Read Suicide Notes - Media

Read suicide notes.

(be very careful about what you say on camera, craft things to say and responses first)

Fear the camera. What's said will be edited, what's suggested will be altered. Media is not used to
communicate truth. Media is used to construct narratives. If you must appear, be prepared. If you
are not prepared, do not speak to the mic, do not glare at the camera. Think through every thing you
would say. Think about how each sentence can be chopped up. Think about what questions might follow,
even if nonsensical. Think about responses, both legitimate and illegitimate, and think about how you
would act. Think about if you are capable of dealing with multiple speakers, constantly interrupting
you. Think about the narratives given to those who hear you speak for the first time.

...

Read suicide notes.

(some tactics used, where to learn about them and how to deal with them)

Focus on one topic at a time, do not let them change subjects. Call them out when they say anything
to marginalize or dehumanize a group of people. Ask them why they are hateful. Hold them accountable.
When they claim to be in defense of a group, ask them what they have done to help those people.
Ask them how they think societies would change if a policy is or is not adopted. Reassure their
audience that authorities, those who have looked at stats and are involved with people, understand
that things will not fold out the way they claim. Hold them to their claims. Demand responsibility.
Learn your facts. Learn why you trust the studies involved. Learn why you trust the organizations
involved. Learn about when studies are untrustworthy, and when organizations are untrustworthy.
Look through resources such as "The Alt-Right Playbook" YouTube series by Innuendo Studios, or the
"Debunking Transphobia" video by JasperDasper. The former, for handling malicious conversations. The
latter, for handling misrepresented facts. Be prepared, or do not appear.

...

Read suicide notes.

(understand rhetoric, understand history, understand language)

It used to be called "sexual reassignment surgery." Language is constructed. It can be used, and it
can be abused. Language can be freed, or colonized. Those who talk loudest are often listened to.
Marginalized voices are often silenced. "The immutable" is mutable, dictated by authoritarian
forces, but also by social forces. Bring biologists. Have them explain what "biological" is supposed
to mean. Have them explain the problem with overly simplistic categorization. Tell people they do
not need to understand. But they must understand the harm their spreading of words cause. Read the
story now. It does not have to be one about a trans person. It can be one about an intersex person,
or a cis person who does not fit the mold they are folded into by their assigned gender. Know who
spread these ideas. Know the purpose behind their usage. Bring historians. Bring medical
professionals. Bring people to say that it is okay to not know. Don't let it be an excuse to hurt.

...

Read suicide notes.

(learn to laugh, learn to shrug, learn to be surprised, learn to look horrified)

Fatigue drains emotion. When something weird or outrageous is spoken, laugh. Laugh, and do it loudly
and proudly. Laugh at what they say, but do not laugh at them. Explain silliness. But start with
analogies. Do not explain the words, replace certain ones with others. Make it clear how ridiculous
a statement is by putting it in familiar context. When they say kids are being swayed, laugh. Laugh,
then say "the children already know!" Bring one along, not to talk about them, but to talk about
their friends. When they say kids are being turned, ask them if they think that about gay people.

Learn to shrug. Learn to ask, "what if that's true?" When they say there will be many
people on medications later, ask them "is that a bad thing?" Ask them if they judge the sick or
elderly currently on medications. When they say cis women are losing medals, ask them if they would
have cared about women's sports, otherwise. Bring Khalif. Bring the French athletes who didn't
submit examination results in time, and got disqualified. Then, bring up stats, about how impactful
people who are trans in sports actually are. Explain why the source is trustworthy.

Learn to be surprised. When they claim that someone they loved have been harmed by "transgenderism,"
be surprised. Be surprised, because you yourself do not know anyone who has been harmed.
Be surprised, because you only know of people who flourished. Or, be surprised, because the claimed
source of harm is very different from what they claim. Explain.

Learn to look horrified. When they say that certain people do not deserve rights, pause. React. Say
"woah, woah, woah!" Do not let them change topics. Do not let them ignore what they said. Stop the
conversation. Hold them accountable. Ask them to repeat that. Ask them if they would say that about
gay people. Or about black people. Or about any other marginalized group. When they say certain
people are threats to society, look horrified. Ask them if they would say that about other groups
in society. Ask them if they know what such statements usually lead to. Bring a historian. When they
say certain people are mentally ill and need therapy, look horrified. Ask them what they think about
those who are neurodivergent. Ask them if they have heard about the harms and regrets of conversion
therapy. Bring a survivor. Bring an ex-conversion therapist. Bring the pope. Or, a regretful priest.

...

Read suicide notes.

(simply don't go if you can't handle it)

This is the toughest of arenas. Media is controlled. Opinions are already formed. Do not expect an
easy battle. Do not expect to do more good than harm. This is a stroll into the heart of enemy
territory. Some are forced to fight in them. If so, be prepared. Bring friends. Be a voice for
not just the marginalized, but a voice for all people.

...

Read suicide notes.

(instructions)

1. DO NOT ACCEPT INVITATIONS TO TALK ABOUT TRANS PEOPLE ON MEDIA, WHETHER NEWS OR PODCASTS.
2. Bring friends, yours or others. Bring professionals. Have them visible.
3. Call out people who utter hate. Pause the conversation until they acknowledge what they said.
4. Tell people it is okay to not understand, but pretending to is harmful.
5. You can walk away if someone stops you on the streets to ask weird questions.

...

Read suicide notes.

(more complex instructions)

1. Do not accept invitations to media if you are unprepared. Be prepared, if you must.
2. Understand how conversation is controlled, and how narratives are constructed. Understand how
facts are construed, and how language is misused. Be prepared. Practice.
3. Bring friends. Have them talk about their experiences. Bring professionals. Bring biologists,
historians, and medical professionals. Bring therapists, bring ex-conversion therapists.
4. React. If something silly is said, laugh at what's said. If something dangerous is said, look
horrified, ask them to repeat, and hold them accountable.
5. Reassure people that they do not need to understand every nuance of life. But, assert that it is
harmful to spread information without certainty.
6. Put things into other context. Ask how people would feel if something had been said about gay
people, or about black people, or about disabled people, or about other marginalized groups.
7. Do not appear on media if you are not prepared. Do not be afraid to leave if the situation is
unfavorable, but do so gracefully. State that the debate incites harm.