Rath Roiben Rye, THE MODERN FAERIE TALES (WIP)
He of the pewter hair and world-weary frown 🖤
IM DRAWING AS FAST AS I CAN
which is still slow
Nev and Cal from THE LIES OF ALMA BLACKWELL by Amanda Glaze, (coming 27 August 2024) 🖤🖤
Drawing number four in the greyscale experiment! When I was learning to draw, I was very focused on lines, and then went straight from sketches to colour. I could have spent more time getting a solid handle on how lights and darks affect a composition. I’m temporarily taking colour out of the equation, so when I go back to making finished art, I will hopefully be armed with a firmer grasp of value🤞
When the bigger one is the little spoon (WIP)
When you’re reading a smutty book and hoping your boyfriend won’t notice (but he definitely has, and is reading over your shoulder) 💀
When you braid your demon’s hair
After too many painting disasters, I’m forcing myself to do value mockups now, no matter how straightforward things seem 💀
Successful trans men
I wish I knew about men like these growing up, I wish I knew that trans men could be successful after a lifetime of never seeing anyone ‘like me’ excelling in life. So here are some trans men - some that you may have heard of, some that you may not - that are successful in a range of careers. Never let being trans hold you back, never think you can’t do something, never think there is not a place for you.
Ben Barres
American neurobiologist for Stanford University and advocate for women in science. Barre’s research on the interactions between glial cells and neurons changed the way that we understand the brain and opened up a whole new field of research.
Stephen Whittle
Professor of equalities law. Founder of FTM Network in 1989 and Press for Change in 1992. Whittle has been heavily involved in trans activism since joining the Self Help Association for Transsexuals in 1979. His research and activism has been instrumental in ensuring the rights of trans people in the UK.
Michael D Cohen
Actor, teacher and coach. Making his break in award-winning Nickelodeon sitcoms Harvey Danger and Danger Force he was the first series regular actor to publicly come out as transgender. Cohen has a BSc in cell biology and a masters degree in adult education, teaching at his own acting studio and providing workshops.
Chris Mosier
American triathlete and award-winning coach. Six time member of Team USA in both duathlon and triathlon, Mosier also won two national championships in racewalking and was the first transgender athlete to qualify for the Olympic trials to compete against other members of his gender.
Yance Ford
African-American film producer and director. Ford received an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and was nominated for an Oscar for his part in producing and directing the documentary Strong Island which follows the death of his brother.
Kael McKenzie
Canadian judge. Serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for several years, McKenzie later attended law school and and worked as a lawyer before being appointed as a judge to the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 2015.
Shane Ortega
Native American former flight engineer in the US army, former marine and professional bodybuilder. Throughout his career Ortega has served in Iraq and Afghanistan in over 400 combat missions. He has a long history of advocating for the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the recent banning on transgender service members in the US army.
Drago Renteria
Chicano photojournalist and deaf and LGBT activist. Renteria founded the Deaf Queer Resource and is CEO of DeafVision - a webhosting and development company run by deaf people and the founder of the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives. Renteria has been instrumental in both creating and hosting many online deaf/queer spaces online along with being heavily involved in real-world activism for decades.
Phillipe Cunningham
Elected city councillor for ward 4 Minneapolis and previous special education teacher, Cunningham holds a masters degrees in Organizational Leadership & Civic Engagement and in Police Administration and is passionate about tacking inequalities in his community.
The vast majority of these men did not get puberty blockers early. I think that’s important for trans youth to know… that stupid legislation can’t stop them from being trans and transitioning well, even if the hoops are worse and take longer. (I think trans youth should be able to transition when and how they need to, but in the face of current transphobic legislation, you need to understand that even if they manage to delay you, they can’t stop you.)
Ben Barres, in fact, didn’t transition until he was 43 and already a full fledged neuroscientist in a faculty position. He chose to use his circumstances, and the differences in treatment he experienced after transitioning, to draw attention to gender discrimination in his chosen field in all directions. I’ve spoken to a number of people who knew him over the years and have never heard anyone express anything but profound affection and admiration for him as a mentor and a teacher as well as a groundbreaking scientist.
So, you know. They really can’t stop you. Sometimes in science I hear trans folks, especially transmasc folks, expressing fear that they’re somehow letting the side down by choosing to live life in the way that feels most authentic to themselves. Ben’s legacy puts the lie to that fear: in choosing to transition in 1997, very publicly — in academia your name is part of your publication record and all his previous work was obviously published under his deadname — he was able to use his particular perspective and unique experiences to advocate for others even harder than he might otherwise have been able to do.
His memory is a blessing. His legacy is a gift.
I worked really hard this week, and then all at once it seemed terribly important to go on a side quest and draw my OC wiping blood off his mouth. I meant for him to have a shirt on, but once again I did not follow through. It just always seems such a shame to cover up the anatomy I worked so hard to get right. The serratus muscles mess me up every time. I showed it to an art friend and this is how the conversation went:
them: I am looking
me: Somehow my OCs never have any clothes on
them: he flexes them off
me: I feel like I’ve seen that in a cartoon! I’m blanking
them: I’ve seen it too, but I like to think your OC doesn’t try, he just moves and then they tear themselves off
cyberth0t