friendlytroll:

dosopod:

holdthesebees:

[TW: Trans* stuff, binding, ACE Bandages.]

I’ve been looking around and I’ve been seeing a lot of art of FTM!Dave or other versions of FTM characters. That’s great that people are including transfolk and that’s super cool that it’s sort of accepted in the fandom. However, that’s not the problem I have because hey that would be fucking horrible.

My problem is this:

[Sorry I didn’t want to use images of people who used this irl or whatever because it felt weird to just take their pictures for this post. This is as close to a stock image I can get for this subject.]

ACE bandages are NOT for binding. But, we see them everywhere in movies, books, shows, art, photography, EVERYTHING. Most transfolk I talk to are completely oblivious that this form of binding can break your ribs, cause internal bleeding, and warp your insides. This is because this method of binding is shown in most movies or any other media where a transperson is involved. It is a common misconception that is hurting a lot of trans* youth and young adults who don’t know any better. They assume the only way of binding is one that hurts and causes them extreme pain because it’s the only option.

This may seem harsh but, when you draw a picture of a FTM character in ACE bandages, you are only HURTING the people you are trying to represent. Good intentions aside, you’re perpetuating the myth and causing yet another individual to start binding with ACE bandages. You’re doing much more harm than you are helping, and you seriously should stop portraying trans* characters using that method of binding.

I’ve done some research around the internet on FTM communities and I’ve heard these reports of damages caused by binding with ACE bandages:

• Internal bleeding
• Ribs breaking/warping
• Difficulty breathing
• Bruising
• Light headedness 
• Long term medical problems

“ACE bandages are a bad idea. They are inherently dangerous. The nature of an ace bandage is to get tighter whenever it’s stretched; every time you inhale you’re stretching it, and when you exhale it tightens around your ribcage. Do that all day and it’s quite unsafe, even if you’re not bound excruciatingly tightly the way so many folks do. Breathing problems are par for the course with ACE bandages; coughing up blood is common; broken ribs are not unheard of. They can also cut your skin. Just a bad idea all the way around.”

Chest Binder Reviews did a evaluation on this method of binding, and it revealed some gruesome results. This website IS extremely helpful on showing you methods of binding and the effects they have, though. Chest Binder Review [TW: DAMAGES CAUSED BY ACE BANDAGES; BRUISING] 

Seriously, I know everyone has the right to *creative freedom,* but is it worth making a teen hurt themselves so you can represent the ignorant view of how to bind? There are MANY different types of binders you can draw your character in and get the point across. Even better, when they see these binders [that are actually made to do the job] they’ll ask about them. They’ll want to know what they are and where they can get them.

I know you might feel as though portraying trans* characters using ACE bandages is more visceral and raw. Trust me, we have plenty of portrayals of that already. But I’ve never seen a movie that features a trans* character actually using a proper binder. Even adult characters still use the ACE bandage method. So please, if you’re going to try to draw a trans* character, write one, or whatever, refrain from perpetuating this dangerous and horrible myth. You can seriously help people from causing serious irreversible damage. 

This post isn’t to call artists out that I’ve seen do this, nor is it to call out fic writers or whatever. I’m not asking them to drag themselves through the mud so they can be “redeemed” or whatever. I’m just asking people to simply be more aware of how dangerous and serious this is, and how you can help it get a little bit better by stomping out the myth yourself. 

If you’ve read this far, thanks. Seriously. I’ve been thinking about how to make this post and how to word this post, and I’m just glad I finally said something. 

Resources/References for real Binders:

• Underworks
• The Big Post of Stuff for Really Poor Transguys [EXTREMELY USEFUL]

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD POST PLS READ IT

and it really is true because i almost started binding with ace bandages because i saw it everywhere, until people told me the truth and showed me some binders

ace bandages are great for MINOR INJURIES, not for wrapping around vital organs

please don’t hurt yourself or depict people hurting themselves like this

THIS IS VERY GOOD STUFF.

For the record, I use a very expensive brand from taiwan I have to save up for a LOT before I can get new ones- but you know the funny thing?

They look just like exercise tops, or tank tops! They’re from t-Kingdom, which has a great range of stuff. And you know the best part- they’re EASY TO DRAW.

Come on guys. Win win. Healthier way to present the concept, and WAY easier to draw.

lacigreen:

yamino:

toysofthe80s:

Vintage Lego Ad - Sociological Images

The link is worth a look for more vintage gender-neutral toy advertisements.  

back before Lego decided to be shitty

gromdork:

i needed to make a porn folder just to save these images

sinofthemockingbird:

emilianadarling:

Laci Green in “Men & Femininity.” (x)

I only use razors infused with danger.

beatonna:

living life fast and furious on the internet

beatonna:

Last night I was emailed some porn that someone drew of me because I said a thing on the internet that they disagreed with.  Because, there you go, ‘justice.’  When stuff like that comes your way you don’t usually say anything because who gives a fuck, but oh well, let’s do it anyway.  So, I’ve seen that shit before because I’ve been on the internet for 100 years, but it always looks like this:

Give me a break!  It should look like this

humansofnewyork:

“I used to go through different stages. But then I found that I was happiest when I was green, so I’ve been green for 15 years.”

humansofnewyork:

This one is really special, guys:

There is a Hilton Hotel on the corner of 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue. There you will find a doorman named Dennis. If you ask, Dennis will tell you the story of Bobby:

“Bobby worked here for about 50 years.  Ten years ago he died of cancer.  But before he died, he said: ‘Dennis, I’m going to come back as a pigeon and I’m going to shit on you.’  A few years later, this white pigeon showed up and wouldn’t leave. So we named him Bobby.  He’s here everyday.  Remember that snowstorm last year that shut down the whole city?  Everybody told me Bobby wouldn’t come, but when I got to work—his tracks were in the snow.”

Dennis then pulled a picture of Bobby out of his wallet.  I started to photograph it, and he said: “Let’s do it by the flowers—it will look nicer.”

stfuconservatives:

cruelyouth:

ceepolk:

thinkspeakstress:

trubr0wn:

invisibleblackunicorn:

trubr0wn:

madamethursday:

[Image: A picture of a tall, very thin Black woman with her shoulder over a shorter, older white man wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing on a New York sideway.]

staghunts:

“This one is very serious, guys:

I came upon these two on the sidewalk. They were having a conversation. “Excuse me,” I said, addressing the girl: “I’m sorry to interrupt, but is there anyway I can take your photo?”

“Why would you want my photo?” she asked.

“Because you look beautiful,” I said. And she did. She was Sudanese. There is a very distinct beauty among people from the Sudan, and she was filled up with it. Suddenly the man cut in: 

“I was just telling her she was beautiful,” he said. 

Naively, I assumed I had just walked up on one stranger giving a compliment to another. I wanted to capture the moment. “Let me take your photograph together,” I said. The man seemed reluctant, he started smiling nervously and inching away. But the girl called him back. 

“Come take a picture with me,” she said. Encouraged by her attention, he returned. She put her arm around him, and I took the photo.

As I examined the photos on my camera, the man started whispering to the girl. She answered him in a loud voice: “I told you! I’m not that kind of girl.” She seemed agitated now. Finally sensing that I had misread the situation, I stepped between them. The man began hurrying down the sidewalk.

When the man left, the girl’s demeanor changed completely. She seemed shaken. Her eyes were tearing up. “He just offered me five hundred dollars to go out with him,” she said. “And then when I said ‘no,’ he offered me one thousand. Why does this always happen to me?”

“It happens a lot?” I asked.

“All the time,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m getting emotional. I just can’t go out of my house without this kind of thing happening. I have a son. I’m a mother. I would never degrade myself like that. I just don’t understand why this keeps happening.”

“Do you mind if I tell this story?” I asked.

“Please,” she said. “Tell it.”

Let’s hope this man, and all men, realize the emotional damage they are inflicting on the women they try to buy. In the meantime, feel free to SHARE.*

Dear Tumblr, fuck you for trying to erase this. 

I’m saving this post because as many times as Tumblr tries to erase this woman’s story and act like anything about this was okay, that’s as many times as I’m reposting it. They can either cut me off or stop being assnuggets about this. whichEVER. 

i will always reblog this. because if this woman were white, the mass-erasure of this image and story would not be happening. and that just speaks volumes to me. the bigotry that contributes to this woman’s constant harassment is the same bigotry that led to the erasure of this story in order to ‘protect’ this man. they are COMPLETELY connected. this is a vicious cycle that perpetuates anti-blackness and the degradation and silencing of black women and women of color as a whole.

oh look trubr0wn just deployed more truth bombs.

i am the truth bomb terrorist.

FUCK YOU TUMBLR. I will reblog this every god damn twelve hours. You will NOT erase this woman’s story just because HONY is a bigot who is full of shit. Tumblr staff is full of shit. They are ALL full of shit. And fuck every single one of you shitty people for thinking that you’re going to win. You will NOT.

Hey this disappeared off my tumblr how strange

anyway, here it is again, supporting this lovely lady who has to put up with this crap just because she exists and goes outside, and to call shame on a society that would actually force her to put her arm around the creep who just upped his price after she told him that she wouldn’t whore for him

Here it is, calling attention to the FACT that the aggressor, the perpetrator of this outrage was the one protected, and the victim is just supposed to disappear

To that I say no

no

Open season on Black women is OVER.

I’m going to back up my Tumblr.

But I just want to see if Tumblr will ignore the e-mail I just wrote to them getting unwanted messages by users I’ve told to leave me alone and will send me another e-mail about “violating copyright,” if not try to delete my blog for reblogging this picture and story that needs to be seen and heard.

I’m not claiming ownership of anything, BTW.  Picture, story behind the picture, and the erasure of the picture copyrighted2012 by humansofnewyork.tumblr.com .  And reblogging this picture has an educational reason behind it — to show how black women are dehumanized, and then silenced if they ever speak out.

Tumblr deleted this post from everyone’s blog. Here it is again. And people have saved copies to their computers, including me. Story’s not going away. The internet is forever.

-Jess