Interesting essay

Via my flist (lynnenne specifically):

SLASH FANFICTION: THE META OF ALL METAS

I’d love for people to read and share it, but the TL;DR is:

Slash is, first and foremost, a reaction against the sexual and gendered stereotypes that follow women in real life. It is also a direct result of the dearth of female representation in media. Using two male bodies offers an escape from forced identification and subverts the heterosexual male viewpoint taken in film, television, video games, and advertisements. Slash fiction is a world wherein women, for once, are not the ones who are “on display”.

This is a really good article!

From the BBC: A guide to transgender terms.

It gives a brief, but good, guide to the general terms, ending on this note:

'Ask. Listen. Respect'

Journalist and campaigner Jane Fae suggests it doesn't have to be complicated dealing with transgender terms. "People are individuals," she says. "Ask politely, listen to what individuals have to say and respect what they tell you.

"It's a principle and an approach to life that will take you a long way - and not just with the transgender community."