Weanerdog

Lana, 8 days ago to queer

In 1945, a woman named Lucy Hicks Anderson was arrested for the crime of marrying her husband, Reuben Anderson, a soldier in the US Army.

Lucy Lawson seemingly always knew exactly who she was. In 1886, a beautiful black baby was born to Bill and Nancy Lawson of Waddy, KY. While this child was identified as male, she insisted that she was a girl. She chose the name Lucy and informed her parents that she would be wearing dresses to school.

At this point in history, the term 'transgender' had not yet been coined, and public knowledge about trans people was sadly lacking. Confounded, her mother and father took her to see the local doctor who advised them to raise her as they would any other little girl. Bill and Nancy did just that. And by all accounts, Lucy's childhood and school years were uneventful and happy.

At age 15, Lucy left home, taking domestic work to support herself, then moved west, first to Texas then to New Mexico where she married her first husband, a man named Clarence Hicks, in Silver City, NM. The couple settled in Oxnard, CA, a wealthy community about an hour up the coast from Los Angeles. There, Lucy's culinary skills opened doors for her, and she began to cater elaborate parties for Oxnard's rich and elite. Her rolls and fruitcakes reportedly won many local contests and awards. Lucy worked diligently and tirelessly, and saved nearly every penny she earned from her employment as a domestic worker, a nanny, and a cook. And in 1920, at the age of 34, Lucy managed to save enough to purchase business property — a local brothel.

Lucy's brothel operated between 1920 and 1933, a period in American history known as Prohibition. During this time, selling alcohol was illegal. But as a brothel madam, Lucy had already skipped merrily over the lines of propriety, so she served her customers alcohol anyway.

In 1929, Lucy divorced Clarence Hicks. Not much is known about her marriage or divorce to Clarence, so we can infer that the separation was mutual and uncontested by either party. Lucy kept her business, and kept bootlegging alcohol.

She was busted a few times, but her numerous social connections with wealthy socialites allowed her to avoid any aggressive prosecution. Rumor has it that one wealthy banker even posted her bail so that she could cater his party that evening.

In 1944, Lucy fell in love a second time. At 58 years old, she met and married the love of her life, Reuben Anderson. Reuben was a soldier stationed in Long Island, NY. But their happiness was not to last.

Just one year after their marriage, a sailor claimed he had caught a venereal disease from one of the women at Lucy's brothel. At that time, the law required all sex workers to undergo a medical examination, and the Ventura County examiner insisted on including Lucy. It was at this time that her trans identity was revealed, and subsequently made public. He chose to put her on trial for perjury, arguing that she lied on her marriage licence, impersonated a woman, and stole VA benefits to which military spouses were entitled. After the story ran in a small Pacific coast newspaper, Time Magazine ran an article on Lucy, exposing her as a trans woman to the entire nation.

During her trial, Lucy stated in her defense, "I defy any doctor in the world to prove that I am not a woman. I have lived, dressed, acted just what I am, a woman". However, the court convicted both her and Reuben of perjury, and they were both sentenced to incarceration in a male prison. Lucy in particular was court ordered not to wear women's clothes.

Reuben and Lucy's relationship survived these indignities, somehow. After serving ten long years in a male penitentiary, Lucy and her beloved Reuben retired to Los Angeles, where they quietly lived out the remainder of their lives together. At age 68, Lucy Hicks Anderson died and was mourned by all who knew her.

Lucy Hicks Anderson was not an activist. She was not even known as a trans woman for the vast majority of her life. She simply wanted to live her life, love her loves, and pursue the projects and interests that made her happy. Lucy wanted only one thing out of life, and that was to be the woman she knew herself to be. And it turns out she was willing to fight for that.

Tell our stories.
#PRIDE #TransHistory

tante, 11 days ago to random

What happens when you create something and put it on social media?

(Original title: Sharing creative stuff on Social Media)

https://designthinkingcomic.substack.com/p/sharing-creative-stuff-on-social

raccoon, 15 days ago to random

NEW ACCOUNT WHO THIS?

So our instance shat itself, we had to start over.
Please, boost this message and help me find my old friends that I couldn't retrieve, it would mean a lot to me!

AlarminglyBad, 15 days ago to Funny

COMIC: Neptune

All I'm saying is if I ever got genie wishes, things would get weird

#comic #webcomic #funny #alarminglybad

strykeroz, 16 days ago to Birds

No Platypus seen this morning, but to my delight I was joined by a pair of Azure Kingfishers

South Pine River, Samford Eco-Corridor

#WildOz #OzBirds #Birds #Wildlife #Brisbane

lanartri, 22 days ago (edited 22 days ago) to random

BenjaminHCCarr, 22 days ago to Dogs

#Microplastics found in every #human #testicle in study
#Scientists say discovery may be linked to decades-long decline in #sperm counts in men around the world
Scientists tested 23 human #testes and 47 from #dogs. They found microplastic #pollution in every sample. The human testicles had been preserved and so their sperm count could not be measured. However, the sperm count in the dogs' testes could be assessed and was lower in samples with higher contamination with PVC
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/20/microplastics-human-testicles-study-sperm-counts

WrenArcher, 23 days ago to random

Going to the restroom for a trans woman can be so anxiety inducing. I know for me it can be anyway. All I wanna do is get in and get out without any issues, hassles or problems.

But I had something happen while I was at lunch with my mother in-law that was rather affirming as a woman. It’s the opposite of what I’ve imagined could happen to me going to the women’s restroom.

I was washing my hands when a woman about my age came out of the other stall. She looked at me, straight in the face and asked if I could zip up the back of her dress. She didn’t even wait for a response. She just turned around and pulled up her hair. Then said, “It’s so hard to do this by yourself. So much easier when you have help. Thanks.”

She didn’t see me as a predator. Didn’t see me as someone who shouldn’t be in there. She saw me as another woman who simply would understand the need to have help zipping up the back of her dress.

I almost started crying.

I, a trans girl, went into the women’s restroom and nothing happened, except for another woman asked for my help.

yurnidiot, 26 days ago to random

can't tell me this isn't skilled labor 🥑💨

woman packing avocados in a box by tossing them from one hand to the other rapidly without looking at the catching hand

RickiTarr, 27 days ago to random

People with Anxiety: No worries.

Also People with Anxiety: Imagining every scenario where they need to worry.

psychotimmy, 27 days ago to random

An intriguing piece of research in Alex Haslam's book "Psychology in Organizations" covers the impact of random leader selection.

This (*) concludes that if a group wants to achieve a specific goal, they're better off choosing a leader at random (if the group has a salient social identity).

Paradoxically, leaders & followers often think random selection is unsatisfactory, ineffective & illegitimate ... even when there is clear evidence that random selection results in better outcomes.

(1/2)

HadasWeiss, 30 days ago to random

performance-enhancing drug but for relaxing

Godfrey642, 1 month ago to australia

Same sex parenting.
Sydney councillor Steve Christou has moved to ban childrens' books in Cumberland council libraries talking about same-sex parenting, despite contravening Australian anti-discrimination laws. Christou claims he has widespread support of parents.

Caroline Staples, a local mum and grandmother, has a petition to prove him wrong at Equality Australia.
👇👇👇
https://equalityaustralia.org.au/our-work/areas-of-work/cumberland-council/
Please sign ASAP and boost widely to prove Steve Christou wrong.

See Guardian Australia for article. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/08/cumberland-city-council-sydney-steve-christou-same-sex-book-ban

#samesexparents #sydneygayandlesbian #australia #parenting #BookBans #australianews

Melissabeartrix, 1 month ago to random

I have been given some sad news, JK Rowling is still alive ... 😭

Hugz & xXx

hannah, 1 month ago to random

I posted about brain cancer and hope to find people to pick up the torch on my accessibility projects that I think could help make the web better. I have a major surgery May 29th and time is short. I will only become less able.

Summaries and links can be found here: https://github.com/alt-text-org/in-need-of-adoption

I'm happy to answer any questions, or just discuss things, but I do ask that kind words on cancer not be posted here, despite my appreciation for them.

Boosts and sharing elsewhere appreciated.

💜 Hannah

Binder, 1 month ago to random

deleted_by_author

Brandi_Buchman, 1 month ago to random

‘Massive fraud’: Auditing firm for Trump Media hit with charges, lifetime ban by SEC
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/massive-fraud-auditing-firm-for-trump-media-hit-with-charges-lifetime-ban-by-sec/

anna, 1 month ago to animals

I've been seeing so many different cats, that I keep getting the "10​,​000​-​Year Earworm to Discourage Settlement Near Nuclear Waste Repositories" song by Emperor X stuck in my head:

https://emperorx.bandcamp.com/album/10000-year-earworm-to-discourage-settlement-near-nuclear-waste-repositories

In case you don't know the story: this song was commissioned by the 99 Percent Invisible podcast for their episode on how to warn people in the far future to stay away from nuclear waste deposits.

The idea is that no civilisation existed for as long as the time that radioactive waste remains dangerous. Hence, we need ways to warn people that are robust for lost of language, symbols, etc.

One idea was to breed cats that light up in the presence of radiation, and to then create a folk song about the importance of keeping cats, and the importance of leaving (with the cat) when the cat changes colour.

Hence "don't change colour, kitty".

#CatsOfMastodon #99pi #99PercentInvisible #design #music #cats #DontChangeColourKitty #Nuclear #NuclearWaste #future

argumento, 1 month ago to Palestine

Israel apologist are either morally bankrupt or simply brainwashed by propaganda.

NOTHING justifies a genocide.

NOTHING justifies apartheid.

NOTHING justifies ethnic cleansing.

NOTHING justifies settler colonialism.

@palestine @israel #Palestine #Gaza

faraiwe, 1 month ago to Starwars

#StarWars

Melissabeartrix, 1 month ago to random

It hurts more when your own community disrespect you ... Maybe the T is not part of the LGB

And if this is the case, fuck you

I get more respect from the few straights then the majority of the LGB

Hugz & xXx

vagina_museum, 1 month ago to random

So this post broke containment slightly and ended up on the meme pages. We are happy to tell you everything you need to know about cloacas.

jonny, 1 month ago to random

This is a garbage headline that is fractally wrong and also why biden has lost 20% margin in youth vote in a year. The only violence at the #UCLA encampment was committed AGAINST them by the police and the fascist mobs the police gave carte blanche to. The encampment was NOT chaotic - it was highly orderly, well disciplined, and a place of education and solidarity. The encampment is a protest AGAINST violence sanctioned by the Biden administration.

luckytran, 1 month ago to random

COVID killed people in prisons at disproportionately higher rates, and has been the leading cause of US police deaths over the last few years. Yet, police officers are ripping masks off protestors.

video/mp4

18+ NataliaArmyOf1, 1 month ago to random Portuguese

#FuckYouIwontDoWhatYouTellMe