On Thursday evening, news emerged that individuals within and outside of Trump administration were pushing to cast trans activists as domestic terrorists. Then, Project 2025 dropped its proposal.
We claimed asylum (refugee claim) as transgender Americans in Canada back in July. The Canadian IRC believes our claim has enough merit that we're allowed to stay until our court hearing (in about two years). Our Provincial Legal Aid office also believes that our claim is more likely than not to be approved, and so they are covering our legal fees.
Until these cases process through a hearing, you won't be hearing stories about trans Americans receiving asylum in Canada (even though we already are, for all intents and purposes)! Remember, we have to wait in line for asylum cases just like everyone else. America is not exceptional.
If you are in fear for your life or of cruel & unusual punishment, it's time to make an asylum claim. In CA, the case is based on the conditions in your home country on the date of your hearing in 24-36 months from now (not the date of your initial claim). Hope this helps!
Check out my Substack for more info about our experiences. I'll be publishing to it 1-2x/week. Stay safe ❤️🍁❤️
If you speak Spanish this is certainly an option. I recommend going somewhere that you can speak the language so that you can best understand the immigration process and be able to connect with the local Queer community
Anyone thinking about relocating should consider México. There are many expats throughout the country. Some favored locations include Puerto Vallarta, Ajijic, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro, Merida, and Mexico City. There are a plethora of YouTube videos about gaining residency if you are interested in researching your options. Additionally, if someone needs a quick exit, visitors with a U.S. passport can stay without a visa for up to 180 days. HRTs are available OTC without a prescription. Uruguay is another place to consider where it is relatively easy to gain residency.
We are about at the point of the first week of Nov., 1938. If Trump! broadly accomplishes making of some police forces or paramilitary (ICE) or military a force -- or ad hoc mobs -- he can command to clearly illegal orders, we get to a Kristallnacht analog. Such an event would drop a lot of barriers to our being granted asylum in general blanket fashion in many places.
Exactly what they're doing with migrants. Label them dangerous. Label them criminals. Say, "we're only going after the dangerous ones!" Take them all. Abuse them, make sure nobody is going to stop them, and then finally exterminate them. I've been saying this will happen— they'll come after trans people first, then it'll be the whole lgbtq+ community and it won't stop at just surveillance.
And to them, a "trans activist" is every transgender person. Simply by stating we exist, we are in their eyes an "extremist".
What they think instead is that we are really cisgender people who are insane, have a sexual fetish, or are demonically possessed. You can't argue an imbecile out of a position they never reasoned their way into in the first place.
The AI made them pick 3 graphics to use to illustrate how violent "we" are, but could only find two so an incorrectly-colored trans flag made it in there instead.
The whole violence thing is such a weird argument to me. I was pretty chill before I started taking estrogen, but afterwards? I'm like a kitten taking a nap on her cat bed 24/7. It's like as far away from "violent" as a person can get!
That said, I know how to fight for my rights, and I will. Trans people have existed long before Trump, and will exist long after.
They know we aren't actually violent. The ones making the policy do, anyway. They're capitalizing on state propaganda in lieu of a (very convenient) political killing to strike at the trans community because they want us dead. They want us eradicated. They don't think we're dangerous killers, they are genuinely just hateful, soulless people who feel inferior to everyone around them and need to hurt others to compensate for it.
Thank you for reporting on this in a clear, level headed way. I think writing that similar things happened to civil rights groups has helped me calm down somewhat. I'm afraid it won't stop there, though. All my trans friends and I are scared out of our minds - even my non-Trans friends who have engaged with me in advocacy.
So, nothing they will ever say or do AGAINST trans people should be deemed offensive, cruel, harmful or violent, but anything someone might say, do, or even think IN SUPPORT OF trans people is "violent radical extremism," full stop? Got it. Seems that George Orwell and Margaret Atwood should be owed some royalties for this narrative.
I think we all now know why the government announced its $500 billion investment in AI. That level of computing and tracking is what will be needed to identify each of us; track the electronic trail we may have left in online forums such as this; and locate each of us 24/7. I know this is going to sound paranoid of me, but picture a midnight raid by masked agents breaking down your front door. Armed against intruders, you confront this invasion, and the agents are "forced" to kill you in defense of their fellow officers. Later, at a press conference, the spokesperson comments that a citizen was "accidentally" killed by officers who happened to have raided the wrong house. Project 2025 is the guiding beacon for this administration. Make no mistake. Some, in the Justice Department will happily overstep their authority in order to destroy this menace to society (each of us!)
TIVE? CIVE (Christian-Inspired) would be far more apropos. Stay safe, everyone, and hang in there. The fuckers will not win. Thank you, Erin, S. Baum, and everyone in here for this community. ❤️
This truly reprehensible - when you think they can’t go any lower they do We must support organizations that will stand up GO TO COURT if necessary- support politicians and news organizations that agree with our principles and support our goals - WE MUST CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT AND VOTE
Are we at the point where we can start being granted asylum elsewhere??
They will wait until we're actively being killed before they even think about opening asylum for us lmao.
We claimed asylum (refugee claim) as transgender Americans in Canada back in July. The Canadian IRC believes our claim has enough merit that we're allowed to stay until our court hearing (in about two years). Our Provincial Legal Aid office also believes that our claim is more likely than not to be approved, and so they are covering our legal fees.
Until these cases process through a hearing, you won't be hearing stories about trans Americans receiving asylum in Canada (even though we already are, for all intents and purposes)! Remember, we have to wait in line for asylum cases just like everyone else. America is not exceptional.
If you are in fear for your life or of cruel & unusual punishment, it's time to make an asylum claim. In CA, the case is based on the conditions in your home country on the date of your hearing in 24-36 months from now (not the date of your initial claim). Hope this helps!
Check out my Substack for more info about our experiences. I'll be publishing to it 1-2x/week. Stay safe ❤️🍁❤️
thanks for the information I'm thinking of it too
Hoping my son will be safe here in Michigan, but so worried. Thank you for writing about your journey. I’ll be following your substack
🏳️⚧️💕
I've been looking into it, and yes it looks like a lot. Thank you for the information!
Thanks for this info ❤️
Yeah that's what I'm afraid of.
Maybe Mexico. I was thinking on this, the president of Mexico is very progressive and despises trump.
If you speak Spanish this is certainly an option. I recommend going somewhere that you can speak the language so that you can best understand the immigration process and be able to connect with the local Queer community
Anyone thinking about relocating should consider México. There are many expats throughout the country. Some favored locations include Puerto Vallarta, Ajijic, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro, Merida, and Mexico City. There are a plethora of YouTube videos about gaining residency if you are interested in researching your options. Additionally, if someone needs a quick exit, visitors with a U.S. passport can stay without a visa for up to 180 days. HRTs are available OTC without a prescription. Uruguay is another place to consider where it is relatively easy to gain residency.
Mexico need to grant us asylum
We are about at the point of the first week of Nov., 1938. If Trump! broadly accomplishes making of some police forces or paramilitary (ICE) or military a force -- or ad hoc mobs -- he can command to clearly illegal orders, we get to a Kristallnacht analog. Such an event would drop a lot of barriers to our being granted asylum in general blanket fashion in many places.
If you find someplace, let me know! I'm ready to go.
Exactly what they're doing with migrants. Label them dangerous. Label them criminals. Say, "we're only going after the dangerous ones!" Take them all. Abuse them, make sure nobody is going to stop them, and then finally exterminate them. I've been saying this will happen— they'll come after trans people first, then it'll be the whole lgbtq+ community and it won't stop at just surveillance.
And to them, a "trans activist" is every transgender person. Simply by stating we exist, we are in their eyes an "extremist".
What they think instead is that we are really cisgender people who are insane, have a sexual fetish, or are demonically possessed. You can't argue an imbecile out of a position they never reasoned their way into in the first place.
I’m scared.
We all are
The AI made them pick 3 graphics to use to illustrate how violent "we" are, but could only find two so an incorrectly-colored trans flag made it in there instead.
The whole violence thing is such a weird argument to me. I was pretty chill before I started taking estrogen, but afterwards? I'm like a kitten taking a nap on her cat bed 24/7. It's like as far away from "violent" as a person can get!
That said, I know how to fight for my rights, and I will. Trans people have existed long before Trump, and will exist long after.
They know we aren't actually violent. The ones making the policy do, anyway. They're capitalizing on state propaganda in lieu of a (very convenient) political killing to strike at the trans community because they want us dead. They want us eradicated. They don't think we're dangerous killers, they are genuinely just hateful, soulless people who feel inferior to everyone around them and need to hurt others to compensate for it.
"They know we aren't actually violent." <-- Not more violent than cisgender people in any case.
"Give me a moment, would you friend? I've never been on trial for my thoughts before."
If it were only about thoughts, and not the reality of biology. We are biologically as real as they are -- they deny it.
Thank you for reporting on this in a clear, level headed way. I think writing that similar things happened to civil rights groups has helped me calm down somewhat. I'm afraid it won't stop there, though. All my trans friends and I are scared out of our minds - even my non-Trans friends who have engaged with me in advocacy.
Fanatastic piece, Erin. Thanks for your reporting.
Joe Biden advocates for trans rights. I guess he’s a criminal?
as are we all
So, nothing they will ever say or do AGAINST trans people should be deemed offensive, cruel, harmful or violent, but anything someone might say, do, or even think IN SUPPORT OF trans people is "violent radical extremism," full stop? Got it. Seems that George Orwell and Margaret Atwood should be owed some royalties for this narrative.
I had to cut two today
2500+ words , so I broke it up
https://thistleandmoss.com/p/jimmy-kimmel-took-one-for-the-team
https://thistleandmoss.com/p/taste-the-rainbow-how-the-heritage
I think we all now know why the government announced its $500 billion investment in AI. That level of computing and tracking is what will be needed to identify each of us; track the electronic trail we may have left in online forums such as this; and locate each of us 24/7. I know this is going to sound paranoid of me, but picture a midnight raid by masked agents breaking down your front door. Armed against intruders, you confront this invasion, and the agents are "forced" to kill you in defense of their fellow officers. Later, at a press conference, the spokesperson comments that a citizen was "accidentally" killed by officers who happened to have raided the wrong house. Project 2025 is the guiding beacon for this administration. Make no mistake. Some, in the Justice Department will happily overstep their authority in order to destroy this menace to society (each of us!)
This is so asinine! Yet, the guns are not the problem. #WTF #FDT
All in the name of Christian fear!
🤬🤬🤬🤬
TIVE? CIVE (Christian-Inspired) would be far more apropos. Stay safe, everyone, and hang in there. The fuckers will not win. Thank you, Erin, S. Baum, and everyone in here for this community. ❤️
This truly reprehensible - when you think they can’t go any lower they do We must support organizations that will stand up GO TO COURT if necessary- support politicians and news organizations that agree with our principles and support our goals - WE MUST CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT AND VOTE
Jesus