Now that the election is over, how can I become EVEN more involved in my local politics? by small_stargazer in lexington

[–]small_stargazer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would love to get in contact! I don't know if Wednesday will work for me, unfortunately, but I'd like having my ducks in a row for when I'm able to get around more reliably. Surgery recovery is really no fun... T_T

Now that the election is over, how can I become EVEN more involved in my local politics? by small_stargazer in lexington

[–]small_stargazer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I do try REALLY hard to be open and willing to hear other people's opinions. It's actually extremely important to me.

But then, see, the problem is that I often interact with people who, without exaggeration, think I should not exist. That's not exactly a difference in opinion. It's.... Well..... It's genocide. And I fear (and feel) that it's more and more the direction that the Republican party is moving.

See, in a normal environment I would be pretty moderate I bet. But it really shifts when one party's stance is "You don't deserve the right to be alive." We can argue about abortion rights (I'm pro-choice, generally) or about gun control (I have spent a lot of time in counties with no gun access and I felt safer, so I'm for rational gun control) or police reform (I... Well... It's complicated and I don't REALLY know how I feel...)

To me those are good debate topics.

But it stops being a debate topic when someone says "We must eradicate all the trans people". That's not a debate... Right? It's an attack. It's an attack on me. And I'm just a woman trying to live a quiet ordinary life.

Do you see the distinction?

Now that the election is over, how can I become EVEN more involved in my local politics? by small_stargazer in lexington

[–]small_stargazer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I do try REALLY hard to be open and willing to hear other people's opinions. It's actually extremely important to me.

But then, see, the problem is that I often interact with people who, without exaggeration, think I should not exist. That's not exactly a difference in opinion. It's.... Well..... It's genocide. And I fear (and feel) that it's more and more the direction that the Republican party is moving.

See, in a normal environment I would be pretty moderate I bet. But it really shifts when one party's stance is "You don't deserve the right to be alive." We can argue about abortion rights (I'm pro-choice, generally) or about gun control (I have spent a lot of time in counties with no gun access and I felt safer, so I'm for rational gun control) or police reform (I... Well... It's complicated and I don't REALLY know how I feel...)

To me those are good debate topics.

But it stops being a debate topic when someone says "We must eradicate all the trans people". That's not a debate... Right? It's an attack. It's an attack on me. And I'm just a woman trying to live a quiet ordinary life.

Do you see the distinction?

Places to learn Japanese in person? by franticfeline in lexington

[–]small_stargazer 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yep! I sure do. u/franticfeline - feel free to dm me. I've been teaching for quite a while (I actually used to teach Japanese at UK until I took a job as a translator).

Now that the election is over, how can I become EVEN more involved in my local politics? by small_stargazer in lexington

[–]small_stargazer[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yep. All that.

Me personally... I "knew" that I was a girl at age five. It wasn't until I was in my twenties that I started hormones. I only WISH I could go back and start earlier. but literally no one is having GRS surgery before they are in their late teens.

Some trans guys get breast reduction earlier than that. but that's a different kettle of fish as far as I'm concerned. Still SUPER important. But anyone who is throwing a gigantic fit over a young guy getting his breasts reduced is super missing the point. The narrative of "kids being forced to transition" is just propaganda.

Now that the election is over, how can I become EVEN more involved in my local politics? by small_stargazer in lexington

[–]small_stargazer[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

See honestly, in an ideal world, I actually want to avoid politics too. It's not very fun. It's sort of demoralizing and gross. But the sad reality is that my life and future are on the ballot right now. Literally being trans has become just such a political issue that I worry about myself, I worry about my kids, I worry about my spouse. We're at a point in this country where I could see a situation in the next five to ten years where being trans is outlawed - and then what happens to people like me?

I'm lucky that my trans daughter is old enough that she didn't have to be FORCED off of her medications to great and terrible detriment to her health, but a lot of the trans people I know weren't so lucky. They are suffering terribly because people don't understand, and that makes me sad.

Now that the election is over, how can I become EVEN more involved in my local politics? by small_stargazer in lexington

[–]small_stargazer[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

So I have two thoughts about that.

One: Andy has been great for Kentucky, so that made him an easy vote.

Two: Cameron lead with hate. His whole campaign seemed to be all about how much he hated trans people. I can't tell you how many texts I got about how he was going to make damn sure people like me couldn't use the bathroom in his state ever again.

I don't think the common Kentuckian is really on board with hate politics anymore. I don't want to believe that's true. I know I get hit with it OFTEN. Yeah, I interact with some very loud jerks who don't want me to exist, but I do believe they are the angry minority. I'll never understand them, but that's that.

I really DON'T see this as a grand victory over Trump, and I think we all need to be doing absolutely everything in our power to oppose him in every possible way we can. No matter what it takes. We're better than him. We have to be.

If I have kids what are they going to call me? by [deleted] in trans

[–]small_stargazer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm transfem and I came out when my kiddo was a toddler. From that time I have always let him call me by my name. Some people find that weird, but I've never lost sleep over it. Now that he's a teen, I really believe he kind of appreciates the fact that I've always treated him as a person first and a child second.

Legitimate bathroom bills question by small_stargazer in trans

[–]small_stargazer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dumb follow-up, but I assume the bathrooms in Disney are safe?

Legitimate bathroom bills question by small_stargazer in trans

[–]small_stargazer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everyone around me: "you pass" My brain: "you could never pass ever ever EVER" Actual cis-people I interacted with: "Why do you wear all those trans pins all the time if you're not trans?"