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Dr Ray Lightbown's avatar

Magnus is one of my heroes. I "met" him in a book in a public library in my teens and I wanted to be a sexologist.

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Clint Collide 🌈✌️'s avatar

Not shocked in the least that he’s one of your heroes, but am a little shocked that you overlapped with him enough to meet in person. Glad you did and I’m sure he’s so proud of the work you’ve accomplished. Thank you for sharing, Ray!

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Dr Ray Lightbown's avatar

Sorry. This is the 2nd time that you or another Substack friend have misunderstood my metaphorical use of "met" or "introduced to" when I speak of getting to know someone who was already dead. I think that I can get to know someone if I read what they have written or a book about their life and work or when someone has spoken to me about such stuff..

It possibly comes from my mother's and her family's psychic stuff and my development of intuitive and psychic talents. I don't have to physically meet people (especially if they are dead) before feeling that i know them and regard them as friends. When my professional career moved in that direction, I felt that he was watching and smiling. I also felt that he was guiding me when I first started to support trans people through their transition.

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Clint Collide 🌈✌️'s avatar

Totally makes sense. If I had been better at math, I would have realized you meant figuratively and spiritually. But I’m bad at math. If my memory is correct, Dr. Hirschfeld passed in 1935. I’m sure he was happy to have “met” someone to help move his life’s work forward with heart and courage.

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Dr Ray Lightbown's avatar

He is delighted that sexuality and gender are now respectable studies and research areas in many academic realms nowadays. He offers me a picture of a pendulum. I think that he is saddened at how homophobia and transphobia is resurging. I see a serpent threshing as it is stabbed with a dagger. I hope that he means that it is the death throws of hostility and discrimination.

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Clint Collide 🌈✌️'s avatar

I definitely agree with the pendulum visual and the loud/proud death rattles of hateful lizard-brained dinosaurs. Sadly, the rattles are triggering more lizard-brain types. The circle (jerk) of life, I guess. Love and light to you!

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jimmy pinet winchell's avatar

For heaven's sake! What an incredible story! So many of us grow up thinking "I'm the only one like this..."

And now we can know about and remember Dr. Hirschfeld!

Thank you, Clint...

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Clint Collide 🌈✌️'s avatar

Awwww…thank you, Jimmy! Appreciate your kind words and support. Cheers 🌈✌️

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sixes's avatar

Thanks Clint, for Magnifying Magnus, Dr. Hirschfeld.

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Clint Collide 🌈✌️'s avatar

Words I wish I had wrote, Steve: “Magnifying Magnus”

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Fred's avatar

Thank you, Clint, for the thoughtful account of Dr. Hirschfeld's essential work.

Rainbow icon alert: Richard Deacon was a gay man who was alleged to be the partner of the actor /hunk Tom Tryon.

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jimmy pinet winchell's avatar

Beloved Richard Deacon... Such an icon... "Mel Cooley," "Fred Rutherford," Amen.

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jimmy pinet winchell's avatar

Oh wow! Tom Tryon... Woof!

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Fred's avatar

Amen, good sir!

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David Yule's avatar

What a beautiful remembrance of this amazing pioneer. Thank you, Clint.

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