Gender Affirming Care for me, Not for Thee
The New York Times this week ran a magazine feature about a group of cis women who take testosterone for to get a more active libido. It got me thinking about the double standards we have for trans people who seek gender affirming care.
Sick Burns - 10/24/2025
Hello everyone! Today I'm celebrating the one month mark of burnsnotice.com! In 4 1/2 weeks, you all have checked out my work nearly 43,000 times! I'm honestly blown away by those numbers. We were helped a lot by the Mamdani piece a few weeks ago going very viral on BlueSky and Reddit, but even the traffic on my other pieces has been really solid!
One other quick thing. My feminist writers' cooperative, The Flytrap, is doing our annual subscription drive. Don't miss your chance to get a discounted subscription!
Thank you! Now here is today's Sick Burns Weekly Recap
What I've been thinking about: Did you all catch this article in The New York Times about cis women who are taking testosterone to increase their libidos?
The article notes that many of the women are taking similar as trans men who are transitioning. Testosterone is a controlled substance and trans men have been forced to jump through numerous hoops for DECADES to get access to it for transitioning, yet these women can just take it for fun. To fuck better!
It's great that they can access something that they want and need! I have no issue with cis women getting T for their libidos, I have a problem with all of a sudden throwing up roadblocks if a trans man wants the very same thing, with the very same dosage, with the very same effects, for transitioning.
That is unfair. That is discrimination.
Thankfully, the Times reporter did ask these women, many of whom are politically conservative, and at least one of them agree that trans people should be able to freely access this care.
But also this week, a federal judge in Mississippi overturned an Obama era rule mandating that health care providers and insurers can not deny trans people gender affirming care if that same care would be available to cisgender people for reasons other than transitioning their sex.
The court's ruling is incoherent, and essentially establishes trans people as a disfavored class of American citizen, with fewer rights than everyone else. If you're cis, you can walk into a doctor's office tomorrow and ask for a breast augmentation or reduction and they will do it, no questions asked. But if you are trans, no such luck.
If you are cis, and you want testosterone so you can feel horny again, that's fine as long as you're cis. Go pound rocks if you're trans. If you want estrogen for your perimenopause, go ahead. Fuck you if you're trans.
Somedays I hate this world, and today is one of them.
What I've been watching: Nothing... Nothing, y'all. Last night I sat at my desk for an hour looking at subscription statistics for The Flytrap, FOR FUN! I'm desperate for something new to watch.
What to have on your radar: Over in the streaming world, the very popular streamer Emiru was assaulted on camera during a meet and greet at TwitchCon, the annual gathering/convention put on by the world's largest (and Amazon-owned) streaming platform.
Con organizers have been torn apart in the fall out from this incident, but many people, particularly other popular female streamers, have seen this coming for years and Twitch did NOTHING.
Check out this break down with journalists Taylor Lorenz and Kat Tenbarge:
What I've been working on:
It's a short recap today, but it's been a busy week.
-There's a new episode of Cancel Me, Daddy with guest Michael Hobbes!
YouTube version
-I mentioned this about but the publication I helped co-found is doing our annual subscription drive! I am the financial person on the team and set all of the goals, so if you could go over there and drop a paid sub, it would make me look really good to my co-workers. Thanks!
-On Monday, I wrote about how going to my local No Kings protest made me feel hope for America again, and how I resolved to stay in the country and fight rather than flee to a foreign land:
Katelyn Burns
-On Wednesday, I wrote about the revelation that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner had a Nazi tattoo and what it meant for his bid for both the Democratic nomination and his potential match up with political juggernaut Susan Collins:
Katelyn Burns
Final Words: "I don't know guys, I'm tired and want a nap. It's been a long week." -Katelyn Burns, just now
Thank you for reading! Have a good weekend! If you appreciated this piece, consider becoming a paid subscriber!
-Katelyn
