gil's route permanently altered my brain chemistry

He looks at you and he sees life. Not necessarily a future, but he does see life in you.

And it gives him hope.

Bother him? As if you could ever. Nobody else wants him around anyway.

It’s a privilege to be leaned upon by you. To be needed by someone so strong and capable.

Please, have mercy on him. Give him your trust. Bother him for the silliest of things.

It makes his bleak life brighter.

Sho Haizono

You’re seriously worried about bothering me?

He can’t believe it. There are so many things he expected you to say, so many things he expected you to do, but hesitating to tell him what’s on your mind?

He’s upset. Sho could never be upset at you, but if you’re not telling him something, then what did he do wrong...?

It’s not like he’s busy. And you can’t use the food truck as an excuse either, because you’re nearly always around him when he’s working!

It’s enough to piss Leo off.

So why hesitate? Come to him and lean on his shoulder, cry until his shirt soaks up all your tears and his voice lulls you back to serenity.

Let him help you. It’s all he’s ever wanted.

Ritsu Shinjo

That’s what he’s there for.

Ritsu sits down next to you as you curl up in bed, soft sobs filling the otherwise quiet room.

How could you even think of bearing all of this by yourself when he promised you his effort? His time?

His everything?

He sits with you after saying his piece, watching you cry with a furrowed brow. He doesn’t know what to do in this situation—he can memorize all the laws in the world and pass all the exams Darkwick throws at him, but when it comes to you, one of the most important people in his life...

He’s lost.

“That’s what I’m here for,” he repeats, softer now, as if saying it again will get it through to you that he means it.

Ritsu Shinjo doesn’t lie. He made a promise to you on the day you two became business partners, and he intends to follow through with it.

Subaru Kagami

How could you say that!?

If anything, he’s the bother! How could someone like you ever think so lowly of yourself!?

He looks heartbroken. You honestly think he might cry with you, with his shaking hands and trembling lower lip.

He looks crushed. More upset than you’ve ever seen him look.

If Subaru is being honest with himself, he wants nothing more than to grab your hands and hold them close to his chest, but he refrains.

He doesn’t want to upset you further.

“Please...anything. Anything for you,” he chokes out, hands clenched in his lap, “I’d do anything to make sure you were okay. Please let me.”

Yuri Isami

And what do you possibly mean by that!?

Yuri is huffy, but at the heart of it all, he’s concerned. He’s dedicated his entire life to helping people, and more recently, he’d dedicate everything he has to you.

So why do you hesitate? Do you doubt him? Is this an excuse so you don’t have to rely on him? Why else would you say such a thing!?

Yuri holds his feelings back and storms off to make you tea, thoughts racing a mile a minute. You take priority, you always have and always will, but he wishes so badly you would let him take care of you.

Why is it like pulling teeth for you to trust him? Is it something he’s doing wrong?

“Tell me what’s wrong.” Yuri demands once he’s back with the tea, taking the spot next to you on the couch, “I won’t ask you again.”

He’ll still laugh along as you two walk from aisle to aisle, picking out ingredients and discussing the various dishes you could make with the products on sale. Sho often thinks about how much of his life you actually take up now, and if it’s normal for a friend to do so.

“Sho, you’re spacing out,” you tease, poking his cheek.

The flesh turns warm as it sinks under your fingertip, pliant as always when it’s you that's touching him.

“I’m not,” he says plainly, tearing his eyes away from the cake mixes.

He tries not to think about how your birthday cake last year ended up being a disaster, even though he wanted it to be perfect more than anything. You’d comforted him, saying that it was alright and that the cake tasted delicious because he made it with his love.

He’d blushed once again. You had a way of dragging the softness out of him, of bringing the sweetness he stifled into the light.

Sho wonders how many people think of him as a soft man, now that he’s regularly seen with you. He finds that he doesn’t mind that description, although if it was for any other reason he’d have some explaining to do. (Mostly to Leo, he thinks bitterly, even though he shouldn't be thinking about him at all.)

“If you want me to spoil you tonight, you shouldn’t make fun of the chef,” he pokes you back.

“What, are you just not going to make me food?” you raise a brow, “Guess that means I’ll starve. I only want to eat your food forever and ever, after all...”

“Stop that,” Sho grumbles, turning away from you, “You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“And why’s that?” you lean into his field of view, blinking at him, “Am I special or something?”

You’re teasing. He knows you’re teasing. But—

“Yeah,” he says softly, eyes catching yours, “You are.”

Your spine goes rigid. Sho watches your face turn from amusement to embarrassment, your pretty eyes darting away from him.

You really are so cute. Maybe he’ll make you food forever.

He’ll still laugh along as you two walk from aisle to aisle, picking out ingredients and discussing the various dishes you could make with the products on sale. Sho often thinks about how much of his life you actually take up now, and if it’s normal for a friend to do so.

“Sho, you’re spacing out,” you tease, poking his cheek.

The flesh turns warm as it sinks under your fingertip, pliant as always when it’s you that's touching him.

“I’m not,” he says plainly, tearing his eyes away from the cake mixes.

He tries not to think about how your birthday cake last year ended up being a disaster, even though he wanted it to be perfect more than anything. You’d comforted him, saying that it was alright and that the cake tasted delicious because he made it with his love.

He’d blushed once again. You had a way of dragging the softness out of him, of bringing the sweetness he stifled into the light.

Sho wonders how many people think of him as a soft man, now that he’s regularly seen with you. He finds that he doesn’t mind that description, although if it was for any other reason he’d have some explaining to do. (Mostly to Leo, he thinks bitterly, even though he shouldn't be thinking about him at all.)

“If you want me to spoil you tonight, you shouldn’t make fun of the chef,” he pokes you back.

“What, are you just not going to make me food?” you raise a brow, “Guess that means I’ll starve. I only want to eat your food forever and ever, after all...”

“Stop that,” Sho grumbles, turning away from you, “You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“And why’s that?” you lean into his field of view, blinking at him, “Am I special or something?”

You’re teasing. He knows you’re teasing. But—

“Yeah,” he says softly, eyes catching yours, “You are.”

Your spine goes rigid. Sho watches your face turn from amusement to embarrassment, your pretty eyes darting away from him.

You really are so cute. Maybe he’ll make you food forever.

Worried about what to say? Bring your personal worries about transphobia being signed into law, and trans friends being excluded from public spaces. You are a living person who deserves dignity. Remind your MP of that. You will also get guidance and brochures from Trans Solidarity Alliance that outlines our demands. This is mine from last year.

Money issues? Trans Solidarity Alliance provides a travel bursary that you can sign up for via the link.

Got a refusal or no response from your MP?  Come anyway! You can request a same-day appointment with your MP through a process called greencarding. They will come and see you if they’re already in Parliament. Even if they don’t, they’re made acutely aware of your cause because you showed up in person. This is my greencard from last year.

Here is the EHRC Code of Practice in full. It's a tough read, but some highlights are:

Organisations can’t provide trans-inclusive, single-sex services, or they risk being sued for discrimination. e.g. domestic violence support for women including trans women, men’s rugby group including trans men (12.68).

Trans people will have nowhere safe to pee. If you’re a trans man, businesses can't allow you to pee in the men's, and you can also be ejected from women’s bathrooms if you’re perceived as a man. Vice versa for trans women. EHRC suggests a ‘third space’ bathroom, which is discriminatory and unworkable for most businesses. (13.130-133)

Sports organisations must exclude trans people from single-sex competitions (13.73).  A women’s only sports competition must exclude trans women because of their biological advantage or face potential lawsuits (13.74), but a trans man who has undergone testosterone treatment can also be excluded based on fairness rules (13.81).

Trans women are stripped of the legal definition of ‘lesbian’, and therefore no longer have legal protections if they’re discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. (2.50, 2.92).

Here is the Good Law Project's better explanation of the EHRC Code.