[The photo features the author, Sam Dylan Finch, standing near a lake. He is a white, androgynous person with dark-rimmed glasses and a colorful, knitted sweater. He is smiling and looking off toward something in the distance.] IMPORTANT NOTE (2/1/2016): I answered these questions over a year ago now. Time sure does fly! My [...]
Tag: feminism
More than Just Ink: How Tattoos Were a Vital Part of My Gender Transition
[The image features an androgynous person with light brown skin, flexing their bicep in a powerful pose. Their body has numerous tattoos, some geometric and others floral. They are wearing a chest binder.] When I was younger, I never anticipated being the kind of person with tattoos. I have the pain tolerance of a goldfish, [...]
I Could Have Been You: An Open Letter to Leelah Alcorn
[The image features the name "LEELAH ALCORN" in uppercase letters on a ribbon banner. Above the banner is a young girl from the shoulders up. The girl is trans teen Leelah Alcorn. She has side-swept hair framing her face, a loose t-shirt, and deep, thoughtful eyes staring straight ahead.] Leelah, When I was a teenager, [...]
At Times, I Am Impatient
[The image features an illustration of the author, an androgynous white person, holding up a sign that reads: "Trans rights NOW." Surrounding the author are other indistinct and faceless people, ignoring the author as he protests. The text above the author reads, "BE LESS AGGRESSIVE! BE KINDER! PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN IF..."] --- I have been [...]
8 Tips on Respectfully Talking Pleasure, Sex, and Bodies With Your Trans Lover
Content warning: slurs This piece is one I wrote originally for Everyday Feminism, cross-posted with permission. Because I feel conversations about sex and consent are so important, especially when they pertain to less visible identities, I'm sharing it here as well. I hope this is useful information for readers, regardless of their gender identity or [...]
The “Self-Help” Genre Has a Big Problem with Depression
Self-help articles are great. In this day and age, the internet is one of the largest sources of self-help content -- and as someone who loves to uplift others and be uplifted, this is a genre that I have a strong affinity for. But I’ve noticed this really unfortunate trend as of late – namely, [...]
I Am Transgender, and I Am “Trans Enough.”
I know, I know, it's Friday! Whoa, Sam, what is this about? Yes, I don't usually blog on Fridays, as you may know. But something came up, and I wanted to address it. After yesterday’s entry discussing my experiences as a transgender university student, I received a number of tweets, emails, and comments that called into [...]
Don’t Believe the Hype: Admitting Transgender Students is Not Enough
I knew I was in trouble when my first letter from my dream school addressed me by the wrong name. Frantic, I called the college, explaining that I was transgender, and informing them of my chosen name and pronouns. The person on the phone apologized profusely, said they would update their records, promised to fix [...]
Street Harassment: Not Just a Cisgender Issue
Street harassment, and the ways in which women feel unsafe in public spaces, is finally getting some much-deserved attention and dialogue in the mainstream. For example, a video following a woman in New York City for ten hours revealed a disturbing amount of leering, inappropriate comments, and just generally disgusting behavior. Though the video is [...]
Visibility Matters: Why Sharing Our Stories Will Change the World
Around this time last week, I was a procrastinating graduate student, managing a small blog, with a following of wonderful friends and friends-of-friends who found my writing to be interesting. As I write to you this week, I’m a writer with a blog that has readers from over 180 countries around the world, and 2.4 [...]
