Abusers love to pretend to be misunderstood and dealing with a lot of pain, guilt, concern or fear at all times. They love to make out their past so it seems like they’re some kind of tragic hero, or someone who is only abusive because of everything they’ve bee thru. They will yell at you for “not considering their feelings enough”, you can recognize it in phrases “do you ever think about how it is for me? do you think i enjoy doing this?” as if you are the one ignoring their feelings, and not the reverse. Even when they look happy you’re supposed to always assume that deep inside they’re in some kind of pain and be as understanding as possible.
Don’t get fooled by this. People who are dealing with a lot of pain, guilt, concern, shame, and fear don’t take it out on their closest ones. People who are aware of what compassion is wont yell at you for not taking enough of their feelings into account. People who are living with pain and regret don’t look fucking smug and self-important all the time! People who live in shame wouldn’t risk hurting you and increasing shit they’re feeling ashamed about! People who are hurt and living in a lot of pain wouldn’t just go and try to make you feel awful about yourself too! They wouldn’t make inappropriate jokes or call you names or try to convince you that if they feel bad, you need to feel bad too, and if they are doing that, then you are not supposed to take their feelings into account anymore!
Your empathy should not extend to those who have it as a goal to hurt you, when another person wants to cause you pain, this is where your empathy for them should end. No matter what they’re pretending to go thru, doesn’t it feel a little bit too convenient that their lives are so “tragic” and “misunderstood” and for that reason you’re supposed to just let them take it out on you and “understand where they’re coming from”? If they’re leading you to believe you’re a bad person if you don’t let them hurt you, they can just fuck off! It’s just a sham to make you believe that allowing them to cause you pain is noble from you, it’s not, your life has bigger value than to be a punching bag for someone, noble thing is to protect your life from that kind of parasite.
Kiss Art February // Day 8 : "Shy"
it’s time we go for what we want and not what’s convenient or comfortable
Truth 💓
The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love — whether we call it friendship or family or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light. Gentle work. Steadfast work. Life-saving work in those moments when life and shame and sorrow occlude our own light from our view, but there is still a clear-eyed loving person to beam it back. In our best moments, we are that person for another.
-James Baldwin
Today the governor of Texas released an official statement directing Family and Protective Services to investigate families of transgender minors on allegations of child abuse (with the intention of separating trans children from their families). It includes a “duty to report”, directing those who know or suspect the existence of a trans child to report it.
This is not a law, nor is it technically actively enforceable. But it is an official statement by a governor that WILL cause real consequences. It also emerges from all of the OTHER anti-trans legislation in action.
30/50 U.S. states are currently proposing legislation against the existence of trans minors (or sometimes people up to 21 years old).
As a trans person who transitioned as a minor in one of these states, I’ve been fighting against these laws for years with little to no news coverage. I am begging for people to care about this. These laws prohibit access to gender-affirming care, accuse families of trans minors of child abuse, jail doctors, and prohibit trans people from playing in sports. Some of these laws have already passed. Some are going to.
Here is a thread of resources in regards to what is happening in Texas right now.
Here’s a thread of GoFundMes of Texas families of trans children who are trying to move out of the state.
Here is a website where you can track these anti-trans bills in the U.S., see what is happening in your state, and see what action you can take.
Stay safe. Protect and uplift trans youth.
If you experienced trauma in childhood or had a rough childhood, dude listen to me. Offer yourself play. You were deprived of it.
Keep bubbles in the house, blow bubbles in the yard, blow them in your room, get a coloring book that doesn’t have to be an adult one with mandalas, watch cartoons, laugh at stupid things, dress up as a superhero for Halloween, wear a Santa hat on Christmas and big light up snowflake earrings, lay down on the floor, lay down in the grass, eat eggos for dinner sometimes. It’s not stupid. You’re not childish. You’re giving your inner child what they had taken from them. They deserve it.
Abused kid things:
having scars on your body you can’t remember how you got them
gaping holes in memory
feeling distortion in your limbs, your body doesn’t feel yours
always feeling terrified of being called out for a mistake
worrying that you are A BOTHER to everyone at all times
guilt for wanting attention
depriving yourself of attention to cope with guilt and thinking it will “toughen you up”
guilt for receiving attention
feeling uncomfortable whenever things are about you
always feeling seconds from being targeted for someone’s anger
being overly accommodating and still feeling it’s not enough and you will PAY FOR NOT DOING MORE
feeling you’re going insane
trying to blame your own symptoms on yourself
trying to shame yourself just like everyone else has shamed you
feeling life would be better if only you weren’t the way you are
craving for something horribble to happen to you just so you could stop anticipating it
fantasies of abuse + obligatory guilt for having fantasies of abuse
self doubt over weather you actually deserved or wanted to be abused
trying to prove to yourself that you didn’t
not knowing how to prove that to anyone else
trying to soothe yourself by explaining your symptoms away and telling yourself your fears are not real
wondering why you stayed alive this far
i’m sorry for the phone video but prime won’t let me record. but i’m falling apart at the seams over this i really am
Time for a rousing game of "How the fuck does Man-Bat's body work", feat. Oswald.
That first transformation left some permanent marks on Kirk. He built up his upper body strength before taking the original serum specifically to offset how heavy the wings would be, but they still managed to pull his shoulder blades out of place. He needed surgery on his back after he got arrested and usually wears a brace to help with it now. After he changed back, the improvement to his hearing stated, and his hair started coming in thicker. The serum also screwed with his connective tissue, so he's more flexible and his joints dislocate more easily than they used to.
Anyway, comic book anatomy is fun to figure out.
No single line has ever wrecked me as hard as this one from the Good Place and I think about it constantly
The more you know!