Abt switch
The Abt switch is a kind of railway switch used on funiculars (inclined cable railways) that doesn't have any moving parts. It allows two cars to pass each other going uphill/downhill while sharing the same tracks. While most train switches rely on physically moving a section of track so the train goes one way or the other, the abt switch doesn't move at all. Instead each carriage has a grooved wheel which makes it turn left or right at a junction by sticking to the track on one side.
spoiler Image sources https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Funicular_to_Horseshoe_Curve_viewing_area_(8999490400).jpg#mw-jump-to-license
.jpg#mw-jump-to-license){kind=link}
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Funicular_layouts_(2_rails).svg#mw-jump-to-license
.svg#mw-jump-to-license){kind=link}
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heidelberg_funicular_wheelset.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
:::
As a reminder, please do not discuss current struggle sessions in the mega. We want this to be a little oasis for all of us and the best way to do that is not to feed into existing conflict on the site.
Also, be sure to properly give content warnings and put sensitive subjects behind proper spoiler tags. It's for the mental health of not just your comrades, but yourself as well.
Here is a screenshot of where to find the spoiler button.
spoiler
agab language is icky and exclusionary of both trans and intersex ppl and it should be sent to the fire plane
the ever normalized use of exclusionary terminology that was originally used by transphobes etc is scary af
similarly "mtf" "ftm" etc are similarly bad as they imply trans women arent women/trans men arent men
i didnt "transition from male to female" i was always a girl, a bigoted gender centric society just prevented me from living that truth
also using trans as an umbrella term to also refer to nonbinary folk, tho we do acknowledge not all enbys identify as trans :3
Trans is a state of mind
Trans is the highest state of basedness.
Definitely agree with agab being almost universally bad but ngl I do like mtf in some contexts, I am changing my sex from male to female. Obvoiusly like, "an mtf" or stuff like that would be bad, or using it when you don't need to highlight the transition itself/history but that I'm a woman. But I like highlighting that I'm changing my sex in some circumstances.
I think AGAB still has first in first person past tense. As in I can say "when I was assigned male at birth" or "because I was assigned male at birth".
I wouldn't use it for another unless they used it like I had. I don't know their preference or personal history.
It's it being used as a noun "only AFABs" or an adjective "AMAB people" that is icky to me.
Yea I don't have a problem with like, "because I was assigned male at birth, my parents pushed me into stereotypical boy interests" or whatever. I overwhelmingly see it used wrong. To mean someone with a penis, or worse to just lump trans women in with men. Or afab being used to lump trans men and cis women together (while excluding trans women). Lots of people like to use something that happened ages ago to mean current anatomy for some reason ??
i mean using that logic ill just say that then it implies theres only two sexes, which is also not true (despite what society wants to force on us)
No it doesn't. Going from one to another does not imply those are the only two options. I'm switching from owning dogs to owning cats- while acknowledging other pets exist.
Happy to say sex is bimodal and idc if other people start or end in different parts of that spectrum then I do.