally walk on constant eggshells of cis fragility. its why when we see a new trans celebrity we have to desperately hope they dont do stupid fucking shit like caitlyn jenner did. because now everyone thinks trans women are like her. because now negotiations for our right to exist unmolested have gone back another 20 years

and tbh, cis people are pathetically weak. a trans person asked you to use the right name? that did not happen in a vacuum. that trans person has met 50-60 cis people today who refused

“The nonbinary pronoun ‘they’ has been added to the dictionary.” - x  

the idea that you HAVE to cut your hair to be butch is an extremely white one. butches of color don’t have to divorce themselves from their culture or the importance of their hair to their personhood in order to b validly butch.

the idea that long hair = womanly/feminine is very white. there are so many cultures of color where long hair is not gendered. there are cultural and religious traditions where cutting hair is not common, if not outright discouraged. there are hairstyles that are revered or culturally important that wouldn’t be possible with short hair. there’s a litany of meaningfulness in hair. everyone has different relationships with their hair, and that’s an individual, personal relationship that cannot be defined by anyone else.

like the majority of Black lesbians i know, especially those who ID as butch or studs, don’t have short hair. braids, locs, fros, slicked back ponytails, etc. are very common. and i would truly pity the fool who tried to tell them they aren’t being properly butch.

I have never seen so many suits and khakis IN MY LIFE. People who accidentally wore jeans went home and changed.

The community took it as a rebuke. We drew in closer to eachother, and felt unwelcome everywhere we thought we had friends before.

And I had people later tell me “You know I support you, just… I didn’t want anyone to think I was.” First off, I DON’T know you support me. Not if you refuse to, for one day, change nothing about your life to show it. Second off… why is that such a terrifying thought to you?

I remember before rainbows were a “gay thing”. They were everywhere. Church walls next to arks. School walls next to sunshine faces. People have VOLUNTARILY abandoned every other use. I have HEARD PEOPLE SAY they just couldn’t use rainbows anymore because people would think of “gay stuff.”

So I know this is a joke, and a stolen one at that, but you’ve done this to yourselves. If someone is so terrified of being perceived as queer that they will INSTANTLY abandon something they like if it has queer germs on it now or something, then they don’t deserve refracted light.

-healthy

-common

-normal

Questioning isn't:

Condoms were originally designed to cover the penis. But if you don’t have a penis, and neither does your partner, condoms are still your friend. Here’s why condoms should be a part of your sex life.

1. Condoms turn into dental dams lickety split.

First of all, yes, you CAN get an STD from having unprotected oral sex. A dental dam is a barrier that covers your vulva to protect you and your partner from STDs when you’re going downtown. You can turn a regular old condom into one of these magic tools with little-to-no crafting skills. All you need is a pair of scissors. Check out our tutorial and start having safer oral sex.

2. Condoms keep your favorite sex toys neat and clean.

It’s possible to transmit an STD by passing a sex toy back and forth during sex. Luckily, condoms make great covers for dildos, vibrators, and plugs. Put a new condom on every time you or your partner use a toy.

3. You can wear a condom like a glove for safer fingering.

Covering up your hands during manual sex (fingering/fisting/whatever you’re into) can keep bacteria out of your partner’s vagina or anus and prevent cuts from your fingernails. Condoms or latex gloves both work, but condoms get bonus points for already being lubed up.

And there you have it: Safer sex and STD testing are super important no matter who you have sex with. So visit your nearest Planned Parenthood health center for info, testing, and a big pile of condoms.

“It’s too inappropriate.”

On April 21st the Shinjuku Ward (a special ward in the city of Tokyo) held elections for their assembly. In these elections, two transgender women were elected to office, Mana Takatsuki, and Karen Yoda.

Takatsuki was born in Tokyo in 1973. She is a member of the Japanese Communist Party (far left party) and holds a master’s from Waseda University Graduate School of Philosophy. She has been actively working to help the disabled and elderly for the past 17 years. She ran on a platform of supporting these populations and establishing a same-sex partnership system in Shinjuku. Outside of politics, she enjoys painting and playing the violin and viola.

Yoda was born in the Achi Prefecture in 1972. She has worked as an administrative scrivener and as an LGBT trainer and lecturer. She has no party affiliation but campaigned on a platform which included improved LGBT education for educational professionals and making a better environment for children, including increased food access and free choice of gender school uniforms for students. Prior to transitioning at the age of 36, she worked as a dancer and musical actor who performed in various Sailor Moon musicals.