A repost to bring it out of a thread. The offer at the bottom applies to anyone - if there's enough interest, I could write up a procedure that covers how I did it.
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One of the best bits of activism I've done in recent years was convincing the cities locally to provide trans/nb swim times every couple of weeks.
I saw a poll a few years back, a Twitter poll, to be fair, but it asked trans people, "what would you do if you had a day without cis people?"
The response was heavily skewed to one answer: "go swimming".
Because we avoid it. Change rooms. Bathing suits. Topless or not (for any trans person!). Random normies staring.
There are so many issues, that most of us just never do.
But a trans-only swim avoids pretty much all of that. Everyone in the change room will be trans or nonbinary, or their close friends. Everyone has to sort out the bathing suit issue for themselves, and all solutions are on the table. Toplessness is up to you. The only random normies are the lifeguards, who are a small enough group that they can be trained before the program starts.
I would be happy to walk anyone through the process of getting such a swim instituted in your city, if you think there's any chance (I mean, Miami? Rapid City? probably not; NYC? should be already).
I've done this twice now, with two local cities, so I know whereof I speak in offering this.
@oldladyplays@wargamers.social OH MY GOD YES
@oldladyplays@wargamers.social
For the first time in about six years, I went swimming tonight.
The last time I went swimming was probably 2019, before Miss E came around for a second round with the puberty fairy. After I started transitioning, swimming became a no-go for safety concerns. Even after my transition stabilized, I kept away, almost out of instinct.
I finally bought a swimsuit this summer. I looked hideous - Iβm in my 50s and weigh far more than I like - but today I didnβt care. After a long day of walking, a dip in the hotel pool sounded beautiful.
It was a hotel pool. It was small, only 5 feet deep at its deepest point. But it was amazing. I tried swimming (note: long hair and freestyle stroke donβt mix well), swam underwater a bit (Iβm weird in that I preferred underwater swimming) but mainly just floated on the surface, watching the sky as the sun descended and the first stars of night appeared in the sky.
It was only about 45 minutes or so. And it was glorious.
@oldladyplays@wargamers.social I would be interested! Iβm in a town rather than a city but this seems like a good thing.
@oldladyplays@wargamers.social I was actually at the beach today and was thinking about exactly this. I feel really lucky bc I know I pass really well. So I was in my swimsuit and sitting on this packed beach. And I see guys checking me out. And it crosses my mind, "if any of these guys knew, they'd be so mad."
We shouldn't have to be society's "dirty little secret." But because we are, we feel so unsafe in spaces where we're more exposed, or vulnerable. And that sucks. We should be able to exist in peace.
@NicolaElle@chaosfem.tw @oldladyplays@wargamers.social You're in your 50s??! Please tell me if there's any special moisturiser or something you use
@CordiallyChloe@tech.lgbt @oldladyplays@wargamers.social That is so great idea! Many nb/trans people I have been talking to gave up swimming for years, because of too much of minority stress etc.
Fortunately I pass well and it took me "only" two weeks of stress to adjust swimsuit and water resistant make-up to be able to go to public beach in bikini.
@CordiallyChloe@tech.lgbt @oldladyplays@wargamers.social That is so great idea! Many nb/trans people I have been talking to gave up swimming for years, because of too much of minority stress etc.
Fortunately I pass well and it took me "only" two weeks of stress to adjust swimsuit and water resistant make-up to be able to go to public beach in bikini.
Cait the Proud Trans Woman
