@JolieSaboteuse you'd hope. But this is the same party that has been systematically dismantling civics instruction in k-12 schools since the 1960s and trying to eradicate public education as a whole. We can't expect anything but chaos and destruction of our government institutions for the foreseeable future. Remember, they appointed 300 toddlers with barely any judicial experience to lifetime court positions nationwide his first term. The lack of qualification is the point

@Zevon @TheOtherLisa3 that someone has a very valid point

@Bix what's truly tragic is that this utter clown is replacing a phenomenal career military officer

@corlin @KarenSohne they'd never tap him unless they knew his seat was safe

@corlin of course

@nevikjames doing fascism isn't the point. Destroying the institutions, grifting, doing the bidding of their masters at the Heritage Foundation and implementing Project 2025 is the point

@JolieSaboteuse
Narrator: he didn't realize

@PaganMother I will say one thing, though. When I found out I was having a girl, I was stoked. She was my tummy buddy and we've been super close every day since. A nano part of me would be sad if she felt she had to have surgical transition. I don't know why. But I'm just being honest. Though I'd never say that to them. It doesn't impact how I feel about them one bit. I just can't figure out why it is.

@PaganMother growing up is a hard adjustment. Growing up different in a society that's not terribly kind of accepting of different people is difficult. Especially in the Pandora's box we just opened last Tuesday. (The kids are so scared at their school. I hate this for them all). So my job is to enable them to find their true self, be happy with who that is, love themselves and be strong enough to face the world. My feelings don't really matter as much when I think about the burdens she has

@PaganMother also they really want to wear the binder to school. So you're saying that's a bad idea? What if they went with a looser one? Or maybe a sports bra? Those usually tame mine

@PaganMother ooh we didn't know about using body powder. I'll share that tip with them. Also I'll have to get them measured for a new one. Man kids grow so fast. We think we got the right size for the first two, but that's before she "blew up"😆 to a C.

As I said in the beginning, though, sometimes she prefers to be femme. Others she prefers to be masculine. Either way they're gorgeous.

Have you used corsets? They're asking for one but I'm a noob to them.

@PaganMother yes she prefers She/They at the moment. She busted ass to get into a public School of the Arts high school here, so a lot of the uds in her friend groups are LGBTQ+. Like I said, I'm not a young mom, so I mess up sometimes, but I do try really hard to use everyone's preferred pronouns. They're all just phenomenal kids

@PaganMother I don't know how to advise them on that other than to tell them it's his fault he's lost connection. Not theirs. How did you tell your family?

@PaganMother Does this journey she's on sound at all familiar to you? What do you wish you'd heard or felt from your family when you were growing up? She and my ex (her dad) aren't close and she hasn't told him any of this. He rarely talks with or sees them so he doesn't know them much now. Their relationship fell into occasional contact when she was 14. He's LGBTQ friendly but she doesn't know how to tell him. (Cont)

@PaganMother
(Sorry so long) What I do understand because I experienced it growing up: I was "a tomboy". Often carrying myself, acting, dressing and talking in a stereotypical male expression. I was teased for it but always just thought it was because I was punk, poor and had to fight to be safe n the street. Now I see it may have been more but I identify as a woman now. It was just easier. My questions: how do you advise I best support my kid to enable their journey find their true self?

@PaganMother
My 16 year old (she/they) born female has been feeling out their gender identity. As a cis mom in my early 50s, I may not understand everything, but I support that she understands how she feels. When she asked for a binder, I bought them two. When she asked for a tux instead of gown, no hesitation. She seems to be more gender fluid than trans, but not sure. Unfortunately, they got my busty genes, so sometimes she likes them, other times they annoy her (continued)

@researchbuzz
Booooo 👎

I would never be called a conspiracy person. I'm usually the one debunking. That's how I got pulled into one I'm struggling to debunk and need y'all's help. As a trained poll worker for years as well as a network security analyst for decades, I can't even explain how this couldn't be possible. I actually find holes in the system when I analyze what I've seen on the ground and run through scenarios. (Occupational hazard, hazard i come from a risk assessment background). I need help.

@peterquirk
Right wing authoritarians around the globe, completely unleashed by the US's veering to the extreme right, will now feel emboldened to try implementing their wish lists. This is going to be felt all over the world.

@Animeraider
He's not making any of these picks. Don't even kid yourself. They were already negotiated well before and likely by the Heritage foundation, Federalist Society and some key Republicans