I’m Not Ready to Reach Across the Aisle — My Latest for Splice Today

Former Twitter rivals Eve Peyser of Vice and center-right New York Times columnist Bari Weiss have officially ended their feud, and they recently wrote an op-ed to tell the story. The two writers met at a conference, Peyser asked Weiss if she wanted to hang out, and the two quickly bonded over the things they had in common. They report that they’re open to befriending people with different political views (with the exception of neo-Nazis, of course), and hope others can do the same to escape toxic social media culture.

I’m still hesitant about reaching across the aisle. I know I’m supposed to step out of my echo chamber of fellow SJWs and break bread with the classical liberal/center-right pundits of the Intellectual Dark Web in order to make American civil again, but all my past attempts have failed miserably.

Read the rest here.

Will Non-Binary Gender Markers Go Nationwide? — My Latest for INTO

Jessica Porten of Rewire recently wrote: “The future is not female; it’s non-binary.” Perhaps she’s right, given the recent news about non-binary gender markers in Colorado and DC schools adding non-binary gender options on enrollment forms. Non-binary people — people who do not identify as either men or women — are getting more recognition and acknowledgment, both within and outside of the LGBTQ community.

Legal recognition of non-binary and intersex people has surprisingly come a long way since Jamie Shupe became the first legally recognized non-binary person in the U.S. in June 2016. Now there are five states — Arkansas, Oregon, California, Maine, and Minnesota — that offer non-binary gender markers on driver’s licenses and state IDs, along with the District of Columbia.

But there are questions about the future. Will non-binary gender markers go nationwide? What are the legal barriers preventing that from happening? What about people who think there shouldn’t be any gender markers at all?

Read the rest here.

What Fuels Suicidality Among Trans Men? — My First Article for INTO

CW: Suicide, Sexual Assault, Racism, Transphobia

According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 40 percent of trans people have attempted suicide at some point during their lives, and 48 percent have seriously considered it. A more recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics confirms this high risk even among transgender adolescents. Nearly half of adolescent trans guys reported having at least one suicide attempt in their lives, with more than 40 percent of non-binary adolescents and about 30 percent of trans girls reporting the same thing.

What’s interesting to note is how much trans boys are at a great risk of suicide — higher than trans girls and non-binary adolescents — but the study doesn’t explain why. Are there unique obstacles young trans men face that other trans-identified people don’t?

Perhaps surprisingly the answer is yes. “I think one of the obvious risk factors that trans men experience is sexual assault and violence,” says trans blogger Sam Dylan Finch of Let’s Queer Things Up. “Not that we don’t see this happening to folks of other genders, but people perceived as girls and women have a categorical risk for sexual violence that makes them vulnerable early on in life.”

Read the rest here.

Recent articles I forgot to share here

You’re probably wondering why I haven’t been sharing any new articles on here, with the exception of my latest for HuffPost. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my FtB space since I basically just post links to my stuff and that’s it. While I still try to figure that out, here are some of my most recent articles:

  • A Hot Take on Hot Take Culture (Medium.com). The title says it all. It’s basically about how thanks to the blogosphere and social media, everyone thinks their opinion matters, and that the press is currently filled with professional edgelords who only want to own the libs and trigger the snowflakes.
  • Stop Using Sketchy Science Against LGBTQ People (Medium.com). At long last, I finally wrote about how the concept of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) is based on sketchy science, and that this is just another example of people using sketchy science to discredit LGBTQ people.
  • The Love of My Life was a Rebound Relationship (Splice Today). Oh boy, this is a doozy! It’s a story about my first boyfriend, how he made me feel alive again after leaving a shitty six-year relationship, and how I’m afraid to get into a relationship again because I’m afraid I’ll get my heart broken again.
  • I’m Lucky I’m Going to Die (Splice Today). This is a secular response to Bari Weiss’s recent article about Yom Kippur and facing mortality. It’s pretty raw because I talk about my own fears about death, and how I have to remind myself to stay in the moment and enjoy life right now.

Bi Any Means Podcast #165: The Truth about Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria with Julia Serano

My guest for today is Julia Serano. She’s a trans-bi activist, the author of the books “Whipping Girl” and “Excluded,” a musician, a spoken-word artist, and a biologist. Today I got her on the show to talk about the controversy surrounding Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria, and why the science behind it is pretty sketchy.

Listen to “Bi Any Means Podcast #165: The Truth about Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria with Julia Serano” on Spreaker.

Bi Any Means Podcast #164: Transitioning as Non-Binary with Ollie and William

Today’s episode is a panel discussion with two of my friends about what it means to transition when you’re non-binary. As people who don’t fit into the male-female dichotomy, I feel like we’re often left on our own to figure out what to do with our bodies, our presentations, and our lives. Joining me to talk about this are my friends and fellow NBs Ollie and William, and together we hope to figure all this shit out.

Listen to “Bi Any Means Podcast #164: Transitioning as Non-Binary with Ollie and William” on Spreaker.

Until Our Workplaces Are Safe, LGBTQ People Will Be Trapped In The Closet — My Latest for HuffPost

When I told my gay Uncle Frank I was bisexual, he said I was lucky to be coming out in the 2010s instead of the 1970s when he did.

He’s right in many ways. Since the Stonewall riots in 1969, the LGBTQ community has made tremendous progress in gaining visibility and equity thanks to the countless queer and trans activists who fought for their lives and freedom. Queer and trans visibility is everywhere now, from elected officials like Andrea Jenkins to musicians like Janelle Monáe to television shows like “Pose.” Things certainly have improved since the ’70s, when my uncle worried about not being able to get a job.

Yet even with the strides that have been made, many queer folks keep their pride private. According to a recent study from the Human Rights Campaign, nearly half of LGBTQ people are still in the closet, specifically in the workplace. Another recent HRC study reports that only 27 percent of LGBTQ youth felt comfortable to be out and open at school, and only 26 percent of them felt safe.

Unfortunately, even in 2018, our society still isn’t completely safe for LGBTQ people to live their lives in peace. Yes, we’ve gained more visibility, but visibility is a double-edged sword. As we gain more support for LGBTQ rights, we also become more vulnerable.

Read the rest here.

Bi Any Means Podcast #162: Activism in West Virginia with Tricia Shepherd

My guest for today is Tricia Shepherd. She’s the author of several LGBTQ-centered e-books—including “The Geek and the Prom King” and “Loving John Watson”—and is an active member of the West Virginia chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign. We’ve been Facebook friends for a couple of years now, and now I have her on the show to tell us her story.

Listen to “Bi Any Means Podcast #162: Activism in West Virginia with Tricia Shepherd” on Spreaker.

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The Biskeptical Podcast #52: Nick Little Cross-Examines Brett Kavanaugh

Morgan was unavailable for this episode, so today we have Nick Little from CFI joining us to take a look at Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s latest nominee for Supreme Court Justice. We’re going to take a look at his case history, and what that might mean for church-state separation, Roe v. Wade, and LGBTQ rights. Spoiler alert: It’s not a pretty picture!

Listen to “The Biskeptical Podcast #52: Nick Little Cross-Examines Brett Kavanaugh” on Spreaker.

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Bi Any Means Podcast #158: Trans Rights Activism in Nashville with Dr. Marisa Richmond

My guest for today is Dr. Marisa Richmond. She’s a transgender activist based in Nashville, TN who, in 2016, became the first transgender woman ever appointed to a local government commission in Tennessee, nominated by Mayor Megan Barry and confirmed by unanimous vote to the Metro Human Relations Commission. She is also a professor in the history department at MTSU, and, in 2003, was the founder and first president of TTPC, the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. Today I have her on the show to talk about her life and her activism.

Listen to “Bi Any Means Podcast #158: Trans Rights Activism in Nashville with Dr. Marisa Richmond” on Spreaker.

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