Notices by Natasha Jay :mastodon: (natasha_jay@tech.lgbt)

Elon Musk: Apparently using "cis" or "cisgender" will now be considered a slur going forward on the birdsite

Any regular #trans person still on Twitter should be making plans to leave, if you haven't already

It's just going to get worse - move to #Bluesky #Mastodon #Fediverse or anywhere else at all

I'm having one of those 'omg is it me moments'. New spring dress arrives today and it'd be silly not to try it, right? Well it's like the designer knew my body personally, and then created this. It's by Sosandar and I love it 💖 Many, most days you feel like you battle to make progress. The odd day suddenly you see the results with your *own* eyes and believe what others may have been saying? Today feels a results day, somehow. A bit emotional ...

CW: selfie, direct eye contact

#Trans #Transition #TransAtFifty #TransJoy

Selfie - no make-up*, glasses, messy hair, daily look when not too bothered

Like no excuse or justifications are needed on selfies - zero okay? Just took a few after the supermarket. "Trans in the wild" "We move amongst you" etc 😉

It's like SoCal where I am ☀️ ... balmy and that gorgeous evening sunlight. Just add Santa Monica beach and a margarita 🍸

* well - lippy and mascara ofc

CW: direct eye contact

** Coffee and Estrogel ** It'd be my band name of choice I think. What with "Violent Femmes" already having been taken, right? 💃

The copious estradiol gel on the table represent a milestone in a 2 year journey. DIY HRT > NHS GP-bridging HRT and bloods > today is the first prescription via a shared-care (endo) agreement

I could have DIY-ed ongoing. I'm pretty knowledgeable on our endocrinology, as are other lovely folk here, I read our science :heart_trans:

But mentally? I feel this BIG weight off my shoulders finally sorting all this. Bloodtests in place, some serious detailed (practical) endo discussions 💜, breast screening scheduled before progesterone. The psychological and mental health benefits of support should *not* be underestimated

I'm not an HRT perfectionist. Give it time, I trust the process, I accept each of our bodies reacts different. Admin methods etc. The journey is ongoing

Today feels nice have this in place - to lose a burden

#Trans #Transgender #HRT #TransHealthcare #MentalHealth

I *really* love seeing everyone's trans selfies ... I can't favorite ⭐ every single one in the #Fediverse, but if I do see it in my feed I will for sure

Keep 'em coming, they can be for any/all of ...

- A wave, a 'hi' 👋
- A face-to-a-name
- An expression of transjoy
- An amazing 'stepping-out' online
- An incongruence buster
- A show of defiance ie. we're *still* here
- An expression of pride 🌈
- Pure narcissism? Go for it!
- Maybe it's simply part of your trans DNA
- And any other reason you have ...

In short, go for it! :heart_trans: :heart_nb:

#Trans #Transgender #Transjoy #TransMasc #Transfem #Nonbinary #Pride #Selfie

"... everyone (myself included) who is still on Twitter has some hard questions to ask themselves. There is no pretending any more that Twitter is anything other than a far-right social network headed by a CEO who revels in chaos and is platforming extremism. So why are news organisations still on it? Why is anyone who considers themselves to have liberal values still on it?

"Ego is probably the main answer to that question. A lot of journalists have built up very large followings on Twitter. Nostalgia is another factor ..."

Full article by Arwa Mahdawi at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/03/twitter-conservative-media-elon-musk-ron-desantis

#Twitter #Twittermigration #Journalism #ElonMusk

* *Trans Experiences: The story of the Kiwi, being misgendered, and of chicken pies **

A week ago I was misgendered in a local butcher's shop buying a pie. This is so rare now! The bloke was a Kiwi who knew me pre-transition and hasn't seen me in ~3 years. I was called "mate", likely from prior voice familiarity. I didn't confront on the spot as I sensed a pure accident, a slip

My first reaction? Ouch! Of course was I don't want to go back there

I mull it over, as is my wont

I decide I WILL go back this morning, pre-armed with my ferociously femme glasses and a withering pre-prepared line in mind

I walk in

He sees me and immediately says "Hello, young lady". He is over-polite

He knows he got it wrong before. I know it too 💜

I accept his undoubted "lady", smile back pleasantly at the more dubious "young"

And by going back, I reclaim that space, lose not a drop of trans agency or my pride :Fire_Trans: I will be myself, neither weak nor meek

Plus, they *do* make cracking pies 🤔

#Trans #Musings #Food

@DopeGhoti One still has the Global feed at the start too.

Four months ago I rationalised a lot ... unfollowed, reduced boosts by a few, Lists, Filters etc

Since then I've maybe only followed +50 more people and a couple of hashtags. Yet here we are - Home timeline is exploding again (in a good way ofc)

@Stormgren
To take this a step further, I have a secondary on #CalcKey I've been using to trial it. The full search facility is incredibly helpful in finding posts and people. And even more so for new folk who won't necessarily know the hashtags imho

Plus for power users, Calckey 'antennas' offer huge power to create multiple timelines based on people and/or search word combinations

I plan a migration in the not so distant future ...

@DopeGhoti

For anyone who thinks the #Fediverse is quiet, I get about 300-400 posts per hour in my Home 🏠 timeline at peak times, and that's *after* filters and some separate focus Lists I use ...

My goodness, folk here are chatty and interesting! Trans stuff, techie stuff, politics, boosts, gaming, cat pics, cyberpunk, street art, selfies - all sorts of fascination tbh

Some people just don't know what it *can* be like here?! 💜 ❤️ 💜

@ada @roadriverrail
Ada, I agree. I think so much (maybe all) of all this has been externally inflicted onto us in different ways, none of it should define us.

And almost all of it needs to be "re-framed", which is kind of why I started this ... a thought provoker

UK Gender Recognition Law: RT-ing this from @hotruk to include hashtags and noting that the case is to allow a non-binary person here to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) in the UK based on an existing non-binary US birth certificate

Apparently permission has been given for a UK Judicial Review at a High Court level. Anything that helps challenge our backward processes here is welcome ... 🇺🇸 vs. 🇬🇧

https://cultofshiv.wtf/@hotruk/110458564619416724

#Trans #Transrights #Enby #Nonbinary #GRR

This one's dedicated to the wonderful Cait @oldladyplays who I remember challenged me months back to show a bit of shoulder. Never (ever) being one to back away - and the sun ☀️☀️ is finally with us in the UK ...

I've been out shopping in this today and "shoulders are going brrrrrr"

The soft focus via over-exposure? Well I *am* transitioning over-50 - give a woman a small break ...! 😉 😂

Cw: selfie, direct eye contact, and shoulders
#Trans #Transgender #Transition #TransAtFifty

@roadriverrail *Exactly* And even any trauma is inflicted upon is, it is not (in itself) innate?

@roadriverrail Yeah, I don't deny the experience although I might have a nuanced view on the causes for sure. But the word itself I have stopped using generally because of ALL the connotations "loaded" onto it

"Gender incongruence" maybe ... in fact I believe I *generate/trigger* "gender experiential mirroring" which disturbs some *other* people far more than me 😉

#NewPerspectives

@roadriverrail It's not actually a mental health condition or something to be diagnosed though. That view is purely patriarchal gatekeeping, and (imo) severe abuse of trans folk ...

Gender Dysphoria: I deliberately stopped using this term or dysphoric (whenever possible) a while back. I have been feeling as a trans woman how loaded the term still is with medical diagnosis and mental health connotations. A term of our oppression, a phrase of 'symbolic violence' as Judith Butler might say. A weak dilution of 'gender identity disorder'

If by rejecting this term *at every level* outright I lose my ability to get a UK Gender Recognition Certificate, so be it. I keep my pride, my full trans agency and that - for me - is far more priceless

Gender dysphoria, no I don't have

Gender? Now *this* I have, in spades! :Fire_Trans:

Sitting in a coffee shop as is my way ...
#Musings #TransMusings #Trans #TransRightsUK #TransRights

Cw: selfie, full eye contact

A photo of my elongated cat Coco for #Caturday. Apparently he's being disturbed by his bothersome minions again

#Cats #CatsOfMastodon #Fedicats #Mastocats #猫 #ねこ 

Fediverse Searches :fediverse: - a reminder to everyone that there's already *at least* a couple of powerful search engines out there in the wider #Fediverse that are far more powerful than Mastodon's hashtag based search. Both I am aware of seem to be *currently* assuming Public-posts are opt-IN by default

While I'm communicating this for my own #trans :flag_transgender: community it applies to us ALL so if in doubt, *do* consider using "Followers only" and "Unlisted" posts more on a case-by-case basis to restrict access on what *can* be widely indexed and searched as both of these seem to honour this. For me it's been an awareness-check, no more no less

1. Universeodon (this thread)
https://universeodon.com/@supernovae/110354181516041625

2. Calckey => discussions on this are in Codeberg - ref at least 9397 and 10007

Please don't beat me up on what *already* exists technically and may be in refinement / development. I simply want to raise awareness for everyone's wider online safety

#Mastodon #Calckey #Universeodon #TwitterMigration

@goatsarah @aendra @mentallyalex
Yeah! I mean horses-for-courses. I think they can't conceive of social networking that's not driven by "broadcast" accounts (as Alex says), and reach and ofc it's about advertising revenue

And it's not simply the UI. Calckey has a way nicer UI than Mastodon imo but also far more settings and features to curate your experience and timelines *BUT* you have to put in the effort - so it'll still be offputting if you have a 'birdbrain'