Respecting and affirming the identities of transgender people begins with calling us by our actual names.
Tag: LGBTQIA
You Don’t Have to Show Pride to Have Pride!
We hope to wave that banner with you some day, just not yet.
The Absent I: Marriage Equality and the Continued Erasure of Intersex People
Why is the "I" not a "next step" in mainstream conversations?
Why We Should Think Twice Before Idealizing Ruby Rose
Our idealization of Ruby Rose represents a larger problem in popular culture – the very limited portrayals of androgyny.
Why the Trans Community Needs to Ban the Word “Transtrender” for Good
The other day, I was called a “transtrender” by a trans woman who refused to acknowledge my gender identity because I have, up until this point, not hormonally transitioned. Because the only thing that determines your gender identity is, you know, hormones (sarcasm). A “transtrender” refers to a person who identifies as transgender because they [...]
I Am Queer, I Am Non-Binary, and I Don’t Know What it Means to Feel Safe
From the moment I stepped onto the bus, there was something about me that didn’t sit right with you. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but I knew what it was from the start, from the way that you looked at me. You heard my voice as I greeted the driver. As you eyed [...]
7 Ways to Lovingly Support Your Gender Non-Binary Partner
This is a piece I posted over at Everyday Feminism that I wanted to cross-post here. This advice, while geared towards romantic partners, can more generally be applied to anyone who has a gender non-binary person in their life. --- I still remember the moment I came out as genderqueer to my then-partner. I was [...]
Coming Out Again: Why More Queer Folks with Mental Illnesses Need to Speak Out
Illustration by Jessica Krcmarik. Many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community know all too well what it’s like to be queer with a mental illness. I know this because when I tell you that I have a mental illness, more than half of you say, “Me too.” We have these conversations on the regular – [...]
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, [...]
