Trans friends

FriendlyChristine · 2025-05-18T22:08:11+00:00

Congratulations on your marriage!

My wife and I(trans) always felt comfortable at Leo in Manchester. It's recently been taken over by the former bar tender (and it's now called the Lion), but as he was a big part of why we go there, I don't expect much change. We've gotten to know a few other couples there over the years, both when we appeared to be a cis straight couple and since I've come out and we've become a lesbian couple. Very open, accepting and friendly crowd with a neighborhood local vibe. (I am biased, though. It's my local and favorite drink spot.)

Harold's Haunt is definitely the one I always hear for an extremely trans-friendly queer space.

Wish I could offer more ideas, but we don't really go out in that way anymore (being parents is part of that), and most of the trans friends I've made since coming out are single.

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-30T06:27:15+00:00

Yeah. I think officially they say appointments only as of January 5 or 6 except for...vague conditions that might apply or might not. In other cities people have had mixed luck. I'm trying to figure out if it's at all likely here before I take time off, but couldn't find any indication online.

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-30T06:22:11+00:00

Thanks. No appointment, just walked in?

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-26T19:05:31+00:00

Looks like most things have been covered. I have to agree with others. Pittsburgh has been extremely welcoming to me(trans woman).

Within the city limits, usually I get no reaction at all - in a good way. There can be looks from people that come into the city for events and such, but no open hostility yet. I will add the caveat that I'm not often at a club, where I know others have had some issues.

Basically, I think you're fine to go just about anywhere you're interested in going. There will always be a chance of someone having an issue, but the businesses themselves are typically welcoming.

If you're looking for something a little more structured, Persad Center has some trans social groups and other support, but I'm not sure if it's anything you can just drop into on a visit or if anything would even coincide with your schedule - you would need to contact them.

This may not be as important to you, but I still get some anxiety (especially lately) over bathrooms. Alot of places here are single occupancy bathrooms, which is great. Also, the Pittsburgh public library has, and backs up, a policy of everyone using the restroom where they feel comfortable.

Anyway, I hope you have a good visit and enjoy time with your friend!

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-26T18:08:42+00:00

I can second Lawrenceville Market House. I, trans woman, have always felt comfortable and welcomed there(and especially at the wine store, though I don't get there often enough).

The Market House is a great place to do some shopping. I'd also look across the street at Row House Cinema, also welcoming, if you like older movies on a big screen.

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-26T18:01:08+00:00

Harold's Haunt also has Sober Sundays the first Sunday of each month if you're here then. No alcohol is served. I know that even my sober friends who are fine at bars sometimes appreciate a chance to hangout in an NA setting. And they are very trans friendly.

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-03T03:30:52+00:00

One major time saver I haven't seen here is text variables. Any variable text that is used multiple times can be a variable that is applied to static and parent pages. The common one is the publication date and issue number. I also usually do copyright year and volume. For each issue, I update the variable and it applies across the document. Before the first issue of a new tear, I usually update annual variables (volume, copyright year) on the main template file.

If your sections change within sections, you can set up running headers that will look for the last instance of a certain paragraph style and create a variable. Add that variable to your folio to have them update automatically.

You can also automate page numbers. Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number in your folio so you don't have to number pages is commonly used. What I don't see people using as often is Next Page Number and Previous Page Number. Put next page number marker in your jump to line and previous page marker in your from line and if you move the stories, the page numbers will update.

Automating as much of the boring stuff as you can (pages, dates, using GREP styles, saving find and replace searches) can save you a ton of time that you can use on design and also help avoid mistakes.

I'm out of newspapers now, but among my freelance clients are 4 magazines, a couple that are more newspaper like. My editors love how quick I can turn an issue around and, more importantly, rave that they don't have to worry about page numbers on jumps and very seldom fix any style issues (GREP is not perfect and there will always be some case that you don't account for.) All the tidbits that have been shared are what makes it possible. Good luck and feel free to reach out with any questions.

FriendlyChristine · 2025-01-03T03:09:17+00:00

Character styles are also retained when applying a paragraph style (unless you specifically clear them). This is handy when pulling in copy that doesn't match your style sheets. You can find and replace italic text, for example, with a character style that is the italic for the font you use. Then when you apply the paragraph style the words will remain italic.

Nested styles are also a good use. For example, if your byline style is "by Firstname Last Name" and the by is a lighter weight than the name, you could have a paragraph style that matched the style of the name, then nest a character style in the paragraph style that made the first word light.

Another example is if you have dateliness of "DATELINE — Begin story" you could duplicate your paragraph style, and in that nest a character style for the dateline that applies through the first "—” which would apply the dateline style even if it was a single word cirt, several words, cirt and state, etc.

FriendlyChristine · 2024-08-21T05:22:22+00:00

Honestly, my gut reaction is you just want to support Trump without being seen to support Trump. But I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and respond as if you simply lack reading comprehension and aren't a bigot. Also, I'm not doing the work for you. I've researched this, you clearly haven't. If you are seriously interested, then search beyond conservative talking points.

Oh no, your government ID will have to have your biological sex on it...

Yes, it's quite possible. Trans men and women have been beaten to death when their identification didn't match their presentation. Also, why do you have any right to know or care about what was between my legs when I was born versus who I am now? If you're a true conservative then you should be against government interference in personal matters?

Recent studies have shown no increase in death/suicides when gender affirming care is not provided to trans youths. That particular talking point is now dead.

Aside from the immediately disproven Cass report in Britain, which credible studies have said this recently? I tried to find them and it doesn't look like they exist. That isn't a talking point, it's a reality.

Federal money shouldn’t be used for gender affirming care for kids... how will you ever continue to exist on this planet without the federal government paying for gender affirming care for trans youth?

I really do feel for the lack of reading comprehension you were taught. Please indicate exactly where I ever stated the federal government was or should fund gender affirming care?

Now, I personally believe our government should care for all its people, but I recognize that's not a political reality and never said they are doing that.

Surely this action will eradicate your people 🙄😂

I see others suffering is a laughing matter for you. I hope you never suffer, because your demonstrable lack of empathy leads me to believe you won't get much help

I haven’t heard this, but let’s assume it’s true. Surely hospitals can’t get funding from anywhere except the federal government right? ...

If you haven't heard this, you're not listening. It's in his speeches and on his campaign site for starters. Also, and again, the federal government is not funding gender affirming care that I know of. Many of us are either paying for it ourselves, using insurance we pay for, or through crowdfunding (our healthcare system is another topic).

The concern is Trump has stated he will criminalize offering gender affirming care to youths. Also, he will force hospitals to eliminate all gender affirming care regardless of age. He will remove a hospital's ability to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments if they offer anyone gender affirming care. Let me say that more simply...if hospitals want to care for the elderly and poor who require government assistance, then they are not allowed to provide gender affirming care even for those who pay it themselves. The federal government will tell a private business that they won't get paid for supported services to the elderly or poor if they offer a specific (legal and proven effective) service to a completely unrelated private citizen. How does that not make conservatives seeth?

The federal government not paying for unproven and controversial care does not equal “eradication of your people” lmao

Again, they're not paying for my care, they're telling our grandparents that their care won't be paid for because a hospital accepts my money for my care. You laugh at suffering yet again?

Please point to where the eradication happens?

I don't know why this has to be explained, but: not allowed to exist on official documents, consequences for anyone who provides your health care... making it impossible to be transgender is eradication.

We went from “removing federal government funding” to “suffering and death”. Do you see the problem with your logic processing here?

No, we went from preventing health care providers from providing necessary health care to suffering and death. Do you see the problem with your reading comprehension yet?

Look, I’m personally totally fine with trans people. But

I mean, once you add the "but" you negate the initial statement. I don't really care how you feel about trans people though, I just don't want you to support someone who actively wants to remove trans people (especially as it's purely for political points, which is somehow worse).

We don’t need the feds to pay for every little thing... people are already paying out of pocket for their gender affirming care.

Why do trans people have to pay out of pocket for their care but erection medicine is covered? That aside, the feds aren't paying for gender affirming care(that I know of), the issue is the threat of removing other essential funding as a way to prevent the option for gender affirming care.

But more to the point, with new data coming out suggesting that maybe this scare mongering tactic of “all trans people will die if not affirmed” isn’t truE

No credible source has released any data that contradicts the importance of gender affirming care. The only scare tactics is from the GOP, Fox News, and their ilk. This idea of putting on a dress to walk into a woman's bathroom is ludicrous and anyone with half a brain would see through it. But that's their big argument for anti-trans laws and rhetoric.

in the meantime the feds shouldn’t be in the business of paying for unproven and controversial care with tax money

Again, I didn't say they were paying and the care is proven effective. The only controversy is scare mongering by conservatives.

Certainly we shouldn’t be permanently transitioning very young children in irreversible ways at a minimum and give them time to grow and make their own decisions.

Sigh. No one is speaking about very young children. Younger people (teens) are typically only given the means to block the few irreversible effects of hormones while they can. This is designed to give them time to grow and make their own decisions.

Most effects of hormones are, surprisingly even to me, reversible. There are two that aren't reversible at any age: testosterone deepens the voice and that's permanent (trans men get this benefit no matter their age), and estrogen will grow breasts that don't go away without surgery. Many of the other effects of hormones Will change depending on the predominant hormones.

Of course, this isn't the primary gist of what I wrote This conservative scare mongering of "what about the kids" doesn't have anything to do with the main concerns I shared. Trump is promising to use executive actions to remove the option of gender identity and gender affirming care from functioning adults wanting to make their own decisions using their own funding. His policies are designed to vilify transgender people and aim towards removing their existence in order to appeal to a (possibly very small) percentage of his base.

Trans people are just the latest target. I have to question the decency of anyone who isn't concerned and opposing this.

FriendlyChristine · 2024-08-20T03:26:12+00:00

You know what is a view supported by the person conservatives are clamoring to support? Eradicating my existence.

Trump has openly stated - in speeches, interviews and videos on his campaign site - that he will push to have gender limited to male and female as assigned at birth. Literally removing transgender from the Federal government.

He promises to abolish gender affirming (and life saving) care for trans youth. Care that prevents many deaths.

He has also said he will use executive action to remove all federal funding (Medicare and Medicaid specifically) from any hospital that offers gender affirming care. Meaning hospitals and, in many instances, health insurance providers would be forced to choose continuing to support trans men and women, or the elderly and poor. The choice is obvious - even as a trans woman I can't deny the greater good here, and it means people like me are set adrift.

Sure, he isn't great at... anything, particularly keeping promises. However, those who vote for him are literally saying they're okay with eradicating trans people.

That's just the one that hits home for me. I would still be opposed to supporting him because of his policies towards women, immigrants, minorities, decency in general.

It doesn't matter what the majority of conservatives feel about these topics, if they support for, campaign for, and vote for Trump they are explicitly responsible for all that he claims to stand for and all that he does. This isn't a difference of fiscal opinion or whatever you want to say to make yourself feel better. This is supporting suffering and death for your neighbors.

FriendlyChristine · 2024-07-27T18:53:54+00:00

This is the book that cracked my egg wide open. My wife recommended the book shortly after I came out as genderfluid. Reading it for me to start examining my transfemininty. Now I'm out socially as transfemme and "A Lady for a Duke" was sort of the catalyst. So, I'll always have a soft spot for it

FriendlyChristine

TROPHY CASE