[the-new-venus]

What they don’t tell you: Self care sometimes isn’t fun. It’s going to class even when you want to stay in bed and rest. It’s paying bills on time and running errands even when every strand of your being cant stand it. It’s going to therapy and taking your medicine even when you don’t want to. It’s using coping skills even when going back to self destructive ones seems more appealing.

Recovering sucks. It’s hard. But you have to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel. And even on those days you don’t, you fake it till you make it.

Recovery is still worth it.

[ardatli]

Sometimes self-care is taking care of future-me. Because she deserves to have someone looking out for her. 

[bambisrevenge418]

Ok. Let’s start this whole blog thing over again.  Introduction: Hi! my name is Jaye. I’m 32 (almost 33) I play roller derby, I lift weights, I love my dog, love nature and hiking, and as of the past few years have finally come around to the fact that I’m Transgender. I’m genderqueer to be specific.  I can dive further into the background of this in another entry. As of right now, I’d like to start this blog off as a way of tracking my expierence. For a while now I was going to gender therapy and came to the conclusion that I want to start HRT.  When the idea first came up, I wasn’t sure. Tbh, I’m still a bit freaked out about it. I’m confused about some of my motives. I know I’ve never recognized myself in the mirror and in pictures, but am not sure that T will fix that. I’m afraid that the changes I do see may be too much for me, and reverse the progress I’ve made with loving myself.  At the same time, I love the idea of my voice changing and gaining a more masculine physique. I’m curious to see if the face I will eventually see in the mirror is that one I’ve been looking for my whole life. Monday I have my second appointment with a doctor that will help me with an outline of the things I need to do to start. I know I’ll have to take blood tests, but am not sure if I’ll need a T letter or not. I’m nervous and excited. I’m afraid of the effect I’m going to have on loved ones lives, and if I’ll just be a burden to everyone I encounter. I’ve always been one to get attention, but not always want it. I prefer to fly under the radar and only let people in that I trust. But my transition is going to be exposed. There’s no hiding it. I can’t stay home until I feel i’m ready.  I’m excited to start. I’m hopeful to find myself. I mourn often the time I’ve wasted, but know that these resources weren’t nearly as available when I was younger. And in reality, I was too busy suppressing and trying to adapt. Not really sure how to end this. I’m pretty tired and a bit stressed. I’ll enter more as things pop up, and do a more in depth entry of my past when I’m more awake.

[bambisrevenge418]

[roller-boom]

When I try to follow the other jammer through the pack

Them:

Me: 

[bootyblock]

Anyone want to make an all-trans/non-binary derby team? I am officially fed up.

[cobrakaiderbycoach-deactivated2]

Which rule set would you use? Given WFTDA’s shitty gender policy, I don’t think using their structure would make sense. I know you could use their rules while ignoring it, but doing so does, on a certain level, validate their ideology.

USARS is less shitty, but still requires binary genders to be defined.   MADE is the only set of derby rules I know of that explicitly allows gender to be completely ignored if teams so choose. There could be others, but I’m only familiar with those three.

[sporkoftitan-deactivated2018061]

MRDA is a gender neutral ruleset.

[cobrakaiderbycoach-deactivated2]

MRDA has an excellent non-discrimination policy, but they do not have their own rule set. They use WFTDA’s rules. It literally says so on the bottom of every page of their rule book.

[vandulocity]

My team (B-Town Brawlers in Brighton, UK) are gender inclusive (aka we don’t discriminate based on gender or lack thereof). We currently are training to MRDA /WFTDA rules simply because otherwise we would never be able to play anyone, and our skaters who are comfortable with playing in gender segregated scrims wouldn’t be able to do so. Technically the rules ARE gender neutral, it’s just a shame that the governing body is shit when it comes to gender discrimination (Er, among other things). Personally I love MADE rules and would like us to play by them once we have enough people for interleague teams. I have this beautiful dream where one day soon we have enough trans & gender inclusive roller derby leagues for us to have our own governin body & ruleset…

[bootyblock]

This sounds really awesome

[trashachusetts]

Pioneer Valley Roller Derby has an “all gender” team, the United Front. Not sure what ruleset they use but I assume it’s WFTDA since that tends to be the prevailing rulset of the Northeast US…

[rollerderbysavedmysoul]

I skate with United Front and we use the Wftda rules.

[bambisrevenge418]

Um, I need to be a part of this league

[projectqueer]

November 10, 2015 | WFTDA.com

(PHOTO CREDIT/SOURCE)

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is releasing a statement, endorsed by its member leagues, that creates broad discrimination protections within the organization for individuals who identify as transgender, intersex or gender expansive and definitively allows trans women, intersex women and gender expansive athletes to participate and compete within the WFTDA. It states that the WFTDA “is committed to inclusive and anti-discrimination practices in relation to all transgender women, intersex women, and gender expansive participants, and aims to ensure that all skaters’, volunteers’, and employees’ rights are respected and protected.”

In regard to athlete participation, it states: 

“An individual who identifies as a trans woman, intersex woman, and/or gender expansive may skate with a WFTDA charter team if women’s flat track roller derby is the version and composition of roller derby with which they most closely identify. … The gender identity of any and all WFTDA participants is considered confidential and private.”

In 2011 when the WFTDA first adopted a policy that was inclusive of many transgender athletes, it was the most progressive standard of any sport at that time. However, members of the athlete-run organization, along with society as a whole, have become more educated about gender identity in recent years. WFTDA members felt that the old policy, which included references to trans women athletes’ hormone levels, had the potential to exclude and discriminate, and therefore did not reflect the WFTDA’s values.

“The roller derby community has always been a space where people are allowed to just be themselves. Our members grew to feel that our 2011 policy did not accurately reflect our inclusive culture and our values,” WFTDA Secretary Michelle Donnelly (Eduskating Rita) said. “We also needed to thoughtfully develop new standards, respecting our identity and history as a women’s sport run by women. After a lot of thoughtful discussion, our members wholeheartedly embraced this new statement.”

The WFTDA will also update its bylaws to incorporate these values.

CLICK THE HEADER LINK TO READ THE FULL STATEMENT.

[bambisrevenge418]

This made me cry all the happy tears

[roller-boom]

When I hang out with people who are not involved in derby

[roller-boom]

When I meet new fresh meat skaters

[bambisrevenge418]

Yeah...

[bambisrevenge418]

Haven't had a gym #selfie in a while. #legday #epfitness

[bambisrevenge418]

My anxiety is so high that I actually can't think of getting out of bed today

[bambisrevenge418]

[bambisrevenge418]

Post without caffeine!

[bambisrevenge418]

This is what i look like when I'm sick and workout. day 5 of being sick and finally went to the gym. Did my whole workout and it felt great and awful at the same time

[bambisrevenge418]

I've been sick, so haven't been able to train. But here's some derby off season training reads

[transknowledgable]

Transgender and Intersex Christmas Care Packages!

Hey all! So I found a google forms sheet for Christmas care packages for trans and Intersex youth aged 13-17. This is for people who’s parents have disowned them or stopped supporting them after they came out. Please don’t sign up unless you meet said requirements or you’re in a household that can’t afford to celebrate Christmas. Also, please share. From what I understand it’s only in the US.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hIQRQUoCU4VErRgGxFQAaxGQqIE8JdKT-24cLmIIxZY/viewform?c=0&w=1

[waystoraise-blog]

At Ways2Raise we believe in community.

To us, community means uplifting every member, creating space for those who are struggling, and being an inexhaustible source of comfort and love. This is why, this holiday season, we are beginning a campaign to create 20 care packages for trans feminine people in need. (Trans feminine meaning trans women or DMAB nonbinary people.) In addition to facing the majority of the violence targeted towards the lgbtq community, trans feminine community members are often excluded from resources that are created within the community. As the trans community has grown in the last few years, the amount of resources have been disproportionately tailored towards trans masculine individuals. Where there exists clothing programs, safe spaces, and companies dedicated to trans masculine people there are so few of those things directly or even indirectly benefiting trans feminine people. While a care package itself won’t end the exclusion and discrimination that trans feminine people face, it is a step in the right direction and the first of many that we will be taking as a company and as a community. There is room for great change in our community. There is room for more love and more support. And it’s time to actively work towards becoming stronger and more bonded as a community. To stand for and support every member of our community, not just some of us. If you are a trans feminine person who would benefit from our care package, please visit our registry here.  If you would like to be a part of this movement, please donate today.

Keep reading

[sparkitors]

thelatestkate is SparkLife’s brillz authority on confidence; these fabulous illustrations are all about body positivity, self-esteem, and whole-heartedly LOVIN’ YOURSELF, because no matter what you look like, you can be damn sure that you’re AMAZING. Click here to see all 11 illos, and then give yourself a billion high-foves for being AWESOME.