Respecting and affirming the identities of transgender people begins with calling us by our actual names.
Tag: transmasculine
I was ashamed of being transgender. This is my story.
What they don’t tell you about being transgender is that sometimes, the transphobe is you.
Binding While Broke: I Tried All These Cheap(ish) Chest Binders so You Don’t Have To!
So if you didn’t know, I got married last Saturday! Hooray! It was magical, and queer, and everything I had hoped it would be. (And if you somehow missed the momentous announcement, this is a great opportunity to like our Facebook page so you’ll never miss another update like this again. Harhar.) As someone who [...]
If I’m a Stranger Now, I Will Be a Stranger Forever (Reflections on Testosterone)
I was at a poetry reading when an older butch woman sat down next to me and started to talk to me about her experiences in the lesbian communities of San Francisco. Typical Bay Area. Queers chatting up queers. And for a little while, it was just an ordinary conversation for two gays in the [...]
How Did You Know You Were Non-Binary?
Header illustration by Jessica Krcmarik. I was watching an episode of Bones, oddly enough, when I first realized that I might be transgender. No, I'm not kidding. I wish it were a more exciting story, but I have to be honest. I was just sitting on my couch, watching television, when the light bulb began [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
