The Transgender Thread

[theruiner]

So close, and yet so far. Now I feel like absolute shit. I have to go to work in an hour feeling like a hopeless mess and take people bitching at me (yay tech support for Apple). I kinda want to just curl up into a ball and die.

I'm so sorry. I wish I could say something that will make everything better but I can't. Dysphoria is awful (that's a huge understatement, I know). If you want to talk at all feel free to PM me.

[Dra508]

Finally got on a health insurance plan that covers trans* surgery. Got my insurance card in the mail, went for a consultation with the best ftm chest surgeon in the east (who happens to be a half hour drive away).

Oh, what's that? Even though I have insurance I have to pay THE ENTIRE COST UPFRONT AND HAVE THE INSURANCE COMPANY REFUND ME WHAT THEY COVER? YEAH OK THAT'S COOL LET ME JUST FIND A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE NEXT MONTH.

Mind you, I don't have any problem with paying medical bills, I'll be paying student loans for 30+ years anyway. My problem is I can't pay what I have up front and make payments on the rest for a year or two. No. I have to pay $6-8k up front, when I have $2k in my savings and work a part-time job with a fiance who is recently unemployed. Even if I didn't eat or pay any bills, I could never do this in time.

(If I'm ever going to do this, it has to be scheduled by July. My lease is up August 1st, and I am not staying in Philly after healing enough from surgery to move away. If we do monthly extensions of rent, it'll be almost twice as much per month.)

So close, and yet so far. Now I feel like absolute shit. I have to go to work in an hour feeling like a hopeless mess and take people bitching at me (yay tech support for Apple). I kinda want to just curl up into a ball and die.

I thought doctor's would get confirmation of coverage in advance, directly from the insurance company. Paying up front, I've seen when the doc is not 'in network', and pretty much not going to get their full rate because they haven't negotiated with the insurance company. I'm sorry it's not working out right now

[GulDukat]

Good article from today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/ny...gery.html?_r=0

[theruiner]

I thought doctor's would get confirmation of coverage in advance, directly from the insurance company. Paying up front, I've seen when the doc is not 'in network', and pretty much not going to get their full rate because they haven't negotiated with the insurance company. I'm sorry it's not working out right now

Apparently this is a thing for some weird reason. Some other people were talking about this on Reddit, that bottom surgery (and apparently top surgery, too) is paid by reimbursement instead of up front. Which is incredibly fucked. I mean, yes, it's great that it's being covered at all but that's REALLY difficult for a lot of people to do. When GRS can cost upwards of 30 grand that's going to leave a lot of people out.

[sick among the pure]

Thanks guys. I just needed somewhere to vent and knew this would be a good place. The biggest pain in the ass is the time crunch, because once I move, I'll have to leave my job, and therefore lost the health insurance. I'm going to probably try one of those gofundme things to try to get some money toward it, every little bit counts, right?

[theruiner]

*slow clap*

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sidney...ef=transgender

[sick among the pure]

Ok, so, I did it.
http://www.gofundme.com/adamsurgery

I almost wore my ETS shirt for the pic. /nerd

[orestes]

So last night, in a roomful of people from the LGBTQ community, Jennicet Gutierrez was heckled for protesting treatment of LGBTQ immigrants in detention centers. Because Stonewall and ACT UP arose out of being polite to the establishment. Way to be fucking allies within the queer umbrella.

[DigitalChaos]

So last night, in a roomful of people from the LGBTQ community, Jennicet Gutierrez was heckled for protesting treatment of LGBTQ immigrants in detention centers. Because Stonewall and ACT UP arose out of being polite to the establishment. Way to be fucking allies within the queer umbrella.

Here it is in video form.
There is something magical about the "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA! " chants intended to be a form of oppression every time it happens. The only way it could have been more ridiculous is if they went with "YES WE CAN!"

It's interesting how some sources say she was heckled, while other say she was the heckler.

[Sarah K]

A woman I know(used to know, really) was in the room, and this is what she said...

In regards to the incident at The White House last night: I just want to call out I'm still in a phase of processing. I was not one of the hecklers in fact I was silent and confused to actually what was happening because I couldn't hear what the individual was saying. But I will say this. The president allowed her to interrupt him in the beginning of his speech, listened and than it began again in the middle of his speech to the point in which it caused the president to cease his remarks and engage with the individual. I also want to point out that the morning LGBT scheduled briefing was for Policy updates, community concerns, and recommendations to the presidents administration. There was space provided for someone to voice their opinion and concerns. Also it's important to note there was a sense of heroism in the air as this was to be the last Pride reception with Obama in office. President Obama in the history of our country has been our biggest ally for the LGBT community. I think this starts a conversation we can have but don't know if I agree in the fashion in which the Individual aired their grievances. Guerrilla activism has never been my style, my candor and demeanor has given me the privilege of reaching individuals in a way that educates while still garnering accountability for social justice. Also there were plenty of individuals from Obamas cabinet who were mingling in the reception having political conversations. This was a deliberate act that at this point I'm still reflecting on.

[tony.parente]

A woman I know(used to know, really) was in the room, and this is what she said...

I'm not sure if this is appropriate but what woman seems like she was biting the hand that feeds, pun sort of intended.
I'm not sure what being an asshole at an event like that does for anyone but make the whole of the represented community (whatever it may be) look bad IMO

[orestes]

I don't understand how people can celebrate PRIDE, a movement based on disruptive action, while condemning or questioning others who engage in said action. I certainly hope that with the SCOTUS decision on Friday, people do not become complacent in the equal rights movement. Enjoy this victory today but realize that we have a *long* way to go and that includes everyone under the queer umbrella who doesn't identify as gay or lesbian.



California passes bill that would give transgender people more control over death certificates.

[Baphomette]

In case it wasn't clear (as most media outlets glossed over it), Jennicet Gutierrez was trying to draw attention to this.

[orestes]

Here it is in video form.
There is something magical about the "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA! " chants intended to be a form of oppression every time it happens. The only way it could have been more ridiculous is if they went with "YES WE CAN!"

It's interesting how some sources say she was heckled, while other say she was the heckler.

VIDEO REDACTED

If this had happened today, I wonder what would have been response? (Video context: Clinton was responding to an AIDS activist.)

[allegro]

In case it wasn't clear (as most media outlets glossed over it), Jennicet Gutierrez was trying to draw attention to this.

While I absolutely agree with her, that this is a big issue, that was not the time and the place to take attention from a big monumental moment in American history, and to drift Obama's attention to an entirely different topic when all he was going to do was give some stupid platitude and non-answer and move on. It was, in fact, heckling. She chose the wrong place and moment, sadly. Obama wasn't going to even attempt to listen to her because he has his own agenda, he was going to try to get his own moment in the LGBTQ spotlight (and see if he could take some credit for it, even though the guy was openly anti-gay-marriage only 7 years ago) and he is trying to HIDE knowledge of those (cough) "camps." And those other people in the room? They're still drunk from the glory of gay marriage, fuck those thousands of sick kids in a camp (let alone 75 transgender people), somebody shut that bitch up.

As much as we'd like to think that the LGBTQ community is one big liberal family that cares about social justice, a really good friend of mine recently said that's a total load of crap and I have to say I believe him. The LGBTQ community only cares about the one single issue that affects them personally. They're actually pretty divided within their own communities in many big cities, not a lot of intermingling and camaraderie between gays and lesbians (save for annual Pride Parades), and they certainly aren't all necessarily marching for transgender causes (because it doesn't affect them directly), and I am willing to bet several paychecks they don't give one shit about women and children Latinas held prisoners in "camps" without food or the relatively few transgender people at said "camps."

[DF118]

While I absolutely agree with her, that this is a big issue, that was not the time and the place to take attention from a big monumental moment in American history, and to drift Obama's attention to an entirely different topic when all he was going to do was give some stupid platitude and non-answer and move on. It was, in fact, heckling. She chose the wrong place and moment, sadly. Obama wasn't going to even attempt to listen to her because he has his own agenda, he was going to try to get his own moment in the LGBTQ spotlight (and see if he could take some credit for it, even though the guy was openly anti-gay-marriage only 7 years ago) and he is trying to HIDE knowledge of those (cough) "camps." And those other people in the room? They're still drunk from the glory of gay marriage, fuck those thousands of sick kids in a camp (let alone 75 transgender people), somebody shut that bitch up.

Exactly, there's a time and a place and this woman was an attention seeking fool.

[Baphomette]

(cough) "camps."

Need a lozenge?

[allegro]

Need a lozenge?

Hardy har har.

They're really PRISONS. Like these, except these people were American citizens

[orestes]

Y'all were saying?

[theruiner]

Once again, John Oliver is spot on. Have I mentioned that I love this man?

[Baphomette]

Y'all were saying?

ICE officials said today’s announcement was not a result of public pressure from advocates

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Suuuuuure it isn't.

This is really great! Now let's work on putting an end to the injustices (rape, torture, etc) of women, children and men by RELEASING these people!

[DigitalChaos]

While I absolutely agree with her, that this is a big issue, that was not the time and the place to take attention from a big monumental moment in American history, and to drift Obama's attention to an entirely different topic when all he was going to do was give some stupid platitude and non-answer and move on. It was, in fact, heckling. She chose the wrong place and moment, sadly. Obama wasn't going to even attempt to listen to her because he has his own agenda, he was going to try to get his own moment in the LGBTQ spotlight (and see if he could take some credit for it, even though the guy was openly anti-gay-marriage only 7 years ago) and he is trying to HIDE knowledge of those (cough) "camps." And those other people in the room? They're still drunk from the glory of gay marriage, fuck those thousands of sick kids in a camp (let alone 75 transgender people), somebody shut that bitch up.

As much as we'd like to think that the LGBTQ community is one big liberal family that cares about social justice, a really good friend of mine recently said that's a total load of crap and I have to say I believe him. The LGBTQ community only cares about the one single issue that affects them personally. They're actually pretty divided within their own communities in many big cities, not a lot of intermingling and camaraderie between gays and lesbians (save for annual Pride Parades), and they certainly aren't all necessarily marching for transgender causes (because it doesn't affect them directly), and I am willing to bet several paychecks they don't give one shit about women and children Latinas held prisoners in "camps" without food or the relatively few transgender people at said "camps."

While Jennicet's intent and tact is debatable, the rest of this is incredibly spot-on.

[DigitalChaos]

Have all of you read this? Hot Allostatic Load - by PORPENTINE

A few excerpts to get you started:


...
This is about disposability from a trans feminine perspective, through the lens of an artistic career. It’s about being human trash.

This is in defense of the hyper-marginalized among the marginalized, the Omelas kids, the marked for death, those who came looking for safety and found something worse than anything they’d experienced before.

For years, queer/trans/feminist scenes have been processing an influx of trans fems, often impoverished, disabled, and/or from traumatic backgrounds. These scenes have been abusing them, using them as free labor, and sexually exploiting them. The leaders of these scenes exert undue influence over tastemaking, jobs, finance, access to conferences, access to spaces. If someone resists, they are disappeared, in the mundane, boring, horrible way that many trans people are susceptible to, through a trapdoor that can be activated at any time. Housing, community, reputation—gone. No one mourns them, no one asks questions. Everyone agrees that they must have been crazy and problematic and that is why they were gone.

I was one of these people.
...

...
An entire industry of curation has sprung up to rigidly and sometimes violently police the hierarchy of who is allowed to express themselves as a trans or queer person. The LGBT and queer spheres find it upon themselves to create compilations of the “best” art by trans people, to define what a trans story is and to omit the rest. Endless projects to curate, list, own, publish, control, but so few to offer support and mentorship.
...
To find the things I wanted in queerness, I had to find those who had been exiled from it, those who the name had been torn from.

Popular feminism encodes pain into its regular complaint/click cycle, keeping everyone on the rim of emotional survival. Constant attack, constant strength, constant purity.

Lacking true community, the energy spent is not restored. Those with more stability in their life can keep up the cycle of complaint, and those with lower amounts of energy are filtered out, creating culture that glorifies a “strength” not everyone can access.
...

[theruiner]

This is incredibly touching. The Girl Scouts are awesome.

http://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2...nsgender-girls

[allegro]

Aw wow Cait Jenner at the ESPYs, I just SOBBED

[Dra508]

Aw wow Cait Jenner at the ESPYs, I just SOBBED

I thought Google knocked it out of the park too. Pun intended.

[allegro]

I thought Google knocked it out of the park too. Pun intended.

[Sarah K]

[allegro]

Ugh, that was like Jerry Springer on crack. Dr. Drew has zero shame.

[Sarah K]

Ben Shapiro has now filed a police report...