Oh.

This has one of the most heartwarming historical trans stories I've ever read. In 1971, Carl Macmichael and his cis son spoke to the Sunday paper. Not only did Carl's 15-year-old son support his father, but he was delighted to have a trans dad: "I think he's very brave. It's quite handy to have mum and dad the same person."

Shortly after transitioning, Carl asked Thelma O'Sullivan to become his nurse in 1969. She helped Carl medically transition for 2 years while realizing her feelings for him. "Many people have ridiculed Carl, and I suppose some people will think me odd for falling in love with him. But I don't care," she explained. "He has gone through a great deal and I hope I can give him a little of the happiness that he is seeking."

Like most trans people at the time, Carl claimed to be intersex. Having XY chromosomes and being capable of giving birth is extraordinarily rare, leaving us to wonder if he told this to newspapers for legitimacy. All the names in the article are pseudonyms so there was never any follow-up after 1971.

Thinking about The Shadow. Weird ghoul in the shape of a gentleman

Sending in the cops to put down student protesters--err I mean Hamas terrorists

(Taken from Facebook, my feed regenerated and I forget where exactly it is from, so I apologize for not giving the right person due credit. However, I think it is important enough to be spread around even if it is not properly attributed.) Trump’s West Point speech was packed with the kind of lunacy our mainstream media has tried to normalize for a decade but it sure doesn’t seem normal to me. In front of a crowd of cadets who had signed up to serve while Biden was president, Trump declared, “Just about a year ago, it was a big story, front page of every paper all over the world, that nobody wanted to enlist in our military,” completely ignoring the fact that just about every graduate in the room had done exactly that. He veered off into unrelated boasts, at one point claiming, “I rebuilt the military. We rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before in my first term,” and even managed to squeeze in, “It gives us the right to do what we want to do,” making the event sound more like a campaign rally than a graduation.

The speech only got stranger as Trump wandered onto subjects like yachts, trophy wives, and even took time to attack celebrities, calling George Clooney a “fake movie actor.” He also boasted, “Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest – and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault.” His tendency to make everything about himself was on full display, and he only shook hands with a few select cadets, leaving most graduates unacknowledged.

In sharp contrast, Biden’s West Point address was uplifting, inclusive, and centered on the graduates and their future service. He told the cadets, “You’re about to become full-time members of the most honorable and the most consequential fighting force in the history of the world, that’s not hyperbole, of the world. That’s the truth.” Biden highlighted their diverse backgrounds and achievements, saying, “You make our entire nation proud, and that’s not hyperbole. You do.” He reminded them to “hold fast to your values you learned here at West Point: duty, honor, country,” and emphasized, “We’re the only country in the world founded on an idea, not figuratively, literally. And the idea is we’re all created equal, deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives”.

Most tellingly, Biden stood for over an hour, shaking the hand of every single graduate, making a point to honor each cadet personally. His speech was a celebration of service, unity, and American ideals, leaving the class inspired and seen, a far cry from Trump’s self-congratulatory, grievance-filled performance. What an embarrassment that man is to our country.

Trump official declaring ‘Anyone who preaches hate for America’ will be deported worried users: ‘They just skip the First Amendment.’

All their bad faith accusations of weaponizing government that were made towards the Biden administration were attempts to justify actual weaponizing of government for authoritarian purposes under Trump.

I am not remotely surprised by this assault on free speech, nor am I surprised that all those knee-jerk jerk right wingers, who cryied about aledged silencing of free speech online, are suddenly silent once it’s political convenient for them.