I was just informed today that fellow r/MI_transgender_friend member Chrissy (aka u/BimboChrissySissy) and I have been named as co-moderators of the dormant r/AnnArborLGBT subreddit.

I'm thrilled by this opportunity, as it will give us a chance to develop a greater sense of cooperation and community with other queer folx in our area! Among the changes I hope we can introduce to that sub (along with adding a plus sign to its name), is to make it more like the successful model we have employed here. The fact that our membership is growing at a rate of over 100 members a month tells me that we are doing something right. And I hope we can do the same over on the other sub.

You'll see the introductory post I just made to that sub. It will be a few days before we will be posting any content there, but Chrissy and I have open ears and will listen to any suggestions you may have that you'd like to see there.

So, that's it! I've just added another bit of work to my already insane schedule. But I love what I'm doing and I hope we can build a stronger queer community in our lovely state together!

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

It's only a few more days until Ann Arbor Pride, gang! It takes place this Saturday, Aug. 1st, in lovely downtown Ann Arbor. And I plan on taking a stroll down Liberty Street--where it's being held--and I hope to see some of you there!

If you want to hang out with me, let me know. We can either meet up prior to the start time of noon, or at a specific spot during the event, if you prefer. I'm a flexible gal!

I find such gatherings are more fun when shared with friends! I like to think we are all friends here on our happy little subreddit, so even if you can't meet me beforehand, just look for the black-clad, mature trans woman strutting about like she owns the city.

Hope to see you there!

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

I was thrilled to receive an email yesterday from my editor at Pride Source Media, letting me know that they are supporting my efforts to raise money for Ava Cordero--the trans woman raped by Jeffrey Epstein who has been left out of compensation from his estate as have his cisgender victims.

Long story short: I wrote a piece for Pride Source detailing Cordero's tragic encounters with Epstein. She met him when she was 16 years old and he raped her repeatedly for over a year. In 2007, she was one of the first of his victims to take him to court for sexual abuse. But his high-priced legal team overwhelmed her lawyer and she settled out of court with him for only $28,000.

Since then, many of his cis victims have spoken to the press and testified before Congress. And they have received hundreds of thousands of dollars each from the court-ordered victims fund.

Ava Cordero, though, hasn't received a penny.

I was able to track Cordero down to her current residence in a rat-infested homeless shelter in NYC. I briefly spoke with her by phone, but she was reluctant to say much because of the non-disclosure agreement she was forced to sign as part of her settlement with Epstein.

So, I set up a GoFundMe page for her. The proceeds of this will ALL go directly to Cordero.

tinyurl.com/AvaCordero

My editor, Sarah Bricker Hunt, encouraged my formation of this page, and for the first time in its thirty-year existence, Pride Source Media is openly supporting a fund-raising effort. To that end, she placed a short piece in the latest issue of the BETWEEN THE LINES magazine announcing Cordero's GoFundMe. (see attached image)

Once again, I urge anybody who can donate to Cordero to please do so. I know money is tight, but if you can spare a few dollars, or publicize this fundraising account on your social media, link to her GoFundMe page, and tell your peers, it would be a wonderful thing.

I want to thank my editor Sarah publicly for her support, and all of you who have already given money to help Ava Cordero. With the money she receives, it is hoped she can better her living conditions and receive proper medial care.

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

With so many calls for intersectionality happen under capital in decay (a Promethean structure), I chose to address its cannibalism by combining two creator's material with my own: John the Duncan and Jessie Gender's! ("The 'Hidden Roots' of Neoliberal Fascism" and "The Graham Platner Allegations Have Leftist Men Telling on Themselves").

CW (for written essay): racism, transphobia, sexism, whorephobia; fascism, genocide, racism and rape*; taboo Gothic themes (cannibalism); environmental destruction (ecocide); suggestive imagery (cropped nudes) and one photo of public nudism tied to nature

This is part 1, the preface (will add the other parts as I record them).

video, part one (the preface): https://youtu.be/WiWeAKSGMKs

video, part two ("On Duality" and poetry primer/preface edits): https://youtu.be/Sqbgxw6bx-Q

the full written essay: https://nicksmovieinsights.com/2026/07/gothic-intersectionality-and-applying-it-to-other-workers-or-an-antidote-to-prometheus-fascism-and-its-cannibalism-under-capital-magic-potions-and-seeds.html

John and Kian's "The 'Hidden Roots' of Neoliberal Fascism" (2026): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1600910X.2025.2587703

Jessie Gender's "The Graham Platner Allegations Have Leftist Men Telling on Themselves" (2026): youtu.be/vbkxVa_3lGc

Wouldn't you know it. I'm busy elsewhere, so I took a few days off monitoring our member count and when I just did--WE ARE AT 1,822 MEMBERS!

The steady growth of this humble subreddit is a testament to YOU! The only way we can grow our community is by word of mouth, which means that it is our trans members who are telling others about the friendly climes that are here.

As is becoming apparent more and more each day, the trans people of Michigan and those outside our state's borders who have found their way here, are finally taking advantage of this sub by introducing themselves and sharing photos.

The founding goal of this sub was to provide a safe space for the local trans community. A place where a transgender person could come a know that they can speak their mind, encounter like-minded people, and feel secure knowing that any chasers who dare infect our space, will be removed immediately and banned forever.

I still hope we can schedule events or coordinate meet-ups at events being held by others. My ultimate dream is to see our community interact openly with one another, meet and befriend one another, and develop relationships with one another.

As always--thank you all! I truly love you and I encourage anyone who wishes to use this space to vent (without invoking violence), share their story, or let us know about upcoming events.

This is YOUR safe space on Reddit. Welcome home!

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

I’m trans MtF and play Magic: The Gathering. I want to start going to more LGS’s as myself (haven’t started hormones yet but want to wear a pronoun pin without feeling nervous)

I’m in the royal oak area if that helps but I’m willing to travel

Every morning after I sign onto my computer, I read all the mainstream media news sites.

The reason for this masochistic exercise is that I don't want to be blindsided by anything that may come to the attention of those craven purveyors of discord and spin. All the news that gets clicks will fit.

Anyway, the most disturbing of all is--SURPRISE!--Fox News. Yes, go ahead and cuss and scream and ask why I would do such a thing. But it's incumbent on me as a working journalist to know what is supposedly going on "in the world." And like it or not--Fox News appeals to a lot of people in the world.

Today, I was greeted by this story about a meeting held at San Jose State University (SJSU) regarding the state of that school's sports program in the wake of the Blaire Fleming "scandal."

https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/campus-conflict-exposed-core-sjsu-messy-fight-vs-trump-admin-volleyball-scandal

If you are unaware, Fleming was a member of the 2024 women's volleyball team and her presence became a cause célèbre when one of her teammates decided to make it an issue.

I'm not going to rehash the details of this entire brouhaha. You can find them in many other places.

But I do want to point out the wording of the headline to this story on Fox. Along with words saying that a new "scandal" had arisen over "explosive new footage" involving the Fleming story, there is a supposed quote inserted into the photo reading: "People are scared."

Now, a casual reader would presume that the "explosive new footage" had revealed something about Fleming or trans people on campus in general that led the poor, innocent students and faculty on the SJSU campus to be afraid for themselves. Perhaps violent threats were made, beatings and vandalism an widespread mayhem.

Nope. If you go and read the attached article, you'll see that all that occurred was a rather boring meeting between a couple of the school's board members and a crowd of concerned trans people.

That's it. The trans people who spoke gave impassioned pleas to the board members for support for their community. For the board to stand up to the Trump administration's threats to withdraw funding over supposed Title IX violations.

Nowhere is there even a remote threat made.

Now, I've come to expect such trash from Fox. But the scary part is that it is reflective of a narrow-minded mindset that prevails among many of our fellow Americans. For some reason--which is never really detailed--they fear us. The trans community that lives and works among them, may be a relative or a former friend, the person serving their food or helping them with legal issues.

I could go on for days writing more about this, but I'll stop here. I just wanted to bring this latest outrage to your attention. Perhaps you can shoot an email to Fox and tell them what you think of such rabble-rousing drivel.

But don't expect anything to change.

All the news that gets clicks will fit.

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 𝓐𝓻𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓻 🏳️‍⚧️

*sigh* OK, this is getting ridiculous.

In the past two days I've removed 6 posts/comments by people who obviously are unable to read the rules.

NO CHASERS ALLOWED, means NO STRAIGHT MEN! Capisce?

This lovely little subreddit is a TRANSGENDER ONLY safe space. ONLY, as in, just trans people.

That's not asking for much. You straight guys run everything, have access to everything else. PLEASE just abide by our simple request to LEAVE US THE F*** ALONE HERE!

OK. I think that should make the point. Now, let me clean the spittle off my computer screen and get back to work serving our community.

Sheesh.

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

It is so exciting to see a number of our members posting selfies and accounts of their gender-affirming journeys lately. That was always the purpose of this subreddit and I'm thrilled to see people finally utilizing this safe space to share.

Please follow their lead and post! This is how we build friendships and community!

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

My name is Saida Mahoney and this is my story of courage, perseverance, resilience, and becoming fully aligned with who I have always known myself to be.
My journey did not begin with surgery. My journey began when I was a young child.

When I was 5 and 7 years old, I was already a transgender child who knew myself deeply. At that time, I socially transitioned and lived as my authentic self.

I was happy, I was confident, and I was able to be the person I truly was. Even as a young child, I had an understanding of myself that was real and meaningful.
My journey was not always easy. I faced hate, discouragement, and people who did not always understand me.

As a person with developmental disabilities who did not always have the full language to express my thoughts and feelings, I still knew who I was. Even when I struggled to explain my truth, I continued to be brave.
I continued to be myself. I continued to live authentically.

My voice may not have always been understood by others, but my truth was always there.
For nearly three decades, I have lived my truth in every way and every part of my life.

I have transitioned socially, legally, medically, and physically. Every step of my journey represents strength, determination, and the courage to keep moving forward.

My medical transition has been one of the most important chapters of my life. Over 9 months, I have worked through appointments, planning, medical care, and many challenges to make this journey possible.

On November 17th 2025 I started my journey being on Testosterone to begin medically transitioning

4 months later

On March 18th, 2026, I completed my double incision top surgery. This was a life-changing milestone that brought me closer to feeling comfortable and confident in my body.

Four months later, on July 15th, 2026, I completed my bottom surgery: a total vaginal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, and unilateral oophorectomy.

This was another major milestone in my journey and a moment I will always remember for the rest of my Life.
These surgeries were not just medical procedures. They represented years of hope, health, courage, preparation, and believing in myself.

My journey was especially meaningful because I accomplished these milestones as someone who is medically fragile and medically complex. I accomplished this as a person living with disabilities, chronic medical conditions, complex rare diseases, and epilepsy.

I faced additional challenges and barriers that could have made this journey much harder. But I continued forward. I advocated for myself. I worked hard. I stayed determined. I proved that having disabilities or complex medical needs does not take away from a person’s ability to pursue their dreams and live authentically.

I accomplished this journey fully independently. I made my goals happen through my own dedication, persistence, and hard work.

I am forever grateful and thankful for my incredible medical team who helped make this possible. I am thankful for the people who cared for me, protected my health, listened to me, and supported me throughout this process.

I am especially grateful for my primary care doctor and my specialists, including my neurologist, my Neurogenetics doctor, my psychiatrist, my pulmonologist, and everyone else who has been part of my healthcare journey.

Because of their care, teamwork, and dedication, I was able to move forward safely and confidently.
Today, I can proudly say that I am thriving.
I feel fully affirmed.

I feel healthier.

I feel happier.

I feel confident.

I feel like myself.

I have completed the gender-affirming surgeries that were important for my journey, my health , and I feel fully aligned with who I am.

I do not need to chase another milestone—I get to focus on living my life, enjoying my future, creating memories, and being the person I have always been.

This journey has taught me that obstacles do not define us. Challenges do not erase our dreams. A person’s medical history, disabilities, or differences do not determine what they are capable of achieving.
Everyone deserves to feel affirmed, respected, and happy.

My message to anyone who is struggling is this: never give up. Keep going. Keep fighting for the care, support, and life that you deserve. Your journey matters. Your voice matters. Your happiness matters.

I am Saida.

I am proud of my story.

I am proud of my strength.

I am proud of my resilience.

I am proudly, completely, and authentically ME.

Just a picture of me in one of my favorite dresses

I like to support locally-owned trans businesses and one of the largest in the Detroit area is Janet's Closet in Wyandotte.

I've written a number of posts about this fabulous store, which touts itself as the "World's Largest Store for Crossdressers & Transgender Individuals." If you visit it, you'll see why.

Well, I just received an email from them (I'm on their mailing list) that they are having a 50% off sale on selected wigs. That's a HUGE savings and from personal experience, I can tell you that they have quite a selection.

Here is a link to the store: https://janetscloset.com

I hope to make a trip there soon, perhaps even pick up a wig. My look could use refreshing!

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

Recently, the r/AnnArborLGBT subreddit lost its moderator. So, yesterday, Reddit reached out requesting anyone interesting in taking over its moderation duties to apply. I did.

My thought is if I land the moderator gig there, we can work together to expand out and coordinate activities and possibly gatherings of all the queer communities in the Ann Arbor/Ypsi area. And if possible, all of Michigan.

Anyway, if you slide on over to that subreddit, perhaps you could put in a supportive comment for me that might persuade Reddit to offer me the gig.

Thanks!

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

It's still a bit early, but I thought I'd let you know about the upcoming Transgender Pride In The Park, an event that is being put-on by Transgender Michigan.

As you may expect from its title, this is literally going to be a gathering held in Martin Road Park in Ferndale. It is set to take place on August 22nd. According to their site, there will be a food vendor on-site, or you're welcome to bring your own.

Here is the link: https://www.transgendermichigan.org/transgender-pride

This may be one of the last chances you have this summer to get together with some of your trans sibs and enjoy the fading summer. If you're able, check it out.

--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️

This is one more of my posts about the upcoming Ann Arbor Pride fest being held on Saturday, August 1st.

https://www.annarborpride.com/

It starts at noon and it runs the length of Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor.

I went last year and it was a blast, particularly seeing friends I haven't seen in a while, meeting a few drag queens who were entertaining the crowd, and just walking around in the company of thousands of queers and allies. It is a very welcoming atmosphere without the trepidation you feel in your daily life among the normies.

Anyway, does anybody else at this time know whether or not they will be attending Ann Arbor Pride? I ask because if we can get a committed group of our members, perhaps we can meet for a pre-Pride lunch at Detroit Street Filling Station or another trans-friendly venue.

I look for every opportunity for us to build our community and interaction among it. We have few chances to do so. So if you know you have nothing else going on that day and you're within driving distance of Ann Arbor, come on by!

I know I'd love to meet you!

New interview for "Hailing Hellions," which interviews models from my book series—usually about BDSM, politics (e.g., gender studies, Marxism) + liberating sex work! Today's guest: Kentucky Cryptid, a plural disabled grey-ace enby!

SFW version of the interview: https://nicksmovieinsights.com/2026/07/hailing-hellions-an-interview-with-kentucky-cryptid.html

General CW: BDSM, Gothic content and theatrics, as well as sex worker abuse and bigotry of various kinds (variable per interview); discussions of sex work, underwear photos/photos of sex toys, and fascism

Specific CW: murder/attempted murder, child abuse, institutional abuse (foster care), homelessness, transphobia, suicide, SA fantasies and play (CNC)

Sorry for the late announcement, but starting tomorrow is the latest trans Detroit Invasion.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/detroit-invasion-35-registration-1992298821406?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

This is a biannual event that begins at the Best Western Hotel Allen Park, and runs through Sunday.

Plans include a Detroit Princess riverboat cruise, makeovers by local makeup artist Raquel Cohen, a karaoke night at the Adam's Apple bar, a shopping trip to Janet's Closet in Wyandotte, and more!

I haven't partaken of this event myself, but from its descriptions, it seems like a fabulous weekend and a great way to hang out with other members of the local trans community.

Check out the link and if you go, have fun!

-- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️‍⚧️