On the bus yesterday i was verbally harassed/assaulted by two women. In the space of no more than a 10 minute bus ride (during which they were both standing over me) i was called a "faker" (referring to my crutches and how they "just knew" i could actually walk), a "retard", a "fat pig", a "fucking faggot", that i was "obviously inbred", that i "deserved the beating" i had apparently taken (id had all 4 wisdom teeth removed a week or so earlier and was pretty bruised up), and that i was a "disgusting piece of shit" who was a "waste of space". 10 minutes.

The driver said not one single thing during this entire attack. There was a woman and young child sitting across from me, who had apparently been their target before i got on the bus. She looked shaken but together. She told me to let it run off like water on a duck's back. i tried. Two fags sat next to me and started chatting and joking with me and the other target, while these two women continued their assault. It didn't stop the entire trip. Even as these guys tried to joke about it, and the woman with the child told me to let it go and just not respond to them, (both of which is generally surprising--mostly round here? people dont do anything, not in my experience. i've been punched in the head and literally kicked in the back down the stairs off of a bus in two separate homophobic attacks, and not one single person said or did anything, and other less physical attacks have taken place where i've just had to sit and deal, no one saying anything) it continued. i sat there, in the gimp seats, stuck. i couldnt leave because the bus was moving and i couldn't get up when the bus was moving.

It was clear the driver wasnt going to do anything. When i asked them to "just please stop" and "i dont know whats going on, but please dont take it out on me, i dont know why youre saying these things to me, please stop" several times, it only made it worse. So while i wanted to be all Mimi Plastique, i just sat there, afraid they were going to get off the bus and fuck with me, and just soaked it in.

i understand rage, i understand pain, and i understand how sometimes it's hard to keep it together. The only explanation i can come up with is that there was something pretty serious going on for them both, and that they had somehow snapped from one end to the other so fast they werent in control of themselves anymore.

But really? Do people honestly think they're the only ones hurting?

We're not.



Sometimes being a queer, fat, disabled trans gimp busrider in this town sucks. For real.

hiya :)
so i just added some stuff from awhile ago. im gonna try to keep this thing more updated and regular, sans roughage. Well perhaps a little.

<3

Gimps Against the Games!

VMC interviews romham gallacher from Gimps Against the Games about protesting ableism, the Olympics and Paralympics

by VMC

VMC: Why did Gimps Against the Games form?

romham gallacher: I was tired of seeing gimps used to sell the games (“inspiring”! “rewarding!”), the dearth of information out there about gimps who oppose them and why (“why on earth would you disabled people oppose the Paralympic games?! You must just be bitter that you can’t compete like those inspiring athletes!”), the unchecked ableism in anti-Olympics organizing like any other organizing [i.e. meetings/gatherings held in non-accessible spaces; no accessibility information being provided on events calendars; paternalism; the ableist romanticization & prioritization of specific kinds of direct action - actions that usually don’t take different bodies into account (both the risks of inhabiting a marked body in a fucked up ableist society & the actual limitations of those bodies).] I was tired of being told to "then organize something!" &/or "show up (to our non-accessible venues!) & we can talk about it instead of just complaining" and "we don’t have time/ money/ energy to deal with you/ with this," as well as being told by organizers that they didn’t even think about opposing the Paralympics, the how’s or why’s, and/or their fears about being seen as ableist for opposing them, while doing shit-all to figure it out.

I wanted to see other options: meetings, fundraisers, dances, panels, etc held in accessible spaces; gimps sharing our concerns/ideas/perspectives/resources/time/money/energy; creating connections with other groups and increasing our ability to influence other groups; organizing bunches of us to attend protests (for both protection and presence). Gimps are seriously impacted by the cuts, by the security zones, impeded by all the transit shut-downs, by all of it, and i wasn’t seeing any anti Olympics organizing acknowledging that at all. I thought if there was a bunch of us, we could go to events en masse and share ideas on making these groups and gatherings more accessible. It seemed like Facebook (pretty new to me) might be one way to get folks together. I wanted to not feel so isolated as a gimp, so unsafe, so unconsidered, and figured other folks might be looking for that too. So we started connecting in person, at accessible spaces, meeting up to take transit to demos together, checking in with each other, keeping each others’ backs until some other organizers decided to check it out too.

VMC: What is GAG's stance on the Olympics and Paralympics?

RG: GAG opposes the Enabled Olympics because of: the occupation of stolen Native land, “security” and eroding of civil liberties, environmental destruction and waste, corporatization, damage to communities, exploitation, lack of affordable housing, public costs and debt. GAG explicitly addresses that gimps are seriously impacted by the cuts, by the security zones, impeded by all the transit shut-downs, by all of it. GAG opposes the Paralympics because it feeds from the same trough as the Enabled Olympics, and are just as problematic. The Paralympics have been paired with the Enabled Olympics for 20 years; they are financially and ideologically bound.

VMC: What would you like to see changed about the two institutions?

RG: Personally, I don’t want them changed; I want them both disbanded. They’re a waste of time, money and energy. When governments can’t even get it together to create a national housing strategy, can’t keep disabled folks’ benefits even at the puny amount they’re at, are slashing our basic essentials like glucometers for diabetics, fresh water for folks living with HIV/AIDS, pre-made orthotics for those of us who require them to walk, slashing what was a pittance for dental care, shutting down already cash-strapped rehab centres and programs across the province, tossing people off of disability benefits (all that just the tip of the iceberg), but can spend $7Billion on a three week long ice skating party, something is seriously wrong. The games are irredeemable in my books. If folks want to support sports, why not put money into kids programs? Or, you know, just put back all the money lost from kids’ programs to make way for the Olympics?

VMC: What would you like Vancouver to have redirected its resources towards instead of the two Games?

RG: Affordable housing; reinstating the services cut since the bid; better transit options for gimps, including year long bus passes for all folks on welfare as well as disability benefits; expanded occupational therapy and home care; an end to the welfare time limits; dealing effectively with the ongoing fallout from Woodlands; more support staff at rehab centres; national accessibility standards like the Americans with Disabilities Act, but with accessible legal aid so that it’s actually available to those who need it the most; the list goes on and on and on. We need our services back, and we need them expanded!

To know more about Gimps Against the Games, check out the Facebook page: GAG

Solidarity Tip #328a

Also, if more folks who attend non-accessible events talk about/ mention/ encourage accessibility, you wont be the only one doing it, and your comments won't be so easily dismissed as just the ramblings of a bitter bitter non heroic gimp! Teamwork, people!

Solidarity Tip # 73: Follow Through!

If you're fortunate enough to have someone/s offer their assistance in auditing your space for its accessibility, DO NOT accept the help & make promises about what's going to happen with the results of that work you have no intention of keeping. Follow through. Respect the time & energy of the folks doing the work. They're supporting you in creating more inclusive, amazing communities. Return the favour.

Solidarity tip #283: Do The Research Yourself.

Solidarity tip #283: Do The Research Yourself. Non disabled folks doing your own part to investigating the accessibility of an event you'll be attending. Call around, ask questions, report back to organizers.Know that you might need to ask more questions, or touch bases with others who do this stuff regularly to fill in gaps. Result? More awareness of the spaces we use, increased solidarity, fabulous community.

more accessibility tips

Often a space is listed as being "wheelchair accessible", but on followup it is discovered that an event held there was actually not wheelchair accessible or disability friendly at all. Accessibility is often (but not always) about the physical space, the architecture of the space itself, absolutely, but often that physical space changes dramatically when an event is happening.

For example, a space that may be considered wheelchair accessible when empty is entirely unnavigable when an event is underway, because of crowds, seating, lighting, etc. So, when talking about a generalized disabled access, it is *really* important to have a sense of how a space will be set up ahead of time, to ensure there is free access to washrooms, to fire exits(!), and the like, to ensure the space is properly lit, and has well lit areas for certain kinds of communication, to ensure there are volunteers dealing specifically with disability access tasks, etc.

If you're unsure what to look for when determining whether a space is actually accessible, ask questions. You can chat with me about it, i make myself pretty available. i offer a pretty extensive accessibility audit, and don't charge for it (though i'll happily accept offers and freebees lol). There's much to consider, and because wheelchairs arent objects which magically propel themselves (ie without a user) it aint all about whether "a wheelchair" can fit through the front door, yknow? Aside from the fact that wheelchairs come in a *huge* range of dimensions, there's a whole person involved, trying to navigate the space.
There are also folks on crutches, folks new to being disabled or with temporary disabililties who may not be accustomed to navigating spaces while disabled, folks with chemical sensitivities, elders, non sighted folks, deaf folks, fat folks, folks with kids, etc. Many folks require various kinds of accessible spaces, so let's work together to make that happen. Ask questions, research, collaborate!

SOLIDarity

For anyone who wishes to be in solidarity with me as a disabled person, as opposed to being my ally, i really hope you'll read this.

Every day i leave my apartment sighted people stare at me. They stare at me, ask intrusive questions about my body. They expect answers, and when they don’t get them, or the ones they wanted, they get angry with me. They hiss and tsk and shake their heads and dismiss me and laugh at me and swear and occasionally they spit and hit. This stuff happens all the time. It's especially brutal when i’m alone. This happens Every. Single. Day.

Because i'm disabled in a way that sighted people can perceive, they behave as though they have ownership over my body. They behave as though my body is here for them to scrutinize, to judge; and they expect me to feel the same way and act according to their ableist framework. And they do so with the knowledge that most of the people around them will back them up.

This stuff happens all the time, because i am ALWAYS disabled in a way that sighted folks can perceive.

But it doesn’t just happen with strangers, certainly none of whom are telling me they’re my "ally". Strangers are one thing, that’s tough enough to deal with, but at least i’ll be getting off the bus soon, only have to interact with this person a few more minutes, at least i'll be able to get to the safety of my apartment soon. When it's friends and lovers and “allies” who do these things, it follows me into my home. It eats away at me in a way no other person could. When “allies” refuse to learn, refuse to listen, refuse to shift, it burns my throat. When friends allow the reality of living ENabled in an ableist society to bleed into their interactions with me unchecked and without doing the actual work necessary to be in true solidarity with me, it literally aches.

i am disabled by a society that says i'm not worth it. Every. Single. Day.

Yet when i speak to this daily lived reality (even as relatively infrequently as i do, compared to how often i could), i've been told, by self-identified “allies”, that my words are “too much”; that they “can’t hear it all”; that i swear too much; that i “expect too much” from people, and ultimately, that i am “too sensitive”.

When you can grasp what an incredibly teensy percentage of actual incidents these posts articulate, maybe then you'll be able to appreciate how fair, kind, reasonable they really are.

al⋅lies
[al-ahyz, uh-lahyz]
–noun
1. pl. of ALLY.

2. (initial capital letter ) (in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia), with the nations allied with them (Belgium, Serbia, Japan, Italy, etc., not including the United States), or, loosely, with all the nations (including the United States) allied or associated with them as opposed to the Central Powers.
3. (initial capital letter ) the 26 nations that fought against the Axis in World War II and, with subsequent additions, signed the charter of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945.
4. (initial capital letter ) the member nations of NATO.
al⋅ly [v. uh-lahy; n. al-ahy, uh-lahy] –verb (used with object)
1. to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage, or the like (usually fol. by with or to): Russia allied itself to France.
2. to associate or connect by some mutual relationship, as resemblance or friendship.
–verb (used without object)
3. to enter into an alliance; join; unite.
–noun
4. a person, group, or nation that is associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose: Canada and the United States were allies in World War II.
5. Biology. a plant, animal, or other organism bearing an evolutionary relationship to another, often as a member of the same family: The squash is an ally of the watermelon.
6. a person who associates or cooperates with another; supporter.



i don’t want allies, i want people to be in solidarity with me.



sol⋅i⋅dar⋅i⋅ty [sol-i-dar-i-tee]
noun, plural -ties.
1. union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests, as between members of a group or between classes, peoples, etc.: to promote solidarity among union members.
2. community of feelings, purposes, etc.
3. community of responsibilities and interests.
solidarity
1841, from Fr. solidarité "mutual responsibility," a coinage of the "Encyclopédie" (1765), from solidaire "interdependent, complete, entire," from solide.


What that means to me is that we understand we're not an “ally of _______ people”, but that we're in solidarity with each other; that you and i have had conversations about what it means to be in solidarity with one another, in all our complexities; that there's been some exchange, some understanding, some agreements made.

i am not a member of Group A. i can't be an ally to the group "A". It's an impossibility. Unless i believe that members of Group A have one mind, one set of desires, of expectations, have one way of expressing themselves. i don’t believe that, and so i do the work of understanding on an individual basis what it takes for me to be in solidarity with individual people who are members of Group A. The hope is that that work translates into my broader understanding of the multitude issues faced by, and the multitude realities of people who are members of Group A, learning about Group A's rights, projects that are happening in my city and beyond that are about support, empowerment, community, and listening to some tough stuff. And of utmost importance, that i do not harm members of Group A with my ignorance. That i listen when they tell me i have, and that i take steps to change my behaviour. That i'll take all of that, be constantly updating my information, my connections, that i'll in return share my own stuff. It’s a back and forth arrangement, we both learn, challenge, change. We both perceive each other, support.


It doesn’t count when we're not both engaged in the work. It doesn’t count when you can and do back out anytime it gets uncomfortable or downright painful. If i backed out of being in solidarity with you every time i felt like it was too tough, or too inconvenient, where would we be? How long would you want me around if every time it really counted, when you truly needed me, every time you wanted to just speak your mind about the kinds of shit you deal with, the anger, the frustration, the sadness, and to simply be heard, i took off?

i make promises to myself and my communities about the kinds of work i'll engage in. i take advice on it, change and challenge, be challenged. i STFU.

i respect you - that’s why i ask and expect you to check your shit.
i trust you - that’s why i share my life with you, even the really hard stuff.
i love you - that’s why i refuse to give up.
i love myself - that is why i expect more.

If i am in solidarity with you - that is why i do this.
This is the work of being in solidarity with people. It's not an identity we can claim for ourselves. It is work. It has been and always will be work. Our individual responses to the work will always cause variations on pain and anger and resentment and shame and guilt and defensiveness that we'll need to check for ourselves. And it'll always be worthwhile. Every. Single. Time.

Please, don’t be my ally. Be in solidarity with me. It’s not semantics, it makes an actual difference in the real world. i want solidarity, nothing less will do.

sometimes i struggle with this

sometimes i struggle with this:
i know that disabled folks dont look a certain way. i know that folks who are disabled but not perceived by the culture as disabled deal with a whole range of shit that i dont anymore. And i also know that there are things i deal with, as someone who is labeled disabled, who is identifiably disabled by an ableist culture (meaning, because i am identified by people living in an ableist culture as being disabled, because sighted folks can see that i am disabled, and because of that put all their bullshit about disabled folks on me, every day, all day, and i cant escape it for a moment), there are things i deal with that others dont. i want to be able to speak to that without that meaning im invalidating the experiences of folks with invisible [to sighted folks] disabilities. Because thats not what it is. i dont have that kind of power. i just want to be able to speak to my lived experience.

So. If i want to have a photo taken of me with someone/s else who is also identifiably disabled by an ableist culture, i think thats ok. If i want to sit around and chat with other folks who are identifiably disabled by an ableist culture, i think thats ok too. Its more than ok. Its super important to me to share those experiences, to support each other with the particular kinds of shit we get when we are identifiably disabled by an ableist culture, to make art about it, music, words, something i can look to when i feel so completely fucked up from having to deal with it every single day. Because while those experiences are hugely variant, there are some commonalities that i want to chat/complain/cry/create/laugh about with other folks who deal with it. When i have these moments with folks who also deal with this stuff, there's a connection there, an understanding--even in our differences-- theres this common experience of being seen[sic] & and yet not seen[sic] at the same time.

There are so many things i dont yet know how to talk about. But theres something to connecting with other folks who are also seen/not seen[sic] at the same time that means something to me. Not to any other disabled persons exclusion, holy fuck no, but to grow my heart, to figure out where some of the fissures are, to sew it up or let it bleed. i need this.

What do you need to help you heal your heart? And how will/do you find it/create it?

let's get real a minute

Please take the time to read this. It's not long, and will be (if you're doin' it right) mostly painless, i promise. Feel free to repost this.

Please, if you are putting on an event, make sure you indicate the level of accessibility in your promotional materials & callouts. Ensure that the indicated access level is actually the level offered at the venue and not simply what you wish or assume is offered. It gets old fast showing up having been told a space is "fully wheelchair accessible" only to discover it is actually only "semi wheelchair accessible", for example; or to be told an event is "accessible" but without sign language interpretation. Yes, this kind of transparency actually DOES make a difference for real live disabled folks & DOES impact whether & to what extent i'll support your event.
[And here's a novel idea i'd like people to consider: If your venue does have a wheelchair accessible entrance, why not make that the DEFAULT entrance, for everyone? Get people used the the notion that this matters to folks using wheelchairs and scooters; and yes, this matters to more than only those folks you identify as requiring a wheelchair accessible entrance; that more people will actually show up if you provide wheelchair access; that it actually does matter that it is disabled folks who are required to enter through some super secret, rocky, usually poorly lit, back alley entrance (at which there is never a safety or security person positioned, and often no reliable way of alerting staff to your presence). i promise, gimps are chock full of handy ideas!]

If you're unsure what level to identify your events, ask me (i say that just because, well, you know me, and we're talkin' here...) or any number of other folks equipped to provide accurate, up to date, critical information on accessibility. Use the skills and energy of those of us who have put ourselves out there on this stuff! Seriously. i dont do accessibility audits only because i enjoy them (which i totally do); i do them because i think it's critical that folks are aware of the spaces they're using, and not just the status quo able-bodied centric viewpoint, but from that of an actual disabled person (in conversation with several other variously disabled folks) who has to navigate the spaces you choose for your fine-ass events. i also know how important it is to me personally to have the information ahead of time, to not have to call 6 people to find accurate information, to not have to surf around the internet for an hour trying to find the info.
im personally invested in being part of creating a culture where it isnt always just gimps taking responsibility for this stuff, but all of our community. Part of that process is showing each other how its done, what information we need, and getting it out there consistently.

This really is just part of the work of organizing events, like any other part. i'm hopeful that more people will take this to heart, and apply it consistently, just as a matter of course.

i'm always open to conversation and questions about my take on this stuff, sharing resources, energy, time and experience. Let's get it the fuck on, people!

xox

not accessible? then don't invite me.

Not wheelchair accessible? Then please DON'T INVITE ME.

More specifically:
Let's get real, people.
Meaning, if you are putting on an event that you think will be fun and fabulous and you just want all your friends to attend? But that event is being held in a NON accessible location? Then yes, please do not invite me. i am tired of being put in the position -- by ENabled (able-bodied) folks -- of having to choose between solidarity with my friends and/or lovers and/or community members who are unable to access such spaces, and attending because the friends and/or lovers and/or community putting something on are ENabled and just arent thinking about access, and no matter what i'll just keep missing out on the good stuff.Tired of having to choose between dragging my ass up the stairs (which i often cant do) that you seem to think are no big deal, or staying home.

i am so. incredibly. tired.
There are times when i feel like i cant stand even one more incident of ableism in my communities. One more incident and my brain will fucking implode for good. One more incident and my heart will shrink back to its old, fucked up, defeated size; and i will go back to not going out, not being part of fun, educational, inspiring, challenging community events, not volunteering my goddamned gimped ASS off for them. And that is fucked up. All because way too many people cant get their shit together and do some actual, for real solidarity. That is a goddamned shame, and yes, even though im no fan of "shoulds", you absolutely should feel something for participating in it. You should want to change that. You should want this to be different. You just should. Dont you think so? It's just such incredibly basic shit.

And while i know that this will never be easy for anyone, particularly those of you who cannot or will not conceptualize what ableism means on the ground for those of us who live with it every day, i do continue to expect better. i expect more. i expect it in large part because so many people talk a streak about solidarity, but dont seem clear on how that is impacted by ableism. i expect it because i and so many other disabled folks put our gimped asses on the line literally every day for this stuff. We put in time, energy and what little money we have working on accessibility. i've certainly never asked for one single thing in return. Not money, not notoriety, not even your attention for more than it takes to consider something ive written on the topic. i do it because i need it to get done lol, and there are so few people doing it. i do it because my friends/lovers/comrades need it done, and so few people are doing it. i do it because its right. i just wish more people for whom this didnt directly impact would step up and do it too. Because, yknow, they tend to be the ones with the resources to make this stuff actually happen.

Please, think about the ways you have and havent been honestly looking at this stuff, and endeavour to do better. Listen to what disabled folks have to say about it, we are, after all, the actual experts in our own experiences--which is a critical piece so many ENabled folks seem to miss when it comes to disabled folks.

i know perfectly well what im missing out on because so so few are doing anything about ableism and inaccessibility in our communities. But i fear that so many have no idea what yer are missing out on by doing nothing. And that is a damn shame. (im not going to go to that other place, the one that is about how i know that some folks do know what theyre missing out on by excluding gimps, and because of their fucked up notions about disabled folks are quite happy to maintain the status quo...thats for another post.)

see asterisk for more detail re: access, community, mutual support

more specifically:
OK. So. This is what happens when you support me: i support you. Deal? Deal*. Very exciting! You support me, i support you. That is what community is about folks. Right there.

Do you realize that if everyone said "No. No, we will neither attend nor support this inaccessible event because it shuts out members of our communities. How can we make this different together?", that if more people said that, stuff would change much quicker and more appropriately? And that then i could spend more time cuddling? Sounds good to me.

Support me and i will support you. Have each other's back. Deal? Deal.

some point form on stealth, queer, trans, gimp, far and privilege

just some thoughts for the day...

- being "stealth" is not / wont be the downfall of the trans community

- it is CISSEXISM that challenges us, that degrades us, that creates rifts, that kills us, so please dont attempt to derail us in our self-love, support, community building projects with some bullshit about how our troubles are because of stealth folks, genderqueers, trans kinksters, fat trans folks, or any other trans person.

- not all people you identify as being "stealth" trans people identify that way (either as stealth or trans or any combination), and THAT IS OK

- being cis(sexual and or gender) does not mean you are a bad person, and it is not an attack on your personal freedoms to be identified as cis(sexual or gender).

- not all trans folks, including myself, want to hear your neverending processing about your cissexual privilege

- some of us, including me, do want to hear what work youre doing

- queer =/= trans by default; trans =/= queer by default

- i personally believe that how i am queer is about who and how i fuck, about my political strategies, is also intimately connected to my trans identity, it's about a bunch of stuff, and THAT IS OK

- this fat person does not want to listen to you process your emotions around my body

- this gimp does not want to listen to you process your emotions around my body

- advocating for a scent-free and/or scent-reduced space is not restricting your personal freedoms, creating anarchy and/or creating a police state

- anyone, ANYONE, who tells me that they refuse to place accessibility information on their websites and other promotional materials is actively accessing ENabled privilege. Full stop.

- it is not my job as a gimp to educate you about my thoughts on gimp stuff, but it is most certainly my right to do so, and it would do us all a favourfor you to pay some attention

- my love of my fat body, my trans body, my gimped body, is not some delusion. It is self love in the face of a never-ending flood of messages that my body is wrong, is other, is worthless, is ugly.

Do not get in the way of me loving my body.

My Tranifesto: An Ongoing Self Exam Sans Stirrups

i started this in April, but have been adding to it.

Always more to think about and add...

My Tranifesto: An Ongoing Self Exam Sans Stirrups

1a. i am in love with my cunt. My cunt is the sacred black hole into which all the things that try to assail my heart are turned, spun, chrysalis. My cunt has always been with me, and always will, whether in its current solid form or in brainwaves or memories. My cunt is like none other. My cunt is mine and mine alone. My cunt is powerful, beautiful, unstoppable, and neither rape, nor guilt, nor expectation, nor the state can take that away. i will maintain and celebrate this connection, without shame, without fear, without explanation. i will include in my life only those people who respect this. My cunt-love doesn't take away or minimize you or your identity, your cunt or not-cunt. My cunt-love doesn't have anything to do with you. My cunt-love is between me and my cunt, spun from the silk of my Mother's cunt, and her Mother's cunt, and so on.

1 b. i refuse to use my cunt as a tool of and/or justification for oppression. My cunt has too long been at the shit-end of that stick. My cunt is not a podium from behind which i will allow myself or others to spout hatred.

Specifically, in solidarity with Unconsentually Assigned Male At Birth trans folks:

• i will not allow myself or others to use my cunt as a tool to oppress UAMAB trans folks.

• i will not allow the existence or not-existence of an UAMAB trans persyn's cunt to determine whether and to what extent i show her/them respect, solidarity and compassion.

• i will not demand that UAMAB trans folks' interpretations, experiences or physical embodiments of their cunts match my own. My solidarity will not be based on her/their ability or willingness to conform to mine.

• i will consistently challenge myself on my assumptions around what it means to me to have been born with a particular kind of cunt, and
  

• i will not allow those who would use their cunt against UAMAB trans folks to sway me in this exploration.

• i will call out those who use the existence or not-existence of a specific kind of cunt to defend their hatred, fear, exclusion, marginalization and oppression of UAMAB trans folks; and refuse to participate in any way in undertakings based in such oppression.

• i refuse, despite the ongoing invitations, to enjoy "women-only" events; and will scrutinize "women-focused", "women and trans" or "past, present and future women" events until such time it's clear these events and spaces truly honour all women.

2. i am proud of who and what i am. i am Trans. i have been and am fucking raging. i am tired of bullshit that tries to degrade me, to insult me, to minimize and/or trivialize my pain, to erase and appropriate my history. i will not allow myself to succumb to this violence, this soul-murder. and i won't allow non-Trans people, any of them, to take that and turn it into some Queer Theory bullshit, or into some psychosis, or some thing i'm meant to be ashamed of and / or open up to every fucker who wants a piece.

3. i am proud of my community and will support and protect and struggle alongside my Trans friends, lovers, comrades, acquaintances, strangers, in their own searches and struggles to be proud of their communities. i will challenge myself, expand my brain, my heart, the grasp of my fingers, shut the fuck up, speak out, then shut the fuck up and speak up and shut the fuck up and so on so that i can be a solid member of my Trans communities.

4. i have a right to be in this body, and to use the language i choose to define it. i will consistently challenge myself around the words i choose, i will continue to learn, to listen, to adapt, to honour.

5. i will not allow myself to succumb to the sexist and transphobic bullshit i'm forced to swim in every day. i will call bullshit. every. fucking. time. And because there are times my spirit is broken, or my head is in a fog or my body pain is too much to bear, i will take care of that, and then i'll get back to calling bullshit.

6. i will continue to not poison my Trans body with alcohol, whether attempting to numb the physical and emotional pain in my body, my family, or the universe. i want my cunt to continue to experience life free from numbness. i came out of my Mother's cunt in a bath of numbness, and stayed there for thirty years. i'm done. This isn't easy, it's not without setbacks, challenges, questions, context. But silence & denial = death, and yeah, i'm done with that too.

ally is a verb not an identity

Hi folks,
a semi-annual request.

If you are going to advertise for events, gatherings, etc, please for the love of golden-fried perogies,
INCLUDE THE MAUDEDAMN
ACCESS INFO!

It takes a phone call or a visit to the space, a moment to type it up along with the rest of your post, and does a world of good.
Some incredibly basic examples of what im personally asking for:
- is the entire space "wheelchair accessible"? Do you know what that means?

- if just the main space is w/c accessible, give some detail about what the deal is with the bathrooms: can a person in a wheelchair access them? can that person transfer on either or only one side of the toilet? are there bars? does the door swing into or out of the stall? what are the measurements?

- if there are stairs, how many? are there landings? are there railings? on one or both sides? how wide is the staircase?

- is there to be a clear path so folks can get through the space without getting knocked on their asses or run into?

- is the space scent and smoke free?

- is the space on an accessible bus route? if not, is it on any bus route?

- is there sign language interpretation available?

- is the place well-lit or moody? are signs big and bold, high contrast?

- is there gimp parking available?

- is there a variety of seating? or is it all those folding "chairs" of doom?

- is there a contact person for access issues?
- etc

It seems like a lot of work, but really, its not. It's considerably more work to show up at an event only to find it's up a huge flight of stairs, and/or the bathroom isnt accessible, and/or the place smells like a perfume shop.

There are those of us who have been working on this kind of stuff for a long ass time and already know the info you need. If youre unsure, ask.

But please, get on it. Toute suite.

Thanks, loves.
xoxox