What limits are there to cis willingness to tolerate anti-trans hostility without rioting, and why isn't one of them the terrorism targeting children jumping on a playing field?
Ta, Crip Dyke. One of the reasons I was able to vote when I turned 18 is that as a younger teen, I carried petitions door to door to get the voting age lowered from 21. Vietnam provided our motto: Old enough to fight; old enough to vote. We were successful, and I was one of the first 18 year olds to vote (against Nixon's reelection).
As a 16 and 17 year old, I was part of an Underground Railroad, helping draftees escape to Canada. We were hikers who took trails through the New England woods, hiking for a day or two, then handing our charge to the next operative. Ultimately, one of us would cross the border with the young man, hand him over to a Canadian counterpart, then walk back over the border. I'm still proud to have been a part of that. Btw, some of them were just as frightened of the forest as they were of the draft.
I've told you before that when I was 16, I befriended members of STAR. We first met protesting the arrest of Angela Davis. I have been a trans ally for as long as I've known of trans existence. It is a huge pain in the ass to replace a birth certificate, but the civil servant who typed mine misspelled my oddly spelled name, so I did a legal name change to my REAL name (which was on the hospital certificate). Thus, I have a "spare" birth certificate; the one with the misspelling. I am perfectly willing to burn it in a public space. Anyone care to join me? Since this is mostly a symbolic gesture CD proposes, I don't see why one couldn't just burn a color photocopy. True, it would not have the raised seal (and not all BCs have those), but I don't think anyone will be doing closeups of our documents.
As I always say, trans rights are human rights, period. Nothing less; nothing else will do. Ever.
I'm happy to know you as well. I've met a number of my favorite people via Wonkette; it's how I met my beloved husband. We're going to Vermont for a WonkMeet Saturday.
After publication I slightly edited the conclusion of this piece. It was originally written in a moment of emotion, and it was meant to communicate that I did not - in my despair - FEEL like I had allies. But after editing some things earlier in the piece that removed that bit about being in a place of despair, I realized that the ending without that additional information would come across like saying that people who are my allies aren't.
That's not what I meant. I meant I felt isolated and alone and unprotected and it felt miserable. I always knew that I was not *actually* without allies, actually alone.
So my rewording brings the ending into harmony with the published piece post-edits.
If you read this in the first few minutes it was up, sorry about the confusion.
Cis people sacrificing themselves for us doesn't even have to mean something so drastic as a burning of a birth certificate. It could even mean an "I am Spartacus!" moment of solidarity as seen in Frank Oz' In & Out movie where the whole small town said that they were gay in solidarity with their teacher.
I'd love to see a mass movement of cis women shaving their heads so that the bathroom police were too busy freaking out at all the people triggering them that they have no time left for actually policing trans persons.
I live in NYC. PLENTY of cis women shave their heads (or parts of their heads). That wouldn't work here. Most of the restaurants at which we have our infrequent meals out don't have gendered toilets.
My husband and I have 2 young adult daughters, one trans and one cis. I worry about my trans girl, of course, and wonder what I can do to make things better/easier for her. When I read your writing I’m glad to be reminded that there are trans women older than her lighting the way for all of us.
Out for 30 years now, and I can guarantee that access to medical care was worse in 1992 than today. It sucks that they're banning insurance coverage -- but we didn't have that then either. And yes, they're making care for kids illegal -- but we didn't have that then either. The gov't didn't have to ban it. There was just no doctor willing to help. You couldn't even get a knowledgeable mental health practitioner as a kid. The experienced folks who were trans-positive didn't want to work with kids, and the ppl who worked with kids were all trying to turn them straight and cis.
I don't say this to be "woe is me". Rather I say it bc if I got through it with no help from my parents then your family can get through it together that much easier.
My best to all of you. Love each other like crazy, and come chat with me here or on BlueSky whenever you need someone to listen.
Ta, Crip Dyke. One of the reasons I was able to vote when I turned 18 is that as a younger teen, I carried petitions door to door to get the voting age lowered from 21. Vietnam provided our motto: Old enough to fight; old enough to vote. We were successful, and I was one of the first 18 year olds to vote (against Nixon's reelection).
As a 16 and 17 year old, I was part of an Underground Railroad, helping draftees escape to Canada. We were hikers who took trails through the New England woods, hiking for a day or two, then handing our charge to the next operative. Ultimately, one of us would cross the border with the young man, hand him over to a Canadian counterpart, then walk back over the border. I'm still proud to have been a part of that. Btw, some of them were just as frightened of the forest as they were of the draft.
I've told you before that when I was 16, I befriended members of STAR. We first met protesting the arrest of Angela Davis. I have been a trans ally for as long as I've known of trans existence. It is a huge pain in the ass to replace a birth certificate, but the civil servant who typed mine misspelled my oddly spelled name, so I did a legal name change to my REAL name (which was on the hospital certificate). Thus, I have a "spare" birth certificate; the one with the misspelling. I am perfectly willing to burn it in a public space. Anyone care to join me? Since this is mostly a symbolic gesture CD proposes, I don't see why one couldn't just burn a color photocopy. True, it would not have the raised seal (and not all BCs have those), but I don't think anyone will be doing closeups of our documents.
As I always say, trans rights are human rights, period. Nothing less; nothing else will do. Ever.
I said elsewhere, but I'll repeat here for the readers in this space, that that anti-war railroad work is bad ass, Zyx, and I'm happy to know you.
I'm happy to know you as well. I've met a number of my favorite people via Wonkette; it's how I met my beloved husband. We're going to Vermont for a WonkMeet Saturday.
After publication I slightly edited the conclusion of this piece. It was originally written in a moment of emotion, and it was meant to communicate that I did not - in my despair - FEEL like I had allies. But after editing some things earlier in the piece that removed that bit about being in a place of despair, I realized that the ending without that additional information would come across like saying that people who are my allies aren't.
That's not what I meant. I meant I felt isolated and alone and unprotected and it felt miserable. I always knew that I was not *actually* without allies, actually alone.
So my rewording brings the ending into harmony with the published piece post-edits.
If you read this in the first few minutes it was up, sorry about the confusion.
Cis people sacrificing themselves for us doesn't even have to mean something so drastic as a burning of a birth certificate. It could even mean an "I am Spartacus!" moment of solidarity as seen in Frank Oz' In & Out movie where the whole small town said that they were gay in solidarity with their teacher.
I'd love to see a mass movement of cis women shaving their heads so that the bathroom police were too busy freaking out at all the people triggering them that they have no time left for actually policing trans persons.
I live in NYC. PLENTY of cis women shave their heads (or parts of their heads). That wouldn't work here. Most of the restaurants at which we have our infrequent meals out don't have gendered toilets.
I live in NYC, too. So far, NYC is a safe place. When NYU Langone caved to Trumpy by rescinding their gender-affirming care for trans minors, NYC passed stronger legal protections for GAC in the city council earlier this year, and it was sponsored by my council member Shahana Hanif! https://council.nyc.gov/shahana-hanif/2025/04/25/council-strengthens-legal-protections-for-people-seeking-gender-affirming-care/
NYC has ranked choice for its primaries, but in the city council race, I'm only going to pick her because she delivered!
My husband and I have 2 young adult daughters, one trans and one cis. I worry about my trans girl, of course, and wonder what I can do to make things better/easier for her. When I read your writing I’m glad to be reminded that there are trans women older than her lighting the way for all of us.
Out for 30 years now, and I can guarantee that access to medical care was worse in 1992 than today. It sucks that they're banning insurance coverage -- but we didn't have that then either. And yes, they're making care for kids illegal -- but we didn't have that then either. The gov't didn't have to ban it. There was just no doctor willing to help. You couldn't even get a knowledgeable mental health practitioner as a kid. The experienced folks who were trans-positive didn't want to work with kids, and the ppl who worked with kids were all trying to turn them straight and cis.
I don't say this to be "woe is me". Rather I say it bc if I got through it with no help from my parents then your family can get through it together that much easier.
My best to all of you. Love each other like crazy, and come chat with me here or on BlueSky whenever you need someone to listen.
LOL. Yeah, okay. Gotta mark down that tactic as N4NYC.
That would be fucking awesome. Reclaiming "skinhead" for leftist, progressive ends from the Nazis!