Queer Cafe

Sade to Release New Song Dedicated to Her Trans Son

As a trans person, you don't transition to become someone else.
You transition to stop pretending that you are someone else.
There's a huge difference.

The transgender designation is oftentimes expressed as the abbreviation "trans." You might also see the term written with an asterisk(*), as in: trans*. Adding the asterisk indicates a broader, more expansive, more inclusive meaning beyond the basic definition of transgender.

Being transgender is independent of sexual orientation. Transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, or may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable. The term transgender can also be distinguished from intersex, a term that describes people born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.

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Transgender isn't a battle.... It's a journey to find yourself

The degree to which individuals feel genuine, authentic, and comfortable within their external appearance and accept their genuine identity has been called transgender congruence. Many transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and some seek medical treatments such as hormone replacement therapy, sex reassignment surgery, or psychotherapy. Not all transgender people desire these treatments, and some cannot undergo them for financial or medical reasons.

Most transgender people face discrimination at and in accessing work, public accommodations, and healthcare. They are not legally protected from discrimination in many places.

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Will Ferrell Makes Movie About His Transgender Friend

Will and Harper... Film Well Received at Sundance Festival...

Unlike Cannes and Venice, Sundance isn’t a film festival that inspires too many standing ovations. But moviegoers at the Eccles Theatre were moved (more than once!) to stand up and applaud after the premiere of “Will & Harper,” a funny, heartbreaking and poignant documentary about Will Ferrell taking a road trip with his longtime friend, Harper Steele, who transitioned at 61.

“Look at this! And this is for a documentary,” Ferrell said as he greeted the packed house in Park City on Monday night. “Wow! If we were going to be at Sundance, we thought it would be at a 10 AM screening in someone’s garage.”

Will Ferrell and Trans Comedy Writer Harper Steele’s Heartfelt Documentary Draws Multiple Standing Ovations at Sundance Premiere
Will Ferrell Wanted to Support His Transgender Friend After She Came Out, So They Made a Movie
Will and Harper: Will Ferrell's Documentary With Transgender Best Friend

“Will & Harper” chronicles the duo over 17 days as they drive from New York to California, making pit stops at basketball games, dive bars, “swanky” Las Vegas restaurants and other places where Steele hopes to feel more comfortable since she came out as a trans woman in 2022.

Along the way, they are greeted by many “Saturday Night Live” veterans, including Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, and Molly Shannon, which is fitting because Ferrell and Steele met while working on “SNL” — as a performer and writer, respectively — in the ’90s. (“They were important to my transition; they’re my family,” Steele said of her “SNL” friends.)

“The love these two friends have for one another fills me up,” a misty-eyed director Josh Greenbaum said during a post-screening Q&A. “I’m so grateful for this moment. I’m going to get it together and –”

Although Greenbaum is known for kooky comedies like “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar” and “Strays,” Steele said the director felt like the right fit to handle this documentary with love, care and sensitivity. “Will & Harper” captures serious and emotional conversations about being transgender, but there’s plenty of levity from comical moments involving Pringles, wacky costumes and a fateful trip to Dunkin’ Donuts. “We are comedy writers, so we came up with a lot of bad ideas at first. We planned setups, and it felt weird and prank-y and inauthentic,” Steele said. “We said, ‘Let’s get in the car and see what happens.'”

Ferrell, who has endeared himself to America through comedies like “Elf,” “Step Brothers” and “Anchorman,” wanted to share a more personal side in the documentary. He broke down in tears more than once during conversations with Steele throughout the film. “I felt like if we were going to be a part of this and create it with integrity, I owed it to Harper to be as open and emotionally available to what was going to happen,” Ferrell said.

Steele said she was inspired to make the documentary at a time when LGBTQ rights in the US have been under attack. “I had this friend — this is my privilege — who has made movies that appeal very broadly. That was the deciding factor … I could abuse this relationship for the good,” she joked. “I still don’t think Will knows what he did.”

Ferrell spoke to Variety prior to the film’s premiere and admitted that he had “zero knowledge” about the trans community before Steele came out. “I had met trans people, but I didn’t have anyone personally in my life,” Ferrell said. “So this was all new territory for me. It’s a chance for us in the cis community to ask questions, listen and be there as a friend to discuss this journey.”

[Source: Rebecca Rubin, Variety, Jan 2024]

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Trans Proclamation

"Transgender Americans shape our nation's soul."
-President Joe Biden

In his March 2023 Proclamation on Transgender Day of Visibility, President Joe Biden issued the following official statement:

Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know — people who have too often had to put their jobs, relationships, and lives on the line just to be their true selves. Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect. Their courage has given countless others strength, but no one should have to be brave just to be themselves. Every American deserves that freedom.

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"Transgender people are some of the bravest Americans I know.

But no person should have to be brave just to live in safety and dignity."
-President Joe Biden

Transgender Americans shape our Nation’s soul — proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more. As kids, they deserve what every child deserves: the chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly. As adults, they deserve the same rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to health care, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens. But today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms. A wave of discriminatory State laws is targeting transgender youth, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone. An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of color, has taken lives far too soon. Last year’s Club Q shooting in Colorado was another painful example of this kind of violence — a stain on the conscience of our Nation.

America is founded on the idea that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives. We have never fully lived up to that, but we have never walked away from it either. Today, as we celebrate transgender people, we also celebrate every American’s fundamental right to be themselves, bringing us closer to realizing America’s full promise.

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Trans Singer Kim Petras Makes Grammy Award History

Pop star Kim Petras made trans history in February 2023 with her Grammy Award win with Sam Smith for their song "Unholy." The two won the award for best pop or group performance. Petras is the first trans woman to win the award.

Smith, who is nonbinary, won their first Grammy in 2015. They've won four Grammys so far. In October, Sam Smith and Kim Petras' hit song reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As reported by Billboard, Smith and Petras are "the first publicly nonbinary and transgender soloists, respectively, to top the Hot 100."

Kim Petras Makes Transgender History With Grammy Win

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Unholy by Kim Petras and Sam Smith: Music Video
Kim Petras Gives Moving Speech at Grammy Awards

Kim Petras Was Told There Wasn’t a Place for Her in Music as a Trans Woman

After the two were announced as winners at the Grammy ceremony, Petras gave a speech thanking trans women in music who paved the way for her win as well as for Smith's support. “I just wanted to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,” Petras said. The singer also honored the late Grammy-nominated producer SOPHIE who died in 2021. “SOPHIE, especially. My friend who passed away two years ago, who told me this would happen and always believed in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, SOPHIE. I adore you and your inspiration will forever be in my music.”

She gave a shout out to LGBTQ icon Madonna. “I don’t think I could be here without Madonna,” Petras said, referring to the pop legend's outspoken activism for queer rights and art.

Petras also thanked her mother for supporting her through her career. “I grew up next to a highway in nowhere Germany, and my mother believed me that I was a girl and I wouldn’t be here without her and her support and everyone who believed in me to this point.”

Producer and creative DJ Honey Dijon, who is also a trans woman, is nominated this year for a Grammy for Beyoncé’s celebrated album Renaissance.

[Source Alex Cooper, Advocates, Feb 2023]

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Rita Hester: Her Death Inspired Transgender Day of Remembrance

Boston Police Recommit to Solving Murder of Rita Hester

Rita Hester’s murder inspired Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual nationwide vigil that honors transgender murder victims. It’s been 25 years since Hester, a Black trans woman, was found stabbed to death in her Boston apartment.

Kathleen Hester never stopped trying to find out who killed her daughter. She marched through the streets of Boston that winter in 1998. She kept calling detectives long after they stopped calling her. On October 20, 2020, she died at the age of 81 without closure.

Hester has come to symbolize the crisis of violence facing transgender people. For Hester’s family and LGBTQ people in Boston and across the world, her murder also represents the disregard police and media show for Black transgender murder victims, the unsolved case casting a long shadow on Boston detectives.

All of that, however, could be changing. Earlier this year, the Boston Police Department assigned a new detective, Matthew Fogarty, to the case. On November 28, the 25th anniversary of Hester’s death, the department renewed its request for information from the public about her murder. “Rita’s murder shook the LGBTQ community,” the Boston Police Department said in a media statement. “The Boston Police Unsolved Homicide Unit is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this murder.”

Activist and transgender health advocate Chastity Bowick organized Boston’s Transgender Day of Remembrance event this year. She said solving Hester’s murder is critical to preventing future violence against her community. “If they’re solving her case from 1998, then that means that when something happens to us in 2023, 2024 — well, then maybe they will take it seriously,” Bowick said at this year’s vigil.

Her Unsolved Murder Inspired Transgender Day of Remembrance
Boston Police Recommit to Solving Murder of Rita Hester

Less than half of all murders with transgender victims are solved, a significantly lower rate than the national average, according to researcher Brendan Lantz, an assistant professor in the college of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University. “We see on average that the clearance rates are lower among trans homicide victims relative to other homicides,” Lantz said. “It’s still markedly different from our national estimates.” The average clearance rate for murders with transgender victims from 2010 through 2020 was about 48 percent, according to Lantz’s research. The national average murder clearance for that same time period was roughly 62 percent, according to uniform crime reports from

LGBTQ people are four times more likely to experience violence than their cisgender peers, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. It’s hard to say if things have gotten better since Hester’s death in 1998, because these murders were then — and still continue to be — underreported. But the past few years have shown trans people being killed in record numbers, including more than 300 in violent incidents this year worldwide. For Black trans women, like Hester and Bowick, the risks are even higher.

Hester’s sister Diana Hester said her family waited years for justice and asked for updates, only to be met with silence from police. Diana attributes that to the fact that her sister was Black, transgender and poor. “They haven’t really done anything,” Diana said. “With 25 years coming up, there’s been absolutely nothing, and if there wasn’t a damn remembrance, it still would have been the same thing.”

Hester was just 34 when she was stabbed 20 times in her first-floor apartment. A neighbor reported hearing an altercation and calling police. More than an hour passed between paramedics’ arrival to the scene and Hester’s transport to Beth Israel Hospital, where she died of cardiac arrest. Friends and family suspect Hester knew her killer or killers, because the apartment showed no signs of a break-in.

The murder shocked local transgender advocates. It came just weeks after the brutal killing of White gay college student Matthew Shepard, whose death outside of Laramie, Wyoming, drew national attention.

The disparity in reactions to the Shepard case and Hester’s murder infuriated transgender advocates. Shepard’s suspected killers were arrested within days of his murder, which eventually inspired a national anti-hate crime law. That stood in stark contrast to the aftermath of Hester’s murder.

Her Unsolved Murder Inspired Transgender Day of Remembrance
Boston Police Recommit to Solving Murder of Rita Hester

Police didn’t go in person to tell Kathleen her daughter had been murdered. Kathleen was alone when she got the phone call. Diana rushed over to comfort her sobbing mother. She also accompanied Kathleen to Rita’s apartment to get her belongings a few days later. Hester’s family and her best friend, Brenda Wynne, were left to clean and sanitize her apartment, because police do not clean crime scenes and the family could not afford to pay for cleaners. They did their best to spare Kathleen. “That was such a nightmare,” Wynne said. “Somebody had gone there earlier and had flipped the mattress on the blood and had hidden as much blood as possible. But we didn’t hide it all, and the mother found a bloody sandal, and I remember her breaking down.”

The lack of resolution began to wear on Rita’s mother, Kathleen, as she aged. “I felt for my mother over the years … just to see the look on her face,” Diana said. “It’s devastating.” Diana herself is tired. A few years ago, she stopped asking the police for updates. “You know, it would have been nice to have Rita around the last 10 years of my life that everything’s falling apart,” she said. “It pisses me off that someone just takes that away from me.”

But the next generation of Hester’s family is ready to step in and push for justice. Diana’s son, Taufiq Chowdhury, remembers his Aunt Rita fondly. “Her energy was vibrant,” Chowdhury said. “You felt it when she entered a room.” Chowdhury, who is gay, looked up to Hester as a child, and wonders what his life might have been like had he gotten to grow up knowing her past the age of 8.

Angela Smith, Rita’s niece, wonders the same thing. She is motivated to find out who killed her. She has been in touch with detectives and said she is willing to work on the case that has exhausted her family and that broke her grandmother’s heart. “Things are so different nowadays where people are more accepting,” Smith said. “Hopefully, this new detective will probably invest in what actually matters. … I feel so much more can be done. I feel more people know things.”

[Source: Kate Sosin, Tori Bedford, WGBH, Boston, December 2023]

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Transgender Celebrities

Caitlyn Jenner - Athlete
Chaz Bono - Activist
Janet Mock - Magazine Editor
Kate Bornstein - Author

April Ashley - Model
Kim Petras - Singer, Songwriter
Jazz Jennings - Activist
Danica Roem - Politician

Elle Hearns - Activist
Indya Moore - Model
Wendy Carlos - Musician
Deirdre McKloskey - Economist
Ky Allums - Athlete

Carmen Carrera - Model

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez - Actor
Misty Snow - Politician

Lynn Conway - Engineer

Raquel Willis - Activist

Caroline Paige - Pilot

Teddy Geiger - Musician

Daniela Vega - Actor, Singer

Buck Angel - Performer, Educator

Angela Clayton - Physicist

Mya Byrne - Musician

Christine Jorgensen - Activist

Tracey Norman - Model

Stu Rasmussen - Politician

Laverne Cox - Actor
Sarah McBride - Activist

Elliot Page - Actor

Kimi Cole - Politician

Jeanne Hoff- Psychiatrist

Angelica Ross - Entrepreneur

Alan L Hart - Physicist, Researcher

Angela Ponce - Model
Chelsea Manning - Soldier

Trace Lysette - Actor

Genny Beemyn - Educator

Lilly Wachowski - Director
Marvia Malik - Pakistan TV News Anchor
Jess Herbst - Politician
Nicole Maines - Actor
Laura Jane Grace - Punk Rock Musician

Mercury Stardust - Trans Handy Ma'am
Zooey Zephyr - Montana state Legislator

Jamie Clayton - Model, Actor

Mira Bellwether - Activist, Author, Educator
Renee Richards - Athlete
Stacie Lawton - Politician
Margaret Stumpp - Business Executive

Erika Ervin - Model, Trainer, Actor

Kataluna Enriquez - First Trans Miss USA Contestant
Kylar Brody - Activist

Rachel Crandall-Crocker - Founder, Internal Trans Day of Visibility

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Stef Sanjati - YouTuber

Rosemay Ketchum - Politician

Jenny Boylan - Author, Educator

Glenn Copeland - Composer

Roberta Close - Model (Brazil)

Monica Roberts - Journalist

Tommy Dorfman - Actor

Lia Thomas - Olympic Swimmer

Yasmin Finney - Actor

Angelica Ross -Broadway Actor

Sophie Labelle - Cartoonist

Dylan Mulvaney - Tik Tok Influencer

Allyson Robinson - Army Officer

Jenna Talackova - Model

Carla Antonelli - Spanish Politician

Rikkie Valerie Kolle - Miss Netherlands

Hunter Shafer - Actor (Euphoria)

Bel Priestley - Actor (Heartstopper)

Hari Nef - Actor (Assassination Nation)

Giselle Byrd - Director (Theatre Co.)

Karla Sofía Gascón - Actor

Yosha Iglesias - International Chess Master

Leelah Alcorn - Artist

Marie Cau - French Politician

Caroline "Tula" Cossey - Bond girl, and first trans model in Playboy

Maxine Feldman - Singer, Songwriter

Rachel Levine - Physician

Rikkie Valerie Kolle - Model (Miss Netherlands)

Sophie Wilson - Computer Scientist

Leo Sheng - Actor

Munroe Bergdorf - Model

Morgan Davies - Actor

Aaryn Lang - Media Personality, Activist

Andrea Jenkins - Politician

Candis Cayne - First trans woman with major role on primetime TV

Chevalier d’Éon - French Spy (18th Century)

Jackie Shane - Canadian Soul and R&B Singer

Angela Morley - Music Composer, Conductor

Marina Machete - Miss Portugal

Mary Malone - Actor (Dr. Who)

Margo Fairchild - Actor (Tales of the City)

Zion Moreno - Actor (Gossip Girl)

Qatrisha Zairyah - First Trans Woman Miss Universe Singapore finalist

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Vintage Trans

Myra Breckinridge

In 1970, sultry sex symbol Raquel Welsh appeared on The Dick Cavett Show to plug her new film, Myra Breckenridge. Ahead of its time, Myra Breckenridge told the story of a transgender person who undergoes a "sex change operation." This topic was still rather taboo in 1970, yet Raquel Welsh was trying her best to discuss it in a non-biased way when rocker Janis Joplin, who appeared on the same episode of the TV talk show, piped in to complain that she couldn’t follow the storyline of the movie because it “kept changing.” Without missing a beat, Welsh retorted, “That’s because the whole movie is about change.”

Wendy Carlos

Wendy Carlos (born Walter Carlos, 1939) is a transgender American musician and composer best known for her electronic music and film scores. Carlos came to prominence with Switched-On Bach (1968), an album of music by Johann Sebastian Bach performed on a Moog synthesizer, which helped popularize its use in the 1970s and won her three Grammy Awards. She composed the musical scores for A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980), and Tron (1982). In 1979, Carlos raised public awareness of transgender issues by disclosing she had been living as a woman since at least 1968, and in 1972 had undergone sex reassignment surgery.

Lili Elbe

Lili Elbe (1882-1931) was born Einar Wegener in Vejle, Denmark and died in Dresden, Germany. Elbe was a Danish painter who was assigned male at birth, experienced what is now called gender dysphoria, and underwent the world's first documented sex reassignment surgery. Elbe lived nearly her whole life as a man. She wrote a book about her life, entitled, Man into Woman (1931). The story of her transition has since been retold in The Danish Girl (2000), a novel by David Ebershoff, and a major feature film by the same name (2015) starring Eddie Redmayne.

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Trans Bathroom Debate

Myths and Misconceptions Surround the Issue

A bathroom bill is the common name for legislation or a statute that denies access to public toilets by gender or transgender identity. Bathroom bills affect access to sex-segregated public facilities for an individual based on a determination of their sex as defined in some specific way, such as their sex as assigned at birth, their sex as listed on their birth certificate, or the sex that corresponds to their gender identity. A bathroom bill can either be inclusive or exclusive of transgender individuals, depending on the aforementioned definition of their sex. Single occupant unisex public toilets are one option to avoid this controversy.

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Proponents of the bills argue that such legislation is necessary to maintain privacy, protect what they claim to be an innate sense of modesty held by most cisgender people, prevent voyeurism, assault, molestation, and rape, and retain psychological comfort. Critics of the bills argue that they do not make public restrooms any safer for cisgender people, and that they make public restrooms less safe for both transgender people and gender non-conforming cisgender people. Additionally, critics claim there have been no cases of a transgender person attacking a cisgender person in a public restroom. The American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics are all opposed to bathroom bills.

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First Trans Woman Crowned Winner of Miss Netherlands

Marina Machete is First Trans Woman Crowned Miss Portugal

Marina Machete makes history as first trans woman to be crowned Miss Portugal

Flight attendant Marina Machete is a contender for the Miss Universe title in October 2023. She is a trans woman and has been crowned Miss Portugal. She will now compete against another trans woman – Rikkie Valerie Kollé, who won Miss Netherlands in July – in El Salvador for the title of Miss Universe in November, marking a huge step forward for trans women at the global beauty pageant.

Before the competition, Machete said that she was “proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal. For many years I wasn’t eligible to compete, and now it’s such an honor to be a part of this incredible group of candidates."

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New Study Debunks Myth that Kids Become Trans Through Social Contagion
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Time Magazine: Elliot Page Is Ready for This Moment

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The Joy of Being Transgender

Authenticity and Freedom

Embracing one's true identity is a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. For transgender individuals, this path can be particularly transformative, leading to an overwhelming sense of joy and liberation. Being transgender goes beyond societal norms, breaking free from the constraints of assigned gender roles, and opens up a world of possibilities for personal growth and understanding. The joy of being transgender is in the empowerment and fulfillment that comes from living authentically.

The journey of self-discovery for transgender individuals often starts with introspection and reflection on their identity. Recognizing and embracing one's true gender identity can be a moment of revelation and relief. The process of self-discovery allows transgender individuals to shed the weight of societal expectations and external pressures, leading to a profound sense of joy. This newfound self-awareness can lay the foundation for a life filled with genuine happiness.

Being true to oneself is a fundamental aspect of living a joyful life. For transgender individuals, embracing their authentic gender identity represents a courageous act of self-acceptance. The decision to live openly and authentically brings a sense of freedom that can only be comprehended by those who have experienced it. Breaking free from the constraints of assigned gender roles and societal expectations liberates the individual to express themselves fully, leading to a deep sense of joy.

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Most Inspiring Transgender Celebrities

Virginia Democrats Kill Six Proposed Anti-Trans Bills
Amber McLaughlin, First Openly Trans Person Executed in US, Dies by Lethal Injection
The Euphoria of Elliot Page

Transgender Man and Former Athlete Opens Up About What It Means to Be ‘A Real Man’

Dylan Mulvaney Has New Passport with Female Designator

Gender Transition Tips to Help Embrace Euphoria and Live Your Best Trans Life
Trans Girl Wins Irish Dance Contest

Television’s Most Trailblazing Transgender Characters

Connection and Community

The joy of being transgender extends beyond personal growth and authenticity. It extends to the vibrant and supportive community that exists worldwide. Finding like-minded individuals who share similar experiences can be an empowering and affirming experience. Through support groups, social networks, and pride events, transgender individuals find a sense of belonging and solidarity, fostering friendships and connections that are both meaningful and uplifting.

Transgender individuals often face unique challenges, including discrimination and prejudice. However, the joy of being transgender also arises from the ability to advocate for change and foster understanding. Many transgender individuals find empowerment in sharing their stories, educating others, and contributing to the broader fight for LGBTQ rights. The pursuit of equality and acceptance brings a sense of fulfillment and purpose that amplifies the joy of living as a transgender person.

Redefining Gender

Transgender individuals play a crucial role in reshaping societal perceptions of gender. By challenging the traditional binary view of gender, they promote a more inclusive and diverse understanding of human identity. The joy of being transgender lies in being a catalyst for progress, transforming the cultural landscape and paving the way for a more accepting and compassionate society.

The joy of being transgender arises from the journey of self-discovery, authenticity, and empowerment. Embracing one's true gender identity enables individuals to live a life filled with happiness and fulfillment. Transgender individuals find joy in connecting with their community, advocating for change, and contributing to the redefinition of gender norms. As society continues to evolve, celebrating and supporting the transgender experience is essential in creating a world where everyone can embrace their true selves and find joy in being who they are.

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Elliot Page Absolutely 100% Knew He Was a Boy as a Toddler

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Survey: 5 Percent of Young Adults Identify as Trans or Nonbinary

Kimi Cole Aims to Be First Trans Politician to Win Statewide Race

Senators Urge Biden Admin for Guidance on Mental Health of Transgender Youth
Transgender People Report Years of Battles for Health Insurance Coverage

Most Inspiring Transgender Celebrities
Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People

Trial Begins in Florida on Trans Care Bans

Trial Date Set for Accused Killers of Trans Teen Brianna Ghey

Trans TikTok Personality Brianna Ghey is Murdered

Two school children charged with murder of trans teen Brianna Ghey

Brianna Ghey, who was described by her family as a "larger than life character," died in February 2023. Two schoolchildren have been charged with murder following the death of the 16-year-old transgender girl in an English village.

A boy and a girl, both aged 15, have been charged with the murder of Brianna Ghey, who was found dead in a park in Warrington in the country’s northwest. Members of the public contacted the emergency services after Ghey’s body was found on a path in Linear Park, in the village of Culcheth, police said. She was found with fatal stab wounds, police said.

Police and forensic scientists initially said there was no evidence to suggest the circumstances surrounding Ghey’s death was hate related, before later adding that all lines of inquiry were being explored, “including whether this was a hate crime.”

Brianna Ghey: Two School Children Charged With Murder of Trans Teen in English Park
15-Year-Old Boy and Girl Charged with Murder of Transgender Teen Brianna Ghey in UK
Two Teens Charged in Death of Transgender TikTok Personality Brianna Ghey

Brianna's family said: “Brianna was a much loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister. She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind. The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same. We would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support during this extremely difficult time. We would like to thank the police for their support, and witnesses for helping with the investigation.”

Almost £90,000 ($109,000) has been raised so far for Ghey’s family by an online crowdfunding campaign. Those behind it say the funds raised will help pay for a funeral, which they hope to make “pink and colorful to match her personality.”

The charges come a day after candlelit vigils were held for Ghey in the cities of Liverpool and Bristol, with more due to be held across the country in the coming days. Some of the events have been organized by trans rights and LGBTQ campaigners, including ones planned for London, Manchester and the coastal city of Brighton.

[Source: Lianne Kolirin, CNN, February 2023]

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RuPaul’s Drag Race Crowns First Transgender Winner

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BBC Documentary: 7-Year-Old Sasha Wants to be Accepted as a Girl

President Biden Issues First Presidential Proclamation of Transgender Visibility Day

New Study Debunks Myth that Kids Become Trans Through Social Contagion

Scientists say any claims that people are becoming trans just to fit in does not hold up to scrutiny

Over the past four years, opponents of transgender rights and protections have pushed a theory called “rapid onset gender dysphoria,” or ROGD, asserting that more young people are publicly identifiying as trans due to “social contagion.” "Trans people have long known this theory to be completely false, but now, a new study has finally proven it for good."

A study published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics is the latest to demonstrate how the numbers just don’t line up in ROGD’s favor. Scientists analyzed data from the CDC’s 2017 and 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 16 states, looking particularly at the ratio of trans and gender-diverse youth who were assigned female at birth as opposed to those assigned male. The ROGD theory posits that trans identification is exploding specifically among AFAB youth, who are being preyed upon by “gender ideology” — but this analysis of nearly 200,000 adolescents disproves that hypothesis.

Far from rising, the number of trans and gender diverse youth identified in the survey actually dropped significantly between 2017 and 2019, falling from 2.4% to 1.6%. And while the ratio of assigned-male to assigned-female trans youth did shrink, going from 1.5:1 to 1.2:1 over the two years analyzed, researchers found the numbers actually changed because there were fewer transfeminine youth in the latter survey, not more transmascs.

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At Least 33 Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming People Killed in the Past Year, Report Finds
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Proponents of ROGD, including JK Rowling and Joe Rogan, have also claimed that transness is a “social contagion” because young people are using trans identification as a way to escape homophobic bullying. There’s a lot of misconceptions to unpack in that one sentence, but the Pediatrics study addresses the most vital one: once again, it was found, bullying and suicidal ideation rates were both higher among trans youth than their cis-identified peers, making the ROGD claim nonsensical.

“The hypothesis that transgender and gender diverse youth assigned female at birth identify as transgender due to social contagion does not hold up to scrutiny and should not be used to argue against the provision of gender-affirming medical care for adolescents,” Dr. Alex S. Keuroghlian, one of the study’s senior authors, said in a statement. Lead author Dr. Jack Turban concurred, calling the idea that trans youth transition to escape social stigma “absurd.”

“The damaging effects of these unfounded hypotheses in further stigmatizing transgender and gender diverse youth cannot be understated,” Turban stressed. “We hope that clinicians, policymakers, journalists, and anyone else who contributes to health policy will review these findings.”

Of course, these findings are not the first to indicate that ROGD is junk science. The theory was first floated in 2018, and problems with the study that justified it were obvious from the start. Dr. Lisa Littman, a board member of the “gender critical” group Genspect, published a survey of less than 300 parents of trans youth recruited from openly anti-trans communities like the UK-based TERF-y site Mumsnet who provided testimonials supporting Littman’s hypothesis. That the paper was immediately retracted or that Littman herself has misrepresented her own data haven’t prevented these “findings” from becoming enmeshed on the right, though, in part because anti-trans dogma isn’t just about gender.

We’d like to believe that this will finally put Littman’s harmful falsehoods to rest, but sadly, truth-telling is not a hallmark of the reactionary right. Hopefully this can at least reassure some trans youth that they’re not monsters or dupes, and that their identities deserve respect — even if some insist on screaming otherwise.

[Source: Samanthan Riedel, Them, August 2022]

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Your Words Can Cost the Lives of Trans Kids

Anti-transgender rhetoric leads to stigma, and stigma leads to violence against our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

Parents always want what is best for our children, and we can all agree that they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. But as the parents of an amazing kid who happens to be transgender, we've seen firsthand how in recent years many of our leaders (who think they know better than parents, medical organizations, and millions of doctors) have been treating our son, Daniel, with anything but that dignity and respect.

They are making it impossible for kids like Daniel to be their authentic selves. And we've seen how harmful the attacks on my kid from power-hungry politicians and pop culture icons going for cheap laughs can be.

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Dylan Mulvaney on The Drew Barrymore Show

When our family watches TV or opens up social media, we're often looking for an escape, just like everyone else — to laugh at a favorite sitcom or share memes with friends. But recently, it's been impossible to escape "jokes" that come at the expense of our son and the entire transgender community from comedians like Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, and Dave Chappelle. Imagine turning on the TV and seeing a powerful person (who has so little on the line) make fun of your child.

It's no joking matter.

Anti-transgender rhetoric leads to stigma, and stigma leads to violence against our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. From Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatening to take children away from their loving parents, to the 300-plus anti-trans bills that have been introduced across the country this year alone, to the epidemic of violence against Black and brown transgender women, families like our own have felt the impacts of bias and discrimination.

Our son came out as transgender when he was 8 years old. The coming-out experience for him and our family was ostracizing at times and difficult; we felt very alone.

Some immediately judged Daniel and my family, and we even struggled to understand what being transgender meant. Over time, as people got to know us, we found a community that accepts and loves us. But now we've got celebrities and extremist politicians amplifying harmful propaganda that can change how people see us.

For the first four months of this year, we gave testimony in the Arizona state Capitol, trying to put an end to the onslaught of 17 anti-trans bills. Imagine our family (our teenage son) in that moment feeling the sting of hateful testimony attacking his very existence.

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"When young people are affirmed in their identity, they thrive."

-Chase Strangio

As a parent, I ask you, would you want this for your child?

While our family and so many others keep fighting hate, we wonder if people like Maher or Gervais really understand the power of their platforms. It is because of this power that far too many figures regurgitate dangerous rhetoric that has been proven to negatively impact the mental health of transgender youth.

According to The Trevor Project, "transgender and nonbinary youth were 2 to 2.5 times as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide, and attempt suicide compared to their cisgender LGBQ peers." Among Black transgender and nonbinary youth, 59% seriously considered suicide, and more than 1 in 4 attempted suicide in the past year.

Let's be clear: The reason we see disturbing statistics like these is not transgender youth being who they are; it's due to a fundamental lack of the support and affirmation our children deserve. Transgender youth who receive desired gender-affirming care are as much as 60% less likely to experience depression and 73% less likely to report suicidal thoughts than those without access to gender-affirming care.

Transgender and non-binary people also face increased violence just for living their lives. The Human Rights Campaign's Transgender Justice Initiative has reported at least 19 transgender people shot or killed by other violent means this year. In 2021, the deadliest year on record, at least 57 transgender people, mainly transgender women of color, were killed.

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When anti-trans discrimination and violence go largely unreported or ignored by everyone from the media to law enforcement to popular entertainers, it means hardly anyone in a position of influence or power is regularly challenging biases that inevitably lead to more violence.

All the more reason why people in power, including influential entertainers, should be using their platforms to spread awareness and support transgender people. It's time to learn and speak the truth instead of caving to insecurities and ignorance. It's a matter of choosing to help protect fundamental civil rights. And it can be a matter of life or death for many.

[Source: Lizette and Jose Trujillo, HRC Foundation, Parents for Transgender Equality National Council, July 2022]

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Lia Thomas: First Transgender Woman to Win NCAA Championship

Lia Thomas: First Transgender Woman to Win NCAA Championship

Lia Thomas became the first out transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title after finishing first place in the women's 500-yard freestyle swim event. She took control in the final 100 yards to make history as the first trans woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.

Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania senior who entered the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships as the top seed, had a season-best time of 4 minutes, 33.24 seconds. “I didn’t have a whole lot of expectation for this meet,” said Thomas, a former male swimmer for Penn State. “I was just happy to be here and race and compete the best I could.”

Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Competes For NCAA Championship
Swimmer Lia Thomas Becomes First Out Trans Athlete to Win Division I National Championship
Lia Thomas, Penn Swimmer, Becomes First Out Trans Athlete to Win Division I National Title
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Penn Swimmer Lia Thomas Becomes First Trans Athlete to Win Division I National Title

Virginia’s Emma Weyant was second at 4:34.99. The race was close until the final 100 yards, with Weyant and Erica Sullivan of Texas pushing Thomas for the lead. The three swam in lanes three through five, adding to the drama, with Thomas in the middle.

Thomas has followed NCAA and Ivy League rules since she began her transition in 2019 by starting hormone replacement therapy. The inclusion of the transgender swimmer created controversy, even within the sport. There were fewer than 10 protesters outside the Georgia Tech facility, and some carried banners which read “Save Women’s Sports” in the stands. “I try to ignore it as much as I can,” Thomas said. “I try to focus on my swimming .. and just try to block out everything else.”

Thomas spoke with ESPN immediately after the race but would not participate in the official news conference, as required by the NCAA. Since participation is required, possible action could come following evaluation by the NCAA’s swimming and diving championships committee.

[Source: Associated Press, March 2022]

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Nevada Pageant Winner Becomes First Transgender Miss USA Contestant

Kataluna Enriquez, who was crowned Miss Nevada USA in June 2021, will become the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Miss USA pageant. With a platform centered on transgender awareness and mental health, Enriquez, 27, beat out 21 other contestants at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. “I didn’t have the easiest journey in life,” she said. “I struggled with physical and sexual abuse. I struggled with mental health. I didn’t have much growing up. I didn’t have support. But I’m still able to thrive, and I’m still able to survive and become a trailblazer for many.” After her win, Enriquez thanked the LGBTQ community, writing, “My win is our win. We just made history. Happy Pride.”

In March 2021, Enriquez, who previously competed in trans-specific pageants, became the first transgender woman crowned Miss Silver State USA, the main preliminary for Miss Nevada USA. During the pageant’s question-and-answer segment, Enriquez said being true to herself was an obstacle she faced daily. “Today I am a proud transgender woman of color. Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than, it makes me more than,” she said. “I know that my uniqueness will take me to all my destinations, and whatever I need to go through in life.”

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NBC News: Nevada Pageant Winner Becomes First Tansgender Miss USA Contestant

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2021 Miss Nevada Winner is First Transgender Woman Crowned in Pageant's History

Enriquez, who is Filipina American, designs her own outfits, including a rainbow-sequin gown she wore Sunday night in honor of Pride Month “and all of those who don’t get a chance to spread their colors,” she explained. "Pageantry is so expensive, and I wanted to compete and be able to grow and develop skills and create gowns for myself and other people," Enriquez said.

She will represent Nevada at the 2021 Miss USA pageant, being held November 2021 at the Paradise Cove Theater at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Miss Universe pageant system, of which Los Angeles-based Miss USA is part, began allowing transgender entrants in 2012. If she is crowned Miss USA, Enriquez will be the second trans contestant in a Miss Universe pageant, after Spain’s Angela Ponce in 2018.

Miss America, a separate organization headquartered in New Jersey, did not immediately reply to an inquiry about whether transgender women or nonbinary individuals are allowed to compete in its annual competition. As of 2018, the pageant was reportedly only open to “natural born women,” according to the Advocate.

In February, a federal judge upheld the right of another organization, Nevada-based Miss United States of America, to bar transgender contestants from its pageant.

[Source: Dan Avery, NBC News, June 2021]

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Trans Athlete Debate

The trans athlete debate isn't about fairness in sports. If it were, there would be some degree of nuance. We'd be looking at the variances in performance gaps between cis men and women across different sports. We'd look at ages where performance gaps widen. We'd hear about how 1 year of suppressed testosterone in trans women is fine for this sport, but that other sport needs 2 years because of other factors unique to it.

We'd hear anything at all about trans men, people with DSD (differences in sexual development aka intersex), and non-binary athletes.

Instead, we're getting blanket bans for all trans kids going back to Kindergarten. Trans boys on testosterone are ignored, with all the physical advantages they gain from actually having testosterone puberty. There are no carve-outs for trans girls on puberty blockers. This isn't because of ignorance. Politicians are exposed to this information in hearings, but they do not budge. So why this approach?

It's simple. Providing any nuance at all requires first a tacit acceptance of transgender identity.

Forcing trans boys on T to compete with cis girls is clearly not about fairness. It's instead about refuting the boys' gender.
This is why they always use loaded, misleading, dogwhistle terms like "biological male." Social conservatives muddy the waters of the debate, disingenuously using competition framing to convince people who would otherwise be reluctant to join them in oppression of trans folk.

Don't fall for it. We can have lively, nuanced debates about fairness in athletic competition. But to get there, we must first accept a fairly straightforward idea: Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people exist. That's what this fight is actually about.

[Source: Alysandria Lynne Embergale]

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Trans News

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Transgender Day of Visibility

March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). It is a time to celebrate transgender people around the globe and the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, while also raising awareness around the discrimination trans people still face. TDOV has also been defined as an annual awareness day dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender nonconforming people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice.

Across the country and internationally there has been an increased visibility of the transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) communities. Despite increased national media visibility, this year (2020) goes on record as one of the most dangerous years for transgender and gender non-conforming people, with alarming rates of violence, homicides, and suicides - specifically impacting trans women of color and youth.

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Juno Star Elliot Page Comes Out as Trans

‘Juno’ star Elliot Page announces he is transgender: “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”

Elliot Page, best known for his role in the Oscar-nominated film Juno, announced in December 2020 that he is transgender. Page is also known for roles in Whip It, Inception, Umbrella Academy and X-Men. Elliot, formerly known as Ellen (dn), continued:

“I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and for ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society.”

Elliot went on to say, “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive.”

“Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people,” Nick Adams, GLAAD’s director of transgender media, said in a statement. “He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page.”

[Source: Nexstar, Dec 2020]

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Trans Visibility: Celebrating Our Existence and Fighting for Our Rights

Transgender Day of Visibility exists to celebrate our existence — and to fight for our rights. Visibility brings joy and community, but it's not a panacea. We cannot take anything for granted.

Transgender and nonbinary people are growing more and more visible with each passing year. Just in the last year (2020), Elliot Page let the world know he’s a trans man and appeared on the cover of Time magazine, while shows like "Pose" earned critical acclaim and popularity with an incredible cast of trans actors. Trans community advocates also garnered attention in the mainstream media, including Oluchi Omeoga, a Black trans leader with Black Lives in Minneapolis and an organizer with the Black LGBTQIA Migrant Project, who was on the cover of The New York Times Magazine; and Cheyenne Dorsow, the executive director of GLITS Inc. was profiled in Time.

Trans is beautiful. Elliot Page just reminded us all of of that. And trans and nonbinary elected officials, including Minneapolis City Council Members Andrea Jenkins and Philippe Cunningham, Delaware state Sen. Sara McBride, Virginia Del. Danica Roem and Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner, continue to make political history. Our community has also won groundbreaking legal and policy victories. Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County that trans people are protected from discrimination in employment. (This case built on years of strategic litigation, including the Transgender Law Center’s 2012 case Macy v. Holder and decades of organizing by trans leaders across the country to assert our humanity.)

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In 2021, there have been over 100 anti-trans bills proposed in state legislatures across the country, which is more than we have ever seen in one year. Yet we cannot truly honor the Transgender Day of Visibility this year without acknowledging the work left to do. The majority of trans people — particularly those who are Black, Indigenous and people of color, trans women and femmes, our elders, our youth, trans people living with HIV, trans people with disabilities, trans sex workers and migrants who are trans — are struggling to survive. These groups experience ongoing violence, harassment and discrimination in addition to the high rates of poverty and homelessness facing the trans community. And, in 2020, at least 44 trans and nonbinary people were killed, most of whom were Black trans women and femmes.

Conservatives wanted a new target in their culture war. They picked trans kids. Amid this violence, political attacks on trans people have escalated in recent years. It started with a wave of “bathroom bills” around 2015, attempting to criminalize which bathrooms trans people use, and intensified under the Trump administration’s relentless campaign to roll back the few rights and protections trans people do have and deny our very humanity — but it hasn't stopped. Even with a new White House and a new Congress, these attacks have continued and will continue.

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Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Transgender Man and Former Athlete Opens Up About What It Means to Be ‘A Real Man’

In 2021, there have been over 100 anti-trans bills proposed in state legislatures across the country, which is more than we have ever seen in one year. Most of the proposed legislation targets trans youth, both their access to life-saving health care and their ability to play sports as their true selves. In March 2021, Arkansas became the first state to ban young trans people from accessing health care. Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee have already passed laws this year restricting trans kids from playing sports, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, signed executive orders this week to do the same. But in the face of these attacks and worsening conditions, trans people are doing what we have always done: We are keeping each other safe.

I have a transgender son, and I know gender affirming parenting saves lives. Trans and nonbinary organizers developed solutions to keep one another safe when it was clear that the police and carceral systems never could. We also continued to dream up and create our own solutions to the problems our community faces. Last year, for instance, the Transgender Law Center (TLC) worked with a national coalition of majority Black and brown trans women to launch the Trans Agenda for Liberation to serve as a community-led guide toward the world trans and gender nonconforming people deserve. And while there are still many people espousing hate and intolerance, there are so many more who support trans communities. Corporations have made — and continue to make — powerful and visible stances of support. For instance, nearly 400 large businesses, including Starbucks, American Express, General Mills and Amazon, have joined efforts to support the Equality Act. We know on this day that greater visibility alone does not translate into justice and equity.

Trevor Project/Daniel Radcliffe: Discussion with Trans and Nonbinary Youth

New Survey: Most Young People Are Supportive of Transgender Peers

Elliot Page: First Trans Man on Cover of Time Magazine

Introduction to Transgender People

New Poll: 73 Percent of People Support Trans Kids in Sports

Why We Need Trans People in the US Military

How To Support A Loved One If They Come Out As Trans

Stories of Incredible Trans Youth

Woman Can’t Contain Her Excitement After Life-Changing Affirming Makeover

These stances are obviously not enough: We need businesses and donors to provide ongoing and consistent support to trans-led organizations. Grants from Gilead Sciences’ TRANScend Community Impact Fund (a unique national program that supports the safety, health and wellness of the trans community to help reduce the impact of HIV) and from the Levi Strauss Foundation’s Strategic Response Fund for vulnerable communities are vital to the community building work we do at TLC. It’s not just our organization that benefits from these collaborations. Estée Lauder, for example, also not only funds our work but uses TLC materials to educate their employees about the issues facing the trans community nationwide.

But more broadly today, only 0.03 percent of all foundation funding each year goes to trans-led organizations across the country. Corporations and individuals interested in contributing don’t have to look hard to find where to give: The TransJustice Funding Project has mapped out trans organizations across the country. Wherever you live, a trans-led organization in need of support won’t be far away.

[Source: Kris Hayashi, executive director, Transgender Law Center, March 2021]

Television’s Most Trailblazing Transgender Characters

HRC: Little Known Historical Trans Facts
Eye Opening Facts About Being Transgender

Breathtaking Portraits of Trans Men That Truly Inspire

Video Story: My Friend is Transgender

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Trans Ask: What Do You Transition to if You are Non-Binary?
Am I Trans? Figuring Out Your Gender

Flavia Music Video: Them

First Transgender Mayor Elected in France

50 Years Ago: My Sister Became My Brother

Video Tutorial: Transgender Basics

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Changing the Way We Talk About Confirmation Surgery

Survey: 5 Percent of Young Adults Identify as Trans or Nonbinary

Transgender by the Numbers

How many transgender people are in the US? The numbers fluctuate by state, but they also double the findings from a decade ago. An estimated 1.4 million people (around 0.6 percent of US adults) identify as transgender, according to a new study.

The fully urban District of Columbia has the highest percentage of adults who identify as transgender, with 14,550 people (around 2.77 percent of the federal district's population).

Several states have 100,000 or more people who identify as transgender, according to the researchers. California, with 218,000. Florida, with 100,300. Texas, with 125,350.

The highest percentages of adults identifying as transgender per state were found in Hawaii, California, Georgia, and New Mexico (all with 0.8 percent) followed by Texas and Florida with 0.7 percent, according to the study.

Five states were found to have the lowest percentages of transgender-identified adults, all with 0.3 percent: North Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota.

NPR Report: Transgender People in the US

Advocate: Trans in Trumpland

Eddie Izzard: I'm Just Trying to Create a Space for Myself

PBS News Hour: Puberty Blockers May Improve Health of Trans Adolescents

Valentina Sampaio: Interview With Trans Fashion Model

Why We Need Trans People in the US Military

Elliot Page Says Testosterone Journey and Finding Trans Community Drastically Changed His Life
All About the Transgender Symbol

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People
Stories of Incredible Trans Youth

Everything You Need to Know About These Popular Transgender Celebrities

Understanding Gender Dysphoria

Complex Journey of Identity and Acceptance

Gender dysphoria is a multifaceted and complex psychological phenomenon experienced by some individuals whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. It is crucial to recognize that gender dysphoria is not a mental disorder; instead, it is a legitimate aspect of human diversity and a valid expression of gender identity. This essay aims to explore the nature of gender dysphoria, its impact on individuals, and the importance of promoting acceptance and understanding.

Gender dysphoria is characterized by a deep and persistent sense of discomfort or incongruence between an individual's experienced gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. This dissonance can manifest as feelings of distress, anxiety, depression, or dissatisfaction with one's physical appearance and societal gender roles. The struggle with gender dysphoria can be profound and pervasive, affecting various aspects of a person's life, including emotional well-being, social interactions, and self-esteem.

Causes and Development

The exact causes of gender dysphoria are not fully understood, but research suggests a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors may play a role in its development. For many transgender individuals, gender dysphoria typically emerges during childhood or adolescence when they become increasingly aware of their gender identity. It is essential to emphasize that being transgender is not a choice; rather, it is a fundamental aspect of a person's identity that deserves respect and understanding.

Living with gender dysphoria can be an incredibly challenging journey for those who experience it. The internal conflict between one's perceived gender identity and physical body can lead to feelings of alienation, social isolation, and self-doubt. Many transgender individuals face discrimination, prejudice, and stigma, which can exacerbate the distress associated with their gender dysphoria. As a result, they may be more vulnerable to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Addressing these challenges necessitates a supportive environment, access to affirming healthcare, and the understanding of family, friends, and society at large.

Passing Tips for Trans Girls

Surprise: Laverne Cox Meets 25 Year Old Trans Man

ABC News: Transgender Parents

Gender Therapist Advice: How Do I Know if I Am Trans?

Cory Booker: I have a Non-Binary "Niephew"

Trans Children Across US Are Fighting For Their Lives (Again)

Being Transgender at Work
HRC Notes: The Bible and Transgender Issues

New Study: Transgender Youth and Suicide Risk

Transgender People Killed in 2019

Treatment and Support

Gender-affirming care and support are critical components of addressing gender dysphoria. Treatment options may include individual or group therapy, hormonal therapy, and, for some individuals, gender-affirming surgeries. The goal of these interventions is to help individuals align their physical appearance with their gender identity and alleviate the distress associated with their gender dysphoria.

To create a more inclusive and compassionate society, it is essential to promote acceptance and understanding of transgender individuals and their experiences. This involves challenging harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about gender diversity and actively supporting policies and practices that protect the rights and dignity of transgender individuals. By cultivating empathy and open dialogue, we can foster an environment where transgender individuals feel seen, respected, and valued for who they are.

Gender dysphoria is a complex and profound aspect of human identity that deserves empathy, compassion, and respect. It is crucial for society to recognize and understand the challenges faced by transgender individuals and to support them in their journey towards self-discovery and self-acceptance. By fostering an inclusive and affirming environment, we can move closer to a world where everyone is free to express their gender identity authentically and without fear of discrimination or judgment.

Trevor Project/Daniel Radcliffe: Discussion with Trans and Nonbinary Youth

Breathtaking Portraits of Trans Men That Truly Inspire

Kim Petras: Transgender Pop Star

Mira Bellwether Fought for a World Where Trans Women Know Love and Pleasure

List: Famous Transgender People

Trans Short Film: Masked

Woman Can’t Contain Her Excitement After Life-Changing Affirming Makeover

Natural Women Only: Trans Woman Barred From Beauty Pageant

New York Times: Estimate of US Transgender Population Doubles
Celebrity Spotlight: Genderqueer, Non-Binary, Transgender

CBS Sunday Morning: Growing Up Trans

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Kim Petras: Transgender Pop Music Star

How To Support A Loved One If They Come Out As Trans

Trans Perspectives

“I think trans women, and trans people in general, show everyone that you can define what it means to be a man or woman on your own terms."
-Laverne Cox

“There isn’t a trans moment. It’s just a presence where there was an absence. We deserve so much more.”
-Hari Nef

“This transition has been harder on me than anything I could imagine. And that’s the case for so many others besides me. For that reason alone, trans people deserve something vital. They deserve your respect. And from that respect comes a more compassionate community, a more empathetic society, and a better world for all of us.”
-Caitlyn Jenner

“Nature made a mistake, which I have corrected.”
-Christine Jorgensen

“I dare to dream of a world where people can dress, speak, and behave how they want, free from mockery, derision, judgment, harassment, and danger."
-Juno Dawson

Personal Insight: Nurse Who Cares for Gender Surgery Patients

Video Message: I Am Transgender

Kids Meet a Transgender Soldier

50 Years Ago: My Sister Became My Brother

Chazzie: Story of a Transgender Girl and Her Parents

Video Story: My Friend is Transgender

World Health Organization: Transgender Not a Disorder

Indya Moore: Elle Magazine's First Trans Cover Model

“Remember this, whoever you are, however you are, you are equally valid, equally justified, and equally beautiful.”
-Juno Dawson

“Being transgender, like being gay, tall, short, white, black, male, or female, is another part of the human condition that makes each individual unique and something over which we have no control. We are who we are in the deepest recesses of our minds, hearts, and identities.”
-Linda Thompson

“We are in a place now where more and more trans people want to come forward and say, ‘This is who I am’.”
-Laverne Cox

“Self-definition and self-determination are about the many varied decisions that we make to compose and journey toward ourselves… It’s OK if your personal definition is in a constant state of flux as you navigate the world.”
-Janet Mock

“To all trans youth out there, I would like to say respect yourself and be proud of who you are. All human beings deserve equal treatment no matter their gender identity or sexuality. To be perceived as what you say you are is a basic right.”
-Andrej Pejic

Transitioning Is Not as Simple as "Before" and "After" Photos Show

Transgender Student Educational Resources

Video Story: 7 Year Old Kai on Growing Up Trans

World Health Organization: Transgender People Not Mentally Ill

Go Charlie: Am I Trans Enough?

Video Message: I Am Transgender

Advice From Gender Therapist: Am I Really Trans or Something Else?

Celebrity Spotlight: Genderqueer, Non-Binary, Transgender

Leyna Bloom: Sports Illustrated Trans Swimsuit Model

Leyna Bloom Makes History in 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Issue. She is the first Black trans woman to appear in the publication.

Model and actress Leyna Bloom is no stranger to making history. Since breaking out on the scene in fashion about a decade ago — she shot with Antoine Verglas and then went on to appear in Candy's fifth-anniversary cover story — she's been putting notch after notch in her belt. The latest: she is the first Black trans woman and first Asian trans woman to appear in the lauded Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

"I never imagined that I would be born in a time where something like this would happen for someone with my skin tone and someone with my background," Bloom told Good Morning America in an interview about the feature. "This is a magazine that says we are allowed to be beautiful in all of our shapes and sizes."

Bloom comes as Sports Illustrated has steadily increased its inclusion. Last year, Valentina Sampaio became the first trans model to appear in the Swimsuit issue. In 2019 Megan Rapinoe became the first known lesbian.

"My spirit has reached new levels," Bloom wrote to Instagram about the inclusion. "This moment is bigger than my wildest infinite dreams. In this moment, I am a representation of all the communities I grew from, and all the communities I’m planting seeds in."

Leyna Bloom: Sports Illustrated's First Black, Asian, Trans Swimsuit Model

Leyna Bloom: Makes History on Cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

Leyna Bloom: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue's First Trans Cover

Among other accomplishments, Bloom has been shot for Vogue India, appeared in the Moschino for H&M campaign, and also appeared in Christian Dior's Stand Up for Women campaign. She's walked in shows for both New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

In 2019, Bloom became the first trans woman of color to lead a film premiering at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. That project, titled Port Authority, was a love story set in part against the backdrop of the ballroom scene where Bloom has also made a name walking the category of face. The film was her acting debut.

[Source: Mikelle Street, Out Magazine, March 2021]

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Transgender Police Officer

Rebekah's Story
How Do I Know if I am Trans?

Being Transgender at Work
Simple Animation Explanation: Gender Dysphoria

Chazzie: Story of a Transgender Girl and Her Parents

Rebecca Series: Homeless Transgender Addict

Gender Identity

Gender identity is one’s psychological understanding of self. It is defined in terms of perceptions and self concept. A person’s gender identity can be described as the way in which he or she views him or herself. A person might be a man (boy) or a woman (girl). Or a person might be transgender, genderqueer, two-spirit, or third-gender.

Gender identity means how you personally experience your own gender. Although it might seem straightforward, it's affected by many factors.

Sex is the label people are given by a doctor at birth depending on the genitals and chromosomes they have. It is often assumed a person’s assigned sex determines their gender, but the reality is more complex. For example, people born intersex may have what are considered ambiguous genitals or internal sex organs, sex hormones and chromosomes different to what is “typical” for a male and female body.

Most societies believe there are only two genders that people identify with in terms of their assigned sex, gender identity and gender expression: male and female. The belief that there are only two genders and that gender is fixed is called the gender binary.

Gender Therapist Advice: How Do I Know if I Am Trans?

Video Report: America's Transgender Children

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Trans Children Across US Are Fighting For Their Lives (Again)

Understanding Gender Identity

Allison Faye: Transition Timeline Story

Info: Cisgender

Gender is affected by the expectations and stereotypes society holds about the thoughts, characteristics and behaviors you will have based on your assigned sex. For example, most societies expect males to act “masculine” and females to act “feminine”. Each culture has different expectations about gender that affect a person’s social, work and legal privileges.

By a very young age, most children know what their core gender identity is and find it extremely difficult to think about themselves in any other way. People who feel pressure to follow the gender binary can experience an extreme form of distress called gender dysphoria.

Gender identity is about how you personally experience your own gender, regardless of what society expects. Your gender can be shown through your identity (labels, pronouns), body (appearance) and expression (how you act, how you dress). Feeling able to express your true gender identity is important to your emotional and mental health.

Gender identity is not fixed and exists on a spectrum. So people may identify as one of the binary genders, as moving between genders, as no gender or as another gender category entirely.

[Source: Kids Help Line]

Video Talk: Can You Define Your Gender Identity?

Trevor Project/Daniel Radcliffe: Discussion with Trans and Nonbinary Youth

Go Charlie: Am I Trans Enough?

Video Report: America's Transgender Children

Janet Mock: Knowing Her Gender Identity With Certainty

Trans Teen Voted Homecoming Queen

Trans Ask: What Do You Transition to if You are Non-Binary?

Jeopardy Game Show Contestant: First Out Transgender Winner

Info: Cisgender

First Our Transgender Winner on Jeopardy Game Show

Kate Freeman is celebrating a historic "Jeopardy!" victory as she's believed to be the first out transgender contestant to win on the long-running game show.

“Jeopardy!” fans are enjoying a recent wave of LGBTQ representation on the popular game show. Just days after contestant Cody Lawrence shined a spotlight on bisexuality by wearing a bisexual pride flag pin on an episode of the series, Kate Freeman appeared on two episodes wearing a similar accessory and making “Jeopardy!” history.

KateFreeman: First Out Transgender Contestant to Win on Jeopardy

Jeopardy Contestant Shines Light on Bisexuality

Freeman, a financial specialist from Lake Orion, Michigan, wore a transgender pride flag pin on her lapel. Longtime viewers believe she is the first out transgender player to ever win the game.

Writer Peter Fox tweeted a congratulatory message to Freeman, writing, “I’m assuming this victory makes her the first openly trans person to win a game.” And two-time “Jeopardy!” champ Jennifer Morrow responded to that tweet, noting there has been another trans champ, though that person came out sometime after their victory.

As for Freeman, she’s aware that her distinction on the show is an important one, which is why she wore the blue, pink and white pin. “I spent a lot of time learning about and reflecting on my gender identity in grad school, coming out as transgender and lesbian a few months before graduating,” she explained. “I’m proud to be out and I know representation is important.”

“It really lived up to my childhood dreams of being on the show,” she said. “And I was honored to be able to meet Alex before his passing.”

[Source: Ree Hines, NBC News, Dec 2020]

Trans Short Film: They Them All About the Transgender Symbol

How the Mothers of Transgender Children Are Changing the World

ABC News: Transgender Parents

Male Celebrities That Were Born Female

Advice From Gender Therapist: Am I Really Trans or Something Else?

Transgender Rights Movement

The transgender rights movement is a movement to promote transgender rights and to eliminate discrimination and violence against transgender people regarding housing, employment, public accommodations, education, and health care. In some jurisdictions, transgender activism seeks to allow changes to identification documents to conform with a person's current gender identity without the need for sex reassignment surgery.

Identifying the boundaries of a trans movement has been a matter of some debate. Conventionally, evidence of a codified political identity emerges in 1952, when Virginia Prince, a male crossdresser, along with others, launched Transvestia: The Journal of the American Society for Equality in Dress. This publication is considered by some to be the beginning of the transgender rights movement in the United States, however it would be many years before the term "transgender", itself, would come into common usages.

Trans Sistas of Color Project

How To Support A Loved One If They Come Out As Trans

Video: Trans Youth Share Struggles and Hopes

Transgender People Killed in 2018

HRC: Parents for Transgender Equality

Mira Bellwether Fought for a World Where Trans Women Know Love and Pleasure

Rebekah's Story
Queer 101: Ask a Trans Man

In the years before the Stonewall riots, other actions for LGBTQ rights had taken place, but while gender nonconformity has always been a part of signalling gay identity, most of the early gay organizations were more assimilationist in their immediate goals.

In 1966 the Compton's Cafeteria Riot occurred in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. This incident was one of the first recorded LGBTQ-related riots in US history. Drag queens, prostitutes and trans people fought back against police harassment. When a transgender woman resisted arrest by throwing coffee at a police officer, drag queens poured into the streets, fighting back with their high heels and heavy bags. The next night, the regular patrons were joined by street hustlers, Tenderloin street people, and other members of the LGBTQ community in their stand against police violence. It marked the beginning of trans activism in San Francisco.

In 1969, the year of the Stonewall Riots, the term transgender was not yet in use. But gender nonconforming people like drag king Stormé DeLarverie, and self-identified "street queen" Marsha P. Johnson were in the vanguard of the riots, with DeLarverie widely believed to be the person whose struggle with the police was the spark that set the crowd to fighting back. Witnesses to the uprising also place early trans activists and members of the Gay Liberation Front, Zazu Nova and Jackie Hormona along with Johnson, as combatants "in the vanguard" of the pushback against the police on the multiple nights of the rebellion.

Marsha P. Johnson later went on to co-found Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with close friend Sylvia Rivera. Rivera's early definitions around trans were very broad, including all gender-nonconforming people. Rivera continued to be an advocate for trans rights, and inclusion of protection for trans people in all LGBTQ rights legislation, until her death in 2002.

Jenny Boylan: Trans Memoir From Her Dogs' Perspective
Transgender Rights Movement

Celebrity Spotlight: Genderqueer, Non-Binary, Transgender

Introduction to Transgender People

Janet Mock: Knowing Her Gender Identity With Certainty

PBS News Hour: Puberty Blockers May Improve Health of Trans Adolescents

Flavia Music Video: Them

Valentina Sampaio: Interview With Trans Fashion Model

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Trevor Project/Daniel Radcliffe: Discussion with Trans and Nonbinary Youth

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People
Really Cool Gender Neutral Bathroom Signs

Everything You Need to Know About These Popular Transgender Celebrities

Anti-Trans Bathroom Bills Based on Lies

Breathtaking Portraits of Trans Men That Truly Inspire

Personal Insight: Nurse Who Cares for Gender Surgery Patients

Bi-Gender: Lesson in Gender Identity

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People

Times When Trans Characters Were Actually Played by Trans Actors

ACLU: Trans People Belong

Gender Dyphoria

"Dysphoria truly feels like a darkness that kind of washes over you."
-Dylan Mulvaney

Gender dysphoria, or gender identity disorder (GID), is the distress, discontent, and discomfort (and possible impairment) a person experiences as a result of the sex and gender they were assigned at birth. In these cases, the assigned sex and gender do not match the person's gender identity, and the person is considered to be transgender.

According to Psychology Today, "gender dysphoria (formerly gender identity disorder) is defined by strong, persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one's own assigned sex that results in significant distress or impairment. For instance, a person identified as a boy may feel and act like a girl."

The American Psychiatric Association states that "gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder. The critical element of gender dysphoria (or gender identity disorder) is the presence of clinically significant distress associated with the condition."

The main psychiatric approaches to treatment for persons diagnosed with gender dysphoria are psychotherapy, hormone replacement therapy, or sex reassignment surgery.

MTF: Insecurity and Dysphoria
Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

Video Tutorial: Transgender Basics

Transgender Police Officer

Transformation: Male to Female

Dwayne Wade's Trans Daughter Makes Red Carpet Debut

Transition Advice: Should I Start HRT?

Trans Boy: I Started Living My Life Instead of Just Surviving
Our Trans Daughter: Jamie and Rebekah

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Teen Talk: Trans Guy Problems

Trevor Project/Daniel Radcliffe: Discussion with Trans and Nonbinary Youth

Janet Mock: Trans Role Model

PBS News Hour: Puberty Blockers May Improve Health of Trans Adolescents

Info: Sex and Gender

Being Transgender at Work
Janet Mock: Knowing Her Gender Identity With Certainty

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Personal Insight: Nurse Who Cares for Gender Surgery Patients

Transitioning Is Not as Simple as "Before" and "After" Photos Show

Counselor Competencies for Working With Transgender Clients

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People
Allison Faye: Transition Timeline Story

Eye Opening Facts About Being Transgender

John Pavlovitz: Open Letter to a Transgender Young Person

I'm Sorry: Open Letter to a Transgender Young Person

Dear Friend,

I don’t know your story. I cannot imagine how you feel. I can’t fathom how difficult this road has been for you: the swirling storm of the questions inside your head, the hidden fears you’ve had to constantly keep at bay, the incessant worries about the responses of those you love to your full truth—and to have to endure all of it while living inside a space that does not feel like home.

There’s no way to place myself inside your shoes or your skin and even begin to understand how much it hurts be the target of the scalding hatred of strangers simply for existing, the way that must wound your heart and alter your days and hinder your joy.
That is a reality I’ll never know and I so hate that it is your reality: not that you are who you are but that people are who they are in response, that your inherent beauty is met with such undeserved ugliness.

I just want you to know that I see you, that I am for you, that I am in your corner as you struggle to simply be and to breathe freely and to step fully into the dreams you have for the future. I want you to know that I am fighting for you today as I am able, and that I will keep fighting for you because you are so worth fighting for.

Ally Guide for Trans and Non-Binary Youth

World Health Organization: Transgender Not a Disorder

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

I want you to know that even though it may feel that way inside your head or in your home or at your school—you are not alone. I and millions of other people believe in you and want you to have every opportunity to live this life as the most authentic version of yourself; people who celebrate you fully and support you without reservation. I also want you to know that I am sorry. I’m sorry for the people who injure you with taunts and threats and sermons and laws and fists, because they are somehow threatened by your existence.

That is a reflection of their ignorance and fear, not of your worth. I’m sorry for those who terrorize you in the name of a God they also claim is love. They do not speak for God. They only speak for their bigotry-addled, polluted hearts and for the distorted religion they have inherited from people who failed them. They are strangers to love.

I’m sorry for the silence of people who should have spoken up when you were mocked and made fun of by strangers, when you were the object of jokes spoken in your presence, when your dignity and your rights were used as cheap culture war props of pastors and politicians, when those you counted on for refuge refused to provide it. I know there are difficult days ahead for you, and that these words won’t magically make your worries evaporate or silence the bullies or give wisdom to the hateful people in your path.

I only hope these words can be a companion in the days when the fear feels like it will overwhelm you, when the sadness threatens to swallow you up, when the monsters are prevalent and close, when there seems to be no safe space to simply rest in your truth, when you begin to believe that no one around you sees or loves or believes in you. I see you. I love you. I believe in you. So many people do.

Kim Petras: Transgender Pop Star

Grassroots Groups That Affirm and Support Transgender People

Trans Women Describe 'Gender Euphoria' Of Finally Getting Breast Implants

Video Tutorial: Transgender Basics

Laverne Cox Interview: Transgender is Real

You may not feel that way when you are in your home or when you walk through your neighborhood or when you watch the news about your nation—but the world is so much larger than those things, and one day you will get to experience that wide-open, expansive space and you will do it surrounded by a fiercely loving community that sees and respects you as you fully are. In that day, you will no longer need to strive to feel known and welcomed, you will simply realize that you are.

And one day you will be able to step into the day as all of you, as fully you, without limitation or restraint, you will be home. Until then, please know that I and so many others are standing with you from here and cheering you on; that we will work to change legislation and to renovate hearts and to shout down the bullies because you are worth that.
Be greatly encouraged today.

[Source: John Pavlovitz, March 2021. John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—inside and outside faith communities.]

WPATH: World Professional Association for Transgender Health

Ava Rose: How Do You Know If You're Trans?

HRC: Epidemic of Violence Against Trans People

CNN: Killings of Trans People in US Increasing

Trans Music Film: Watch Me Exist

James: Starbucks Trans Ad

Chaz Bono vs JK Rowling

Love Letter to My Granddaughter (Who Used to Be My Grandson)

Murders of Trans People in US Could Hit Record High in 2020

Trans Ask: What Do You Transition to if You are Non-Binary?

Kim Petras: Transgender Pop Music Star

Kim Petras (born August 1992) is a popular German singer and songwriter, currently based in Los Angeles. Petras was born and raised in Cologne, Germany where she had become subject of media coverage after undergoing gender transition at a young age. Petras began recording music as a teenager, releasing her debut extended play "One Piece of Tape" in 2011. She independently released her debut single in 2017, "I Don't Want It at All," which went on to top several viral music charts. The song was followed by Billboard-charting singles "Feeling of Falling," "Heart to Break," and "123 Dayz Up."

Kim Petras was born as Tim Petras (dn). Her parents, Lutz and Konni, have said that from the age of two, she began insisting she was a girl. It became apparent this was "not just a phase," and her parents tried to be supportive but made her wear gender neutral clothes in public. Eventually her parents sought professional help but struggled to find people who were knowledgeable on the subject. In time they found Bernd Meyenburg at Frankfurt University who was head of a clinic for children and had studied transsexuality since the 1970s.

Kim Petras: Pop Music Princess Breaking Barriers

Trans Documentary: The Kim Petras Story

Bio: Kim Petras

Kim Petras: Official Website

Glamour Interview: Kim Petras on Bering Transgender

Kim Petras: Transgender Pop Star

Heart to Break: Kim Petras Music Video

Kim Petras: Interview With German Trans Girl

2009 Interview with Kim Petras: Youngest Trans Girl

Sex Reassignment Surgery

The longest and most extensive study on the matter recently found that out of 720 trans teenagers who started hormone therapy half a decade ago, 98% were still continuing their treatment today. Desistance and detransition myths are lies designed to create a moral panic and a transphobic backlash.
-Lancet, Journal of Child & Adolescent Health, Oct 2022

What used to be called a sex change operation, is now called sex reassignment surgery or SRS (also known as gender reassignment surgery, gender confirmation surgery, genital reconstruction surgery, gender-affirming surgery, or sex realignment surgery). It is the surgical procedure (or procedures) by which a transgender person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble that socially associated with their identified gender. It is part of a treatment for gender dysphoria in transgender people. Related genital surgeries may also be performed on intersex people, often in infancy.

Not all transgender individuals seek to change their physical sex. Changing your physical sex as an adult may be the biggest change that a person could experience. It should only be done with people that can only happily function in the opposite gender role.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (representing 94% of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States) prefers to call this procedure Gender Confirmation Surgery or GCS. Another term for SRS is sex reconstruction surgery, and more clinical terms, such as feminizing genitoplasty or penectomy, orchiectomy, and vaginoplasty, are used medically for trans women, with masculinizing genitoplasty, metoidioplasty or phalloplasty often similarly used for trans men.

People who pursue sex reassignment surgery are usually referred to as transsexual.

The best known of these surgeries are those that reshape the genitals (penis or vagina), which are also known as genital reassignment surgery or genital reconstruction surgery (GRS). It is also referred to as bottom surgery. Top surgery, on the other hand, is surgery to the breasts (augmentation or reduction).

Wikipedia: Sex Reassignment Surgery

Gender Affirming Surgery Linked to Better Mental Health

Transitioning Is Not as Simple as "Before" and "After" Photos Show

Passing Tips for Trans Girls

How To Support A Loved One If They Come Out As Trans

Trans Women Describe 'Gender Euphoria' Of Finally Getting Breast Implants

Personal Insight: Nurse Who Cares for Gender Surgery Patients

Woman Can’t Contain Her Excitement After Life-Changing Affirming Makeover

The procedure has very high rates of success when it is performed by responsible and experienced surgeons. However with current surgical technology male to female individuals usually are more satisfied with their results than female to male. Modern sex reassignment surgery has been performed for over 60 years. There are on average 50 SRS procedures performed each week in North America alone.

The meaning of "sex reassignment surgery" has been clarified by the medical subspecialty organization, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), to include any of a larger number of surgical procedures performed as part of a medical treatment for "gender dysphoria" or "transsexualism". According to WPATH, medically necessary sex reassignment surgeries include "complete hysterectomy, bilateral mastectomy, chest reconstruction or augmentation (including breast prostheses if necessary), genital reconstruction (by various techniques which must be appropriate to each patient), and certain facial plastic reconstruction." In addition, other non-surgical procedures are also considered medically necessary treatments by WPATH, including facial electrolysis.

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People
Dysphoria: What Does it Feel Like?

Trans Tips: Beginning Transition

Changing the Way We Talk About Confirmation Surgery

Stef Sanjati: I'm Getting Sex Reassignment Surgery

MTF Transgender Journey: After Sex Reassignment Surgery

Jazz Jennings: Battle Wounds From Gender Confirmation Surgery

Carmen Carrera: Personal Thoughts on Being Trans

Transition Advice: Should I Start HRT?

Video Diary: I Got Top Surgery

I Know I'm Trans: Should I Transition? Part 1

Casey Blake Video: Transgender Transition Timeline

Washington Post: Here's How Sex Reassignment Surgery Works

Boobs: Candid Talk About Top Surgery

TS Surgery Guide: Sex Reassignment Surgery

Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

Surgical Procedures

--Feminizing Genitoplasty for Trans Women (MTF) refers to surgeries to alter or create female genitals, including the clitoris, labia, and vagina.

--Bottom Surgery for Trans Women involves Penectomy (surgical removal of the penis), Orchiectomy (surgical bilateral removal of the testicles, and Vaginoplasty (surgical construction/reconstruction of the vagina).

--Top Surgery for Trans Women involves Breast Augmentation (surgical construction/reconstruction of chest/breasts through use of implants).

--Masculinizing Genitoplasty for Trans Men (FTM) refers to surgeries to alter or create male genitals, including the penis, testicles, and scrotum.

--Bottom Surgery for Trans Men involves Metoidioplasty (surgical modification/lengthening of the clitoris), Phalloplasty (surgical construction/reconstruction of the penis), and Scrotoplasty (surgical construction/reconstruction of the scrotum).

--Top Surgery for Trans Men involves Mastectomy (surgical bilateral removal of breasts).

Feminizing Genitoplasty Surgery

Masculinizing Genitoplasty Surgery

Penectomy Defined

Breathtaking Portraits of Trans Men That Truly Inspire

Breast Augmentation/Implants Defined

Sex Reassignment Surgery (Female to Male)

Sex Reassignment Surgery (Male to Female)

Trans Tips: Beginning Transition

Boobs: Candid Talk About Top Surgery

I Know I'm Trans: Should I Transition? Part 2

Jazz Jennings: Battle Wounds From Gender Confirmation Surgery

Personal Insight: Nurse Who Cares for Gender Surgery Patients

Trans Women Describe 'Gender Euphoria' Of Finally Getting Breast Implants

What is Sex Like for a Trans Woman Post-Op?

Gender Affirming Surgery Linked to Better Mental Health

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People
MTF Transgender Journey: After Sex Reassignment Surgery

Transitioning Is Not as Simple as "Before" and "After" Photos Show

Metoidioplasty Defined

Woman Can’t Contain Her Excitement After Life-Changing Affirming Makeover

MTF Surgery: Vaginoplasty and Dilation

Vaginoplasty Explained

A vaginoplasty is a surgical procedure where a vagina is created. It involves removing the penis, as well as the testicles and scrotum, if an orchiectomy was not previously performed. A vaginoplasty involves rearranging the current tissue in the genital area to create the vaginal canal and external genitalia, the labia. To create the vaginal canal, the surgeon uses a combination of the skin surrounding the existing penis in addition to the scrotal skin. Sometimes, an additional skin graft from the abdomen or thigh is needed to achieve a full vaginal canal.

Dilation Explained

The purpose of dilation is to maintain the depth of the new vagina. Dilation helps prevent contraction of the skin graft inside vagina and also improves the elasticity of vaginal wall in order to comfortably accommodate penetrative sex. Dilation involves inserting a lubricated dilator into the neo-vagina and keeping it in there for a specified amount of time. The size of dilator and the length of dilation time varies depending on the surgeon's protocol and patient's needs. Your surgeon will advise about the proper use and frequency of post-op dilation and it's important to follow their advice above all as it may be specific to your case. Initially, one can expect dilation to take up about 2 hours per day, with the time and frequency decreasing after you reach 18-24 months post-op.

Transgender Care: Vaginoplasty Procedures and Aftercare
MTF Surgery: Imoportance of Dilation Following Vaginoplasty
Johns Hopkins Medicine: Vaginoplasty Questions Answered
Trans Surgery: MTF Frequently Asked Questions
Pelvic Hub: MTF Post-Surgery Care
MTF Personal Guide: Post-Op Dilation Tips

Types or Categories of Transgender People

Many identities fall under the transgender umbrella. The term transgender refers to people whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex. Often, transgender people alter or wish to alter their bodies through hormones, surgery, and other means to make their bodies as congruent as possible with their gender identities. This process of transition through medical intervention is often referred to as sex or gender reassignment, but more recently is also referred to as gender affirmation. People who were assigned female, but identify and live as male and alter or wish to alter their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity are known as transgender men or transmen (also known as female-to-male or FTM). Conversely, people who were assigned male, but identify and live as female and alter or wish to alter their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity are known as transgender women or transwomen (also known as male-to-female or MTF). Some individuals who transition from one gender to another prefer to be referred to as a man or a woman, rather than as transgender.

Older terminology usage differentiated between "transgender" and "transsexual." In common usage a transgender person was someone whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex, but chose NOT to undergo full surgery. And a transsexual person was someone whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex, but chose to undergo full surgery. These days the term "transsexual" is generally not used and respectful conversations should not focus on the pre-op and post-op status of the trans person.

Feminism and Equality: What Trans Women Want You to Know

Video: The Science of Being Transgender

Transitioning at Age 70

Video Message: I Am Transgender

Rebekah's Story
Male Celebrities That Were Born Female

Trans Sistas of Color Project

Woman Can’t Contain Her Excitement After Life-Changing Affirming Makeover

Glossary of Transgender Terminology

Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

PFLAG: Our Trans Children

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People
Meet a Transgender Homecoming Queen

Gender Affirming Surgery Linked to Better Mental Health

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition

Timelapse Huff Post: Transgender News

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Eye Opening Facts About Being Transgender

Transitioning Is Not as Simple as "Before" and "After" Photos Show

Janet Mock: Knowing Her Gender Identity With Certainty

Video: Trans 101 Basics

Counselor Competencies for Working With Transgender Clients
Gender Therapist Advice: How Do I Know if I Am Trans?

What Not to Say When Your Child Comes Out as Transgender

People who cross-dress wear clothing that is traditionally or stereotypically worn by another gender in their culture. They vary in how completely they cross-dress, from one article of clothing to fully cross-dressing. Those who cross-dress are usually comfortable with their assigned sex and do not wish to change it. Cross-dressing is a form of gender expression and is not necessarily tied to erotic activity. Cross-dressing is not indicative of sexual orientation. The degree of societal acceptance for cross-dressing varies for males and females. In some cultures, one gender may be given more latitude than another for wearing clothing associated with a different gender.

The term drag queens generally refers to men who dress as women for the purpose of entertaining others at bars, clubs, or other events. The term drag kings refers to women who dress as men for the purpose of entertaining others at bars, clubs, or other events.

Trans Bathrooms: Nationwide Debate

Trans People Are Not a Threat to You

John Oliver: Transgender Rights

Trans Short Film: They Them

Erin Anderson: Beautiful MTF Transgender

If You Think Trans Bathroom Access Doesn't Matter...

What it Means to Be Transgender/Gender Non-Conforming

Dwayne Wade's Trans Daughter Makes Red Carpet Debut

Transgender Q&A

Feminism and Equality: What Trans Women Want You to Know

Affirmations: Parents and Their Trans Kids

Ranker: Transgender Historical Figures

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Ranker: Famous Transgender People

Info: Sex and Gender

Transgender History

Genderqueer is a term that some people use who identify their gender as falling outside the binary constructs of “male” and “female.” They may define their gender as falling somewhere on a continuum between male and female, or they may define it as wholly different from these terms. They may also request that pronouns be used to refer to them that are neither masculine nor feminine, such as “zie” instead of “he” or “she,” or “hir” instead of “his” or “her.” Some genderqueer people do not identify as transgender.

Other categories of transgender people include androgynous, multigender, gender nonconforming, third gender, and two-spirit people. Exact definitions of these terms vary from person to person and may change over time, but often include a sense of blending or alternating genders. Some people who use these terms to describe themselves see traditional, binary concepts of gender as restrictive.

[Source: American Psychological Association]

Harris Poll: Growing Acceptance of Transgender Issues

Natural Women Only: Trans Woman Barred From Beauty Pageant

Video: Struggles of Transgender Youth

Disrespectful Hospital Staff: Trans Teen Commits Suicide

Carmen Carrera: Personal Thoughts on Being Trans

Wikipedia: Gender Dysphoria

More Than Half of Transgender Men Have Attempted Suicide

Androgynous by Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, Laura Jane Grace

Laura Jane Grace: Trans Punk Rocker

Laura Jane Grace (born Thomas James Gabel, 1980, and known to her earlier fans as such) is an American musician best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me!. In addition to Against Me!, Grace fronts the band Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers, a solo project she started in 2016. Grace is notable for being one of the first highly visible punk rock musicians to come out as transgender, after she publicly came out in May 2012.

Bio: Laura Jane Grace

Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers

Laura Jane Grace Interviewed by Seth Meyers

Therapy Video: Laura Jane Grace

True Trans Soul Rebel by Laura Jane Grace and Miley Cyrus

NPR Interview: Laura Jane Grace

Forbes Article: Laura Jane Grace

Respectful Language

Misgendering and deadnaming are offensive and hurtful acts for transgender people. Using their preferred pronouns and preferred name show respect.

People who are transgender or gender variant experience some sense of discomfort and dysphoria in having to deal with the mismatch of their external presentation with their internal feelings regarding being male or female. To cope with those feelings… and to affirm their true gender… they may choose a new name along with a new pronoun that more accurately expresses their identity.

A male who identifies as female, for example, may, in addition to wearing women’s clothing and make-up, choose a female-sounding name and prefer to be addressed as she and her.

For people who are transgender or gender variant, the simple act by another person of using a preferred pronoun or preferred name can make a big difference. It is a profound display of respect.

“Deadnaming” occurs when someone intentionally or accidentally refers to a transgender person by the name they used before they transitioned. “Misgendering” occurs when someone intentionally or accidentally refers to a transgender person by the pronoun they used before they transitioned.

By the way, none of this is related to a transgender person’s surgical status. And it is inappropriate to talk about a transgender person’s pre-operative or post-operative situation or how far they are in their transition. A person is still considered to be transgender whether they have undergone surgery or not.

What Happens When Transgender People Start Hormone Therapy?

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is transgender hormone therapy for transgender people which introduces hormones associated with the gender that the patient identifies with, notably testosterone for transgender men and estrogen for transgender women. Some intersex people may also receive HRT. Cross-sex hormone treatment for transgender individuals is divided into two main types: feminizing hormone therapy and masculinizing hormone therapy. Feminizing hormone therapy in sex reassignment therapy for transgender women. Masculinizing hormone therapy in sex reassignment therapy for transgender men.

HRT can be administered in pill form or as an injection to boost or replace the body's natural hormones. HRT is also used by older cisgender women to relieve the symptoms of monopause. Older cisgender men may also benefit from HRT.

Video: How HRT Changes a Transwoman's Body

Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

Transition Advice: Should I Start HRT?

Guide to Hormone Therapy for Trans People

Wasington Post: First Trans Person Elected to Public Office in Virginia
LA Times: Danica Roem Defeats Chief Homophobe

Danica Roem Makes Political History

Trans woman Danica Roem (D) defeated anti-LGBTQ candidate Bob Marshall (R) in Virginia. Ironically, the man who wrote the anti-trans bathroom bill lost the election to a trans woman. Virginia’s most socially conservative state lawmaker was ousted from office on Nov 7, 2017 by Danica Roem, a Democrat, who will be one of the nation’s first openly transgender elected officials and who embodies much of what Bob Marshall fought against in Richmond.

Danica Roem defeated incumbent Republican Bob Marshall, 73, on having campaigned on a platform of social inclusion as well as local issues, such as building up infrastructure and job creation. it also exposed the nation’s fault lines over gender identity.

The race pitted a 33-year-old former journalist who began her physical gender transition four years ago against a 13-term incumbent who called himself Virginia’s “chief homophobe” and earlier this year introduced a “bathroom bill” that died in committee.

“Discrimination is a disqualifier,” a jubilant Roem said. “This is about the people of the 13th District, disregarding fear tactics, disregarding phobias, where we celebrate you because of who you are, not despite it.”

NBC News: Trans Woman Elected to Virginia State Legislature

LGBTQ Nation: Virginia's New Transgender Legislator

Transgender Speaker at Democratic Convention

Twenty-five-year-old Sarah McBride made history when she took center stage at the Democratic National Convention, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, in July 2016, as the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention.

McBride, who works as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, is no stranger to breaking down barriers. Four years earlier, as student body president at American University, the then-21-year-old made national headlines when she came out as transgender in the school's student-run paper, The Eagle. Later in 2012, when she interned at the White House Office of Public Engagement, she was the first out trans woman to work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

More recently, McBride stepped into the national spotlight for a viral selfie she took while inside a women's restroom in North Carolina, where a controversial law enacted last March bans transgender people from using government building bathrooms in line with their gender identities.

Trans Stories

Video: FTM Transgender Timeline

My Trans Life: I am the Scary Trans Person the Media Warned You About

Transgender Kids

Trans Boy: I Started Living My Life Instead of Just Surviving

Angie Bouros: Trans Woman Responds to Hate Mail and Violence

Allison Faye: Transition Timeline Story

Trans Kids Share Their Stories

Jazz Jennings: Confirmation Surgery

Stef Sanjati: He Didn't Know I Was Transgender

Kai Shappley: 7 Year Old on Growing Up Trans

Janet Mock: Knowing My Gender Identity With Certainty

Jazz Jennings: Battle Wounds From Gender Confirmation Surgery

Transgender Terminology

Transgender - Often used as an umbrella term and refers to those who transgress societal gender norms. Generally, people who identify as transgender exhibit some behavior or traits that fall outside of traditional gender expectations. Specifically, however, the term refers to a person whose gender identity differs from what is culturally associated with their biological sex at birth.

Transsexual - An old term referring to a transgender person who undergoes full sex reassignment surgery. In fact only some, but not all, transgender people wish to change their bodies to be congruent with their gender identity through sex reassignment surgery. This term "transsexual" is considered outdated.

Gender Dysphoria - Discomfort with an assigned sex and/or gender and/or the gender norms and roles associated with either.

Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) – Term used by some medical professionals to refer to a group of surgical options that alter a person’s biological sex. Also called Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS). In most cases, one or multiple surgeries are required to achieve legal recognition of gender variance.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - Taking hormones to enable one’s outward appearance to conform more closely to one’s inner gender identity.

MTF – Abbreviation for male-to-female transgender person or transwoman.

FTM – Abbreviation for female-to-male transgender person or transman.

Top Surgery – Term refers to surgery for the construction of a male-type chest or breast augmentation for a female-type chest.

Bottom Surgery - Term refers to Sex Reassignment Surgery involving genital reconstruction.

Boymoder - Transwoman trying to present herself as male. In boy mode. This "mode switching" is a temporary or situational act typically done while in transition due to society pressure, or for safety reasons, or when in the presence of people who are not accepting.

Girlmoder - Transman trying to present himself as female. In girl mode. This "mode switching" is a temporary or situational act typically done while in transition due to society pressure, or for safety reasons, or when in the presence of people who are not accepting.

Cisgender - Person whose gender identity and biological sex (assigned at birth) align. The opposite of transgender.

CBS Sunday Morning: Growing Up Trans

World Health Organization: Transgender People Not Mentally Ill

Video Story: My Friend is Transgender

Trans Short Film: Masked

Gender Therapist Advice: How Do I Know if I Am Trans?

HRC: Parents for Transgender Equality

Woman Can’t Contain Her Excitement After Life-Changing Affirming Makeover

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Cher Talks About Her Trans Son Chaz

Gender Affirming Surgery Linked to Better Mental Health

Ranker: Transgender Historical Figures

Video: Growing Up Transgender and Mormon

Voice Training Is a Medical Necessity for Many Transgender People

Chazzie: Story of a Transgender Girl and Her Parents

Janet Mock: Knowing Her Gender Identity With Certainty

Erin Anderson: Beautiful MTF Trsansgender

Video Lesson: Anti-Trans Slurs

Feminism and Equality: What Trans Women Want You to Know

Lisa Ling and EJ Johnson Tackle Gender Identity

Video: I Got Top Surgery

Relevant Terminology

Androgyny - Mixing of masculine and feminine characteristics. Something that is neither masculine nor feminine.

Drag - Act of dressing in gendered clothing as part of a performance. Drag may be performed as a political comment on gender, as parody, or simply as entertainment. Drag performance does not indicate sexuality, gender identity, or sex identity. Old term: Transvestism.

Intersex - Naturally occurring condition that affects the reproductive and sexual system. Intersex people are born with sex chromosomes, external genitalia, or internal reproductive systems that are not considered "standard" for either male or female. The existence of intersex shows that there are not just two sexes and that our ways of thinking about sex (trying to force everyone to fit into either male box or female) is socially constructed.

Gender Bender/Gender Queer - Person who redefines or plays with gender, or who refuses gender altogether. People who bend/break the rules of gender and blur the boundaries.

Cross Dresser - Person who enjoys dressing in clothes typically associated with the other gender. Preferred over the term “transvestite.” Cross dressers may be of any sexual orientation.

Two-Spirited - Term for third-gender people that are among many Native American and Canadian First Nations tribes. It usually implies a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit living in the same body. It is also used by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex Native Americans to describe themselves. Two-Spirited people have distinct gender and social roles in their tribes. Some are counselors while others are medicine persons or spiritual functionaries. They typically possess skills in story telling, theater, magic, hypnotism, healing, herbal medicine, ventriloquism, singing, music and dance.

Genderbread Person

How the Mothers of Transgender Children Are Changing the World

New Study: Transgender Youth and Suicide Risk

Video Story: 7 Year Old Kai on Growing Up Trans

Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

GLAAD: Transgender Terminology

Trans Ask: What Do You Transition to if You are Non-Binary?

Affirmations: Parents and Their Trans Kids

Scarleteen: Sex Ed For The Real World

Kids Meet a Transgender Soldier

Wikipedia: Gender Dysphoria

Natural Women Only: Trans Woman Barred From Beauty Pageant

Video Chat: How Do You Know You're Transgender?

Wikipedia: Puberty Blockers

Puberty Blockers

Puberty blockers (puberty inhibitors, puberty suppressors, hormone suppressors) are a group of medications used to inhibit puberty. They were originally used to treat children with precocious puberty or other such early onset of puberty. Puberty blockers are commonly used for the transgender community. In this community, puberty blockers are used to provide transgender youth with time to further explore their identity, while halting the development of their predisposed sex characteristics caused by the onset of puberty.

The medication that is used in order to stop puberty comes in two forms: injections or an implant.

Puberty blockers prevent the development of biological secondary sex characteristics. They slow the growth of sexual organs and production of hormones. Other effects include the suppression of male features of facial hair, deep voices, and Adam's apples for children and adolescents and the halting of female features of breast development and menstruation.

Transgender youth are a specific target population of puberty blockers. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists (leuprorelin, histrelin) to halt puberty, can be used for transgender youth before the development of natal secondary sex characteristics.

Puberty blockers serve the transgender community by giving future trans men and trans women more time to solidify their gender identity, without developing secondary sex characteristics. If a child later decides not to transition to another gender, the effects of puberty blockers can be reversed by stopping the medication. Another function of puberty blockers is that it gives the future transgender individual a smoother transition into their desired gender identity as an adult.

Health Topic: Blocking Puberty in Transgender Youth

PBS News Hour: Puberty Blockers May Improve Health of Trans Adolescents

Video: Struggles of Transgender Youth

AMA: Suppression of Puberty in transgender Children

Puberty Blockers and Hormones for Trans Kids

Video: Trans Youth Share Struggles and Hopes

Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

Deadnaming

"Deadnaming" is the act of referring to a transgender person's birth name instead of their chosen name. It is the practice of uttering or publishing the name that a transgender person used prior to transition.

Most of the time, an individual will pick a new name as soon as they begin to identify as the gender they know they are on the inside. This new name, in a way, marks the "death" of their old identity and the person they once were. With a new name, they signify a new, more truthful, and more fully realized phase of their life.

For many people who are transgender, undergoing a name change can be an affirming step in the transition process. It can help a transgender person and the people in their lives begin to see them as the gender they know themselves to be. It can also alleviate discomfort that may be associated with one’s old (former, previous) name.

Transgender and genderqueer people really want other people to forget their previous name. Unfortunately, many people may struggle to adhere to a transgender person’s new, affirmed name. In some situations, other people may refuse to acknowledge the change altogether. And in situations that involve official identification, having a legal name that doesn’t align with one’s affirmed name can cause people serving in official capacities (administrators, employers, government officials, legal entities) to inadvertently refer to a trans person by the wrong name or gender.

Uninformed cisgender (straight) people might comment about a trans person’s “real” name, as if the new name a trans person uses is somehow less real than the one given to them at birth, when they were assigned male or female. It is seen as a verbally violent offense that attempts to invalidate a person’s authentic gender identity.

Deadnaming occurs when someone, intentionally or accidentally, refers to a transgender person by the name they used before they transitioned. You may also hear it described as referring to someone by their “birth name” or their “given name.”

Finding Your Name
Deadnaming a Trans Person is Psychological Violence

Why is Deadnaming Harmful?

James: Starbucks Trans Ad

Don’t Deadname Caitlyn Jenner

Deadnaming: Referring to Myself in Past Tense

Words Matter: Deadnaming and Suicide

Simple Animation Explanation: Using They/Them Pronouns

We Need to Stop Deadnaming Trans People

Video: Misgendering is an Act of Violence

YouTube: Caitlyn Jenner Photo Shoot

Call Me Caitlyn

The transgender Olympic champion, publicly known as Bruce Jenner (dn), revealed her true self in a photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz and interview with Buzz Bissinger in Vanity Fair Magazine in June 2015. In the interview, Jenner speaks movingly about her journey, saying, "If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, You just blew your entire life." In April 2015, Jenner sat down for an interview with Diane Sawyer to reveal that the former Olympian had the "soul of a female" and now wants to be called Caitlyn.

Jenner, 65, who won an Olympic gold medal in the decathlon, has had a long public life. She had been on the cover of Playgirl, an author, an actor and most recently a part of the Kardashian family’s reality television empire. Earlier in 2015, reports emerged that she was in the process of becoming a woman.

CNN: No More Bruce

NY Times: Caitlyn Jenner Introduces Herself in Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair: Introducing Caitlyn Jenner

Gender Terminology

Gender - Socially constructed collection of traits, behaviors, and meanings that we use as a standard for how biological differences should be represented.

Gender Identity - Person’s fundamental sense of their own gender. This can include identifying as a combination of genders or refusing to label oneself with a gender. Gender identity is often confused with or considered tied to sexual orientation, but this is inaccurate. Gender identity and sexual orientation are exclusive off each other.

Gender Normative (Gender Conformity, Gender Straight) - When your gender identity and sex “match” (fit social norms). For example, a male who identifies and behaves in traditionally masculine ways and identifies as a man. A term used to describe someone whose gender presentation, whether by nature or by choice, aligns with society’s gender-based expectations.

Cisgender - Term referring to a person who is not transgender. It refers to a person whose gender identity and biological sex assigned at birth are in alignment.

Cisnormativity - Assumption that all, or almost all, individuals are cisgender. Although transgender-identified people comprise a fairly small percentage of the human population, many trans people and allies consider it to be offensive to presume that everyone is cisgender unless otherwise specified.

Gender Expression - Outward behaviors and appearances (hair, clothing, voice, body language) by which people manifest their gender identity or gender choices.

Gender Roles - Socially constructed and culturally specific norms of behavior and appearance expectations imposed based on biological sex (femininity and masculinity).

Sex Identity - The sex that a person sees themselves as. This can include refusing to label oneself.

CBS Sunday Morning: Growing Up Trans
Janet Mock: Knowing Her Gender Identity With Certainty

Matt Nathanson: The Girl in the Kinks Shirt
Gender Revolution: Gavin Grimm's Story

Natural Women Only: Trans Woman Barred From Beauty Pageant

Five Things Not to Say to a Trans Person

Grieving a Child Who is Still Alive

Transgender Police Officer

Expert Tips for Cis People Who Want to Be Better Trans Allies

Me As A Girl: Transition Timeline

Documentary: Transgender Kids

HRC Notes: Little Known Historical Trans Facts

New Study: Transgender Youth and Suicide Risk

National Transgender Discrimination Survey

Gender Identity: A New Challenge for Schools

Personal Insight: Nurse Who Cares for Gender Surgery Patients

Psych Central: Gender Dysphoria Symptoms

Video Lesson: Anti-Trans Slurs

Video Report: America's Transgender Children

My Trans Life: I'm That Scary Transgender Person

Kentucky Mom Honors Transgender Son

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

Kids Help Line: What is Gender Identity?

Binding and Tucking

Binding, tucking, packing, and padding are some do-it-yourself (or non-surgical) options used by transgender people for altering gender expression.

Binding - Wearing tight clothing, bandages, wrapping, or compression garments to flatten out your chest.

Tucking - Using "gaffs" to hide the penis and testicles so they are not visible in tight clothing.

Packing - Using a non-flesh, artificial, or prosthetic penis (sometimes referred to as a "packer").

Padding - Using undergarments, breast forms, and foam to create the appearance of larger breasts, hips, and buttocks.

Important note about binding: Binding with the nipples pointing down can seriously damage the tissue and skin and negatively affect the result of a future top surgery. Pressing the breasts toward you is a much safer way of binding

Trans Care: Safe Binding and Tucking Tips

GC2B Transitional Apparel: Binders

Truth About Chest Binding

Target Collaborates with TomboyX to Sell Binders

Special Garments to Aid Binding and Tucking

Origami Customs: Gaffs

Trans Health: Binding and Tucking Information

Simple Animation Explanation: Binders

Gaffs 101: Tucking Safely and Comfortably

Laverne Cox

Transgender activist, Laverne Cox, star of the hit Netflix series "Orange is the New Black," was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in June 2014. She was interviewed by Time about her life, current issues, and the transgender movement.

Bullied and harassed for appearing feminine while growing up in Mobile, Alabama, Cox eventually came out as transgender while living in New York City and took up acting. Now a star on the Netflix drama "Orange Is the New Black", she has emerged as a public leader of the trans movement, using her increasingly prominent perch to make the case for equal rights and touring the country giving speeches.

Laverne Cox in Time Magazine

Laverne Cox: Website

Laverne Cox: Wikipedia

Laverne Cox: IMDb

Identity Development

Based on D’Augelli’s Model of LGB Identity Development (1994), the processes do not necessarily occur linearly nor does every transgender person experience each process. It should also be noted that the term “transgender” covers a wide variety of identities. Individuals may experience the stages in different ways or to different degrees depending on how they specifically identify and the particular restrictions or prejudices that society places on that identity.

Exiting a Traditional Gender Identity - Involves recognition that one is gender variant, attaching a label to this identity, and affirming oneself as gender variant through coming out to others.

Developing a Personal Transgender Identity - Entails achieving the stability that comes from knowing oneself in relation to other transgender people and challenging internalized transphobia.

Developing a Transgender Social Identity - Focuses on creating a support network of people who know and accept that one is gender variant.

Becoming a Transgender Offspring - Consists of coming out as transgender to family members and reevaluating relationships that may be disrupted by the disclosure.

Developing a Transgender Intimacy Status - Involves the creation of intimate physical and emotional relationships.

Entering a Transgender Community - Involves making a commitment to political and social action and understanding identity through challenging transphobia.

GLAAD: Transgender Terminology

Video List: Most Famous Transgender People Worldwide

Maya Henry: Things Not to Say to Trans Girls

Transgender Universe

Everything You Need to Know About These Popular Transgender Celebrities

Counselor Competencies for Working With Transgender Clients

Harris Poll: Growing Acceptance of Transgender Issues

Shattering Myths: Trans Women's Bodily Concerns

Jazz Jennings on Facebook

Jazz Jennings

Jazz Jennings (born 2000) is an American YouTube personality, spokesmodel, television personality, and LGBTQ rights activist. Jennings, a transgender teenage girl, is notable for being one of the youngest publicly documented people to be identified as transgender, and for being the youngest person to become a national transgender figure.

Jennings received national attention in 2007 when an interview with Barbara Walters aired on the 20/20 television program, which led to other high-profile interviews and appearances. Christine Connelly, a member of the board of directors for the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, stated, "She was the first young person who picked up the national spotlight, went on TV and was able to articulate her perspective and point of view with such innocence." Her parents noted that Jennings was clear on being female as soon as she could speak.

Wikipedia: Jazz Jennings

Jazz Jennings Talks About Bottom Surgery

Jazz Jennings: Battle Wounds From Gender Confirmation Surgery

Jazz Jennings on YouTube

Derick Dillard Criticizes Jazz Jennings

Jennings is an honorary co-founder of the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation, which she and her parents founded in 2007 to assist transgender youth. In 2013, she founded Purple Rainbow Tails, a company in which she fashions rubber mermaid tails to raise money for transgender children.

Jennings hosts a series of YouTube videos about her life, entitled "I Am Jazz", making her one of the youngest trans females in history to speak out on issues publicly. Jennings stars in the TLC reality TV series, "I Am Jazz," which focuses on her life with her family as a teenager and as a transgender youth. The series premiered on July 15, 2015.

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Transgender Law Center

Video: Trans 101

What Not to Say When Your Child Comes Out as Transgender

Ignorant and Insensitive Remarks About Trans Kids

Following an outcry on social media over his anti-trans statements, Access Hollywood TV host Mario Lopez has apologized for assertions he made on the air in June 2019 when he called it “dangerous” for parents to support their transgender children. “The comments I made were ignorant and insensitive, and I now have a deeper understanding of how hurtful they were,” Lopez said. “I have been and always will be an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community, and I am going to use this opportunity to better educate myself. Moving forward I will be more informed and thoughtful,” he added.

Lopez was in conversation with Candace Owens (conservative ideologist, Trump supporter) about trans kids, saying it was “weird” that celebrities like Charlize Theron’s child are “picking their gender.”

"I'm kind of blown away, too," Lopez said. “If you're 3-years-old and you're saying you're feeling a certain way or you think you're a boy or a girl or whatever the case may be, I just think it's dangerous as a parent to make that determination.”

“It's sort of alarming. I just think about the repercussions later on,” Lopez added. Lopez went on to conflate gender and sexuality. "When you're a kid you don't know anything about sexuality yet. You're just a kid,” he said.

Inspirational Stories of Trans Kids and Supportive Parents

Being a Trans Kid is Hard

Transgender Expert Offers Tips to Parents

Here's What Parents of Transgender Kids Need to Know

Advice for Parents Whose Child Just Came Out to Them as Transgender

Sex Change Treatment for Kids

Chazzie: Story of a Transgender Girl and Her Parents

Video Talk: Am I Normal?

Trans Terms You Should Know

GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement that Lopez "clearly needs a primer on trans issues. Medical and psychological experts, and parents of transgender children have long discredited the ideas that Mario Lopez shared,” Ellis said. “The real 'dangerous action' is when someone with a public platform uses bad science to speak against a marginalized and vulnerable group of children."

Catherine Hyde (who currently serves on the PFLAG National Board of Directors, has also served on the Howard County Human Rights Commission, and was named a Hometown Hero by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore) also voiced her opposition to Mario Lopez’s misguided remarks.

She said, “Ignorance is not benign. Not knowing enough about trans children is not a crime, but judging others while refusing to learn the facts is inexcusable. And Ignorance is harmful. But, thankfully, through investigation, exploration, and education, ignorance is most definitely repairable.”

She went on to relate her personal insight. In April 2019, actress Charlize Theron revealed that her child is transgender. “Yes, I thought she was a boy, too,” Theron said, “Until she looked at me when she was three years old and said, ‘I am not a boy!'”

Hyde said, “Unlike TV host Mario Lopez, I understood exactly what Ms. Theron was talking about.”

Huff Post: Broader Acceptance of Gender Non-Conformity

Slideshow: Transgender Resources

Trans and Gender Queer Over 50

Counselor Competencies for Working With Transgender Clients

Harris Poll: Growing Acceptance of Transgender Issues

Maya Henry: Things Not to Say to Trans Girls

Statistics on Transgender Mental Health

Critical Facts About State of Transgender America

Trans Girls Handbook: Dealing With Dysphoria

Here is Catherine Hyde’s story:

In 1993, my husband, a former Marine, and I brought into this world a child we did not understand and did not know how to parent. Gender identity (which is defined as one’s deeply held core sense of being a woman, a man, some of both, or neither) is an inherent part of who we are. We are all born with it. Yes, even non-transgender (cisgender) people have a gender identity, and it cannot be changed. Very few people understand that. But ignorance is not benign.

Early on, I noticed that my then-son displayed habits that would typically be described as “feminine.” By the age of three, once my child had words, they told me that “something went wrong in your belly, Mom. I was supposed to be a girl.” As supportive, concerned, and loving parents, my husband and I went to see a child psychologist who told us to "discourage girl play and encourage boy play, only allow boy toys and boy clothing." Trusting the child expert, we did that, and by the age of six, my child was threatening suicide.

Suicidal ideation in transgender people is sadly common. In fact, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2015 US Transgender Survey (the largest survey examining the experiences of transgender people in the United States) 40 percent of respondents attempted suicide, nearly nine times the attempted suicide rate in the US population (4.6 percent). So back to the therapist we went, who diagnosed depression and anxiety. Understandable, of course, since we had been essentially shaming our child for years. But again there was no mention of gender. We did not get educated, and we did not stop the shaming. Ignorance is harmful.

Glossary of Transgender Terminology

Ranker: Famous Transgender People

Chazzie: Story of a Transgender Girl and Her Parents

Shattering Myths: Trans Women's Bodily Concerns

TED Talk: How to Talk (and Listen) to Transgender People

Psych Central: Gender Dysphoria Symptoms

Inspirational Stories of Trans Kids and Supportive Parents

Jenny Boylan: Trans Memoir From Her Dogs' Perspective

APA: Answers to Questions About Transgender Issues

At 15, after years in the darkest place imaginable, my child finally told me their truth: They were male on the outside and female on the inside. I exploded. "You can be as gay as you want, but if you go trans on me, it's on your own dime and it's out of my house!" When I think about that now...well, truthfully, it’s still hard to think about that now.

Then, I heard an episode of NPR’s This American Life about transgender children and what happens when they are supported versus when they are not supported by their families. The statistics are staggering. According to the Family Acceptance Project, “LGBTQ teens who were highly rejected by their parents and caregivers were at very high risk for health and mental health problems when they become young adults (ages 21-25). Highly rejected young people were more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, six times as likely to report high levels of depression, three times as likely to use illegal drugs, and three times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.”

By the end of that NPR episode, I knew without a doubt that my child was transgender. I also knew without a doubt that, despite our fierce love for our child and our belief that we had been supportive, our lack of education and understanding had caused her to suffer, for years. After all, how could we have been really supporting her without the education to understand exactly who she was and what she needed from us? Thankfully, ignorance is repairable.

Chilean Movie Makes Transgender Oscar History

Things Trans People Want You to Know

National Center for Transgender Equality
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HuffPost: Transgender Suicide Hotline

Harris Poll: Growing Acceptance of Transgender Issues

Center for Gender Sanity

Girls to Men: Jamie's Transgender Transition Timelapse

We learned about gender identity, and how it differs from gender expression (the manner in which a person communicates their gender to others through external means, and which may or may not reflect their gender identity or sexual orientation), and sexual orientation (one’s emotional, romantic, or sexual feelings toward other people). We learned about how gender identity manifests, even in very young children. We read books, we joined support groups, we found people to answer our questions. We did everything we could to better understand our child.

And once we better understood her, we were able to support her the way she needed to be supported, including her transition starting in 10th grade (recognizing that “transition” is different for each transgender person). Her depression and anxiety steadily lifted, and today she is happy, healthy, and thriving. And what parent doesn’t want to be able to say that about their kids? Isn’t that the lifelong goal?

From the beginning, my daughter was insistently, persistently, and consistently stating that she was a girl. We just didn’t see it or hear it. Or didn’t want to. I wish I’d had earlier access to the information I needed to support her through her journey of self-exploration, willing to accept whatever outcome lay at the end of that road, transgender or not.

It’s because of my early lack of education and understanding that my heart is open to those who are now where I was then. I understand when people like Mr. Lopez and others conflate gender and sexual orientation. After all, lots of people now have a better understanding of what it means to be gay or lesbian, but no understanding at all (yet, I say hopefully) of what it means to be transgender. I get how they hear the word “transition” and think of medical interventions instead of haircuts, name changes, and clothing exchanges, which are the types of things children exploring their gender at young ages are focused on. It’s because of my journey to understanding that I’m willing to meet people right where they are, whatever their level of understanding, to have the challenging conversations, over and over and over again. Because ignorance is not benign. Ignorance is harmful. But, through investigation, exploration, and education, ignorance is most definitely repairable.

I encourage everyone to find that education. It is out there. Great organizations (like PFLAG, HRC, GLAAD) with important resources, glossaries, support groups. And there are thousands of people like me who are willing to talk, listen without judgement, and answer questions. Because in my view there really are no dumb questions. I know, because in the last 20 years I’ve probably asked all of those questions myself. Thankfully, I found the resources I needed, including generous people, to answer them. My daughter’s very life depended on these people, and I don’t know where my family would be now, if not for them.

Ms. Theron said of her children, “My job as a parent is to celebrate them and to love them and to make sure that they have everything they need in order to be what they want to be.” And to that I say, YES, Ms. Theron. That’s my job. That is the job of everyone who parents or cares for a child. We owe it to them to get the education, ask the questions, and support them the way they need to be supported. Because their lives depend on it.

[Source: Advocate Magazine, August 2019]

Video Chat: How Do You Know You're Transgender?

By the Numbers: Transgender Community
How the Mothers of Transgender Children Are Changing the World

Things Trans People Want You to Know

Video Talk: Can You Define Your Gender Identity?

Debunking Transgender Predator Bathroom Myth

Video Lesson: Anti-Trans Slurs

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Video List: Most Famous Transgender People Worldwide

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Gender Therapist Advice: Can I Trust the Way I Feel?

Things Trans People Want You to Know

Laverne Cox on the Cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine

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Transgender Suicide Hotline

Kylar Brodus

In June 2012, the Senate Health and Labor Committee, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin, held a hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that would create a federal ban on discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender people in the workplace. The measure has been introduced in every congressional session since 1994.

The witness panel included one openly transgender person, Kylar Brodus, founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition, who spoke in support of the ENDA bill. Brodus is the first transgender person to testify at a US Senate hearing.

C-SPAN Video: Senate Hearing on ENDA
Metro Weekly: Senate Hearing Includes Trans, Business and Legal Witnesses
Washington Blade: First Transgender Person to Testify at US Senate

Helpful Trans Tips

Outing - Remember that revealing the transgender status of any transgender person without his or her expressed permission has the same potential for harm as outing a gay man, lesbian, or bisexual man or woman. Outing is an invasion of privacy.

Appearance - Do not assume that someone who appears to be cross-dressed is a "transvestite." That person may or may not be living full-time in their presenting gender, or they may intend to do so in the future. Instead of the stigmatizing "transvestite", use the terms male cross-dresser or female cross-dresser if it's clear that they are not living full-time nor intend to do so.

Living Status - If a transgender person is living full-time in a gender not associated with their birth sex, that person should be referred to at all times with terms appropriate to their presenting gender, regardless of their surgical status or body state.

--Transgender Woman (Trans Woman) is an appropriate term for Male-To-Female (MTF) persons.
--Transgender Man (Trans Man) is an appropriate term for Female-to-Male (FTM) persons.
--Transgender Person (Trans Person) is an appropriate term for someone of either above types.
--Transgender People (Trans People) is an appropriate term for mixed groups.

Surgical Status - Almost all transsexuals (pre-operative, post-operative, non-operative) and many transgender people are extremely sensitive about their surgical status and/or their body's physical state. Questions about this should be avoided or, if medically necessary, asked very sensitively. Moreover, this information should be considered confidential and should not be shared with others unless it is medically necessary. Regardless of their surgical status, the appropriate term for a Male-To-Female Transgender person is Transgender Woman, and for a Female-to-Male Transgender person, Transgender Man.

Quotation Marks - Avoid aspersion by not using quotation marks (as if to suggest "sort of" or "not quite" or "not actually"). Never put pronouns or possessive adjectives of transgender persons in quotes. Never put their sexual orientations or genitalia in quotes.

Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives - It is extremely offensive to refer to transgender persons using pronouns and possessive adjectives that refer to their birth sex. Use pronouns and adjectives appropriate to the transgender person gender expression. If you are uncertain, ask what they prefer. Some people prefer the new pronoun ze (pronounced “zee”) in lieu of she/he, and the new possessive adjective hir (pronounced “here”) in lieu of his/her.

Self-Identification - Not all transgender people use the same terminology to describe themselves. When in doubt, just ask an individual transgender person how they wish to be identified. If you’re not sure how to address someone, just ask. Or simply use their first name or last name. It's sometimes customary for patients or clients in clinical situations to be addressed by their last name when it’s time to see their providers.

Trans Lifeline

Genderbread Person

National Transgender Discrimination Survey

Trans Terms You Should Know

Video: Trans 101

Transgender Universe

Glossary of Transgender Terminology

Info: Sex and Gender

Scarleteen: Sex Ed For The Real World

Trans and Gender Queer Over 50

Coy Mathis

"They're telling me I'm a boy when I'm really a girl."

Rolling Stone Magazine ran an amazing article in October 2013 about a young boy who wanted to become a girl. Sabrina Rubin Erdely's article is about the journey of Coy Mathis and her parents' process of coming to terms with the transgender issue.

Coy's parents regarded his fascination with all things sparkly, ruffly and pink as the harmless play of a toddler whose mind was yet untouched by social constructs of "masculine" and "feminine." Coy was one of four siblings (a triplet with a same-age sister and brother, plus an older sister) and so was surrounded by both "girl" and "boy" toys, inside their cramped split-level house, where the living room was covered by a patina of puzzle pieces and stray Legos. Kathryn and Jeremy figured it was just a matter of time before Coy sorted it out for himself.

"When am I going to get my girl parts?" he asked softly one day. "What do you mean?" asked his mother. "When are we going to go to the doctor to have me fixed?" Coy asked, tears now spilling down his cheeks. "To get my girl parts?" That's when it dawned on Kathryn Mathis, with a sinking feeling, that she and her husband were dealing with a very serious issue. The lengthy article, published by Rolling Stone, is incredibly touching and filled with profound details and lots of links to related articles. It is a "must read."

Coy Mathis: One Child's Fight to Change Gender
Being a Trans Kid is Hard

Gender Therapist Advice: Can I Trust the Way I Feel?

Video Story: 7 Year Old Kai on Growing Up Trans

Transgender Expert Offers Tips to Parents

Eye Opening Facts About Being Transgender

Documentary: Transgender Kids

Allison Faye: Transition Timeline Story

Here's What Parents of Transgender Kids Need to Know

Advice for Parents Whose Child Just Came Out to Them as Transgender

Male Celebrities That Were Born Female

Teen Talk: Trans Guy Problems

Everything You Need to Know About These Popular Transgender Celebrities

ABC News: Transgender Parents

Video Chat: How Do You Know You're Transgender?

Sex Change Treatment for Kids

Affirmations: Parents and Their Trans Kids

Transgender Needs

Transgender persons may identify as heterosexual, so they may not be dealing with issues of sexuality. However, depending on how they sexually identify, transgender people may face discrimination from both heterosexuals and LGB people.

They may experience more verbal and physical attacks than most LGB people if they cross-dress or otherwise “look gender variant.”

They are generally less accepted in society than LGB people, in large part due to ignorance. There is little understanding of transgender lives. They are not visible in popular culture beyond stereotypes and almost no research has been done on their experiences.

They sometimes experience a lack of acceptance and support from the LGB community.

As a result of the lack of acceptance and support in the dominant culture and in the LGB community, they often lack a strong community and positive role models or images. Consequently, transpeople, especially trans youth, may feel isolated and marginalized.

Transpeople may want to remain closeted because of the legitimate fear of how they will be treated by their professors, employers, co-workers, friends, and others in their field.

Transpeople often have a hard time finding medical help that is knowledgeable and understanding concerning transgender issues.

If transitioning, they will need to change their identification as well as other records and documents. Keep in mind that different states and institutions have different rules about when and if these changes are possible.

They are especially vulnerable to attack, harassment, and/or embarrassment when trying to use the gender appropriate bathroom.

Transpeople often have others refer to them as a gender different than the one with which they wish to identify or insist on calling them by their given name even though they have changed it.

[Source: Beemyn, B., 2003, Serving the needs of transgender college students. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education]

Huff Post: Broader Acceptance of Gender Non-Conformity

Gender Therapist Advice: Can I Trust the Way I Feel?

Slideshow: Transgender Resources

Dwayne Wade's Trans Daughter Makes Red Carpet Debut

HRC: Parents for Transgender Equality

Statistics on Transgender Mental Health

Chaz Bono: The Pain of Looking at Old Photographs

Chaz Bono

In June 2009, Chaz Bono, the 40 year old child of Sonny and Cher, transitioned from female to male. After many years of consideration, he has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect of loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his coming out did nearly 20 years ago.

Daily News: Chaz Bono Changing Gender From Female to Male
Chaz Bono: When I Knew I was Transgender

Sonny & Cher Show 1975: Cher and Chaz

Chaz Bono Opens Up About Becoming a Man

Chastity Bono (dn) on the Cher Show

E On-Line: Chaz Bono Transition
Sonny & Cher Christmas Special 1975 with Chastity (dn)

ABC News: Chaz Bono Gives Voice to Invisible Community
Sonny & Cher with Chastity (dn)

MSNBC: Cher's Child Undergoing Sex Reassignment

Gender-Affirming Hormones: Early Access Linked to Better Mental Health

Remember Brandon Teena: Transgender Martyr

Born Teena Renae Brandon (1972–1993), Brandon Teena was an American transgender man who was raped and murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska.

His life and death was the subject of the Academy Award winning 1999 film ‘Boys Don't Cry’ which was partially based on ‘The Brandon Teena Story’ documentary film. Both of these films also showed the extent to which Teena's murder was an outcome of more systematic discrimination by law enforcement, judicial and hospital authorities that he encountered prior to his death.

Teena's family described him as being a tomboy since early childhood. Teena began identifying as male during adolescence and dated a female student during this period. His mother rejected his male identity and continued referring to him as her daughter.
At Pius X High School in Lincoln, where Teena was remembered by some as being socially awkward, he began rebelling by violating the school dress-code policy and dressing in a more masculine fashion.

Teena enlisted in the United States Army shortly after his eighteenth birthday, and hoped to serve a tour of duty in Operation Desert Shield, but he failed the written entrance exam by listing his sex as male.

In 1993, after some legal trouble, Teena moved to the Falls City region of Richardson County, Nebraska, where he identified solely as a man. He became friends with several local residents. After moving into the home of Lisa Lambert, he began dating Lambert's friend Lana Tisdel, 19, and began associating with ex-convicts John Lotter and Tom Nissen.

Teena’s life goes downhill from here, including involuntary disclosure of his birth gender, assault, rape, an apathetic ER that lost the rape kit, Sheriff Lau’s interest in the nature of Teena’s gender rather than the crime that was committed against him, and his refusal to arrest Lotter and Nissen for assault and rape due to an alleged lack of evidence.

In December 1993 Nissen and Lotter broke into Lisa Lambert's house, found her in bed and Teena hiding under it. Also in the house they found Phillip DeVine, who was dating and staying with Tisdel's sister, and Lambert’s toddler. They then shot Lambert, DeVane and Teena in front of Lambert's toddler, and Nissen noticed that Teena was twitching, so he stabbed him in the chest to ensure that he was dead.

Their arrest and conviction was convoluted as well, with Nissen testifying against Lotter, testimonies changed and withdrawn, appeals going all the way to the Supreme Court where it was declined, resulting in Nissen getting life and Lotter the death penalty, as of 2012 he was still on death row.

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Trans Musicians You Should Listen To
Info: Preferred Pronouns

Matt Nathanson: The Girl in the Kinks Shirt
Advice From Gender Therapist: Am I Really Trans or Something Else?

Go Charlie: Am I Trans Enough?

Five Things Not to Say to a Trans Person

Grieving a Child Who is Still Alive

Video Talk: Am I Normal?

World Health Organization: Transgender People Not Mentally Ill

Gender Identity: A New Challenge for Schools

Video List: Most Famous Transgender People Worldwide

Hardships for Transgender Youth

Transgender youth often face enormous hardships when they acknowledge and express their gender identity. They may be thrown out of the house when their family discovers that they are transgender, often forcing them to live on the streets.

They typically face harassment and abuse in school to such an extent that they quit, which makes it hard for them to get decent-paying jobs (for example, a survey of more than 250 transgender people in Washington, DC found that forty percent had not finished high school and another 40 percent were unemployed).

Even if they are able to get an education, they have difficulty finding and keeping almost any kind of job because of discrimination, forcing some to become sex workers.

If they live on the streets or are a sex worker, they are at a greater risk for abusing drugs, becoming infected with HIV, and being subjected to anti-transgender violence.

Many lack access to health care, including proper counseling and medical supervision for those who are in the process of transitioning. And when they do get medical treatment, they frequently face discrimination and hostility from health-care workers. Consequently, some transsexuals decide to treat themselves by buying underground hormones, which can contain dangerous if not deadly chemicals.

Because gender reassignment surgery can cost more than $100,000 and is not covered by most health insurance policies, even most middle-class transsexuals cannot afford the procedures.

The ultimate result is often high rates of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and thoughts of suicide among transgender people (thirty-five percent of the respondents to the DC survey mentioned above reported that they had seriously considered suicide).

Many transgender people who can “pass” will choose to remain closeted, so trans youth often do not have visible role models and mentors.

[Source: Beemyn, B., 2004, Legal and Political Rights of Transgender People, Ohio State University, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Services Web]