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Katy Swain

@katyswain@mastodon.social

mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06

The enormous old #trans woman you often see around #Carlton, the CBD and all the quality #Melbourne inner suburbs. You can't miss me; I look like the love child of Eleanor Bron and Wilfred Brambell. Stop me and say hi.

Penniless economist and inactive activist. Kindly old maiden aunt to any nice person who wants one.

There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle.

#CrazyCatLady #MMT #Urbanism #ADHD

314 Followers

365 Following

15 Posts

Joined August 28, 2021

Under construction at:

https://katyswain.me/

Pronouns:

she/her, text/html

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

RE: https://tech.lgbt/@Natasha_Jay/116414628994187117 Nobody, nobody, nobody comes out until they are absolutely certain about it. Usually that is after years of agonising (not "questioning") over it. The people we are closest to are often the last to know, because that is where rejection is most costly. Nobody relishes the thought of being dismissed as mentally ill, or losing people who are very dear.

tech.lgbt

Nαtαshα :mastodon:: "The term ‘gender-questioning’ is the latest way t…" - LGBTQIA+ and Tech

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

Replying to

Mum said she regretted not being able to schedule as much time with me as she would like on her impending visit to Melbourne. If my 81 year old mother can make (believe me, astounding) progress on expressing her emotions, there's hope for all of us.

2/2 #3GoodThings

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 1mo ago

Boosted by @kcarruthers@infosec.exchange

Hello #Lazyweb. Does anybody have a suggestion for a surprisingly-good-for-the-price set of headphones? Good enough for podcasting (rather than music production) is the target. Edit: Wires are preferred over bluetooth, and as a general rule compatibility with >10 year old devices a distinct advantage.

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 7mo ago

Replying to on tech.lgbt

@Natasha_Jay@tech.lgbt I would take "Languid and Bedeviled" as the title of my autobiography if I could be bothered to write it.

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 6mo ago

The show I did for #3CR's Trans Day of Audibility yesterday (plus all the others in the lineup) is now available for download: https://www.3cr.org.au/tdoa2026.

It features such Fediverse luminaries as @Winter@aus.social, @miriamrobern@dice.camp, @Dawn@chaosfem.tw, and @kat@is.burntout.org

Fedizens of long standing may notice a stylistic similarity with a podcast @tregeagle@mastodon.sdf.org and I used to do about 15 years ago. That's not coincidental. I may have changed a bit in the intervening years, but I've hardly matured at all.

https://katyswain.me/blog/tdoa-2026

mastodon.social

Mastodon

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

I wouldn't mind the emotional rollercoaster so much if only there were one other person on it with me, who could say "No, it's fine. It really is this overwhelming. Your reactions are entirely appropriate."

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@lisa@beige.party Congrats! I'm about the same, but I don't track dates, as I'm a little too prone to maudlin nostalgia. I'm loving the weight redistribution, and thought I've not found the Estrogen Fountain of Youth, I have located the Estrogen Fountain of Late Middle-Age which, given the way I've treated myself over the years, is a jolly good result. But psychologically, the difference is night and day. I did not expect a "sex hormone" to open the door to being a better human being.

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 6mo ago

How is it possible that you're not tired all the time?

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@_elena@mastodon.social When I rejoined the Fediverse in 2021, under a new name, it was just the same, but so much larger. I have "met" people who are (whether they know it or not) very dear to me, and so many more who just delight and inspire me as they go about their lives, not necessarily conscious of my existence. The Fediverse isn't software, or a communication protocol; it's a spirit. It doesn't demand "engagement"; it invites creation.

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@_elena@mastodon.social According to the Internet Archive's Wayback machine I joined the proto-Fediverse (identi.ca) in 2008. It was fun. It was people who were not normal. We inspired each other to self-host, to make silly podcasts, and to share. Eventually, I started thinking "Wow. I follow a lot of trans women. Well, I suppose that just shows what a diverse community we are." There followed a series of personal epiphanies. I cocooned for a few years.

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com I can't resist:

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 7mo ago

Replying to

@drupal@mastodon.social #Drupal #DrupalAI

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 20mo ago

Replying to

@maxleibman@beige.party There's a Monty Python sketch (from the TV show) where two "pepperpots" (drab, squat old ladies) are discussing the duties of the Queen. I can't be bothered looking it up, so this is paraphrasing from 1980s VHS rental, but they're talking about all the things she doesn't have to do because she has lackeys to do it for her. One pepperpot concludes that she probably spends all day playing snooker, and the other counters "Oh, no. She has somebody play snooker for her."

Katy Swain @katyswain@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@tregeagle@mastodon.sdf.org I've my eye on the (mostly) black one. I know nothing about cars, but "Morris Minor" popped into my head; is that remotely correct?