not nearly enough people are fuming about the cass review. do you understand the eventual implications? trans people in the uk will be considered children up until the age of 25, and denied HRT/surgery/even basic measures like legal name change and social transition. all owing to a biased and largely unscientific study. you know what “treatment” for gender dysphoria is recommended by the review instead? conversion therapy.
this will kill people and they know it, because they prefer us dead and out of sight. the government, the NHS and even the opposition have made this clear again and again. a twenty-five year old can have sex, get married have children, join the military, earn a living, be halfway up the corporate ladder or highly successful in their chosen career field by that age, but they can’t transition under NHS rules. this is a death sentence for trans teenagers and they are going ahead with it. it’s trans genocide, same as across the pond.
i’m so afraid for my trans siblings and our futures. i’m so scared for myself. what are we to do if not even the party that is supposed to be on the “left” gives a shit about our safety and mental health as long as they get voted in? labour have become tories with a red coat of paint. it all feels hopeless
honestly, i think the best part of our plurality is the emotional bleedthrough we have. it happens more the stonger the emotions are and it feels exactly like im feeling my own emotions, but im not the source of it.
if one of us is feeling bad, like stressed, sad, anxious, whatever, well now the others know exactly how they feel and can help to comfort them so much better than they could otherwise, also its great to just feel them calm down as you help.
but its gets better, it happens with joy as well. it really is an amazing feeling just bounceing pure happiness off each other, and theres been a few times we've gotten into a bit of a feedback loop with it.
im not sure were we saw it but i remember seeing a quote along the lines of "shared pain is halved, shared joy is doubled" and thats exactly what is like.
we love being plural and wouldnt trade it for the world.
sometimes being plural is comforting each other during our hardest moments,
and other times its a passionate argument over question of "what is the biggest rock in the solar system?" that ends with the conclusion that the earth is a cream egg.
really sucks how i cant be honest with my doctor for fear of losing access to transition healthcare.
like i could use a therapist to help work through the realisation that im probably plural but then they would add it to my medical records and i just cant take the risk of that.
ive heard of people being denied trans heathcare because of depression (which is like denying an appendectomy cos of stomach pain), a DID or OSDD diagnosis would almost certainly be used as an excuse.
As awareness of plurality continues to spread online, that also means more and more people will realize they are plural. And unfortunately, there will be a response from certain gatekeepy exclusionist types, who will push back against these newfound systems and insist on invalidating them. They’ll insist they’re just hopping on a trend, or just fooling themselves, or whatever other justification they can make up to maintain the idea that being plural is extremely rare and being plural means suffering for it.
Don’t fall for it. Being plural presents challenges and difficulties without question, but being plural also can bring joys and clarity that weren’t possible otherwise. Being plural can be hard, and it can be beautiful.
No two systems present and function exactly the same ways. No two systems are plural for the exact same reasons. So we can’t expect there to be an absolute common trait present in every system. So any attempt to weed out the “fakers” is pointless and malicious.
If someone believes themself to be plural, they have good reason to. No further “proof” needed. If someone comes to us believing themself to be plural, we will help them along without critique or question. And above all we will be happy for them. Even if someday they realize they aren’t plural, that process of being allowed to question and experiment is so important, and they should be allowed to do so regardless of where they end up.
Plurality is a spectrum that encompasses a vast swathe of experiences and outlooks. It can be difficult to reckon with, which is why community is so vital. And as that community online grows and becomes more and more visible, we should all do our part, systems and singlets, to make sure these newfound systems feel safe, seen, and welcome.
sorry if i forget your name, im really bad at remembering peoples names.
i dont even remember my own name half the time.
-air of wings