Yes, Virginia, there are brainworms

purple cartoon worm with googly eyes sawing its way through a cartoon brain, one half of which is black and white, the other which in rainbow paint splatter

And some conspiracy theorists do have them. Yes, Virginia, there are brainworms. They exist as certainly as transphobia exists and abounds attempting to morally mandate trans people out of existence.

Is your clothing the wrong gender?

A person wraps themself in a gray blanket. You can only see their hands.

A proposed Texas law would classify you as a drag performer. A proposed law in Texas says there’s a proper, legal way to wear clothing and makeup—and to have a body. You must look like your “gender assigned at birth”.

You’re an individual who has identities

Silhouettes of lots of people standing in a field against the glowing horizon.

Robyn Blumner defending Richard Dawkins. Let’s not keep falling back on the idea that certain men are pre-approved to say whatever they like. Their free speech isn’t a stand-in for everyone else’s.

It takes two people to go on a first date

two cartoon people, with short hair, grinning. one has their arm around the other.

You may want info before a first date, but that doesn’t mean you’re entitled to have it. If someone isn’t allowed to have their gender at a key moment, they aren’t really allowed to have it at all. Cis people don’t own trans people’s info.

The false narrative of regrettable transness

person carrying a translucent umbrella walks down a glowing city street at. night

One function of ‘regret’ in anti-trans narrative. It’s the ‘good queer’/’bad queer’ distinction. The scapegoater projects; do they accept their own queerness? The idea of trans people is a scapegoat.

In myth, the extra-binary thing explains everything

blue glowing wavy line on a black background

‘Fabulous monsters’ are boundary-crossers that reconcile opposites. Trans people right now are the bridge fascists stomp on with their boots. Fascists need the bridge and also like to complain about it while stomping.

Everything is subjective and contains its opposite

glass cat's eye marbles with red swirls inside

This is not a reason to reject trans people and their language. They’re using shared language in an off-center way because the shared language doesn’t center them . Not their fault. Should they reinvent language?