I'm a parent of a trans teenager who participates in a team sport. Luckily, he has a supportive coaching staff and team (and it's a sport that has so far been inclusive - don't want to get too specific even though we live in a LGBTQ+ friendly area). Every time I read an article like this my heart breaks. Thank you, CD, for all of the work you do keeping the Wonkteriat informed about all things trans even though they usually are a tough read.
They are usually tough reads. We need more stories like the drag queen Mona Liza Million in Idaho. (Sued the pants of some people who lied about her, because defamation laws are actually a thing! Who knew!) Have a linky to the old story if you don't remember it or just need a pick me up:
Here in The Villages, some dipshit woman wrote a letter to the editor complaining about a man being allowed to play in a woman's softball league - just some more evidence that trans hate is spreading beyond teenagers. As it is, she offers no proof that this situation actually exists, and the depth of her rant really makes it seem as if she made it all up
There's data on organized sports being a way to combat bullying for girls. I suspect this applies to all kids. Being a weird engineer, my spawn are similarly quirky and brilliant and colorful.
So, my cc gets hot from sports spending. I can imagine my kids losing interest or moving onto other things, but it would be heartbreaking for them to be banned from their team or favorite game because they're trying to be more authentically themselves.
On Saturday, the ref checked for safe cleats, shin guards, and made sure no one was wearing earrings. This created a giggle rumble for my son's team, because I think the coach(?) expressed something about not needing to check the boys for earrings, and then the teammates said Jr. Moonshine does, and the coach made some joke about make-up.
[I'm not sure how to handle the coach but I know the other team from that grade is coached by the dad of a gayish kid so I'll request that team next season.] I don't think the coach realizes that Jr. M looks like a blinged out pro athlete when he's got all of his flair on.
Half the kids are wearing pink socks or pink cleats, they idolize Messi who has a pink jersey that they wear to school, and my little dude isn't the only little dude with pierced ears. My tough little sparkle likes to wear dangly shark earrings, or rhinestone soccer balls.
Shake Spear!
And you know what? He'll be who he's going to be, and maybe some other kid needs to see those dangly sharks and sparkly soccer balls. Maybe he'll be the ear-care resource for a kid who can't ask their parent for ear-care help. Maybe he'll be another kid's guide to the absurd sales at Claire's.
Every time I read about these things, I feel another bit of my soul withering. Why are there people out there who so vehemently hate children like my Alex with absolutely no justification except for the equipment between their damn legs? To me, that distinction makes the haters the perverse fucks, not my child.
Sometimes it's the opposite of "want". There are trans people who invest years and career changes in fighting against their identity. But they can't rewire themselves.
I know trans people are not new, but it’s been so taboo and misunderstood for so long that I believe there are many people who would otherwise be allies who just had no idea of it’s prevalence, or what it truly means. I have to believe that if we can just make it through the next 15 years, sharing stories, it will be better? Sending this to some of those people in my life now.
This week I am watching the "Will and Harper" documentary on Netflix. Will Ferrell offers to go across country with his friend of many years, Harper Steel, whose dead name is Andrew. The documentary explains how their relationship came to be, but the movie is really Harper's. Will is both along for the ride and trying to be a good friend and ally. I'm not quite half way so far and it's good. I'm feeling some anxiety for Harper, though, because Harper has lived a long time hiding herself from the world, she's transitioning, and she's trying to get back into the world after coming out to friends and family.
As a trans person myself, let me say that the hysteria is dumb as hell. We don't want to hurt anyone (well, anyone who doesn't hurt us first). We just want to be able to do normal stuff like pee where we're comfortable without any problems.
The people who have an issue with that--who demand inspections of genitals, who adamantly believe that some possible harm could be had just by pissing in a stall within two miles of a possible trans person--are the ones who have major issues they need to work on.
I'm all for unions, but we have a problem with this guy and the dockworkers strike with 45,000 longshoremen striking from Maine to Texas, don't we?
This is our “October Surprise.”
"ILA President Daggett enjoys a long relationship with Donald Trump going back decades in New York City. Both Trump and Daggett are the same age and were both from Queens, New York.
In late November 2023, former President Trump invited the ILA president to meet with him in Florida at Mar-a-Lago,
'We had a wonderful, productive 90-minute meeting where I expressed to President Trump the threat of automation to American workers, said ILA President Harold Daggett.
'President Trump promised to support the ILA in its opposition to automated terminals in the U.S. Mr. Trump also listened to my concerns about Federal 'Right To Work' laws which undermines unions and their ability to represent and fight for its membership.'"
This was written on the ILA's website from an article in July when he told people to pray for Donald after his assassination attempt.
Notice how he called him "President Trump."
Daggett also turned down President Biden's offer to help mediate the dispute, "We will not be interested in Biden sending us a mediator if negotiations are not going well.”
(Side note, look at the picture of Donald and Kim Jong Un at Mar-a-Lago. Weird).
Don't let them be forgotten, say their names: Nex Benedict.
Ta, Crip Dyke. As I've said for years, trans rights are human rights. Nothing less will ever do.
It's not hard to imagine a teen contemplating suicide; I considered it after my father died. I decided to live, and I hope all the kids do the same.
"So they're killing themselves, or trying to. Poor kids. That proves they were mentally disturbed all along."
--probable response from righties who are too "sensitive" to utter something like "good riddance"
I'm a mother of a trans kiddo and I think you're spot on.
I hope you don't live in one of...𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 states. (Confederate, low IQ, semi-fascist, whatever your preferred label is.)
Perhaps we should make it acceptable to attack politicians and bureaucrats whose only purpose is to inflict harm on the vulnerable?
I'm a parent of a trans teenager who participates in a team sport. Luckily, he has a supportive coaching staff and team (and it's a sport that has so far been inclusive - don't want to get too specific even though we live in a LGBTQ+ friendly area). Every time I read an article like this my heart breaks. Thank you, CD, for all of the work you do keeping the Wonkteriat informed about all things trans even though they usually are a tough read.
They are usually tough reads. We need more stories like the drag queen Mona Liza Million in Idaho. (Sued the pants of some people who lied about her, because defamation laws are actually a thing! Who knew!) Have a linky to the old story if you don't remember it or just need a pick me up:
https://www.wonkette.com/p/black-idaho-drag-queen-mona-liza
Hurting kids is part of the point, sadly, for the retrogrades that do this.
Here in The Villages, some dipshit woman wrote a letter to the editor complaining about a man being allowed to play in a woman's softball league - just some more evidence that trans hate is spreading beyond teenagers. As it is, she offers no proof that this situation actually exists, and the depth of her rant really makes it seem as if she made it all up
Yes, trans kids deserve better.
Every trans kid and adult deserves to live as much as anyone else.
I think that all trans people want to do is live in a way that they find to be healthy.
Nothing wrong with that.
There's data on organized sports being a way to combat bullying for girls. I suspect this applies to all kids. Being a weird engineer, my spawn are similarly quirky and brilliant and colorful.
So, my cc gets hot from sports spending. I can imagine my kids losing interest or moving onto other things, but it would be heartbreaking for them to be banned from their team or favorite game because they're trying to be more authentically themselves.
On Saturday, the ref checked for safe cleats, shin guards, and made sure no one was wearing earrings. This created a giggle rumble for my son's team, because I think the coach(?) expressed something about not needing to check the boys for earrings, and then the teammates said Jr. Moonshine does, and the coach made some joke about make-up.
[I'm not sure how to handle the coach but I know the other team from that grade is coached by the dad of a gayish kid so I'll request that team next season.] I don't think the coach realizes that Jr. M looks like a blinged out pro athlete when he's got all of his flair on.
Half the kids are wearing pink socks or pink cleats, they idolize Messi who has a pink jersey that they wear to school, and my little dude isn't the only little dude with pierced ears. My tough little sparkle likes to wear dangly shark earrings, or rhinestone soccer balls.
Shake Spear!
And you know what? He'll be who he's going to be, and maybe some other kid needs to see those dangly sharks and sparkly soccer balls. Maybe he'll be the ear-care resource for a kid who can't ask their parent for ear-care help. Maybe he'll be another kid's guide to the absurd sales at Claire's.
Every time I read about these things, I feel another bit of my soul withering. Why are there people out there who so vehemently hate children like my Alex with absolutely no justification except for the equipment between their damn legs? To me, that distinction makes the haters the perverse fucks, not my child.
I am so with you. I just CANNOT FATHOM CARING about how someone wants to identify, much less understand their desire to hurt. It’s a gross obsession
Sometimes it's the opposite of "want". There are trans people who invest years and career changes in fighting against their identity. But they can't rewire themselves.
True. It isn’t want, it just *is*.
I know trans people are not new, but it’s been so taboo and misunderstood for so long that I believe there are many people who would otherwise be allies who just had no idea of it’s prevalence, or what it truly means. I have to believe that if we can just make it through the next 15 years, sharing stories, it will be better? Sending this to some of those people in my life now.
This week I am watching the "Will and Harper" documentary on Netflix. Will Ferrell offers to go across country with his friend of many years, Harper Steel, whose dead name is Andrew. The documentary explains how their relationship came to be, but the movie is really Harper's. Will is both along for the ride and trying to be a good friend and ally. I'm not quite half way so far and it's good. I'm feeling some anxiety for Harper, though, because Harper has lived a long time hiding herself from the world, she's transitioning, and she's trying to get back into the world after coming out to friends and family.
.
Anyone else see this film?
As a trans person myself, let me say that the hysteria is dumb as hell. We don't want to hurt anyone (well, anyone who doesn't hurt us first). We just want to be able to do normal stuff like pee where we're comfortable without any problems.
The people who have an issue with that--who demand inspections of genitals, who adamantly believe that some possible harm could be had just by pissing in a stall within two miles of a possible trans person--are the ones who have major issues they need to work on.
Well said!
Nice one.
https://x.com/FlugschuleE/status/1841060168303341749
Color me orangely surprised.
https://x.com/ArtCandee/status/1841118795257036939
I'm all for unions, but we have a problem with this guy and the dockworkers strike with 45,000 longshoremen striking from Maine to Texas, don't we?
This is our “October Surprise.”
"ILA President Daggett enjoys a long relationship with Donald Trump going back decades in New York City. Both Trump and Daggett are the same age and were both from Queens, New York.
In late November 2023, former President Trump invited the ILA president to meet with him in Florida at Mar-a-Lago,
'We had a wonderful, productive 90-minute meeting where I expressed to President Trump the threat of automation to American workers, said ILA President Harold Daggett.
'President Trump promised to support the ILA in its opposition to automated terminals in the U.S. Mr. Trump also listened to my concerns about Federal 'Right To Work' laws which undermines unions and their ability to represent and fight for its membership.'"
This was written on the ILA's website from an article in July when he told people to pray for Donald after his assassination attempt.
Notice how he called him "President Trump."
Daggett also turned down President Biden's offer to help mediate the dispute, "We will not be interested in Biden sending us a mediator if negotiations are not going well.”
(Side note, look at the picture of Donald and Kim Jong Un at Mar-a-Lago. Weird).
Trans Kids Deserve Better seem thoroughly commendable, but how can one make an acronym out of that name?
Leave these kid alone motherfuckers!
David Tennant had the right idea with his shirt.
https://store.crooked.com/products/leave-trans-kids-alone-t-shirt?srsltid=AfmBOorBMceRUVrw5YfC2HzpagRizEn-WmQn0NE-ex5CkIWjhFMMU53T
Feature, not bug!
It seems just overwhelming at times. I'd wager 99% of these assholes have never even shared a space with a trans person let alone actually met one.
Bet they have, but it would’ve been someone who didn’t feel safe to transition.
Imaginary 'enemies' are more convenient than real ones.