As a father, a 26 year old gamer, lover of Wolves, follower of webcomics and cartoon nostalgia, I'm not sure what exactly to say. I love to read and write fiction, listen to heavy metal, and spend time with those important to me. I consider myself insane for I am too sane to be anything but in a world like ours. I know that sounds egotistical but it's the truth to me. I apologize if you don't like porn, but blog it with random facts, wolves, Homestuck, nostalgia, and and the occasional oddity. I run a Roleplaying Character through this blog, he is OC I can tailor fit to match any RP setting I am familiar with so feel free to send me a starter or let me know. I can also do AU versions of Equius, Eric Draven, and most Character from Final Fantasy 7, 9, 12, Borderlands, and Fallout the best. I am familiar with a number of Literary and video game setting so feel free to ask if you are interested. I may just know what you are talking about! Also, I will change my icon as soon as someone makes me a new one. I have an OTP of EquiusxNepeta, and I hate KatNep. Good Luck Good Bye See You Later Or On The Other Side TD WW RA
1. The Republican Party turns out for EVERY vote. Primaries, local elections, midterms, you name it. Most dems show up once every four year and then get defeatist when things donāt immediately change. It took the Republicans YEARS to overturn RvW but it has been a long game goal of theirs. YEARS of voting, and youāre gonna opt out after one vote. Okay.
2. Primaries are when you vote for who you want. Elections are when you vote for who you can. If youāre not voting in the primary, youāre letting the moderate centrist do-nothing candidate win.
3. Local elections affect your daily life. That sherif in Texas who is refusing to enforce the abortion ban? Local election. Gerrymandering, voter suppression, so much of this is trickle up from local politics.
4. Call your damn representatives. Even if it feels hopeless. The gun control reform that just passed (as minimal as it is) was bipartisan because people showed their reps that they wanted change. Get vocal as a voter and prove courting your vote matters.
5. If someone in your area is running for office and needs votes, be a signature for them. Not everyone can afford to pay to run. You want to support better candidates, put your name behind them (only in your district and always read what youāre signing first).
6. The two party system is shit. We know that. But the democrats are a big tent housing a lot of different opinions and trying to cater to them all. Republicans are generally united in one mission of dismantling everything and protecting only their own. This is also why Dems donāt have the same type of āsuper majorityā and canāt easily whip the same voting results. And anyone who thinks Obama had a super majority for enough time to codify roe does not understand politics. He had about 18 days of actual in-session time, split into two different sessions.
7. Purity politics isnāt going to get you anywhere. The candidate is a bus stop getting you closer to where you want to be. Theyāre not the end goal, and a smart voter knows that.
8. Voter suppression is huge in America. Help other voters register and get to the polls. Itās not always indifference keeping people from voting. Do something to help disenfranchised voters.
Let me repeat: The two party system is shit. We need to get rid of the electoral college. We need ranked choice voting. We need to get rid of Citizens United. Our country is an oligarchy. Always has been. Not denying that. But Living in these ideals of what we should be without creating any change now isnāt going to get you anywhere. Being defeatist and abstaining from the process is cutting off your own nose to spite your face. Its saying āthe other team is scoring too many goals, so instead of playing, Iām just gonna sit on the sidelines. Thatāll teach everyone.ā No, youāre just gonna keep losing. Maybe, instead, vote in the primaries and choose better teammates.
Yāall kill me with these āhot takes.ā They aināt even half baked.
Now, if you want to talk about the other things we should be doing IN ADDITION TO voting, like general strikes, organizing, etc. Then thatās a different conversation we should also be having.
I kinda forgot I had a tumblr account, and I have neglected it something awful.
But I did draw these icons of trans awareness for the week of same.Ā
Kaiju are fully accepting of trans people.Ā
All except for Gabara, who is just an utter nong nong.Ā Ā
my insurance asks for my AGAB as well as my gender, then uses my AGAB as my de-facto gender marker on all documents without telling me.
my adderall (which I have to order by mail because I'm on an island) is then stuck in "processing" for a week, and I am forced to call just to find out why. Its because the gender my psychiatrist and pharmacy use is "male", but my insurance has me listed as "female", so they can't give me my medication.
when I call my insurance to fix this, a man argues with me about why I need to be listed as "female" even though my gender has been "male", legally, to the state as well as the federal government, since before I signed up for this insurance in the first place. he says there are "internal biological differences", then that people cannot access or get coverage for care they need without the "female" gender marker- pap smears, abortion, birth control, etc.
so now my options are:
1. change my gender marker to "female" for all of my medical information/documentation, including dental (bc it's the same insurance), even though the vast majority of my medical care has nothing to do with my AGAB- I don't need to be "female" to need adderall, for example- or
2. give up all access to and coverage for medical needs related to my reproductive system.
anyway, I got my gender marker changed to "male" with my insurance, since that was the fastest way to get my medication. I guess we'll see what happens when I need a pap smear next.
I don't want to sound ignorant, but I do have a genuine question.
I did think it was important for doctors and such to know your AGAB/sex because there's different health conditions that each are more prone to and meds can affect them different? Not that it means it should be something used as the default on documents of course. But I did think there was medical stuff?
No, that's a valid question- and I hoped I'd explained part of it in my op (I should not have to be misgendered by my dentist so that I can get adderall) but to expand a little more:
AGAB doesn't actually tell anyone much about a trans person's body or medical needs (and often for cis people as well- particularly cis intersex people).
An AFAB person might need access to birth control and abortion, or they might have had a hysterectomy, or undergone menopause. An AFAB person might need access to pap smears, or they might have had a vaginectomy.
AGAB doesn't tell my doctor that I've undergone testosterone HRT, that the hormonal balance they're looking for in my blood is different, that the amount of body hair I have, the depth of my voice, the way I look, etc. is actually normal and expected for someone with a similar kind of body. AGAB doesn't tell my doctor that I don't have breast tissue and also don't have a history of breast cancer.
When I was trying birth control, pre-T, as a way of controlling my cystic acne, my AGAB did not tell my doctors that I was thinking of going on HRT soon-ish and that implants and IUDs were not a viable option for me.
What did tell my doctors those things was, y'know, me. Verbally. Plu my documented medical history, and the spot on my intake forms where I was able to write in "trans man" under "gender".
"Female" on my insurance gives me access to "women's" healthcare because my insurance decided that they will only cover those things for people listed as "female".
My insurance could just as easily choose to provide those things for anyone with the relevant body parts; which I'm sure would also be useful for intersex folks who have them, but may have been AMAB.
If you haven't heard the news already, soon you'll be able to self-select the gender marker you would like printed on your U.S. passport!
Here are the two key changes:
The government no longer require medical documentation to change the gender marker on your U.S. passport!
The government now allows you to choose "X" as a gender marker on your U.S. passport!
What does it mean to self-certify or self-select your gender marker on your passport?
Basically, now you don't need to provide any documentation (medical or other) to change your gender marker on your passport.
So even if the gender you select on the application for a new passport doesn't match the gender on your previous passport or other documents, you don't need to supply any evidence or proof that you have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or have medically, socially, or legally transitioned, or anything else.
This removes a big hurdle for trans people who want to update our IDs; there used to be a lot of hoops to jump through because people used to need a doctor's note which not everyone had access to.
Now, you no longer need to provide medical certification or a physicianās letter if the gender marker you select for your U.S. passport does not match the gender on your citizenship evidence or photo ID.
Instead, you simply self-select the gender you would like them to print on your U.S. passport, by selecting "male (M)", "female (F)", or
"unspecified or another gender identity (X)".
Does this mean all of your legal gender markers have to match?
Beyond removing the unnecessary and burdensome gatekeeping, these changes actually open up new options for transgender people.
Because your citizenship evidence or identification document does not need to match the gender you are requesting, you can actually have multiple legal gender markers.
That means your passport can say "X" even if you aren't able to legally change your gender marker to X on your state ID or driver's license because that isn't an option in the state you live in yet.
Similarly, your passport can still say "X" even you aren't able to update your birth certificate with an "X" because that isn't an option in the state you were born in.
Because the gender you select for your passport does not need to match the gender on your supporting documentation, you'll still be able to have your passport use your preferred gender marker regardless of the gender marker on your other forms of ID.
That means you can have a driver's license that says "M" and a passport that says "F," for example; the mix-and-match gender marker option isn't restricted only to people who want an "X".
Some people might like to have that flexibility earlier in their transitions when they aren't consistently passing and want to have more than one option for their gender marker on legal identification.
For example, a non-passing trans man wants his driver's license to show "M" because he identifies as male. While he knows that having "M" on his license would out him as being transgender because he isn't passing yet, he doesn't mind that because he feels safe in the state he lives in and the places he goes to and wants his ID to reflect his male gender identity. But when he travels overseas to a less-accepting area, but he wants to keep the "F" on his passport so he can have the option of going into the closet for his own safety in transphobic/homophobic places.
In other cases, some genderfluid or bigender people, for example, might like the validation that comes with having disparate binary gender markers on different forms of ID instead of having an X.
But the legal/logistical consequences of having mixed gender markers on different documents may turn out to be inconvenient at some point because of the difficulty in reconciling the various markers. So I personally would recommend keeping your gender markers congruent for now, and either update them all or leave them all the same. But it's up to you of course!
I currently have "X" on my birth certificate and "F" on my driver's license because I couldn't update my license to "X" where I live since it wasn't an option yet, so I do have mixed legal gender markers and it hasn't been an issue yet.
What's the deal with the photo needed for the passport?
While you don't need to have the gender on your birth certificate and/or driverās license changed before you can get the gender marker changed on my passport, the photo you submit with your passport application must look similar to the photo on your ID.
This means that you can't be fully female-presenting on one ID and fully male-presenting in the photo of your other ID to the point where the two photos of you look like you're siblings and not the same person.
So you'll have to choose a single "look" that's similar on both documents, whether you chose to try and aim for a more neutral/androgynous look or go fully masculine or fully feminine for both.
You will need to submit a new photo when applying for a passport, and the photo must look similar to your current appearance, must look similar to the photo on your ID, and must meet the passport photo requirements.
So, can I just go out and get a new passport card with an X right now?
Not yet. There's a difference between a passport book and a passport card.
So before folks get too excited about the possibility of getting an X all their passport-related documents, I'd keep in mind that it actually isn't an option on all passport-related documents yet because the government says that they won't have their systems fully updated until sometime late next year. Oof.
Starting on April 11, 2022, you can select male (M), female (F), or unspecified or another gender identity (X) as your gender marker if you are applying for a U.S. passport book and selecting routine service.
But it isn't until late 2023 that the government anticipates completing additional technological updates so that the X gender marker will be available on the following documents they issue:
Passport cards
Emergency passports printed at embassies and consulates
Expedited and emergency passports issued at passport agencies and centers
Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs)
So before late 2023, if a person visits the public counter of a passport agency needing a passport for immediate travel, like if they suddenly need to go overseas for a family funeral for example, they will have to select a binary gender marker (M or F).
Similarly, U.S. embassies and consulates will not be able to offer emergency passports with X gender markers until all technological updates are complete in late 2023.
If someone who has an X gender marker on their passport then loses their passport while traveling overseas, they will need to select a binary gender marker (M or F) to be issued an emergency passport for the return home.
But once they have completed their travel, they have up to one year from the date of issuance to apply for a free replacement routine passport with an X gender marker using Form DS-5504.
Ok, cool, but how do you actually update the gender marker on your passport?
"Well, the government is in the process of updating their Form Filler and Form Eligibility Wizard tools to incorporate the X gender marker, so you can't use the online website that you'd normally use.
This means you need to download the PDF version of your passport form instead, and complete it by hand (in black ink!) if you are requesting a passport with an X gender marker.
Then you need to follow the steps listed on their "Apply in Person" page.
Children under age 16 must always apply using Form DS-11 and appear in person with both parents or legal guardians (if they have two legal parents/guardians)."
Well, what about people who currently have a limited-validity passport?
"Under the previous passport policies, if you were in the process of transitioning to a new gender when you applied for your passport, you may have received a limited-validity passport (issued for less than the full validity period of 10 years for those 16 and older and five years for children under 16).
But the government no longer requires medical documentation or a physicianās letter as evidence of a gender transition.
To replace a limited-validity passport with a full-validity passport in this situation, you'll need to submit Form DS-5504.
To use this form, you must apply within two years of your previous passport's issuance date. You do not have to pay fees unless you are requesting optional, expedited service.
If your limited-validity passport was issued more than two years ago, please use Form DS-11 and follow the steps on our Apply In Person page.
Please note that expedited service is not yet available if you are applying for a passport book with an X gender marker."
Anything else?
For folks who are looking to update their legal gender markers, whether it's on your driver's license, birth certificate, passport, social security record, or anything else, I'd highly recommend exploring the Trans Equality Document Center. It's the resource that I used myself when I legally changed my name!
If anyone is willing to help me out, Iām looking to reboot the anonymous survey measuring clitoral growth on testosterone!
Since people have been asking us how much clitoral growth people tend to experience on testosterone, Iām looking to collect some informal data on peopleās personal experiences.
There is a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about the effects of testosterone on the body, so itās important for us to find a way to educate ourselves and each other so people can make informed decisions and know what to expect!
Personally speaking, I started testosterone as soon as I turned 18. And as you all know, I did a lot of research beforehand! But there were some things that I couldnāt find statistics for online, which is why I later went on to create this survey.
I was given information by the provider who prescribed my HRT which said āyour clitoris will grow biggerā but when I asked for something more specific, like what size range I should expect, or what the average amount of growth was, the nurse couldnāt answer beyond saying that I should expect āclitoromegalyā because she didnāt know either.
When I had just started testosterone, being told āthis is what you should anticipateā is something that would have really helped me temper my expectations as someone who had assumed Iād magically get an unrealistic amount of clitoral growth (and later switched my plan from getting metoidioplasty to phalloplasty when I realized that the photos I had seen online were not āaverageā and I would end up being fully 100% average).
Iāve noticed that people who tend to post pictures of their genitals after being on T tend to be more well-endowed than those who choose not to share their photos in the same public manner, and people who choose metoidioplasty might be more likely to be on the larger side than those who choose to get phalloplasty, so just as looking at pornography doesnāt necessarily paint a realistic picture of what the average cisgender body is, neither does looking at some of the NSFW images posted online because of this self-selection bias.
So while looking at pictures and videos online might be one way for people to get an idea of what things will look like ādown thereā after having been on testosterone for a while, that type of content isnāt always representative of the full spectrum of bodies, or even something that everyone is comfortable looking atā itās certainly not something that a minor could look at on a school or library computer, for example.
I know that this survey is a bit subjectiveā different people might be measuring their bodies in slightly different waysā but if enough people do it and the sample size is large enough, I believe it also should still average out to provide a more-or-less accurate depiction of what type of changes will happen happen on T.
I believe that this is genuinely an important issue and that is why Iām asking folks to push past their dysphoria and awkwardness, pick up a ruler and head to their bedroom or bathroom, lock the door and measure their clitoris for science!
~
This survey only applies to people who were assigned female at birth; however, you donāt need to be on testosterone to respond.
People who are eligible to take the survey include:
Trans people who were AFAB and are pre-T or non-T
Trans people who were AFAB and used to be on T but stopped taking it
Trans people who were AFAB and intersex
Trans people who were AFAB and are currently taking T
Cisgender women who have detransitioned/reidentified and used to take T but have stopped taking it
Cisgender women who are intersex and have not taken testosterone
Cisgender women who are not intersex and have not taken testosterone
The reason why pre-and-non-T people who were AFAB (including cisgender women) can be included in this survey is because their data can be used as a baseline for pre-testosterone clitoral size.
People who are not eligible for this survey:
People who were assigned male at birth and currently have a penis
People who were assigned male at birth and had vaginoplasty/gender affirming surgery to create their clitoris
People who were assigned female at birth and had their clitoris āburiedā as part of phalloplasty/gender affirming bottom surgery (unless they specially measured their clitoris before surgery and kept a note somewhere with the measurements)
~
I initially made this survey in 2018 when I was only about 1 year on T and before I had gotten lower surgery and I believe I had (badly) traced one of my own actual photos to create a drawing to demonstrate how to take the measurements.
Now Tumblr has now banned NSFW content and they took the link to the original reference photo set down as a result (despite my appeal!), so there is no visual to demonstrate how measurements should be performed, and Iāve since had lower surgery so my set-up is different than what peopleās now.
If anyone has artistic talent/literally any drawing skills and wouldnāt mind donating their time to work with me to illustrate the procedure for taking measurements, I would really appreciate it if you sent an ask!
I also have the feeling there are probably a good number of ways that I can improve this survey so Iāve put a question at the end to ask for feedback on what yāall think of the survey and how I can make it better.
~
While reblogs are both welcome and encouraged, Iād also appreciate it if you shared this link on any non-Tumblr social media that you may have; I donāt really go on the Reddit forums or the Facebook groups or whatever, and it would be cool if this survey made its way to those spaces as well.
Hereās a description that youāre welcome to use when posting this:
āHello! My name is Lee. Iām a transmasculine person on testosterone and Iām conducting a survey on the effects of testosterone on clitoral growth. The purpose of this survey is to gather data that can help inform the expectations of transgender people who are considering taking testosterone regarding the average size of the clitoris after a period of time on testosterone. I am particularly interested in hearing from people who have been on testosterone for over two years, or who have stopped taking testosterone. If you were assigned female at birth, you may be eligible to take this survey. The link to the survey is here: https://bit.ly/T-growth ā
~
Please boost and share this link:
This survey will take a few minutes and will require you to measure your clitoral growth with a measuring tape or ruler or some other type o
So, apparently there's a new Harry Potter game, that's basically "Hogwarts and the Blood Libel".
The plot is basically straight out of the Protocols of Zion and QAnon, your character has a slave (presumably a house elf), and your objective is to surpress a social justice movement.
Buster Keaton in the Metro Pictures silent comedy The Haunted House, 1921 (written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline). The innovative use of costumes, props, and trick photography in this scene remains impressive one hundred years later.
Musings of the Insane @canaanimal - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
