Is your holiday destination queer hell?!

[@jessicaoutofthecloset]

Sign up for your free trial with Aura Health today at www.aurahealth.io/jessica ❤✨

[@sapphichazard]

Going through the TSA while trans is the WORST. If I live to old age, I would love to never hear the phrase "groinal anomaly" shouted at the top of some idiot's lungs again.

[@jevonp]

Holy shit lol 😂💀 I'd be fucking mortified my god

[@hannahk1306]

Even as a cis person, the sound of that makes me *very* uncomfortable! Why does a random stranger (aside from specific medical professionals) need to know anything about my genitals!? I'm just adding that to my list of reasons not to visit the US... It does make me feel sorry for anyone who lives there or has family there, etc who doesn't have much choice in the matter.

[@norcalbob3838]

going through TSA as a cis male in a kilt is also interesting

[@RoseRedRoseWhite]

what in the actual f- is wrong with our country (dont get me started on the TSA, Patriot Act, NDAA....) I'm sorry chica, that's bs and you shouldnt have to deal with it.

[@LifeLostSoul]

Two things on this. If you have the ability to get TSA precheck get pre-check because no body scanners. Also, I saw in an article they are going to be changing the body scanners to be gender neutral, I'm not sure how this is going to affect things but it seems like it might be a positive.🤞 Because there will be no f or m to press as the person steps in.

[@knate44]

Also shout-out to all the Queer Persians. You exist. You are valid.

[@melikaaziminia9522]

Hell, yeah, we do!

[@mousysaint9143]

Thank you

[@badfaith4u]

Thank you for talking about the British Empire’s role in passing anti-queer laws in the colonised countries.

[@suksuk5191]

Palestinian Muslim lesbian here, loved the video! edit: thanks for the lovely comments and well wishes 💕

[@ДаниялДандамаев-и7ц]

Hope you doing okay, sister!

[@insertname1857]

much love to you my fellow lesbian ❤

[@romywhite290]

All of my fave KZbinrs are on The Right Side, and it's so... relieving?

[@mazzy_ivy]

damn, hope youre doing good

[@banafanafofana6914]

Wishing you safety! 🧡🤍🩷💜

[@nathanielraefraughton5218]

As a Canadian I'm honestly not sure how much longer "move to Canada" will even be seen as a positive option. Might want to keep an eye on our next election because there's been a rise in anti-trans laws in various provinces and the Conservative leader parroting those views has a decent chance of becoming our next Prime Minister.

[@KathrynsRavens]

Totally agree, it's scary as someone with a lot of niblings and friends who are trans here in Canada. Some areas are safer than others but who knows how long that will last with Pollieve in power. That guy really scares me!

[@KristineMaitland]

​@@KathrynsRavens Torontonian here. Testify.

[@KaratePrincess01]

I live in Alberta 😬 things are getting pretty scary over here but our queer community is still holding strong!

[@AyaKage]

And let's not the fact that that guy has also been photographed associating warmly with known far right extremists...

[@bazookablastoff6447]

yeah, I agree, it's not looking good here

[@diacinthus]

Queer diasporist Jew here, I have a well-intentioned note about the thumbnail: the flag that currently appears in it is the Jewish pride flag, which is used by queer Jews worldwide regardless of political or national affiliation. Some sites/sellers do label it “Israeli” but while the symbol that appears on it (the Star of David) also appears on the Israeli flag, it's been a symbol of our religion and culture for centuries predating the modern state of Israel and its actions. In 2017 a group of Jews were kicked out of a Chicago pride parade for flying this flag due to people interpreting it as Zionist. Then in 2019 the Star of David was banned from a D.C. parade as a “nationalist symbol.” The Israeli government claims to represent all Jews and uses this to “legitimize” their actions. Letting the Star of David shift from symbolizing Jewish identity to symbolizing the state of Israel only strengthens that claim and further isolates Jews who are critical of its actions. I assume Jessica’s intention was to include a queer Israeli flag in the thumbnail, so I’d suggest changing it to one of the designs that includes the white background and dual stripes of the Israeli one. Next month there will be countless people around the world flying the flag currently depicted in the thumbnail as a celebration of Jewish queerness, which predates and will outlive all the actions that tourism bureaus want to appropriate it as a distraction from - or, even worse, an excuse for. The majority of queer Jewish history has been completely detached from the individuals, governments, and actions that are currently being rightfully criticized and it deserves a flag to celebrate it. 🏳‍🌈✡🏳‍⚧

[@letsgosand]

Thank you for the context! Very important angle to be aware of, especially going into pride month as you mentioned

[@Comrade_Cat_Pickle]

The swastika was also a ancient religious symbol before it was misused as the symbol of the Jewish genocide. Would you argue that people shouldn't be cautious around the symbol because it also belongs to an ancient religion?

[@sneakylemon8513]

​@Comrade_Cat_Pickle I think the problem was more the culture that was using it... like correct me if I'm wrong, but it was an ancient symbol in India right? So a bunch of europians suddenly wearing it might be suspicious. But Jewish people using their own symbol that they've been using for ages? I don't think it's quite the same...

[@RosieG9012]

@@Comrade_Cat_Picklejeez, the Star of David is the symbol of Judaism as a whole. Not the same thing at all

[@ij9620]

Thank you for pointing this out!!

[@orimoto_rika-chan]

My mum has crohn’s disease and has a permanent colostomy bag because of it, and as a result she also despises full body scan machines at airports, because they show her bag that she has flawlessly concealed under her clothes and thus she has to explain that she has a colostomy bag. A few times she’s even been forced to go into a private room to actually show a member of the security staff that what the scanner showed was actually a colostomy bag and not something else, which is always absolutely mortifying for her. Every time it pops up on the scanner screen she always feels incredibly publicly humiliated.

[@kayla68779]

Ooo! Thanks for this! I'll have to tell my mom about it. She also has an ostomy bag.

[@Reed5016]

That’s so sad. It’s so sh*tty, the way society treats people who have disabilities and/or are different.

[@StellaHofmeyr]

Having to Google whether I am legal the worst, but unfortunately I’ve had to do it SINCE I WAS EIGHT. EIGHT. WHY IS THE WORLD LIKE THIS

[@Sorkabeth]

And this is why we don't watch the news when our daughter (who is trans and is currently 10) could possibly see or hear it....her anxiety is bad enough without being afraid our state will pass a law making healthcare or simply being herself at school illegal. (We, as her parents, have put in place escape plans to immediately go live with friends in Maryland [which has declared itself a sanctuary state for trans kids] within days of such a bill or policy getting passed)

[@SnowLily06]

​@Sorkabeth you are really good parents. I'm glad there are people like you in the world.

[@mazzy_ivy]

@@Sorkabethyoure a great parent. PROTECT TRANS KIDS!!

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

It's also fucking heartbreaking to take off more countries from the list of countries that were ok with queer people of all kinds.

[@misterdiffiCULT1]

Yeah, eight as well

[@Nutriageek]

Gay cis man from Costa Rica over here!! My country is commonly seen as a very queer friendly touristic destination, specially being part of Central America. And don't get me wrong, it mostly is (we even have gay marriage now!!), BUT it is incredible what a single change of political party in the government can do... The president right now is such a misoginistic p!g, that the homophobic violence and gender related violence are on the rise... It's still safe, but people have to be careful, specially women, and specially in rural areas.

[@ayeKnow]

Thank you for your perspective as a resident of the area! This is very helpful!!!

[@Nutriageek]

@@ayeKnow you're welcome!! I feel like most of the capital and most of the touristic beaches (for example Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo) are pretty safe spaces.

[@f.megawati]

thank you for the information ! sending love from indonesia

[@electronics-girl]

"incredible what a single change of political party in the government can do". Unfortunately, we might be about to find that out in the US, as well. Needless to say, not looking forward to it.

[@Zillah82]

I have several friends that live in Japan and for all it's saying "we're inclusive" which is getting better there are still some issues. Some hotels will not allow two men share the same room. There are anti discrimination laws but little encforcement especially outside of places like Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto. Usually two women can get a room with the assumption that you are friends or something.

[@Jhud69]

Yeah Japan is very conservative, and the conservatism doesn't even come from religion necessarily because they're not most religious people, it's more so about it being different/not being able to make babies (ignoring trans gay people exist as well)

[@seekingabsolution1907]

​@@Jhud69a bit more honest than religious based conservatism. Most religious conservatives are opposed to none cis-hetero people for the same reasons, they're just channeling that feeling through a religious lens.

[@waffles3629]

Does this even apply to people who are related? Like can brothers share a room?

[@Zillah82]

@@waffles3629 I just know if two men are seen entering the same room they have been told to leave from some places. Not everywhere but just call ahead to everywhere you are staying.

[@thou_narsty_gremlin]

@@waffles3629 I think this rule is mostlly just apples to love hotels (uniquely themed hotels intended to elevate a couple's, uuh, pleasure time). In regular (non-love) hotels, it's generally acceptable for friends or family of the same gender to share a room,,, I mean, it just seems irrational and inconvenient to segregate family members from sharing a room in a regular hotel. (For the love hotels,,, i don't think you'd typically be going there with people you're related to eheh)

[@sunflower-seeds]

As a trans person, yes. Any time I fly, I can fully expect a pat down in the area of the "anomaly" that makes both myself and the TSA officer uncomfortable. Sadly it's just routine at this point.

[@cinnamongladiator4575]

😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@waffles3629]

Yep. Every single time I've flown at an adult my chest has been pat down (and that's across multiple countries, it's not just a US problem), only for the agent (or in one case- supervisor) to learn that when I was asked what was on my chest and said "Boobs", that I meant boobs. The supervisor was because the agent refused to pat me down until I removed the "things" on my chest. The only removable (at least without a surgeon) thing on my chest was clothing. Oh well, at least a supervisor appeared like magic when I said "Are you ordering me to remove my shirt?".

[@supotter377]

Yeah the tsa always seems more concerned about trans people’s chests and private areas than actual safety threats 🙄

[@waffles3629]

@@supotter377 yep, gotta make sure those damn body parts don't make it through TSA 😒

[@electronics-girl]

I've just been flying in boymode so far. But eventually I'll get to a point where I "male fail" or where I change my documents to female. I'm not looking forward to flying then. Even boymoding is weird, because I only do it a couple of days a year (when I fly), so it just feels... odd, when people perceive me as a man.

[@zhenia2511]

I have a summer job abroad. For the first time, I had to realise how gendered everything is and how much it sucks for me. I need to wear a female uniform. I need to shave to look "presentable". The name of my job is inherently gendered. I don't like it, but money is money.

[@lenakataeva7525]

What is your job?

[@zhenia2511]

@@lenakataeva7525 Hotel worker.

[@nodoboho]

I'm assuming you're trans? Or NB? Well, dear, welcome to *my* world as a naturally furry woman in America! I "need to shave to look 'presentable' ", too. And I have never liked wearing dresses and skirts and flimsy blouses and flimsy shoes or ones that aren't flat...those things feel like a female uniform to me. I realized "how gendered everything is" as a young girl, in one of the biggest cities in the U.S., and rejected gender roles as well as "comp-het". I have almost never worked in a traditionally "woman's" job, yet was still told once that I might not be "corporate" enough because I wasn't wearing heels, an upscale skirt-suit, make-up, hair shorter or tied-back, nails done, purse, jewelry, etc. That's about the time I began carrying a plastic razor in my knapsack or jacket pocket--so I could duck into a bathroom stall to shave "by feel" whenever I realized I'd forgotten to do so before leaving my home! You'd think I'd remember by now (decades later), but I don't. I rather like wearing a mask for that very reason. And why I've worn pants and long-sleeves most of my life. As a woman with large boobs, I also feel compelled to wear a bra...but that's a whole 'nuther discussion.

[@zhenia2511]

@@nodoboho I'm non-binary, yes, and I feel you on a spiritual level. I also have a large chest and a lot of hair (I don't shave it). The expectations of gender in any profession except for those where they don't see your face and, like, activism are pathetic. Women can't do that... Men can't do that... I'm fucking sick of it, excuse my French. Like, I don't hate femininity. It's not something I would want for myself but good for others if they like it. That being said, I don't want to have it shoved down my throat. Especially, at the expense of my time and comfort.

[@nodoboho]

@@zhenia2511 Your last two sentences-- *exactly* ! (Although, I do think the "professional" expectations of conventional femininity is about more than just gender roles. I think it's more about women being expected to be _attractive_ and appearing in the way in which their society has proscribed. There's also some homophobia in there as well, since a woman who doesn't care about being attractive to a man is suspected or assumed to be gay.)

[@antoniomromo]

Fun fact. Some regions of Mexico also have a 3rd gender. They were classically valued because they cared for the elderly of their families. Unfortunately, the modern experience is less positive. The categorization adopted from outside Mexico means that they are categorized as gay men and treated as such outside their community.

[@bunkayke2554]

So interesting! Does this gender have a name?

[@D.reNDED]

@@bunkayke2554 Muxe

[@Jhud69]

Honestly as someone from a catholic country where you can get stabbed on the street for having dyed hair or wearing a rainbow item in general and where teachers are allowed to be openly homophobic towards students with no repercussions, I kind of don't mind seeing Pride stuff in stores, because it's rare as is that they will allow it. And companies very rarely change their logos for rainbow during pride because they ALWAYS get immense backlash if they do. So even if it's capitalism and pinkwashing, I rather have it than keep feeling like I'm not allowed to be myself in my own country, if it makes sense.

[@ConradTwigs]

It makes sense. I feel similar. It good to see even though being marketable is not the same as having rights it's good to see the rainbows and pride merch. Wish I had it as a kiddo.

[@dezbiggs6363]

Which country is that?

[@gendbh5652]

yeah I get that. It’s sort of like seeing your face on the big screen. It doesn’t really mean anything and it won’t change your life, but just being able to be projected on a wide scale like that feels good. Especially as a marginalized community that doesn’t get that sort of opportunity usually. Rainbow capitalism will never protect us but it does signal loudly that we exist, which isn’t something we’ve had in western civilizations for generations.

[@neroyuffie]

I'm definitely saving this video. I'm a bisexual travel agent who regularly has to do this research for clients. Making sure that my clients are safe and have the most relaxing vacation possible is my job, so I very much appreciate all of the information here. There were definitely some new things I learned about today. ❤

[@jamiethebookworm]

ok I offically love you! Sorry if that's too intense but unfortunately people like you are rare

[@siramalevic]

As a non-binary person from Russia, I hope I will be able just to move abroad and never come back. Our government just picked the weakest, the most hated social group in the country and made them all as a "national threat", just to remove citizens attention from the war in Ukraine. Now I'm considered as a terrorist only by my gender identity and get threatened a lot to be "fixed" through conversation therapy, which is now an official way of treatment for gender dysphoria in Russia. And the government doesn't even care about us, the protests in any form are useless and kinda dangerous. I don't want to risk my freedom and my life for nothing. Maybe I won't be able to share so much proudness during the Pride Month, but at least I'm proud that I'm alive.

[@PrestonCarey90]

The first two "Prides" in NYC weren't Pride parades at all. They were resistance marches. And NYC has had the Queer Liberation March for several years now to call attention to our ongoing struggles. Giving particular spotlights to Palestine and Black Lives Matter in recent years. It's a resistance against the carceral state, capitalism, and the status quo. So I hope you keep the spirit of resistance in your heart.

[@jamiethebookworm]

hey. I know you don't know me but keep on fighting. I am so grateful to have never faced laws prohibiting my existance, but I have had family who have. Remember you are so much more than your gender. You are a beautiful and complete person. Best of luck

[@HydraCoffee42-wj5ir]

Its kind of like when Moldova and Romania finally outlawd slavery years after the US ( and the Us was really late on that by the way) because they were trying to look more progressive to the rest of the west but to this day the Romani people (not Romanian but Romani as in Roma (not Italian either)) who were enslaved for 500 years there are still struggling with being beaten by police having their children taken away and not being granted full citizens rights it was a ploy to look less racist while the countrys are still incredibly racist

[@cryptic_sunflower]

It baffles me that some security checks have gender spesific metal scanners!! Like why!? I get that those are area’s people sometimes had contraband, but that would be picked up regardless of it being gendered or not. Because the scanners are looking for metal. I don’t get it either if it’s an x-ray scan, but that’s just way more invasive than it should be

[@TheLatokuivaaja]

That specific scanner pictured is actually looking for layers , and the man/woman button does nothing for the scan itself, it's keeping track for some data nerd somewhere of how many men or women were scanned. I have scanned men as women and women as men on a shift and the men (whether I pressed the man or woman button) had their chest flagged only if they had something in their shirt pocket. Or were wearing one of those "hide your passport on a string around your neck and under your shirt" pouches. //Source: worked as airport security for a year.

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

I have a cis male friend who just naturally has wider hips and he always has to deal with very uncomfortable extra scans too. So it quite literally hurts anyone that doesn't perfectly fit into their narrow view of what's considered normal for certain sexes. It's also proven that TSA is very bad at picking out actually dangerous stuff. They tested it with all kinds of stuff from knives to explosives and only a small percentage was actually picked up on all these checks people have to go through.

[@cryptic_sunflower]

All of this is exactly my point. Having a make or female filter just makes the entire experience way more uncomfortable weather you are cis or trans. And especially if you are trans or of a different minority as you are forced to out yourself to the security without your consent, having no idea what do ever hoe they are gonna treat you

[@saraa3418]

Some explosives don't contain metal. If someone is trying to conceal containers of substances that produce an explosion when mixed, they wouldn't be caught by a metal detector if they were carrying plastic or glass containers. This is why there's now restrictions on liquid volumes allowed through security; it limits the potential size of the explosion. I agree with you, fwiw, that it is more invasive than it needs to be.

[@waffles3629]

​@@DieAlteistwiederda yep. I know people who have accidentally brought all manners of banned stuff through security. It was mostly perfectly ordinary stuff like yogurt and nail clippers that were too long, but a coworkers dad accidently brought a gun through (apparently he was a hunter and grabbed the wrong identical duffle while packing). The yogurt actually made it through two scanners because he was going international and at that airport you had to go through regular security and then, without exiting the secured zone, go through security again to get to the international terminal.

[@MsShaunaM]

I am a trans woman born in Canada with dual citizenship. My wife is an American and we live in the States. Given both the rise of anti-trans laws in Canada as well as my age (mid-60's), I am not sure that we can emigrate to Canada - much less anywhere else. We talked about it long and hard and decided to stay in America. See what we can do to help LGBTQ+ people escaping hostile states and nations. To turn and run i to surrender, and we won't do that.

[@Brooke_Corbyn]

I'm in Canada, and the fight will continue here too. I hope you and your wife find safety and success

[@maddykrantz]

The best area for trans folks in the US is California. I live in San Francisco and its super safe!

[@electronics-girl]

@@maddykrantz I'm in the greater Los Angeles area, and it's wonderful here, too. California is the place to be.

[@evren5642]

Re the discussion of historical and non-western queerness: for people and practices that might look “trans” to us, I often use terms like “gender nonconforming” bc it’s more general, and even “transgender-like.” The “-like” terms are common when discussing queer history bc it allows us to acknowledge the lens of our modern identities without insisting historical people would have identified the exact same way. “Queer” is also helpful obviously bc it’s a general and academic term; and so is “non-normative” imo. Bc lots of times when queer people existed and were even accepted in historical societies, they still often weren’t necessarily considered the normative “standard.”

[@evren5642]

Side note, but the bit about countries just insisting there are no gay people there got me, because recently I’ve been researching the treatment of homosexuality in fascist Italy and that’s exactly what they did. Unlike Germany, which had been directly criminalizing queer identity and behaviors, Mussolini just… publicly insisted that there *were* no gay people in Italy. In particular he said there were no gay men because Italian men were totally just built different. Just naturally super virile and masculine and heterosexual, ofc. He also ended up deporting hundreds of queer Italian men to a prison camp on an island called San Domino; which is horrifying, but also uh, what do you think is gonna happen if you put a bunch of gay people on an island together?

[@aflockofconnivingmagpies3490]

Yet this attitude doesn't exist for gay people curious, it's nearly like there is a double standard at play.

[@radioserrelind]

@@evren5642 "what do you think is gonna happen if you put a bunch of gay people on an island together?" The most fabulous prison break ever hatched? :)

[@lambentlamprey]

@@aflockofconnivingmagpies3490 'Gay people curious' that's an even scarier concept for Them, so they can't possibly exist 🤫🤣

[@emmamcphearson9942]

Thank you so so much for your videos, I LOVE how you aim to be so intersectional in your views. As a cis-gender (fluid) queer poc, I often find it difficult to relate to / consume content from white-queer creators because they mainly focus on queer-based discrimination without considering the other minority aspects that make it even more difficult. I learn so much from your videos, and appreciate it!! You talk with such clarity & conciseness, thanks for the vid 🌈🏳‍⚧🇵🇸❤

[@jennoscura2381]

I had to stop 2 minutes in to remind everyone that a rainbow flag with the Star of David isn't a rainbow flag of Israel. It's a flag used by Jews like myself. So don't assume someone is a zionist or supports Isreal just because they have a rainbow flag with a star of David. I am gay, trans, and an observant Jew. I also have issues with the state of Israel. I even switched matzoh brands to one that isn't made in Israel.

[@suksuk5191]

❤❤❤❤

[@diacinthus]

Super glad to find someone else thought of and commented this ❤

[@Comrade_Cat_Pickle]

The Nazis also used a religious symbol as their insignia and that religious symbol is now forever tied to the genocide that committed. Just wanting to point out that you cannot blame people for being cautious around a religious symbol currently being used by a genocidal state. Is it fair? No. But it also wasn't fair to the Buddhists who still can't use an ancient religious symbol in many places because it was misused. Maybe, if you want folks to not be concerned, you could add a nod to a free Palestine, because just having 'issues with the state of isreal' isn't actually saying that Palestine should be free and isreal (or any colonizer apartheid state) shouldn't even exist.

[@lrmry]

I’m a Jew who supports the 40% of the Jewish population that lives in Israel. You can’t shield yourself from antisemitism by divorcing yourself from the “bad Jews.”

[@lrmry]

@@Comrade_Cat_Picklenope- free Palestine (the original) is absolutely batshit in Syria serving Al Assad. please do not make any statement that could be construed as support for him

[@spoookley]

in the united states you can even go on vacation from one state with gender neutral bathrooms in your school to another state (florida) where you cannot go to the bathroom without fear of a **$5,000** fine if you quote "refuse to leave upon being asked" (by a cis individual)

[@pjl22222]

When these bathroom bills are being discussed and voted on in the various state legislatures I would love to see a bunch of very butch trans men (the ones that look like they're in a biker gang or run a stereotypic tattoo parlor or are just out of prison) go into the women's rest room all day long to adhere to the law that's being discussed. They would quickly realize what they're actually voting on and how it would basically do the opposite of what they want.

[@electronics-girl]

Well, Disneyland is quite nice. I think I can make do without ever going back to Disney World again.

[@parkermae]

Your humor is special. I love cutaways to "other outfit Jessica" in your videos!👒

[@thnkfrtheVenom]

I remember a couple years back I was on a family vacation, and in security for the flight back, of my entire family of 5, my brother, who is half-Thai, was the only one got chosen for a "randomized search." He got patted down physically, even though our white mom was visibly tipsy from getting a drink at lunch before coming to the airport, and was actually accidentally acting suspicious, meanwhile my brother was quiet and polite, just had brown skin and a different last name, but was obviously a part of our family.

[@waffles3629]

Yep. Being visibly "different" just puts a target on your back. I'm white and trans, and apparently it's a coincidence that on every flight but one as an adult my bag has been selected for a "random" search. Random my ass. Now my egg donors bag gets searched every time, but that's not random. That's because she spends the entire line fretting out loud that her bag might be searched. Which is the fastest way to guarantee your bag gets searched. She doesn't have anything forbidden, she just has injectable meds so she has to declare needles before they open the bag.

[@radioserrelind]

Okay, I'm 4:40 in and I've already realised that my aunt is going to need to learn enough English to explain that she has a plate in her wrist. You are ALREADY AMAZING.

[@hannahk1306]

She could get a note from her doctor, plus a certified translation (unless her doctor is able to write the note in English). It's a bit of a faff, but should make the security process a bit smoother.

[@radioserrelind]

@@hannahk1306 That's what I'll recommend her. If she wants to take her chances without one, that's on her. She has some grasp of English -- enough to muddle through with me and all the German I've lost since we left -- so she may be able to explain.

[@radioserrelind]

@@hannahk1306 Also, this is a lesson to anyone reading: never bike home from the wine festival, especially not if you've sampled the goods... she's still dealing with the injury a year later...

[@zacharythorp6095]

What a small world. Two months ago or so I was party to a group discussion of this for my trans cousin, Amelia (trans-woman), roughly 18 years old. She was thinking of going to Morocco with a female friend, for tourism and language purposes, but was specifically dissuaded due to the country's treatment of women in general, and trans women in particular.

[@nikkiewhite476]

I am in a straight passing relationship, it doesn't matter. I am still queer and so is my partner, I am very Out. Also my son is trans. I do not travel for this and other reasons.

[@danielreher1987]

🫂

[@waffles3629]

Yep. I just flat out can't travel by air unless I'm willing to leave my meds behind (medical cannabis). Which is the fastest way to guarantee a trip to the ER.

[@itochoho1124]

Thank you Jessica for speaking about pinkwashing! I've been watching your videos for years and you never miss the mark on your educational content ❤

[@silversleeper1193]

My state in the US allows the use of X on licenses and birth certificates for non-binary individuals, but I and many non-binary people I know have chosen not to use it due to it making travel more difficult. It’s so frustrating to have the opportunity to express yourself and still not feeling able to

[@waffles3629]

Yep. I want to change mine, but the risk of increased harassment isn't worth it. Especially since I still go by my birth name (for now).

[@jamiethebookworm]

yeah I am in a similar situation and when I went to Japan I got odd looks and some uncomfortable questions and had to remove my packer (that was funny when the TSA agent thought I had a d1lo in my pants) but luckily I didn't face any kind of danger

[@jennifers5560]

Wow! This video covered so much. The research for it, had to be time consuming. Thanks Jessica for putting it all together.

[@HydraCoffee42-wj5ir]

Thank you for your comments "people are not countries!" ❤

[@fabledskye]

I appreciate this information. As a trans woman, I'm all natural on top. Thanks HRT! Knowing how the scanners are looking at me though, it now makes sense that I get pulled aside to have my breasts patted down all the time by TSA. My cis wife has never had this happen to her.

[@nycjanedoe]

Thank you for shedding light, in particular, on how class plays a part in how welcomed individuals are and are made to feel when simply existing in or traveling to other countries. One hundred percent.

[@jessicaluchesi]

Japan... as a trans woman... a one month travel to Japan, including small countryside towns, was amazing and everyone was very friendly. And no, I do not think I pass that well. BUUUUT... in Osaka, trying to stay in a "women´s only floor" in a hotel, to be safer as I was traveling alone, and Osaka sometimes has cases of men following women inside hotels for some "casual ab*se" ( taking care to prevent flagging your video, even if just reporting honestly )... and... I was refused to stay in that floor. I switched hotels. But that incident was really hurtful, it was such an extremely polite way to let me know I wasn't accepted.

[@erin6945]

It was a women's only floor. It's a floor to make women feel comfortable. Why take up a space meant to protect women?

[@BBQSaa]

@@erin6945Because she’s a trans woman and trans women get killed by ACTUAL men all the time.

[@annalisaely4298]

​@@erin6945 because she is a woman

[@ragnkja]

@@erin6945 Because she’s a woman.

[@RoseRedRoseWhite]

@@erin6945 so you know before you whine: yes, you are going to be flagged down for hate speech. siiiigh. editing to keep it pg for K-F.

[@annabrown3337]

I knew what the politics was, but didn't know the term pinkwashing... thanks for the info! Also THANK YOU for the reminder to not be antisemitic and generally not supporting killing people 🩷☮️

[@Feirgheim]

Ok, so to someone visiting Dominican Republic: I had a trans friend come over to a hotel at the capital in Santo Domingo, and she booked and brought her stuff and everything, we went together to a party and when she went back to her room, all her luggage was out and they canceled her reservation, so like, unless is Punta Cana (and I only know as a gay man perspective so maybe they are transphobes there too) this is not a friendly country for openly and visibly queer people. PD: I hate this place, leave it soon.

[@MelonGecko]

That first thing has happened to me and I was flying in country to another state. I was so used to wearing my binder and had never been on a plane so when they took me to the side and a woman TSA agent went to pat me down I was terrified. However, given that my TSA agent was black she asked if I was wearing shapewear which gave me an out. I said yes, and she let me go, saying she understood and that she was currently wearing hip pads. Needless to say I learned and didn't wear my binder on my return trip. I also noticed that the darker people in our family were stopped. Since we're all black. My cousin's medication wad held because it was liquid but she can only take it in liquid form, and they had to talk to her medical team. It was quite hectic.

[@SabinJBB]

I love your videos. They make me laugh, learn and smile. :) Here a tiny fact check on the minute 7 and 21 seconds: the City of Madrid has 3.2 million people, and the Region of Madrid has 6.5 million (which includes the City of Madrid plus plenty of other big cities and towns). ;P

[@pjgeev]

Jessica, you are simply a treasure. So well spoken, so charming and so wise. Thank you once again for giving me hope for humanity. I know that you have some serious health issues, but the gods certainly seem to have given you many other gifts to compensate.

[@alyssa6156]

Great video! It was such a small part, but i had no idea that the term "pinkwashing" originated in the '80s for breast cancer-related reasons. Very cool!

[@noahb9011]

For more context on Israeli same sex marriage, it is because israel doesn’t perform civil marriage. To be married in Israel you have to be married according to the religion you follow. The orthodox community controls the religious courts and they are known for their intolerant stance, but the vast majority of Israeli Jews aren’t orthodox and don’t live according to their rules. The rules for Jews are even so far that if your mother isn’t considered Jewish according to the orthodox courts, you cannot get married within Israel regardless of your partner’s gender. There was an Olympic athlete competing for Israel whose mother wasn’t considered Jewish, and he couldn’t marry his girlfriend because he couldn’t take off to travel abroad for the wedding. They started to allow remote ceremonies so if you get married over zoom with a officiant in another country that does civil marriage it will be recognized, but I’m unaware of the state of that since the end of the pandemic. This is a deeper problem that impacts more than just lgbt people. Interfaith couples also can’t marry unless it’s a Muslim man marrying and Jewish or Christian woman, so when you see Israeli rights movements calling for civil marriage that is what they mean.

[@noahb9011]

Also additionally, israel provided refuge to lgbt refugees from Gaza and the West Bank prior to that ruling in 2024. The issue was especially for West Bank refugees, many people had family that could legally get into Israel and would attempt an honor killing of them. Due to that, a lot of the refugees would leave Israel as well because there wasn’t much israel could do to protect them and prevent it. It’s very sad; a man was killed in 2022 in Hebron who had been living in israel 2 years after fleeing with only his life after being brutally attacked multiple times.

[@bwaybitch863]

@@noahb9011 That's horrible. Thank you for the context and for sharing.

[@jennoscura2381]

So I guess you are out of luck if you are non religious.

[@lorelei339]

@@jennoscura2381 lately Civil unions have been recognized by courts as the same in legal status as weddings, it is still not legislated, but it was heading that way before the latest government took hold

[@bwaybitch863]

there is a large pro civil marriage movement but many secular couples get married either on vacation or via a zoom process

[@kristintamm502]

Since the beginning of this year, it is finally legal for same sex couples to get married in Estonia! I clearly remember a lengthy court case some years ago of a queer couple (Estonian and I think a brit?) that fought to get a spousal visa in Estonia. I don´t think their marriage was ever recognized but that should be changed now. Estonia is generally a very open and mostly queer safe (there are always some black sheep) country but every now and again the older generations of conservatives will be irrational. Recommend planning your trips here for the summer.

[@rin-eri]

So, that 'same sex ban in Japan is unconstitutional' thing isn't what you think it is. That was done by a higher court in Hokkaido, just one of Japan's prefectures. And the courts in Japan don't have the same powers as the courts in do America. Like in America when they struck down Roe v Wade, the laws surrounding abortion immediately changed. In Japan, it doesn't work that way. Just because one local court said it's unconstitutional doesn't mean that the entire country has to change its laws. (Even if the top national court said it was unconstitutional wouldn't mean that the laws would immediately change.) The whole situation was more virtue signaling than anything. And while it's encouraging to see any movement made, it was largely a symbolic gesture on behalf of that local court. It won't be any easier to foreigners to get marriage visas than it was in the past. At least not until more progress is made.

[@crumbsintopebbles]

Wow. Given that I'm single (and don't really travel that much), I hadn't thought about this.

[@404maxnotfound]

It's wild people say trans people should move to canada honey, we have the same issues as america we just are a little late to the party. Give it five-ten years and watch the anti queer bills rack up like america.

[@AmarisFrede]

Fight to oppose it, don't give up!

[@elspethfougere9683]

Dont give in!! It's not inevitable!! Democracy and people's rights matters. I hope that disinformation is clamped down on strategically in the next couple of years and we see a reversal of this new hysterical bigotry. Keep hoping, keep active in your local area, and don't give in!

[@ilznidiotic]

Reminder that the majority of American Jews do NOT support the actions of the Netanyahu government.

[@knate44]

Not even all the Jews in Israel, there's some speculation Netanyahu is using the g3n0cide in part to escape his corruption charges. I know folks there want a robust 2 state solution or even a reunification as a multi-ethnic multi-religious democracy, but the far right has entrenched pretty deeply into Israeli parliament. There's a reason the IDF loves to train with American cops.

[@NHarts3]

​@legendofayda exactly. Its been 70+ years, since well before Netanyahu

[@jennoscura2381]

As an American Jew, I certainly don't. I am glad the International Criminal Court is going after him.

[@stephencody6088]

No we do not. From the River to the Sea!

[@jennoscura2381]

​@@stephencody6088Just a note. The phrase "from the river to the sea" can be interpreted as antisemitic. If I hear someone say that, I am cautious that they might have an issue with me as an observant Jew. If nothing else they might assume that I support the state of Israel.

[@MissingRaptor]

As a Canadian, I welcome anyone who wants to move here ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤

[@prettynsleepy1073]

Thank you so much for this video. It was truly brilliant. You’re the best.

[@am529]

I had a horrible time going through airport security in the US late last year as a visibly queer, mixed-race person who wears lower leg prosthetics.

[@clouddd8053]

Oh man that’s a Cocktail of prejudice waiting to come for you, sorry tsa still doesn’t know how to treat ppl with humanity

[@lz02711]

Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention. As a lesbian, the fact that I have to check to see if I am allowed to visit a country is just sad. This is a real issue with travel and it cheers me up to see that somebody is willing to educate people on this topic. You are a star, Jessica

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

Wardrobe on POINT in this video, as always, just leaving some appreciation. 🙂

[@captcomps]

I feel this is one of your best ever posts ❤ a perfectly structured mini masterclass on LGBTQ+ rights and solidarity ❤ thank you for educating and shining a light ❤

[@Pete_1972]

We often forget about lgbtq+ people that have to live in “not so nice to 🌈 people” countries, to put it mildly. We must not forget. And, yes, you went there! I knew you would. You know what I mean…a bit political 🤗💛

[@ArwenHenderson]

Excellent video as usual

[@ADHDqueenB]

Thank you for this video! I'm so in love with the blue dress and the suitcases !

[@Hunterofartemischildofhades]

This is gonna be a scary watch.....

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

I'm in a straight passing relationship but we also aren't married after 14 years of being with each other. That can also cause issues but I also refuse to visit any country that is anti LGBTQ+ or where I am illegal would they figure out that I'm very queer. I don't give money to people who hate people like me if I can at all help it.

[@annagroesbeck9673]

I always love your video essays! They make my anthropologist heart happy.

[@CoryBranlafatt]

Thank you so much for talking about this subject, for me it's comon sense but I know some people really need all the informations and nuance you brang in that video. Lots of spoons !

[@joray5756]

I do so love this series. Have you done any research into the "Molly Houses" that started in Tudor times? I just watched something on them last night

[@RoseRedRoseWhite]

I've never heard it and now I am excited for this evening's rabbit hole

[@christophero1969]

Good information. Thank You for being brave by talking about Israel and, Yes, in the United States, religion is being used as an excuse for weak men to hate, I am not part of that.

[@jessicaoutofthecloset]

I can't believe I missed this, thank you so much Christopher 💖 Lots of love your way x

[@BadgerX153]

I am transmasculine and just traveling in the US has been a pain for me. I have never tried to travel to another country via air travel. I can say that when I was using binders I had to have the binder checked for explosives and the TSA was not sure whether to use a male or female agent to check and didn't think to ask me what I was more comfortable with. I also was packing once when flying and we won't even go into that. I can say that I have had myself pulled aside and been checked more than any other person that I personally know, and I don't fly often (like every 5 years or less).

[@bertieborough]

As always, entertaining and educational and factual.

[@eric_the_egggremlin]

14:40 this transition is pure artistry and I have SUCH an urge to send this video to my sociology professor.

[@echolake17]

Jessica, I absolutely love your content! All the time and research you put into your videos is mind-boggling. Thank you dear heart! I want to be sure to mindfully travel and help my friends and family be safe abroad. Cheers darling

[@felixbelanger2659]

Informative and entertaining as always!

[@ivechang6720]

You and Caitlin Doherty in the same day. This is going on my daily gratitude list. 😊

[@manicantsettleonausername6789]

Fantastic video, thank you so much!!

[@beccasneed7730]

I’m so white I always get through, but my bff’s mom is from Trinidad (from India originally) and she appears Middle Eastern always got checked. Though I look much more likely to have weed or too many beverages

[@kwowka]

I’ve heard so many people tell me that Palestine would not like that I was queer. I don’t care. Because unlike these people, I don’t centre myself. I don’t care if you’re transphobic- like sure, my feelings will be hurt, but I’m still not going to just stand by and let you die? That’s no justification?

[@lrmry]

But you’re okay with leaving Hamas in power? Even though they actively kill queer people.

[@snoodledumpling4486]

Like, I don't have to like someone or agree with them on much of anything to think that they should not be murdered? I'm not sure why this concept is a problem for people.

[@pjl22222]

Because those people hate everyone who is different than them and would be perfectly happy if they died and they think everybody thinks that way. That's why everything certain political parties and their supporters say about their rivals is basically projection of all the bad things that they do. They figure "if I do it everyone else must do it too". They Have no understanding of the concept of acceptance, or even just the concept of tolerance.

[@A-A_P]

​@@snoodledumpling4486 some people have been calling for the destruction of Israel itself. And that would create even more problems for the local queer community, up until threatening their lives. The price of any descision, which will be high there, no matter what, is a little too often forgotten. As always, civillians suffer in the hands of the govs under such circumstances. I at least understand, why, even from the point of view of human rights, many are sceptical of current palestine aswell. If it were a progressive "muslim" (like Europe isn't really christian anymore) state, it would be a whole different discussion, at least in terms of human rights.

[@jamiethebookworm]

yeah. Also do they realise that ISrael is also k1lling queer Palestiains. Yeah ofc they do, it just doesn't play along with their excuse

[@Hoptimistline]

Thank you so much for your important videos and your wonderful being, Jessica!

[@mariannetfinches]

Wow! So much information covered, and explained so well! Brilliant video. This is how you do nuance

[@ChristinaGXL]

First time I went to the US I had to deal with the TSA "anomaly" thing but I ended up in a line that didn't use the body scanner at all. Must have got super lucky because they were about as discreet as it could get in a giant room full of strangers. Thankfully I no longer carry that package and even being 6'2 I guess I got the passing privilege.

[@KxNOxUTA]

I swear every KZbin content creator I really vibe with, comes out as being an ADHD brain pall at some point. Talk about "Peer reviewed" and "spidy (well, more like...ADHD brain) sense" XD Now I adore you even more! With that said, what a splendid video. Thank you so much for compiling all this complex information.

[@GhostIntoTheFog]

Jessica’s Autistic, as well. She does we AuDHDers proud.

[@KJ-bj2oi]

As a Canadian queer person, there are far too many provinces (my own included, sadly) that keep passing very transphobic laws. So yeah, even if immigration were easy and affordable, we may be in a slightly better boat, but it's still on the same rough seas.

[@Airam462]

Thank you for the wonderful video as always Jessica! I really dislike it when people say "just move to another country" as if it wasn't very expensive and in addition to it needing to be queer-friendly in this case, many countries discriminate people with disabilities and chronic illness! And don't give citizenship because of that.

[@Pennless]

This video is excellent. It's so well-researched, and, as usual, you're so articulate!

[@popsicleemperor]

So lovely as always! thanks for this!

[@4mpersan]

As a Canadian, I can verify that we are also not always safe for trans people due to the increasing political polarisation we're seeing almost everywhere. Some provincial governments like Alberta and Saskatchewan are fighting very hard to remove all supports for trans people. That said, the majority of our population is against those provinces' actions, so provinces other than those two are probably pretty okay for folks.

[@Nixcharon]

No one is free until everyone is free 🍉

[@claudiaelodie]

Heck yes!!!! 🍉🍉🍉

[@legendofayda]

From the river to the sea 🍉

[@NHarts3]

Palestine will be free ❤​@@legendofayda

[@lrmry]

Are you aware that you are quoting a Zionist? Her name’s Emma Lazarus.

[@Nixcharon]

@@lrmry I am not quoting a Zionist, I am quoting Fannie Lou Hamer?

[@PrestonCarey90]

Thank you for this video. I was asked to give a presentation on Pinkwashing to a Palestinian support group and I plan to just play a chunk of this for them because I couldn't say it better. Then I'll go deeper into a couple of aspects.

[@ellis7796]

Is there any country that's safe for trans ppl? (/gen) Tbh, I've never traveled or lived anywhere that i could achieve a level of safety equal to my cis peers

[@luisbeltran2177]

Shout out to tsa grandpa who wacked me in my (currently) non existent prothesis balls and rapidly apologized to me while performing a check after the AFAR system tagged my catheter when I'm between surgeries.

[@BBQSaa]

That “thank you” was on point

[@rose-flow]

Thank you for this video!

[@SSNewberry]

Good explanation.

[@draechaeli]

I currently work in a country that isn’t the best for lgbtq+ people, all my documents are updated, I’m passing, I’m asexual so I’m not looking for a partner, and they don’t have that stupid scanner in the airports just the metal detector and wand. So, it’s comfortable living but any sort of doctor thing I get done outside the country and if I found a partner I’d probably be looking for a new job in a new country if we wanted to get married.

[@DawnBurn]

We went through this when thinking about eclipse chasing. And with my wife being trans, my eldest nibling being agender and a mix of adults & kids... the kids gets short. Both because we want to be SAFE and have all trans people able to enter the country and because we want to avoid rewarding gov'ts who pink wash.

[@_andrewvia]

Thank you Jessica.

[@sarahhdg8280]

As a queer person with a queer partner living in Japan, I really hope same-sex marriage (or at least same-sex marriage recognition, for marriages done in other countries) will finally be allowed in the near future. That is one of the issue we have with staying full term there. Moreover, trans persons can transition in Japan, but there are plenty of limitations (you have to become sterile...)

[@LilyFair]

Israeli lesbian polyamorous woman here 🖐 A few things about the part where you talk about my country. I posted a separate comment specifically about the issue of Palestinians' rights. But a couple more things: yes, there is a lot of concern in the LGBTQ+ community about the growing presence of extremist religious narrative and persons in our government. Most liberal-leaning people are concerned, not just our community - who would be among the first to suffer severe consecuences, but not the last. HOWEVER, there are also more and more politicians, even in the right and even in Netanyahu's own party, who show concern about this trend and publicly oppose it. There's Amir Ohana, a member of the Likkud party who used to serve as minister of justice and of interior security, who is openly gay, married to a man and has 2 children. He gets a lot of criticism from the LGBTQ community for not doing enough and actually being diamissal about the dangers to our community in today's political climate. I'm not a fan of him at all. But he is not going to vote on laws revoking his own marriage and taking away his children... and same goes for many other Likkud members. Which brings me to the next point - is the Israeli society truly liberal or "just pretending"? The answer is that it's complex because Israeli society is comprised of a very wide range of sub-cultures. You have the ultra-religious, anti-modern end of the spectrum, and you have the extra liberal, pro-queer, pro-trans, pro-poly etc end. And everything in between. But just consider the fact that there are openly gay members of parliament, as well as openly gay or gay-friendly professionals in medicine (shoutout to my wonderful - straight - gynecologist), law, education (I'm a teacher and my school flies the pride flag alongside the national and municipal flags) etc. etc. All those people are not "pinkwashers", they're just living their lives trying to be good people.

[@thatoneidiot5108]

כן אבל זה בדיוק מה שהיא אמרה, היא מדברת יותר על השימוש של הממשלה בנו מאשר בחיים של האנשים הפרטיים בארץ- זה שיש קווירים בארץ לא הופך אותם לpinkwashers! אבל נחמד לדעת שאני לא הישראלי הקוויר היחיד שצפה בזה אז יאי

[@GhostIntoTheFog]

I can’t speak for Jessica, but it didn’t come off to me like she was accusing all MOGAI Israelis of engaging in pinkwashing. She was highlighting how the Israeli government tries to portray itself as enlightened by highlighting the relative freedom of MOGAI Israelis when it is anything but enlightened.

[@xBloodGarnetx]

@@GhostIntoTheFog This.

[@rutdaybinyamin8133]

@@thatoneidiot5108 אחי תקשיב ישר ששמעתי אותה מדברת על ישראל ישר יצאתי כי אני לא הולכת לשמוע מישהו מדבר על ישראל ככה במיוחד שהוא לא גר פה

[@xtrafu4420]

Trans guy here. Without fail, I get pat down every single time I go through security at the airport. I’ve learned to never wear my packer to the airport because omg is it awkward to try and explain to security what it is.

[@sylviatan6061]

The most comprehensive channel on LGBTQ plus matters. Another great video. 👍👍👍

[@agathepicard4314]

Thank you

[@MrKirby365]

I love that you can make me laugh, teach me your do such awesome thing

[@seeleunit2000]

This was very insightful.

[@PattheMan876-qf8ro]

Jessica watches Philosophy Tube confirmed.

[@Miss.sassycassy]

Not traveling but you said the I word and are going to address the “friendly” to LGBTQ+ lies so I’ll stay and watch❤