It means that I can't start medically transitioning until I'm cleared by my doctors-

But I can't be cleared by my doctors until they narrow down diagnoses for some of my specific issus-

But they won't narrow down diagnoses because I have a uterus and they don't take me seriously because of misogyny-

Even though some of my issues are directly connected to said uterus-

And even though my chest is literally disabling me due to its size-

I can't be cleared for top surgery even though it would be medically beneficial-

And just the fact that I'm trans isn't taken seriously-

Of course there's nothing wrong with being loud and proud of being LGBT+, this post isn't about that.

This post is about white able-bodied people centering their entire identity around their marginalization as someone LGBT+, and becoming so stubborn in their marginalized identity that they refuse to acknowledge their hand in oppressing other people.

This is about LGBT+ people who become so defensive when they're accused of antisemitism and racism, claiming that and criticism of them is homophobia.

This is about LGBT+ people who refuse to acknowledge their complicity in ableist and racist systems.

This is about LGBT+ people who are so quick to co-opt the Holocaust and claim "well gay people were oppressed too!" and trying to speak over Jewish and Romani people.

Because the thing is, not everyone has the privilege of having being LGBT+ their entire identity.

I don't have that privilege. I'm Jewish and disabled before I'm LGBT+, because I've faced the same antisemitism and racism and ableism within LGBT+ circles as I have outside of them. I don't feel like the LGBT+ community is where I'm welcome, because my intersectional identities are not welcome. I've faced violent antisemitism before I even knew what LGBT+ was, before I even hit puberty. And I face horrific antisemitism all the time from people who are LGBT+.

Fine Art Photography

There is a huge oscillation for me with attempting to present a full version of myself or to partition myself into more acceptable pieces. I loathe that this is even a thing for me. But in the art world my sort of aesthetic with my intimate photography is not celebrated as work from whyte hands with whyte bodies more so usually whyte women. My non-binary body with the female and male energy and the intersectionality of my identities is not readily embraced. But as I told a contemporary, you need to do the work for yourself not for others. And my work assists me not only in coming to resolution with the traumas I have faced throughout my life but also the struggles I have with body dysmorphia.

Seeing my body change but continue to be beautiful is something that I have a lot of cognitive dissonance around. The photographs help to show me that everything still looks wonderful and there is art where some say art couldn't be. In a lot of ways I think my very existence is an experimentation in art, an exploration of things that shouldn't be put together but are and can be extraordinary irregardless of what society thinks and feels is traditional beautiful. I am traditionally beautiful because through my existence I break the molds of what can be honored, sacred and affirmed. Body as art, art as artist, artist bodies as art.