Untitled

[soothifying-sounds-asmr]

“Upwards to the Moon” Guqin song by 自得琴社 Zi De Guqin Studio

[crossdreamers]

Sexuality, Gender and Shame

Contrapoints AKA Natalie Wynn, one of the leading transgender YouTubers, has published a video about shame.

Internalized shame causes a lot of suffering among queer and gender variant people. We may see through all the transphobia and homophobia intellectually, but since we have been conditioned to think about sexual diversity and gender variation as  taboos from when we were very young, it can be very hard for us to liberate ourselves from such feelings.

Natalie has faced her fears, first when coming out as transgender, and now by finally admitting to herself that she is a lesbian.

Take a look. This video is definitely worth your time. 

[transcendantlife]

If you're a trans girl who likes trans girls, please reblog this <3

[sarahegregory]

Of course.

[melissa-tyra]

I do

[transcendantlife]

If you're a trans girl who likes trans girls, please reblog this <3

[sarahegregory]

Of course.

[melissa-tyra]

I do

[tzintzuntzan-blog]

Trans activists in Mexico City, protesting violence against the LGBTQ community.

[pravacouture]

Yes at this point I’m reblogging this every time I see it.

[crossdreamers]

New research implies that there is indeed a genetic component to gender dysphoria

The feedback-loops between gender identity, real life experiences, cultural concepts, genes and hormones are complex and messy, but there is a growing consensus among scientists  that hormones do play a role in the creation of transgender identities.

The main focus is on the pre-natal period, when that person is still in its mother’s womb, being exposed to hormones aimed at triggering the development of gender specific organs and a gender identity.

Mapping the genes of trans women

In a paper called “Genetic Link Between Gender Dysphoria and Sex Hormone Signaling” Madeleine Foreman,  Lauren Hare,  Kate York,  Kara Balakrishnan,  Francisco J Sánchez, Fintan Harte,  Jaco Erasmus,  Eric Vilain  and Vincent R Harley reports on a research project including 380 transgender women who have transitioned and 344 control male subjects. 

They have looked at associations and interactions between variants of 12 sex hormone–signaling genes and gender dysphoria in transgender women.

These are genes that are involved in the production of hormones or the body’s ability to “read” and act on these hormones. They may be responsible for undermasculinization and/or feminization of the brain. 

To give one example of how one such gene may affect gender identity development:

“The minor, C allele of SULT2A1 is associated with elevated sex hormone–binding globulin, a glycoprotein that regulates circulatory sex steroid bioavailability and is present within fetal male blood during early gestation. In transgender women with the TC SNP, we speculate that fetal sex hormone–binding globulin levels are increased, which may reduce the effects of circulating hormones.”

Words of warning

There is a tendency towards oversimplifying stories like these. No doubt we will find statements like “scientists find the transgender gene!”

This is not the case. Keep the following in mind:

They are looking at a large number of genes, which may (or may not) cause the development of gender dysphoria.

They are looking into the interaction between genes, in the sense that you may need two or more to develop gender dysphoria.

Researchers will also have to look at epigenetics, i.e. to what extent such genes are activated due to other causes.

They are looking at statistical aggregates. Not all of the transgender women have one or all of these gene variations. Moreover, some of the cis men may have some of them.

They are deliberately looking at a sample of Caucasian subjects (in order to reduce the number of variables).

The researchers put it this way:

In summary, the results of our study of transgender women support the hypothesis that gender dysphoria has a polygenic basis, involving interactions among multiple genes and polymorphisms that may alter the sexual differentiation of the brain in utero, contributing to the development of gender dysphoria in transgender women. 

However, although discordance rates for gender dysphoria suggest that genetics plays a role, it is not the sole determinant of gender identity. Genome-wide association studies, and genome and methylome approaches, especially when coupled with neuroimaging or sex steroid measurements, should be undertaken to better understand how genetic variants contribute to gender dysphoria.

backstrokerjc has translated the paper into Plain English over at reddit.

[crossdreamers]

Supporting and promoting trans fiction, essay and poetry

Winning Writers ask for contributions from trans and nonbinary people. 

The posted the following over at the reddit transspace sub.

I’m from a writers’ resource website called Winning Writers. Part of our mission is to find and promote voices and themes underrepresented in publishing, including (but of course not limited to) racial, cultural, national, religious, gender/sexual identity, body positive, neurodiverse, and [dis]abled. We are interested primarily in the representation of the voices/themes in the poetry, rather than the identity of the writer. At this time of year we’re offering two contests:

The Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction and Essay Contest, with two first prizes of $2000 each, ten honorable mentions receiving $100 each, and the top twelve entries published online. The contest is international. The deadline is April 30.

The Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, with a first prize of $1000, a second prize of $250, and ten honorable mentions of $100 each. The top twelve entries will be published online. The contest is international and the deadline is April 1.

Since I started doing outreach on Reddit last year we’ve received hundreds more entries featuring diverse characters and voices. We’re working hard to increase the diversity of our entry pool and give good writers the exposure they deserve. I know /r/TransSpace isn’t technically a “writers’ subreddit,” but in the past some of our strongest entries have come from subs like this one, which ostensibly have nothing to do with writing. So, if you are a writer, please consider entering our contests. And if you know any writers, please consider passing this information on to them. Thanks for reading, and all the best.

[journeyintomanhood]

15 Trans People who Have Made History

I feel it is extremely important to know about the people in our community who came before us. From the 1800s to today trans people have made history by acting as activists, advocates, and just by being themselves in a world at that against them. This list is by no means complete but the point is to highlight some of the trans people who have made history for our community.

1) Frances Thompson: Frances was most likely the first trans person to testify before a congressional committee in the US. In 1866 she was a victim of the Memphis Riot. The riot occurred when a group of white men went into a neighbourhood where former slaves, such as Frances, lived. They burned buildings and attacked the former slaves. It was on this matter that she testified before the committee. Ten years later she was arrested for “transvestism.”

2) Lucy Hicks Anderson: Lucy was born in 1886 and began living as a woman a young age. She was first married in 1929 and then attempted to get married again in 1944.However, in 1944 her marriage was denied and she was accused of perjury for saying that she was a woman. After then she became one of the first fighters for marriage equality in America.

3) Marsha “Pay it No Mind” Johnson: Marsha is most known for being of the leaders at the Stonewall Riot in 1969 however her involvement in the LGBT community stretches beyond that. She was the co-founder of S.T.A.R. which provided support and resources for homeless trans youth. She was also heavily involved in the Gay Liberation Front. She fought for LGBT rights and for people living with HIV and AIDS. She supported the community until her life was cut short in 1992 under suspicious circumstances.

4) Sylvia Rivera: Sylvia was also one of the leaders at the Stonewall Riots at only seventeen years old and co-founded S.T.A.R. with Marsha P. Johnson. She was also a founder of the Gay Liberation Front. She spent a lot of time advocating for trans people, drag queens, and other people who were not included in the mainstream gay rights movement including fighting against the exclusion of transgender people from the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act in New York. She was an advocate for the community until her death in 2002.

5) Miss Major Griffin-Gracy: Miss Major was another leader at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 and the community in New York at the time. In the late 1970s she moved to San Diego and started grassroots movements such as working with a food bank to serve trans women who were incarcerated, struggling with addiction, or were homeless. During the AIDS epidemic she provided people with healthcare and organized funerals. In 1990 she moved to the San Francisco area where she worked with many HIV/AIDs organizations. In 2003 she began working at the Transgender GenderVariant Intersex Justrice Project where she works to help transgender women who have been imprisoned. She continues to work as an activist to this day.

6) Hirosama Ando: Hirosama was a professional speedboat racer in Japan and publically transitioned when he was given permission to start competing as a male in 2002 becoming the first openly trans person in the sport.

7) Aya Kamikawa: In 2003 Aya made history when she became the first openly transgender person to be elected into office in Japan. She has also worked for the LGBT community both as a politician and before as a committee member for Trans-Net Japan.

8) Trudie Jackson: Trudie Jackson is a long-time activist and Navajo woman. She has worked with the ASU Rainbow Coalition, the Native American Student Organization, The National LGBTQ Task Force, and the Southwest American Indian Rainbow Gathering. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Equality Arizona Skip Schrader Spirit of Activism Award, one of the 2013 Trans 100, and Echo Magazine’s 2013 Woman of the Year. She is a huge advocate for the Native American trans community.

9) Kim Coco Iwamoto: When elected to the Hawaiian Board of Education in 2006 she held the highest office of any openly trans person in America. She served two terms on the Board of Education and is now a commissioner on the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.

10) Diego Sanchez: Sanchez was the first openly trans person to old a senior congressional staff position on Capitol Hill in America when he was appointed by Barney Frank in 2008.

11) Kylar Broadas: Broadas is an attorney, professor, and the first openly trans person to testify in front of the U.S. Supreme Court when he spoke in support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2012. In 2010 he founded the Trans People of Color Coalition.

12) Isis King: She became the first openly trans person to be on America’s Next Top Model in 2008.

13) Blake Brockington: Blake first made headlines when he became the first openly transgender high school homecoming king in North Carolina. He was also an activist for the LGBT community, transgender you and fought against police brutality. Sadly, Brockington lost his life at the age of 18 in 2015 after committing suicide.

14) Diane Marie Rodriguez Zambrano: She has been a human rights and LGBT rights activist in Ecuador for many years. In 2009 she sued the Civil Registry to change her name and set precedent for other trans people to be able to change their names. In 2013 she became the first openly trans person, or LGBT person, in Ecuador to run for office.

15) Ruby Corado: She is an activist born in El Salvador but living in American. She was involved in the Coalition to Clarify the D.C. Human Rights Act which was changed the act to include gender identity and expression. In 2012 she opened Casa Ruby which is the only bilingual and multicultural LGBT organization in Washington, D.C. She has been working for human rights for over 20 years.

[astroseasapphic]

This is a really solid list but then there’s like “was the first trans speedboat racer” and “was the first trans contestant on America’s next top model”. Like, I don’t feel like the course of history was altered here. significantly here.

[journeyintomanhood]

They made history in their own right and in their own communities both of which are heavily dominated by cis people and often not open to having trans people in them. There are many different ways to make history and different levels of history. Their accomplishments shouldn’t be discredited.

[transalike]

T

[melissa-tyra]

It is very interesting to read and know

[crossdreamers]

Amazing TED talk on the way the strict gender binary harms us, by XY intersex woman Emily Quinn

Here’s an extract of her talk:

“I have a vagina. Just thought you should know. Just thought you should know. I look like a woman. I’m dressed like one, I guess. The thing is, I also have balls….I’m not male or female. I’m intersex.

“Most people assume that you’re biologically either a man or a woman, but it’s actually a lot more complex than that. There are so many ways somebody could be intersex. 

In my case, it means I was born with XY chromosomes, which you probably know as male chromosomes. And I was born with a vagina and balls inside my body. I don’t respond to testosterone, so during puberty, I grew breasts… I don’t actually have a uterus – I was born without one, so I don’t menstruate, I can’t have biological children…

“We put people in boxes based on their genitalia. Before a baby’s even born, we ask whether it’s a boy or a girl, as if it actually matters; as if you’re going to be less excited about having a baby if it doesn’t have the genitals you wanted; as if what’s between somebody’s legs tells you anything about that person. 

Are they kind, generous, funny? Smart? Who do they want to be when they grow up? Genitals don’t actually tell you anything. Yet, we define ourselves by them. In this society, we love putting people into boxes and labeling each other…

“But there’s one really big problem: biological sex is not black or white. It’s on a spectrum. Besides your genitalia, you also have your chromosomes, your gonads, like ovaries or testicles. You have your internal sex organs, your hormone production, your hormone response and your secondary sex characteristics, like breast development, body hair, etc. 

Those seven areas of biological sex all have so much variation, yet we only get two options: male or female. Which is kind of absurd to me, because I can’t think of a single other human trait that there’s only two options for: skin color, hair, height, eyes…”

Listen to whole talk here. Believe me, it is worth your time!

[crossdreamers]

Jungian analyst wants to learn more about the dreams of trans people

I have been in touch with Jungian analyst and researcher Stacey Jenkins, who wants to hear about the dreams of transgender people. 

The idea is to expand Jungian thinking and models to include the experiences of transgender people and those outside the traditional gender binary.

She is a supporter of transgender people.

You can tell her your dreams anonymously using this questionnaire.

You can read more about the project here.

From the presentation:

Stacey is researching Trans dreams to write an article to present to the larger Jungian Analyst community. In Stacey’s view, Jungian psychology is an ideal depth psychology to engage a broad range of gender identities and sexual orientations. We consider that the psyche is a fluid structure that changes to suit the wholeness and health of the individual. And every person can have figures of different genders and sexual orientations within themselves. We are each of us a multiplicity.

[maidenariana]

Look for me tonight (3/2/2019) on an instagram live feed at instagram.com/suddenlysamantha! We should be live within the next hour (around 8pm-ish central). My instagram is msarianadanielle btw.

-Ariana

[melissa-tyra]

Are you a Gold Star lesbian? (Just in case you don't know what it means, a Gold Star lesbian is a lesbian that has never had sex with a guy and would never have any intentions of ever doing so)  

I'm bisexual

[crossdreamers]

On how the new WHO health manual, the ICD-11, destigmatizes and empowers transgender people

Silje-Håvard Bolstad has written an excellent summary of what the new World Health Organization health manual means for transgender people world wide.  The ICD is used by most countries outside the US, but is also referenced by experts inside the United States.

With ICD-11, gender identity has been removed from the chapter on mental disorders. This represents a paradigm shift for the professional understanding of gender diversity. The new diagnosis, HA60 Gender Incongruence in adolescents and adults, is defined as a mismatch between perceived gender and sex at birth. 

For some, this entails a need for medical interventions to adjust the body’s gender characteristics (Coleman et al., 2011). To ensure access to such treatment, the World Health Organization has kept a diagnosis in a new chapter on sexual health (Reed et al., 2016)… 

The changes from ICD-10 to ICD-11 can be summarized as follows: [Gender incongruence is…]

No longer a mental disorder No longer a disturbed gender identity No longer “F64.0 Transsexualism” No longer “the opposite sex” Not necessarily “a desire for the most possible match” Not necessarily “disgust for the body’s sex”

Bolstad underlines that the new version of the manual no longer adheres to a binary view of gender.

The problem with the two-sex model is that those who do not fit the binary will be labeled as sinful, ill or criminal. Providing affirmative health care to persons with gender incongruence presupposes a non-binary understanding of gender (American Psychological Association, 2015). Professionals need knowledge of gender and sexuality beyond personal experience, but also need to become conscious, and perhaps also challenged, on their own attitudes to the unusual and norm-breaking (Almås & Benestad, 2017). Therapists who lack such skills can inadvertently convey a negative view of breaking gender standards, or give advice based on their personal assumptions about what it means to live successfully as a man or woman, thereby helping to slow down client’s own gender identity exploration .

Original article (in Norwegian in The Norwegian Journal for Psychologists)

Rough Google translation of article.

ICD-11 on gender incongruence

Does the WHO ICD-11 Manual Erase Transgender and Non-binary Identities?

The WHO ICD-11 health manual removes transvestic fetishism. Being trans is no longer a mental illness.

What Transphobic Norwegian Doctors can Teach Us about the Diversity of Transgender People

Illustration: Vladimir18

[melissa-tyra]

This is amazing, someone with a mind,that gets it right

[alexandraadavies1996]

hey! I’m feeling super dysphoric again and realised I am going to get nowhere unless I start trying to make things happen again!

if anyone can donate thank you so much but if you can’t a reblog to get more exposure would mean the world too!

thank you, Alexandra

[melissa-tyra]

Please help if you're able to, thank you

[spalacloset]

Reblog Challenge

I want to do a reblog challenge to prove to my grandma people think Transgender is valid. Im not out to my grandma as transgender, because we got into an argument about if it was valid or not. She even told me, “If you wanted to be a boy, you should’ve been born a boy.” Who ever reblogs this, I will write your username in a notebook and show it to her.

[crossdreamers]

The two biggest publishers on trans topics continue to be Routledge and Jessica Kingsley.

Zagria presents a comprehensive list of books published in 2018 addressing gender variance, queer and transgender issues.

And by comprehensive I mean that she is covering everything from autobiographies to history, poetry and even legal works.

Take a look, there is a lot of interesting stuff there!

[recovering-and-healing]

QUICK RESOURCE GUIDE FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY

Some resources are good for everyone

Anxiety

• http://www.adaa.org/ • http://youth.anxietybc.com/ • http://www.helpguide.org/topics/anxiety.htm

Asexuality

• http://www.asexuality.org • http://www.asexualawarenessweek.com

Bisexuality

• http://www.biresource.net/bisexualyouth.shtml • http://www.bisexual.org • http://www.pflagcentralcoastchapter.net/uploads/BisexualityResourcePacket.pdf • http://queerdictionary.tumblr.com/

Coming Out

• http://www.thetrevorproject.org/section/YOU • http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/resource-guide-to-coming-out • http://amplifyyourvoice.org/youthresource/youthresource-comingout • GLBT National Youth Talkline: 1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)

Depression

• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen_teenagers.htm • http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/depression.html • http://us.reachout.com

Eating Disorders

• http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support • http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eating_disorder_treatment.htm • http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org/

Family and Friends

• http://theparentsproject.com/home/ • http://community.pflag.org/ • https://www.genderspectrum.org/

Gay and Lesbian

• http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=730&Itemid=336 • http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=726&Itemid=516 • http://www.pflag.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Be_Yourself.pdf

Healthy Relationships

• http://www.scarleteen.com/article/relationships • http://www.breakthecycle.org/learn-about-dating-violence • http://www.thehotline.org/ • http://www.asexuality.org/home/relationship.html • https://rainn.org/ or call 1-800-656-HOPE

Homelessness

• http://www.ourtruecolors.org/ • http://fortytonone.org/ • http://nationalhomeless.org/ • http://www.aliforneycenter.org/

I Have A Crush

• http://us.reachout.com/facts/factsheet/do-i-want-a-relationship • http://us.reachout.com/facts/factsheet/maintaining-a-happy-relationship • http://gayteens.about.com/od/crushes/

In School

• http://www.stopbullying.gov/ • http://www.glsen.org/ • http://www.gsanetwork.org/ • http://www.campuspride.org/ • http://www.athleteally.org/

International

• http://suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html • http://www.befrienders.org/ • http://iglhrc.org/ • http://ilga.org/ • http://www.iglyo.com/ • http://transactivists.org/ • http://www.oraminternational.org/ • https://www.nomorefearfoundation.org/faq/

Mental Health

• http://www.nami.org/ • http://www.reclaim-lgbtyouth.org/ • http://www.aglp.org

Out and Proud

• http://www.glbtnearme.org/ • http://www.outloudradio.org/ • http://www.transadvocate.com • http://www.genderfork.com

LGBTQ and Religion

• http://www.hrc.org/topics/religion-faith • http://www.pflag.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Faith_Families.pdf • http://www.transfaithonline.org/ • http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/index.htm • http://www.religiousinstitute.org/lgbt-equality/

Christianity-specific

• http://believeoutloud.com/ • http://www.gaychristian.net/ • http://www.gaychurch.org/ • http://www.welcomingresources.org/

Islam-specific

• http://www.muslimalliance.org/ • http://www.imaan.org.uk/ • http://theinnercircle.org.za/ • http://mpvusa.org/ • http://www.well.com/user/queerjhd/

Judaism-specific

• http://www.keshetonline.org/ • http://www.nehirim.org/ • http://www.jqinternational.org/resources/jewish-lgbt-organizations/

Self-Injury

• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/self_injury.htm • http://www.siriusproject.org/alternatives.htm • http://everyoneisgay.com/self-harm/ • http://www.safe-alternatives.com

Sexual Health

• http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ • http://www.scarleteen.com/ • http://www.sexetc.org/ • http://www.aids.gov/ • http://youngwomenshealth.org/ • http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/ • http://cdn0.genderedintelligence.co.uk/2012/11/17/17-14-04-GI-sexual-health-booklet.pdf • National Abortion Federation Hotline: [phone]

Suicide

• http://www.afsp.org/ • http://www.save.org/ • http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ • http://www.befrienders.org/

Substance Abuse

• http://www.samhsa.gov/ • http://www.drugabuse.gov/ • http://www.ihra.net/what-is-harm-reduction

TRANS* AND GENDER  IDENTITY

Gender Identity

• http://genderqueerid.com/ • https://www.genderspectrum.org/ • http://www.thegenderbook.com/

Intersex

• http://inter-actyouth.tumblr.com/ • http://oiiinternational.com/ • http://www.apa.org/topics/intersx.html#whatdoes

Trans*

• http://transstudent.tumblr.com/ • http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=731&Itemid=177 • http://www.imatyfa.org/ • http://www.wpath.org/

PLEASE REBLOG

source: The Trevor Project

[growing-up-gay]

I will always reblog this.

You are not alone. Help is available to those that need it. ❤️