Trans Awareness Week is celebrated every November 13th through 19th, leading up to Trans Day of Remembrance on November 20th. This week is intended to increase visibility for the transgender community, both in their identities and how they’re treated by society. These issues range from respecting pronouns, to understanding the gender spectrum, to ending the epidemic of violence perpetuated against trans women of color worldwide.
We asked our staff to share their experiences with being a part of the trans/nonbinary community.
Member of OutWrite
One of the most liberating moments of self-reflection regarding gender was the moment I realized I didn’t have to label myself, I didn’t owe anyone the specifics, and even not knowing exactly how I felt or if that changed – was perfectly okay.
Rainer Lee (He/Him) | Writing Intern
I took years to accept that I’m trans. For most of middle and high school, the only trans people I knew of were YouTubers and online friends, and they all seemed so confident about being trans. I felt like no trans person had ever doubted themselves, which was deeply unrelatable. I knew I didn’t “feel like a girl,” but I didn’t necessarily “feel like a boy.” I didn’t even like when people used he/him pronouns for me in real life until recently. Secretly, I had been using he/him pronouns online for years, but in person, they felt far too scary. I had so much anxiety and shame around being trans that it was hard to parse out the fear from what I truly wanted. I tolerated being a girl, but now that I know I’m a trans guy, my life is infinitely better. So for anyone who’s questioning their gender, it’s okay if you aren’t sure. Be kind to yourself and don’t be afraid to experiment with your gender because you never know how your life could improve.
Member of OutWrite
Finding media content with your exact identity gets complicated when you have so many labels, I expect the only way I’ll find my own realistically is by writing it myself, and I just might do that. The best advice I ever did get (from a queer author) was to write what you wanted to read, especially if you didn’t see it on the shelves. I hope and know more and more of the community will get around to sharing their stories (in all sorts of creative ways) and I just can’t wait. Every day I find a new queer story to love my soul lifts just a little bit.
Michel (He/They) | Copy Intern
I’ve learned so much about myself, other people, and society as a whole throughout my transition. Most of all, being trans has helped me learn true self love. I have gone from basing my worth on the approval of others to now knowing that the only person who can define myself is me. I definitely have not reached the end of my journey, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come and am excited for the future!
Member of OutWrite
It’s the most beautiful thing to find another queer soul in another queer body that knows very very closely how you feel. That’s a beautiful beautiful moment for sure. (Shout out to my roommate who coincidentally shares so many queer identities with me and has made my entire college experience so much more enjoyable).
Emma (They/She/He) | Copy Editor, Writer
I think it’s kind of funny how I never realized I was nonbinary before, because I remember in high school I would very deliberately dress feminine one day and masculine the next, and I took joy in that contrast, in expressing myself across the full spectrum of the masculine/feminine. I still do that now, it’s just recontextualized as an expression of my gender. Clothing has always been very important to me in terms of the way other people see me, and I think it’s so freeing to get to choose the way I want to present myself.
Member of OutWrite
It somehow still surprises me when my parents and family assume things about me, or the trans* community and its people. It always surprise me when people assume that within the trans* community people all have the same experiences and feelings about everything. As if everyone in the world has the same feelings about everything, an even that people don’t always understand.
My mother is the most supportive person I’ve ever had, and I know she’d be supportive of almost anything I would do – which is why it was even more hard hitting to have her tell me I didn’t know what I was talking about when I first brought up not wanting the body and bodily functions I was given. Even now I’m hesitant to bring anything up surrounding my gender because I’m not ready for tough conversations. But, I am endlessly grateful to know she will always be there when I do get around to figuring this out between us. Love you mom.
Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) | Editor-in-Chief
To cis people, a happy trans person seems to be an impossibility. The world is hostile toward us and sometimes it feels like it’ll always be that way, but we continue to exist despite it. I love being trans, and although it took some time to get here, I wouldn’t trade my trans joy for anything, certainly not cis validation. Who knows, maybe visibility as a trans person who truly loves himself will push even one trans kid to keep going.
Member of OutWrite
It’s hard not to worry sometimes that someone else doesn’t truly see me the way I want to be seen from the outside, if even I have a hard time connecting my outside shell to the inner knowledge of my gender and body.
As far as expectations go, my body and I have a fairly non-traditional relationship (when it comes to typical trans* experiences). While I do have dysphoria, most of the time being in my exact body, as it functions, feels like me and I don’t feel the need to change almost anything about it. If simply people around me didn’t assume based on my look alone, for starters, most of the discomfort I have in my body would no longer be as big a problem.