Keep Karin alive

Karin is a lovely woman who is suffering from stage 4 breast cancer that has spread to other areas of her body. Every little bit helps, even if you just share it!

If anyone lives in Northern California and is able to foster a medium sized dog for some months please dm me, he needs a home ASAP

Fight fascism!

VOTE!

(While you still can…)

Intersex Awareness Day

Taking a break from the regularly scheduled Asexual Awareness Week programming, today (Oct 26th) is Intersex Awareness Day!

It is observed by not performing unnecessary surgery on children and by not lying to them about it for the rest of their lives.

I just completed three ace hats for friends! This has been a successful ace awareness week so far, I’d say!

How did you connect the colours so evenly? Did you crochet it?

I used a hat loom. The yarn is tied together on the inside where it switches colour.

scottish wildcats look as if a witch w/ glasses turned themselves into a cat

McGonagall

here’s my take on himalayan pink salt: it tends to be listed  as associated with love and friendship and positivity because it’s pink, but do you know why it is pink? because of the high iron content in it. iron, as in blood and rusted swords. think of it: blood salts. warding against fae tricksters, perhaps a blood substitute for some workings, an ingredient for binding oaths and for curses, a powerful but personal protector. strength, revenge, rawness. nothing wrong with the original associations, just a thought. i personally wouldn’t consider it as strong a purifier/energetic cleanser due to iron technically being an impurity.

We really have harmed a whole generation of trans and gnc children by failing to communicate how serious a decision binding actually is, how there’s no ACTUALLY safe way to bind, how it permeneantly damages the body, how it can make top surgery more difficult in the future. I don’t think we should be keeping trans kids from binding (we let kids do all sorts of things they’re really not old enough to understand the potential consequences of) but we owe them the ability to make informed decisions at LEAST

So this is definitely an important conversation to have, but can you point me at some reading about “permanent damage”? I might just be lucky, but I had zero lasting effects from binding. I’d like to at least read up on it so I can have this conversation and be more specific than “be careful.”

Of course! I can’t easily source right now but I am more than happy to provide further info when I am not at work and on mobile. Unfortunately, like a lot of trans healthcare, a lot of what we know about binding is anecdotal and word of mouth. BUT permeneant damage can include:

-Musculoskeletal damage. Binders are indiscriminate compression tools; they can’t flatten the chest without applying pressure every other anatomical structure underneath including the spine, ribs, lungs and heart. Many people who bind experience chronic back pain, shoulder pain, sharp stabbing chest pains, permeneantly decreased lung capacity, literal spine deformation, etc etc.

-A continuation of the above but the ribs are actually jointed bones. Their ability to flex is absolutely vital to their ability to withstand trauma and protect your vital organs. Imagine the damage that would be done to your elbow if your bent your arm to full flexion and then tightly bound it closed like that, for six, eight, twelve hours per day, every day, for weeks or months or years. And you don’t NEED a functioning arm to live!

-Tissue atrophy. Forcing chest tissue to lay in an unnatural way can and will change the way that tissue looks, even to risk of atrophy. Some people who bind and only moderately dislike the way their chest looks find that they HATE the way it looks after binding for a period of time. Tissue atrophy can also make top surgery more difficult in the future, and increase the risk of complications like nerve damage.

-Worsened dysphoria. Once someone starts binding and becomes accustomed to seeing themselves with a flat chest, it can be much more difficult to see yourself without one, and dysphoria that much more intolerable. You can imagine the psychological feedback loop of binding more in response.

The typical safety measures passed around about binding are harm REDUCTION measures and should not be advertised as making binding “safe.” Binding is not safe. It is a very serious health decision with long term consequences and should be treated as such. That doesn’t mean it’s the wrong decision, but it should not be considered the DEFAULT decision for chest dysphoria which is frankly how it’s currently treated.

gonna drop some links to read more:

Health impact of chest binding among transgender adults: a community-engaged, cross-sectional study Inside the Landmark, Long Overdue Study on Chest Binding  

Binding FAQ

Health Consequences of Chest Binding

@pooflyperfectprincess

Holy shit

I went to the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference and went to a workshop held by a chiropractor who works with trans men (as well as being a trans man himself), so I’m going to pass on his advice to people who bind:

Stretch your chest, shoulders, and back everyday (at least)

This is a passive stretch where you place a foam roller at the bottom of your spine (to support your hips and lower back), and lifts your shoulders off of the ground, with your arms on the ground to balance you.

This stretch is meant to be held for a few minutes, open up your chest, and aid your everyday posture.

You probably don’t own a foam roller, he advised to wrap a towel or blanket very tightly and tied as a substitute. I use a layer of bed foam rolled up with two belts to keep it rolled. Whatever you use, it ought to have a bit of give and it needs to lift your shoulders off the ground.

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This is an active stretch. Stand in front of a doorway with your feet together (if the door way was not there, your toes would be touching the wall, not crossing through it). When you lift your arms up and put them against the wall, your feet, hips, and arms should all be in line with each other (your arms should not be behind you with your feet and hips in the doorway).

Make a “W” shape with your arms against the wall so that your elbows are the closest part of your arm to the ground, and take one small step forward.

You should feel a pull in your lower shoulders, but it should be comfortable to hold. Do not over stretch, you shouldn’t be leaning your weight into your arms to balance, your weight should be balanced by your legs. Do not judge yourself and think you are doing yourself a favor by thinking that you ought to have a bigger step. Sure, you could overstretch today, but you need to be able to do this tomorrow too! Hold this for 10-15 seconds. (Yet again. Do. Not. Overstretch.)

Bring your feet back together, and do it the other foot. There will probably be one foot that is easier than the other, stretch that step more often than the less difficult step.

Bring your feet together and bring your elbows up so that your upper arms are parallel to the ground and your elbow forms a 90° angle with your forearms. Take your small step forward and hold for 10-15 seconds and switch feet.

Now reach your arms up as high as you can. It doesn’t have to be much higher than the last stretch, if that is as high as you can go, then that’s it. If you can’t reach higher than the last stretch, put your arms down at your sides and then lift your arms up from your sides and put them against the wall (sorry he didn’t include a picture of this one in the slides, message me if this is unclear.)

Your goal is to be able to reach your arms up like in the picture so that you form a Y shape. Step forward and hold for 10-15 seconds, then switch feet.

His advice was to do this stretch as often as you use the bathroom at home (shoot for 3-5 times a day).

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The next two stretchs don’t have pictures! If you can do these stretches with ease and want a more intense version, try using dumbbells and incorporating it into your workouts.

If you’ve ever done snow angels? Put your heels, butt, shoulders, and arms up against a wall (as much of your body as you possibly can should be touching the wall) and lift your arms up as high as you can go like you are making a snow angel.

Alternatively, lay down on the ground instead of up against a wall if you need to work your way up to lifting your arms above your head.

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Again, with your body up against the wall, but this time with your arms in front of you, bring your arms up like Frankenstein’s monster, so that they are as high as your shoulders. Hold this for a few seconds.

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After trying these stretchs, it’ll probably be clear where your range of motion is most limited. For me, the most useful stretches are the W and 90° angle doorway stretch and foam roller stretch, bc I have the most trouble with my lower shoulders and chest. Try to maintain your range of motion where you have it, and use these stretches to improve your range of motion where you are limited.

Why Do We Need National Voter Registration Day?

Next Tuesday (September 25) is National Voter Registration Day, a holiday that sees the nation-wide coordination of nonprofits, libraries, media companies (like Tumblr and others) and more all working to register as many eligible American to vote. 

Why? 

In 2016, 1 in 4 voters were deemed ineligible due to a registration problem (missed deadlines, etc.). Our democracy works BEST when more people have access and express their voice at the ballot box. 

So why is this important in 2018?

One word: Midterms. 

This year, decisions will be made that determine who runs your state, legislatures, governorships, city elections, and more… and how your state is represented in Congress

By all accounts, this year’s midterms are on the minds of the American people in a way that seems wholly different than 2014’s elections. A June report from Pew Research shows that voter enthusiasm toward this November’s election is up 10% over the last midterm four years prior. Many nonprofits have felt the energy in the streets and online. This year just seems to feel different.

And maybe that’s because Americans are coming to understand that midterms, while not as flashy as the general election, have MAJOR consequences on how they live their life day-to-day. At a state level, there are dozens of Governors races that have direct influence on everyday concerns – how much money will be spent on education, the environment, defense? That decision is in their hands and they know it.

For a better picture, here’s what registered American citizens will be deciding IF they are registered to vote:

·       435 seats in the United States House of Representatives

·       35 seats in the United States Senate

·       39 state and territorial governorships

·       Various other state and local elections

So what can YOU DO? It’s simple, REGISTER TO VOTE ON SEPTEMBER 25! Go to nationalvoterregistrationday.org/register to do it!

Witch Dragons / Halloween Ornaments / Baby Dragons

Makosla Creations on Etsy

See our #Etsy or #Figurines tags

@dovewithscales

Dragon witch!

Last days you can register to vote for the 2018 midterms in all 50 states:

Alabama: OCT.22rd

Alaska: OCT. 7th

Arizona: OCT. 9th

Arkansas: OCT. 9th

California: OCT. 22rd

Colorado: Election day.

Connecticut: OCT. 30th

Delaware: OCT. 13th 

D.C: OCT. 16th

Florida: OCT. 9th

Georgia: OCT. 9th

Hawaii: OCT. 9th

Idaho: OCT. 12th

Illinois: OCT. 9th

Indiana: OCT. 9th

Iowa: OCT. 27th

Kansas: OCT. 16th

Kentucky: OCT. 9th

Louisiana: NOV. 17th

Maine: OCT. 16th

Maryland: OCT. 16th

Massachusetts: OCT. 17th

Michigan: OCT. 9th

Minnesota: OCT. 16th

Mississippi: OCT. 9th

Missouri: OCT. 10th

Montana: OCT. 9th

Nebraska: OCT. 19th

Nevada: OCT. 9th

New Hampshire: NOV. 6th

New Jersey: OCT. 16th

New Mexico: OCT. 9th

New York: OCT. 12th

North Carolina: OCT. 12th

North Dakota: Election Day.

Ohio: OCT. 9th

Oklahoma: OCT. 12th

Oregon: OCT. 16th

Pennsylvania: OCT. 9th

Rhode Island: OCT. 7th

South Carolina: OCT. 9th

South Dakota: OCT. 22rd

Tennessee: OCT. 9th

Texas: OCT. 9th

Utah: OCT. 7th

Vermont: Election Day.

Virginia: OCT. 15th

Washington: OCT. 8th

West Virginia: OCT. 16th

Wisconsin: OCT. 17th

Wyoming: OCT. 22rd 

Please register online if you aren’t already. Check your registration and your friends. Lots of people don’t have much time left to register! Don’t wait until the last minute! 

Register to vote ONLINE NOW!

Memes are all very good, but to get the assholes out, you have to VOTE.

[Image description - Image of the asexual pride flag with the text: Today was another beautiful day of being an asexual disaster. End description.]

I’ll probably write more on this later, but something I’ve noticed is that when aro folks talk about “friends” our definition of friendship is often more similar to the concept of found family then it is to the common definition of friendship, and that sort of difference in definition is probably where a lot of the misunderstandings in allo/aro friendships happen.

While I’ve certainly had my friends abandon me for a romantic relationship, that’s really not a problem I’ve ever had with my chosen family despite several of them getting into romantic and romantic-ish relationships. And I think that’s because the expectations in those two types of relationships are fundamentally different. Chosen family is, almost by definition, in it for the long haul, while a friend can be anything from someone you talk to in physics class to someone you share your whole life with. Friendship is a broad enough term that it doesn’t actually assume any level of meaningful commitment and I think that’s what a lot of aro folks find so frustrating.

I don’t really have a solution to this problem since finding chosen family isn’t exactly something you can just do, but it is something I’ve noticed. I’d love to see what other people think on the matter.

This. This puts into words something I've been thinking about for years. As a child I struggled with making new friends. Everyone else seemed to be able to meet for the first time and be like "oh, you like this thing too? Neat! Now we're friends." This mindset is so confusing to me. I've always thought of friendship as, not necessarily as close as found family, but certainly taking more time to build than a single day. And it's just so weird how casual a lot of people are with the word friend. Like, that's why the words acquaintance, classmate, coworker exist... But apparently not.

I guess it's the lack of definition that bothers me. Like you said, friendship is a broad term, but I've always used it in a narrow sense. Having broad terminology is fine. It can come in handy a lot! But if I use the word friend loosely, then how am I supposed to express myself when I mean something more specific? I've never really seen allo people struggle with this.

Reblog if you’re the nonbinary “parent friend”

HEY GUYS CHECK THIS OUT

So if a porn bot reblogs and puts a link to your selfies you can do this

SO IF A PORN BOT PUTS A LINK TO A PORN SITE/VIRUS YOU CAN FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO HAVE IT REMOVED. ALSO IF ANY REMOVES THE ORIGINAL CAPTION OF YOUR POST TO BOOST THEIR BLOG YOU CAN REPORT THEM (AND GET THEM REMOVED) TOO.

YOU CAN ALSO FILE A DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) AGAINST THEM TOO. http://tumblr.com/dmca 

WHY DOESN’T THIS HAVE MORE NOTES?

SIGNAL BOOST THIS PIECE OF HEAVEN Y'ALL

YES PLEASE

Boosting because I didn’t know this was a thing!

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/abuse

Especially important for the sfw communities and minors!