#chirps from creatures

[juice-wings]

hey! i think you’re super cool and you seem really nice so i wanted to ask, do you have any photos of your species that you really like? :] if not that’s fine as well ^^

Some of these birds may be Ara Ambiguus and others may be Ara Militaris, as they are very visually similar, and often mislabeled, but I am Ara Ambiguus (Great Green/Buffons macaw)

There’s also a scarlet macaw in one of those photos, I think they are so pretty and if there are any scarlet macaws seeing this please come talk to meeee (or any other kind of macaw for that matter I want more macaws)

[juice-wings]

Can i ask why race and ability are off limits to you as a mutable social construct but species isn't? What is your opinion on transage? BIID? All these things are constructs and challenging them I feel only benefits us in the journey to dismantle the harmful ways they currently control our lives. Just curious on general conversation now I am natally poc and physically disabled. I feel like a lot of people assume t-race/transabled/transage people mean the worst - like how people assume all trans women are transitioning just to creep in bathrooms - and just dont consider anything else. Except species for some reason, which is just fine and doesn't mean you hate animals or want to abuse them or disrespect them etc. etc.

Because changing your species cannot harm others or further their oppression. You can’t spread misinformation about a group of people by the simple act of being alterhuman. This is not the case with trans race and ability.

BIID is fine, it is a real disorder. It is a disorder I have struggled with. BIID does not glorify nor stigmatize amputation or paralysis. Trans “disabled” people glorify mental illness, or injuries, or genetic disorders. They stigmatize these real conditions and make a mockery of how painful it is.

I’ve had people ask me for “tips” on how to get schizo-spec disorders, or how to “pass” as being bipolar. You cannot just “I want” into having one of the most painful, and stigmatized diseases that exists. And wanting to have such a terrible thing, and actively asking people who are having their life ruined by it, is insensitive at best. I know trans “disabled” people don’t have negative intentions when attempting to “transition” but they do stigmatize disorders, and they often spread misinformation about their chosen disorders.

And I know that race is a flawed social construct, and ethnicity is a better metric, trust me, I know (as a white Native American, I promise I know). But there are so, so many trans race people who spread stereotypes about their chosen race, and often have flawed senses of what their chosen race/ethnicity/culture is really like.

Trans race is just as harmful as trans disability for the same reasons (I don’t feel fully comfortable on this topic though, as I am widely considered white)

My opinions on trans age are a bit complicated, as it is incredibly complicated, and they don’t stigmatize venerable groups. I do believe that trans minors who are adults should not interact with real minors, and the same with minors interacting with adults; especially if the unsuspecting party believes the trans age person is being genuine about their age. If someone is saying they are 31, and they are really 15, they should not be interacting with people 20-40 if the adults are assuming they are interacting with another real adult. And if someone is saying they are 15, and they are really 31, they should not be interacting with minors in the way minors would interact. It is not safe, even if no one is attempting to groom anyone, there is still the real possibility on someone getting hurt.

TL;DR, trans race and disability stigmatize others and can spread misinformation about the group they are trying to become part of. Trans race and disability are harmful by nature, and are not welcomed here.

[juice-wings]

Personally I’m not a bird, however I am a Coastal wolf! You seem like such a cool bird!! Is there any general tips with dysphoria you could possibly give for creatures who are struggling? If not I completely understand lol. You just seem like you have a lot of knowledge about identity :3

I hope you have a great day/night depending on when you answer this!

Uhhh yea, I mean, I don’t really get dysphoria much (other than like… genital dysphoria, but yall gotta pay extra for that) but I’ll give some super basic tips.

Food. You don’t have to eat what your type(s) eat, just eat things that could remind you of that. For example, as a wild bird I would eat seeds, bugs, nuts, and fruit. Now the only seeds I like are sunflower and pumpkin, I refuse to eat bugs, I only like cashews, and my favorite (accessible) fruit is blueberries. So I just combine those few things when I need bird snack. I use what I like that I have on feather. If your type eats beef, but you don’t like red meat, eat chicken, if you are “meant” to eat grass, salad is a great substitute.

Music. You can listen to music not for the purpose of inducing a shift, but just because you like it. I listen to parrot sounds for the sheer purpose of enjoying it, not because I want to shift (I don’t shift because I’m not that kind of alterhuman). I also listen to very fast dance music, because I like it, it makes me happy, and I like chirping along. Listen to the things you like, because you like them.

Visualization. To be honest, this is the thing I do the most. I don’t have a beak, it was cut off of me when I was a baby, and I miss it very very dearly. So sometimes I just pretend I have one, I just close my eyes and let my beak exist on my face. Visualize the body you want, it helps.

[juice-wings]

We have a lot of winged alters, so we wanted to ask if you knew any ways to feel like you're flying for flightless individuals? We're physically disabled so all the classic "go for a run" don't really help and we thought a bird would know best! -🌹

I’d love to help you my fellow disabled avians.

Ok, so I personally don’t like running, and even when I ran a lot it didn’t feel much like flying. But I do have some suggestions.

Getting pushed around

I personally love this one, and it’s really fun to do with a friend. All you need is a wheelchair, a grocery cart, a rolling chair, or anything else that has wheels and you can push really fast. The wind on your face, and the speed, it all feels super good, and you get a nice laugh with your buddy.

Skateboards, roller blades, bikes

Pretty much the same as above, but you can do it yourself. You do need to be able to do sustained motion, and it can be quite the workout, so it may not be suitable for everyone.

Swings

All sorts of swings are good, I like web swings (personally) but its normal swings are widely available, and just as much fun. There are indoor places that have swings, and covered playgrounds if you have heat sensitivity. Also, back to web swings, they are such a nice sensory experience, and they are so good if you have problems with walking or holding yourself up. Because you can just roll up, move yourself on (because they hang knee-hip hight) and swing. You don’t even need to sit up, you can lay down! It’s truly the best way to swing, and you can hang them inside! Oh SOLD, they are awesome sauce.

Driving, especially with the windows down

I personally like to drive myself, but if you can’t drive, someone else can. It’s still just as good.

Those are all the things I can think of that simulate flight, but I have LOTS of other things you can do to try to feel more bird like.

[juice-wings]

hey let’s not water down medical terms! you’re not a clinical zoanthrope, you’re just a teenager that wants to feel edgy.

My psychiatrist literally called me a clinical zooanthrope and put me on medication for it! I have a genuine belief that I am turning into a macaw, I can feel wings and feathers growing out of my body. You are being saneist by believing a teenager can’t have a complex medical disorder.

[juice-wings]

Can I identify as alterhuman physically if I'm not a clinical zooanthrope?

It's just that most folks that I see who are physically nonhumans are clinical zooanthropes, but I also consider myself to be somewhat physically alterhuman (I don't know if it matters, but I don't experience any hallucinations or delusions or mental health issues besides depression), so I'm a bit confused...

Thank you, and sorry if I worded anything weird, english isn't my first language

Yea, you can absolutely be a physical alter human without being phycotic!

[juice-wings]

ok thank god I just searched up what clinical zooanthropy was and it sucks that you're called delusional but thank god it wasn't rebranded zoophilia.

Yea lol. But -philia and -anthropy being used as suffixes mean very different things, so it wouldn’t be called zoophilia.

Also, there is nothing inherently wrong with paraphilic attraction. Thought crimes are not crimes. As long as paraphilies don’t make contact without informed consent, there is nothing wrong with having one.

[juice-wings]

Are there any bird toys you really want?

Yes!! There are these pipes that have beads in them, and they spin around and make this lovely sound and I want them so bad!! They are made by the same guy I bought my bird band from, and if I can find a way to secure it to my wall I will absolutely be buying one!

This thing!!! In need this spinner toy ASAP!

There are other toys that I like in concept, but most of them involve chewing or shredding, neither of which I should do with my current mouth situation.