Taken from a Press Release by the group:

LONDON, 1 July 2024—Two young trans activists scaled the NHS England’s London headquarters at 133–135 Waterloo Road in London on Friday to stage a protest and have remained there ever since. The group, now made up of seven young protesters, all 18 or under, has one simple message: Trans Kids Deserve Better: we are not pawns for your politics.

The powerful direct action has been organised by the “​​Trans Kids Deserve Better” network, which is calling for: access to gender affirming healthcare for trans children and young people, protection from discrimination and disrespect in their daily lives and the right to be heard in all decisions that affect them.

Their protest comes in the wake of the government using emergency powers to ban all access to puberty blockers in the UK, a move that was supported by Labour’s Wes Streeting, likely to be the next Secretary of State for Health. It also comes in the context of a General Election campaign where trans people and trans youth have been used as ‘culture war’ talking points, but not allowed to speak for themselves.

“We are staging this protest to remind politicians and voters that we’re real kids, not just political talking points. We may not have a vote, but it is our lives that are at stake,” said one of the activists staging the protest. “Gender-affirming healthcare is a matter of life and death for us, and we hope that our actions will bring awareness to this fact and encourage others to fight for the healthcare and dignity that we are so shamefully denied.”

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

One of my favourite Autostraddle posts of all time.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/13660667

I got this "binder" recently. I like it better than any one I've had so far (I'd estimate that I've gone through about eight from various brands).

Pros:

-Very breathable, can exercise in it without feeling like death

-Not terrible in hot weather

-Doesn't show under a lot of shirts, though if you have a shirt with a wide neck it'll show, but does look like an undershirt as opposed to a bra since the neck is high.

-Helps with hiding hip fat

-Feels natural. I forget I'm wearing this sometimes. Probably would be fine sleeping in it as well, though it's good practice to take breaks.

Cons:

-If you have a bigger chest this isn't gonna do the best of jobs binding since it's got less compression than a typical binder. It's still not the worst option in that case, but you won't look completely flat. It's worked well for me flatness wise.

-I wouldn't wear this by itself because it doesn't fit like a regular shirt. Definitely looks an undergarment.

-It smells like a McDonald's playground right out of the package. I recommend you add baking soda into the wash to get the smell out faster.

-I suspect this will stretch out the longer I use it. The solution is to dry it on low as opposed to air dry it. It's got cotton in it so it'll shrink.

I recommend you only get it in black or white if your concern is passing. A lot of cis men will wear undershirts (typically in white, sometimes black, but never in nude).

If you're in-between measurements, order a size up. I made the mistake of getting a size down and I wasn't even able to get it over my head. Had to exchange it which took a while.

If you're interested in a binder with flatter coverage I will post a review of the underworks ultimate binder if requested. Underworks is by far my favorite binder brand for many reasons.

Hello, in the last months I habe taken an interest in the journey trans people go trough to be officially recognized as the gender they are and the surgical operations many go through to adapt their body to their Gender, how it differs in different states, and what can be done to improve this. Unfortunately (as you have probably read in the last sentence) I have no idea about anything regarding this topic. Therefore, I am asking if you know any worthwhile books, websites or any other resources where I can inform myself about these topics, preferably they should be in English or German, but I can just as well use a translator if it is any other language. Thank you for your answers in advance!

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

I'm so scared...

I'm from a small central European country called Austria. We recently had elections for our EU representative. Sadly, the HEAVILY conservative party (formerly the same party that Hitler was in) won.

Literally all that they want to do is just objectively wrong - from ignoring climate change to leaving the EU, and that's not even mentioning their views on us queer folk.

Seeing as how this election turned out, I'm so incredibly scared of the next one (nationalratswahl) because, if they get elected there too, they can cause some serious damage to Austria/us. I'm actually so scared that I feel the need to kinda rush my transition now (mainly meaning legal name/gender change).

I actually genuinely feel ashamed living here sometimes. And yes, I am thinking of leaving the country if it gets worse but it's really not that easy for me currently...

I'm sorry for the rant but I'm just incredibly scared about my safety here in the future. I also don't have any other place to rant this to ;-;

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

Just to have some conversation here I'm curious how you chose your name if you've already chosen one and what the story behind it is? And if you haven't chosen your name yet, maybe people are able to help you decide.

As for me it was always pretty clear which name I would choose because a few years before even realising I'm trans much less coming out I asked my mum what name I would have gotten if I was born a girl. She told me that I always successfully hid my genitals on every ultrasound picture (kind of prophetic in hindsight) so my parents had to choose a name for both possibilities. And thus a name was already chosen for me that fit perfectly. 🥰

I'm curious to hear your stories!

the waves crashing down are a terrible thing but the sounds on the shore where the little birds sing can be all that i need to keep going despite all the troubles surviving the ocean at night

i want to keep going; i cannot concede to the violence within causing me to recede

i know that i can't always gain what i seek but i know not how to escape from such a bleak and foreboding dismay of ideas in my mind and the fairy tale ending that's so hard to find

the journey itself is a battle it seems but there's hope in my heart to fulfill all my dreams

and i think that i must not sink further below

this struggle is real and i can still feel the undertow

but i will go on

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

i try to escape when it feels like i'm being pulled down and i don't know how to get out of here

being held under the surface fighting for a purpose igniting several verses

as it all goes gray i fear for today and the promise of tomorrow there's bound to be sorrow i wish i could borrow the power to eliminate this dread and despair and somehow to repair myself

it's almost too much to stay where i am to battle my demons to debate why the land that i know is the road to no- where

and if i can somehow overcome this now and keep from being pulled down again i'd still have to try to make a break for the shore and i don't know what to do anymore i'm trapped on the floor watching waves crash above but i'm guided by Love

Have you been in a codependent relationship?

My transition has helped me realize just how bad the codependency was in my marriage. Things are really rough for me currently as we try and untangle the destructive habits.

I have never had a sense of identity outside of my relationship with my wife. Now that is changing, it means my marriage must change with it... or not.

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

How do you feel about Pride? Plan on going to any events?

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

As the title says, I want to get into being more feminine with my voice, however, I find that I am highly inconsistant where I begin to slip out of it. I also dont know what parts I from my old voice should remain and what should change. It feels fake, like a unholy mix of micky mouse and logdotzip. Some of my best voice recordings make me excited but reminds me how fucked my default voice is. I swear, ive reached that voice almost instinctively whilst in euphoria and now cant find it again.

Hi all! I'm a trans woman who's known since I was a kid. My classmates brought up the topic of being trans once in class, and I remember mentioning my desire to "maybe become a woman when I grow up", as I put it. I can't remember the reaction clearly, but I must've been pretty put off since I didn't attempt to talk about it for quite a while after.

Fast forward to me being about 14. I get a deep episode of dysphoria and instead of hiding away like I usually would, I go to my mother, entirely pale in the face. We talk a bit in private and the only thing I can get out of my mouth is that I don't feel like a boy. She takes it as me not feeling like I live up to the gender norms and tries to solve that. Meanwhile I can't keep talking. My brain stops producing words at all and I just can't say anything.

This happens a lot of times over the years every time my mother asks me to buy new clothes for myself, every time the same complete shutdown. I really just want to continue working this out, and I'm in desperate need of new clothes, since I haven't bought any in years. I hate buying men's clothes, but if I continue boy-moding when I go back home, I'd have to buy new ones.

Thank you for reading this, whoever you are. I'm running on practically no sleep so I apologize if this is wordy, or unclear in any way. I just need to be done with this.

"Love is as varied as people are."

~Magnus Hirschfeld (date unknown)

If you are thinking about harming yourself — get immediate crisis support. Connect to a crisis counselor 24/7, 365 days a year, from anywhere in the U.S via text, chat, or phone. The Trevor Project is 100% confidential and 100% free.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

I can't help but think at night
Of that which never was, but might.

I've faced the demons deep inside
And found the answers that they hide.
But if I'd known it all back then,
Just think how much it could've changed...

It took so long to find the way
That most are trailing every day,
And now they seem so far ahead.
I miss the past I've never had,
Where all I took so long to see
Were always clear, and I'd be free.

How can I catch up with the rest?
How can I make up for the past?
Is it too late to change my fate?
Have I missed the train of luck?
Has life gone by while I was stuck?

-- Lady Scarecrow

Link to the survey itself: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/GenderCensus2024