about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post 
I've been seeing that picture going around again that tells you to "repost this if trans people are welcome and safe with you", so I guess it's time to bring this up again:
I understand the intention, but it's really not as helpful as you might think. Like most marginalized groups, trans folks often have to deal with being told that they are 'welcome' somewhere, only to discover that there are hidden conditions attached - don't act too queer, don't act too outspoken, don't be too weird, don't be too sexual, and so on.
The result is that "trans people are welcome with me" is a meaningless statement - we have no idea whether that is actually true, or whether you just *believe* that that is the case, but have never engaged with the subject enough to understand what that really entails.
Intention alone is just not sufficient to provide safety; you also need to do the work of actually understanding what is needed and providing those things.
So again, I understand the intention, but this doesn't really help. The best way to show trans folks that they are safe with you, and that you are *capable* of creating that safety, is to *act* as such, rather than just *saying* it.
Proactively speak out against abuse that trans people receive, extend an open offer of help in whatever way is needed to the trans folks in your social circles, and so on.
I can't speak for everyone of course, and it's possible that there are trans folks for whom such posts *are* helpful. But I don't think I've ever talked to any trans folks who felt that way, at least that I know of.
joke, re: about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post
@joepie91 You'll know you're welcomint and safe to trans people when half of trans fedi is following you xD
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post :boost_requested:
@joepie91 Yeah that post has the same energy to me as "By posting this I legally forbid Facebook from collecting my data".
Chances are, if you really feel the need to tell people that trans people are safe with you, something's up.
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post
@ThunderComplex I wouldn't go quite that far - I've also seen this getting boosted by people who I would trust to *actually* be welcoming. I think that it'll probably serve as a shield for some, but I think that in most cases it's simply being unaware of the actual needs of trans folks (and the context that makes such statements meaningless).
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post :boost_requested:
@joepie91 @ThunderComplex this reminds me of that time I went to a library where there was a "trans people welcome" sign under the male washroom
... and only the male washroom
the gender neutral washroom was locked too
I very much did not feel welcomed
verna 
re: about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post 
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re: about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post :boost_requested:
@joepie91@pixie.town yeah actually youre right cause i remember one time they were misgendering this one trans woman but theyd also retweeted (it was on twitter) this so yeah i can see hwo they would lie about it
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post :boost_requested:
@joepie91 @inherentlee Thanks for making this point! I always feel this kneejerk reaction to not want to reblog it because I hope that people can tell I'm hopefully a safe person to interact with. It just feels like more virtue signaling which I'm violently allergic to.
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post :boost_requested:
@joepie91 YES this is absolutely the reaction I have when I see posts or images like this. Perhaps well-intentioned but not actively helpful.
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post :boost_requested:
@joepie91 I think this is only half of it
The other half is the person _wants you to treat them as if they are successfully doing this_.
And doing things, like pointing out how they might be inadequately doing so is "not playing along".
Like, the conversation here -- it's between the poster and their audience.
If they wanted the conversation to have trans participation, that's a totally different way go go about it
@joepie91 And this is absolutely a thing we white trans people have to internalize is true for, Black people, Indigenous people, everyone not white.
It's no good putting "BLM" in our bios or saying we're not racist if we don't have as deep an understanding of how racism really manifests and what the patterns of behavior are that we unknowingly fall into.
This should really be a transferable skill for us.
@joepie91 IME it's an extremely low bar that this clears, but there are particular circumstances where I appreciate signposting. An example might be a business run by recent immigrants from somewhere that criminalizes queerness, or in a location or profession generally considered very unsafe. I've heard people appreciate this from laser hair removal clinics for instance.
about that "trans people are welcome and safe with you" post
(Also, I can assure you that the trans folks around you are very carefully watching the way that people act towards them - you won't need to signpost that you're being supportive, it will be noticed in the same way as when you're not)