I realized this last year when I was sat still at a red light and was hit by someone going highway speed (think 60mph). I'm an average sized woman in terms of height/weight (5'6", 145 lbs) and I naturally sat closer to the steering wheel in the van I was driving. Well, I hit the car in front of me and I guess I didn't jerk hard enough because my seatbelt didn't hold me and I headbutted that steering wheel like it owed me money. The airbag went off afterwards and punched me in the face. I was out of work and unable to function correctly for 5 months and even then I had to do light duty and few work hours. I sat in my sedan this morning thinking about that and realized that I'm even closer to my steering wheel in my car than I was in the vehicle I was driving that day (SUV) and there's nothing I can do to change that. Do they even use female crash test dummies?

ETA: For those who've asked I was driving a work vehicle, a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan

Like I'm serious, where I live we have "freeze warnings" because it's so rare to actually go below freezing.

So far I have:

• get a snow blower

• there's a thing you can buy for your car battery that plugs in and keeps it warm so your car will start in the winter

• dress in layers

edit: holy crap y'all know a lot about winter living. I'll through this thread when I get off work, thanks so much for the advice <3

Hey, I have a major crush on another man from my college, we're going to hang out some point soon, but neither of us really have an idea on what to do.

We've gone bowling together with friends before, but the music was too loud to have a proper conversation. I'd normally just invite a love interest swimming, or to the beach, but he's in a wheelchair so I have to think of other options. It also can't be extremely expensive since we're both relatively broke, but I could splash a fifty if need be.

I apologise if the post doesn't fit here, you guys are just so nice, and since it's about two gay men and a disability, I thought this would be the best place to get sincere answers.

Update: Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions! I'm currently on the bus home from the date, and I think it went well! We did some window shopping, explored some shops, had lunch together in a restaurant and talked. It lasted about three hours before we both got a bit too exhausted to continue. I even met his mother at the very end of it.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but I suggested going on a picnic next time, or even a drag show!

Also, I noticed that he had the unicorn keychain that I gifted him during bowling attached to his phone.

Things are going well! Thank you all.

Because seriously, fuck the jesus brigade, I am so sick of seeing their ads. I only post here, gaming subs, and queer subs. It's not like I'm sitting around trying to ask r/christianity to come join me for the Equinox, but for some reason I can't scroll reddit without seeing this bullshit.

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I...might be a little salty about this.

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Edit: There's not even an option to "stop seeing this ad" like on youtube and the like. At least let me report it to the mods of this sub so they can ban it (I know it doesn't actually work like this)

I'm Canadian for reference, I'm seeing more very aggressive Christian Marketing. YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit all seem to be pushing religious adverts from different Origins and sites. Is this happening to anyone else or is it my algorithm?

UPDATE.
1. First of all, THANK you for all your support, wonderful ideas and resources. I ’m going trough every single one!
2. After reading about the cult article some suggested, I decided to “change gears”. My objective here is NOT to be right, but to be there for a friend who is in a lot of trauma and pain. I believe she is using this whole issue as an outlet. I also believe that your comments about fear of men, being an older lesbian, have a lot to do with that she is going through. She is a victim too, so I’ll least try to help her see things a bit different. I read that stories and persona experiences ARE the best approach to this so…

1. So I sent her a couple of messages:
   Apologizing for making her upset.
   Stating that I am here.
   Saying that when I talk to her I’ll remember that she does not include the T in LTBT groups. (Bear with me, I’m keeping my main objective in mind)
   THen I said. “What we talked about gave me a lot to think about. The first thing was:
   Is Ann (no her real name) my friend? YES.
   Do I consider Ann to be a intellligent, educated person? YES.
   Has An advice actually helped me in the past? YES.
   So I decided to treat what you are saying to me about men pretending to be trans to rape women as a truth. I think I owe it to the respect I have for you to check this info.
   I am checking it now (** I did check it, I’ll post what I found is anyone is interested,)
   In the mean time, please allow me to tell you about “Mary”, the trans daughter of a dear friend.

Then I told her Mary‘s story, I’ll follow up with the REAL facts about the rapists in prison.

I don’t know if she will answer, but I’ll keep supporting her unless she blocks me. —
—-

Please advice. I have a good friend with whom I had not talked in a while. Turns out in this time, she got sucked into terf sites, influencers and news.

Now, to her, all trans people are “degenerate, legal or sexual offenders trying to use the ‘ I’m trans argument to get sent to women prisions where they can keep rapeing women’ etc.

I‘m beyond baffled and hurt. not sure which sources she is getting all this from. ( she only speaks spanish) I’m wondering if there is any way to at least encourage her to read other sites. Not sure is there anything I can do. If there is nothing, i‘ll end my friendship, cause even if I think there are some areas within trans rights that we need to think more about (like sports) to make it fair for everyone, I believe we need to do so making sure that trans people HAVE all rights cys take for granted.

Still thin think I ought to at least TRY to stop the spiral she is on. Any ideas are super welcome. Thanks

Just a rant. Why are they so expensive?! WTF Walgreens?! Needless to say, I found a better price elsewhere.

I need some witchy advice. We gave our son a really strong name, after some historical figures. I would like a daughter one day, but I need a name that's as good,if not better, than my son's. So what names from history, or folklore can you combine to give to a daughter who will burn entire nations to the ground and bend the future of mankind to her will?

I am not property. No man owns me. I don’t need to be passed off to the next man. This tradition is dehumanizing and degrading, and it needs to disappear. (Thanks for listening to my venting!)

I do love him but I need him to show up for me. I’m tired from a lot of stuff going on in my life and haven’t got the energy to have a conversation right now… I don’t know what to do… I also don’t want to just let go of the housework and not think about it because it depresses me further to live in mess or not eat well at home. I want to be appreicated and living in a truly equal household. I, too, want to focus on my work and my self-healing, instead of trying to mainting a house forever… ı ı can’t even think about witchcraft and stuff (which I love) or even read a book anymore — I’m so burnt out!!! And I still have full time work and deadlines…

His only response to my need so far has been to sometimes “help out” or suggest we take someone to do the cleaning. We don’t have the money to spend on that, and I find it unethical to suggest that when as an adult he could simply do his share of chores more consistently!!! I’m lost, please help me :(

Witchy/spiritual/meditative/psychological advice welcome ✨

Constructive advice only please (no “dump hims”, etc)

I am white cis female, spouse is poc cis male.

I'm losing my mind. Anytime I share concern or anger or fear over TN, FL, etc with the drag and trans bills he just doesn't get it.

He thinks the courts won't allow trans kids to be seized by the govt (FL)

He thinks the courts will overturn the dont say gay, the book bans, the anti drag laws, etc.

Ive pointed out that roe v wade was overturned

Ive pointed out that after removing same sex marriage, they will try for interracial marriage (see TN)

He just has this Pollyanna idea that corporations will care about their employees and won't let laws like.this stand.

I point out TX.

I point out Walgreens.

I dont want him to be scared or stressed like I am but his "everything will be fine" blasé attitude has me so angry. And confused af.

I cant talk to him about any of this stuff going on right now. I love him but his lack of support right now is killing me. We have a diverse friend and family group with just as many not straight, not cis people as straight cis. He doesn't see how his dismissal hurts.

SCREAMING INTO THE VOID

I got called a lonely spinster as an insult. As best as I can tell it was even by another woman. They know nothing about me, they don’t even know if I’m actually single. The word exists to be critical of adult women who are unable to attach a man and it exists to imply that there’s something wrong with being single and to diminish our voice as less valid because we’re clearly eccentric. I just wish it hurt less. I am insecure about how old I am and still being single. ADHD rejection sensitivity makes it hard for me to move past things. But I’m hoping I’ll feel better getting this off of my chest in a supportive community.

Edit: thanks witches for helping me view things in a more healthy way. That’s why I love this sub.

I was having some car trouble, not too bad, and I was only a few miles from home, so I turned on the hazard lights and was going about 45 on the highway. I was on edge like "my horse is lame, now we're a target for every predator in sniffing distance." I was braced to have to fight off or kill whatever predators came after us. It was a visceral fear. Then a car started following me. Just a man, and he was motioning me to pull over. I was absolutely not going to do that.

My anxiety and fight response increased the longer he followed me. Yes, he probably wants to help, but there's a chance he's a predator, and I'm not going to fuck around and find out. I took my exit into my town, and the man followed me off the exit. I decided that if he insists on making contact I will give him one warning to leave me alone and then I would kill him. I don't care how crazy I look. People have tried to kill me before, and I was not having it.

I had a lot of anxiety having to stop at the stop sign on the off ramp with the follower behind me, but was able to get going again. I think the man still thought I was stopping for him. He continued following me into town and motioned at me to pull over into a gas station. I drove past, but finally the man went to the gas station himself and ended his pursuit. I was able to get home and deal with my car.

I'm in therapy for PTSD so I told my therapist about it because I thought how I acted was a trauma response that needs to be dealt with, and I'm a bit flabbergasted that my therapist told me it wasn't a trauma response at all and I acted totally normal for the situation. She said a normal person might offer help, but wouldn't follow me for miles and miles when they realize I wasn't going to pull over.

When I say kill, I don't have a weapon, I don't own a weapon, but I am a trained MMA fighter. The plan would be to threaten and taunt first to drive them away. If that doesn't work then I put my money where my mouth is.

The other thing that I'm very curious about is the story I had in my head about my horse being lame and how vulnerable this put me. Like it's a car, not a horse. I'm not an idiot. But the story that emotionally made sense to me was "lame horse draws predators for easy meal", and was the story that I was functioning out of. I'm like, that's curious because I've never owned a horse. My logical mind is like what the heck? But I felt like a living embodiment of my ancestors who were riding horses all the time. Like I was experiencing ancestral memory.

I've seen so many borderline terfy displays of the divine feminine and I hate it. There's nothing wrong with your period, uterus, etc being a source of power for you. But the rhetoric I keep seeing is is very pussy power, power of motherhood, womb is the source of power, period blood is sacred, etc. It's becoming more of a "cis women are inherently more powerful" vs "hey these can be powerful if it works for you".

I see a lot of parallels between this and the alt right. Barefoot and pregnant often gets rebranded as "reconnect with nature and your powerful womb".

It's becoming very exclusionary towards non-cis afab people as well as cis women who are either infertile or have had a hysterectomy. Not all power revolves around the ability to give birth. Even the mother maiden crone trope is related to reproductive ability. Not to mention that concepts of the divine feminine and masculine vary across cultures.

I've started referring to the divine masculine and feminine as hot and cold energies, not oy does it help me with gender dysphoria, but it helps separate the emphasis on reproductive ability.

There's nothing wrong with your reproductive abilities being your source of power. But it becomes a problem when you're creating a space that excludes individuals who can't for whatever reasons or even saying they have less magical capsbilities. I think the current rhetoric surrounding the divine feminine concept is becoming toxic very quickly, and we need to change that.

On the hunt for swimwear which covers all my bits and bobs

Last thing I want is random men gawping at my (in all fairness sexy and fabulous) bum

Or my (tbh utterly delicious) boobs popping out of my swimsuit when I'm trying to wrestle seamonsters or other various magical deeds

Brand would need to be UK based as am I

More power to gorgeous girlie's in their thong bikinis and triangle bras! But alas, I just want my bum covered and my dumplings secure

Thank you fellow witches! 🧡🌊

The antinatalism sub pops up for me a lot and it makes me feel extremely guilty for wanting to have one biological child. I can't really explain why I want a child, I just do. I don't think it's for a selfish reason, I don't think I'm doing a bad thing by aiming to have one, but it's hard for me to think about. I know most of you witches are a lot older than me and likely have some good sage advice from your lives that I have yet to experience, and I'd really like some input from people who have many different views on natalism.

I’m so confused and heartbroken. Yesterday everything was perfect, but today he said he realized he wants a Christian wife and broke it off. I can’t believe this is happening to me.

Looking for support, love, advice, and a hot guy’s number.

A woman in Canada has created a petition to allow trans and non-binary people to seek asylum in Canada from prosecution in other countries. To any members of this sub who are located in Canada: I'm begging you. Please sign this. The world is getting dangerous for non-cis people, and places that used to be relatively safe are not anymore. Our right to exist and our ability to defend ourselves in a court of law are being stripped away. Please take the time out of your day to sign this.

Sincerely, An absolutely terrified American.

The link: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4268