Turing-testified - Guy Who Commits Crimes - Tumblr Blog

NONBINARY BLACK ARTIST INSULIN EMERGENCY

my health insurance recently lapsed i'm in the process of finding insurance that will cover all my supplies as well as medication in order for me to live. as most of you know insulin is very expensive and currently, i am UNABLE able to pay for my supplies nor my insulin. it doesn't help that i'm barely scraping by to pay rent.. i'm type 1 so am reaching out to y'all in desperation because i don't know where else to go.

goal will cover the out of pocket costs for my pump, insulin, and blood sugar readers. thank you so much ko-fi.com/asilvainarts paypal.me/samwarrens $asilvainarts

Adobe is going to spy on your projects. This is insane.

How to come out to a supportive family member as trans? I’m having worries and stuff but I wanna tell them and aaaa

i don't know i never had a coming out, my family read about me being trans on the news

reblog if you dont have a bra on

You know what’s some crazy $hit?

This fabulous bitch

She makes a shit ton of poses (like 16,000 or some crazy nonsense).  I used this lovely lady to draw so much as a teen.  Whether it was some nerdy pose for my Mary Sue as fuck OCs

or for full on fight sequences

or for tragic deaths of my OCs in the arms of a totally OOC main protagonist.  

this bitch hooked me up.  

And with the wildest, craziest stuff that you could see in your head but had no way or resources to reasonably draw like

or this

or this

DUDE!  INASNE SHIT!!  So I was using her for a pose reference and decided, you know what, I owe this bitch some cash.  Lemme dole it out for her.  BUT then, I looked and saw she only has 286 fucking patrons!!  This chick gives out free shit and spends countless hours arranging these shoots and setting this stuff up.  

I’ll fork up the cash, SenshiStock.  You’re worth it.  

Check out this amazing woman’s stuff, and get knowledged:  https://www.deviantart.com/senshistock

"um, how can you be trans if you didn't realize til you were X years old?" well you see, society tells us constantly and from a young age that 1. only OTHER people are trans, 2. they know for sure, so if you're wondering then you're not, and 3. you can't, and shouldn't, be trans unless & until you've exhausted every other option. so we think it can't be us, and then try everything else that we think could possibly make the feeling stop, and only in the dust of all that futile effort do we start asking the real questions. is that good enough for you?

garfield PSA

Heya there queer dad, not in need of queer dad support, just wanted to tell you you're really inspiring, providing a valuable service to a community that all too often gets hurt by those that raised them. I really think you're doing good in the world, make sure YOU drink some water and take your meds, I'll be cheers-ing my next glass of water to ya.

Hey kiddo! Thank you so much for your sweet message!! 🥛 Cheers!

- dad x

MANIFEST

MANIFEST

⭐️ EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR A DISABLED TRANS COMMUNITY MEMBER ⭐️

My Friend/Partner needs to get a phone plan (currently he does not have one!!!!) so he can reach Medicaid services because they said he isn’t eligible to renew (which is not correct!!! If you know about services you know they have to reach you by phone. The alternative is sending you forms in the mail for you to send back, which they did not do!!). He really needs to keep his health insurance and also EBT (food stamps). He needs to have phone service!!!! There’s also some house things like cat food, soap, stamps for mail, and toilet paper that are not covered by EBT that he needs.~~~~~~~~

I’m trying to raise at least an immediate $100 ASAP

His venm0 is @mordyshakes

(profile pic is of Dark Kermit)

or private message me for my p@ypal

For both please make sure it is for Friends and Family

🐲 PLEASE SHARE THANK YOU BLESS 🐲

[very clearly enamored AND elated] He fucking bit me.

hey actually? i love being a man. i love my body hair and my deep voice and i hate the patriarchy but i will always take the chance to help my girl friends if I ever can. I love making silly boy poses and i love my facial hair and fantasizing about geting muscles and being a strong male role model.

i love being a good boy. i love being a good boyfriend. it can be hard sometimes to be a trans man, but it is so so so worth it to take the steps that improve your life tenfold. i love you, random transmasc. your life has value

About Gaza Funds

uhhhhh both

The trans man's guide to singing (on T and other things)

Introduction:

First things first: I am a trans man on HRT who's studying to become a professional singer (not opera lmao, I'm studying modern singing) and all the information I'm providing comes from my personal experience and what my current teacher, who's been teaching me since I started T, taught and told me during my voice change. This is directed towards people who want to go professional because, again, that's my personal experience, but if you're reading this because you like singing as just a hobby, most of what I'll be talking about applies to you too. I might overexplain things because I want this whole thing to be understandable to everyone, including people who barely know what vocal cords and the diaphragm are; on the same note, I hope I don't end up sounding condescending and if I do, just know that's not my intention at all. I won't be saying anything about pre-T voice training because I never did that and giving the wrong advice when it comes to these things can lead to serious damage to people's vocal cords and throats, so this is strictly a singing through and after a voice change post.

The Basics:

The first thing you have to do is talk to your teacher and explicitly tell them everything about your situation (this applies to anyone, cis or trans: you've worn a back brace during your whole childhood? Tell them. You've had any kind of surgery on your nose? Tell them, and so on; they'll probably ask anyway). I know it can be hard and even scary when you're trans, but if you don't do it you won't achieve your goals; I remember going to another teacher when I was a semi-closeted teenager without disclosing I wanted to work more on my lower register and it made my dysphoria so much worse that I just quit after a few months and didn't try taking singing lessons again for years. And being straightforward helps with both finding a good teacher and finding a safe and positive environment by avoiding bigots (sad, but true). Being honest with your teacher is also crucial because when it comes to singing, it's very important to find positions that feel comfortable and don't physically hurt your throat and vocal cords (or any other body part that's involved in singing) in order to not train your muscle memory on movements that are detrimental for your body, and while no one can find them for you, you need to tell your teacher when something your muscles are doing hurts or feels uncomfortable. Singing is almost like doing sports as the vocal cords are muscles that can and do get hurt, and adopting the wrong positions can result in a less than ideal performance at best and in injury at worst. I can't really help with this though, because I can't tell someone else how to move their own body and how to flex their own muscles and I am not a teacher, I can just tell you to take it slow and that when something's right you'll feel it and when something's wrong you'll also feel it. And remember that something not working for you doesn't make you a failed singer or anything like that, it just means you haven't found what works for you yet.

Singing while wearing a binder:

I wanted to start with this first because I think it's very important. Back in the day I've read posts on the Internet saying you should not sing while wearing a binder and while I do get where those posts are coming from, not everyone can afford to not wear one, myself included (before getting my top surgery last year). At first I tried going to my singing lessons with a sports bra under a loose flannel shirt (that kind of pattern, along with checkered patterns, helps hiding curves) but honestly it sucked as I felt too dysphoric, so I had to come up with a solution. At the time I happened to have an older, more stretched out looser binder that I decided to relegate to the role of singing binder because it didn't do its job properly anymore as an every day binder, but if worn with looser shirts in warm weather and layers in cold weather, it was perfect for singing. It still hid my chest fairly well and wasn't as constrictive as a newer and tighter binder would have been. One important thing to keep in mind is that while wearing a binder your ribcage doesn't have as much freedom as it would have without one and while that does suck, don't beat yourself up if you notice that it's difficult to do some things. I've sung while wearing a binder for most of my life and you can make it work, it just takes time and patience. If you can/want to, you can just not wear anything underneath your shirt to sing, but personally I tried doing that like once and felt awful. And if you wear tape, I guess that would be the best option; I never figured out how to wear it so I have no experience with it, I watched video tutorials and stuff but for me it never worked and I still don't know what I did wrong, but if you do wear it, try going with that.

Singing after top surgery:

I'm sorry for what I'm about to say, but after top surgery you'll have to forget how you sang while wearing a binder and start learning (almost) all over again because it's a whole 'nother story: your posture will be better and your ribcage will be more free, making you able to hold notes for longer and breathe in more air, which means you'll have to do some adjustments. First things first, you'll have to wait at least a month after your surgery to sing again (that's what my surgeon told me but you should still talk to yours, even though I'd say that as long as you'll have to wear the post surgery tight thing I forgot the name of you should avoid singing) and you'll have to take things slow. I got my surgery in August 2023 and I'm still (re)learning stuff, so be patient because it's worth it, my ribcage feels so much better now and my posture has improved, making singing overall better and easier. The most important rule when it comes to singing is listen to your body. If something feels weird or wrong, stop, figure out (with your teacher if you're taking lessons) why it feels like that and try to fix it (again, with your teacher); don't push yourself too far/too hard, otherwise you could get hurt. This applies to singing with a binder, singing after surgery, and just singing in general. Trans, cis, doesn't matter: listen to your body. I can't say anything more about this because everyone's different so I don't think I should be giving tips as what works for me might not work for you, you have to figure it out yourself. Having a teacher helps and there are some things that are pretty much universal, but their body is not your body and there are multiple ways to do the same thing based on each individual's preferences, needs, and bodies.

Can I/should I take singing lessons while my voice is still changing?

Yes, it's actually recommended! I've already said it here, but a couple months before going on HRT I found out through another trans man singer's website that taking singing lesson during your voice change helps a lot, both with your technique and with your voice is general. For your technique, it's beneficial because otherwise you'd end up with a completely different and untrained voice all of a sudden, making it harder to get back into singing and harder to find new positions that work for you, and for your voice in general, it just make the change easier. I have recordings of me singing and talking that I made each month as my voice change progressed and while my singing voice was a mess, some months literally changing every week (not necessarily going lower and lower each time, one week I'd be a baritone and the week later I'd be a tenor for some reason, then back to baritone and so on), my speaking voice rarely cracked. No idea if it's related to me taking singing lessons since the beginning but I'm saying this regardless just in case. For reference, I started T on August 4, 2021 (on this exact same day three years ago!) and started taking singing lessons the following month, so I've basically trained my voice during its entire journey.

Oh no, my voice change is a mess!

Worry not! It's totally normal and there will be lots of adjusting to do and what works for one week or one month or any other period of time probably won't work anymore as your voice keeps changing (especially when trying to switch from your regular voice to your falsetto, as your muscle memory was trained to switch at/on a different range), that's frustrating but, again, normal so don't panic if a position you adopted for a few weeks suddenly doesn't work anymore and you'll end up sounding like a hairdryer with no sound coming out of your mouth. Actually, sometimes what my teacher and I call the hairdryer effect isn't even a matter of positions, sometimes during your voice change you just won't have some specific notes and your voice will break instead but again don't panic, the notes will come eventually. While my voice did drop pretty fast, it took me around two years to finally get a full range (in my case the missing notes were exactly in between my regular register and my falsetto register, making switching between the two a pain; I think it's actually how it is for everyone in general but I'm not sure as I am just me y'know). Also my teacher told me most guys' voices will drop very low for a while and then stabilize themselves on a higher speaking range and while it kinda didn't happen to me according to her due to me being a bass-baritone and my voice stabilizing itself on a much lower speaking range, that's the average experience. Anyway don't worry, your lower notes aren't gone, you still have them but you'll have to work a little more than you used to to hit them.

Figuring out your range and type:

I'll have to tell you about voice types, ranges and classifications first. There are many different voice type classification systems, none of which universally applied (music is messy), so I'll go with the basic operatic six types one that I grew up with and that most people use. From highest to lowest: soprano, mezzosoprano (also known as just mezzo), contralto, tenor, baritone, bass. Those are the main groups, but there are subcategories as well, such as countertenor (sometimes considered a main group for some reason, no shade though) and bass-baritone (my voice type! 👋). If your voice's done changing or if you are pre-T, figuring out your range and type will be quite easy but if your voice is still changing, don't worry about it, you'll just have to check what it's up to from time to time until it'll be done and it'll settle on its final range and type (me and my deep ass voice had to go through almost the entire male range spectrum in like a year and a half so I'm speaking from experience here). An important thing to know is that pitch isn't everything as there are many other characteristics that together define and categorize a person's voice, and that voice range and voice type are two separate things as well; your vocal range doesn't define your voice type on its own because voice types are more about where you feel more comfortable singing rather than what notes you can hit (which is what defines the range of one's voice). To have an idea of what you'll probably sound like after your voice's done changing, you have to see what you sound like pre-T. The length of the vocal cords plays a huge role in this: the longer the vocal cords are, deeper the voice is; testosterone puberty results in elongated vocal cords, so if you've always had longer vocal cords like in my case, your voice will be on the lower end of the spectrum. As I just said, I had a pretty low voice pre-T, as I was a contralto as a preteen (I sang in a choir from age nine to twelve, started as a mezzo but then my voice started dropping around eleven years old), and therefore have a pretty low voice now, as I am a bass-baritone (a subtype of both the baritone and the bass types; the term refers to a lower baritone or a higher bass that can sing both and I am a lower baritone but usually sing bass because it's more physically comfortable for me), because I have long vocal cords and that's it; and while there aren't many studies about the exact role of genetics in the developing of the human voice, I sound eerily similar to my father so here's that.

Don't think that starting T sooner would have given you a deeper voice because I started it at twenty and while I acknowledge that's still fairly young, my first puberty was (sadly) already done and yet my voice is deeper than most cis men's (both statistically and anecdotally speaking). You can start whenever and it won't impact how your voice turns out. And if you're thinking about starting to smoke to make your voice lower: don't. I'm a former smoker myself and while I don't make a fuss about people smoking because I'm European, it's just counterproductive from a logical standpoint. Though one thing about singers is that, just like doctors, we smoke; when you meet a singer there's a high chance they're a smoker and if they aren't there's a high chance they used to be, no idea why. Anyway, don't smoke because it's not worth ruining your voice and lung capacity over and it's also not recommended at all while on testosterone (I smoked very little, like a few cigarettes every two weeks or sometimes even once a month, and my endocrinologist still told me to quit because my blood tests were a little messed up because of that). While it's best to go to a professional, there are YouTube videos that illustrate how to find your vocal range if you want to do that on your own or only plan to sing as a hobby, so I won't say anything about that. What I will say though, is that you should warm up first (always warm up first at least a little no matter what you do, especially if you plan to sing in the morning; even just talking out loud for a while can count as warming your voice up) and if you want to find out your range on your own please use the aforementioned YouTube videos, I've watched and even used a few back in the day and they'll tell you exactly how to do things right, don't just start belting out note after note until your voice is straining and uncomfortable because you'll get hurt (I want to make clear, as I've mentioned the possibility of getting hurt in the previous paragraphs, that getting hurt when it comes to singing ranges from having a bit of a sore throat for a while because you didn't drink water before performing to permanently ruining your voice and losing parts of your range because you tried metal screaming with no training so yeah, be careful).

Useful exercises:

In my experience the most useful exercises to do during a voice change are interval slides with the classic, iconic brrr (that I had to look up the name of because I swear no one, not even one singer, in human history has ever called it by its proper name: lip roll; I'm leaving the brrr thing instead of editing it out because it's funny) and some basic hear it and sing it. Also my teacher and I found out, during a phoniatrician check-up I did while my voice was still changing, that singing big jumps between notes helps a lot, even though I have no idea why. Basically, get a piano or keyboard (here's a link for a virtual piano if you need it), play random notes, and sing; it's important for you to switch between your modal (what I've been referring to as "regular" in this post) register and your falsetto register. I suck at explaining things, but this is what you have to do: play one note, sing it, then play the next, and so on. Additionally, I went through my text conversations with my teacher back when my voice was at the beginning of its journey and found the links to three videos we used a lot at the time, so here they are: this 10 minute vocal warm up, some beginner bass vocal warm ups, and some other bass-baritone vocal warm ups. If you go through these channels you'll find other exercises for other voice types and ranges as well. I recommend using jazz singer Judy Niemack's recordings (playlist linked in the above paragraph) because those are the one I used and still use. Your range and voice type don't really matter, you can either harmonize with her or sing in your comfortable range (in tune!) (or not in tune if you're doing this as a hobby I guess, I'm a singer not a cop) (but ear training is fundamental if you want to go professional, so: in tune!).

Alright I think I explained pretty much everything, but if you have questions don't hesitate to ask! I'll be more than happy to answer.

international people start calling our country aotearoa instead of new zealand challenge

Please do not pass. Stop, watch and post. I need your help and support for me. If you cannot donate, post to your friends. We need you. We are in Gaza. Our situation is catastrophic. We no longer have a home 🏚or a source of livelihood.You have destroyed all our hopes and the dreams of my children. Please help me spread the donation campaign..

that article going around abt firefox's new ad program is annoying bc it's phrased as though "mozilla has finally TURNED on its people and is SELLING YOU OUT for cold hard cash!!" when. that's not what's happening. it is specifically being implemented to discourage tracking behavior, and literally all the data they are giving to advertisers is aggregate and anonymized, which is like, the opposite of what that post wants you to worry about, lol

I WANT THE LGBT COMMUNITY TO JUST STOP FIGHTING

WE ARE NOT AGAINST EACHOTHER, WE ARE NOT ENEMIES NO MATTER HOW YOU IDENTIFY

TRANS PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, INTERSEX PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, BISEXUALS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, LESBIANS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, ASEXUALS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, AROMANTICS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY, ETC

TERFS ARE YOUR ENEMY, TRANSPHOBES ARE YOUR ENEMY, HOMOPHOBES ARE YOUR ENEMY, ACEPHOBES ARE YOUR ENEMY, AROPHOBES ARE YOUR ENEMY, ETC

STOP PUSHING AT EACHOTHER, START PUSHING FOR EACHOTHER, ANY HATE TOWARDS ANY GROUP OF US IS HATE TOWARDS ALL OF US

TRANS PEOPLE BEING ATTACKED IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US, INTERSEX PEOPLE BEING ATTACKED IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US, BISEXUALS BEING ATTACKED IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US, LESBIANS BEING ATTACKED IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US, ASEXUALS BEING ATTACKED IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US, AROMANTICS BEING ATTACKED IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US, ETC

THERE ARE NO "GOOD" QUEERS IN THEIR EYES, AS LONG AS YOU ARE QUEER YOU WILL BE A TARGET

DISCRIMINATION IS DISCRIMINATION, DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A PHYSICAL ATTACK, MEDICAL DISCRIMINATION, GOVERNMENTAL, ALL OF IT

STOP TRYING TO ATTACK EACHOTHER, WE ARE ALL EQUAL

Let's Help Siraj Get 20K By Tomorrow!

“Since the [genocide] in Gaza started, journalists have been paying the highest price–their lives” (CPJ 2024). 

Hey guys, 

Please have a look at this fundraiser. It belongs to Siraj Abudayeh and we need to achieve the short term goal of 20K by TOMORROW, so let's do everything in our power to make it happen! 

In the meantime, let me tell you about Siraj. He is a loving husband and father to three young children, Siraj is also a journalist and has been sharing updates everyday about the situation in Ghazzah on his blog! 

 As of August 1st 2024, 113 journalists and media press workers have been killed (CPJ 2024). The numbers will only increase from here. Ismail Al Ghoul and Rami Al Refee (May Allah forgive them and grant them Jannatul Firdous) are only the latest in a long line of journalists who have been martyred by the IDF. 

Everyday, Siraj has to live with a target on his back for simply being a journalist, and how it might affect his family. Even online he is not safe! Zionists are flooding his notifications all the time.

So if you want to help a journalist, you can do so by donating to Siraj. We are so close to his short-term goal! Only $1,584 CAD left! 

gofundme.com

Donate to Support Siraj's Family in Rebuilding Their Home, organized by Ahmad Abudayeh

hi, my name is ahmad and I'm raising a fund for my cousin Siraj and thi… Ahmad Abudayeh needs your support for Support Siraj's Family in Reb

I also urge you to follow Siraj (@siraj2024) and receive the latest updates about him, his family, and the news about Ghazzh!

Again, please continue to contribute to achieve his short-term goal. Share his story. Spread it far and wide. Make it reaches every corner of the website and beyond. 

Thank you!

SAG-AFTRA IS STRIKING AGAIN

This time, for video games.

Some key information:

They are striking so all performers will have protection against AI

The struck companies are those signed to the Interactive Media Agreement

The listed companies by SAG-AFTRA include Activision Productions Inc, Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc, Electronic Arts Productions Inc, Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc, Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc, VoiceWorks Productions Inc and WB Games Inc. Though this may not be everyone.

Important things from the FAQ:

Some games from struck companies are non-struck (due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement still being in effect)

Localisations will be affected if covered under the Interactive Localization Agreement

Actors who are part of SAG-AFTRA cannot work for non-union or independent/low-budged productions during the strike unless they are signed to an Interim Interactive Media Agreement, Interim Interactive Localization Agreement or a Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement

Similarly to the previous strike, struck work cannot be promoted. This includes accepting awards for performances in struck games. This does NOT include hosting/performing a skit at an awards show and San Diego Comic Con (the latter due to the close proximity to the calling of the strike)

As implied by the point above, SAG-AFTRA performers cannot partake in panels related to struck games or companies, including finished games produced by struck companies

The best way to check if a game is struck is to use the search tool provided by SAG-AFTRA

Most importantly: You are NOT being asked to stop playing video games, as highlighted in the FAQ for creators and streamers. This does NOT cross the picket line. Though please do talk about the strike and show your solidarity

I expect to see the same amount of support from y'all that we saw in the last strike. Just because it's video games doesn't mean performers deserve any less support and protection.

Also please reblog with any additions (with sources - we are NOT here to spread misinformation)! And please correct me if anything listed here is incorrect.

SOURCES:

Video Game Strike FAQs | SAG-AFTRA (sagaftra.org)

SAG-AFTRA Members Who Work on Video Games Go on Strike | SAG-AFTRA (sagaftra.org)

we are all ONE community and always have been. divide and conquer is the strategy of our oppressors, we have to find strength in numbers and safety with one another or we are doomed. as a transmac I will always i love transfems, it is my goal to kiss at least one tgirl everyday because they are so awesome and pretty. fight to stay together, not to break apart !!!!!

listen to me: you can love and support trans men and trans women at the same time. you can love and support transmasc and transfemmes at the same time. you do not have to make things into this-or-that decisions. you do not have to turn everything into us-vs-them, friend-vs-enemy, sports team ass dynamics. transfems and transmascs are not at opposite ends of ANYTHING, and we will never, ever be enemies or polar sides that cannot intersect or co-exist peacefully. you can support more than one type of trans person and distribute that support equally. i promise you fucking can.

There is a pro-transgender Labour revolt against health secretary Wes Streeting. You can sign the letter.

Labour health secretary Wes Streeting has continued the transphobic policies of the previous Conservative government. Now Labour members have published and open letter anyone can sign.

Wes Streeting has said:

“This ban [on puberty blockers] brings the private sector in line with the NHS. We are committed to providing young people with the evidence-led care that they deserve”.

Evidence shows that blockers are of great help to young trans people, as it gives them some breathing space before puberty changes their bodies in traumatic ways.

Streeting is either lying about what medical research on trans people says or he has not done his homework. As a gay man he should know how oppression and erasure works.

The letter states:

International evidence shows that puberty suppressing hormones are a safe and effective way to temporarily pause a young person’s puberty, giving them time to consider their options for transition. Much of the concern around their use stems from the idea that those who take puberty blockers go on to use cross sex hormones as part of their transition. We do not think that trans young people growing up to be happy and healthy trans adults is a bad outcome while rates of de/retransition are exceptionally low. Rather than honouring Labour’s manifesto commitment to “remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition & acceptance,” you have decided to strip trans young people of their bodily autonomy, undermining important medical principles, such as Gillick Competence, in favour of upholding the Conservative approach of politicising the lives of trans people. Even the widely discredited Cass Review does not go so far as to recommend the criminalisation of puberty blockers for trans young people.

You can read and sign the letter here.

See also:

Wes Streetings Tweet: An Analysis #BWOT Wes Streeting sparks fury after defending ban on puberty blockers for trans kids The World Professional Association for Transgender Health with severe critique of the UK Cass review on transgender youth

By Jack Molay.

ILY black trans men i kiss ur forehead and paws