Hi Christina,
Welcome to Susan's Place.
I can relate to every sentiment in your introduction above. You have come to a good space.

Ciara

The legal attack on trans teachers' free speech is a much broader warning

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-legal-attack-on-trans-teachers-free-speech-is-a-much-broader-warning/ar-AA1I9owM?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5ca70132cc294c14a371f4b6c3948f50&ei=108

Opinion by Katelyn Burns (7 July 2025)

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that a trans teacher in Florida has no right to refer to herself with the gendered honorific "Ms." or ask to be referred to with the pronouns she/her under what critics have called Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law.

The trans algebra teacher, Katie Wood, sued her employer, the Hillsborough County School Board, in 2023 soon after Florida's anti-LGBTQ law was enacted.

According to the law, teachers are explicitly forbidden from providing students with their honorifics or pronouns if they do not correspond with the words most closely associated with their assigned sexes at birth. Josh Block, senior counsel with the ACLU LGBT Project, explained to MSNBC that there are different levels of protected speech in certain government-sector professions, including teachers.

Block notes that other conservative-leaning courts have begun ruling that teachers have an inalienable free speech right to misgender their trans students, because conservatives have claimed that being required to respect a student's pronouns would essentially be the state's forcing teachers to express a political and/or religious belief that they do not hold.

But the same should be the case for a trans teacher referring to themselves. If a conservative teacher is allowed to misgender their students as a matter of political speech, so, too, should a trans teacher be allowed to gender herself correctly. But conservatives do not really care about legal consistency — they want to have their cake and eat it, too.

@Chris39  @Sarah_P  @Clever  @fries 
    @XiaoMei  @ImSomething  @Sadephanie

Dear Members:
Everyone here on the Forum are wishing you a  VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY
                                                       

I hope that your birthday includes:  CAKE
                                                              CANDLES
                                                                    Friends and Family

Please be certain to look at your profile on your Birthday and find a special gift.

Warm wishes to you on your Special Day and your Birthday...
Danielle [Northern Star Girl]

                  [/b]

Like I said, my leisure jacket is not in great shape. I have rust stains left where there used to be snaps. For some reason, the other part of the snap seems to be untouched. Since I can't find anything that would work with the existing snaps, I would have to replace the whole snap.



I wanted to see what I had for earrings, I bought some holders and spent some time taking the earring out of some drawer type thing and putting them onto holders. The Star Trek ones I wore to watch the parade, later noticing they were kind of rainbow. Surprising they are also about 20 years old.

My pirate faeries are kept in the cage. It creates a problem when they are flying around the house.

Michelle

Quote from: April Marie on Yesterday at 03:15:27 PMI pick up my prescriptions tomorrow!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!

Well, that is good news. Remember, this community is here to support you. I wish you the best and keep us posted on how you are doing!

Food cravings due to withdrawal. I was wondering what was going on. Due to the closeness of my bladder operation, and my pills are mostly vitamins, all of them have been stopped, including my nicotine patch.

About 172 pounds July 25, 2023, approximately 1 month after quitting smoking. My records show on 11/03/2023 my weight had increased to 185 pounds, although I have a note that I had gotten up to 191 pounds. 11/03/2023 is when my daily weight tracker is started. And if I remember right, my bra strap had gotten a bit too tight.

Something else I read:  Some individuals withdrawing from antidepressants may experience increased hunger. Being aware what is happening, I should be able to control it. Get down to 154 pounds, go off my nicotine patch, and get food craving that could cause me to put ten pounds back on.
Michelle

Quote from: Tig58072 on July 01, 2025, 09:11:52 PMWe are on our own.

I have always felt we were always on our own.  I remember a quote attributed to Gerald Ford in my youth going: 
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

That also carries hints of being tossed aside upon palatability changes.  The battle remains (safely) winning hearts and minds individually over time.

The two faced mayor in "Nightmare Before Christmas" comes to mind.  We can instead make friends and allies like Sally.

Quote from: April Marie on Yesterday at 03:15:27 PMI pick up my prescriptions tomorrow!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!

Wow, that is exciting!  Congratulations, April Marie!

Congrats April!!!

Onward!

A💕