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Friday, February 14, 2025

Groom Wears The Same Wedding Dress As Bride

 

A post from a few years ago...Not sure why it never went live.  Enjoy...


Emma Sparre-Newman and Ian Newman wore identical outfits for their big day and from the same shop.

Ian Newman, 53, from East Dulwich, south London, decided to stay true to himself and got hitched in a bridal gown. And bride Emma Sparre-Newman walked down the aisle and met him at the altar in an identical frock. 

He said: 'My wedding day was fantastic. I felt utterly wonderful.

'I imagine as wonderful as any bride does when they get dressed up. You just feel a million dollars.'

'Everyone found it hilarious that he was more keen to go dress shopping than I was.'

On a day-to-day basis, musician Ian typically wears a black kilt and t-shirt whilst out and about.

But he almost always wears dresses - complete with bust padding - and high heels when at home.

Emma added: 'I had been very anti-wedding as I didn't want to stress about what was a very happy experience but trying on dresses was so much fun.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

A Day Out - Reality

 

Life is not always a Party...

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Your Time

Steve Jobs

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”




Tuesday, February 11, 2025

“They look so feminine now”.

Some crazy threshold was breeched last week. OK, like 77 was not enough? I have been getting minor cosmetic procedures over the last few years, always with the caveat, “not too much”.  The neck lift was major about 7 years ago. However, only enhancing my overall look; neither masculine nor feminine.

My lips, even as male, have been severely lacking in definition. Even to the point that girlfriends would comment that, “you don’t have lips”. As my feminine self, I would always line my lips outside the natural contour and then fill in to add definition.

Several years ago, a cosmetic procedure physician suggested fillers. I was hesitant because I had seen this procedure used to the extreme with lips, so exaggerated, arriving way too soon when seeing someone for the first time.  Finally, I did give in with explicit instructions “not too much”.

My results were always as I had instructed. The good news / bad news to this procedure is that there is limited visual duration. I have seen personally three to six months, always with some residual benefits remaining up to a year.

My first experience was with a very competent physician's Assistant, Lori, at a cosmetic surgeon’s office. I was super pleased and after a few days of initial swelling, "I had lips”. A slight but subtle difference. I lost her, in that she moved to another physician’s office. Just this past week we reconnected, and she had a lunchtime opening.  A birthday offering to myself was in the making.

This time I provided minimal instruction. My presentation was totally feminine, having just left a software client’s office, and with my long hair, I provided no precautionary “not too much” guidance. I trusted Lori to not go for the over-the-top look. From my previous experience and her expert professional manner, I knew I was literally in good hands.

We agreed on one syringe of a tried-and-true cosmetic filler. The numbing process took a few minutes and the whole procedure took about 30 minutes.  

After, her announcement to me and the assistant helping with the procedure, “They look so feminine now”.  

OMG - What have I done?  

A few years back that would have struck total fear in me. A deep breath followed, and I thought “I am Ok with this”.  The results are gorgeous, and the swelling from the invasive nature of the injections will subside in a few more days. I already have a natural, and yes, feminine look.  

Maybe I have come-a-long-way in my own self-acceptance. Today I want to project the confidence befitting that person I am.   Thank you Lori!




Lori





Monday, February 10, 2025

The country is worried about the wrong 1%

Laverne Cox is no stranger to being marginalized, but has found an interesting way to frame it.

.

CNN: While promoting her new series “Clean Slate” costarring comedian George Wallace, Cox discussed the importance of remaining visible as a trans performer, and telling trans stories. In the show, she plays the estranged child of an older man who returns home as his daughter for the first time.

“In terms of the trans aspect of it, we’re experiencing the most intense backlash against trans visibility that I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Cox said, in reference to new legislation against trans rights, following several similar laws in the past few years.

“You know, the Republican Party spent $215 million on anti-trans ads in this last election, and if you watched, you would think the last election was about trans people and immigrants,” she added.

“Executive orders limiting our rights, 26 states banned gender affirming care for young people, banning us from the military, from bathrooms… there’s this whole anti-trans thing, and we’re less than 1% of the population,” Cox said. “Someone in my comment section said, ‘They’re worried about the wrong 1%.’”



According to CNN reporting, a 2021 study found that 1.2 million Americans – out of a total population of around 337 million people in the country – identified as non-binary. The other “1%” Cox was referring to is often referred to as the “top 1%,” namely the richest sliver of the population.

Regardless of the situation, Cox continued to focus on the positives and what she hopes her show can accomplish.

“In 2025, as federal bans come down attacking trans people, what I love about this show and what I love about being an artist is that artists can be arbiters of empathy,” she observed, adding that empathy “can foster humanity.”

“Trans people have been so deeply dehumanized over the past several years. Art,” she said, in reference to her new show, “getting to know trans people as people, is a way to rehumanize.”

She also touched on the comedy in her new show, which was developed with the late Norman Lear and counts him as an executive producer, and how comedy can often serve as the best weapon in the face of adversity.

“Laughter, because it’s so catastrophic, it’s ridiculous, and sometimes you have to laugh and we must laugh. And that is what Norman Lear always put first, is the laughter,” the “Orange is the New Black” star said. “I hope that – not just for trans people, but for everybody – (‘Clean Slate’) fosters more empathy, more love, more humanizing.”

“Clean Slate” premieres Thursday on Prime Video.

Friday, February 7, 2025

I Spent 32 Years Believing I Was Male.

 A Shocking Phone Call Exploded Everything I Knew.


By J. Ben Morton
Feb 6, 2025



My Note: This is an absolutely fascinating story of one person's discovery.  It plays into current politics surrounding sex and gender. It explores Ben's feeling and the science of sex.  It highlights the fallacy of the binary.  I am going to leave it you to read Ben's story and quote only his outcome.

The beginning: The day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, I opened my phone to a news update saying the president had signed an executive order mandating that the government acknowledge only two sexes: male and female.

It felt like someone had walked up behind me and walloped me over the head with a phone book. I was angered by the basic misinformation and willful ignorance that this declaration promotes about an individual’s sex.

...

An executive order effectively declaring the nonexistence of intersex and trans individuals will never make us cease to exist. It just puts our lives at risk. At a time in our country when leaders aim to censor human stories from the national narrative, it’s essential that we share our truths.


Thursday, February 6, 2025

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Musical Interlude - I Want To Break Free

 

Wikipedia: The song was written in 1983 by John Deacon and released in April 1984. [Over 40 years ago]

The song is largely known for its music video for which all the band members dressed in drag, a concept proposed by drummer Roger Taylor, which parodied the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The second part of the video included a composition rehearsed and performed with the Royal Ballet and choreographed by Wayne Eagling. Whereas the parody was acclaimed in the United Kingdom, where cross-dressing is a popular trope in British comedy, it caused controversy in the United States.



Tuesday, February 4, 2025

I love a Success Story - JayR Tinaco

 

Who Is Jayr Tinaco? Boy, Girl or Transgender?

JayR Tinaco


Wikipedia: 

Career

Tinaco started a career working in the hospitality industry in Sydney. In 2009, he won his first television role performing a trapped student in two episodes of the Australian series Home and Away. Between 2012 and 2015, Tinaco appeared in short films such as Simone Pietro Felice's The Life Again, Samuel Leighton-Dore's Showboy (in which he portrays a drag queen), and The Wake by Leigh Joel Scott. In 2016, he appeared in two episodes of the Australian series Rake.

Tinaco moved to Canada to pursue his acting dreams back in early 2017. In September 2018, Tinaco joined Katee Sackhoff, Tyler Hoechlin, Justin Chatwin, Samuel Anderson and Elizabeth Ludlow in the American series Another Life, broadcast on Netflix. Tinaco played Zayn Petrossian, the non-binary military doctor aboard the spaceship Salvare. It ran for two seasons from 2019 to 2021.[6] The same year, Tinaco appeared as the restaurant's host in the Netflix film Always Be My Maybe.

Tinaco also appears as Dr. Xyler in the second season of the Netflix series Space Force, which was released in February 2022.



Personal life

Tinaco is non-binary. Regarding his pronouns, he says, 

"I still identify with the pro-nouns He/His/Him in my personal life, but I have friends that call me 'They' or even 'she' and I'm okay with that."

Monday, February 3, 2025

Hate Gone Awry - Misinformation

Hear from the trans National Guard pilot falsely accused of flying the helicopter's fatal collision 

The New York Times: 

President Trump’s remarks, suggesting that diversity in hiring and other Biden administration policies somehow caused the disaster, reflected his instinct to immediately frame major events through his political or ideological lens.



Jo Ellis, who is a transgender pilot for the National Guard speaks to CNN's Michael Smerconish after a wave of claims on social media falsely pointed to her as the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet in Washington, Wednesday, killing 67 people.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Friday, January 31, 2025

The American Oligarchy - Pay-to-Play

 At Trump’s inauguration, reports of a pay-to-pray


According to the report, if a donor gives $1 million or raises $2 million, they’ll earn six tickets to the suite of inauguration events.


Apart for the money he pockets from the inauguration*, Donald Trump announced a crypto token that allows people to “transfer money to the president’s family in connection with his office,” raising widespread concern among legal ethics experts.

New York Times: “The move by Mr. Trump and his family was immediately condemned by ethics lawyers who said they could not recall a more explicit profiteering effort by an incoming president.

Adav Noti, executive director of Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit ethics group:
It is literally cashing in on the presidency — creating a financial instrument so people can transfer money to the president’s family in connection with his office. It is beyond unprecedented.”


*The exorbitant price of inaugurations — and the fact that inaugural committees can accept unlimited contributions as well as corporate money — make them an ideal way for wealthy special interests to buy political access and influence, ultimately drowning out the voices of everyday Americans.  

Moreover, inaugural fund donations are a sure bet; donors know their money is going to the person who will be sitting in the Oval Office.








Thursday, January 30, 2025

A Letter To Parents Whose Children Stare At Me In Public

Dear Parents of America or Anywhere Else: As a gender-nonconforming person, I get a lot of attention — both wanted and unwanted — anytime I walk around in public.



Jacob Tobia

Dear Parents of America or Anywhere Else: As a gender-nonconforming person, I get a lot of attention — both wanted and unwanted — anytime I walk around in public.

t ranges from people laughing at me, verbally assaulting me, or taking my picture without my consent, to people stopping me mid-strut to exclaim “Oh my god, I love your outfit,” or inquiring “WHERE is that lipstick from?!?”

But one type of attention stands out above the rest: the attention of confused children. I first started noticing it when I moved to New York City at the age of 22.

Children would see me on the subway sporting my beard and lipstick and wouldn’t quite know how to react. They’d wear their confusion, marvel, or pleasant surprise at my gender expression blatantly on their sleeves. Children are anything but subtle about their interest when it is piqued.

I was reminded of this attention again the other weekend, when I traveled from Los Angeles to Florida for a queer conference at the Orlando Hilton resort.

Half of the hotel was filled with queers trying to learn how to better serve trans youth; the other half was filled with nuclear families who’d come to Orlando to meet Minnie and Elsa and Goofy at Disney World. It made for an interesting combination.

After my keynote speech, sporting a bold purple lip, swim trunks, and a bathrobe, I made my way to the hotel’s lazy river. That’s when I noticed the familiar eyes following me; the kids were back at it, blatantly staring at me to their heart’s content.

They’d never seen someone like me back home in Michigan or Spokane or Wichita. Some kids gawked quietly, others startled in fright, still others giggled in a curious, empathetic way.

But the most common reaction was that your children, upon noticing my gender expression, turned to you and exclaimed something like, “Mommy, that boy is wearing lipstick!” or “Look, Dad! Look at what he’s wearing!”

After your kids called your attention to my gender expression, you all did pretty much the same thing. You looked my way, made eye contact with me, became swiftly embarrassed yourselves, and told your kids that “It’s not nice to talk about strangers.”

Your kids, upon seeing your embarrassment at the situation, turned away, became embarrassed *themselves*, and, after a few minutes’ recovery from the shame of it all, resumed splashing around in the pool. This interaction played out dozens of times over the course of my weekend in Orlando.

Read More...

So, parents, while it may be rude to talk about strangers, I’m gonna go ahead and give your kids a pass. I am fine with your children talking about me in public, as long as you’re willing to talk about me in public too.

The next time you see me standing on the subway in a pair of heels or strutting poolside in a purple lip and your child says something about it, I give you full permission to use me as a teaching opportunity.


Just be cool, alright? Is that really so much to ask?




Wednesday, January 29, 2025

I Love A success Story - Teddy Geiger (revisit)

She Prepares to Embrace ‘the Truest Version’ of Herself


By Stephen Daw
8/1/2023


The singer-songwriter talks about her upcoming solo LP, her new single "Never Enough," and discovering her artistic identity.


Teddy Geiger 

Back in 2019, a little over a year into her transition, singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger decided to spend three months in Madrid reconnecting with herself. Visiting friends and family, Geiger wanted an escape from her life in Los Angeles and a chance to reflect on all the change the last year of her life had brought.

It didn’t take long for that period of reflection to fuel Geiger’s inspiration, leading to a series of songwriting sessions while on vacation. “I had a little makeshift setup at the kitchen table for recording with a guitar and a bandurria,” Geiger tells Billboard. “I was stepping into being seen as female in the world, and this allowed me to take the time to express that.”

The result of that three-month Spanish sojourn is Teresa, Geiger’s upcoming sophomore LP under her solo moniker teddy<3. Due out November 1 via STEM, the new album outlines the singer-songwriter’s journey towards understanding herself and her place in the world.



A clear-cut example of the existentialist songwriting Geiger explores throughout Teresa is “Never Enough,” the project’s second single debuting exclusively on Billboard. Over a relentless guitar line that slowly devolves into a hypnotic pop beat, Geiger’s faded voice ponders at what point she’ll finally reach satisfaction with what she has.

...

Despite the difficulty, Geiger says she is immensely proud of the work she put in on Teresa. For the first time in a long time, she says she finally feels like she has a grasp on her identity as well as her career as an artist. “It’s been really nice to focus on what it feels like, what it sounds like and what it looks like for me as an artist at this point,” she says. “It took some time, but I’m now feeling really focused on myself and my artistry.”


Read Also People: Teddy Geiger Engaged to Emily Hampshire Two Months After Revealing Relationship


This is Geiger's first public relationship since transitioning. The musician — who has written hits for Shawn Mendes and One Direction — was first discovered on VH1's 2004 reality competition In Search of the Partridge Family.

In October 2017, the star came out as transgender, revealing she had begun transitioning earlier that fall. After a fan inquired about why Geiger looked different recently, the songwriter responded, "Okay… because u asked nicely… I am transitioning."



Monday, January 27, 2025

Are You OK With This? Anyone?


Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack

January 6

From the DOJ Site: 

Based on the public court documents, below is a snapshot of the investigation as of the close of business on August 5, 2024.  Complete versions of most of the public court documents used to compile these statistics are available on the Capitol Breach Investigation Resource Page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases.

Arrests made: 

More than 1,488 defendants have been charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (This includes those charged in both District and Superior Court).

Police Officers and Civilians Died:

Within 36 hours of [the riot], five people died: one was shot by the Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes, including a police officer who died of natural causes a day after being assaulted by rioters. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers.

Criminal charges:

  •        Approximately 547 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including approximately 163 individuals who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

  •        Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted on Jan. 6 at the Capitol, including about 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.

  •        Approximately 11 individuals have been arrested on a series of charges that relate to assaulting a member of the media, or destroying their equipment, on Jan. 6

  •        Approximately 1,417 defendants have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. Of those, 171 defendants have been charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.

  •       Approximately 87 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and approximately 66 defendants have been charged with theft of government property.

  •        There were roughly 259 defendants who were charged with corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding, or attempting to do so when the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Fischer v. United States, 23-5572, which narrowed the conduct that could violate the statute at issue, before remanding to the D.C. Circuit for further proceedings.  


Of these 259 defendants, approximately 133 have been sentenced.

  •     76 of the 133 were convicted of this offense and other felonies.

  •     Roughly 40 of the 133 have been convicted of this charge and no other felony and received sentences of probation, completed their sentence, or have been released from incarceration pending the outcome of Fischer.

  •      Approximately 17 of the 133 have been convicted of this charge and no other felony and are currently serving a sentence of incarceration.

  •      Nearly all the remaining 126 defendants are on pretrial release while they are awaiting sentencing or pending trial.  The limited number who are detained are generally charged with other felonies; serving sentences in other criminal matters; or have failed to comply with the terms of their pre-trial release.
Damage:
  •     According to the Architect of the U.S. Capitol, only a small fraction of the roughly $3 million in damage was ever repaid.


Sunday, January 26, 2025

Political Cartoons 1-26-2024

 





Now we know why Trump did not put his hand on the Bible.







Saturday, January 25, 2025

Friday, January 24, 2025

I Love A Success Story - Karla Sofía Gascón

 ‘Emilia Pérez’s Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes The First Openly Trans Person Ever Nominated For An Acting Oscar



Karla Sofía Gascón 
Antonia Blyth
Senior Awards Editor


1/23/2023

Show more sharing options
Karla Sofía Gascón
Andrew Zaeh for Deadline
Karla Sofía Gascón has officially made Oscar history. On Thursday morning she became the first openly trans person ever to be nominated in an acting category.

Gascón is recognized in the Best Actress category for her leading role in Jacques Audiard’s musical Netflix film, Emilia Pérez, and this Academy acknowledgement comes on the heels of recent Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations for Gascón’s performance.

In Emilia Pérez, Gascón stars as a cartel leader who turns to Mexico City lawyer Rita (Zoë Saldaña), to help her live as her authentic self. Selena Gomez stars as Emilia’s wife Jessi and Adriana Paz as Emilia’s girlfriend Epifanía. Gascón first made awards history with the role at Cannes when all four actresses shared the Best Actress award, with Gascón being the first openly trans actress ever to win the prize.


Karla Sofía Gascón for Vogue Mexico's
November 2024 issue

In October, Gascón discussed her feelings around representation with Deadline, saying, “I represent, obviously, the minority that I represent. But I think that I represent a lot of people in this world that want, or need, to be free. I’m talking about my colleagues, other actors that are coming up, that started from the bottom and have been working for a long time and have felt that rejection and continue to work and continue to learn and continue to grow. I think that’s maybe one of the very important groups of people that I represent. And I hope that I represent hope for my colleagues.”


While Gascón will, this year, be the first out trans person to be Oscar-nominated in an acting category, Elliott Page was nominated for Juno in 2008 before coming out as trans, and the first openly trans person ever to be Oscar-nominated was composer Angela Morley, for The Little Prince in 1975 and then again for The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella in 1978.

It would take another 40 years for another openly trans person to be nominated. British musician Anohni was nominated in Best Original Song for “Manta Ray” from the documentary Racing Extinction in 2016. Then, in 2018, Yance Ford, who made the documentary Strong Island, became the first out trans director to be nominated. That same year, A Fantastic Woman, starring Chilean trans actress Daniela Vega, won the Best Foreign Language Film category.


Thursday, January 23, 2025

Tales From The Lingerie Shop - Holiday Season '24

I still work part-time at my Mall's Soma Intimates Shop. About three years now and enjoy every opportunity. 

Sometimes, checking customers out. Helping customers finding the right bra type (wired / no wire; bralette or full coverage; strapless or sports. Plus helping customers find their favorite panty. 

I am one of the senior / experienced associates and know most of the procedures from opening to closing. My schedule varies, in that I am the fill-in person when someone is sick or not able to make their assigned shift. Otherwise I work, at most, two-or-three days (4 hours shifts) per week.  Just enough. 

Our team is super and we have fun. The work is hard, on-your-feet always, moving, helping customers and keeping the floor stocked. Black Friday was a all-hands-on-deck day with our daily revenue for that day 6 to 8 times a normal day. Nothing says "holiday spirit" better than working retail with everyone in a festive / giving mood. This year we seemed to be busier and there were a few extra shifts. 

During the holiday times with every sale you ask, "Do you need a gift receipt?"  Most do. Bras are the exception with most shopping for themselves and as we get closer to the holiday, most male shopper are buying gift cards.  

My most interesting customer this season was in mid December, a couple male/female, middle age. I was on the register and noticed some fairly intense shopping. I was hoping when they were ready, my register would be the one to check them out.  The purchase was a very feminine night shirt with a matching PJ bottom. The couple was standing together, ready to pay, when I ask my obligatory, "Do you need a gift receipt?"

With a huge smile the male shopper proudly answered, "No; they are for me".  Maybe he was just kidding, however, the size chosen obviously was more appropriate for him. My comment back, "Good for you".

If you have not shopped Soma in a while, please come back.  We are always accepting and are taught that. We do instore fittings, (walk-in or by appointment) and have a wide selection of types / sizes. Online is always available and there are typically weekly specials.   

Maybe see you in my store? I just happen to be working 9:30 to 1:30 today.









The American Oligarchy


This is a term being thrown around a lot and some may not full understand it or wonder what is the problem. Does not the American entrepreneurial system offer all the ability to become rich?  In Joe Biden's presidential farewell address on January 15, 2025, outgoing U.S. President warned that an oligarchy was taking shape in America which threatened democracy, basic rights, and freedom, aided by a tech-industrial complex.  What is an Oligarchy?


Wikipedia: Oligarchy  is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, religious, political, or military control.


Key points about the growth of billionaires:

Significant increase: The number of billionaires has more than doubled in the past decade. 

Key points about the shrinkage of the Middle class:

According to most data, the American middle class has not grown in the last decade; instead, it has been shrinking, with the share of Americans considered middle class declining significantly compared to previous decades. To be more specific, according to Pew Research Center, the share of adults in middle-income households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021. 

It is all about influence and the new "The American Oligarchy's" ability to influence elections, policy and rig the system to their benefit.  

Trump has tapped an unprecedented 13 billionaires for his administration.

Even discounting Musk ($439 billion), Trump's cabinet is still expected to be the wealthiest in history, with reported billionaires Howard Lutnick nominated as commerce secretary, Linda McMahon nominated as education secretary, and Scott Bessent nominated as treasury secretary. Together, Trump's expected cabinet is worth at least $7 billion.

Trump like to compare himself to Andrew Jackson, who led the nation from 1829 to 1837, was self-made, the first “common man” to be elected to the presidency; he was referred to as the “people’s president.”

Who You Surround Yourself With Determines Who You Are As A Person.



 

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

“Biological sex” has no agreed upon meaning.


There is scientific evidence to counter Trump's Executive Order.

First, according to Trump's Executive Order:

Sec. 2.  Policy and Definitions.  It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.  These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.  Under my direction, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality, and the following definitions shall govern all Executive interpretation of and application of Federal law and administration policy:

(d)  “Female” means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell.

(e)  “Male” means a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.

Presented next is a well thought out discussion on Quora by Jae Alexis Lee. The discussion counters how "Sex shall refer to an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female" as stated in (Sec. 2-a) of Trump's executive order. The assumption is incorrect; read on. 

___________________

Quora:  Biological sex” has no agreed upon meaning.

Intersex Symbol


This is a problem with the vocabulary and taxonomy advanced by anti-science bigots who attempt to distill sex and gender into a binary model. It breaks when you try to talk about things that aren’t binary and you have to go through increasingly complicated mental gymnastics to enable the model to exist. It’s far easier to be precise about what you mean. [

Intersex refers to a large number of uncommon combinations of sexually dimorphic characteristics. [It is established that  1.7 percent of the population are born with intersex traits]. As an example, XX chromosomes are commonly associated with female gonadal development and the development of female primary and secondary sexual characteristics. XX individuals with an SRY gene, however, will develop male secondary sexual characteristics but will also be sterile. If we define sex on the basis of gamete production (the producers of small, fast moving gametes are male and the producers of large, slow moving gametes are female) then an SRY positive XX individual is “biologically neuter.” They don’t produce gametes. [Producing neither large or small reproductive cells].  

If we define their sex on the basis of external genitalia, they are ‘biologically male’ because they tend to have a fully developed penis. If we want to be bigots who think every XX individual is female always and every XY individual is male always than the XX person with an SRY gene is ‘biologically female.’

And that is the problem with the assertion that someone is “biologically male / female.” We don’t have an agreed upon definition for what that means. Is it about karyotype? Gametes? Genitalia? Hormones? Self perceived identity?

Does it matter? [now it does]

This question asks about genitalia but there are a number of intersex conditions that result in ambiguous genitalia. How do you classify those using a binary model?

The world isn’t simple. It’s complex. Culturally, we crave simplicity. We like simple answers. We like definitive taxonomies. We like certainty and we like to be able understand. Sometimes, understanding is hard. It requires nuance, specialized language, research, and education that explores concepts with significant depth. Accepting that we don’t understand something is hard. Accepting that the model we’ve used to understand the world is insufficient to explain a new thing we encountered can be very hard.

Intersex people are intersex. If you want to classify them as male or female or something else, I would suggest that the only classification that matters is how the person identifies. [What a concept] Respect their identity and get on with life. The specifics of their medical details are only relevant to their health care providers and health care providers need to treat the whole person, not just decide if they treat a person as ‘male’ or ‘female.’


_________________


My Note Again:  If you really want to get into the weeds, read the Scientific American article "Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic".



Tuesday, January 21, 2025

We Saw This Coming.... (Updated)

Trump Preparing [Signs] Executive Order To Declare There Are Only 2 ‘Not Changeable’ Sexes

The forthcoming order, which an incoming official detailed to reporters, comes after a yearslong GOP effort to fearmonger about transgender people in the U.S


By 
Nathalie Baptiste
Jan 20, 2025, 12:44 PM EST


My Note: This leave a lot of us in limbo and constrained by ignorance. Gender variation has been accepted and recognized by countries, and cultures worldwide for centuries. Anthropologists have long documented cultures around the world that acknowledge more than two genders. There are examples going back 3,000 years to the Iron Age, and even further back to the Copper Age.

America, by declaration, is now intolerant to facts and reality.  Our visibility is more important than ever. Do not let the bastards win. Specifically, is my passport still valid? 

On day one Trump has done something that will adversely affect our community.  He is not done.

__________


Here is the complete Executive Order: DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (January 20, 2025)

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order that will declare it is official U.S. policy that there are only two sexes, an incoming White House official told reporters Monday.

“It’s a policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female, these are sexes that are not changeable, and they are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the official said about the order, noting that its purpose is “defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.”

During his inaugural speech, Trump referenced the upcoming order saying, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the U.S. government that there are only genders: male and female.”

In practice, this means that the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security will only issue passports and visas with either the male or female indicators, and that the federal government will not provide funds, grants or contracts to any group or individual “promoting gender ideology.”

The new order will also ban taxpayer funds from being used for gender-affirming care. This became a big issue in the 2024 general election, when the Trump campaign spent millions of dollars on anti-trans ads, including one about Kamala Harris supporting the federal government paying for gender-affirming surgeries for incarcerated people. The government pays for the health care of everyone who is in a federal prison.

The attorney general will ensure that this executive order will protect the rights of people who have been asked to use preferred pronouns and believe that’s a violation of their freedom of speech and religion, the official said on the call.

Issuing such an executive order as one of his first official moves is a culmination of years of the right being laser-focused on transgender people in the United States. Through fearmongering about health care for trans people, legislating which bathrooms trans people can use, banning books in classrooms and libraries, and conflating the LGBTQ+ community with sexual abusers, erasing trans people from public life has become one of the biggest priorities for Republicans.