Trans Kids - Tumblr Posts
There is so much more I could say about this, but there is not enough room. Remember to check with reality rather than believing conspiracy theories promoted, supported, and funded by white nationalist hate groups.
Missouri is proposing 20% of the nation’s anti-trans legislation this session. Gender-affirming care for young folks is on the edge of being criminalized (so much love to trans friends in states where that has already happened).
Please keep up with the anti-trans legislation in your state and combat it. There are lives at stake.
Transphobes do not touch this post.
Image ID: a 10-image cartoon comic featuring Joey, a boy with short hair.
Image 1: Joey, upset, gesticulates towards an open laptop. Text reads: The reality of St. Louis trans kids. Last week, a former (non-medical) employee of Washington University’s Pediatric Transgender Center was featured in a viral article about how the clinic was “rushing” kids into medical care and “mutilating” us. Every single thing she said was a lie, but the media loves it. Footnote reads: I wouldn’t give any more attention to this, but it is immediately endangering the lives of trans people. Missouri has launched a state investigation and is actively attempting to criminalize gender-affirming care based on conspiracy theories.
Image 2: Joey points to a map of the United States where Missouri is singled out, and a map of Missouri where St. Louis is indicated with a star. The text reads: The Transgender Center, located in St. Louis, Missouri, has been the target of hateful attacks from the far-right state legislature for years. It is part of Washington University Hospital, a branch of a prestigious private university.
Image 3: A younger Joey injects his T shot in his leg while someone takes a photo. Text reads: I can tell you that everything in the article is false because I received care at the Transgender Center beginning at 16 years old. My medical transition has brought me nothing but joy. What a gift it is to be trans!
Image 4: A younger Joey sits on a couch and stims with a tangle fidget toy. Text reads: No one is “rushed”. I sat on many waitlists, had to have 6 months of specialized gender therapy and a diagnosis of gender dysphoria before even being referred to the Center, and I was denied as “not ready enough” by an endocrinologist the first time I finally got an appointment. Footnote reads: If you’re curious about what it looks like to be a trans kid, I did another piece on that! Check out tinyurl.com/transkidscomictumblr.
Image 5: A colorful map of the United States shows how many states have a Negative Gender Identity Policy Tally and how many states have criminalized gender affirming care. Joey holds a credit card. Text reads: St. Louis’ Pediatric Transgender Center is the only one in the region, meaning the waitlists are extremely long. Plus, no one in the only industrialized country without free healthcare is getting medical care for fun. Many American trans folks have to fundraise for our care.
Image 6: Joey, distressed, sits on a couch while talking on the phone. The person on the other end says: “That’s me!” Text reads: This former employee spoke about specific cases, and patients have been able to identify themselves. She shared our private medical info and called us horrifying.
Image 7: This is split into two panels. In the first, Joey holds up a box of condoms and a packet of birth control pills. Texts reads: She especially hated trans men such as myself, saying that trans ideology was destroying “girls”. She lamented about hormones making us “sterile”, which is a complete lie. We trans mascs have to actively prevent pregnancy. In panel two stands a doctor. Text reads: Every time I had an appointment at the Center, doctors reminded me: Remember: testosterone is not a contraceptive! Footnote reads: The wonderful Erin Reed wrote a breakdown debunking all the lies in the article. See tinyurl.com/erinreedmissouri.
Image 8: Joey, masked, sits at a circular table with his brother, an unmasked boy with fluffy short hair. Joey’s brother is showing him his phone. Text reads: Major newspapers continue to platform these complete lies because they bring in engagement and money. The Washington Post tracked down my little brother’s personal cell phone number to try to get in contact with our mom – the president of an organization supporting trans kids in Missouri. Freaky, right?
Image 9: Joey, looking disgusted, leans against a door frame while talking on a cell phone. Text reads: But no one wants to talk with me, the adult who medically transitioned at this clinic as a minor and has not “desisted” in six years. The Washington Post reporter, who didn’t know anything about trans people, talked with me for 20 minutes and used a sentence of mine in an article about “both sides of the debate”. She didn’t mention that this former employee is being legally represented by a recognized anti-LGBT hate group, nor that all of her claims are unsupported by reality or science.
Image 10: Joey looks angry and gesticulates. Beside the drawing are two photos of Joey, one of him happy in front of a trans flag, and the other of him drawing up testosterone to take his first T shot. Text reads: There is no debate. There are trans people, and there are people who want us dead. There is truth and there are conspiracy theories. Where is my viral article in a major paper?
Published Feb 16, 2023. End ID.
To the trans kids out there, I just wanted to say that if you're reading this, you are alive. And you are so fucking strong for that. You may have been transitioning since you were first speaking, or maybe you've only been transitioning for a couple months now. It doesn't matter.
You, being alive, as a trans kid, with all the crazy shit that the right wingers, TERFs, and general transphobes are doing, is extremely fucking strong.
You don't even have to do anything. You being a trans kid is enough to make you strong. Times are tough as hell right now, but you just gotta be tougher. It will get better, I swear to you with all my heart. And when you grow up, you can help make the world more inclusive and accepting if you'd like.
But for now, leave it to us. All you have to worry about is being alive, and taking care of yourself.
And doing your homework 😉.
"We want to protect children!" okay. What about trans kids? What about palestinian kids? What about lgbtq+ kids? What about poc kids?
Please sign this petition. If Liz Truss wins things are gonna get a hell of a lot shittier for lots of people, including me.
I really hope this reaches more people, I'm only reposting this information from Instagram, the least that I can do. (Update: I changed their upbringing as it appears to have been listed wrong) Wiki page
When I just saw this information I couldn't stop crying thinking about it, and now my heart aches. They were the same age as me, I know for a fact like any other teen they dreamt of their future, who they would want to become, what to achieve, create, wondering if they meet those in the future they can call friends, wondeting if it'll get better when they grow up, maybe wished to leave that terrible place or maybe wanted to stay. How could anyone let this happen, why were they discharged from hospital so easily? And the school, we all know why. I hate to think about how, even with all the progress made, these things still happen.
"murdered schoolgirl Brianna Ghey on February 16, 2023. Candlelit vigils are being held across the UK this week for Brianna Ghey, 16, who was stabbed at Linear Park in Culcheth, Cheshire last Saturday. Brianna was a transgender girl and police are now investigating her killing as a hate crime. A boy and girl, both 15, have been charged with her murder"
An article that explains trans hate crime murders as on 2023
I hate everyone who have ever committed such vile hate crimes, I wish them in prison and hell. But i would never go down to their level. But I also blame the government, the school, and even those bigoted online accounts that teach their followers hate. In this case LibsOfTikTok, who targeted the teacher of this school, who supports lgbtq+, so they had to leave their position. It must have been the push for this to happen. I think their tiktok account has been thankfully deleten. But i have no idea about Twitter or any other. Please check and mass report them if it still exists. (Link to Instagram reel that this information is from)
ADDITION, PLEASE MASS REPORT THESE ACCOUNTS
I really hope this reaches more people, I'm only reposting this information from Instagram, the least that I can do. (Update: I changed their upbringing as it appears to have been listed wrong) Wiki page
When I just saw this information I couldn't stop crying thinking about it, and now my heart aches. They were the same age as me, I know for a fact like any other teen they dreamt of their future, who they would want to become, what to achieve, create, wondering if they meet those in the future they can call friends, wondeting if it'll get better when they grow up, maybe wished to leave that terrible place or maybe wanted to stay. How could anyone let this happen, why were they discharged from hospital so easily? And the school, we all know why. I hate to think about how, even with all the progress made, these things still happen.
"murdered schoolgirl Brianna Ghey on February 16, 2023. Candlelit vigils are being held across the UK this week for Brianna Ghey, 16, who was stabbed at Linear Park in Culcheth, Cheshire last Saturday. Brianna was a transgender girl and police are now investigating her killing as a hate crime. A boy and girl, both 15, have been charged with her murder"
An article that explains trans hate crime murders as on 2023
I hate everyone who have ever committed such vile hate crimes, I wish them in prison and hell. But i would never go down to their level. But I also blame the government, the school, and even those bigoted online accounts that teach their followers hate. In this case LibsOfTikTok, who targeted the teacher of this school, who supports lgbtq+, so they had to leave their position. It must have been the push for this to happen. I think their tiktok account has been thankfully deleten. But i have no idea about Twitter or any other. Please check and mass report them if it still exists. (Link to Instagram reel that this information is from)
ADDITION, PLEASE MASS REPORT THESE ACCOUNTS
Here's mine
Header Image and Avatar competition!!
Hey there, @our-trans-youth-experience got set up recently, so I thought that it'd be a fun idea to run a design competition!
To take part, reblog this post and in your reblog attach your own original design for an avatar, header image, or both. Or, send your submissions to @our-trans-youth-experience directly. For your entry to be valid, you must follow all of the rules or you will have no chance of winning! Rules 1. No inappropriate content in your designs please 2. Must include the trans flag or trans flag colours in your designs 3. Avatar can include an OC, get creative! Designs must be fully original though. 4. Designs MUST be submitted through ways specified above 5. You can submit more than one design 1st place: Your submission is used for the blog @our-trans-youth-experience! 2nd and 3rd place: Your submission will be posted in the blog so that people can see your amazing creations! Deadline: Since I don't know how many submissions there will be, I don't currently have a deadline. Once I have enough, I will update will a deadline :) HAVE FUN!!!
GOOD JOB smartworks !
had a fun experience on the subway the other day
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4787769-schumer-to-bring-kids-online-safety-bills-to-vote-this-week/
It's happening again!!! They're trying to put the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) up for a vote.
As I've written in the past, KOSA is a censorship nightmare that'll drive LGBTQIA+ folks out of social media spaces and suppress any content that Republicans think is harmful to kids.
Please call your reps NOW, especially your Senators. If you have a Republican senator, tell them you're worried this bill will impose an unfair burden on small businesses.
Think about that. This fucking monster has the audacity to gleefully hold up a newspaper mentioning how HER OWN ACCOUNT caused people to get DEATH THREATS AND FUCKING KILLED. LET ALONE AN ACTUAL FUCKING CHILD. AND SHE KNOWS SHE CAUSED ALL THIS VIOLENCE, SHE KNOWS IT'S VIOLENCE. No fucking normal human being does this. ANYTHING like this. I feel sick to my stomach. I hope this creature rots in the deepest darkest pits of hell for an eternity
I really hope this reaches more people, I'm only reposting this information from Instagram, the least that I can do. (Update: I changed their upbringing as it appears to have been listed wrong)
When I just saw this information I couldn't stop crying thinking about it, and now my heart aches. They were the same age as me, I know for a fact like any other teen they dreamt of their future, who they would want to become, what to achieve, create, wondering if they meet those in the future they can call friends, wondeting if it'll get better when they grow up, maybe wished to leave that terrible place or maybe wanted to stay. How could anyone let this happen, why were they discharged from hospital so easily? And the school, we all know why. I hate to think about how, even with all the progress made, these things still happen.
"murdered schoolgirl Brianna Ghey on February 16, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. Candlelit vigils are being held across the UK this week for Brianna Ghey, 16, who was stabbed at Linear Park in Culcheth, Cheshire last Saturday. Brianna was a transgender girl and police are now investigating her killing as a hate crime. A boy and girl, both 15, have been charged with her murder"
An article that explains trans hate crime murders as on 2023
I hate everyone who have ever committed such vile hate crimes, I wish them in prison and hell. But i would never go down to their level. But I also blame the government, the school, and even those bigoted online accounts that teach their followers hate. In this case LibsOfTikTok, who targeted the teacher of this school, who supports lgbtq+, so they had to leave their position. It must have been the push for this to happen. I think their tiktok account has been thankfully deleten. But i have no idea about Twitter or any other. Please check and mass report them if it still exists. (Link to Instagram reel that this information is from)
ADDITION, PLEASE MASS REPORT THESE ACCOUNTS
A human rights crisis that demands your attention.
As always, I recommend following Erin Reed's Substack for updates on transgender legislation. She's a journalist focused on tracking U.S. trans laws and politics.
Another good beginning point for getting involved is locating your state's local Equality Federation organization, who are probably tracking these bills and carpooling to state capitols to testify against them.
Most importantly, open your homes and wallets for those fleeing their homes or stockpiling medication.
ID available in alt text and below the cut.
ID begins. A cartoony comic that is primarily black and white. The first panel shows a pie graph with five sections. Each section has a drawing of a different person in it. Two of the sections are highlighted in orange, and the people in those sections are sad. The text reads: as of March 2024, 38% of American trans youth live in a place where our basic healthcare is illegal. That’s 23 of 50 U.S. states. Millions of people are being forcibly detransitioned by the government. Statistic from the LGBT Movement Advancement Project, March 7th, 2024.
Panel two. A drawing of the author, shirtless, wiping his face with a towel over a sink. He has body hair and top surgery scars. The text reads: It’s been a year since the clinic where I received care was forcibly shuttered by the far-right state government. If I had been a few years younger, I would never have been able to access the care that allowed me to blossom. The grief and fear is constant.
Panel three is split into two panels. On the left, a hand holds a smartphone on which an article is displayed. The article is titled: U.S. International Refugee Crisis: 130-260k Trans People Have Already Fled”. The right panel shows a laptop on which an article is displayed. This article is titled: Some Trans Kids Are Being Forced To Flee America For Their Safety. The comic text reads: This is a crisis.
Panel four shows a map of U.S. states. 23 of them, all of which are in the South and Midwest, are colored orange, and in these states, gender-affirming care for minors is illegal. This map is via the LGBT Movement Advancement Project. The text reads: As a holdover from preserving slavery, each state essentially operates as a country and gets to make its own laws. If Texas was a country, it would be the world’s 38th most populous. This month, Texas tried to demand the names and addresses of its trans kids.
Panel five. A drawing of Joey, the author, a man with short hair, wearing a sweater and an N95 mask. His arms are crossed and he looks upset. The text reads: After moving north, when I talk about human rights horrors in red states, I always get the same responses. Two text bubbles read: Why don’t they just move? And: Everyone in red states should just die. Additional comic text reads: As if we don’t live everywhere.
Panel six. A fat woman with short, curly hair wears a backpack and holds a suitcase while holding the hand of her child, whose hair is held back in curly poofs. The child is also wearing a backpack, out of which peeks a teddy bear. The text reads: Regardless of ability to move (although “safe” states are increasingly expensive and inaccessible), you’re literally talking about internally displaced political refugees.
Panel seven. A drawing of a fat person with a mohawk, glasses, a vest, and necklace. They use a cane and are smiling. The text reads: To be clear, none of these bans are based in reality. The 2022 U.S. Trans Survey, with 92,000 respondents, found that 98% of respondents were significantly happier due to hormonal replacement therapy. Via ustranssurvey.org. Released just last week, a study from Perth, Australia found that only 1% of their pediatric gender clinic patients went on to reidentify with their birth sex. Via Cavve et al, JAMA Pediatrics, March 4th, 2024.
Panel eight. A drawing of Joey wearing glasses, an N95 mask, and a professional button-up shirt. He carries a laptop. An arrow points to him and is labeled “straight up adult”. The text reads: And it’s not just about trans teens. This manufactured outrage has planned to ban adult care from the beginning. Some states have begun proposing laws to ban care up to age 26, which would cut me off after 6.5 years on hormones. An article headline by Erin Reed is pasted at the bottom of the panel. The headline reads: Ohio, Michigan Republicans In Released Audio: Endgame Is To Ban Trans Care For Everyone.
Panel nine. Joey as a kid with jaw-length hair kneels to tie his shoe. The text reads: As a trans child, the easiest thing I could do was be authentically me. Will you not preserve this joy for others? Published March 10, 2024. End ID.
Oof
So, I'm on my way to church, sadly, however we get snacks and stuff plus everyone knows my new name/pronouns (doubting everyone will respect that fact though) but I've got my earbuds and a hulu subscription so I'm probably going to watch Steven Universe the whole time or something (maybe adventure time, idk)
Rest in Power, Nex Benedict
A 16 year old kid who loved nature and looking after their cat Zeus. Who enjoyed reading, watching the Walking Dead, and playing Ark and Minecraft. They loved to cook and would often make up their own recipes. They did well in school, being a straight-A student. Rest in power a teen who was human and had interests and ambitions and challenges and friendships. A trans youth who was brutally murdered just for being trans, when that was only a fragment of who they were as a person.
Nex Benedict, Jacob Williamson, Brianna Ghey, and other trans youth like them were real people with real lives. They deserved better, longer, happier lives. They deserved to grow up and not fear for their lives. They deserve to be remembered as who they were, not just as another trans kid who was killed, as people with families and normal human lives.
picketing terf conferences is OUT, releasing 6000 live crickets into the audience of a terf conference and watching chaos erupt as everyone scrambles to evacuate is IN
The situation with the Owasso Public School district and the Owasso Police Department regarding the death of Nex Benedict is nothing short of fucking rage provoking.
A 16 year old non-binary child was brutally beaten in their high school’s bathroom (which they were forced to use because of Oklahoma legislation requiring that trans students use the restrooms coinciding with the gender assigned to them at birth) by THREE girls for over two minutes before other students and a singular school faculty member managed to pull these girls off of them.
They had their head repeatedly smashed into the floor. For over two minutes. Their face was covered in cuts and bruises and they were unable to walk without assistance following this attack.
Nex was suspended for several days for engaging in a “fight”. (Btw 3 to 1 is NOT a fight, thats called getting jumped.)
After seeing the schools nurse, Nex was denied the option to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance as it was deemed “unnecessary” but it was suggested that a guardian took them to get checked out if they were concerned about Nex’s injuries.
Nex was then taken to the hospital where they were discharged, but were then rushed back to said hospital the next morning, where they were pronounced dead.
The Owasso Public School district has stated that because Nex died the following morning and not the night of the attack, that the attack is unrelated and did not cause the death of this child.
The Owasso Police Department claims that they cannot release the autopsy report to the public but that “A complete autopsy was performed and indicated that the decedent did not die as a result of trauma.” It has been implied that Nex died of natural causes or from an underlying medical condition. Less than 24 hours after having their head brutally and repeatedly smashed into a bathroom floor for over 2 minutes.
I don’t know about you guys, but I personally am beyond sick and fucking tired of watching republican politicians be so loud about how they’re “protecting children” and then turning their backs on trans kids and believing what is probably the laziest cover up of a non-binary child being brutally beaten to death while they were AT SCHOOL.
And what makes this even worse is that according to the Benedict family, Nex had been telling them about how they were being bullied at school and that they felt unsafe. They had told the school that they were being bullied and they felt unsafe. The school had been given every opportunity to neutralize the problem and prevent this very situation and chose to do nothing, and that negligence caused the death of a student. And they have the audacity to claim that Nex’s blood is not on their hands and that they “do not tollerate violence or bullying of any kind” and “are taking the situation very seriously”.
Nex Benedict was brutally beaten to death in a school bathroom and Oklahoma schools, law enforcement, and legislative officials are doing nothing about it.
Nex Benedict. Say their fucking name.
Attached is the link to the go fund me started by Nex’s mother. Warning, in the description, They are deadnamed and misgendered, however this was remedied in an edit lower down on the page, where their mother states that they will be addressed properly on their headstone.
Rest in Power, Nex Benedict
A 16 year old kid who loved nature and looking after their cat Zeus. Who enjoyed reading, watching the Walking Dead, and playing Ark and Minecraft. They loved to cook and would often make up their own recipes. They did well in school, being a straight-A student. Rest in power a teen who was human and had interests and ambitions and challenges and friendships. A trans youth who was brutally murdered just for being trans, when that was only a fragment of who they were as a person.
Nex Benedict, Jacob Williamson, Brianna Ghey, and other trans youth like them were real people with real lives. They deserved better, longer, happier lives. They deserved to grow up and not fear for their lives. They deserve to be remembered as who they were, not just as another trans kid who was killed, as people with families and normal human lives.