Posts Tagged ‘Trans & GNC’
An Open Letter to My Transgender Brothers
I write this to speak to transgender men who love, desire, and have sex with other men (cis and trans). I write to you with a request. It is not common to discuss the homophobia that exists within our trans men and queer boi communities, especially among those of us who are of color. So brothers, please let’s talk about it now before it’s too late.
Read More10 Things I Wished I’d Known When I Started My Transition
Exactly two years ago, I sat apprehensively in the reception area of the public health clinic, waiting for my name to be called. I remember looking around the room at the other trans girls sitting nearby. I couldn’t wait to be just like them. Two years and 4,860 pills later, I now realize how little I actually understood back then. Today, I’d like to share ten lessons that I wish I had known.
Read More5 Ways Using Correct Gender Pronouns Will Make You a Better Trans* Ally
Pronouns are an important part of our language. Using the right pronouns in our own daily language and asking others to do the same isn’t enough to change the extreme transphobia, discrimination, and violence that trans* people experience, but it’s a simple way to use language to show respect for our friends, to make trans* issues visible, and to challenge gender-based oppression.
Read MoreThings I’ve Learned from Writing Under a Gender-Neutral Name
When someone wants to tear apart my writing, they often bring up my presumed gender to do so. My presumed femaleness is never mentioned with respect. They say, “Stop being so easily offended, b*tch.” Femaleness is used to discredit me in a way that maleness is not. When I’m presumed male, my maleness never comes up at all. Because maleness is our societal default setting, it’s never mentioned.
Read MoreNavigating Masculinity as a Black Transman: “I will never straighten out my wrist.”
I have gone from being a big, strong looking Black woman to being a young, lanky Black man. I have always carried with me both masculine and feminine energies, but I have often been forced to choose one over the other depending upon the space around me. The gender binary affects us all in detrimental ways. And while masculinity may seem to offer more room, it also has its limitations. We must make room for all genders to grow and move freely.
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