I Stopped Tweezing in Quarantine and Realized I’m Nonbinary
On the 24th day of quarantine, I turned on all of the lamps in my room and took off all my clothes. Then I stood in front of the mirror and stared.
You Need Help: I Never Imagined I’d Live Past 20. Now What?
Babe, I promise you’re right on time. In 2020 I can’t be sure of hardly anything, but I am sure that you are good. You belong right where you are, and you get to do the messy work of finding out what’s next.
The Pandemic is Trauma for Trans Disabled People
An exploration of the pandemic experiences of trans disabled people with a focus on trauma and survivorhood.
Everything Is Subject to Change…
I idolized Shane, and the only trans man in the series, Max. I wanted to mirror their everyday existence. I wanted to emulate their cool. I wanted the attraction they seemed to be dripped in. I wanted the clothes they wore, I wanted my jeans to have a hole in the crotch like theirs did.
The Labyrinth Closet
We’re always coming out. As an: anime fanatic, manga-collecting Pokémon plushie hoarder; as a giddy, youthful ray of sunshine and not just the dense, American Dream-deprived immigrant, prompted over-thinker — I realize I am more than any of these individual rooms at all times.
Coming Out Roundtable: Like A Can Of Pringles, Once You Pop The Fun Don’t Stop
We’re getting ready for Coming Out Day. “I also passive aggressively came out to my parents by posting a Facebook status on National Coming Out Day sixish years ago? They both liked it….and then we didn’t really talk about it? I introduced them to my then girlfriend about eight months later? I guess I technically passive aggressively came out to a lot of people in that Facebook post…”
When Other People Get to Give Away Their Binders
Getting top surgery with my butch identity is no longer some unattainable fantasy. Now the question firmly rests with me: do I want to go ahead with it or not?
Why Everything Transphobes Think About Detransition Is Wrong
Coverage of ‘detransitioners’ may claim it’s just asking questions, but it rarely asks the right ones.
What This Trans Survivor Wants J.K. Rowling to Know
Joanne Rowling and I might have more in common than she thinks.
How Did We Get Here? 6 Bi People on Coming to Their Identity for Bi+ Week 2020
“So many people come to the table with preconceived notions about bisexuality — namely that it excludes trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming folks — and if I was out in the world, identifying solely as bisexual, was I coloring how people saw me? Did my definition of bisexuality matter outside my comfort zone?”
You Need Help: My Mom Is Offended I Didn’t Come Out To Her Sooner
Your mom is making this about herself, and it’s not fair to you.
In the Face of Government Neglect, Trans Leaders Spearhead Housing Solutions
Housing initiatives in the South showcase the continued resilience and resourcefulness of trans communities, despite discriminatory proposed rules by the government.
Scenes from a Gender 02: Illustrated Moments of Trans Womanhood
“I have a question!” she exclaims. Stepmom knows where this is going so she tries to head her off, but the child will not be dissuaded. “My question is,” — here it comes — “… are you transgender?” No one knows what to say, me included.
How Writing “The Ship We Built,” a Children’s Novel, Helped Me Come Out
The first draft of The Ship We Built was intended as a valentine for one person. Six and a half years later, The Ship We Built has been released as a novel with Penguin Random House and continues to be a valentine – now for anybody who picks it up.
What Do We Mean When We Say BIPOC?: A Roundtable
Nine queers of color on understanding and grappling with BIPOC — the acronym that, in so many ways, has come to define this summer.
Trans Love in Pandemic Times
Love without a blueprint leaves room for unknown possibilities. I spoke to seven trans people about how the pandemic has changed their relationships and how trans love has changed their lives.
We Find Freedom in Black Trans Joy
We place joy at the center of our spaces, because spaces created for us are often only interested in our trauma and pain.
The Price I Pay For(ever) My Culture
Being a first-gen, Indigenous, queer, Samoan girl in diaspora almost cost me my Samoan culture. But one day, I’m going to be the queer Samoan elder who looks my grandchildren in their faces, and says: I was afraid the entire time that I was fighting for the world you deserve, but I did it anyway.
Lost and Found in the Fish Sauce: How I Cooked My Way Back Home
Through my mother’s recipes, I’m reminded of the resilience that flows in our blood. Instead of disconnecting from my body to survive, I nurtured it. Like me, cooking is hella queer and fluid. Every time I reimagine a dish, it can taste different depending on my mood.“How spicy do I want this dish to be today? “How sweet do I want this dessert?” It’s never fixed or prescribed. That’s what makes these evolving recipes — and the queer experience — so delicious.
You Need Help: Gender Feels in Quarantine
Your rawness and tenderness is a primal signal that you are alive. It’s exhausting and there’s no way to turn it off. Let yourself breathe through this, and trust that it is not a waste of time to devote your energy to the work of becoming.