βIntersex people are individuals with sex characteristics which do not fit the typical binary views of male or female bodies... Consequently, many people, like the author, only find out later in life or not at all that they are intersex.β- Lexi Breen, Gender diversity in individuals with intersex variations
I never say this, but you want to watch this commercial, and I suggest you be somewhere that you can cry a bit without anybody caring. (Damn ninjas cutting onions somewhere in the houseβ¦)
1/2 alttext: "We chose the term "asexual" to describe ourselves because both "celibate" and "anti-sexual" have connotations we wished to avoid: the first implies that one has sacrified sexuality for some higher good, the second that sexuality is degrading or somehow inherently bad. "Asexual", as we use it, does not mean "without sex" but "relating sexually to no one".
2/2 alttext: This does not, of course, exclude masturbation but implies that if one has sexual feelings they do not require another person for their expression. Asexuality is, simply, self-contained sexuality." The Asexual Manifesto, Lisa Orlando and Barbara Getz, 1972.
If you were born after 1994 in South Africa, itβs easy to forget that being gay used to be a crime. π³οΈβππ« While the racism of #apartheid is well-documented, the regime's extreme homophobia is often overlooked.
Under the National Party, it wasn't just "frowned upon", it was illegal and severely punished. Police raided homes, meeting others were unsafe, and the military treated homosexuality as a sickness to be "cured" through torture.
The Horror of the "Aversion Project"
This is the darkest chapter of gay history in South Africa. Since all white males were conscripted into the military or South African Defense Force (SADF), gay men could not escape the state's grip. The SADF viewed homosexuality as a "sickness" that weakened the army.
Gay conscripts were often sent to Ward 22 at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. "Curing" homosexuality under the direction of psychiatrists like Dr. Aubrey Levin, gay soldiers were subjected to electric shock therapy. They were shown homoerotic images and shocked until they associated same-sex attraction with pain.
When shock therapy failed, some men were chemically castrated.
And then there was forced sex changes: Perhaps most shockingly, it is estimated that up to 900 gay men (mostly young conscripts aged 16β24) were coerced into gender reassignment surgery to "turn" them into women, because the regimeβs logic was that it was better to be a woman than a gay man. They were often then discharged with no support.
From Darkness to Light
While the old regime was using science and violence to try and erase queer identity, a fight for their existence was beginning in the most unlikely place: a prison cell.
The reason South Africa have one of the most progressive Constitutions in the world today isn't an accident. Itβs because of a man named Simon Nkoli.
When arrested for treason against the apartheid state, he refused to hide who he was. He famously did the unthinkable, he came out and told his fellow activists in prison:
"I am black and I am gay. I cannot separate the two parts of me... So when I fight for my freedom I must fight against both oppressors."
His bravery forced the liberation movements to recognise that you cannot fight for freedom while discriminating against your own. Because of him, South Africa became the first country in the world to write #lgbtq rights into its Constitution. πΏπ¦π
An FBI employee has filed a First Amendment civil lawsuit alleging he was fired for displaying an LGBTQ pride flag near his desk. The flag reportedly was presented to him after it was flown outside the Bureauβs field office in Los Angeles.
The clause relates to laws that put restrictions on student pronoun changes at school, on girls' sports, and on medical therapies for young people looking to transition.
Therapy practices meant to βcureβ homosexuality are set to become punishable by law. A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, voted in favor of a bill by D66 and the VVD that ensures this.
While I thankfully haven't run into any problems yet sorting my husband's estate, I have stocked up on Marriage Licenses since we didn't have the same last name though.
The image features an elderly man participating in a pride parade. He is wearing a black cap, sunglasses, and a colorful lei around his neck. The man is holding a sign that reads, "I'm the oldest gay in HALLAGE 96." Another sign in front of him states, "I'm 88 now 96, I'm gay, I'm in love, I've no regrets." The background is filled with people, flags, and banners, including rainbow flags and the Union Jack. The atmosphere is festive, with colorful decorations and a sense of community. The man appears proud and joyful, celebrating his identity and age.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Ovis2-8B
Virginia officials have agreed not to fully enforce a 2020 law banning conversion therapy for minors as part of an agreement with a faith-based conservative group that sued over the law.
![The image shows a social media post by a user named Cliff Jerrison, with the handle [@]pervocracy. The post features a cartoon avatar of a character with glasses and a sunflower next to the username. The text is in white font on a black background and reads: "if your child doesn't come out until they've moved out and have a strong non-family support system they didn't JUST become trans ya dingdong they just became safe from you and I hope you feel every bit of what that means." The post is a statement about the challenges faced by transgender individuals and the importance of a supportive environment.](https://blog.taursnd.haus/photo/4982526329689f22e351dc0349428614-0.jpeg "The image shows a social media post by a user named Cliff Jerrison, with the handle [@]pervocracy. The post features a cartoon avatar of a character with glasses and a sunflower next to the username. The text is in white font on a black background and reads: \"if your child doesn't come out until they've moved out and have a strong non-family support system they didn't JUST become trans ya dingdong they just became safe from you and I hope you feel every bit of what that means.\" The post is a statement about the challenges faced by transgender individuals and the importance of a supportive environment.")
Eowyn
in reply to π΄ Seph π πΎ • • •Eowyn
in reply to Eowyn • • •The Asexual Manifesto, Lisa Orlando and Barbara Getz, 1972.
π΄ Seph π πΎ
in reply to Eowyn • •π΄ Seph π πΎ
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