Massachusetts removes rule requiring foster parents to support LGBTQ+ youth

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/massachusetts-foster-care-lgbtq-protections

Cross-Dressing: History, Terminology, Psychology, and Modern Context https://maramenoci.com/cross-dressing-history-terminology-psychology-and-modern-context/

#CrossDressing #CrossdresserLife #GenderExpression #DragCulture #SelfExpression #BeYourself #GenderFluidStyle #CrossdressersOfInstagram #MakeupTransformation #FashionFreedom #LGBTQCommunity #Empowerment #StyleIsArt #TransStyle #AndrogynousFashion #DragQueenLife #CrossdressingTips #BodyPositive #QueerFashion #GenderBender #AlternateStyle #CrossdressConfidence #MakeupForAll #FashionInspo

10 Stunning Photos of the World’s New Transgender Beauty Queen Who Blurs the Line Between Gender Expression https://shinemycrown.com/10-stunning-photos-of-the-worlds-new-transgender-beauty-queen-who-blurs-the-line-between-genders/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #TransgenderBeauty #MissInternationalQueen #GenderExpression #LGBTQ #DiversityAndInclusion

🎭 Happy International Drag Day! 👑✨

Heute feiern wir all die mutigen, kreativen und inspirierenden Menschen, die mit ihrer Kunstform die Welt ein bisschen bunter, freier und stolzer machen. 💄🔥

Drag ist mehr als nur Show – es ist Ausdruck, Rebellion, Empowerment und pure Lebensfreude.
Ob auf der Bühne, in der Community oder im Alltag: Drag Performer*innen brechen Geschlechternormen auf und zeigen, dass Identität viele Facetten hat. 🏳️‍🌈

Let’s celebrate the beauty of being bold, loud and unapologetically YOU! 💃👑
Support your local Drag Artists – not just today, sondern das ganze Jahr über!

#InternationalDragDay #DragIsArt #DragIsPolitical #SupportDrag #LGBTQIA #Pride365 #DragQueen #DragKing #GenderExpression #celebratediversity

How does HRT affect you?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has various physical and emotional effects. Unfortunately, the information online doesn’t always give a clear picture of what to expect, for two reasons: 

• The research on medical transition is still limited.
• Everyone’s experience is different!

Even though every trans person has a somewhat different HRT journey, there are some common effects. This is my experience.

Watch my latest YouTube video for an overview, and read below for more detail.

https://youtu.be/FhwuCfMSxNU

Nights aren’t so hard anymore

As your testosterone levels plummet, one of the first things that stop is spontaneous nighttime erections. For me, this started happening (well, stopped happening) within the first couple of weeks. 

If you experience bottom dysphoria, and are planning to get rid of that part, this isn’t so bad. But if you’re planning to keep it, this means you have to exercise that part regularly. The suggested schedule is at least three times a week for at least ten minutes each time. If you don’t raise the flag regularly, scar tissue will develop. When too much scar tissue builds up, Mr. Happy is gone for good. 

I went through a difficult time in this regard in my first six months due to the emotional changes I talk about below, but eventually I reached a point where it became easy again. 

Soft as a trans girl’s bottom

The most significant early effect was that my skin started to feel softer. I expected this to happen because it’s a well-documented effect. But I had pretty good skin for my age before I started HRT, so I wasn’t ready for how dramatic this effect would be. I couldn’t stop touching the side of my neck!

After starting in certain areas, the effect spreads across all of your skin. You have to be a little more careful if you tend to bump into things, but this change is very easy to get used to. 

The roller coaster

The emotional changes I felt within the first couple of months were a little more challenging. My emotional highs were higher, and the lows were lower. But I was significantly depressed before starting HRT, so the lows weren’t much different from my old baseline. 

And I could deal with the emotions much more easily, despite their greater range. In my old life, when I got upset, my emotions would get the better of me. I would shout and hit things. But now, even though I feel stronger highs and lows, I can maintain my composure and let everything out when it’s safe to do so. 

The itty bitty committee

Ater a couple of months, I noticed the first hints of breast development. I didn’t notice a change in size right away, but they started hurting—and they basically haven’t stopped. It’s a good thing my ability to deal with pain has increased considerably. Even so, I usually wear a lined bra in case I bump into something. 

After a year, I was approaching a reasonable 36 B. Now I comfortably fill that size. In a push-up bra, I have real cleavage! And I’ll probably keep growing for a while. Officially, breast development is supposed to peak in 2-3 years, but according to unofficial surveys, they keep growing long after that. 

Hair today…more tomorrow!

When you start feminizing HRT, your doctor will tell you that you can expect hair loss to stop, but don’t expect any re-growth. However, almost every trans woman I’ve talked to confirms that their hair does grow back. If you started out thin with a bald spot (like I did), you’re not going to look like Selena Gomez, but old, dormant follicles may reactivate. My thin patch is filling in, although the progress is painfully slow. 

Fo over a year, I would not get my hair cut because I spent far too many years with very short hair. But last month, I got my first feminine haircut, and it feels a lot fuller than it did before. Keep your split ends trimmed and use a sulfate-free shampoo. 

Hard curves ahead

I’ve bucked one trend so far. For the most part, reducing your testosterone level makes it more difficult to maintain muscle mass. I’ve always been lucky. In my old life, I maintained pretty decent strength with very little exercise. After a year and a half on hormones, I haven’t really lost anything. And I’ve just started a job that’s somewhat physically demanding, so I expect my hard curves to stick around. 

Facing my true self

I forgot to include this section in the video! My face has changed considerably over the last year and a half. My features are softer. My eyes look more open. My cheekbones stand out more. And my lips are starting to get a bit fuller. This started early on, and it’s been continuing pretty steadily. In a couple more years, I don’t think there will be anything masculine left in my face. 

What has your experience been like?

If you’re trans, or you’ve been on hormone therapy for another reason, please share your experience in the comments, either here or on YouTube.

#biology #dysphoria #GenderExpression #identity #trans #TransJoy

The Aesthetic Revolution: Liquid Sky's Influence on 80s Culture https://alexwesterman.com/visual-arts/movies/the-aesthetic-revolution-liquid-skys-influence-on-80s-culture/ #LiquidSky, #80sCultClassic, #SlavaTsukerman, #AnneCarlisle, #NewWaveCinema,#CultFilm, #ArtFilm, #UndergroundFilm, #80sAesthetics, #80sCulture, #80sFashion, #NewWaveFashion, #PostPunk, #80sNewYork, #DowntownNYC, #ClubCulture,#VisualInfluence, #FashionHistory, #Alienation, #UrbanDecay, #GenderExpression, #PerformanceArt, #AestheticRevolution, #FilmHistory, #CulturalStudies, #FashionInFilm, #MovieInfluence

Cis women have been duped into infighting with our trans and GNC sisters. By policing each other’s gender expression, we’re doing men’s dirty work for them.
https://medium.com/prismnpen/the-patriarchy-has-a-secret-weapon-women-4d386a6e75c1

#LGBTQ #Gender #GenderExpression #GenderEssentialism #Feminism #Patriarchy

Manitoba Tories say bill to protect gender expression could infringe on free speech
Manitoba's Opposition leader says he is hoping for changes to a bill that would add gender expression to the province's human rights code.
#politics #humanrights #law #Manitoba #GenderExpression
https://globalnews.ca/news/11167452/manitoba-tories-say-bill-to-protect-gender-expression-could-infringe-on-free-speech/

What I have to say about gender ideology

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Sunday, showing that the universe has a morbid sense of humor. Francis was considered by many to be a progressive Pope, but he had strong opinions on gender ideology. As you might imagine, so do I.

I think gender ideology needs to be eradicated. Watch this video and you’ll see why.

https://youtu.be/-hfSXzCY064

More detail

Colors

The colors pink and blue are probably the most pervasive form of gender indoctrination in our society. In Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World, Anne Fausto-Sterling shows just how strongly we associate color with gender.The colors pink and blue are probably the most pervasive form of gender indoctrination in our society. In Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World, Anne Fausto-Sterling shows just how strongly we associate color with gender.1

“Grow a pair”

The whole concept of “growing a pair” to be tough is ridiculous, as explained in a stand-up routine by Sheng Wang (often attributed to Betty White):2

A friend said to me, “Hey you need to grow a pair. Grow a pair, Bro.” It’s when someone calls you weak, but they associate it with a lack of testicles. Which is weird, because testicles are the most sensitive things in the world. If you suddenly just grew a pair, you’d be a lot more vulnerable. If you want to be tough, you should lose a pair. If you want to be real tough, you should grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.

Sheng Wang, Comedy Central Presents, 28-Jan-2011

(According to Snopes, Wang’s routine borrowed material from a routine by Hal Sparks in 2010.)

The real threat

So why is the freedom from established gender ideology such a threat to those who seek to hold onto their power? Some may claim that misandry is the threat, that there is a growing movement of women who hate men.

The truth is the opposite. Misandry is not a threat; misogyny used against men is. Consider the quote above. Telling someone to “man up” by growing a pair of testicles is an emasculating sentiment; it implies that they’re a “weak woman” instead of a “strong man.” The weaker sex.

Men are not allowed to express honest emotions for fear of being seen as weaker, as feminine. As a lesser being.

But it gets even worse. Both men and women are often subjected to misogyny by women. When a man has an emotional breakdown and a woman tells him to “stop crying and be a man,” she is perpetuating the stereotype that emotional vulnerability is weak because it’s feminine. Women in political positions often promote “traditional” gender roles, even though doing so is against the interests of all women, themselves included.

Intersectional feminism

That’s why it’s so important for all marginalized groups to stand together, including all women: cis, trans, women of color, disabled women—and for men to join us in the fight against misogyny, as well as other forms of discrimination.

We can eradicate gender ideology by revealing it for what it really is.

1. Fausto-Sterling, Anne. Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World. Abingdon: Routledge, 2012. pp. 6-11. ↩︎
2. Betty White on “Grow Some Balls”. Snopes, 17-Jul-2016. Accessed 22-Apr-2025. ↩︎

#feminism #GenderExpression #identity #ideology #misogyny #sex #trans

Shopping…in “boy mode”

I went shopping today. In the last year, I’ve rarely gone outside my house without a wig, makeup, and gender affirming clothes. But lately I’ve been getting in touch with my nonbinary nature, and I’m more conscious of how important it is for people to see that I’m the same person no matter what I’m wearing.

For the trans people watching this: How comfortable are you being out in public in various “modes”?

https://youtu.be/ya_IliqF8CY

#dysphoria #GenderExpression #identity #trans #TransJoy

I Am Violet is on YouTube!

I’ve reactivated my YouTube channel! For a little while, I had a playlist called How to Be Happy, but I stopped adding new videos to it around January. The two main reasons for my hiatus were an interruption in employment and a certain event outside Canada that gave trans people many reasons not to be happy.

I’ve been planning a new direction for my channel for some time now, and tonight I finally launched my first new video. My channel is going to be a “Trans 101” information source. There are already a lot of sources of information available online, but my contribution will be a series of brief, simple videos explaining the biology, psychology, and history of being transgender.

Please like, subscribe, and share this video. Even if you’re not trans or gender diverse, you may gain unexpected insights into your own personality.

And please ask questions in the comments. That’s why I’m here!

https://youtu.be/K4T6w-oa6sc

#biology #education #GenderExpression #identity #trans #TransJoy

Where do they put the, um…

One question a lot of people want to ask trans people, but are afraid to ask, is what happens during bottom surgery. Where does everything go? 

In the beginning…

To understand how everything changes, it helps to understand the development of the organs in question. Until about nine weeks after conception, the parts that will become the sex organs are the same in all fetuses. Between nine and eleven weeks, the following changes start happening:

This is highly simplified, of course. You can read a more detailed timeline in this article from the National Library of Medicine. 

So how do they change that?

There are several gender affirming procedures for trans women and men, depending on what the patient wants to achieve. 

Penile inversion vaginoplasty

This is the most common type of bottom surgery for trans women. In this procedure, the penis is removed, and the glans (head) is removed from the shaft. The surgeon opens the scrotum and excavates a vaginal cavity behind it. The skin from the shaft of the penis is inverted, then attached inside the neovagina (new vagina). The glans is dissected so it is much smaller, and is reattached to form a clitoris. The tissue of the scrotum is formed into labia. 

The advantage of this procedure is that it has been performed for many years, and is available from a lot of clinics around the world. The disadvantage is the possibility that the nerves of the new clitoris won’t provide full sensation. 

Sigmoid colon vaginoplasty 

In this procedure, the penis does not have to be removed because the tissue for the neovagina is taken from the patient’s colon. The main disadvantage is the higher possibility of infection if the section of colon tissue isn’t sufficiently cleaned. Another disadvantage is that the patient will need to wear a colostomy bag while their colon heals.

Peritoneal pull-through vaginoplasty

This is the newest type of feminizing bottom surgery. It is becoming popular because it does not require removing the penis, and it doesn’t have as much risk of complication as the sigmoid colon procedure. 

In this procedure, the skin for the vaginal lining is taken from the patient’s peritoneum, which is an internal membrane that lines your abdominal cavity. The peritoneum is a seral membrane, meaning that it secretes serum, which makes it appropriate for the vaginal lining, which secretes fluids. 

The biggest advantage of the peritoneal pull-through is that you can keep a fully functional penis—as long as you have maintained its function through regular “exercise.”1 The disadvantages are that it’s new enough it’s not available in many clinics, and there isn’t a lot of data on possible complications. 

But how do they…stick it on?

Trans men go through the opposite process. There are several procedures that transform their parts into a form that affirms their identity. I haven’t done nearly as much personal research into trans masculine procedures, so I’ve adapted this information from Johns Hopkins.

Radial forearm free flap phalloplasty

In this procedure, skin is taken from the patient’s forearm, and a penis is constructed from it. The patient’s urethra is lengthened and moved into the new penis. The labia are formed into a scrotum, and the vagina is removed and closed. Implants give the appearance, but not the function of testicles. To achieve an erection, a device is implanted in the penis. 

Anterolateral thigh flap phalloplasty 

Most of this procedure is the same as the previous one, but the skin for the penis is taken from the patient’s inner thigh. If the patient has very slender arms, the forearm procedure might not have enough tissue to construct a large enough penis, so this procedure could be used instead. 

Musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap phalloplasty

In this procedure, the skin for the penis is removed from the side of the patient’s back. This procedure generally has a shorter recovery period than the others, but the skin on the back does not have as many nerve endings, so the new penis might not have as much sensation. 

Metoidioplasty

All of the phalloplasty procedures have the same disadvantage. Although the penis can be made as large as a “home-grown” penis, it can’t achieve an erection without an implanted device. 

Before a metoidioplasty, the clitoris is enlarged during a year or more of hormone therapy. Then the surgeon cuts the ligaments that hold the clitoris in place and lengthens the organ, resulting in a penis that, while it’s only 4-6 centimeters long (two inches or so), can achieve an erection without an implanted device. This also preserves full clitoral sensation. The urethra is lengthened and rerouted through the new penis. 

So which one are you going to have?

This isn’t a question you should ask a trans person—it’s considered very invasive—but I’m happy to answer. The only surgery that will affirm my identity without compromising the sensation or functionality I want to retain is the peritoneal pull-through. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available in Canada, and medical travel to the US is out of the question. 

My greatest hope is that the surgeon at the GRS clinic in Montreal (where Alberta Health services will cover the surgery) trains for the procedure I want, or a qualified surgeon from the US moves to Canada—in the current political environment, they may not be allowed to continue performing such surgeries in the US. 

But why do you get to have both?

I have a complex relationship with my sexual needs. Even now, it’s as if I can feel where I should have a vagina. But I’m not willing to compromise my current sensation for a “consolation clitoris.” Besides, I like the one I have, even if it is a little larger than the average clitoris. And it’s my choice. 

Unfortunately, it may never happen. Alberta Health won’t currently cover anything but a the penile inversion procedure at GRS Montreal, and for me that would be too much of a loss for what I’d gain. 

1. During hormone replacement therapy (HRT), testosterone production is greatly reduced, and spontaneous erections stop. If you don’t achieve regular erections through sexual stimulation, scar tissue develops, and you lose the ability to have an erection. This is fine for some women, who want their penis to be removed, but if they want to keep it, they have to use it so they don’t lose it. ↩︎

#biology #bottomSurgery #dysphoria #GenderExpression #identity #surgery #trans

Lief Bound - Het Art

Lief Bound talks about how Shibari being an originally heterosexual art form can make exploration challenging for those that aren’t cis-het.

https://youtube.com/shorts/OXR2JWykh8E

#hugharness #genderexpression #nonbinary #trans #BDSM #subspace #fatbodies  #kinkcommunity #exposureandclosure #shibaristudy #feelingsgame #folsomstreetfair #ropespace

@liefbound.bsky.social

Gallery Erato Theme: Fetish w/ Sophia Sky

Sophia Sky describes one of the amazing pieces of art submitted when the Gallery Erato theme was Fetish.

#kink #bdsm #SophiaSky #PanErosFoundation #ConsentAcademy #GalleryErato #SeattleEroticArtFestival #QueerArt #GenderExpression #JohnWaters #Fetish

Episode webpage: https://www.subspaceexploration.com/subspacepod/sophia-eros-camp

There is a method behind the trans phobic hysteria, it is to generate moral outrage against minorities in order to set up in groups and outgroups, to galvanise the base against minorities of many stripes.
#transphobia,#gender, #genderexpression,#USpol, #orsngemussolini.
https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/380861/trump-transphobic-anti-trans-ads-scapegoating?ueid=x

#CreepoftheWeek: #ConvictedFelon #DonaldTrump

#Republicans, however, have nominated themselves to be the #genderpolice. They are absolutely #obsessed with #gender. They believe that there are only two #genders, that there are rigidly-defined #genderroles for #males and #females, and that there is a #masculine or #feminine #ideal when it comes to #genderexpression. Any #deviation is wrong.

https://epgn.com/2024/10/22/creep-of-the-week-trump-5/

#Kerala to introduce topics like #SexualOrientation, #GenderIdentity, #GenderExpression, and #SexCharacteristics (SOGIESC) in the state’s education system.

https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/shaping-minds-shattering-stereotypes-kerala-to-introduce-sexual-orientation-gender-identity-in-education/