Eniya the Elf

Eniya (Eni for short). She/her pronouns. Fae Elfkin. Dem/Poly/Pan. Always an ear for listening!

[eniyatheelf]

What I Have Learned This Semester <3

I have learned many things, have grown, and even have seen how I not only have privileges that I have grown with as identifying as a Cisgender woman, but how to use it to not only be a better ally, but how to recognize it and grow from it. I also loved learning about the history behind Trans Rights, Trans Figures in history, and how to see that Trans Folx have always been there, that they have been a special part of our society that have been almost erased. I am glad there are people who are still fighting, and I hope to put my own voice out there to be an advocate and to not let my own ignorance, that is still there, blind me, but instead allow myself to realize terminology and everything is changing and welcome that change and continue to stand up for Trans Rights, and Fight with my LGBTQIA community for the rights, and freedoms we, and especially the Trans Folx, deserve so much. I loved meeting all of you and I hope at some point we can meet, and continue to talk to one another!!! Have a safe break!!!

[thebathsofallthewesternstars]

[eniyatheelf]

So I had to say reading the SLRP journal which is where I had taken the text from ("It's War In Here" pages 11-15) hit me really hard. Not only being a wife of someone who is transmasculine who tells me how terrified he is of ever having to go to jail, but this section caught my eye about transgender youth and how it affects them. The majority of transgender youth is homeless or low poverty, living in Seattle for a little I've witness this and still know a few of my transgender friends who are in sex work because it's the only thing they think they can do to make money and this is in SEATTLE! The staple city who prides themselves on how accepting they are of their LGBTQIA folx and yet there is still discrimination and transgender people who result into being homeless, without medical treatment or medical insurance and doing illicit and illegal activities just to keep a roof over their heads. With these statistics it is shown that there is still violence and discrimination from those, especially in the police force, who don't understand and without understanding they are either afraid or aggressive towards that person or idea that's making them uncomfortable or confused instead of trying to ask questions and being understanding.

I would say this is an erasure poem but I like to say this is more of a collage of words, statistics and ideas.

[eniyatheelf]

Voting is essential one of the most important things we have in our democracy...yet there are many people and groups of individuals who get discriminated against or turned away due to voting laws that restrict registration or even their chance to vote. It is important for everyone to know their states laws when it comes to voting and getting an appropriate ID in ones state especially if someone is transgender. States are having stricter voting laws and Identification laws that contribute to the discrimination against trans voters. We need to fight back, we need to show that EVERYONE has a right to vote and should never be denied that vote regardless of how anyone identifies.

#VotingWhileTrans — TRANSform the Vote

#VotingWhileTrans — TRANSform the Vote

[eniyatheelf]

I chose this passage from Dean Spade's What's Wrong With Trans Rights page 186 because it focused on the issues with Hate-laws and Anti-discrimitation laws. This hit pretty hard because it's been proven time and again in our country that if someone tweaks their words, or is even blatantly discriminating against someone that person who is doing those acts won't get punished. We need to continue to strive to creating laws for further protections so that one day if someone is being hateful or discriminating against anyone we could punish them appropriately and not have them go unpunished.

[eniyatheelf]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/08/17/federal-judge-blocks-trump-administration-ending-transgender-healthcare-protections/%3foutputType=amp

This article talks about how the Trump administration tried to reverse the protections Obama's adminstration put in place against gender identity in healthcare. Thankfully this article reflects more of how a federal judge blocks the administration from ending those protections, but it strongly emphasize how it was trying to end those protections to allow healthcare works to discriminate against gender identies, leaving the transgender community particular vulnerable if it had come to pass especially during the pandemic. In the reading by Cava on Trans Activism it talks about how in the health care system manypeople have been turned away, or had been discriminated against due to them being transgender, it also stressed how not only general health care but mental and transitional helath care have been denied over the years. If this had passed it would have brought us right back into the ages where doctors and healthcare officials would be allowed to bring their biases and not treat people just because of how they identify. I'm glad this judged blocked this from happening, but also as a doctor, nurse, or anyone in the health field you take an oath to help people, there should be no bias.

Federal judge blocks Trump administration from ending transgender health-care protections

The rules, which were set to take effect on Tuesday, would have reversed Obama-era regulations that said discrimination protections “on the

[eniyatheelf]

Black Trans History-Jim McHarris

Found another interesting story from our African-American trans past in the fascinating EBONY archives. Courtesy of a November 1954 issu

Synopsis: This article is about Jim McHarris, who was born in Mississippi in 1924, and come to find out he was raised by two foster families due to his parents dying at a young age. Even at a young age Jim hated anything feminine and was attracted to women, dressing up as a man and even living as a man. He moved frequently through the country when he was a teenager, living as a man, and it wasn't until 1954 when he got pulled over for a traffic violation that he revealed himself that he was born female. He did time in jail for the traffic violation and when he was done with his sentence he moved out of the town due to being shunned by friends and neighbors.

Reaction/Reflection: I enjoyed reading about Jim McHarris it put a perspective of how life was back then especially as someone who was born AFAB and identified as a man. I will say it must have been so dysphoric to have to reveal your naked body, especially as someone who is transgender, to prove you were born another. I can't imagine what that must have fet like standing in a courtroom and revealing your chest and genitalia to the judge and the officers who arrested you especially for a traffic violation. It makes my skin crawl thinking about it as a ciswoman, how violating that is, I cannot think of how he must have felt.

[eniyatheelf]

This is my first time doing an Erasure poem...I've seen them a lot and I'm not sure if I did it correctly. What made me choose the selection I did as the Erasure poem to show the openness of the Indigenous tribes. It also show the spirituality of the Indigenous people and how things connect versus the European culture.

[tillduskturnsintodawn]

Happy Bi Visibility Day everyone 💗💜💙

[action]

💗💜💙 

[eniyatheelf]

I have been enjoying the class so far, a lot of it has been almost a review and reiteration of what life-partner has been telling me over the course of his own transitioning and being in the Transgender community. I will say though learning some of the history and terminology has really allowed me to better prepare and open my mind to what I have been doing wrong and how to change and correct those behaviors to be a better ally for my Trans friends and for my partner as well. Also another big takeaway was learning my own privilege of being Cisgender and how to reflect on that privilege, it made me aware of the stuggles the Transgender community goes through on a daily basis that I, being Cisgender don't go through and are not aware of. It has allowed me to be more sympathetic and aware of what I should look out for in order to be a better ally. I also I have enjoyed every bit of this class and cannot wait to continue to learn more and open my own heart, mind and soul in order to make myself a better ally.

[musings4themasses]

Gtfo 👋

[eniyatheelf]

I decided to do the Diversity Wheel because it got me thinking about everything that has been brought up in my life. I added a little bit more to the outer circles like parents marital status, where I am at sibling wise (oldest, middle, etc.) and also my income status growing up. Looking at this really allowed me to reflect on my life, how I grew up to where I'm at now...it's really scary how the society plays a role on all of this stuff you don't think about.

[eniyatheelf]

"Two-Spirit is another gender roles believed to be common among, if not all, first people of Turtle Island (North America), one that had proper and accepted place within native societies. This acceptance was rooted in the spiritual teachings that say all life is sacred." - Two-Spirit Society of Denver

What I gathered from this video of what Two-Spirit is and where it has come from really made me open my eyes even more to how the Indigenous tribes were stripped from their traditions, and even spiritual teachings and ways of life after the Europeans came in. Thankfully with the help of elders and those keeping the traditions despite everything being against them they were able to keep records and stories of those who are and and had been Two-Spirit. Two-Spirit is highly regarded in Indigenous tribes of those who recognize it still, and very sacred. Some of the roles these Two-Spirit people took were roles of match-makers, medicine people and even warriors. Some Two-Spirit people even did roles for both masculine and feminine. To keep their culture we need, as non-Indigenous folx, to stop taking these terms and learn to respect these traditions and cultures. They are sacred, they are highly regarded. With that though each tribe who recognizes Two-Spirit people have also different terms for gender roles, expression, identity and even sexuality. (I am not Indigenous I just want to show my knowledge and respect)

[eniyatheelf]

So I will say I did a Venn diagram instead of a doodle because I cannot draw 😅😅😅 but I put in words and ideas of how each subject is unique in it's own and how Gender identity, Gender expression and Sex come into play with each other and as a whole! I hope it's clear and sorry for the messy hand writing 😅☺️