given that it's both black history month and Transgender Hell Era i recommend people go read about frances thompson, the first black trans woman to testify before Congress. her bravery and defiance in the fact of targeted government oppression is so admirable, as is the love from her community. she transitioned while enslaved and lived her entire life as a woman, more or less openly trans. she was outed and jailed by police who had always been aware she was trans entirely because her testimony of being raped by anti-black rioters was inconvenient for Congress and they needed an excuse to ignore her. and yet she never wavered in her conviction of her womanhood. when a reporter questioned her on why she wore dresses, she told him "none of your damn business." she died young but she was cared for by her community to the end. it's both an interesting look at how people historically engaged with trans people (even the West has a more complicated relationship with gender & sex than transphobes want to admit) and like. idk. her going through everything she went through and still being like fuck you. i know exactly what you are doing and it's bullshit. i am what i've always been and you are cowards relying on hatred to maintain power. and no matter what i'm not legitimizing your bullshit. i love you frances thompson