The holiday season thrives in the spirit of consumerism, so it can be infuriating to find a quality gift with a surplus of options available. December can be especially difficult for transgender individuals due to the high chance that our gender identities are “divisive” and a reason to be cast out from our biological families. Here are ten holiday gift recommendations for the transgender women in your life.
Disclaimer: None of these items are sponsored! All listed products are based on my honest and personal opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.
Makeup 101 ($10 – $75)
Transition is expensive. Nearly every aspect is costly, although this reality comes as a surprise to many cisgender people. Makeup is no exception.
There are multiple routes you could take. The easiest (albeit least personal) option would be to purchase a gift card for a local store. If you know her shade and preferences, you can take the initiative to buy a palette or set. Or, if you’re makeup-savvy, make the gift an experience by going to the store together.
Learning to do makeup properly with the latest fashion trends can be difficult and overwhelming, especially for folks who don’t know anything about makeup. To fill this common gap that many transgender women experience, there are numerous courses available to teach the fundamentals. Both Ulta and Sephora offer individualized lessons at their stores.
Necklaces adorned with names or initials are common gifts for all women, including your transgender loved one. There is something magical about personalized jewelry; it affirms our fundamental identities and makes the bold statement, “I see you as you, and I accept you.”
The most accessible place to order personalized jewelry is Etsy, which also allows you to support a small business. Just make sure to read user reviews before placing an order.
Some transgender women are content or even prideful of their natural speaking range. Other transgender women aren’t greatly bothered if they managed to avoid testosterone-based puberty. But there are just as many other women who are uncomfortable or dysphoric about their voices since it outs them as transgender – which presents an additional safety risk that prevents going stealth.
If she falls into the latter range, you could gift the tuition for voice training. If the price tag is too steep but you know her voice bothers her, you could also create a good gift by spending time gathering relevant YouTube videos.
Journaling can be for anyone, and it’s a great tool to deal with stress and self-esteem issues. By purchasing her an affirmation journal, you’re providing her with a new coping skill to affirm her identity as a woman.
Guide her into reframing negative thoughts into optimistic ones, and dig into core beliefs holding her back. Affirmation journals come in a wide range of styles and themes – get creative and buy one based on her personal interests.
Fiction or Nonfiction Read ($30)
Is she a bookworm? Compared to the general population, transgender people receive far less positive visibility in the media. Despite this reality, seeing ourselves represented can be an incredibly beautiful and heartwarming experience.
For fiction fans, Nevada by Imogen Binnie follows Maria Griffiths’ road trip from NYC to the West Coast. Like most books written by transgender writers, Nevada has a small following compared to mainstream bestsellers – but the novel is well-received amongst LGBTQIA+ critics due to its impact on the transgender fiction scene when it was originally published in 2013.
Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a solid nonfiction recommendation, which was edited and published by Laura Erickson-Schroth in 2014. Technically, Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is for all gender identities – but it’s an incredibly undervalued piece of literature. Based on the 1973 book Our Bodies, Ourselves (written by the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective to highlight censored topics like birth control, sexuality, abortion, and menopause), it holds a wealth of information related to transgender health.
Similar to the suggestions above, transgender people don’t frequently see themselves represented well. Memoirs are a special subcategory of nonfiction that connects us with the experiences of other transgender individuals who have gone through similar struggles.
If you’re only going to read one transgender memoir ever, make it Whipping Girl. Julia Serano’s book is a wonderful blend of personal storytelling and critical theory that shook late third-wave feminist academia. The book explores the many ways transgender women are objectified, erased, excluded, and mystified both in general culture and within feminist circles.
Jennifer Finney Boylan is a prolific writer with a dense bibliography. She transitioned at age 42 after having two children with her wife, Deirdre, and many of her memoirs tell her unique experience as a transgender parent. She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders and Stuck in the Middle With You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders are Boylan’s two most well-known works to start with.
In my gift guide for transgender men, I mentioned Some Assembly Required by Arin Andrews. Rethinking Normal is its companion memoir, written by Katie Hill – Arin’s girlfriend, who wrote her own memoir about being a transgender teenage girl.
Sometimes, the best presents can’t be wrapped neatly under a tree. The gift of making memories can be just as good as anything you can put a bow on.
If she’s open to the idea, book a spa day. However, I will caveat that you need to ensure the spa is transgender-friendly to ease her concerns. There is a history of issues regarding transgender people and spas that have barred us from basic services, since all occupations are capable of bias. There isn’t much more gender-affirming than lavishly getting a facial or manicure – but it might be a good idea to book the day for two and tag along to ease her anxieties.
Of course, remember that she is an individual. If she’s into music, look up concerts in your closest city. If she likes art or history, plan some museums. Become a personalized tour guide for cool shops, interesting sites, drag shows, and nightlife.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Kit ($25)
Organizer kits are helpful devices to keep her on top of her medication regimen, which can be beneficial if she’s forgetful or travels frequently. Unlike transgender men, most transgender women use a pill-based HRT regimen, although that doesn’t mean an HRT organizer is out of the question.
Get a fun pill organizer and help make the daily labor of pills more pleasant! Or, if you know she takes HRT via injection, get a sturdy case to help protect her medication.
Digital Artwork Commission ($)
By commissioning a digital artist, you’re supporting a small creator and giving her a deeply personal gift. Digital art is a unique way to affirm her identity – it allows her to envision herself the way she wants to be seen, even if that’s not the way she currently can present herself to the world.
Maybe she’s not into physical gifts, and none of the above options stuck out. For a woman who’s got it all, you can donate to a cause in her name – just make sure she’s keen on the idea.
There are hundreds of nonprofits out there, so pick a charity best tailored to her. The most common ones include the ACLU, HRC, Lambda Legal, Trevor Project, A4TE, Trans Lifeline, and SAGE, but make sure to consider smaller organizations or local nonprofits.
What’s the best way to make this season more enjoyable for the transgender people important to you? Here are ten gift ideas for the transgender men in your life.
These gifts are more than just “guy” things, since he’s more than just a guy to you; they affirm his core identity and remind him of the value of chosen family.
Disclaimer: None of these items are sponsored! All listed products are based on my honest and personal opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.
Chest Binder ($45) or TransTape ($20)
Most transgender men will bind their chest at some point to create a more masculine appearance and alleviate chest dysphoria. By getting him a chest binder, you’re also ensuring he binds safely with proper tools and sizing.
GC2B came under fire when they altered their original binder design, but I still believe they make the best binder for price, comfort, and accessibility. The GC2B Classic 2.0 utilizes the design of their beloved binder with an added durability stitch to provide a daily binder that gives excellent compression.
TransTape is a medical-grade adhesive that allows guys to flatten their chests without wearing a traditional binder. The process is pretty unique, and it isn’t suited to all body types, but it’s an amazing alternative that most guys will want to try out at least once.
Want to know more about binding, safety precautions, and recommendations? Read this guide!
Stand-to-Pee (STP) Device ($50)
STPs allow transgender men (or anyone, really) to urinate standing up through a funnel that creates a seal over the urethra. They offer a great deal of convenience since most men’s restrooms emphasize urinals over stalls and provide gender euphoria. STPs also increase safety since standing to pee delivers stealth, compared to the assumed suspicion of sitting to urinate in public male spaces.
TG Supply’s Lou is considered the best budget-friendly “all-in-one” STP for beginners. Despite sitting at a relatively low price point, the Lou is capable of daily packing, standing-to-pee functionality, and intimate “play” activities. And unlike some unwieldy STPs, the Lou takes little practice to master.
Consider yourself quirky and crafty? Basic STPs are easy to make at home, although they won’t look very “penis-like” to be stealth at a urinal.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Kit ($25)
If he travels frequently, a portable HRT kit is a great gift to keep his medication secure. These tend to use hard casing to allow users to store testosterone vials, syringes, bandages, and alcohol wipes. The case protects the glass vials in case of being dropped and ensures everything stays organized – which can reduce the hassle when going through TSA.
Note: Always keep your prescription label with your medication, especially when traveling with testosterone. HRT kits also don’t insulate medication, so remember that testosterone needs to be kept at a certain temperature to remain usable.
Guys have a complex relationship with these early “beards.” It’s the first facial hair we’re able to grow, so we’re hesitant to shave, similar to teenage boys – regardless of how bad it may look. The Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s both provide excellent starter shaving sets that ease him into shaving.
Journaling can be a great tool to deal with stress and self-esteem issues, which all men experience – including transgender men. By getting him an affirmation journal, you’re guiding him to reframe negative thoughts into optimistic ones and dig into core beliefs holding him back.
Unlike other gift recommendations, I don’t have a particular product in mind. Any affirmation journal works, but he’ll probably appreciate one centered for masculine experiences (in other words, don’t get a sparkly pink one unless he likes pink and has a good sense of humor).
If he’s not the most keen on journaling, you could make a challenge with a reward at the end through joint goal setting. It’s never too early to make New Year’s resolutions!
Transgender Guide & Workbook ($20)
For guys less-than-confident about their transition, workbooks provide structured guidance regarding medical, social, and legal transition. These books are both self-help and data-packed to answer questions he wouldn’t think to ask.
The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook by Anneliese A. Singh and Sage Buch’s The Transmasculine Guide to Physical Transition Workbook: For Trans, Nonbinary, and Other Masculine Folks are tied for this spot. Both books have interactive exercises to inspire readers to delve deeper into their identities and gender affirmation journeys.
There’s something magical about reading a good memoir. As transgender men, we lack quality media that authentically represent our gender identity and manage to still tell a captivating story. Unlike other nonfiction, good memoirs weave advice while exploring the author’s life to inspire the reader.
There are hundreds of transgender memoirs out there, but the three I recommend most are Becoming a Visible Man, Balls, and Some Assembly Required since they’re great starting points – even for folks not into reading nonfiction.
Becoming a Visible Man was published by Jamison Green in 2004, considered a classic amongst transgender memoirs as Jamison relates his medical transition at the age of 40. Most assume folks have to transition as soon as possible, usually around the age of 18, but Jamison represents an experience just as common, even if rarely shown.
Chris Edwards wrote Balls: It Takes Some to Get Some in 2016 to chronicle his experience seeking gender affirmation surgery. There’s a stark lack of information regarding female-to-male bottom surgery, and Balls has been praised for humanizing the journey.
Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen was the first transmasculine memoir I ever read, so I’m admittedly attached to it. Like the other two books, it’s humorous but instead focuses on Arin Andrews’ time in high school as a transgender young person. If the transgender man in your life has identified as trans since he was a teenager, he’ll enjoy the read.
Pride flags are cool. The only problem with pride flags is that most folks get the cheapest one available. Even if his current flag was purchased at a pride festival or queer nonprofit, there is a high likelihood that the quality will be terrible and that it was produced in sweatshops overseas. In my previous work at a queer nonprofit, they purchased flags in bulk from Temu to sell at full price – so it’s more likely than you think.
My recommendation is getting a flag through a small business, like Flags for Good. Their flags are made ethically for the same price you’ll see at major pride festivals. They also design flags, so you can give him something unique – like a pride flag catered to his home state or city.
Gifts don’t have to be physically wrapped and put under a tree to be enjoyed. If he’s more into making memories, plan something to do together based on his interests. Make a day (or weekend) trip to your nearest city, look up cool shops, drag shows, museums, concerts, and support meetings.
Even in conservative states, cities remain liberal hubs with plenty of attractions and are pretty open-minded. So get to planning!
Charity Donation (Pick Your Own Budget!)
Maybe he’s not into physical gifts, and none of the above options stuck out. For a guy who’s got it all, you can donate to a cause in his name – just make sure he’s keen on the idea.
There are hundreds of nonprofits out there, so pick a charity best tailored to him. The most common ones include the ACLU, HRC, Lambda Legal, Trevor Project, A4TE, Trans Lifeline, and SAGE, but make sure to consider smaller organizations or local nonprofits.
This week saw a flurry of important cases regarding LGBTQIA+ rights, ranging from same-sex marriage to bullying. Here are the most important highlights regarding recent federal decisions on marriage equality, transgender passports, and anti-transgender bullying at school.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Kim Davis Case, Protecting Same-Sex Marriage Rights – for Now
Kim Davis was a Kentucky county clerk elected in 2014 and originally achieved notoriety in 2015. Davis had intentionally denied marriage certificates to queer couples within Rowan County in the aftermath of Obergefell v. Hodges, citing her religious beliefs allowed her to act “under God’s authority.” Quickly after, Davis refused to follow federal orders by the Court of the Eastern District of Kentucky and was held for contempt in jail for six days – which she believed made her a martyr.
After being the laughingstock of the nation in 2015, Davis largely disappeared; she was defeated by Democrat challenger Elwood Caudill Jr. in 2018 and forced to pay $360,000 to the queer couple she had denied. Yet, in her mind, Davis was always the victim, and the Supreme Court’s decision to federally legalize same-sex marriage was a direct attack on the Christian faith.
“I never imagined a day like this would come, where I would be asked to violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage. To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience.”
In 2015, newly elected Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin issued an executive order that eliminated the names of county clerks on marriage certificates. Bevin had hoped the decision would ease the concerns of individuals like Davis, who believed their documented name indicated approval of same-sex marriage. It had worked – Davis and her attorneys immediately dismissed their appeals.
Issues followed when Davis refused to pay legal fees to the same-sex couples who had filed lawsuits against her. Davis and her legal team asserted that they had won in a legislative victory via the executive order and therefore were not required to pay damages; Rowan County stated the local government could not pay for the legal damages accrued by a single county clerk. The federal appeals court determined in 2017 that the couples were entitled to compensation.
By 2019, Governor Bevin had made a public statement that the State of Kentucky would not pay Davis’s legal fees, “Only Davis refused to comply with the law. [Taxpayers] should not have to collectively bear the financial responsibility for Davis’s intransigence.” These back-and-forth actions continued for several years until this July. Emboldened by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturnRoe v. Wade and national abortion access, Davis petitioned the Court to consider her case.
Renewed Challenge to Marriage Equality
However, the Supreme Court denied Davis’s petition. For Davis, this means she is now required to pay $360,000 to the same-sex couples affected by her decisions as county clerk without assistance from the State of Kentucky. For the rest of America, this decision preserves the integrity of marriage equality – at least temporarily.
Out of the nine Supreme Court Justices, only Clarence Thomas has vocalized a desire to revisit Obergefell v. Hodges. Immediately after the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Thomas stated he believed the Court should revisit Obergefell since both cases were decided on similar grounds. Beyond Thomas, the other Justices have not indicated any plans to reconsider marriage equality – and even hard conservative justices like Alito have stated that the Court is not amenable to overturning marriage equality.
Beyond the Supreme Court, nine states have proposed legislation that would create limitations on marriage equality within the last year. Since their victory on abortion, conservatives have rallied against marriage equality as one of their next targets. While same-sex marriage would continue to be federally protected under the Respect for Marriage Act of 2022, an overturn of Obergefell v. Hodges would allow many states to stop recognizing same-sex marriages as equal to their heterosexual counterparts.
Supreme Court Reverses Pause on Trump’s Transgender Passport Order
What the Supreme Court’s Passport Ruling Really Means
The Trump administration had made the decision via executive order extremely early in his second term, which was immediately received with backlash. Kobick and dozens of legal advocates argued that mismatching identity documents unfairly outs transgender people when traveling abroad, putting them in unnecessary danger. Executive Order 14160 (Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship) was faced with several lawsuits, including by the ACLU in Orr v. Trump, and Judge Kobick stated a temporary pause to the executive order was necessary while the lawsuit was settled.
This news is rightfully scary, but these are the key facts to keep in mind:
The Supreme Court reversed Judge Julia Kobick’s pause. The Supreme Court did NOT determine the executive order’s constitutionality nor make any determination regarding the active lawsuits it is battling. Lawsuits via the ACLU and other legal powerhouses are still active and pending.
This decision does NOT prevent transgender people from obtaining passports.Transgender people are still entitled to obtain and renew passports even under the executive order, although these passports will be flawed with inaccurate information based on one’s sex at birth.
All passports submitted or renewed will be documented with the sex one was assigned at birth, regardless of legal, social, or medical transition status. All passports will continue to be issued this way until either the executive order is deemed unconstitutional or revoked by a succeeding President.
Executive Order 14160 impacts more than just transgender Americans. Before Kobick’s pause, federal workers within the Department of State lamented that the order caused excessive bloat to their workload during a time when Elon Musk had taken over the White House to supposedly eliminate bloat. The order requires thorough research into every single passport applicant to determine their sex assigned at birth – including presumably cisgender applicants.
Many legal experts expected Trump to revoke the Biden executive order that allowed Americans to self-identify as nonbinary via an “X” marker on passports. It was unexpected that Trump would immediately revoke transgender Americans’ access to updated passports entirely – the Department of State has allowed transgender people to update their passports since 1992 under George H. W. Bush, when submitted with sufficient documentation of medical transition. Since 1992, the process has evolved as each state has created rules and regulations on updating gender information on birth certificates.
The Supreme Court issued the reversal on the basis that biological sex information does not put transgender people at higher risk – which is why media outlets like Bloomberg have stated the Supreme Court is fundamentally illogical. Flawed gender information limits transgender individuals from moving freely throughout the world and inherently puts us at risk.
In mild-mannered and relatively safe travel destinations, Executive Order 14160 means border agents will be unable to quickly verify the authenticity of transgender visitors. A transgender American visiting the European Union will have sex information that does not make sense based on their current gender expression, which makes a very real passport seem fake or stolen.
In hostile regions, Executive Order 14160 automatically outs individuals as transgender.The Supreme Court, believing that sex information does not put us at risk, does not make it a reality. There are dozens of countries that treat transgender identity as a jailable or killable offense. While transgender travelers are supposed to be safe in internationally designated spaces such as airports, we are not always safe in those spaces.
“Such senseless sidestepping of the obvious equitable outcome has become an unfortunate pattern. So, too, has my own refusal to look the other way when basic principles are selectively discarded. This court has once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really, any) justification.”
– Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in her dissent of the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Kobick’s pause.
Domestically, ICE agents have been able to deport alleged illegal immigrants without due process. Similarly, there is little way to determine whether a foreign country is truly abiding by international standards when transgender travelers pass through during a layover. Each time an individual flies abroad, they must go through security at each location – even if it’s not their final stop.
From personal experience, it is fully within reason to believe transgender people will be victimized. I’ve been harassed numerous times by TSA agents in large-scale airports like O’Hare, Kennedy, and Hartsfield simply because my crotch did not align correctly with their 3D imaging software – even though my documentation is fully updated.
What Comes Next for Transgender Americans
The decision by the Supreme Court is disheartening, but not all is lost.The ACLU will continue to advance against the Trump administration in Orr v. Trump. It is predicted that the Supreme Court will likely hear the case in January 2026 to determine the fundamental question of whether the executive branch has the overreaching power to make decisions that can easily put citizens at harm.
I advise readers to use caution when applying for passports at this current moment.
If you currently have a passport and are looking to renew,wait until Executive Order 14160 ends unless you absolutely need to leave the United States.
Once Executive Order 14160 ends,immediately renew or obtain a passport if you have the financial means to do so.
If you currently do not have a passport,use the following resources to consider whether contingency plans are needed. Moving is never an easy choice, but having access to a passport, even if inaccurate, allows you to seek refuge if things become dire.
Olentangy Local School District replied, stating such actions would likely be considered bullying, but alternative accommodations could be made to prevent students from interacting with transgender classmates. Parents Defending Education was dissatisfied with this outcome and sought legal action.
Defending Education v. Olentangy Local School District lost in the lower courts twice before reaching the Sixth Court of Appeals. At that point, Parents Defending Education misleadingly reframed transgender identity as a purely political issue, and the use of “biological pronouns” did not lead to emotional harm.
This news is upsetting and frustrating. It encapsulates centrist misunderstandings regarding misgendering. Transgender people are fully aware of our “biological truth,” just as we are aware of the complex nature of biology after middle school. Yet, humans are more than mere biology. There has never been any singular individual who has truly fit into every single gender role assigned to their biological sex. The pursuit of fitting into those roles is illogical and a prison – toxic masculinity and toxic femininity create emotionally unhealthy humans and generations of harm.
Conservatives love playing the Devil’s advocate when they state they are simply being objective to biological reality when dismissing transgender identity. Very little of the world is actually objective – society is filled with subjective and relative thinking. After all, money is just pieces of paper that we’ve agreed have meaning; we agree to refer to a woman by a new last name as soon as she’s married, regardless of the name she was born with. Saying “Happy Holidays” on December 23rd is objectively more correct than “Merry Christmas,” but conservatives are the first to put up a fight about hurt feelings.
What is the purpose of harming others? Most transgender people won’t take great offense to be occasionally misgendered or deadnamed while in the early part of their transition. It hurts, but it’s to be expected when others are adjusting to their new identity. It hurts every time we are misgendered, but we internalize it and move on with our lives under the assumption that the misgendering was NOT intentional.
Intentional misgendering is its own distinct problem. From that moment, it is a purposeful act of harming others since we are intentionally using language we know will hurt. What is the point of reminding transgender people of our “biological realities,” if it is not to belittle and demean us? Do you expect us to believe you’re making such comments in kindness and good faith?
It is these same individuals who purposefully misgender transgender people and use pejorative slurs and call us less than human. These acts do not make you appear superior because you are quoting biological truths; they make you morally repulsive because you’re presenting a complete lack of empathy as superiority. These individuals are malicious, not kind, nor truthful.
In another time, several decades ago, these same individuals would have easily argued that certain slurs, such as the n-word, were not necessarily violent when used against Black Americans. Yet, at the end of the day, they are purposefully using a word that they know will cause emotional damage because it is soaked in generations of hate.
The Sixth Circuit Court’s logic regarding Defending Education v. Olentangy Local School District is troubling. When releasing their statement, the Court stated the Olentangy Local School District was performing a form of “thought control” by not allowing students to purposely misgender peers. According to the presiding judges, the school district is not allowed to take any “side” regarding the “transgender issue,” and creating any policy limiting students in this capacity is taking a side. As mentioned earlier, Parents Defending Education chose to frame the lawsuit as a freedom of speech issue – and they succeeded, making the outcome significantly darker.
This centrist logic is malicious. There are correct and incorrect sides when people debate human rights; the moderate answer is not inherently the right one. A centrist in the 1960s would have advocated segregation as the morally superior answer to Black Americans requesting equal rights versus enslavement and genocide. When Nazis asked whether Jewish individuals deserved to live in the 1940s, there was a right answer – and it wasn’t a centrist one.
The decision by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court will NOT affect the majority of Americans. As a circuit court, its decision will only affect states within its jurisdiction (Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Michigan). All schools and universities within those states will have to abide by this ruling unless it is appealed and heard by the Supreme Court.
Wait, what does transgender even mean? Let’s break it down.
In the simplest terms, transgender is a label referencing any individual who identifies as a gender identity that is different from the one assigned to them at birth. This is in contrast to the label cisgender, which is given to individuals who identify as the same gender identity as the one they were born with.
“Transgender (adjective): of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person was identified as having at birth. Especially of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is opposite to the sex the person was identified as having at birth.” – The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Definitions Matter. Transgender describes anyone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth, while cisgender refers to people whose gender identity aligns with their assigned sex.
Transgender People Have Always Existed. Historical evidence shows gender diversity across cultures long before modern Western terminology.
Evolution of Language. Use of the term transvestite began in 1910, but use of transgender wouldn’t be widespread until the 1990s.
Actually, nonbinary is also an umbrella term – but to keep things simple, it is a third gender that some people identify with rather than traditional gender identities like male and female.
Remember the definition for both terms. A nonbinary person CAN be transgender if they are assigned a gender identity like male or female at birth. On the other hand, a nonbinary person can also be cisgender if they are assigned and raised nonbinary. If that nonbinary person identifies as the gender identity they were assigned, they are cisgender.
A growing number of children are being raised without strict gender roles, which means they could end up as nonbinary and cisgender. In other parts of the world, this has happened for centuries, where third-gender identities have been allowed to flourish.
Before We Were Trans: Transgender Labels in the Pre-Modern Age
With no other language available, we were pansies and dykes when we failed to conform in Christian-based societies that dominated Europe and global colonization. In society’s eyes, there was no reason to care about the nuanced differences between cisgender gay men and lesbians versus transgender people.
Despite this, there are still instances of those select occurrences when society did distinguish us. In the case of Thomas(ine) Hall, a genderfluid English colonist that would be described as intersex today, Governor John Pott determined Hall had a sex and gender of “dual nature.” Other figures, like Chevalière d’Éon, were simply referred to without any labels separating them based on their sex assigned at birth.
Cercle Hermaphroditos was formed in 1895, becoming the first known advocacy organization centered on trans-related identities. Its members described themselves as “instinctive female impersonators,” as well as androgynes, queens, fairies, and Uranians. All of these terms were commonplace in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, but did not distinguish members of Cercle Hermaphroditos as different from effeminate but cisgender men.
The Golden Years of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld
Magnus Hirschfeld was an outspoken scholar during the Weimar Republic, Germany’s brief golden years that brought immense social freedoms to a repressed public. He was one of the most influential sexologists to ever exist, and his advocacy of LGBTQIA+ rights earned him the ire of the Nazi Party, which would exile Hirschfeld to France.
Despite the time, Hirschfeld believed humans possessed a spectrum of traits associated with masculinity and femininity. Instead, he argued that a small number of remarkable people were “sexual intermediaries” who transcended the binary identities assigned to them at birth. He considered Socrates, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare fell under this label, who are all figures understood now to be LGBTQIA+.
Continuing this work, Hirschfeld published a nearly 1,000-page study titled “Die Transvestiten: Eine Untersuchung über den Erotischen Verkleidungstrieb” in 1910. This is the first use of the term “transvestite,” and his book is still considered the most comprehensive treatise regarding transvestism. Based on the flawed understanding of sexology then, Magnus Hirschfeld grouped gender-nonconforming individuals we would describe as transgender today as the same as those who cross-dress due to erotic arousal.
Transvestite comes from the Latin roots “trans” and “vestire.” It literally means “to dress across” to reference cross-dressing. Today, transvestite overwhelmingly refers to individuals who cross-dress for sexual pleasure.
Hirschfeld gave a lecture on March 16, 1923, at the University of Berlin to discuss his understanding of sexual intermediates. Now transcribed as “Die Intersexuelle Konstitution,” Hirschfeld coined the term transsexualismus from the Latin roots of trans (across or beyond) and sexus (biological sex). In the same lecture, Hirschfeld also coined the distinction between transsexuality and intersexuality.
Transsexualismus would not be introduced into English until 1949, translated as the term transsexual. The linguistic change from previous terms like transvestite to this new one was an important one; it signified that individuals who truly identified as another gender identity were different from individuals who cross-dressed for sexual pleasure.
This separated understanding molded the trajectory of research related to gender identity, leading scholars to eventually deduce that transsexual identity was not a sex-based mental illness like pedophilia.
“If we follow intersexuality from homosexuality via gynandromorphic physicality and psychic transsexualism in both directions, we arrive in an incomplete constitutional series on the one hand at the preliminary stages of hermaphroditism, and on the other at the metatropic emotional attitude towards the opposite sex, aggression inversion.” – Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, 1923. “Die Intersexuelle Konstitution”
Jorgensen is considered the first person widely known in the US for undergoing the operation. Her story became front-page news, making Christine an instant celebrity and novelty to the American public. At the time, she identified with the most available language of the period and described herself to numerous audiences as transsexual – although she would later prefer the term transgender upon its eventual popularization.
Following Jorgensen, a number of other transgender women received media attention, such as Delisa Newton, Charlotte Frances McLeod, Tamara Rees, and Marta Olmos Ramiro. However, none of these women were given positive spotlights since Christine was the “good transsexual” most appealing to American audiences.
The Benjamin scale placed gender-nonconforming people into one of the following categories:
Pseudo Transvestite
Fetishistic Transvestite
True Transvestite
Nonsurgical Low-Intensity Transsexual
Moderate-Intensity True Transsexual
High-Intensity True Transsexual
What does it take to be a queen?
The 1960s brought a large number of terms to identify gender-nonconformativity – but these terms weren’t necessarily common. Terms like transsexual were considered medical and were not common labels that everyday individuals self-described as.
There is still contention on whether major figures in LGBTQIA+ history like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera would be classified as transgender. Unlike earlier predecessors, Johnson and Rivera technically existed during a time period when terms like transsexual existed during the Stonewall Riots and the creation of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries.
Even though it is widely known that Marsha used “she/her” pronouns and a feminine name in daily life, she did not identify as transsexual – she identified as a transvestite and drag queen.
Even though it was a dangerous time to cross-dress, it was infinitely safer and more acceptable to be considered a cross-dressing transvestite or drag performer than to be authentically trans due to the legislative and societal landscape.
Most often, it was white individuals of the middle and upper classes who could identify as transsexual. People like Christine Jorgensen were able to afford the backlash that the medical and legal transition would cost.
For the rest of the transgender community, outward identity came at the cost of family and job opportunities. For working individuals, aligning with drag was the most feasible route to financial survival alongside sex work.
To be Transgenderal
For approximately half of her life, Virginia Prince identified as a heterosexual cross-dresser. This includes nearly the entire timeline of when Prince published “Transvestia,” a magazine aimed at trans-related individuals like Prince from 1960 to 1980.
Like Oliven, Prince believed transgender identity had nothing to do with one’s sexual orientation. However, unlike Oliven, Prince asserted a different definition much more similar to ours today. According to Virginia, transgenderists were individuals who lived full-time as a chosen gender identity different from the one they were assigned at birth, but did not undergo genital surgery.
Ari Kane, another notable figure in the cross-dressing community, began identifying herself as transgenderist in 1976. It was through Kane’s close relationships with transvestites that she came to found Fantasia Fair, although the event was originally aimed towards heterosexual cross-dressers before its audience shifted towards transgender individuals. Like Prince, Kane helped popularize the term transgender amongst the subcultures she frequented.
The general mission of TV.TS was to establish awareness amongst community members regarding legal and medical rights. By the end of the conference, TV.TS was most known for cementing the fundamental differences between transgender, transsexual, and transvestite communities. As the transvestite community drifted away from LGBTQIA+ identities and towards kink circles, transgender and transsexual identities became more uniform over the next decade.
Trans: A New Umbrella
By the 1990s, transgender began to become the dominant identity label as the distinction between transgender and transsexual faded. Transgender also functioned as an umbrella term, covering many small identities like transmasculine, transfeminine, nonbinary, genderqueer, demigender, bigender, and others.
There are still individuals who identify as transsexual today. All transsexual people are transgender, but not all transgender people are transsexual.
Transsexual individuals seek medical interventions as part of their transition or gender affirmation journey. This can include any range of procedures, such as hormone replacement therapy or surgeries.
Transgender individuals refer to anyone who identifies as a gender different than the one assigned to them at birth. Compared to transsexual people, transgender individuals do not inherently want medical transition.
Since the 1990s, the transgender label hasn’t significantly changed. Regardless, language is fluid and constantly evolving – so remember that today’s definitions are not inherently tomorrow’s answers.
Every person deserves support. Transgender people are no exception. But where do you find information, resources, and tools? With thousands of websites out there, getting connected can feel overwhelming. Here are ten important transgender websites you should be aware of.
Advocates for Trans Equality
A4TE was formed in 2024 when the National Center for Transgender Equality and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund merged. For transgender Americans, A4TE might be the most important organization to be aware of.
Transgender people deserve access to healthcare. The Trans Health Project by A4TE guides users through understanding trans-inclusive (and exclusive) coverage through the American insurance industry, how to get a letter of medical necessity, and a hub of directories (like OutCare) for finding a trans-friendly healthcare provider.
Each state has different regulations regarding transgender healthcare. The Project includes information regarding each state, as well as Medicaid policies. It also provides templates to give to your provider, easing the insurance process with checklists and letter formats, as well as appeal templates if your insurance company disagrees that your care should be covered.
ID Document Center
You don’t need a law degree to legally change your name or gender marker. Regardless, it can feel like you should – updating your documents is complicated and you’ll have to navigate a complex system with forms, deadlines, and meetings.
The ID Document Center explains the processes behind updating one’sinformation on birth certificate, driver’s license, state ID, passports, social security, immigration documents, and selective service based on the individual state.
Name Change Project
Low-income individuals in select cities are eligible for pro bono legal name change services through A4TE and its partners. Eligible applicants are connected with law firms and corporate legal departments local to their region. At the time of this article, A4TE’s Name Change Project services individuals in the following cities:
Atlanta, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois
New York City (all five boroughs in New York and Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union, and Middlesex counties in New Jersey)
Long Island, New York
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
If you live outside of the above cities, you can still find assistance through organizations listed in A4TE’s Trans Legal Services Network.
And Other Incredible Services
A4TE takes on a small number of critical court cases each year to establish new legal precedents regarding transgender law. Impact litigation services are generally unrelated to ID cases that would otherwise be covered in the ID Document Center.
Folks residing in the United States or Canada can utilize Trans Lifeline, a grassroots nonprofit that operates an anonymous and confidential hotline for trans people, by trans people.
Unlike other crisis services (such as 988), Trans Lifeline does not use nonconsensual active rescue and will not call emergency services or law enforcement without the explicit consent of the caller. They’re also not affiliated with the federal government and cannot be impacted by federal attacks, such as those targeting the Trevor Project or 988.
Trans Lifeline also hosts a Resource Library, which contains resources that are unlikely to be found elsewhere, such as information on police abolition and community safety.
Originally known as TS Road Map, the Transgender Map has existed online since 1998 and contains over 2,000 pages of researched content to guide visitors through trans-related topics.
It’s regularly updated through the massive undertaking of one individual. Coming out advice, HRT, clothing, voice training, disclosure, handwriting, documents, marriage, films, forums… Transgender Map covers nearly everything you could think of when it comes to transitioning.
Are there books you want to read but don’t have access to? Transgender media isn’t frequently distributed through major publishers, so readers are forced to purchase literature when these items are not available in local libraries. Trans Reads is the community-driven solution to make transgender books accessible.
As a digital community library, anyone can upload content for Trans Reads’ librarians to curate. All items are publicly available at all times. The only downside to the site is its sorting, and it contains thousands of pieces that you’ll have to search through. While Trans Reads offers some reading lists, there aren’t many – its librarians are focused on collecting and uploading items, so you have to know what you’re looking for ahead of time.
Interested in more free clear web virtual libraries?
Internet Archive / Originally created as a library in 1996, the Internet Archive uses web crawlers to collect as much data as possible to provide “universal access to information.” Items can be virtually borrowed with a free account.
Library Genesis (aka LibGen) / The most well-known shadow library on the clear web. Due to constant attacks and takedowns by the federal government since shadow libraries disperse paywalled content for free, you might have to search for its current URL or mirror.
Audiobook Bay / Similar to The Pirate Bay, generally safe, but use with caution. Check the website’s Reddit to find the most current mirror. To access Audiobook Bay, you’ll likely need a VPN like Proton.
Project Gutenberg / PG is the oldest digital library and has provided books via open format files since 1971. Out of all of the libraries listed, it’s the easiest to access since all of its items are public domain and therefore not subject to copyright takedowns.
Queer Liberation Library / QLL offers books through its free account system, and its site is great when used in tandem with others like Trans Reads, since its librarians offer a ton of book suggestions.
Digital Transgender Archive
DTA is the world’s largest trans-focused online archive. It contains thousands of items similar to the Internet Archive before the 2000s, hosting uploaded books, artworks, publications, audio recordings, and films.
The Digital Transgender Archive is the best place to research transgender history, especially in tandem with the Internet Archive. Items date back to the 1500s up to modern day.
Strands for Trans
Many transgender and nonbinary people feel uncomfortable going to salons or barbershops. Hair plays a role in gender expression and our ability to feel represented. However, salons and barbershops have gendered expectations – so there’s little way to know if a stylist will be transgender-friendly.
Strands For Trans is a data map that allows visitors to locate self-identified transgender-friendly salons and barbershops. To be eligible, businesses have to submit their application for review through the Strands For Trans website, similar to Everywhere Is Queer.
REFUGE
Using archival data from Safe2Pee, REFUGE is a community data map that shows transgender-friendly restrooms. Visitors upload and pinpoint safe locations to help their peers feel comfortable.
Unlike other maps, REFUGE leans heavily into user experiences – so it’s easier to know if a location is genuinely trans-friendly based on other transgender people’s experiences.
Erin in the Morning
Erin Reed is an American journalist who provides daily updates on transgender-relevant news and legislation. Her videos are bite-sized and easy to digest; her substack and newsletters are detailed and researched. Stay aware of ongoing attacks on trans rights as well as victories, subscribe to Erin in some way to be connected to the national picture.
In addition to daily content, Erin also manages two maps of interest. The National Risk Assessment Map visualizes anti-transgender legislation for transgender adults and youth to better understand safety risks. Erin’s Informed Consent HRT Map is a public pin map of known informed consent HRT providers throughout the United States.
Similarly, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is an independent think tank that visualizes legislation on a larger range of issues. MAP’s data is updated less frequently than Erin’s, but covers more topics like bathroom laws, healthcare regulations, name change protocols, and religious exemptions.
The Transgender Legislation Tracker visualizes and tracks transgender-related legislation throughout the United States. Each state is accounted for, showing currently proposed, passed, and active bills, as well as federal legislation. Erin in the Morning is best used to digest and understand these bills, but the Transgender Legislation Tracker directs you to the actual legislation.
Turn Me Into…
The following sites are great resources for individuals who are questioning their gender or are early in their transition. In a society that demonizes transness, it’s easy to feel conflicted or uncertain. All of the following sites debunk common myths and walk visitors through the questioning process.
The Gender Dysphoria Bible is another great resource. The “Turn Me Into” websites are shorter and cover general topics many questioning folk have early in the process. The Gender Dysphoria Bible, on the other hand, is extensive. Similar to the Lesbian Comphet Masterdoc, the Gender Dysphoria Bible touches on ideas you probably didn’t consider related to trans identity.
And as an honorable mention, the Pronoun Dressing Room is good for folks experimenting with pronouns, names, and gendered titles. The site allows users to try out identities without needing to come out publicly or use social media accounts.
Reddit
On its own, Reddit is a BEAST. It’s a collection of communities that use forums to chat. Reddit is used by all sorts of people – right-wingers, leftists, liberals, apolitical types. Heck, even my grandmother uses Reddit. Compared to traditional platforms like Facebook, Reddit allows for greater anonymity and niche communities.
There are millions of subreddits (individual communities or forums) out there. There are thousands of trans-specific subreddits, so I can safely promise there is a community out there for you. These are the largest and most generalized three for trans folks.
Technically speaking, the American LGBTQ+ Museum does not exist. Yet. Planning for a national LGBTQIA+ history museum began in 2017 and has been under construction over the past five years. Ultimately, it hopes to host hundreds of thousands of visitors throughout 4,000 square feet of physical space, combined with virtual exhibitions, in New York City.
The American LGBTQ+ Museum is currently on track to officially open to the public in 2027.
The ArQuives
Although the ArQuives are Canadian, their online collection is extensive enough that it deserves to be included. Originally founded in 1973 as the Canadian Gay Liberation Movement Archives, it preserves thousands of books, diaries, portraits, zines, press clippings, videos, posters, cassettes, buttons, flags, T-shirts, and other items of note.
Digital Transgender Archives
The DTA uses material from more than sixty international colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, and private collections to serve as the world’s largest transgender library. The site works similarly to the Internet Archive and is completely free for individuals to use.
DTA hosts born-digital materials, digitized records, and non-digital archives. Its collection is curated from content before 2000, so post-2000 materials are not hosted through the DTA.
DID YOU KNOW?
LGBTQIA+ people have existed everywhere, which means every city has the potential to have a local LGBTQIA+ museum, such as St. Louis, San Diego, and Boston. Search what resources that are close to you to learn more about local queer history!
If your area does not have any related institutions, you have the power to create your own. Queer history is tomorrow, yesterday – and today.
Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library & Archives
Based in Chicago, Gerber/Hart is one of the largest LGBTQIA+ libraries in the United States and houses 14,000 volumes and 800 periodicals. Unlike other notable museums, like the GLBT Historical Society, Gerber/Hart boasts an impressive online collection and exhibits for online users to browse.
GLBT Historical Society
Even though the GLBT Historical Society hosts a smaller collection than some of its colleagues, it is the second full-scale stand-alone museum in the world and is one of the few American LGBTQIA+ archives that hosts paid staff to produce exhibitions, programming, and research.
Interference Archive
Okay, the Interference Archive isn’t necessarily queer. It’s a volunteer-run library centered on social movements, which includes the history of LGBTQIA+ equality. Activism and social justice produce unique memorabilia to sway the general public, and thus the Interference Archive is filled with posters, zines, buttons, and materials used by activists to change the world.
Leather Archives & Museum
LA&M is the leading institution preserving queer erotica and has been preserving kink and fetish history since 1991. It was originally established in response to the AIDS crisis due to the inherent kink associated with LGBTQIA+ people decades ago. Without the LA&M, history from leather and fetish communities would have been lost, intentionally suppressed, or discarded.
The LA&M is open to the general public, and its collection is available to view online. However, due to the nature of its material, users must be at least 18 years old to view online collections or visit the LA&M.
After robbing and inflicting immense pain on Matthew due to being gay, hits murderers tied him to a split-rail fence and left him to die. His murder, as well as the murders of James Byrd Jr. and Brandon Teena, received international attention as the public called for greater legal protection for minorities.
Lesbian Herstory Archives
Also based in New York City, the Lesbian Herstory Archives is both a community center and a library to preserve lesbian history. In their own words, the Lesbian Herstory Archives aims to protect “history that has always included, and continues to include, lesbian women, butches, femmes, cross dressers, passing women, and those who are trans, two spirited, same-gender-loving, as well as others, all of whom at times were, and still can be, made to feel unwelcome in the world by others, sometimes even by other Lesbians.”
The downside to the Lesbian Herstory Archives is that just part of their collection is digitized, so individuals will only be able to view a small proportion of the museum. The Archives have been around since 1974 and are considered the world’s largest collection of lesbian material, but they only recently began digitizing items.
LGBTQ National History Archives
The United States National Archives exists to preserve and provide public access to notable records created throughout US history. Most individuals seek the National Archives for data on family genealogy, military services, and documentation regarding previous laws, voting records, and budgets. For the majority of Americans, the National Archives are boring but necessary to ensure the federal government is relatively accountable and transparent.
The National Archives has a dedicated department for LGBTQIA+ records. Many of the National Archives’ items have been digitized for users to browse online, but hundreds of thousands of items are available online to view in person.
It is critical to consider the impact of current politics on the preservation of history. While most administrations have valued the importance of the National Archives regardless of political affiliation, that does not mean current or future parties won’t attempt to corrupt its data’s integrity.
While other LGBTQIA+ archives work to preserve general and region-specific history, the LGBTQ-RAN encourages the study and preservation of LGBTQIA+ religious works. Its collection is entirely virtual and spans various denominations of Christianity, Judaism, Wicca, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Native American spirituality.
Library of Congress
In addition to the National Archives, the general public has access to the Library of Congress. The LOC also serves as the federal research service for Congress and operates the United States Copyright Office.
As one of the largest libraries in the world, the LOC contains 173 million items and 14 petabytes of content from around the globe. Although the Library of Congress employs federal employees, its staff are not tied to any given administration and aim to contain as much knowledge as possible without discrimination.
The ONE Archives stems from the ONE Institute, the oldest active LGBTQIA+ organization in the country. ONE was created from the Mattachine Society in 1952 to help publish the United States’ first national gay periodical as ONE Magazine.
Given the fact that the ONE Archives descend from ONE Magazine, it makes sense that the organization values the preservation of queer history. It contains over 2 million items in its collection, ranging from books and films to photographs and buttons.
When Bayard is mentioned, it’s rarely discussed that Bayard was a gay Black man. In reality, this is why few people know him – Bayard was advised by his fellow civil rights advocates to lead from behind the scenes since his gay identity could possibly bring criticism to the community. Even today in places like the National Civil Rights Museum, Bayard’s identity is still enveloped in whispers.
Queer Zine Archive Project
Zines have a unique place in LGBTQIA+ history, allowing queer and punk activists a new medium to represent their ideas. QZAP was founded in 2003 to provide universal online access to preserved zines as another “living history” of larger queer culture.
Smithsonian Institute
Although there are larger museums, the Smithsonian plays a critical role as the federal authority on education and research. Prior to 1967, the Smithsonian was known as the United States National Museum – and today, the organization holds 157 items across 21 museums, 21 libraries, 14 education centers, various historical landmarks, and a zoo.
The Smithsonian also contains items related to LGBTQIA+ history, which is why it’s worth checking out when diving deeper into queer studies. However, compared to other federal entities, the Smithsonian has been the most directly targeted by political administrations to change and fit alternate agendas.
The Stonewall Inn and its associated riots occurred in New York City. The Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library, on the other hand, is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While it boasts an impressive digital collection, the Stonewall Museum, Archives & Library is most famous for its detailed LGBTQIA+ History Timeline, known as In Plain Sight.
The Center’s Archives
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center of New York City (also known as The Center) is arguably the largest LGBTQIA+ community center in the United States. The Center has been the starting point for many other important agencies, such as GLAAD and ACT UP, and hosts its own library archive.
Transgender Oral History Project
Originally, the Transgender Oral History Project was a documentary series meant to compile the experiences of transgender communities across the United States. The project behind the Transgender Oral History Project donated its items to the University of Minnesota so they could focus on their current project, “America in Transition.”
In addition to Halloween, October serves as LGBTQIA+ History Month. It’s been observed since 1994, when Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson believed his students deserved the opportunity to learn about queer role models. LGBTQIA+ history is actively being erased by those in political power, making learning about queer history into rebellion. Teaching, learning, and knowing queer history builds community and serves as a reminder to stand with civil rights.
No matter your age, October presents a perfect opportunity to learn about LGBTQIA+ history. Refresh yourself on the facts, arm yourself with knowledge. Queer history is under attack.
Being included in the above list DOES NOT mean that the country officially endorses LGBTQIA+ History Month. In 2026, it’s expected that Brazil and Venezuela will participate in their own celebrations.
Queer culture was heavily impacted by the ballroom scene in New York City, an underground subculture amongst gay and transgender Black and Latino Americans seeking a community to express themselves during the 1980s. Paris Is Burning was THE documentary that chronicled an aspect of queer history that would have otherwise been completely forgotten.
There aren’t many lists that don’t recommend Paris Is Burning. Most folks see RuPaul’s Drag Race and assume that’s the extent of drag culture – but drag has a complex history that NYC’s ballroom scene mixed into. Competing houses, chosen family, the freedom to transgress gender roles, and perform. At the same time, Paris Is Burning showcases critical aspects of the time, such as the AIDS crisis and the woes of being a sex worker in impoverished New York City.
Best accompanied with Before Stonewall (1984), Gay USA was filmed entirely on June 26, 1977, to document pride celebrations throughout the United States. Camaramen recorded demonstrations in San Diego, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York City in response to the murder of Robert Hillsborough.
Gay USA memorializes the time between Stonewall and the AIDS crisis, when the LGBTQIA+ community was beginning to receive organized backlash from figures like Anita Bryant. Anita and other anti-gay activists were compelled by Stonewall to advocate for the repeal of anti-discrimination laws that were fought for during the 1960s. History takes two steps forward, one step back – which resonates today.
Part of Different from the Others *is* lost to history. When the Nazis came to power in the 1930s, they purposely sought out and destroyed documentation, research, and media that referenced queer identities. The film was burned and believed forgotten until a partially destroyed copy was discovered in the early 2000s. The film was reconstructed and shortened to preserve as much of the plot as possible, which is how it exists today in its abridged version.
If you’re looking for something more fun, RENT (2005) is a film adaptation of the Broadway production that centers on a group of friends struggling to survive during the New York City AIDS crisis despite exorbitant rent and medication costs.
Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Brandon Teena was a real transgender man who was raped and murdered in rural Nebraska. Boys Don’t Cry is a fictional adaptation of his story – Brandon found himself in Nebraska after running into trouble with the law, believing he had a chance to start fresh as authentically himself with new friends and a chosen family.
Boys Don’t Cry is a fictional account of a real story. For greater detail regarding Brandon and his story, watch The Brandon Teena Story (1998).
Five Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month
A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski
Bronski’s 2011 book is perhaps the best piece of media to become acquainted with LGBTQIA+ American history. It covers the entirety of queer history in the United States, spanning from before 1492 to the book’s publication. Gay people have always existed, but few films focus on history before Stonewall.
A Queer History of the United States details gay pilgrims, sodomy laws, crossdressing Civil War soldiers, and the purity culture that shaped America. Most of its information is relatively broad (Jonathan Ned Katz’sGay American History is considerably more detailed, but also extremely dense), which makes it a great starting point to introduce readers to LGBTQIA+ history.
Just as with gay men and lesbians, transgender people have existed as long as humans have had concepts related to gender. Transgender History by Susan Stryker is essentially a trans-focused version of Michael Bronski’s book.
In just 200 pages, Stryker overviews major events and individuals that led us to today. In other words, Stryker’s work (which was published in 2008) is the most in-depth book that covers transgender history in the United States. There isn’t a 1000-page “Transgender American History.” There might be someday, but not yet.
In the 1980s, journalist Randy Shilts took it upon himself to document the discovery and spread of HIV/AIDS – even though other journalists weren’t doing so at the time. This book is best read alongside How to Survive a Plague to give a comprehensive account of the political landscape LGBTQIA+ people were fighting in the 1980s. And the Band Played On was produced into a film adaptation in 1993; How to Survive a Plague was originally a movie that was later made into a book in 2016.
And the Band Played On centers on the premise that the United States government was intentionally indifferent to the suffering of LGBTQIA+ people victimized by AIDS. Due to the federal government failing to fund research and treatment options, the US allowed the spread of HIV to exponentially increase into a crisis.
How to Survive a Plague follows the actions of groups like ACT UP and TAG, but both books are valuable when considering this time period. And the Band Played On is considerably older (it was published in the midst of the AIDS crisis and helped cement international attention). It drew criticism from academic and scientific communities that refused to believe they were complicit in the AIDS crisis by failing to act.
Others argue that Shilts shouldn’t have called Gaëtan Dugas “Patient Zero” since it normalized the idea that gay men were overtly infectious, since Dugas intentionally continued to have unprotected sex after being told he had contracted HIV. Dugas was one of the first major cases in North America leading up to the AIDS crisis, but he wasn’t Patient Zero. On the other hand, Shilts was writing during the crisis – so the book is a product of its time. In his point of view, as likely the view of many other queer people at the time, Dugas should have used protection when having sex with others once he had learned he had HIV. Dugas was still a victim. Both statements can be true.
Before Serano’s book, feminist academia wasn’t particularly friendly to transgender scholars. This history still matters – feminism has not always had a history of being inclusive or intersectional, which is why TERFs still exist today and dominate some feminist spaces. Whipping Girl criticized mainstream feminist circles for failing to stand with transgender people, cementing the reality that transgender struggles are part of the general feminist movement leading up to the third wave.
Many Americans are aware of the insane war that Senator Joseph McCarthy waged by charging government officials, agencies, and everyday Americans as communists during a time period when there was hardly anything worse you could be. The Red Scare is taught as a core part of US history to public school students, emphasizing how the national government engaged in a wrongful witch hunt in the 1950s.
Fewer people know of the Lavender Scare, which occurred at the same time. McCarthy made unsubstantiated claims that the federal government was also compromised by homosexuals who posed just as much of a national security threat as communists did. David E. Johnson’s The Lavender Scare chronicles this legacy and how Joseph McCarthy managed to bar LGBTQIA+ people from jobs in the public sector by associating them with the USSR.
Queer History YOU Should Know #1 During the Middle Ages, individuals assigned female at birth would occasionally live socially as men in monasteries (monachoparthenoi). While these transgender men weren’t open about their identities, it was the most socially acceptable way they could express themselves in Medieval Europe.
Some of these monks, such as Saint Marinos and Anastasia the Patrician, were even later canonized as Catholic saints – although the Vatican isn’t too willing to refer to these individuals as men.
Five Podcasts for LGBTQIA+ History Month
Making Gay History
Making Gay History has produced *14 seasons* worth of content, which might make it the longest-running LGBTQIA+ podcast. Their last episode aired in April, but it’s a fairly safe bet to assume season 15 will air in a few months once their writers have had a break.
The podcast covers a variety of topics, but most of its episodes center on individuals who played significant roles throughout LGBTQIA+ history. Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Vito Russo, Larry Kramer, Magnus Hirschfeld, Bayard Rustin – the list goes on.
Closeted History
Originally started to help teachers include LGBTQIA+ topics into their lesson plans, the creators behind Closeted History were led to hosting weekly trivia that eventually became their current podcast. The series is produced by educator Destiny Clarke, aiming to showcase queer and transgender history largely forgotten or ignored by history books.
Bad Gays
These days, LGBTQIA+ history is being more frequently included in larger narratives – even if it’s not commonly taught yet. Academics are finally interested in unearthing queer stories! That’s generally a good thing.
Bad Gays explores the lives of not-so-great queer people throughout history. While historians are getting around to admitting figures like Alexander the Great, Audre Lorde, and Shakespeare were gay, they avoid remembering the stories of queer people who lived less than remarkable lives.
Thus, Bad Gays explores LGBTQIA+ people who are forgotten by other academics due to being criminals, deviants, or generally unethical. It’s a great addition to folks already knowledgeable on LGBTQIA+ history since it reaffirms the fact that, since queer people are people, we range along the morality spectrum. Bad Gays *isn’t* recommended for people new to LGBTQIA+ history.
History is Gay
Leigh Pfeffer and Gretch Jones produced a wealth of content until the podcast History is Gay was eventually retired in 2023. It’s one of the most listened to pieces of media on queer history, alongside Making Gay History and Queer as Fact, and covers a TON of topics in hour-long monthly segments. History is Gay won’t be receiving any new episodes, but it covers topics unlikely to be found elsewhere.
Queer as Fact
Although Queer as Fact is based in Australia, it has reliably produced two seasons of episodes per year. Topics span the entire world, so you’ll get a good education in not just American and European history (like most sources focus on), but also LGBTQIA+ stories from China, Haiti, Nigeria, Mexico, and Iran. Like Making Gay History, you’ll continue to get new content if you find yourself hooked on Queer as Fact.
Queer History YOU Should Know #2 Stonewall was a critical turning point for LGBTQIA+ history that led to increased visibility, acceptance, and rights. However, the story on what exactly happened that night in 1969 is just as much folktale as fact.
There are multiple conflicting accounts regarding Stonewall. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were influential figures behind the events leading up to Stonewall as well as organizing the masses later into action – but Marsha herself stated she never threw the first brick. Stonewall also didn’t happen because queer people were made over the death of Judy Garland: Stonewall was the consequence of repetitive police raids on gay bars despite LGBTQIA+ people already blackmailed by the NYC mafia for protection.
Five Video Series for LGBTQIA+ History Month
Jessica Keligren-Fozard
Most known for her videos on disability awareness, vintage fashion, and LGBTQIA+ history, Jessica has created content on YouTube since 2011. Her channel has a series of both queer history shorts and long video-essay style videos to appeal to folks with short and not-so-short attention spans.
Jessica’s content is also great for teaching disability allyship and intersectionality since disability inclusion is still overwhelmingly ignored in social justice spaces.
Kaz Rowe
Kaz is both a cartoonist and YouTuber, maintaining their ongoing webcomic while producing relatively eclectic videos. In short, they love history – their videos are detailed and explore topics like the Middle Ages, Victorian period, and everything in between. Pirates, monks and knights, cowboys, and the industrial revolution – what more could you ask for?
Powered by Rainbows
Even though Powered By Rainbows is geared towards schools, its content is detailed and versatile. The channel has a large team that allows it to post several times each week. The website behind Powered By Rainbows is also a fantastic resource, extensively covering LGBTQIA+ in easy and accessible courses.
It is also worth noting that Powered By Rainbows is more than just a history channel. Generally, the channel focuses on LGBTQIA+-related news but it also produces content related to queer history and theory.
The Book of Queer
This video series was produced in five parts by Discovery+ in 2022, but it’s extremely well-made and engaging. The Book of Queer is partially available to watch for free on YouTube, bringing LGBTQIA+ history on screen with reenactments and interviews that make otherwise dry content too boring to be interesting.
As a comedy documentary, The Book of Queer is fun to watch. Its humor is becoming increasingly dated, however, due to the high use of queer slang popular in 2022.
Rowan Ellis
Similar to Powered By Rainbows and Kaz Rowe, Rowan Ellis’s content tends to be eclectic – she’s been uploading content to YouTube since 2014 regarding LGBTQIA+ issues, feminism, Autism, and polyamory – and plenty more. Rowan’s videos are well-researched, and while more of her content centers on queer media, art is an important aspect of history.
No matter what format you prefer your content, there’s something out there to get you more acquainted with LGBTQIA+ history. Make the active goal this October to spend time with one of these pieces and find yourself a bit more educated by next month.
Next week, I’ll be covering other ways to learn about LGBTQIA+ history in-person and virtually.
When nations transition out of “developing” status, there is always a common thread that conservatives hate: They embrace some aspect of ‘socialism.’ Of course, international political scientists are quick to point out that these countries aren’t actually socialist, but that doesn’t change the stilted way American media represent them.
Through the Canada Health Act of 1984, all Canadian citizens and permanent residents have had access to universal public healthcare. ‘Universal healthcare‘ refers to countries where federal taxes are used to pay for healthcare services rather than requiring individuals to pay private insurance companies – it dates back to the late 1800s and is considered one of the most visible markers as to whether a country is doing well. On the global stage, any country that can afford to use tax revenue to offset healthcare must be doing okay compared to countries that utilize capitalism to bar healthcare services to only those who can pay premiums.
As of 2024, the average life expectancy is 79.5 years, which is more comparable with countries like Cuba (78.3), Saudi Arabia (79.0), and Panama (79.8) rather than ‘similar’ global powers like Japan (84.4), Germany (81.5), Canada (82.7), and Australia (84.1).
In the United States, it is extremely difficult to obtain unemployment funds. Our program is intentionally designed to help as few people as possible. To qualify, you have to prove you’ve lost your previous job through no fault of your own (meaning you weren’t fired and you didn’t quit on your own) and must regularly prove you are applying for new work at the risk of being audited and forced to pay unemployment funds back. The US’s strict definition of “unemployment” is purposely misleading.
This system promotes individuals to work all the time. Labor rights are weighted for corporations and supervisors – employees who reside in at-will states can be fired at any moment, resulting in them being out of work and unable to pay bills while still not qualifying for unemployment because their job loss was “their fault.” This isn’t a system that moves people out of poverty; it incentivizes it.
In 1971, 61% of adults were classified as middle class, whereas just 50% of American adults met that criteria in 2021. The median income for the middle class has also declined over the past half-century – which affirms the fact that the US isn’t built to uplift citizens and the American Dream is a fantasy.
When compared to the rest of the world, why is the United States so unwilling to continue moving forward? It’s a fundamental question that both Republicans and Democrats fail to answer. Corporate profit has kept the US from moving economically forward for the last 50 years. Why are American workers so resistant to rebelling?
The explanation is two-fold. America’s anti-commie can be traced to the Red Scare when senators like Joseph McCarthy used moral panic to accelerate Americans’ anxieties over the rise of left-wing ideologies in the 1940s and 1950s. McCarthy and the right cemented the underlying belief that to be American, one must be against left-wing ideologies like communism; to favor systems like communism and socialism is to be un-American. McCarthyism was a hard time that led to civil liberties being squashed in the name of patriotism and national security.
By the 1980s, there was a massive media push to convince Americans that their wealth was the byproduct of pure hard work and good moral character. Propaganda was produced to persuade workers that anyone can become unfathomably wealthy with enough work ethic, obscuring the reality that nepotism, family status, luck, and other uncontrollable factors play parts in our life stories. The ultra-wealthy are of an inherently better moral character because they “worked” for their money; the best route to financial success is not through labor laws that restrict corporate wealth but by licking the boots of one’s supervisors in hopes you will be rewarded. Once one generation had taken the bait set by corporations who bribed Congress and Reagan with lobbying, the rest was history.
Beyond the United States, these “leftist” institutions, like universal healthcare and affordable college, aren’t socialism. They’re common sense. While most British citizens will moan at the imperfect nature of the NHS, they’ll also be quick to point out that universal healthcare is a fundamental right to them. Japan isn’t any less capitalist because it enforces a livable minimum wage. Germans are more likely to believe programs like Bürgergeld are a right paid for by working citizens rather than extreme leftism – and they’d probably be offended if you insinuated they were communist. These welfare programs are moderate, centrist. They aren’t “socialist” to anyone outside of the United States.
Fundamentally, the second aspect of America’s issues is the Overton Window. It’s a large reason why the US is so different from its peers. The theory suggests that regular folks find moderate ideas reasonable based on the furthest left and right extremes. The realm of reasonable ideas is the “Overton Window,” where politicians can easily advocate for policies without worrying about major pushback. Yet the Window isn’t static; it moves because society changes.
Take an issue like the Israel-Palestine conflict. One side of the spectrum pledges full support to Israel (the US right), the other side pledges support to Palestine (the US left). The “reasonable” in-between is to either support both or neither (Democrats). Or, consider the status of marijuana in the United States – one side advocates for harsher prison sentencing and criminalization, while the other argues for recreational legalization. The moderate approach falls somewhere between decriminalization and age restrictions.
The issue with the Overton Window is that moderate isn’t always better, especially regarding civil rights. Going back to the 1960s, one side argued for the enslavement and dehumanization of all people of color, while the other advocated for equal rights. The moderate solution between the KKK and equality was segregation. When human rights are at the focus, moderate solutions are never reasonable or humane. Both sides of the political spectrum play a metaphorical tug-of-war with the Overton Window. For equal civil rights for Black Americans to be the reasonable solution, people had to keep pushing against the window. But then, Donald Trump entered the political stage.
Trump doesn’t play by the rules; he plays by what suits him best. Trump has normalized far-right ideas throughout his presidential campaigns, both directly through comments like demeaning Latino Americans and transgender people, as well as indirectly by giving a voice to extremists like Elon Musk’s Nazi salute. He’s quick to call everything he despises socialist to stir up American anxieties, and he’s just as quick to fume when opposition calls him a fascist or neonazi.
And this time around, Democrats are trying to play moderates rather than rebel against Trump’s status quo – but that led to their failure in 2024 because they failed to appeal to the working class of real moderates.
No matter who you are, names have unparalleled importance since they often define us and serve as a core aspect of our identity. Names may have even more significance to transgender people since they play a vital role in affirming our gender identities and overall health.
Disclaimer: This article should serve as a GUIDE, not a MANUAL. Every journey is different, and thus, there is no singular way to be trans. Some of these tips may be helpful, while others may not – and that’s okay!
Choosing a new name can be a stressful process. Many (but not all) transgender people choose a new name to identify with as part of their transition since most names have a traditional gender associated with them, so a new name is needed as part of the transition journey. The new name is referred to as a chosen name or affirmed name, whereas the old name they were assigned at birth may be called their deadname, former name, birth name, assigned name, legal name, or some other variant.
The term ‘preferred name’ is ill-advised since it linguistically implies a transgender person’s new name is simply a preference to their previous name – and thus their previous name is still able to be used. Preferred names do exist, but only if someone has multiple chosen names they like being referred by, and not if the only two ‘options’ are a chosen name and a deadname.
One of the most common sources of names (for transgender and cisgender people alike) is family history. There is a certain prestige associated with being named after an important relative, which is why it’s not uncommon for people to pick names from these traditions. Take linguistics into account while picking your name, too. Heritage can be a fantastic inspiration, but be mindful of whether your prospective names have certain races and ethnicities associated with them.
It’s a good idea to take your family into account, regardless of the name you ultimately choose. If you have three cousins named some variant of Megan, do you really want to be the fourth? What about the family drama of picking the same name as your sibling? And while ancestor names are great, you might (or might not) want to be a 20-year-old guy named Bartholomew in 2025. Relatedly, you can also discuss names with your family, such as your parents, assuming they are supportive of your identity. At the end of the day, the name you go by is yours to decide.
Personal Interests: Make It Fun!
The other most common inspiration trans folks draw names from is from personal interests, like celebrities, authors, musicians, actors, historical figures, and characters they admire. This isn’t something just trans people do, either – plenty of cisgender prospective parents use celebrities when coming up with names, as evidenced by name trends whenever there’s a new famous baby born or a new actor that ascends to stardom. However, as mentioned in the previous section, be mindful of names that have associated races and ethnicities attached to them, since it’s poor taste to take a Japanese or Black name as a white person.
There are additional factors to take into account when using this type of inspiration. First, be aware that celebrities are people – musicians are more associated with scandals, but any human is capable of doing less-than-admirable things. In the very least, your chosen name will remind you of a person you used to look up to. At most, you might have an extremely infamous name like O.J. that’s widely associated with a public scandal. Furthermore, your interests will inevitably change – it’s human! Just be mindful of the fact that your favorite anime or TV show will be different from today compared to ten years from now.
It’s Your Name, Resonate With It!
At the end of the day, you don’t need a reason behind your name. You’re allowed to pick any name you resonate with – so consider names you’ve always liked. Some folks use baby name books to spark inspiration, which works too!
While family may provide great suggestions for prospective names, friends and community members can also be a good source. Is there a nickname you’ve always gone by that could work? Are there ways to masculinize, feminize, or androgynize your name? You don’t have to get an entirely new name – some individuals choose to alter their name to simply better fit their gender identity.
Try It Out: Getting Used To Your Name
It can be awkward adjusting to a new name. Make an active effort and practice using your new name in conversations. If you’re struggling with it, the advice I recommend to cisgender folks adjusting to friends and family members’ new names is PRACTICE. Specifically, for each time you mess up, say aloud the correct name in a sentence at least five times. The only way to correct old habits is by forming new ones, which is why folks struggle with change unless they make the effort.
There are also resources online for this same purpose. Take an extra step and use your new name in other online settings, like forums and social media accounts, so you can normalize your chosen name in additional settings. Some sites I recommend include:
Names are a big deal! Do you care if your name is easy to spell or pronounce? In places such as the United States, non-white names will often be misspelled or mispronounced, as well as nontraditional white names like Mehgnn, Airwrecka, or Brandeigh. I want to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with having a “difficult” name, but be prepared to correct people.
Another important aspect to consider is whether you need your name to come across as “professional.” Ultimately, people make predictions based on names alone – even before someone has met you, they’ve already made assumptions about you. Certain names are associated with distinct ages, personalities, and other factors. Do you want one name used universally, or would you prefer different variations like Benjamin, Ben, Benny, and Benji?
Making It Official
To legally change your name outside of marriage or divorce, you must file a court order. This generally requires paperwork to be filed with your local circuit court. Contrary to popular belief, you do not file your name change in your birth city/county – you file your change with the county you live in. The exact forms vary by state, but guidance isn’t too difficult to find since many people change their legal names for non-transition reasons. The forms have to be filed electronically or otherwise online unless you qualify for an exemption. If you qualify, your documents can be filed in person at your local courthouse.
Once filed, you’ll be assigned a court date in the near future, where you will appear before a judge and explain the reasoning for the change before it is officially signed. On that date, you will need to make sure you have your stamped copies of your Name Change Request and Order for Name Change, as well as any criminal records (including any documentation showing previous felonies discharged). Answer the judge and their questions honestly. If the court denies your name change request, ask for another hearing – you have the right to do so. If it was denied due to a mistake on your part, ask the judge to continue the hearing to a later date so you can correct the error. Otherwise, you have the right to file an appeal as long as you file within 30 days of the judge’s decision. Occasionally, some judges will deny trans-related name changes due to personal bias – but these aren’t permissible and are overwhelmingly overturned once appealed. In the words of Lambda Legal, “a judge cannot arbitrarily deny you a name change based on transphobic or sexist notions.”
Looking for a way to remove your deadname while browsing the internet? This free Chrome extension visually replaces your deadname with your chosen name – although it doesn’t actually change your name in the computer code or legally.
This order almost always requires a fee, although it can often be waived if you meet certain income-based criteria. The fee varies drastically based on median county income, but criteria waivers often include:
A number of states require applicants to publish their upcoming name change in a local newspaper, although this is being changed since it is unhelpful and outs folks. This requirement was originally created to notify debt collectors in order to better follow-up on cases.
If your court file open to the public poses a legitimate risk to your health or safety, you can file a Motion to Impound, which requires courts to make your forms private and therefore inaccessible to the public without specific permission granted by a judge. This comes up more often with trans folks since these records potentially out you as transgender.
As one final note, always remember you are allowed to change your name. It’s your identity! It’s okay if the name you choose today isn’t your forever name.
For most, college is both exciting and terrifying. Along with turning eighteen, entering college is the cornerstone of young adulthood for Americans. Finished with high school, college is the first real transition Americans experience as they move away to live separately from their parents. That brings independence, new social opportunities, the need for money management, and everything else that comes with living on your own.
Until recently, the legal understanding of Title IX was that if the law applies to biological sex, then discrimination against one’s adherence or nonadherence to biological sex-associated gender roles and stereotypes wholly falls under Title IX as sex discrimination. If a gay man is harassed on campus because he isn’t masculine enough, it constitutes Title IX because anti-queer harassment ultimately relies on sex-based stereotypes. All Biden’s guidance did was allow LGBTQIA+ students to file discrimination more easily since they could argue it was based on sexual orientation or gender identity rather than having to make the roundabout case above. TLDR: You are still protected under Title IX as a transgender student, but under the Trump administration, you’ll have to file your argument differently.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects students’ information and confidentiality. Once in college, your parents can no longer have access to your records without your explicit consent. So, while your parents would know if you changed your name or pronouns on school documents while in high school, that is no longer the case at college since FERPA forbids that information from being shared. FERPA also requires schools to prevent outing as much as possible, so staff are unable to share your personal information with other professors or students.
Colleges cannot require proof of your gender identity or legal changes to update most documents like student emails, IDs, and rosters. The only exception to this is your health records and college diploma, which will require legal documentation to change.
Professors need to call you by your chosen name, even if it’s not legally changed. People are allowed to make honest mistakes, but purposely misgendering and deadnaming transgender students puts them at increased risk of harm since it outs them.
Colleges have a responsibility to take action when informed of bullying, harassment, and discrimination on campus – including when it applies to queer and transgender students.
Students have a right to use the restroom and locker room that aligns with their gender identity, and colleges cannot force students to use separate facilities. It’s great if a school has a gender-neutral bathroom, but they can’t require you to use it since that would violate the Equal Access Act. I’ll caveat here that locker rooms are up in the air since the Trump administration is waging a war on transgender students’ access to sports.
You have the right to present yourself as your gender identity. Colleges cannot police or restrict expression simply because they dislike it or it’s “controversial.” The Supreme Court has a long history of supporting students’ right to self-expression. Schools cannot ban you from wearing a dress unless they ban dresses amongst all students, nor can they ban a shirt with a progressive rainbow unless they ban all graphic shirts.
Students have a right to choose who and who not to tell they are LGBTQIA+. Colleges are forbidden from outing students under FERPA, which includes details like your deadname, transgender status, and medical history.
If your college offers extracurricular activities (like chess club, Christian associations, or D&D), you have the right to form and be in a school LGBTQIA+ association like a Gay-Straight Alliance.
These laws apply to all American universities and colleges that receive federal funding. Even if they are religious, institutions that use federal funding must adhere to Title IX, FERPA, and other federal laws. Schools that do not want to follow these rules must either be entirely privately funded or apply for religious exemption, which is relatively difficult to get. Out of those colleges, I wouldn’t recommend trans students since these colleges are notoriously anti-transgender.
In addition to these federal protections, you may be further entitled (or marginalized) based on where exactly you live in the United States. Some states, like California, New York, and Illinois, have comprehensive laws protecting LGBTQIA+ students, while others, like Texas and Florida, fall short.
Even if you live in a conservative state, your university might still include LGBTQIA+ identities in its nondiscrimination policies – so it’s important to research your schools! I highly recommend Campus Pride Index as a free resource. They’ve been researching and compiling colleges since 2006 and have a searchable database that gives users insight into cost, atmosphere, and other useful metrics on what LGBTQIA+ resources are available at their school. It’s by far the easiest way to determine if a college has a queer resource center, campus events, nondiscrimination policies, and healthcare coverage. They even maintain lists of the country’s best and worst campuses for LGBTQIA+ students. If your school is not listed on Campus Pride, you should still be able to locate relevant policies. Most often, you’ll want to search for “nondiscrimination policies,” “student handbooks,” or general “policies and guidelines.” If internet searches fail you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your admin staff – they’re there to help you when you have questions about campus policies!
Amongst your university’s policies, you’ll also find guidelines on how to report harassment, discrimination, and general bullying. Always try to follow your college’s established procedures first when you experience harassment – give your administration the benefit of the doubt and remember to document all incidents, filed complaints, and communication you have with administration. If your school refuses to take your complaint seriously, you should then involve outside resources like local LGBTQIA+ nonprofits, GLSEN, or your state ACLU chapter. These organizations will help you determine the next steps best suited for your situation.
Some situations might require you to file a lawsuit against your school. You will likely want to have guidance from a legal authority like the ACLU before proceeding with filing or sourcing a competent legal group to represent you. You can also file complaints to the United States Department of Education – but given the political climate, you might not get a good response regardless of your legal rights. If you go this route, remember you only have 180 days to file a complaint with the Department and to file the discrimination as “sex-based.” Complaints that are not fully completed are automatically trashed and not investigated. Include as many details as possible, and keep in mind that your complaint is required to be confidential under federal law.
You’re going to be busy the first week of the semester. Everyone is. Try to get all your paperwork completed before the first day of class and reduce future headaches. Nearly all of this will require working with your campus administration, for better or worse.
As mentioned above, universities do not legally have to have a court order or medical documentation to update your name or gender marker in most of their electronic systems, but the process for doing so likely won’t be easy or straightforward unless they have already set up their systems for these changes. Many schools use ancient software to process and store student information, which is why admins huff and puff at being asked to change a student’s name. However, a process being annoying or difficult is not grounds to deny you from changing your name or gender marker at school. At college, you are paying to be there – the admins essentially work for you, and your comfort, safety, and overall confidentiality are worth pursuing. Some examples of items you can (and should) change include:
Your official school email, including associated accounts with it, like Word and Outlook.
Your public name in homework submission portals like Blackboard and Canvas.
Your school ID.
Classroom rosters.
Sports uniforms, if applicable.
The only items that require a legal order from a court to update in university software are:
Your diploma and transcript.
Financial aid information stored by FAFSA and your college’s financial aid office.
And personal health information stored by your college’s health center.
Anything else can be changed as an unofficial nickname. Your university is able to mark you as your identified gender in the class roster sent to campus professors without a court-ordered gender marker change. Legal orders only require your school to comply, but it is entirely possible to change most items before that point.
Dr. Genny Beemyn has the most current database of universities and colleges that allow transgender students to use a nonlegal name or pronouns in their files, originally hosted through Campus Pride’s TPC. Check their site to see if your school makes the list.
I’m not naïve – and I don’t recommend you be, either. Despite the law and clear instructions, I have been told myself by college admins things along the lines of “no, we can’t do that without court papers” and “hmm, yeah, I think we know the law better than you do and we don’t have to update your information.” I’ve also come across administrators who are extremely willing to make those minor changes – and my experience isn’t an anomaly. Given the environment academic administrators work in, you’re going to get a mixed bag of individuals who are willing to help as well as others who will throw a fit at your request. Some of them might be aware of LGBTQIA+ issues and why it’s important to get these items changed, while other administrators will huff because “it’s against their religion” to treat you with respect or update your information. And unfortunately, they hold all of the cards. In the event you experience discrimination from your university administration, you will have to follow your campus’ procedures for reporting it – which requires more conversations with admin. Depending on how LGBTQIA+ competent your school is, this paperwork could be an uphill battle.
Map of Healthcare Laws and Policy Exclusions by State, Movement Advancement Project
Regardless, the Trans Policy Clearinghouse has a list of colleges that explicitly list their transgender healthcare inclusions – now hosted on Genny Beemyn’s website.
The last major player in this category is housing. Most people don’t know who their roommate will be, although a growing number of universities are trying to match students with compatible roommates based on preferences. This can be even more anxiety-inducing for transgender students since you have to worry further about what gender you’ll be assigned for housing and whether your roommate will be chill with your identity or totally hateful. At least 470 schools are documented as having “gender-inclusive housing” on campus, which means there is a dorm, facility, or other living space that students can live in regardless of gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Genny Beemyn has an ongoing database of schools that publicly list having these housing options available, but the vast majority of high-ranking colleges on the Campus Pride Index will have this available.
Live Your Life: Finding the Basics for Survival
Considering most Americans begin college around the age of eighteen, university presents the first genuine opportunity for students to medical transition through gender-affirming care like hormone replacement therapy. The feasibility of doing so will depend on your school’s healthcare coverage, but the bottom line is that the ACA requires such care to be possible if you manage to complete their required steps, since gender-affirming care is medically necessary. Typically, these steps include sourcing a licensed mental health professional who is willing to write a letter certifying that your transgender identity is ‘established,’ not a phase, and you can make major decisions like beginning HRT based on your current mental state.
No matter how conservative your university is, you are not the first transgender student that has attended it, although you might be one of its first openly trans students. Transgender people live in all climates, including cities, suburbs, and the rural countryside. If your school has an LGBTQIA+ resource center or queer student organization, ask them first where trans students go for gender-affirming healthcare. If your school doesn’t, you’ll have to do some research: ask around online, like city-specific Facebook groups and subreddits, call the nearest LGBTQIA+ nonprofit, or visit a government health department. The last two will have staff available with the purpose of finding relevant resources – so use ’em!
Even if you’re battling administration for the items I referenced in the previous section, you can still email your upcoming professors prior to the semester. Most professors make an effort to use students’ nicknames anyway to foster a better classroom environment. So, if you happen to know who your professors will be, send them an email before the first day explaining your situation and that your assigned name and gender on their official roster don’t match what you go by. Use this email template and plug in your information. Even though my college admin eventually did change my name in their systems, I still had to send out emails since rosters were sent before the admin had made the change.
If you’re going the route of emailing your professors, remember it won’t solve everything. Without your university administration updating official rosters, you will encounter issues with other staff. Most often, this applies to substitute teachers and teacher assistants – subs sometimes get copies of the official roster rather than the one your regular professor uses. This means you can potentially be outed by a sub until your campus information is actually changed.
If you are beginning to live openly trans for the first time, you’ll discover how difficult it can be to advocate for yourself. More than anyone else, you have your best interests in mind – and there are uneducated people in every space, including college. Prepare for headaches, find quick resources to give to curious folks, learn when to shut down ‘curious’ Devil’s advocates, and have a plan in place to deal with incoming microaggressions. This is easier said than done, but I cannot emphasize how important it is for your own sake as well as future transgender students that will inevitably attend your university. Yes, it can be easier to just ride out the semester and not correct the side remarks by your professor – and sometimes, that’s what you need to do to emotionally and physically survive. But by not confronting those hard conversations, you leave the work for the next student that comes.
To an extent, you can also research trans-friendly restrooms, businesses, and events close to campus prior to the semester beginning – although sometimes it’s smoother to wait until you have real people to ask while navigating your first weeks. When you’re early in your transition, you need to feel safe and comfortable. Genny Beemyn has TPC’s previous list of universities with published maps of gender-neutral restrooms on campus, BUT I also recommend the REFUGE app. REFUGE is a free mobile app that lets users pinpoint trans-friendly bathrooms. You might be the first in your area to utilize the app and have a blank slate, or you might find a filled map with a treasure trove of tips. Either way, REFUGE allows you to build an underground resource for yourself and others at your school.
While on campus, the best (and most traditional) way to determine whether a space is LGBTQIA+ friendly is through “safe space” signage. Today, these signs are most common among less progressive schools where acceptance isn’t seen as the norm, but they’re great anywhere. Beyond campus grounds, these apps and sites are good ways to find trans-affirming spaces:
Strands for Trans is an online database for barbershops and hair salons.
Everywhere Is Queer is a mobile app for all businesses (including virtual ones), similar to Strands for Trans. Businesses self-report whether they identify as LGBTQIA+ friendly.
For bars and nightlife, look into GayCities, Travel Gay, and Yelp. GayCities and Travel Gay are better options if you live near a metropolitan area, but Yelp is more helpful for less populated regions.
Beyond websites and mobile apps, the best way to really determine whether a business is trans-friendly is by word of mouth. Find other queer and trans people on campus or a queer nonprofit – their experiences are worth significantly more than self-reported labels online. And while I’m aware of other websites that compile businesses, like Pink Robin, Hey Fam, LGBTQ+ Business Week, LGBTQIA Hub, and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, these sites focus heavily on e-commerce. Large cities like NYC and the Queer Money Project – and cities are more likely to have listings on apps such as Qlist and MisterB&B.
Support Yourself: Self-Care Matters
In order to thrive at college, you have to think beyond the basics. Between assignments and dealing with less-than-supportive classmates and staff, you will need an outlet for support. Be proactive and plan to create support as your semester begins. And if you’re struggling with coming out at college, Campus Pride has a resource tailored for you – and here is the most current copy of the Coming Out as a Transgender Person Workbook.
The simplest way to get connected with like-minded peers is to join a student organization. Clubs and other associates exist no matter the size of your school, including if you attend community college. Look for organizations that cater to queer identities (if possible) or interests you have. If you find your university lacks sufficient organizations, you’re entitled to create your own as long as you follow your school’s policies and have a staff member to serve as the club sponsor. In my experience, LGBTQIA+ college student organizations are way more active than high school ones – from anti-bullying campaigns to social functions, they’re worth checking out and giving a chance.
Speaking of which, check to see if your college has an LGBTQIA+ resource center. These are specific departments created by the university to handle LGBTQIA+ issues, training, clubs, and support. Schools with resource centers typically score higher on all metrics of the Campus Pride Index since they help recruit and retain queer students by fostering a safe campus environment. If your school lacks an LGBTQIA+ resource center, it may have something related like a “diversity department.” These are more common in community colleges and smaller schools that lack the funds to have multiple departments.
It feels like a stereotype, but queer people are good at finding each other. Use your natural gaydar to find safe friends to connect with. They don’t have to necessarily dress or “look” gay, but trust your gut when you feel good or bad vibes from your fellow classmates. People pay to go to college and learn, so they’re at least marginally more open-minded than the general population.
Being transgender shouldn’t limit you from traditional college activities that your cisgender peers get to enjoy. Don’t limit yourself to hobbies and organizations solely surrounding your queer identity – use every resource available to you and try every club that you find interesting. Beyond clubs, the most common social resources are sports and Greek life.
Currently, per “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” transfeminine individuals are barred completely from participating in college sports. Transmasculine and nonbinary folks might be technically allowed right now, but you’re unlikely to find these spaces welcoming. As most readers probably know, these bans are based on vast misunderstandings of existing laws and policies – but the harm still exists.
The TLDR is that anti-transgender sports bans overwhelmingly overestimate transgender people’s involvement in athletic competitions and overwhelmingly underestimate the laws that already dictate when and if transgender people can perform. For example, while approximately 10,500 people try out for the Olympics, fewer than a dozen might identify as transgender. That calculates to 0.001% of those folks trying out. To not be automatically disqualified during this process, transgender people must provide medical and legal documentation of their gender identity – which includes proving they have been consistently using estrogen HRT and using testosterone supplements for multiple years to force their hormone levels to be identical to biologically female competitors. This standard by the International Olympic Committee is enforced in other sports, and for decades, it was the same applied to student sports. The Trump ban supersedes these precedents and bars trans people from competing no matter what. In the context of school, sports are well-understood as crucial for supporting students’ emotional and physical well-being since they provide an outlet for exercise while fostering team-building. Yet, because of the Trump administration’s ban, transgender students are forbidden from having these experiences.
“Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” is centered on competitive sports, so it’s unclear how strictly it is applied to noncompetitive or intramural sports clubs, but I advise caution since it will largely depend on the political climate of your school on whether they will use the executive order against you.
You don’t find many LGBTQIA+ people in Greek life. Part of it comes from its long history of strict gender roles for frat boys and sorority girls. Another part comes from Greek organizations not being kind to marginalized folks, especially considering how many organizations get accused of sexual harassment and hazing. Then, of course, Greek life is associated with higher incomes since joining these associations generally requires annual fees. Despite this, there are Greek organizations with explicit mission statements that include transgender people – and there are also organizations founded by LGBTQIA+ students.
Some sororities include:
Alpha Chi Omega (ΑΧΩ)
Alpha Delta Pi (ΑΔΠ)
Alpha Epsilon Phi (ΑΕΦ)
Alpha Gamma Delta (ΑΓΔ)
Alpha Lambda Zeta (ΑΛΖ)
Alpha Omicron Pi (ΑΟΠ)
Alpha Pi Delta (ΑΠΔ)
Alpha Sigma Alpha (AΣA)
Alpha Sigma Tau (ΑΣΤ)
Alpha Xi Delta (ΑΞΔ)
Beta Phi Omega (ΒΦΩ)
Delta Delta Delta (ΔΔΔ)
Delta Gamma (ΔΓ)
Delta Phi Epsilon (ΔΦΕ)
Gamma Phi Beta (ΓΦΒ)
Gamma Rho Lambda (GRL)
Eta Epsilon Gamma (ΗΕΓ)
Eta Iota Mu (ΗΙΜ)
Kappa Alpha Lambda (ΚΑΛ)
Kappa Alpha Theta (ΚΑΘ)
Kappa Delta (ΚΔ)
Kappa Kappa Gamma (ΚΚΓ)
Kappa Omega Omicron (ΚΏΟ)
Kappa Theta Epsilon (ΚΘΕ)
Kappa Xi Omega (ΚΞΩ)
Lambda Delta Lambda (ΛΔΛ)
Omicron Epsilon Pi (ΟΕΠ)
Phi Omega (ΦΩ)
Phi Sigma Sigma (ΦΣΣ)
Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣAI)
Sigma Delta Tau (ΣΔΤ)
Sigma Omega Phi (ΣΩΦ)
Sigma Phi Chi (ΣΦΧ)
Sigma Sigma Sigma (ΣΣΣ)
Theta Phi Alpha (ΘΦΑ)
Zeta Omega Eta (ΖΩΗ)
Zeta Tau Alpha (ΖΤΑ)
Zeta Theta Psi (ΖΘΨ)
Some fraternities include:
Acacia
Alpha Sigma Phi (AΣΦ)
Beta Gamma Pi (ΒΓΠ)
Beta Theta Pi (BΘΠ)
Chi Phi (XΦ)
Chi Psi (XΨ)
Delta Chi (ΔX)
Delta Lambda Phi (ΔΛΦ)
Delta Phi Upsilon (ΔΦΥ)
Delta Sigma Phi (ΔΣΦ)
Delta Tau Delta (ΔΤΔ)
Delta Upsilon (ΔΥ)
Kappa Delta Rho (KΔP)
Kappa Kappa Psi (KKΨ)
Kappa Psi Kappa (ΚΨΚ)
Lambda Chi Alpha (ΛXA)
Omega Delta Phi (ΩΔΦ)
Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ)
Phi Kappa Tau (ΦKT)
Phi Sigma Kappa (ΦΣK)
Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠKA)
Pi Kappa Phi (ΠKΦ)
Pi Lambda Phi (ΠΛΦ)
Psi Upsilon (ΨY)
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣAE)
Sigma Chi (ΣΧ)
Sigma Epsilon Omega (ΣΕΩ)
Sigma Phi Beta (ΣΦΒ)
Sigma Phi Epsilon (ΣΦE)
Sigma Nu (ΣN)
Sigma Tau Gamma (ΣTΓ)
Tau Beta Sigma (TBΣ)
Tau Kappa Epsilon (ΤΚΕ)
Theta Chi (ΘX)
Theta Delta Chi (ΘΔX)
Theta Xi (ΘΞ)
Zeta Alpha Delta (ΖΑΔ)
Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT)
And some all-gender Greek associations include:
Alpha Delta Phi Society (ΑΔΦ)
The Euglossian Society (ΕΥΓ)
Lambda Alpha Lambda (ΛΑΛ)
Lambda Delta Xi (ΛΔΞ)
Nu Delta (ΝΔ)
Phi Sigma Pi (ΦΣΠ)
Th Delta Sigma (ΘΔΣ)
Theta Pi Sigma (ΘΠΣ)
Zeta Delta Xi (ΖΔΞ)
Sigma Omicron Rho (ΣΟΡ)
Even if you are introverted, shy, or otherwise not a social person, I highly recommend creating an in-person support system. Go to club meetings, join your local community, and make IRL friends. Entirely online support systems don’t foster the same level of mental wellness – although they can still be useful. For that purpose, here are some online resources for transgender college students.
⭐ Looking for generic trans resources? Click here.
Between going to class, making friends, and inevitably dealing with conflict, you need to set aside time for self-care. Do things you enjoy. Engage in therapy. Work on setting boundaries. Develop hobbies to do in your free time that don’t feel like work. And if you struggle with self-care, here’s an info hub by GSA Network.
And of course, small things matter. Assuming your dorm or living space allows it, cultivate your room to foster a sense of pride. You’ll be spending a lot of time in your room, so make it inviting – hang up a pride flag, put up some posters, and decorate the space to inspire joy. After a potentially long day at class dealing with people, don’t you deserve to feel comfortable and proud of who you are?
