I've said this before but every basic feminism 101 women's empowerment event I've ever been to has been all about telling women and girls that it's okay to speak up for ourselves, it's okay to take up space, it's okay to be strong and fast and loud and hungry and sexy and smart and good at things without feeling shame, but apparently, with the way some people talk, the second a trans woman does any of these things it's evidence of "male socialization" and needs to be called out and "corrected." like, even if this were the case, which it isn't, I think it's patently insane to believe "it looks like these women don't have as much crushing shame from a lifetime of experiencing misogyny as most other women" (<- a claim that, from my experience, is simply not true about trans women) and then follow it up with "I must Fix This by teaching them to shut up and be ashamed" instead of, like, idk "good for them, I wish this type of liberation for all other women as well."
If your democrat friends start muttering about stolen election conspiracy theories, the time to have a sit down with them and express your concerns is NOW, while you still have a chance to reach them, not 6 months from now when they're fully conspiracy-pilled.
Here's some of the talking points and why they're bullshit:
'10 million votes don't just disappear!' -> Joe Biden's 81 million votes were a statistical outlier, sparked by the recent experience of the Trump presidency. The democrats failed to maintain that sense of urgency, but Harris still got more votes than Hillary Clinton, more than Obama and more than any previous democratic candidate. These numbers are not weird at all.
'The Republicans tried to infiltrate election- and vote counting organizations!' -> yeah, they did, and yet hundreds of independent legal observers didn't see anything go wrong enough to raise any alarms. Independent exit polls are also very consistently similar to the counted votes. Tons of international organizations specialized in this stuff observed the election and didn't see a reason to raise the alarm.
'But I know a dozen democrats whose mail-in votes were not counted!' -> In any election a certain number of votes are registered as invalid because something was wrong with the ballot. In a country the size of the US, that translates to many thousands of votes. The internet allows these people to find each other, creating the false impression that a suspiciously large group of votes was not valid.
'Musk used Star Link to mess with electronic voting!' -> Electronic voting machines are not connected to the internet and dozens of independent media have already debunked this myth. It is absolutely impossible to use Star Link to fake election results.
'There is voter disenfranchisement!' -> This is true. This has always been true, for every election. It's an issue worth talking about but it's not a special secret conspiracy that's unique to this election.
But just as importantly as the facts: sit down with your friend and talk about the anxiety that's behind their conspiracy leanings. Acknowledge their pain and fear. Help them find ways to feel less powerless and regain their sense of agency. Take them to a mutual aid event, involve them in a fundraising event for a marginalized group, invite them to a local community effort. If they spend more time feeling connection and empowerment and less time doom scrolling online, they're far more likely to stay in reality.
Everyone listen and don't ignore me, I really need you to help me participate and donate. Today, bombs were dropped near our tent and my family and I were displaced to the north because of the violent bombing. We moved to a far place on foot while we were fasting and we did not find a safe place to sit in. We did not sleep except in the street. I need you. Donate Here
i just. the spice that makes drag so transgressive and femboys so sexual and calling your favorite fictional man "babygirl" fun is transmisogyny.
crossing the line from "male" to "female" is the ultimate gendered taboo in our society, you know it, i know it, we're all acting on it. but when trabs women say "hey we're actually living that transgression and it makes us, specifically, vulnerable" the fun music stops and everyone pretends they dont know what shes talking about.
you stand here enjoying and celebrating and profiting from the aesthetics of transfeminity, all while ignoring the societal hierarchies that make it so enticing. all while rejecting the people most harmed by that stigma.
if you ever wonder why trans women dont like drag or are so mean to femboys or whatever just sit on this and maybe have the barest minimum amount of self reflection.
if you have a couple of bucks to spare, consider throwing them to The Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS). they provide counseling and other forms of support to first nations people who are residential school survivors. this is a list of other charities that support first nations people, this list is a mix of charities and ways to learn more about first nation activism and history, and this is a link to a free online college course called Indigenous Canada
we as trans women need to have real solidarity, not the kind you post abt then turn around and let every other tranny you've pushed out of your life end up destitute, i really feel like i'm the only one actually trying so hard