Quick note, given "the circumstances"

Hey folks,

I'll try to get a proper production diary out this month, but wanted to check in now because I know lots of my audience is American. Not to mention, all of us live in a world that's dominated & held back by U.S. policy, and have reasons to be worried right now.

I wanted to say I'm thinking of you all. I hope all of you are safe, and have any support you need from loved ones. It's not enough but I do still hope it. A good chunk of my week has been spent supporting my American friends and discussing their next moves, including possible physical ones out of the country. The power of friendship has compelled me to meet the hells of immigration law, which will probably be an important knowledge base for many reasons in the coming decade.

In my last update, I told you I was working on a video about Canadian national identity. That video is proving to be a colossal undertaking, and I'm really hoping to release another video in 2024, so I've put it on the back-burner for now. I'm looking for something I can make while supporting my friends, getting my (technically unannounced) podcast over the finish line, and remaining very much preoccupied with The Disaster.

Last night, a new idea came to me fully-formed, and I feel pretty determined to give it a shot. Many trans people are newly worried they'll lose access to hormone therapy; lots more already couldn't access it due to draconian healthcare bans. There's been a surge in discussion of DIY HRT: "do-it-yourself hormone therapy", essentially ordering hormones on the internet and self-managing your transition, without any doctors involved. DIY'ing is controversial even in some trans spaces because of the grey area it's presumed to inhabit, and that controversy can make it taboo to even discuss.Many trans people expect to have their healthcare stripped away from them in the coming years, and when considering DIYing, they may see its mixed reputation and worry: "Is this safe? Is it legal?"

It turns out... yeah, basically! DIY supply chains have existed for decades and are, in some ways, better than the conventional medical system. This is a sensitive topic, and risks do exist. But seeing as DIYing is the only option available to many people, I think they should have access to all the facts, so they can make the decision that's right for them. This video would be called "Everything I can Legally Tell You about DIY HRT". Not my usual wheelhouse, but... I don't know, man, I need to do something useful with myself right now. This feels urgent.

I'm talking to a lot of people for this project, including DIY hormone users, educators, and providers. If you've ever used DIY hormone therapy, or considered doing so, please shoot me a message, I would love to talk (and take protecting my sources seriously!)

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for reading. There is a long future ahead.

xoxo Lily