Respecting and affirming the identities of transgender people begins with calling us by our actual names.
Tag: trans rights
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 [...]
5 Ways to Support a Trans Person Experiencing Body Dysphoria
Cross-posted via Everyday Feminism --- My partner is pounding on the door, begging me to unlock it. I’m sitting in front of a tall mirror, tears falling quietly down my face, as I clutch my shirt in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other. The amount of panic my chest has caused [...]
8 Things Non-Binary People Need to Know
Coming out as genderqueer and non-binary was this big, beautiful, scary thing for me. I didn’t know what exactly I was moving towards – I only sensed that I was moving in the right direction. Navigating something as complicated as gender with just my intuition was like running through a corn maze at night. There [...]
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 [...]
The Elephant in the Room: Your Questions About My Gender and Transition, Answered
[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 [...]
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, [...]
