@YKantRachelRead @gildilinie
Viz 1. Like many arguments, these frequently come down to a lack of imagination, where both groups begin throwing to back theories from the industrial revolution, as if they were gospels - or accurate. IME anarchists at least try to be a little more imaginative, which just annoys the communists - who want things systematized and to pretend it's all _scientific_. In some ways the philosophical rift is a heart v. head dichotomy. Of course, both groups are filled with unserious shit posters and provocateurs which almost insures any serious discussions result in name-calling or bizarre references to obscure and complex theory.

@imbl@social.treehouse.systems @gildilinie@beige.party Don't forget about Spain and the Ukraine where communists, essentially, slaughtered the anarchists. The fact is that a lot of Communists want to produce a centralized State where Anarchists see this as a reproduction of hierarchy and authoritarianism. It's all very Pol-Philosophy, and tends to allow a lot of online 'leftists' to avoid taking action while they debate the finer points of a theoretical system.

@inthehands
Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. Living under ICE occupation feels traumatic at times, as we track movements and run to try to keep our neighbors safe. Heightened anxiety and sleeplessness and paranoia set in too easily.

@oddtail

Oh dear Goddess, please!

https://eatmancereal.com/

The videos and images of ICE beating and attacking protesters in Minneapolis are just appalling. The cruelty, and basic lack of humanity, on display illustrates exactly where this authoritarianism is leading us as a country. And, as a country, we are deeply traumatize by living through this brutality. Yet, we must resist.

From Minneapolis photographer Chris Juhn

@mira@kumis.industries As someone who's been around the community for decades, but only recently came to the conclusion she had to transition, I've wrestled with the notion of what 'being trans' means to me, and to the broader world in general. Within my own mind I have considered what kind of surgical interventions I might desire to help me feel more at ease with my body and self as an older trans woman. I have a number of friends who have had procedures (some with mixed successes) over the years. There was a time, in my lifetime, where surgery was not only a default selection, but an expectation of trans women. And this notion of a true transsexual lives deep in my historical experience. In considering my own 'journey' I have become far more of a radical inclusionist as I have made friends with younger trans people. I view this as a positive, and one which helped me, personally, accept my own status. So the discussions around surgeries is both very personal, and also communal to me. How we care for ourselves and those in community with us feels particularly prominent to me -- as we find ourselves viciously attacked on all sides. So while we fight for both our rights and our care, we're seeing fewer doctors and surgeons willing to treat us. Thus, I, both personally and communally, wonder what these limitations may mean for my own transition as well as other's in the community who feel the desire for surgical procedures. And with this, I remain fully aware that 1) not all trans people desire or want surgery and that 2) surgery is a luxury afforded to those of us with insurance or means. All of this is a long ramble, to try to answer some of your question... As you can see, the topic of transsexualism (as a surgical differentiator) raises a lot of feelings and thoughts in my mind.

@mira@kumis.industries @astronema@translunar.academy calling the discussion - or the idea - evil or inherently bad is in itself the kind of language gatekeeping that has occurred around the word Queer and should be seen as, at best, reactive and reductive. These are both interesting and useful discussions because they illuminate both our disparate and shared experiences of being trans. I, for one, am grateful for the post, as it makes me reconsider my own thoughts around surgical intervention and what that means to me.

@mira@kumis.industries @astronema@translunar.academy Mira, I don't disagree with you. But this is the process of reclamation. Transsexual has been used as a differentiator within the transmed discourse for sometime, and the process of re-framing it within a narrative of broader trans experiences requires we shed those previous gatekeeping connotations. This will take some time and effort. Without a doubt, the shared experiences of trans people who have navigated their way through affirming surgeries have some unique experience. As you said, this does not make them more or less trans, but does, maybe(?), suggest some differentiation. At the same time, we generally don't (though some try to) make distinctions between trans people who DIY or go through the medical establishment, or those trans girls who utilize HRT through gels or pills instead of injections.

Overall, the history of trans (particularly transfeminine) medicine is one centered around gatekeeping. Who was deemed feminine enough to receive care; who could pass enough to obtain surgeries; who was in enough psychological pain to be diagnosed: this is the history of our community. We, as group, are socialized and indoctrinated to initially deny our transness. Every trans person I know went through a period where they believed they weren't or couldn't be trans. It is almost endemic to our experience. So, any additional perceived gatekeeping will always be met with skepticism. Thus, while I generally agree with you, and others, who seek to reclaim transsexual, I am also keenly aware of the treacherous path this requires.