Leigh Hendrix (they/he)

Illinois is the first state to ban AI therapists Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a bill banning AI therapists into law, the first in the nation.

Illinois has banned AI therapy, making it the first state to regulate the use of AI in mental health services.

www.engadget.com/ai/illinois-...

This is my community here in western PA. And this is great coverage of what is happening and how folks are powerfully pushing back and showing up for trans youth.

I am glad I read this before going to see it in a probably pretty similar movie theater out here. I had a less scary but similar experience watching the local college production of Thanksgiving Play - a satire that rips white theater artists. The laughter felt wrong.

I am starting a PhD program in counselor ed at the end of the month. I feel ambivalent about this but I am going to try and see what happens. I am dreading all of the things I am going to hit up against in this space, AI being one of them.

It's too many dollars to die here. Let's keep walking further. It's too many dollars to die here. Let's keep walking further. There's probably another road, up ahead, where we can work enough to live. Keep walking, faster now, down the hill, the signs are still saying, "It's too many dollars to die here. Keep walking unless you have enough to pay."

It's too many dollars to die here.
Let's keep walking further.

Juno Rylee Schultz, 2024

Trans healthcare trolley problem An unknown number of trans people have been tied to one of the train tracks, while a runaway trolley is set to roll down the empty track, saving the trans people. However, that guy over there might voluntarily walk onto the train track. Do you pull the lever, sacrificing the trans people to protect that one guy from possibly making a mistake?

TRANS HEALTHCARE TROLLEY PROBLEM

A runaway trolley is set to roll down the empty track, saving the trans people.

However, that guy over there might voluntarily walk onto the train track.

Do you pull the lever, sacrificing the trans people to protect that one guy from possibly making a mistake?

And either way the impact is that trans people are thrown out. I was just in Providence and walking around campus with a kid who is thinking about college. It is brutal and heavy today. What is the future?

a lot of rank and file dems do not seem to understand that trans people are in an existential battle for our right to be part of society right now. the government today is trying to use employment law and federal extortion to ban us from bathrooms.

"all recipients of federal funding must ban trans people from bathrooms"

Can't pass a national bathroom bill? Just use extortion instead. Illegally threaten to withhold funds allocated by Congress.

Please help us fight this before it's too late?

#CoalMineCanaries

It has been on my radar for a while so it feels belated to me personally! I’m reading slowly these days but enjoying it a lot.

I am belatedly reading this now and it is gorgeous and challenging and feels like a narrative resource for folks in the field who do care work too.

There is absolutely no excuse for any Democrat asked about trans athletes to ever respond with anything but “why are you wasting my time asking about FEWER THAN FIFTEEN CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WHO WANT TO PLAY GAMES WITH THEIR FRIENDS. What is wrong with you?”

You don’t need to bear all of it but you can do something. Help when you can.

@leighhendrix.bsky.social
bsky.app/profile/isra...

It feels impossible to explain what it is like to exist as a trans person even to the non-trans people in my life who love me.

Trump's new executive order about AI states that companies' models must not incorporate the idea that trans people exist as a concept. Seems bad.

An action to take today. Join me!

Just saw an LGBTQ pub on instagram say the trans buddy program at Vanderbilt was designed to “embed gender ideology in healthcare.” I thought I was reading an anti-trans post. This is really horrifying, how their language is picked up and normalized.

not wanting to "do discourse" but compelled by conscience to say that Gavin Newsom accepting right-wing framing of gender-affirming care and trying to position himself as some Solomon of hard choices is bullshit. care is care. the people who need it and the people who provide it are the experts

Yesss

Now ICE is breaking into hospitals to kidnap patients and assault staff

I will take a look! Thank you!

Thank you so much - all of this is helpful!

I wonder if anyone has some solid articles or pieces on this? I’d like to try to tell some folks that this is a grift and not as helpful as they think but likely need somewhere to point?

Sending love back to you - thank you for articulating it. I will find some other feelings again but I’m letting myself feel these tonight.

I am overwhelmed today. Heartbroken. And angry.

Also just wanted to add: I encourage all trans/gnc folks to continue to do all we can as well—whatever we can—to save us. As we always have. And will continue to:

xtramagazine.com/health/menta...

I'm just FED UP with my cis colleagues, however literal. That's who I am primarily addressing rn ...

I am finding this is required. Allowing the grief and sorrow and fear seems to also help me allow the courage, joy, connection to move too.

Hands Off Central TX

Rather than simply talking about horrible responses to the flooding in Texas, let's share some vetted and trusted avenues for support, and donate if we can. Hands Off Central TX is raising funds and resources for mutual aid including housing, food, transportation (gas), and medical needs.