Laurentide

I've never heard it put that way before, but it's an interesting observation. A lot of animals are culturally associated with personality traits (e.g. clever foxes, loyal dogs, proud lions) and furries usually choose a species they relate to, so it creates a system where people tend to self-sort into various tribes based on values and personality type. Look at any decently popular species and you'll likely find that most of the people repping it share a common set of traits.

It's how they believe it works and how they teach their children that it works.

I was raised by Evangelicals, brought to their churches, and sent to their schools. Girls were taught to dress modestly, because bare skin and certain types of clothing would "tempt" the boys. Boys were treated as mindless slaves to this temptation, taught to resist the urges they were all assumed to have, but never expected to actually succeed. It was always the girl's responsibility to avoid creating the temptation in the first place. Cult programming to protect rapists by shifting the blame onto their victims.

That link is for a previous breach against a different entity, so not the same story at all.

I hadn't seen any significant hate speech until this June, when a handful of dumbasses decided to start spewing homophobia in multiple comment sections because they're mad rainbows exist. It wouldn't surprise me if there were a lot more on shows I wasn't watching.

Well, that was after he decided to start living in my head, so I figured I might as well try to keep him entertained.

"I cast longsword!"

"Does the paladin's piss count as holy water?"

"You described the mech as being similar to a Gundam. So it's a mobile suit? Does that mean I'm technically wearing it on my person?"

"Watch out for the ass-grabbing ghosts!"

"I struggle like a dog being given a pill."

"No, don't activate your telepathy! I don't want your mind-herpes!"

"Wait, why is a duck that lays eggs named Mr. Quackers?" "Mr. Quackers can be whatever he wants!"

"I cast Prestidigitation and pee his pants."

"Hey Nyarlathotep, wanna see something funny?"

True, but it's still the right thing to do. At the very least it will force some members of Congress to clearly and undeniably declare themselves as supporters of tyranny.

Unfortunately, honest questions are indistinguishable from the horde of transphobes spreading misinformation and sowing uncertainty under the guise of "just asking questions" (sealioning).

If you are genuinely curious, then I recommend starting with the Wikipedia article on puberty blockers, and also reading the one on precocious puberty which is a condition in very young children that is treated by the same drugs. (Tellingly, this usage is non-controversial and exempted from all of the new laws banning puberty blockers for trans children.)

If zero kids on puberty blockers decide not to transition that would be pretty telling.

Maybe, if that were anywhere close to what is actually happening. In reality, there are more cisgender children taking puberty blockers than there are trans children taking them, so the number of kids deciding not to transition after taking blockers is >50%. Your speculation is baseless.

Yes, I meant no negative or unintended consequences.

Thank you. It doesn't feel like I've done much journeying, as I was essentially trapped in emotional stasis for most of my life and circumstances have so far prevented me from doing anything with my newfound knowledge, but at least I know which way is forward now.

If you feel like a man, like being a man, and enjoy having man parts, you're probably a man. Your interests are not your gender, and dancing isn't exclusive to women. Even ballet has male dancers.

Still, a little bit of exploration never hurt anybody. If you are trans, if living as another gender would make you much happier, wouldn't you want to know sooner rather than later? And if you aren't trans, you might still learn a thing or two about yourself that you never would have discovered otherwise. Most people go their whole lives without ever questioning their gender or closely examining what it means to them, and I think they're missing out. There is power in truly knowing yourself.

Do some thinking. Ask more questions. Not just to others, but to yourself as well. What do you like about being a man? Can you imagine not being one? How does that image make you feel? If you could instantly become anything, with no rules or consequences, what would you pick? Don't shut anything down; there are no wrong answers. Allow yourself the freedom to explore.

It may help you to stop thinking in the binary terms that society imposes on us. Gender isn't just a question of Male or Female; there are many different kinds of men and many different kinds of women. There is a large area in between where the two overlap and the lines get fuzzy, and even places that aren't on the same spectrum at all. I myself am a demigirl. My gender identity is mostly female, but also a little bit male and a little bit something else. You don't need to feel obligated to be what anyone else is.

As for how I found out, I've already posted that elsewhere in this thread. It looks like you've gotten a lot of answers from others as well. I wish you good luck in wherever this journey takes you.