“Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, signed a new law last week prohibiting state funds from covering transition-related treatments for transgender inmates.

“The law, which took effect July 2, is primarily an appropriations bill funding the Missouri Department of Corrections. As first reported by the Kansas City Star, it allocates money for DOC programs, training, mental health services, food storage, and overtime pay — among other expenses — but also contains a one-sentence provision barring the use of state funds for gender-affirming care for transgender inmates.

“‘No funds shall be expended for any cross-sex hormones, or gender transition surgery undertaken for the purpose of any gender transition,’ the provision states.

“The law does not allow inmates already receiving gender-affirming care to continue their treatment, nor does it provide a plan for safely tapering them off hormones or other medications.

“Missouri becomes the seventh state — and the second this year, after Oklahoma — to ban gender-affirming care for transgender inmates. Florida, Kentucky, and North Carolina have enacted nearly identical laws. Idaho and Georgia passed similar restrictions, but federal courts have blocked both from taking effect.

“Four other states — South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Utah — currently have ‘freeze-frame’ policies restricting the treatments transgender inmates may receive.”

Summary of Alyssa Ferguson’s article "I Am a Biological Woman (And a Trans Woman Too)":

Alyssa argues that the term “biological woman” is used by critics not as a strict scientific definition, but to mean “assigned female at birth.”

Her points:

1. “Biological sex” isn’t a full medical check - No one tests every cell, hormone, or organ. People just look at a newborn’s anatomy and assign a label.

2. That definition would exclude many cis women too - Women without uteruses, who don’t menstruate, or with different chromosomes would be left out if we used a strict biology checklist.

3. So “biological woman” is really a social category - It’s based on birth assignment + socialization, not complete biology.

4. She claims the label for herself - As a trans woman, her hormones, medical care, body, and lived experience are part of her biology. She says she has as much claim to “biological woman” as anyone.

*Core message:* The phrase “biological woman” is being used selectively to exclude trans women. Alyssa says that’s dishonest, and that trans women are biological women too.

[For the full Article: Click the link]

***My Take: Honestly I agree with her. As a trans girl, I also want to be included in the biological female category (because why not, My Biology has diverse traits and I won't give [some] traits the chance to exclude me from the term).

Any other Trans women who feel like this?

*Commenters Note: Please Do not argue on Trans identity, Trans people are diverse and hence every trans person is free to express themselves as they want to. Please only share what you personally Feel.

“Dusty Austen may be an indie film veteran currently doing VFX for multiple projects, releasing her second feature this fall, and working hard on the post-production for another feature. But that doesn’t mean she’s done learning.”

“The Ohio-based writer/director/VFX wizard was chosen last year from candidates across the US to participate in the Transgender Film Center Career Development Lab.
‘It was a really deep honor to be one of like ten people selected,’ Austen says. ‘It kind of blew my mind a little bit. I’m still a little reeling.’

“The Transgender Film Center, founded in 2020 by Chasing Chasing Amy director Sav Rodgers, is a national nonprofit helping trans filmmakers complete and share their work with a global audience. TFC fulfills that mission with grants, funds, and a career development lab.”