Transcendence

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/2ee3fa937894d83f04a437cf8bb41194/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-95/s1280x1920/9cf2927563e6c08f23fb52231ea8dd9412522fd1.pnj'} Your name is **Max**. You are **twenty-one years old**. You are **shy**, **lanky**, and **love spending time with your books**. You also don't know how to feel about your body. [after 3 second] [[The year is 2124.->Introduction cont'd]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/2ee3fa937894d83f04a437cf8bb41194/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-95/s1280x1920/9cf2927563e6c08f23fb52231ea8dd9412522fd1.pnj'} You've recently discovered the small joys of presenting outside of your assigned gender... the little zaps of pleasure when you look at yourself in the illuminated mirror in your bathroom, wiping away the condensation to examine your hair falling across your face just right. You purse your lips and look at yourself from all angles. [after 3 second] [[You've finally gotten your makeup how you want it, perfecting your feminine presentation.->Introduction femm]] [[Masculine clothing looks so good on you. Maybe what you want is to be "one of the boys."->Introduction masc]] [[Exploring the space in between gender makes you happiest. What if you're something in the middle, both, or nothing at all?->Introduction nonb]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/aeb3473d5df5e5ff04cfd60332894cd3/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-ee/s1280x1920/5f944950c019fd1532a0213ee7d36eb19c61672c.pnj'} In the past century, medical science has improved by leaps and bounds -- and medical transition has become painless, even a non-issue, because of it. Everything from gene therapy, to regenerative medicine, to advanced neural identity remapping is available to you after just a few consultations with a doctor. The only hurdle is figuring out a way to let your family, friends, and colleagues know about the big changes in store for you. But, for now, you have a Doctor's appointment to go to. Dr. Elara greets you warmly in her office, and begins to explain potential procedures you can undergo. [after 3 second] [["Recent advances in gene therapy allow for us to change your physical gender expression on a DNA level with minimum side effects."->Gene therapy femm]] [["Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy can be used to convince your own body to grow in the direction that feels right for you. It can take some time, but it's less invasive than bottom surgery."->Regenerative medicine femm]] [["Neural identity remapping would allow us to change the very way your brain functions, rewiring the unique neural signature given off by the brain as you think through daily activities. This might make transitioning a little easier if you've had any cybernetics installed."->Neural Identity femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/aeb3473d5df5e5ff04cfd60332894cd3/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-ee/s1280x1920/5f944950c019fd1532a0213ee7d36eb19c61672c.pnj'} In the past century, medical science has improved by leaps and bounds -- and medical transition has become painless, even a non-issue, because of it. Everything from gene therapy, to regenerative medicine, to advanced neural identity remapping is available to you after just a few consultations with a doctor. The only hurdle is figuring out a way to let your family, friends, and colleagues know about the big changes in store for you. But, for now, you have a Doctor's appointment to go to. Dr. Elara greets you warmly in her office, and begins to explain potential procedures you can undergo. [after 3 second] [["Recent advances in gene therapy allow for us to change your physical gender expression on a DNA level with minimum side effects."->Gene therapy masc]] [["Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy can be used to convince your own body to grow in the direction that feels right for you. It can take some time, but it's less invasive than bottom surgery."->Regenerative medicine masc]] [["Neural identity remapping would allow us to change the very way your brain functions, rewiring the unique neural signature given off by the brain as you think through daily activities. This might make transitioning a little easier if you've had any cybernetics installed."->Neural Identity masc]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/aeb3473d5df5e5ff04cfd60332894cd3/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-ee/s1280x1920/5f944950c019fd1532a0213ee7d36eb19c61672c.pnj'} In the past century, medical science has improved by leaps and bounds -- and medical transition has become painless, even a non-issue, because of it. Everything from gene therapy, to regenerative medicine, to advanced neural identity remapping is available to you after just a few consultations with a doctor. The only hurdle is figuring out a way to let your family, friends, and colleagues know about the big changes in store for you. But, for now, you have a Doctor's appointment to go to. Dr. Elara greets you warmly in her office, and begins to explain potential procedures you can undergo. [after 3 second] [["Recent advances in gene therapy allow for us to change your physical gender expression on a DNA level with minimum side effects."->Gene therapy nonb]] [["Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy can be used to convince your own body to grow in the direction that feels right for you. It can take some time, but it's less invasive than bottom surgery."->Regenerative medicine nonb]] [["Neural identity remapping would allow us to change the very way your brain functions, rewiring the unique neural signature given off by the brain as you think through daily activities. This might make transitioning a little easier if you've had any cybernetics installed."->Neural Identity nonb]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara is quick to find a brochure for you when you express interest in gene therapy. "It's a really popular choice for our patients right now, as it's fairly all-encompassing. A lot of people get nervous when they hear a virus is going to be injected into them, but think of it as a friendly little delivery man coming to bring you the gene edits that have been tailored exactly to your needs." You look down at the piece of paper. There's a friendly mascot version of a gene being spliced on it, waving back up at you. "With this treatment, you can expect obvious breast tissue development and vaginal growth in a matter of months." [after 3 second] [[You opt for this treatment.->Gene therapy 2 femm]] [["Can I hear more about my other options?"->Introduction femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara nods when you express interest in regenerative medicine. "Lucky for you, we have one of the nation's top regenerative medicine specialists in-house! He works primarily with people who've had accidents, but we're always happy to take on transgender patients as well. The approach is much the same!" She animatedly gestures with her hands as she explains. "Regenerative medicine techniques can be used for many applications -- including everything from genital reconstruction to engineering vocal cords that would allow you to sound more like your true self. It's best supplemented with traditional hormone treatments, but the results can be astounding...!" You think about how nice it'd be if your voice was just a little higher pitched during those pesky augmented reality meetings at work... [after 3 second] [["I think regenerative medicine sounds right for me."->Regenerative medicine 2 femm]] [["Can we circle back to those other options?"->Introduction femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara gestures to a poster behind her on neural identity remapping after you express interest in the subject. "Not many people consider it when they're thinking about their transition, but we each have a distinct neural thumbprint. Anyone who's had a brain scan for an aug installation has had as much explained to them." You think about the augment in your head. It's just a simple one that you can load up basic weather and music apps on, but even it's protected from tampering by your distinct neural blueprint acting as a passcode -- the pattern of thoughts zapping across your brainmatter that makes you *you*. "Some aspects of our identity are encoded in this neural thumbprint, and many find it easier to interface with neurally-augmented technology if it recognizes them as a woman with no finessing required." It could be nice... [after 3 second] [["Let's start with neural identity remapping."->Neural identity 2 femm]] [["Can we go back over my other options?"->Introduction femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara is quick to find a brochure for you when you express interest in gene therapy. "It's a really popular choice for our patients right now, as it's fairly all-encompassing. A lot of people get nervous when they hear a virus is going to be injected into them, but think of it as a friendly little delivery man coming to bring you the gene edits that have been tailored exactly to your needs." You look down at the piece of paper. There's a friendly mascot version of a gene being spliced on it, waving back up at you. "With this treatment, you can expect obvious breast tissue reduction and penile growth in a matter of months." [after 3 second] [[You opt for this treatment.->Gene therapy 2 masc]] [["Can I hear more about my other options?"->Introduction masc]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara nods when you express interest in regenerative medicine. "Lucky for you, we have one of the nation's top regenerative medicine specialists in-house! He works primarily with people who've had accidents, but we're always happy to take on transgender patients as well. The approach is much the same!" She animatedly gestures with her hands as she explains. "Regenerative medicine techniques can be used for many applications -- including everything from genital reconstruction to engineering vocal cords that would allow you to sound more like your true self. It's best supplemented with traditional hormone treatments, but the results can be astounding...!" You think about how nice it'd be if your voice was just a little lower pitched during those pesky augmented reality meetings at work... [after 3 second] [["I think regenerative medicine sounds right for me."->Regenerative medicine 2 masc]] [["Can we circle back to those other options?"->Introduction masc]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara gestures to a poster behind her on neural identity remapping after you express interest in the subject. "Not many people consider it when they're thinking about their transition, but we each have a distinct neural thumbprint. Anyone who's had a brain scan for an aug installation has had as much explained to them." You think about the augment in your head. It's just a simple one that you can load up basic weather and music apps on, but even it's protected from tampering by your distinct neural blueprint acting as a passcode -- the pattern of thoughts zapping across your brainmatter that makes you *you*. "Some aspects of our identity are encoded in this neural thumbprint, and many find it easier to interface with neurally-augmented technology if it recognizes them as a man with no finessing required." It could be nice... [after 3 second] [["Let's start with neural identity remapping."->Neural identity 2 masc]] [["Can we go back over my other options?"->Introduction masc]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara is quick to find a brochure for you when you express interest in gene therapy. "It's a really popular choice for our patients right now, as it's fairly all-encompassing. A lot of people get nervous when they hear a virus is going to be injected into them, but think of it as a friendly little delivery man coming to bring you the gene edits that have been tailored exactly to your needs." You look down at the piece of paper. There's a friendly mascot version of a gene being spliced on it, waving back up at you. "With this treatment, you can customize *exactly* how your physical transition looks. You can expect development in any direction in a matter of months." [after 3 second] [[You opt for this treatment.->Gene therapy 2 nonb]] [["Can I hear more about my other options?"->Introduction nonb]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara nods when you express interest in regenerative medicine. "Lucky for you, we have one of the nation's top regenerative medicine specialists in-house! He works primarily with people who've had accidents, but we're always happy to take on transgender patients as well. The approach is much the same!" She animatedly gestures with her hands as she explains. "Regenerative medicine techniques can be used for many applications -- including everything from genital reconstruction to engineering vocal cords that would allow you to sound more like your true self. It's best supplemented with traditional hormone treatments, but the results can be astounding...!" You think about how nice it'd be if your voice was just a little more ambiguous during those pesky augmented reality meetings at work... [after 3 second] [["I think regenerative medicine sounds right for me."->Regenerative medicine 2 nonb]] [["Can we circle back to those other options?"->Introduction nonb]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc2d005d78bd2f7c02a3d3ab6701e480/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-47/s1280x1920/2c6d66fd2dec3cb073147b5291024601b515d8ea.pnj'} Dr. Elara gestures to a poster behind her on neural identity remapping after you express interest in the subject. "Not many people consider it when they're thinking about their transition, but we each have a distinct neural thumbprint. Anyone who's had a brain scan for an aug installation has had as much explained to them." You think about the augment in your head. It's just a simple one that you can load up basic weather and music apps on, but even it's protected from tampering by your distinct neural blueprint acting as a passcode -- the pattern of thoughts zapping across your brainmatter that makes you *you*. "Some aspects of our identity are encoded in this neural thumbprint, and many find it easier to interface with neurally-augmented technology if it doesn't *immediately* try to assign a gender." It could be nice... [after 3 second] [["Let's start with neural identity remapping."->Neural identity 2 nonb]] [["Can we go back over my other options?"->Introduction nonb]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/30085180ce3a3a45819ffa10fa568026/c0d4286d09aede6d-c2/s1280x1920/2486b02928494388dab792bb58db0a90a108f48a.pnj'} Your first consultation for gene therapy has been booked. Dr. Elara has very helpfully sent you off with relevant literature to study -- pamphlets and fliers, as well as a couple holovids put out by pharmaceutical companies. The moment feels electrifying, triumphant. Finally, you'll be seeing the new you... and soon! "Remember, you shouldn't be thinking of this as trying to 'fix' yourself -- you're already wonderful. These procedures are for empowering yourself to *be* the you that's been there all along...!" You think of these words from the doctor as you hop onto the maglev train back to your apartment. [after 3 second] [[Call mom.->Mom femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/1125fac50766c8972c8bdb9faa25208f/c0d4286d09aede6d-c0/s1280x1920/df0d4251a5bb18f3da93ea8a7b69e67f0c0d0af4.pnj'} Your first consultation for regenerative medicine has been booked. Dr. Elara has very helpfully sent you off with relevant literature to study -- pamphlets and fliers, as well as a couple holovids put out by pharmaceutical companies. The moment feels electrifying, triumphant. Finally, you'll be seeing the new you... and soon! "Remember, you shouldn't be thinking of this as trying to 'fix' yourself -- you're already wonderful. These procedures are for empowering yourself to *be* the you that's been there all along...!" You think of these words from the doctor as you hop onto the maglev train back to your apartment. [after 3 second] [[Call mom.->Mom femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/e43f5e5267745912ebaf99f8bf7dba99/c0d4286d09aede6d-d5/s1280x1920/42e086b340af166b807867ebbecb532cf2eb58e2.pnj'} Your first consultation for neural identity remapping has been booked. Dr. Elara has very helpfully sent you off with relevant literature to study -- pamphlets and fliers, as well as a couple holovids put out by pharmaceutical companies. The moment feels electrifying, triumphant. Finally, you'll be seeing the new you... and soon! "Remember, you shouldn't be thinking of this as trying to 'fix' yourself -- you're already wonderful. These procedures are for empowering yourself to *be* the you that's been there all along...!" You think of these words from the doctor as you hop onto the maglev train back to your apartment. [after 3 second] [[Call mom.->Mom femm]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/e43f5e5267745912ebaf99f8bf7dba99/c0d4286d09aede6d-d5/s1280x1920/42e086b340af166b807867ebbecb532cf2eb58e2.pnj'} Your first consultation for neural identity mapping has been booked. Dr. Elara has very helpfully sent you off with relevant literature to study -- pamphlets and fliers, as well as a couple holovids put out by pharmaceutical companies. The moment feels electrifying, triumphant. Finally, you'll be seeing the new you... and soon! "Remember, you shouldn't be thinking of this as trying to 'fix' yourself -- you're already wonderful. These procedures are for empowering yourself to *be* the you that's been there all along...!" You think of these words from the doctor as you hop onto the maglev train back to your apartment. [after 3 second] [[Call mom.->Mom masc]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/e43f5e5267745912ebaf99f8bf7dba99/c0d4286d09aede6d-d5/s1280x1920/42e086b340af166b807867ebbecb532cf2eb58e2.pnj'} Your first consultation for neural identity mapping has been booked. Dr. Elara has very helpfully sent you off with relevant literature to study -- pamphlets and fliers, as well as a couple holovids put out by pharmaceutical companies. The moment feels electrifying, triumphant. Finally, you'll be seeing the new you... and soon! "Remember, you shouldn't be thinking of this as trying to 'fix' yourself -- you're already wonderful. These procedures are for empowering yourself to *be* the you that's been there all along...!" You think of these words from the doctor as you hop onto the maglev train back to your apartment. [after 3 second] [[Call mom.->Mom nonb]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/deba40625a745cade18fa17f6bdac160/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-72/s1280x1920/9d40e8c1e8c155d26ba0304e979ce0503ff39203.pnj'} You know you can no longer live with the assigned gender you now feel misaligned with, and are ready to biohack your body so that is more in line with your vision of yourself -- your *true* self. You've always been close to your mom, but you're also terrified of worrying her... while these procedures have been proven safe time and time again, there's still no accounting for freak accidents. You listen to your aug's dial tone ring through your skull for what feels like hours. Finally, she picks up. "Hey, Max! Is everything okay, sweetie...? I thought you had a shift today." You begin to explain everything in a rush-- your newfound identity, your upcoming appointment. There's a pause, and for a moment you're worried. But, when your mother replies, you can almost hear her smiling as she speaks. "I always had a feeling you were a girl-- and you *know* that I'll always support you no matter what, right, Max? Let's go out shopping for a new wardrobe this weekend, my treat...!" [after 3 second] [[Wrap up the conversation and hang up.->Conclusion]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/deba40625a745cade18fa17f6bdac160/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-72/s1280x1920/9d40e8c1e8c155d26ba0304e979ce0503ff39203.pnj'} You know you can no longer live with the assigned gender you now feel misaligned with, and are ready to biohack your body so that is more in line with your vision of yourself -- your *true* self. You've always been close to your mom, but you're also terrified of worrying her... while these procedures have been proven safe time and time again, there's still no accounting for freak accidents. You listen to your aug's dial tone ring through your skull for what feels like hours. Finally, she picks up. "Hey, Max! Is everything okay, sweetie...? I thought you had a shift today." You begin to explain everything in a rush-- your newfound identity, your upcoming appointment. There's a pause, and for a moment you're worried. But, when your mother replies, you can almost hear her smiling as she speaks. "I always had a feeling you were a boy-- and you *know* that I'll always support you no matter what, right, Max? Let's go out shopping for a new wardrobe this weekend, my treat...!" [after 3 second] [[Wrap up the conversation and hang up.->Conclusion]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/deba40625a745cade18fa17f6bdac160/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-72/s1280x1920/9d40e8c1e8c155d26ba0304e979ce0503ff39203.pnj'} You know you can no longer live with the assigned gender you now feel misaligned with, and are ready to biohack your body so that is more in line with your vision of yourself -- your *true* self. You've always been close to your mom, but you're also terrified of worrying her... while these procedures have been proven safe time and time again, there's still no accounting for freak accidents. You listen to your aug's dial tone ring through your skull for what feels like hours. Finally, she picks up. "Hey, Max! Is everything okay, sweetie...? I thought you had a shift today." You begin to explain everything in a rush-- your newfound identity, your upcoming appointment. There's a pause, and for a moment you're worried. But, when your mother replies, you can almost hear her smiling as she speaks. "I always had a feeling you weren't quite a girl or a boy-- and you *know* that I'll always support you no matter what, right, Max? Let's go out shopping for a new wardrobe this weekend, my treat...!" [after 3 second] [[Wrap up the conversation and hang up.->Conclusion]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/b847dd0668a52005cee57d95190ca79b/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-a8/s1280x1920/975fd4938f3eabb3410fed39097182967e43a671.pnj'} You go to bed satisfied with the day -- and, perhaps, taking for granted how simple every step of the way was. A cultural shift towards openmindedness towards gender and its presentation has opened up whole new avenues in gender affirming medcine. Concepts that were in their nascency just a century ago -- gene therapy, stem cell research, mapping the brain -- have opened themselves up to the possibility of a kinder, more accepting world. As you fall asleep, you dream about your own bright tomorrow, and the door you have opened for yourself with the most effortless of tugs. [after 3 seconds] {embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/3e485d059c03813e5fabcecfa2215d08/bde8c6e2ef3117f3-b5/s400x600/ac3d423437bc86ef0fa172a71033e982d08b7a9f.pnj'} [[End.->Learning]]

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/80a0db81bb2ef15c1c0add21dbe62530/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-c8/s1280x1920/e70fc7e453f68a5f6382cec1526eb1de448a1658.pnj'} Although Max lives in a utopian future where easy medical transition is possible, trans people today face an ever-mounting list of challenges. Dwindling legal protections bolstered by a lack of top-down gender identity anti-discrimination laws can make life for trans people harrowing. Transgender citizens aren’t protected from being fired for their identity in every state, for example, or from being denied housing and healthcare. Trans people are also more likely to be living under the poverty line, as well. 29% of trans adults live in poverty. This percentage only goes up for trans people of color. Additionally, transgender people tend to face an elevated level of stigma and harassment. For centuries, transness has been associated with mental illness and deviancy – and this association has carried over into how trans people are stigmatized today. This manifests in everything from transgender teens being pushed out of their homes by transphobic parents to trans women being barred from using women’s shelters when in need. These disparities are important to address because everyone deserves basic human dignity and the ability to live and present the way they wish to without fear of facing adversity for it. [[Sources/Credits->Bibliography]] {restart link, label: 'Play again?'}

{embed image: 'https://64.media.tumblr.com/80a0db81bb2ef15c1c0add21dbe62530/9992f6a6c93cd3b6-c8/s1280x1920/e70fc7e453f68a5f6382cec1526eb1de448a1658.pnj'} **Works Cited**: - Bornstein, Kate. *Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us*. Vintage Books, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2016. - Erickson-Schroth, Laura. *Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community*. Oxford University Press, 2014. - “Gender Economic Inequality.” *Inequality.Org*, Inequality.org, www.inequality.org/facts/gender-inequality/#transgender-economic-gaps. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. - Seaman, Andrew M. “Transgender People Face Discrimination in Healthcare.” *Reuters*, Reuters, 13 Mar. 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-transgender-healthcare-discrimination-idUSKBN0M928B20150313/. - “Understanding the Transgender Community.” *HRC*, HRC Foundation, www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-transgender-community. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. **Image Credits**: - Photo credits go to the following Unsplash users: Erwi, Louis Reed, Accuray, Clay Banks, felipepelaquim, Alexander Grey, and Aiden Craver.