Trans Solidarity Project

Category: Resource & Information

  • Trans Cinema: Movies to celebrate and inspire pride

    Trans Cinema: Movies to celebrate and inspire pride

    Movies are an important part of culture – for some, film provides a simple stress release and a means to entertain ourselves; for others, it is another teaching tool that allows us to critique society through art. Movies also influence us, inspiring us to be creative – and they hold the potential to feed propaganda, too. Despite its relatively short history compared to other art forms, film has become incredibly integrated into daily life: you won’t find a person who doesn’t like movies to some degree, whether they’re action-packed time-wasters or thoughtful stories that reveal new insights through their narratives. Each person who watches a film will take away a different message, which is why movies are a great format when books or traditional art fail.

    Throughout my work, I’ve put together many lists like this. While everyone is capable of theoretically learning about other cultures and perspectives, most are unlikely to. Unless it’s directly in their face, few go out of their way when they could watch the latest release from Marvel or Disney. I’ve spent plenty of time trying to make digestible recommendations to get folks interested in transgender media. To celebrate Pride, here are the most popular movies mentioned when looking for trans-specific films.

    3 Generations (2015)

    Transmasc | 30% RT | Comedy Drama | PG-13 | 1h 34


    Nearly every movie on this list is categorized as “indie” – transgender stories aren’t seen as compelling or profitable enough for big producers yet. 3 Generations centers on a transgender boy as he navigates coming out to his family. Notably, this film has bad reviews, but it always gets suggested when you search the internet for transmasculine films due to the extreme lack of them. If you’re looking for something trans to watch, go for it – but there are better movies on this list. 3 Generations falls short because of it focuses too much on the cisgender family members. It holds a lot of potential for telling a great story but flubs portraying gender identity. Critics generally agree that the film had good intentions but forces too many compromises for the transgender main character to appeal to the cisgender adults around him.

    Content Warning / Available on… Roku Channel, PLEX, The CW, Peacock, YouTube, Google Movies, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango

    52 Tuesdays (2013)

    Transmasc | 90% RT | Drama | NR | 1h 49m

    A much better movie about transgender people dealing with family, 52 Tuesdays explores the relationship between a transgender man and his teenage daughter after he comes out. The daughter is limited to only see him on Tuesday evenings for the next year (hence the film title) and the drama that always comes with transition. The main gripe comes from it being released in 2013, right before transgender people were thrown into the media spotlight, so there’s lots of problematic reviews attempting to explain transness.

    Content Warning / Available on… Kanopy, YouTube, Google Movies, Amazon Prime, Fandango, Apple TV

    A Fantastic Woman / Una mujer fantástica (2017)

    Transfemme | 94% RT | Drama | R | 1h 44m

    Marina is a Chilean transgender woman who, after her boyfriend dies suddenly from a brain aneurysm, has to deal with his family as they harass her. Death is a complicated process, and she’s strung through the wringer as they take away everything from her. The movie even won an Oscar in 2018 – it’s bittersweet and manages to relate well to real trans issues. Chilean activists credit the film as a major help in advancing a gender identity law in 2018 that finally allowed transgender Chileans to change their legal gender.

    Content Warning / Available on… Peacock, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango, Netflix*

    Adam (2019)

    Transmasc* | 73% RT | Comedy | NR | 1h 35m

    Based on the novel Adam, the movie follows cisgender teenager Adam while he lives with his older sister – who is involved in New York City’s LGBTQIA+ scene. Adam eventually develops a crush on a lesbian girl who assumes Adam is a transgender man. Adam goes with it, lying about his sex assigned at birth and gender identity. The premise is overused, and the lesbian girl comes out as bisexual by the end of the movie after Adam reveals he’s actually cisgender. Adam still tells an interesting story, but it has a lot of potentially problematic issues. Sexuality is fluid and complicated, but the movie normalizes cis men’s fantasies about turning lesbians; lesbians are attracted to women, but Adam fuels lesbian attraction to transgender men; and of course, any movie that associates transgender people with lying should be taken with a grain of salt.

    On the other hand, the movie is directed by a transgender man (Rhys Ernst), who made slight changes to the original book due to criticism. For what it’s worth, Adam does show how folks’ minds can be opened once they engage with other communities.

    Content Warning | Available on… Tubi, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Roku Channel, YouTube, Google Movies, Fandango, Apple TV

    Albert Nobbs (2011)

    Transmasc* | 56% RT | Romantic Drama | R | 1h 53m

    Another recommendation due to the lack of actual transmasculine films, Albert Nobbs is interpreted as transgender… ish. Albert is a butler in 1800s Ireland who has lived as a man for thirty years to work despite societal restrictions. It’s difficult to decide whether Albert is a cisgender woman trying to survive in a male society or if Albert is a transgender man existing in the few routes possible to him, like IRL figures like Albert Cashier. While most folks involved in the film likely lean into the former interpretation, I believe the movie is significantly more interesting if you view Albert as a very early transgender man. However, the 1800s is a brutal time to be alive – disease and abuse are rampant, and Albert does eventually die by the end.

    Content Warning | Available on… YouTube, Google Movies, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango

    Alice Júnior (2019)

    Transfemme | Comedy Drama | NR | 1h 27m

    This movie is so small that it doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score – but the three critics that have reviewed it have had positive things to say. Alice is a transgender girl who makes YouTube videos, forced to move out to the conservative Brazilian countryside and attend a Catholic school. It’s a coming-of-age story about Alice getting her first kiss despite bullying and harassment.

    Content Warning / Available on… Kanopy, Amazon Prime, Apple TV

    All About My Mother / Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

    Transfemme | 98% RT | Comedy Drama | R | 1h 39m

    Another Oscar-winner, All About My Mother is considered a classic among transgender films. After her son is killed in a car accident, Manuela recouncils with her ex-partner Lola – a transgender woman who never knew she had a son with Manuela. Along the journey, she meets other folks in the trans and sex work community. It’s messy, just like real life, and explores motherhood, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and topics that scare traditional Hollywood away.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    As We Like It / Jie Da Huan Xi (2021)

    Transmasc* | NR | Romantic Drama | 1h 47m

    As a Taiwanese retelling of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, the film explores Orlando and Rosalind’s love – but every single role is played by a woman to play on the historical reality that women were banned from the theater during Shakespeare’s time. It’s mild and a good watch if you’re seeking something more interesting than the classic Shakespeare version. It’s up to you to interpret the characters as transgender men in straight relationships or lesbians defying traditional gender roles.

    Content Warning / Currently unavailable to stream in the United States

    Beautiful Boxer (2003)

    Transfemme | 85% RT | Sports Biography | NR | 1h 48m

    This Taiwanese film is based on the real life of Parinya Charoenphol, a self-identified kathoey who participated in professional boxing to help pay for her gender affirmation surgery. Despite its age, the movie manages to be a decent representation – it’s packed full of action, and transgender stories are rare in the sports movie genre.

    Content Warning / Available on… Roku Channel, YouTube, Netflix*

    Boy Meets Girl (2014)

    Transfemme | 89% RT | Romance, Comedy, & Drama | R | 1h 35m

    Honestly, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Boy Meets Girl – and it’s a fantastic alternative to those tired of sob stories, tragic tales, and dramas. Ricky, a transgender woman, works as barista in a small Kentuckian town with big dreams of moving to NYC to become a fashion designer. Unlike most movies, Boy Meets Girl uses an actual transgender woman (Michelle Hendley) to star in the lead role.

    Content Warning / Available on… Hulu, Roku Channel, Tubi, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango

    Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

    Transmasc | 91% RT | Historical Drama | R | 1h 58m

    There isn’t a more “classic” transmasc film than Boys Don’t Cry – due to the lack of representation and visibility in media, it’s essentially our Brokeback Mountain. It was released in 1999 and portrays the real and tragic murder of Brandon Teena, a victim to an anti-trans hate crime in rural Nebraska.

    If you’re looking for a light-hearted movie to watch, do not watch Boys Don’t Cry. Honestly, don’t watch it unless you’re really ready for it. Among transmasc forums, watching it seen as a rite of passage – but it’s a traumatic and gruesome film that brings gravity to trans hate crimes. Beyond that, it’s important to remember this film takes some pretty large liberties from reality: both of his murderers are alive in prison today, and the negligent sheriff Charles Laux was kept until retirement instead of fired for gross misconduct – although Laux did pass away in 2021 (good riddance). There’s also fair criticism in Hilary Swank’s portrayal of Brandon Teena as a cisgender woman. Lastly, I have a personal gripe that Boys Don’t Cry is the transmasculine community’s centerpiece film, but Brandon Teena was kind of… not a great guy. IRL Brandon should absolutely be alive today, but he had a lot of flaws and adored toxic masculinity, which isn’t something young trans guys should be looking up to. Take him with a grain of salt and hope for better stories in the future.

    Looking for a more accurate telling of Brandon Teena’s story? The Brandon Teena Story was released a year before Boys Don’t Cry as a crime documentary.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Fandango, Hulu*

    Breakfast on Pluto (2005)

    Transfemme | 58% RT | Comedy Thriller | R | 2h 15 m

    Kitten is forced to balance life during one of Ireland’s most dangerous periods in recent history – transgender people don’t stop existing during major events, and she finds herself constantly surrounded by conflict due to The Troubles. Between her troubled youth, joining a punk rock band, and getting involved in sex work, Kitten struggles through external and internal turmoil while searching for her biological mother. Breakfast on Pluto is one of those films that critics hate but audiences love – so it’s got its own cult following.

    Content Warning / Available on… Pluto, Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    By Hook or By Crook (2001)

    Transmasc | 67% RT | Crime Romance | PG-13 | 1h 38m

    There are definitely better and worse movies out there, but By Hook or By Crook makes the list due to having a transmasculine main character. Shy is a transgender man who leaves for San Francisco and meets Valentine along the way – the two commit various petty crimes to make ends meet, so my main qualm with the film is similar to Boys Don’t Cry as transmasculine representation. I’m sure Shy is a complex character, but most transmasculine characters focus too heavily on toxic masculinity and fuel anti-trans stereotypes about transgender people being liars and criminals.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime

    Cowboys (2020)

    Transmasc | 93% RT | Western Drama | MA | 1h 26m

    Troy suddenly takes his transgender son Joe out into the Montana wilderness to make their way to Canada – without telling Joe’s mother, largely due to her not being supportive of their son’s gender identity. Joe has a rough relationship with both of his parents, since his mother actively preaches against his transgender identity, and his father hasn’t been the most present due to prison and drug addiction. As expected, Joe’s mother reports to the police and has a search out for her missing child – and Troy’s drug addiction eventually catches up to him while on the trail. Compared to the last movie, critics love Cowboys but audiences are mixed due to the film having a pretty slow pace at times.


    Content Warning / Available on… Tubi, Roku Channel, Philo, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

    Transfemme | 92% RT | Drama | R | 1h 57m

    Ron Woodroof works with transgender woman Rayon after discovering he has AIDS during the 1980s. The health industry is against treating AIDS due to anti-gay politics, and thus Ron is forced to source medication from alternative sources to stay alive. Together, Ron and Rayon distribute treatment to others also failed by the mainstream health establishment.

    Dallas Buyers Club is genuinely a good film, and it’s based on the real events Ron Woodroof experienced when creating the Dallas Buyers Club – a front he used to supply medication and supplements relieving AZT symptoms and AIDS.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    Death and Bowling (2021)

    Transmasc | Sport-ish Drama | NR | 1h 4m

    A relatively short movie, Death and Bowling follows a transgender man who is made the captain of his local lesbian bowling league after the former captain passes away. If you’re seeking something sport-adjacent, it might be a good watch – assuming you can find somewhere to stream it.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime

    Disclosure (2020)

    Any/All | 98% RT | Documentary | MA | 1h 40 m

    Hollywood has never portrayed transgender people fairly – and it likely take decades before we’re accurately and positively represented. Disclosure is a COVID-era documentary that details transgender portrayals in mainstream media and its affects on public opinion on transgender rights. Since it was produced by Netflix, you’ll only be able to stream it via their service.

    Content Warning / Available on… Netflix

    Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

    Transfemme | 96% RT | Crime Thriller | R | 2h 10m

    Sonny is a bisexual man married to both a cisgender woman (Angie) and a transgender woman (Liz) who struggles to maintain control of an escalating situation when he attempts a Brooklyn bank robbery. He draws national media attention and the ire of the FBI, and Dog Day Afternoon shows an accurate portrayal of what Sonny and Liz’s relationship would have been like with a lot of heart. The film doesn’t shy away from portraying anti-transgender harassment and discrimination, and there’s a substantial point in that while Sonny is a criminal, he truly loves Liz and his love for her (and his own bisexuality) aren’t what make him bad.

    Content Warning / Available on… Hulu, Paramount+, fuboTV, Sling, Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    Drunktown’s Finest

    Transfemme | 67% RT | Comedy Drama | R | 1h 35m

    There are very few full-length Native American transgender films. Drunktown’s Finest was directed and performed by Native American artists and tells three separate stories that collide together – one of which focuses on transgender woman Felixia. Reservations are underfunded hellscapes drained of resources and disconnected from the rest of the country, and the three main characters are all seeking something beyond their Navajo town.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    Ed Wood (1994)

    Transfemme* | 92% RT | Comedy Drama | R | 2h 7m

    I wouldn’t actually recommend Ed Wood if you’re wanting a real transgender movie, but it’s still on this list. It portrays the real life of Ed Wood, the American filmmaker behind numerous pulp films between the 1950s to 1970s – including Glen or Glenda, the central film Wood is trying to create in Ed Wood. Glen or Glenda was one of America’s very first movies with transgender representation, which is why Glend(a) is depicted as a transvestite and also why Ed Wood was awarded Worst Director of All Time at the 1980 Golden Turkey Awards. Ed Wood was directed by Tim Burton, who was fascinated by the exploitation culture dominating 1950s Hollywood.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    Emilia Pérez (2024)

    Transfemme | 71% RT | Crime Musical | R | 2h 10m

    Emilia, a Mexican cartel boss, transitions as a transgender woman to finally live as herself with the help of doctors, lawyers, and other experts. Even though it’s difficult to leave her past life behind, Emilia manages to and even creates a nonprofit for victims of cartel violence – but it all comes crashing down when Emilia’s ex-wife finds new love and separates her from her children.

    Critics enjoy Emilia Pérez, and it’s based on an opera libretto. It even features an actual transgender actress in the lead role – but audiences have absolutely trashed its ratings. Most of the hate reviews relate to it being a musical, since the public is seemingly exhausted of live-action musical movies, BUT Emilia Pérez has also been criticized for being poor representation of the transgender community as well as Latin America. There’s a heavy focus on the necessity of gender-affirming surgery, and of course – the movie centers on a transgender woman being a high-profile criminal, aggressive, and ultimately a liar despite it being released in 2024.

    Content Warning / Available on… Netflix

    Finlandia (2021)

    Two-Spirit / Transfemme | Dramatic Fantasy | R | 1h 37m

    After a devasting earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico, a fashion designer joins a community muxes for research. The earthquake has a profound emotional impact on the community, and the film follows them process these emotions while fighting for legal recognition as a third gender in Mexico.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV

    Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)

    Transfemme | 100% RT | Crime Drama | NR | 1h 47m

    This is an artsy movie, born out of Japan’s New Wave era and combines arthouse and experimental cinema with the documentary genre. Funeral Parade of Roses follows Eddie, a transgender woman, as she navigates the queer scene in Tokyo. It takes direct inspiration from the Greek classic Oedipus, where Eddie eventually murders her mother and unknowingly sleeps with her father.

    Content Warning / Available on… Kanopy, Amazon Prime

    Gun Hill Road (2011)

    Transfemme | 65% RT | Drama | R | 1h 28m

    After his release from prison, Enrique returns home to find his wife having an affair and a new daughter – Vanessa has come out as a transgender woman and is transitioning despite Enrique’s lack of acceptance. The film focuses heavily on Enrique and Vanessa’s relationship as he struggles coming to terms with cisnormative ideas and toxic masculinity. It’s based on the Bronx neighborhood of the same name, and Gun Hill Road is notable for being one of the first films to have a transgender actor portray a transgender role.

    Content Warning / Available on… Tubi, YouTube, Google Movies, Amazon Prime, Fandango

    Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

    Transfemme* | 92% RT | Musical Comedy | R | 1h 33m

    I included Hedwig and the Angry Inch on this list, but Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!, and similar films get an honorary spot here. Hedwig isn’t actually trans, and honestly, the premise is pretty problematic – but the film is based on the campy rock musical released in 1998. Hedwig is a gay man born in East Germany, persuaded to have a sex reassignment surgery to travel to the United States as her boyfriend Luther’s wife. Her surgery is botched, Luther leaves her for a man, and the Berlin Wall falls to combine East Germany with West Germany. Driven by the allure of stardom, Hedwig goes on a journey to become a musical sensation despite trials, copyright infringement, and general misery.

    Is Hedwig transgender? I’d argue possibly more so than the lead characters in Priscilla and To Wong Foo, but these films barely pass by as queer camp classics. It’s important to remember that Hedwig all hinges on the premise that Hedwig was forcibly given a botched sex reassignment surgery – she eventually accepts her identity as a woman, but that’s a pretty harmful trope to perpetuate since anti-transgender activists foam at the idea of transgender people being persuaded into bodily mutilation.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Fandango

    Holy Trinity (2019)

    Nonbinary | 82% RT | Comedic Horror | NR | 1h 31m

    After huffing a magic can of aerosol, Trinity discovers she can speak with the dead – and Holy Trinity is an hour and half comedic fever dream as she grapples with this power. Alongside her, Trinity is joined by nonbinary lead character Baby, who follows her alternative sexuality and spirituality journey.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime

    L’immensità (2022)

    Transmasc | 85% RT | Drama | NR | 1h 37m

    Andrea is the eldest child of a dysfunctional Italian family during the 1970s who bonds with a Romani girl and his mother Clara eventually after coming out as transgender. Things have to break before they get better, which includes Andrea’s family. Andrea, Clara, and Sara all feel like outsiders to the rest of the world – whether they’re trapped in a body they don’t identify with, a loveless marriage, or a hostile world.

    Content Warning… Tubi, Freevee, YouTube, PLEX, Amazon Prime, Fandango, Google Movies

    Lingua Franca (2019)

    Transfemme | 87% RT | Romantic Drama | NR | 1h 35m

    Olivia is pursuing a marriage-based green card to avoid ICE deportation while taking care of Olga, a Russian-Jewish woman living in Brooklyn in the early stages of dementia. Lingua Franca is Isabel Sandoval’s third feature film, and she stars as the lead character in addition to directing, writing, and producing the movie. It’s pretty well-liked, and it’s a solid choice if you’re wanting to support a transgender creative.

    Content Warning / Available on… Tubi*, Netflix*, Amazon Prime

    Major! (2015)

    Transfemme | Documentary | NR | 1h 35m

    While most people are aware of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, less know about Miss Major Griffin-Gracy – a formerly incarcerated transgender woman of color who has fighting for transgender rights for over 40 years, including during Stonewall. Major! is a documentary film giving insight to her life thus far and the campaigns she has been a part of. Miss Major survived Attica State Prison, sex work, and a lifetime of anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination, and her story is one of the few from the frontlines of Stonewall.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime

    Mutt (2023)

    Transmasc | 89% RT | Drama | NR | 1h 27m

    Nonbinary actor Lío Mehiel plays Feña, a young transgender man attempting to rekindle former relationships with his father, estranged half-sister, and straight ex-boyfriend. After coming out and transitioning, Feña has lost a lot of people in his life – within 24 short hours, he’s sept through the extremes of human emotion as people finally re-enter his life.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, Netflix*, Google Movies, Fandango, Apple TV

    My Life in Pink / Ma vie en rose (1997)

    Transfemme | 93% RT | Comedic Drama | R | 1h 28m

    Ludovic is unapologetically herself, and My Life in Pink is her journey in getting her family and community to accept her identity as a transgender girl. She might just be seven years old, but she knows she’s a girl – her parents struggle adjusting to this new knowledge as they try to impress their new neighbors. The film has a lot of funny moments as well as tough ones: Ludo attempts suicide during the film after being assaulted and she’s ostracized by her community, but her parents accept her gender identity by the end of the movie despite her age and it being the 1990s.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Amazon Prime, fubo, Google Movies, Apple TV

    Nimona (2023)

    Nonbinary | 92% RT | Animated Adventure | PG | 1h 38m

    After being framed for the queen’s murder, Ballister Boldheart goes into hiding and meets Nimona who takes interest to Ballister for his “villainous” deed. The two have to find evidence to clear Ballister’s name, but he’s led to believe that Nimona is an ancient monster from historical legends. The film is about friendship and acceptance of one’s self – Nimona has lived their entire life feeling like they can’t fit in anywhere due to their magical shapeshifting powers. Nimona is implied to be nonbinary and genderfluid, even though the film uses predominantly feminine pronouns to refer to them.

    Content Warning / Available on… Netflix

    Normal (2003)

    Transfemme | 100% RT | Drama | R | 1h 49m

    Ruth Applewood shocks her wife after celebrating their 25th marriage anniversary with her plans to transition into a woman in the rural Midwest. Her transition drives the family apart, but they eventually find their way back to each other after months of conflict and harassment.

    I want to write an additional note that while the film has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and pretty good audience reviews, the inspiration behind Normal is problematic. In an HBO interview, writer and director Jane Anderson said she hadn’t sourced any actual transgender people when creating the book or movie, and based the premise of the film by viewing transition the “ultimate betrayal” of love. The film wouldn’t hold up well if created today, especially with that mindset.

    Content Warning / Currently unavailable for streaming

    Orlando (1992)

    Nonbinary* | 84% RT | Romantic Fantasy | PG-13 | 1h 34m

    Based off Virginia Woolf’s novel, Orlando follows an androgynous nobleman who transforms into a woman. The story begins in the early 1600s until the present day (1992) due to Queen Elizabeth I’s magical wish for her to not fade, wither, or grow old. Virginia Woolf was queer herself, and Orlando has inspired many others with different takes on the story – including the 2023 documentary Orlando, My Political Biography, which has gotten even better reviews than the original as it combines Woolf’s story with a modern understanding of transgender identity.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Google Movies, Amazon Prime, Fandango, Apple TV

    Paris Is Burning (1990)

    Transfemme* | 98% RT | Documentary | R | 1h 18m

    Paris Is Burning is one of the LGBTQIA+ community’s most classic films, giving an inside look at NYC’s ballroom culture during the late 1980s. It was the Golden Age of New York’s underground scene for queer and transgender people of color – and without ballroom culture, we wouldn’t have modern drag today. There’s a touch of how many transgender people identified more safely as just gay drag performers, but it also capitalizes on how social these events were in a time LGBTQIA+ people were forced underground due to the AIDS epidemic.

    Of course, I feel inclined to note Paris Is Burning has its own controversies: while the film is integral to queer history, it can also have flaws. The Black and Brown performers in the film were generally exploited and the profit made wasn’t distributed well – which is why multiple performers in the movie later took director Jennie Livingston to court. Others have pointed out that Livingston, at the end of the day, was a cisgender white woman. Without her, Paris Is Burning may have never existed, but she still took advantage of a vulnerable community for her own gain.

    Enjoy Paris Is Burning but want something more contemporary? Kiki was released in 2016 and is regarded by critics as a sequel to the original documentary – although there are notable differences, such as Kiki‘s focus on youth, activism, and the realities of living in NYC’s underground scene.

    Content Warning / Available on… Max, Hulu, Roku Channel, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Fandango, Apple TV

    Romeos (2011)

    Transmasc | 66% RT | Romantic Drama | NR | 1h 36m

    I’ve tried to watch Romeos a few times, but I can never make it very far into the film before switching to something more enjoyable – it’s a German romantic comedy drama from the early 2010s, and there’s just something about it that I can’t fall in love with. Despite that, I’d still recommend it if you’re looking for something pretty cheesy or if you’re looking for a gay romance featuring a transgender man – Romeos is remarkable in the fact it’s one of the very few movies out there that is both transmasc and MLM.

    Content Warning / Available on… YouTube, Amazon Prime, Fandango, Google Movies, Apple TV

    Rūrangi (2020)

    Transmasc | 100% RT | Drama | NR | 1h 36m

    After leaving his rural hometown to move to Auckland, Caz starts anew as he transitions as a transgender man. Years later, he returns to Rūrangi and has to face all of the people he abandoned when he left for the big city – include his father, childhood best friend, and ex-boyfriend.

    Content Warning / Available on… Hulu

    Soldier’s Girl (2003)

    Transfemme | 89% RT | Biographical Drama | R | 1h 52m

    Based on the real relationship between Barry Winchell and Calpernia Addams, Soldier’s Girl is a drama about Barry’s murder – he was murdered in 1999 by his fellow soldiers for dating a transgender woman (Addams), and his death played a big role in Don’t Ask Don’t Tell discussions. Calpernia is a showgirl in Nashville where Barry is stationed, and Barry becomes subject to harassment and violence when his jealous roommate Justin Fisher spreads rumors about Barry and Calpernia’s relationship.

    Content Warning / Available on… Tubi, Crackle, Roku Channel, Amazon Prime

    Something You Said Last Night (2022)

    Transfemme | 93% RT | Comedic Drama | MA | 1h 36m

    Ren is an aspiring writer who accompanies her parents and younger sister to a beach resort and Something You Said Last Night follows her trying to navigate the resort, relationship with her loving but overbearing parents, and desire to be independent.

    Content Warning / Available on… Pluto, Tubi, Sling, Xumo, Roku Channel, Plex, Fandango, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Google Movies, Apple TV

    Southern Comfort (2001)

    Transfemme & Transmasc | 96% RT | Dramatic Documentary | 1h 30m

    Robert Eads was a real transgender man who died of ovarian cancer due to doctors wrongly believing his life wasn’t worth potential harm to their reputations. The film’s title comes from the Southern Comfort Conference, a real major transgender conference that was considered the largest in the United States from 1991 to 2019 – Robert’s ultimate goal was to live long enough to attend. He transitioned later in life, so the movie touches on many of the tough relationships older transgender people have with their parents, children, and even grandchildren – but Robert has always been content living with his chosen family, including his transgender girlfriend Lola.

    Content Warning / Available on… Tubi

    Stress Positions (2024)

    Transfemme | 72% RT | Comedic Drama | PG | 1h 35m

    During the early months of the COVID pandemic in Brooklyn, Bahlul joins his uncle Terry as he recovers from a broken leg. Stress Positions is narrated by Karla, a bisexual/lesbian transgender woman living in the same building. Critics are generally impressed by the film, but it has a lower score by audiences – likely due in part to America’s exhaustion of thinking of the pandemic.

    Content Warning / Available… Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    Summer Solstice (2023)

    Transmasc | 100% RT | Comedic Drama | MA | 1h 21m

    Leo, a transgender man, goes on an unplanned weekend trip with his best friend Eleanor. It’s their first time spending time together since Leo has transitioned, and Leo has been looking for a break from all of his auditions, acting classes, jobs, and situationships. Spending time with Eleanor begs the question: can bad sex and good friends mix?

    Content Warning / Available on… Tubi, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Fandango, Apple TV

    Tangerine (2015)

    Tranfemme | 96% RT | Crime Comedy | R | 1h 28m

    I often group Tangerine with Gun Hill Road – both are great films, but they have hard moments due to how well they portray reality for transgender women in tough situations. Sin-Dee and Alexandra are transgender sex workers who find out their pimp has been cheating with a cisgender woman. They eventually get the attention of Razmik, an Armenian cab driver and chaser who leaves his family on Christmas Eve to meet them across town. Between the two films, I enjoy Tangerine more – but both have their moments.

    Content Warning / Available on… Max, YouTube, fubo, Sling, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Fandango, Redbox, Apple TV

    The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future (2023)

    Transfemme | 88% RT | Drama | R | 1h 38m

    Magdalena emerges from the Cruces River after being left for dead many years ago. She returns to her family’s dairy farm to find her husband Enrique (who understandably has a heart attack upon seeing his dead wife), daughter Cecilia, and grandchildren. Due to pollution, fish are dying at an astronomical rate and the environment is collapsing in The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future‘s arthouse style.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    The Crying Game (1992)

    Transfemme | 95% RT | Tragic Romance | R | 1h 52m

    Fergus is a member of the Irish Republican Army during the later years of the Troubles who kidnaps a Black British soldier as collateral for an imprisoned IRA member they want released. He eventually finds himself in London and meets meets Dil, a transgender woman he falls in love with. Unlike Breakfast on Pluto, Fergus plays an active role in the Troubles – he’s expected to assassinate a prominent British judge, and the Troubles were messy.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    The Danish Girl (2015)

    Transfemme | 65% RT | Historical Drama | R | 2h

    Based on the real life of Lili Elbe, one of the earliest individuals to ever receive bottom surgery, as she sheds the masculine gender roles she’s been forced to endure throughout her life. After years of being unable to be “cured” of being transgender through psychotherapy and other pseudo-conversion tools, she’s recommended a new but controversial surgery. Lili is the first person Dr. Kurt Warnekros has performed the surgery on, and like, real life, Lili dies after complications from the second round of surgery.

    The Danish Girl was one of the first big movies to feature a transgender lead character in mainstream media – the film won multiple accolades, including an Oscar. However, it was also criticized for having a cisgender man play Lili’s role: Redmayne’s portrayal of Lili was one of the first big discussions on the importance of having transgender people play transgender stories.

    Content Warning / Available on… Amazon Prime, Netflix*, Google Movies, Fandango, Apple TV

    The Kings of Summer (2013)

    Nonbinary | 77% RT | Comedic Adventure | R | 1h 35m

    Frustrated by his father controlling his life, Joe escapes to the woods with his best friend Patrick and a new companion named Biaggio, who just happened to tag along for their adventure. They build a house out in the woods while the rest of the world fears Patrick and Joe have gone missing, and things go awry when Joe invites Patrick’s crush out to their hidden home. Biaggio is implied to be agender, and while they don’t use the term outright, Biaggio is confident in their nonbinary identity.

    Content Warning / Available on… Paramount, Roku Channel, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Movies, Apple TV, Fandango

    The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)

    Transfemme | 97% RT | Crime Documentary | MA | 1h 45m

    Following How to Survive a Plague, David France produced The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson to chronicle the suspicious death of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries co-founder Marsha P. Johnson, one of the most prominent figures in the Stonewall Riots and gay liberation movement along with Sylvia Rivera. When Marsha died in 1992, police ruled it as a suicide despite evidence suggesting foul play – the film re-examines the events leading up to police finding Marsha’s body floating in the Hudson River.

    Content Warning / Available on… Netflix

    The Matrix (1999)

    Any/All* | 83% RT | Action Sci-Fi | R | 2h 16m

    Decades after its initial release, the Wachowski sisters who wrote and directed The Matrix franchise have stated the films are an allegory for transgender identity – which makes sense if you take in account the Wachowskis came out as transgender women in 2012 and 2016. Like Fight Club, The Matrix is adored by cisgender straight men for a lot of the wrong reasons, but the film has a lot of heart that made into a classic. The red pill has been likened to real red estrogen pills, and the Matrix’s sense of disconnect is meant to portray gender dysphoria. In the Wachowski’s original script, Switch was meant to be a woman in the Matrix and a man in the real world – but the idea was scrapped since “the corporate world wasn’t ready.”

    If you’re looking for a transgender story, I would recommend other movies on this list before The Matrix – but it should stay on your radar if you’re up for critiquing a sci-fi classic with a modern transgender lens.

    Content Warning / Available on… Peacock, Sling, YouTube, Google Movies, Fandango, Amazon Prime, Apple TV

    The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    Transfemme-ish* | 95% RT | Crime Horror | R | 1h 58m

    While on this list, The Silence of the Lambs is NOT a movie to celebrate or inspire pride – but it’s important when discussing transgender history and visibility in film. Even though Buffalo Bill explicitly states he is not transgender, transgender identity is central to the film and the movie plays a major role in how transgender people were portrayed as psychopaths in mainstream media until recently. Bill is a serial killer who purposely targets women to assemble a flesh suit for himself – since he is routinely kills women to be a woman, it’s hard to separate Buffalo Bill from transness. The Silence of the Lambs did fantastically well both critically and commercially by using these references of Buffalo Bill as transgender, but LGBTQIA+ activism being a minor issue during the time period meant there wasn’t enough backlash to really force the question. The film’s success encouraged a new era of mocking transgender people – and it incited fear that transgender people are deranged and violent freaks.

    Even if the public wasn’t ready to really separate Buffalo Bill from transness, The Silence of the Lambs did create a minor turning point in transgender cinema: unlike previous films that use “transgender psychopaths” like Psycho and Dressed to Kill, The Silence of the Lambs did go to incredible efforts to state Buffalo Bill is not transgender – but of course, that doesn’t matter too much if they’re still profiting off the public’s belief that he is.

    Content Warning / Available on… Max, Hulu, YouTube, Sling, Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango, Google Movies

    The Stroll (2023)

    Transfemme | 95% RT | Documentary | R | 1h 24m

    Kristen Lovell and Zackary Drucker follow Black and Latina transgender women who work as sex workers in NYC’s Meatpacking District during the 1980s and 1990s in an area referred to as “The Stroll” prior to its gentrification. It provides another viewpoint of what transgender people were experiencing in NYC to other films like Paris Is Burning.

    Content Warning / Available on… Max, Hulu, YouTube, Sling, Roku Channel

    They (2017)

    Nonbinary | 67% RT | Drama | NR | 1h 20m

    J is thirteen years old and lives in Chicago and has been recently told they have to “pick” a gender due to the effects of long-term puberty blockers decreasing bone density. There’s some truth to this – puberty blockers do decrease bone density and can become a clinical concern for those on them for a long period of time, which is why they’re used for transgender youth prior to moving to traditional HRT. However, this isn’t really something J would be concerned about at thirteen – transgender youth are generally expected to be on puberty blockers until sixteen, and bone density concerns are easily addressed with the medical care that accompanies puberty blockers being prescribed.

    Disregarding this technicality, They is… okay. There aren’t many films that feature nonbinary stories, which is why it didn’t get forgotten about completely.

    Content Warning / Available on… Crackle, Google Movies, Fandango, fubo, Amazon Prime, Apple TV

    They / Them (2022)

    Nonbinary | 33% RT | Horror Slasher | NR | 1h 44m

    Again: there are not many nonbinary films out there. This will change in the next decade or so; I remember ten years ago when there were about one or two transmasculine films out there but a wealth of short films. Nonbinary media is currently in a similar boat, so I feel confident in predicting there’ll be a good variety to pick from in time.

    They / Them is a slasher set at a conversion camp for LGBTQIA+ youth, focusing on nonbinary Jordan who is constantly harassed by camp staff like the other campers, and the new camp nurse Molly who disagrees with the camp’s mission. It has a good premise, since it hinges on the disgust and rage LGBTQIA+ people have for despicable “conversion camps” like the one in the film – but it bombed due to its clumsy formatting and predictable ending.

    Content Warning / Available on… Peacock

    Tomboy (2011)

    Nonbinary* | 96% RT | Drama | NR | 1h 24m

    Filmmakers have always been clumsy when portraying transgender people, and they were definitely clumsy in Laure/Mickaël’s character as a transgender kid. It’s unclear whether Laure/Mickaël is meant to be nonbinary, transmascline, or a lesbian girl, since the film ends with them presenting with their female birth name after being harassed for the entire movie for presenting as a boy. It reminds me a transmasculine version of My Life in Pink if it had a worse ending that left the main character “fixed” as cisgender. It’s considered a noteworthy film when discussing trans media, but it wouldn’t stand if released today.

    Content Warning / Current unavailable for streaming

    Transamerica (2005)

    Transfemme | 77% RT | Comedic Adventure | R | 1h 43m

    One week before her bottom surgery, Bree receives a call from seventeen-year-old Toby from a NYC jail claiming to be her son. Bree’s therapist forces her to make contact with Toby in order to proceed with her surgery. Thus, she flies out to find Toby, who ran away from his stepfather’s home, and finds out his mother died years ago via suicide. She convinces Toby she is a Christian missionary and plans to bring him back to his stepfather while on a country-wide road trip – and the two inevitably bond along the way.

    Content Warning / Available on… Starz, YouTube, Hulu, fubo, Sling, Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, Philo, Google Movies, Fandango, Apple TV

    Transmitzvah (2024)

    Transfemme | Comedy | R | 1h 42m

    Rubén (aka Mumy Singer) embraces her female identity and rejects her planned Bar Mitzvah. Years later, she returns home after tragedy strikes the family as a famous Yiddish singing sensation, and Transmitzvah is their family coming to terms with who they are, together.

    Content Warning / Available on… Netflix

    Two 4 One (2014)

    Transmasc | Comedic Drama | PG-13 | 1h 17m

    There aren’t many films that feature transgender people pursuing parenthood after transition – and Two 4 One is one of them. Adam is a transgender man who has a one-night stand with his ex-girlfriend to help artificially inseminate her with an at-home pregnancy kit. An accident causes them both to become pregnant, and the film follows Adam grapple with being pregnant and his sense of being a man.

    Content Warning Unavailable / Available on… Tubi, Amazon Prime, Fandango, YouTube, Google Movies

    Wildhood (2021)

    Two-Spirit | 100% RT | Romantic Drama | PG-13 | 1h 48m

    Link impulsively runs away with his younger brother Travis from his abusive home in a run-down Canadian trailer park to find his mother, who he recently discovered was alive after believing for years she was dead. They meet Pasmay, a Mi’kmaq pow wow dancer who becomes interested in Link when they meet at a grocery store. The three of them go on a journey to find Link and Travis’ mother, and the boys rediscover their Indigenous heritage along with way.

    Content Warning / Available on… Hulu

  • Trans Mythbusters: 5 More Common Myths about Transgender People

    Trans Mythbusters: 5 More Common Myths about Transgender People

    Last week, I posted about five of the most common myths spread about transgender people. Misinformation sells – media has always benefited from spreading fake news, but current politics have heightened its spread. Here’s five more common myths spread about transgender people.

    Myth #6: Transgender women are a threat to women’s spaces.

    That’s a broad generalization that isn’t backed by any research. Transgender women are no more a threat to women than cisgender lesbians “threaten” fragile heterosexuality. Due to stereotypes and stigma, most transgender women already enter spaces rather timidly because they don’t want to push that narrative. Women’s bathrooms? Transgender women are just there to do their business and be on their way like any other woman. Domestic and sexual violence shelters? Maybe it sounds unbelievable, but transgender women are actually harassed more often than their cisgender counterparts – and they’re just looking for safe resources when at those centers.

    At its core, this myth relies on the belief that transgender women are predators. Homophobes have labeled LGBTQIA+ people as dangerous for decades despite more accurate allegations against stereotypically conservative professions like law enforcement and religious officials. The myth centers transgender women as inherently masculine, often taking it a step further to imply that masculinity is always dangerous and transgender women are unable to lose this status due to being assigned male at birth. It also works on the flip side, since individuals who advocate for this myth don’t view transgender men as threats – due to being assigned female at birth, transgender men are unable to hold the same predatory status and are therefore welcomed in women’s spaces. It asserts that biological sex and mythical masculine-born energy dictate one’s ability to harm others.

    Two comics from Assigned Male on the topic, by Sophie Labelle

    Myth #7: All gender-affirming care is medical. All transgender people seek surgery, and children are being pushed into getting serious operations.

    Medical care is essential when discussing transgender issues, and access is literally a matter of life or death for many transgender people. HRT and other gender-affirming care have been proven to be safe, effective, and the best treatment for gender dysphoria. But there is more to gender-affirming care than medical treatments.

    “Gender-affirming care” refers to any service that benefits transgender people, especially if that service helps to affirm our chosen gender identity. Medical services like hormone replacement therapy and surgery are classified as such, but so do non-medical services like binders, gaffs, haircuts, clothing style, pronouns, names, etc. There is not a single transgender person out there who engages with medical gender-affirming care before being well-acquainted with non-medical services. Before the normalization of informed consent, it was legally required to socially transition to access HRT – but it is still required for some transgender Americans who have insurance coverage that dictates letter approval as a prerequisite for HRT. Beyond HRT, individuals have to prove they’ve been on HRT for several years in addition to being socially transitioned to have surgical procedures, and many states require certain surgeries, usage of HRT, or documentation to allow transgender folks to legally change their gender documents.

    Many transgender people do seek surgical procedures (often referred to as top or bottom surgery), but there is no single “one-size-fits-all” surgery for us. Not all transgender people can undergo or afford surgery, especially if they are disabled, live in a hostile or rural area, or have medical coverage that purposely doesn’t include transgender care. Lastly, not all transgender people want surgery, and that doesn’t make them less transgender. Anyone who identifies as a gender identity other than the one assigned to them at birth qualifies as transgender, but the label does not require folks to feel a certain way about their body. Most often, transgender people forgo bottom/genital surgeries since they have high complication rates and can have less-than-satisfactory results. And as mentioned above, it takes a lot of work to access these surgeries compared to other aspects of gender-affirming care.

    Regarding any stories on minors being pushed into serious transgender procedures, I would kindly ask you to reconsider the validity of their publishers. It is already difficult enough for transgender adults to access surgeries or for transgender minors to be prescribed puberty blockers. The possibility of a transgender minor accessing surgery before age 18 is nearly zero. Minors have numerous barriers to gender-affirming care in addition to the ones transgender adults face – even the international WPATH guidelines require minors to have multiple healthcare providers recommend services. The only trans-related surgery minors can have feasible access to is transmasculine top surgery, since any other procedure would be paused until the individual turns 18. And I say feasible because transgender minors cannot reliably access top surgery since it’s extremely barred.

    Myth #8: Transgender people are mentally ill.

    In my previous post, I wrote about how cisgender people struggle to understand transgender experiences. Since they have never had to think critically about their relationship with either gender identity or sexuality, cisgender people come to the assumption that rebelling against their natural worldview means transgender people must hate their bodies, since anything else wouldn’t make sense. This assumption fueled and twisted research on transgender identity for decades – and it accompanied many other problematic ideas.

    When the field of psychology was young, anyone who identified as transgender was classified as mentally ill. However, anyone who failed to conform to traditional and conservative notions was labeled as mentally ill during this time – white cisgender straight men like Freud used hair-brained ideas to explain how people could be different from the socially appropriate norm. These ideas were never based on reality or founded on scientific research, but the masses ate them up because pseudoscience uplifted their beliefs.

    For reference, during these early years, you would also be labeled as mentally ill if you were a woman who cried too much, refused to be a servant to her husband, or stood firm that women ought to be equal to men. Queer individuals were also considered mentally ill, as were anyone else that failed to conform. Calling transgender people mentally ill purely based on their identity is as faulty as saying women still experience hysteria because they’re unwed.

    Today, it’s a bit complicated: transgender identity itself was internationally removed as a mental illness in 2018 via the World Health Organization, and the current psychiatric diagnosis is gender dysphoria. The disconnect between one’s biological sex and internal gender identity is the only part of transgender identity classified as a mental illness today. There’s still stigma with that association, but mental illness does not hold any inherent goodness or badness to it. Before the classification change, transgender identity itself was labeled as illness, whereas today only the distress experienced from being misgendered, unaffirmed, and otherwise not respected as ourselves is classified as illness, and that distress can be a lot.

    By making that move, the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and DSM also links gender-affirming care as a cure for gender dysphoria as a mental disorder: it has been well-documented that gender-affirming care eliminates gender dysphoria, and such care is internationally recommended as the best practice for transgender patients. Once a transgender person is affirmed as their gender, they generally experience little distress due to their sex assigned at birth – and that lack of distress qualifies as a lack of illness.

    There is one more reason why gender dysphoria is still classified as a mental illness, and it essentially boils down to capitalism. Due to the American health insurance industry, individuals must have a diagnosis that qualifies care as “medically necessary” for companies to cover services. Without any diagnosis, American corporations would be quick to deny transgender Americans access to gender-affirming care unless they were willing to pay out-of-pocket, which is why WHO, the APA, and the DSM left gender dysphoria in the DSM rather than removing it entirely. However, it is predicted this might change – the field of psychology is leaning into classifying gender dysphoria as a medical condition rather than a psychiatric one, similar to how obesity was classified as predominantly a medical issue. This would remove some of the leftover stigma of being a “mental disorder” and allow transgender individuals to continue accessing gender-affirming care via health insurance coverage, since it would be diagnosed by a medical professional. The only potential issue with this route is that few medical professionals are adequately trained on transgender issues, similar to their lack of training on mental health as a whole. Unless folks live in a region with plentiful trans-friendly and knowledgeable providers, they may be further limited since doctors are generally unwilling to diagnose if they feel unconfident.

    Myth #9: There are only two genders/sexes.

    Gender is real, but it’s still a social construct. Social constructs are ideas that affect us as humans because of their perceived importance, but have little to no impact naturally.

    The two comparisons I commonly use as alternative social constructs are money and race, since they are, in fact, social constructs. Without money, you wouldn’t be able to convince someone to build you housing or be paid for work, so money is real, but it doesn’t have any natural value since you’re not going to commonly find wild animals trading currency. Race matters because it identifies groups of people with each other (for better and worse), but it doesn’t have any natural meaning since, again, you’re not going to find animals identifying based on fur patterns, skin textures, or any other feature.

    Gender roles, expression, and identity are all socially real but lack actual natural value. Western society traditionally emphasizes two genders, but that’s just one among thousands that have existed across human history. Other societies have held three or more genders for centuries, and western society is rapidly moving to a three gender system as nonbinary identities become socially accepted and legally recognized.

    Stating there are only two sexes is more accurate than claiming there are only two genders, but it’s still not fully true. Frankly, it’s over simplistic: sex is complicated, which is why we’re taught there are two sexes while early in our educational journeys, but that view expands if you continue to learn about biology. Biological sex is composed of chromosomes, gonads, hormone levels, internal genitalia, external genitalia, and a mess of “secondary sex characteristics” like body hair distribution, breast tissue, vocal pitch, body fat, bone structure, muscle mass, etc. Most people align with one end of the sex spectrum, but intersex people can be born anywhere along it – and there are countless ways intersex conditions are expressed, meaning there are vastly more than just two sexes if you account for each possible intersex condition.

    Myth #10: All transgender people are a little gay, and it’s at least a little bit gay to be attracted to a transgender person.

    Statistically, transgender people are more likely to identify as queer compared to cisgender people – but that’s more attributed to the fact transgender people have already critically thought about their relationship with gender, so they’ve very likely thought about their sexuality. While cisgender heterosexual people hate to consider it, most people float somewhere along the straight-gay binary – but unless they have taken the time to reflect on their sexuality, few identify as queer when it is more convenient to be straight.

    Still, there are straight people – and that means there are undeniably transgender straight people. 9.3% of Americans identify as queer while 90.7% identify as straight; 77% of transgender Americans identify as queer and 23% identify as straight. Being straight means you are attracted to the gender traditionally associated as opposite to your own – so a straight transgender woman is attracted to men, and a straight transgender man is attracted to women. A transgender woman attracted to a transgender man is still straight since she’s attracted to men, and vice versa.

    The other half of this myth is a lot to get into. Attraction is complicated, and sexual anatomy matters in some relationships – but I’ve always been of the opinion that gender and identity labels need to matter more. If you are a woman dating a transgender man, you are in a straight relationship; you can be bisexual and date him, but you’re not in a lesbian relationship. Stating otherwise demeans that partner of his gender for your own comfort – and people being obsessed with the comfort of previous sexuality labels is the most common I’ve come across. Hearing your partner call themselves a lesbian while they’re dating you as a man hurts, even if they don’t think it’s harmful, since it devalues your gender. A cisgender man dating a transgender man is a gay relationship, and it’s messed up how many times I’ve come across men who say transgender people are the nice little stepping stone between being gay and straight.

    A cisgender woman dating a transgender woman is a lesbian relationship, and a cisgender man dating a transgender woman is a straight one. Doing mental gymnastics with this to defend your sexuality puts transgender people in danger – it is predominantly transgender women who are assaulted and murdered because straight men cannot bear being thought of as gay after being with a transgender woman, leveraging trans panic when brought to court – although it does happen the other way around, such as in the murder of Brandon Teena.

    On one hand, labels shouldn’t have to matter that much – it’s why so many people just refer to themselves as queer since it avoids getting into a whole mess of other labels. But if your identity as a lesbian, gay man, or straight person matters that dearly to you, realize that our gender identity matters just as much to us as transgender people.

  • Trans Mythbusters: 5 Common Myths about Transgender People

    Trans Mythbusters: 5 Common Myths about Transgender People

    I was 14 when I realized I was transgender, back in the year 2014. Not much later, to my dismay, Caitlyn Jenner came out to the world – her novel identity fascinated the world, and that extended to my hometown in rural America. Suddenly, peers at school were talking about what they supposedly knew about transgender people, and my parents, who wouldn’t know I identified as trans for another year. 

    I’m well-versed in trans misinformation. Frankly, most transgender people are: it comes with being a marginalized person, expected to educate every single person you meet with unwavering patience. I don’t fault folks who get exhausted and frustrated after years of educating their friends, family, and strangers – that exhaustion led to the rise of Buzzfeed-like “Dear Cis People,” “100 Questions for White People,” and similar articles, videos, and posts during the 2010s that tried to rephrase that expectation. I always wondered when I would become frustrated and exhausted, likely to lash out like a stereotypical “blue-hair liberal.” Yet, eleven years later, I haven’t gotten to that point even though I’ve spent a decade in activism and educating cisgender people throughout those years. I can still manage patience, under one condition: I do not educate for bad faith. Many individuals purposely spread disinformation and “want to ask questions” to trans folks with the express purpose of being the Devil’s advocate. Those individuals are not open to actually learning and come with an agenda to demean or “convert” trans people. You cannot change them in one conversation, and they are not worth the effort. Anyone actually interested in understanding transness, that is not coming from a place of hatred, is worth teaching – even if they stumble on their journey.

    Today, there’s more disinformation online than misinformation. There is a semantic difference: misinformation is false info spread, regardless of whether the person sharing knows if it’s true or not, while disinformation is purposely shared with knowledge that the info is false. All disinformation is misinformation, but disinformation is more nefarious. A family relative who shares a misleading post on Facebook about transgender people might not know its facts are wrong – that’s misinformation. If that relative knows that the post is incorrect, it becomes disinformation. There’s another conversation to be had on how to correct people with misinformation, since people hate being told they’re wrong and take corrections as a personal attack. Misinformation wasn’t that big of a deal ten years ago when flat-earthers and autism moms against vaccines were laughingstocks.

    One of America’s two political parties has made misinformation an integral part of its platform and takes pride in “alternative media sources” that purposely lie. As a consequence, measles is back, polling officials get threats during election season for alleged fraud, and people won’t get a COVID vaccine because they heard it has a microchip in it. Lastly, the last election cycle gave certain social media platforms the notion that fact-checking is too political to enforce on their sites, so misinformation spreads faster than before.

    Misinformation is a big deal, and I don’t mean to be an alarmist. It truly holds the potential to cost human lives. We are more familiar with current events, such as the effects of misinformation about the COVID vaccine pushing more Americans to forgo the vaccination, leading to more immunocompromised people dying and more healthy Americans suffering from “long COVID.” Or, when Russia hacked American media during the past election cycles to spread disinformation and seat Republican candidates better suited to their interests.

    The fate of democracy and human health is a pretty big deal, but it can go even further. Back in the early 1900s, white supremacists played the long game on inciting genocide in Europe, leading to World War II and the Holocaust. For years, disinformation was created and spread to create a public notion that certain groups of people were deserving of imprisonment, torture, and death. A lot of people are scared right now because we’re seeing the beginning of something similar now – the Trump administration wants the public to believe that alleged illegal immigrants deserve to be deported without due process, which is integral in figuring out whether an accused person is actually illegal or an immigrant. If the general public is swayed into believing that is morally acceptable, worse practices can be instilled while it gets finalized into law.

    Myth #1: Transgender identity is a trend.

    Transgender people have existed in some form for a very, very long time. There are documented accounts of people identifying as transgender (or transsexual or as a transvestite, depending on the year) and medically transitioning with hormones and surgery from the early 1900s before either of the World Wars. Trans medical science was one of the top things targeted by the Nazi party in Germany when they purposely burned down the Institute of Sexual Research and forced researcher Magnus Hirschfeld to flee.

    Even before the 20th century, transgender people have always been around. If you look hard enough, you can find traces of gender-diverse people spanning centuries and Roman emperoress Elagabalus. Transness was only recently documented, and it’s only entered the public subconscious and mainstream in the past couple of decades. People claim the same about how many queer people exist today compared to fifty years ago, or how autism is supposedly on the rise. When identities are no longer criminalized and it becomes okay for people to publicly identify themselves, people incorrectly assume there’s an “explosion” of people suddenly queer, autistic, or transgender. The same belief was held on a sudden rise years ago of people identifying as left-handed or folks being diabetic. There was never a real increase, but there was a perceived explosion of left-handed individuals because they weren’t being burned at the stake for writing differently, and people were able to survive diabetes with the discovery of synthetic insulin, creating a “spike” of diabetic people.

    This myth is fairly easy to dispute, for now. In some countries, information is regulated: when governments censor topics in published books, movies, and content on the internet, it’s easy to convince people that transgender people don’t exist. We are not at that point yet in the United States, but the GOP does want to move towards that future, evidenced by forced removals of transgender people mentioned in history, research, and educational curricula. Thus, trans history matters.

    Myth #2: Transgender regret is common.

    Compared to other medical procedures, transgender services like hormone replacement therapy and surgery actually have astonishingly low regret rates. Every surgery has a regret rate, whether it’s from complications, lack of satisfaction, or another reason entirely. The average knee surgery has a regret rate upwards of 30%, breast implants maintain a regret rate of up to 47%, and successful pregnancies have a regret rate around 17%.

    Trans-affirming care has a regret rate less than  1%. To medically transition, transgender people have to jump through numerous hoops: informed consent is only applicable for hormone replacement therapy (not surgery), and many transgender people still face barriers with informed consent because their medical insurance or government health coverage requires additional proof of therapy letters and referrals to pay for services. Depending on where you live in the US, getting top surgery can range from a few months to multiple years, and that wait time increases with less-accessible bottom surgeries. Legal transition, or the process of changing one’s legal name and gender marker on government documents, takes considerable time, too.

    The reason transgender people have an astonishingly low regret rate is because of these hoops, but it also deters people from getting care when it could benefit them. Trans regret only gets media coverage because detransitioners become viral on the internet from their sob stories. It’s unfortunate when it actually happens, but stories from detransitioned folks of how they were tricked are made up: even in “fast” informed-consent, you have a barrage of questions to answer from doctors to access prescriptions, changes take weeks to show even minor things, and you have people with you throughout the process to check in. Despite this reality, the belief that medical professionals are diabolically trying to force people to be transgender gets clicks.

    Another way to think about trans regret and medical care is to compare it to other services. All procedures have risks and there can always be complications. Those risks are not worth denying the service as a whole. It’d be impossible to fathom a world where cancer treatments are banned because a small percentage of people have negative experiences on a life-saving treatment; the same should be applied to transgender procedures since they are documented as life-saving, too.

    Myth #3: Transgender people want to trick cisgender people.

    This myth has numerous layers, but at its core, it’s the insecure and paranoid belief that transgender people want to trick cisgender folks into having sex or that transgender people get some joy out of “tricking” people into perceiving us as our affirmed gender. Transgender people want to be respected as their authentic selves, but we don’t get joy from “tricking” others like our identity is a prank.

    Trans people tricking poor cisgender folks into having sex is a real problem – and it’s been used as the punchline trope in comedy for decades. It even has legal recognition in most states, referred to as “trans panic defenses,” where cisgender people accused of murdering a transgender person can legally claim they were so angry, upset, or shocked that someone was transgender that they just had to assault them. The legal procedure comes from the underlying fragility of cisgender people’s sexuality, since there’s nothing worse than being thought of as flirting (or worse) with a transgender person, and gives cis judges and juries a reason to excuse anti-transgender hate crimes.

    Disclosure is the process of telling a person that you’re transgender, and it’s a very personal decision that comes with inherent safety risks. Every trans person knows there is some risk in telling someone new, ranging from a new possible ally to a barrage of insults to even being hate-crimed. Some people prefer being out because they feel safe to do so, while others remain stealth – but not because they’re hoping to trick someone. 

    The transgender community advises sexually active folks to have that tough conversation with a prospective partner before you’re in the bedroom. Each person is different: a transgender woman who has had bottom surgery might not need to disclose her transgender status during a one-night stand because there’s nothing actually distinguishing her from other women compared to the safety risk of telling a stranger that you’re trans; a transgender man might feel inclined to tell a women he’s been seeing that he’s trans because aspects of his transness could affect their potential future together.

    Cisgender people get frustrated about disclosure: they feel entitled to know whether someone is transgender. Some cis folks believe they “always know” when someone is trans, too. Yes, it is ideal for transgender people to be open about their identities, but cisgender people cannot be entitled to that knowledge as long as we exist in a society that is dangerous to live in. In comparison, there are so many other things you might want to know when having a one-night stand or going on a date with someone, like whether they’re infertile, if they have a stable job, if they have a disability, or already have children. But we all understand we are not entitled to automatically get that knowledge, and it completely upends how humans socially interact with each other via the social script.

    On the other end of the spectrum, there is a community of cisgender folks who want to have sex with trans individuals because they fetishize us as a kink. Chasers (or “admirers,” as they call themselves) actively seek us out for sex. Any porn website will have a transgender category. Trans-specific dating apps exist purely for chasers’ convenience. We do not need to “trick” cisgender people into having sex with us. Should transgender people like chasers? That’s another topic for a different post – the ultimate point is no, we don’t trick cisgender people.

    Because of the above, there is actually a subsection of the transgender community that identifies as T4T, or “trans for trans.” These trans folks only date other transgender people – but unlike chasers, they do so because they feel safer and better understood by other transgender people. We don’t have to explain our transness or the complications of gender theory to another transgender person to feel heard; we don’t have to fear that they might believe we’re going to hell for being trans or go into a violent rage because of who we are.

    Myth #4: Transgender people are sexually aroused by their bodies. / Transgender people hate their bodies.

    I combined two common myths for this one because both relate to how cisgender people fail to empathize with trans experiences. The first part, or the belief that all transgender people get turned on by their bodies, relates to Freudian-era pseudoscience and confusing transvestites with transgender people.

    There are individuals who are sexually aroused by their bodies: the scientific terms are autogynephilia and autoandrophilia. But unlike transvestites, transgender people do not transition because they seek sexual pleasure. Generally, transvestites just stop at crossdressing (aka not continuing transition by seeking hormones or surgery) because they don’t actually want to identify as another gender. Yet transvestites were infinitely more interesting to research during the early years of sexology, so research papers were written for years with this base assumption that transgender people transition out of kink.

    Are transgender people allowed to be sexually aroused by their bodies? Cisgender people are allowed to feel confident or sexy when looking at themselves in the mirror. It would be hypocritical to say transgender people do not deserve that same right. To feel comfortable in our bodies, that includes having the capacity to feel sexual in them, too. But that’s more a philosophical question outside of the realm of this myth.

    The second part, or that transgender people must hate their bodies, also dates back to early research on transgender people. Cisgender people have always struggled to grasp what causes a person to want to be a different gender – very few cis people think critically about their relationship with their sex assigned at birth, so gender isn’t something they’ve really considered. To rebel against their natural worldview, they believe transgender people must hate their bodies – anything else wouldn’t make sense.

    These assumptions permeated the very beginning of transgender researchers, and even trans-friendly providers held these stereotypes. It became quickly obvious that to transition socially, medically, or legally, transgender people had to adhere to these stereotypes since cisgender people held the power to prescribe medicine or affirm legal changes that transgender folks did not. To allow trans people to transition, doctors wanted them to fit their rigid boxes of what they believed transness to be – and that always included the stereotype that transgender people absolutely hate their biological bodies.

    Today, there’s a decent understanding within the scientific community that transgender identity does not come from a hatred of one’s body but rather a disconnect between one’s internal versus outward gender. That disconnect can include feelings of hatred, but it doesn’t have to. The term “gender dysphoria” refers to that disconnect, ranging in feeling just uncomfortable to more extreme disgust or hatred. There is also a community of individuals promoting the idea that gender euphoria is just as important as gender dysphoria when discussing the need for transition – transgender people should not be expected to hate themselves. To be happy and fulfilled people, we need to be allowed to feel content in our bodies.

    Myth #5: Transgender people want to dominate in sports, prisons, schools, etc.

    Transgender people make a small fraction of the general population, but the media is obsessed with focusing on the one or two individuals who participate in competitive sports. Regarding adult sports, there are two things to keep in mind: transitioned adults have been proven to have no scientific advantage in athletics, and even if they did have an advantage, that’s the point of competitive sports.

    We aren’t asking for unlimited access to dominate sports, we want the right to play fairly as ourselves. Until the past year or so, transgender people have been playing small roles within sports without issue: most leagues have written rules on how transgender people may participate, which usually requires two to three years of documented hormone replacement therapy. HRT is the key factor on supposed “advantages,” since hormones dictate muscle growth, strength, and stamina in all human bodies. A transgender woman who has been on prescribed estrogen for five years has no biological advantage over a cisgender woman – and quite frankly, cisgender women do hold an advantage if they compete with naturally high testosterone or a hormone disorder. Other aspects of transition, like surgery or legal status, have zero bearing on competitive performance.

    For emphasis, transgender people have been officially allowed to compete in the Olympics since 2004. The exact rules have varied, but the general consensus to be allowed to participate is hormone replacement therapy. And the standards used by the Olympics are used in countless other sports and minor leagues.

    Some folks might still get up in arms about other “advantages” transgender may have, but none of them warrant barring a group of people from fair play. A transgender woman who is six foot might have an advantage at basketball, but so does a cisgender woman who is also six foot. It’s those small advantages that drive people to play sports based on what they’re good at. It’s the nature of competition and sports. Getting up in arms about bone structure or child socialization is just as nonsensical as barring people based on race, ethnicity, disability, and even class.

    This myth is more ludicrous in school settings. It’s difficult to argue against the benefits of school sports: they provide exercise while giving youth crucial team building skills while they socialize in a structured setting. But due to the stigma transgender people automatically get from participating in sports, very few of us do – and even fewer participate in school sports. Even in the most liberal states, transgender students still have to adhere to established protocols, which almost always relate to documented hormone replacement therapy. Out of the thousands of students that participate in school sports each here, only one or two of them identify as transgender. If they’re playing by the rules, it’s hardly fair to ban them based on identity alone.

    Lastly, transgender people don’t go to prison to use taxpayer dollars for gender-affirming care. It’s way easier to transition beyond prison, and the dangers transgender people are exposed to in prison are never worth it: compared to cisgender adults, transgender people are roughly 10 times more likely to be assaulted by both fellow prisoners and prison staff. Most transgender people are forcibly detransitioned while incarcerated, so the reality is closer to transgender people asking if they can access or continue medical care while incarcerated.

  • Sexuality & Gender: What’s the Difference?

    Sexuality & Gender: What’s the Difference?

    Most people have never considered the difference between “gender” and “sexuality” – unless you’re questioning or identifying as LGBTQIA+, there’s little reason for folks to give it a second thought. However, understanding these two concepts is key when discussing many oppressions, like sexism, heterosexism, and cissexism, and helps make you a better ally to transgender folks.

    What is Gender Identity?

    In the simplest sense, gender identity (or just “gender”) is who you ARE or how you view yourself. Everyone has a gender identity, even if it is the same one as they were assigned at birth. You might identify as a boy, a woman, as genderqueer, agender, or nonbinary – but you still identify as something. GLSEN breaks up gender even further into three parts: gender expression, gender attribution, and sex assigned at birth.

    Gender expression refers to how you display your gender or lack thereof. It’s a combination of hairstyles, fashion choices, behaviors, and habits that reflect your inner gender identity. Most people choose expressions that match their gender, such as dressing masculinely as a man or femininely as a woman, but expression doesn’t dictate gender. Women can have masculine expressions, men can be feminine, and nonbinary people can be androgynous or have a gendered expression. Expression is also the pronouns you state you use to match your gender and titles like mister, miss, and mx.

    Gender attribution is how your gender is perceived by others, for better and worse. Gender very rarely occurs in an isolated bubble, and due to being a social concept, gender is both real and fake: people take aspects of your gender expression and sex to make quick assumptions about your inner gender. Attribution is most annoying when those assumptions are wrong, resulting in misgendering and deadnaming, but it’s one of many natural instincts people have when meeting individuals. When attribution goes well, it has positive benefits – being affirmed as your gender is a spectacular feeling as a transgender person, just like being misgendered is a miserable experience. Attribution is the pronoun and gender that others assume you are, such as a man, woman, nonbinary person, or other identity. Like expression, gender attribution does not dictate your gender identity. Other people assuming you are nonbinary does not make your gender identity nonbinary. However, it does often have an impact on your mental well-being and how you visualize your gender/passing ability.

    Sex assigned at birth (SAAB) refers to the label medical professionals gave you upon birth, such as male, female, or intersex. SAAB is a “historical term,” unlike “sex,” which is used as a whole. Sex accounts for your current biology, but most aspects of biological sex are malleable, despite what anti-transgender activists claim. SAAB refers strictly to the sex you were perceived at birth, reflecting a part of your personal history but not necessarily reality. After high school, biology becomes complicated: science well-establishes sex is more than just a male/female binary and biological sex is instead composed of chromosomes, gonads, phenotype, and behavior. Modern science allows three-quarters of biological sex to be changed. SAAB refers ONLY to the state you were at birth and accounts for gender identity since SAAB determines whether you identify as cisgender or transgender. And like gender expression and gender attribution, SAAB does not dictate your gender identity – although all three parts can influence your overall gender.

    The most common examples of gender identity are man and woman, although plenty of others exist. Technically, “cisgender” and “transgender” are descriptors of gender identity – everyone is either cisgender or transgender based on whether they identify as the gender assigned to them at birth. Cisgender means “same,” referencing folks who identify as the same gender they were assumed as at birth. Transgender means “different,” referencing those who identify as a gender identity other than the one assigned to them at birth.

    Where do nonbinary folks fit in? Nonbinary is an identity associated with anyone who falls outside of the male/female gender binary. Currently, most nonbinary individuals are classified as transgender since they weren’t labeled as nonbinary growing up. Eventually, as more people are raised as nonbinary or without traditional gender, there will be folks who were raised as nonbinary and still identify as such – those people will be both nonbinary and cisgender. There are a few people today who fall within those categories, but it’s relatively rare.

    What is Sexual Orientation?

    If gender is how you view yourself, sexual orientation is who you’re attracted to. For most folks, it’s pretty straightforward – and like gender identity, everyone has a sexual orientation. Individuals who are attracted to the “opposite” gender as themselves are straight or heterosexual, like a man who is attracted to women. Those who identify as gay or homosexual are attracted to people who are the same gender as themselves. Queer, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and other labels often reflect folks who don’t fit within that strict straight/gay binary – such as people who are attracted to one or more genders, or none at all.

    Attraction can be further broken down: most people are familiar with romantic and sexual attraction, but it’s valuable to learn the inner workings of sexuality and attraction to better understand queerness and asexuality.

    • Romantic attraction happens when you want to be romantic with another person, like feeling the desire to date, kiss, hold hands, etc.
    • Sexual attraction is the desire you feel to be sexual with another person, like wanting to have any type of sex with someone.
    • Platonic attraction happens when you feel an emotional magnetism to someone, like feeling the desire to know someone better or become their friend.
    • Aesthetic attraction comes from appreciating someone’s look or fashion, like when you admire someone’s style but don’t necessarily want to date them.
    • Sensual attraction is the desire to hug or cuddle someone in a non-sexual tactile way.
    • Intellectual attraction is an attraction caused by wanting to engage or debate someone in conversation.

    It’s perfectly normal to experience multiple types of attraction, and it’s also normal not to experience attraction. Most people experience a number of attractions all the time – many friends feel platonic, aesthetic, and intellectual attraction without romantic or sexual attraction; some folks might feel all forms of attraction when they’re in love with someone.

    The key point is that gender identity is YOU, while sexual orientation pertains more to who you’re attracted to. As mentioned before, everyone has both a gender identity and sexual orientation – even if you don’t think about it very often, you still have labels like gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, class, etc. A straight man has a straight sexual orientation and a masculine gender identity, just as an asexual nonbinary person has an ace sexuality and nonbinary gender. Gender and sexuality matter to some folks and not others, just like how other identity labels matter more to some individuals ,like race and class. Gender and sexuality are also pretty fluid – you’re allowed to experiment and explore these identities, so what you find works now may not be what you identify as in ten years, and that’s alright!

    Extra Credit: Historical Gender & Sexuality

    I think it’s also worth noting that our modern definitions for gender identity and sexual orientation are reversed from what they used to be just 50 years ago. During the post-WWII sexology renaissance, there was a lot of research into gender and sexuality in the United States and Europe. However, this research was heavily dominated by straight white men inspired by pseudoscientists like Sigmund Freud and didn’t account very well into humanistic or people-first approaches. Many of these early researchers supported gender-affirming care, but they still fundamentally believed sex and gender were combined – in their view, LGBTQIA+ people existed due to anomalies and disorders of “regular” functioning.

    This resulted in papers that documented folks who were assigned male at birth and identified as women (known as transgender women today) as “transgender/transsexual men,” and folks assigned female at birth and identified as male (known as transgender men now) as “transgender/transsexual women.” The distinction between gender and sex didn’t become widespread in academic settings until feminist scholarship found its roots during the 1970s, so these men used labels based on biological sex. Further, they applied sexuality based on this understanding: an individual assigned male at birth, identified as a woman, and was attracted to men would be classified as a gay/homosexual transgender man since, according to their standards, the individual was attracted to the same sex as themselves. Today, that same individual would be classified as a straight transgender woman. These differences can become confusing very quickly, but they’re important to remember if you delve deeper into transgender history or the history of gender.

  • Trans History: Jeffersonian Era

    Trans History: Jeffersonian Era

    CONTENT WARNINGS: 🤬 Slurs, ⚔️ Colonization, 🗨️ Misgendering

    The presidential election of 1800 put former Vice President Thomas Jefferson into power under the Democratic-Republican Party against the Federalists. It marked the first shift of political power between two major parties – accomplished without the bloodshed and violence typically associated with such moves in European monarchies. Jefferson’s party valued free markets, individual liberty, freedom of religion, and the separation of church and state due to the influence of the French Revolution. Jefferson’s party filled the void as the dominant party while the Federalist Party collapsed, despite its mixed views on slavery. They also led the United States to war again against the United Kingdom through the War of 1812, even though it ended in a draw with the Treaty of Ghent.

    All-Time Prosecution Highs

    The Jeffersonian Era gave rise to an increase of sodomy-related persecutions, such as the case against John W. Morse in 1816. The National Advocate wrote about the New York case, “Amongt the civil prosecutions at this circuit were to [sic] of uncommon importance, and which had excited a good deal of interest in some parts of the country. The one was the case of John W. Morse vs. Roger Adsit; a slander suit on the charge of sodomy. Verdict for the plaintiff 600 dollars.” More sodomy cases come up in court reports, even if they failed to make it into published newspapers like Morse – there are six cases between the years of 1802 to 1807 in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and North Carolina.

    What exactly is sodomy? Also known as buggery, it comes up a lot when referencing queer history as well as modern politics. Derived from the ancient Greek word Σόδομα or sódoma and the Hebrew word sədom based on the biblical city of Sodom, sodomy is any human sexual activity that does not intend to create children. Essentially, sodomy is all sex that is not penis-in-vagina intercourse.

    Within queer history, sodomy cases are some of our best-documented records of LGBTQIA+ people existing in centuries past. While dominant writers refused to include queer people in history textbooks, we still managed to be recorded in court documents. In the early years, sodomy laws related more often to criminalizing beastility than same-sex activity – but these laws evolved to their current status today. The criminalization of sodomy still exists throughout much of the world, and today’s version of sodomy generally penalizes only same-sex activity rather than non-procreative heterosexual sex – although individuals are pushing for sodomy’s stricter definition based on hyper-religious beliefs like traditional Catholicism.

    Today, same-sex activity is overwhelmingly legal throughout most of the world – the only countries that have sodomy laws are centralized in Africa and the Middle East. As of 2025, 12 of the 61 countries that criminalize sodomy use the death penalty as punishment: Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates.

    The United States utilized the sodomy laws imported from Europe to criminalize same-sex activity – and our victory in the Revolutionary War did not change these laws, leaving them largely in place for years to come. South Carolina was the last state to repeal the death penalty for sodomy in 1873, but it remained a criminal offense until Lawrence v. Texas in 2003. John Geddes Lawrence Jr. and Tyron Garner were arrested in a Texas apartment and charged with a misdemeanor – which Lambda Legal used to take their case to the Supreme Court on the basis that consenting adults have legal privacy in their homes. When the Court sided with Lawrence and Lambda Legal, all sodomy laws in the United States were immediately nullified and same-sex activity became legal – a major step in American queer rights.

    Lawrence v. Texas has hit major news headlines again in recent years due to conservatives advocating for the Supreme Court to revisit the case and overturn the ruling similar to Roe v. Wade. Such a decision would recriminalize same-sex activity in all states that have not repealed former sodomy laws – even though current polls show that Americans overwhelmingly favor same-sex marriage by 69%.

    Antebellum America: Transgressing Gender

    Between the years of 1776 to 1861, countless children’s books and magazines were published in the South featuring atypical gender behavior, especially remarkable for the period. Most of these publications aimed to instruct youth about how to correctly adhere to their gender assigned at birth, as Jen Manion writes, “There were an abundance of publications aimed at instructing children on all manner of subjects from politics to cleanliness to morality. No realm of life was spared such scrutiny. Children were told how to behave with family, at school, and on the playground… Not surprisingly then, children’s literature provides a rich window into the malleability of gender, including the ways and reasons that children claimed gender identities, expressions, and activities for themselves.”

    Some of the most notable examples come from the mid-19th century: Lucy Nelson and Billy Bedlow were children’s stories published in 1831 and 1832, following the adventures of two genderbending youth written by Eliza Leslie as they saw the errors of their ways by failing to adhere to traditional gender roles. Other accounts aren’t as cruel – McGloughlin Bros.’ The Tom-Boy Who Was Changed Into a Real Boy centers on a tomboyish girl who becomes a boy after years of engaging in male behavior, eventually becoming a sailor after his transition. The story is meant to be a light-hearted cautionary tale, it tells a more hopeful existence as a gender-variant individual where the protagonist wasn’t forced to give up their identity to conform.

    Native Americans in Jefferson’s America

    One of President Thomas Jefferson’s crowning achievements while in office was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, expanding the American empire further west of the Mississippi River that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark would explore from 1804 onwards. While Jefferson respected Native Americans as individuals, he and his political allies viewed Indigenous cultures as inferior and worthy of American conquest.

    This expansion and numerous expeditions created more encounters between American colonizers and Native Americans. Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark to record as much detail as possible while traveling Louisiana – first and foremost meant to establish an American presence further west and deter European powers, and secondly to make positive trade relations with Native American nations in the west while documenting Louisiana’s geography.

    Lewis and Clark’s expedition journals were edited by Nicholas Biddle, a Pennsylvania senator who served as the final president of the Second Bank of the United States. Biddle’s diary notes in the Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expeditions reported Minitaree people who accepted gender-variant people within their tribe, “Among Minitarees if a boy shows any symptoms of effeminacy or girlish inclinations he is put among the girls, dressed in their way, brought up with them, & sometimes married to men. They submit as women to all the duties of a wife. I have seen them – the French call them Birdashes.”

    Claude E. Schaeffer gives a detailed account of the acceptance of gender-diverse individuals that explorers encountered among the Kutenai of western Montana in 1811. Referred to as Madame Boisvert, this individual had been previously married to a Canadian servant of David Thompson – while Madame Boisvert had been unusual in their youth, they were surprised when Madame Boisvert returned as a man, claiming to their relatives, “I’m a man now. We Indians did not believe the white people possessed such power from the supernaturals. I can tell you that they do, greater power than we have. They changed my sex while I was with them. No Indian is able to do that.” Changing their name to Kauxuma Nupika, he sought a wife despite being assigned female at birth and joined Kutenai men in warfare – where he was later discovered as still biologically female by his brother. Changing his name again to Qanqon Kdmek Klatda, he was later purposely exposed by his brother – leading the entire camp to deny Qanqon of his masculine identity. Schaeffer’s entire account refers to Qanqon with the (modernly offensive) outdated term berdache.

    Schaeffer’s account of Qanqon illustrates the evolving dynamic between Native Americans attempting to appeal to white colonizers – two-spirit and gender-diverse identities were accepted and celebrated in historical Native cultures, but continued European and American contact alongside Christian conversion imported transphobia. Schaeffer published his findings based on collected oral legends in 1966 – meaning Qanqon’s story likely warped through several generations. In the legends, he is depicted as brutal, nonsensical, and “bereft of her senses.” His brother is valiant for exposing Qanqon’s biology, and Qanqon himself deserves his punishment after years of beating women in camp.

    Drawing by George Catlin (1796 – 1872) among the Sac and Fox Nation, depicting a ceremonial dance to celebrate the two-spirit person.

    The Adventures of Lucy Brewer

    The Female Marine, also known as The Adventures of Lucy Brewer/Louisa Barker, was published in Boston in 1815 – a series of pamphlets documenting the life of Lucy Brewer. While the story is published as an autobiography, some believe it was actually written by Nathanial Hill Wright. Regardless of its authorship, it takes inspiration from real accounts of gender-variant individuals like Hannah Snell.

    Escaping a life of prostitution, Brewer fought as a marine under the name of George Baker during the War of 1812. The entire story is told in three parts, aimed to guide its young audience to avoid the mistakes she made – although it portrays her gender-bending adventures in a generally positive light, given it allows Brewer to fight for her country and travel the country. Brewer’s experiences also show an early conflict between gender roles and gender identity, since her ability to conform to traditional male roles illustrates that Brewer is capable of performing gender beyond biology.

    The Adventures of Lucy Brewer, (Alias) Louisa Baker

    Knowledge Check

    1. True or False: The purpose of early gender-bending children’s stories in Antebellum America was to teach Southern youth that being transgender and nonbinary was okay.
      –
    2. Fill in the Blank: During expeditions into Louisiana, American colonizers came into contact with _____, a gender-variant person among the Kutenai people.
      –
    3. True or False: Sodomy is currently criminalized in the United States.
      –
    4. The Adventures of Lucy Brewer follow a young woman who fought in the War of 1812 as a male _____.
      a. Doctor
      b. Soldier
      c. Marine
      d. None of the Above
      –
    5. The Supreme Court ruling that overturned sodomy laws in the United States was _____.
      a. United States v. Marcum
      b. Obergefell v. Hodges
      c. Bostock v. Clayton County
      d. Lawrence v. Texas
    ANSWER KEY

    1. FALSE / 2. QANQON / 3. FALSE / 4. C / 5. D

    Further Reading

    DISCLAIMER: While the links below work at the time this article was originally published, they may not forever – especially when government officials are intentionally purging official-reviewed research and censoring mainstream media.

    Map of Anti-LGBT Laws by Human Rights Watch

    Native American LGBTQ+ People by Jonathan Ned Katz

    Sodomy Cases Appealed by Jonathan Ned Katz

    The History of Sexuality and Gender History by OutHistory

    Transgender Children in Antebellum America by Jen Manion

    US History #10, #11 and Black American History #12 by Crash Course

  • Trans History: Confederation Period

    Trans History: Confederation Period

    CONTENT WARNINGS: ✊ Civil Unrest

    Immediately after the victory of the young United States of America against Britain, leaders attempted a short-lived government under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. Anxious about the tyranny that Britain held over colonists, the confederated government was purposely weak with little authority and even lesser power to enforce regulation. It didn’t take long for issues to arise, leading to the confederated government being thrown out in favor of the republic and Constitution in 1788.

    There is very little queer or transgender US history written within these five years. The confederation was chaotic – after securing victory in the American Revolution, leaders were given the task to create a government for the people that would not lead to tyranny and completely separate from the monarchy-style governments that controlled Europe. In their hesitance to give the federal government power, the purposely-neutered American confederation could largely not govern individual states – leading to a spike in civil unrest during this period as seen in the Pennsylvania Mutiny, Shays’ Rebellion, the Paper Money Riot, and Doctors Mob Riot.

    Two of the most notable cases of civil unrest are Shays’ Rebellion and the Pennsylvania Mutiny since both aimed to ultimately overthrow the young confederated government. In 1783, the Continental Army threatened Congress situated in Philadelphia due to outstanding military debts. The Congress of the Confederation lacked any control of the military outside times of war, so the refusal of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania to halt the army’s protest forced Congress to leave Philadelphia and determine a new national capital. In 1786, Daniel Shays allegedly motivated his peers in Massachusetts over the debt crisis between farmers and merchants. Shays ultimately failed in their attempt to seize weaponry housed in the federal Springfield Armory – although his historical portrayal compared to the military members in Pennsylvania highlights the distortion of history. When the Continental Army won in Philadelphia, recounts are kind to their involvement; modern scholarship suggests that Shay was intentionally scapegoated to deflect from the corruption within Massachusetts that led to the unrest.

    Until recently, there have been very few attempts to overthrow the United States federal government after the confederation period. The only known case is the failed attempt in 1933 against Franklin D. Roosevelt and then recent events in the past decade by the right wing. The failed coup on January 6th, 2020 held similarities with most rebellions organized by civilians, whereas the current ongoing coup by the Department of Government Efficiency is more similar to the strategic coups organized by the United States government against other countries.

    While there is not much queer history recorded during this era, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to learn – history is a fantastic teacher to those willing to be students. Why are American conservatives seemingly more willing to overthrow democracy compared to the left? Why are general Americans still not ready for a large-scale overthrow?

    Conservatives are emboldened and genuinely believe they are righteous. While a minority of those who attacked the capitol believed they could have died, the majority likely believed that they had nothing to legitimately fear. Traditional conservatives align themselves with law enforcement and idolize the military – so it came as a surprise when security treated them as criminals as they ransacked D.C. MAGA conservatives associate with the further right, which begins to demonize law enforcement (and why Nazis also use the term ACAB). The crowd on January 6th was likely mixed with both types, with MAGA conservatives fueling mob mentality into inciting others into extreme action.

    The American left has overwhelming more in common with the general public, especially in terms of rebellion. They assume that the system, including both law enforcement and the military, is a tool to be used against them. Before positive change can be wrought or for the international community to intervene, protestors have to die for their cause. For that to occur, protestors must be willing to die for their cause – which means they must feel so desperate or hopeless that even death is better than living under their current conditions. It is at that point that the general public can be moved to great action; and while the majority of the American public disapproves of the Trump administration, they have not been impacted enough yet to act. However, Americans are rapidly climbing towards that path – the actions of Luigi Mangione were done because Mangione became disillusioned and desperate by the current political and healthcare system to put his life at risk, and the response by many Americans celebrating his actions further proves this.

    Knowledge Check

    1. True or False: Examples of transgender history during the American Revolution include Thomas(sine) Hall, Joseph Davis, and Anne Hutchinson.
      –
    2. The first government of the United States was a _____.
      a. Republic
      b. Oligarchy
      c. Confederation
      d. Autocracy
      –
    3. True or False: The riots on January 6th, 2020 were an attempted coup or overthrow of the government.
    ANSWER KEY
    1. FALSE / 2. C / 3. TRUE

    Further Reading

    DISCLAIMER: While the links below work at the time this article was originally published, they may not forever – especially when government officials are intentionally purging official reviewed research and censoring mainstream media.

    Ask the ‘Coupologists’: Just What was Jan. 6 Anyway? by Politico/Joshua Zeitz (2022)

    LGBTQIA+ Community Records by the National Archives (2025)

    Must’s Coup at the Treasury Has Been Ruled Illegal. Will That Stop Him? by Truthout/Katie Rose Quandt (2025)

    Policies and Problems of the Confederation Government by the Library of Congress (2025)

    Revolution: American Colonial Settlers Make a New Nation by Jonathan Ned Katz (2012)

    US History #8 and #9 and Black American History #9 by Crash Course

  • Hormone Replacement Therapy 201

    Hormone Replacement Therapy 201

    Know the basics about hormone replacement therapy but feel like there’s still more to learn? Previously, I wrote about the basics of HRT – the process of taking prescribed synthetic testosterone or estrogen to align one’s physical body and sex characteristics with their gender identity. Despite the GOP’s war on transgender people, HRT has been firmly backed by medical science for nearly a century as the best treatment to prescribe. No amount of conversion therapy or repression is as effective nor humane as accessible trans-affirming care – and ‘trans regret‘ and ‘social contagion‘ theories have been repeatedly debunked by scientific research.

    DISCLAIMER: This post is for informational purposes only and does not provide professional advice. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with questions regarding medical conditions or treatments.

    What’s the difference between HRT 1.0 and HRT 2.0?

    My previous post explained the basics of hormone replacement therapy, puberty blockers, common myths, and recommended routes to accessing legal HRT via informed consent and written letters.

    HRT 1.0

    In today’s political climate, it may not be possible to access HRT through traditional legal routes. In contrast to my previous post, HRT 2.0 provides an overview of alternative routes – but remember the above disclaimer and be mindful of the legal risks involved. When possible, always get HRT prescribed through traditional legal routes. Don’t take risks when they aren’t necessary. For American adults, we are currently still at a point where it is feasible – and safer – to obtain HRT through mainstream doctors. Even when there are no local doctors physically available, telehealth now offers transgender folks the ability to get legal prescriptions online.

    FOLX
    Plume
    Planned Parenthood

    “DIY HRT” is the practice of obtaining and administering hormone replacement therapy without a licensed medical provider or prescription. Today, it’s fairly rare within the United States as long as individuals have physical and financial access to a provider, but it was the most common method for transgender folks decades ago when most healthcare professionals were unwilling to prescribe HRT. Beyond the US, DIY is still a common practice in countries where transgender identity is strictly regulated or criminalized.

    By nature, DIY HRT communities are difficult to find on the mainstream internet, but they aren’t impossible to find. In addition to the medical disclaimer, DIY HRT communities are not open to minors. You might be able to find basic information, but these communities are already on high alert due to their potentially illegal nature and therefore generally unwilling to have open discussions with individuals under the age of 18. DIY HRT and its legality vary drastically by country – even within the United States, synthetic estrogen and testosterone have different laws applied to them. Throughout most of the world, possession of HRT isn’t a criminal offense, unlike the trade of unprescribed medication. To circumvent this, this article uses the same logic as most DIY communities on the clear web – this article is for purely informational purposes, and I do not endorse DIY HRT. As mentioned above, I actually advise getting your hormones from a licensed provider when possible.

    Is DIY HRT Dangerous?

    Anecdotally, it’s generally safe. All medicines and procedures carry some inherent risk, and hormone replacement therapy is no different. Traditional HRT carries no substantial medical risk compared to cisgender people, although there are (often discredited) doctors who will attribute unrelated issues to being on HRT.

    DIY HRT isn’t much different as long as you know the potential risks and benefits of basic hormone therapy. The largest health risks associated with DIY are reduced by monitoring and appropriately adjusting your hormone levels through regular blood work – a process you’d normally do with a licensed provider, too. Blood tests are not negotiable; most external signs cannot feasibly identify whether you’re on a safe or unsafe dose. Monitoring your levels protects your long-term health.

    Where do I learn more about DIY HRT?

    For clear web users, there are two sources: r/TransDIY and The DIY HRT Directory. The Directory provides details on medication levels, distributors, and blood work, whereas r/TransDIY offers an open forum for discussions and questions in addition to general guides. The Directory currently does not offer any contact feature, so you should visit r/TransDIY for support.

    r/TransDIY
    The DIY HRT Directory

    Transmasculine DIY

    For basic information about testosterone-related HRT and effects, read HRT 1.0 or check out these sources from Planned Parenthood, University of California San Francisco, Rainbow Health Ontario, Trans Hub, them, Healthline, GenderGP, and FOLX.

    The most common form of synthetic testosterone is injection-based, usually as testosterone propionate, testosterone cypionate, or testosterone enanthate. Both cypionate and enanthate have long half-lives (which determines the length of time the testosterone will last in your body). Gels are rare, but occasionally possible to find – although it is difficult to source the amount of gel needed for appropriate hormone levels.

    For all forms of HRT, you begin on a much lower dose initially and progress to a stable regular dosage based on your blood work. Most medical providers mimic the natural hormone cycle of cisgender men, putting individuals on a low dose before increasing over the first few years, and then slightly lowering to a long-term level.

    DOSAGE

    Low DoseInitial DoseTypical Maximum
    Testosterone Cypionate20 mg per week IM/SQ50 mg per week IM/SQ100 mg per week IM/SQ
    Testosterone Enanthate20 mg per week IM/SQ50 mg per week IM/SQ100 mg per week IM/SQ

    For more info on dosages, mainstream providers have guides available online for informed consent purposes.

    Do NOT try to achieve a higher dose than what is needed. In addition to long-term health risks, high hormone doses are subject to the possible ‘spillover effect’ (clinically known as aromatization), where excess HRT will convert to your naturally produced sex hormone (aka estrogen).

    Vials of injectable testosterone are often compounded as 200 mg/mL, 250 mg/mL, or 300 mg/mL. In common language, in a 200 mg/mL vial, there is 200 mg of testosterone in each milliliter. If the vial contains 10 milliliters of liquid testosterone, there are 2,000 milligrams of total testosterone in that vial.

    Due to this, you will have to do math to calculate exactly how much liquid to inject to achieve your target dosage. Medical providers would calculate this for you, but you’ll have to do so when calculating for DIY. The formula used is: (amount you want to inject) ÷ (concentration of the vial) = amount to inject per dose in mL.

    EXAMPLE:
    John has acquired a 200 mg/mL vial of testosterone and wants to have a 50 mg per week dose.
    (50) ÷ (200) = 0.25
    Based on the above formula, John should inject 0.25 mL per injection.

    Since injectable testosterone is fairly thick, it requires a thicker needle for proper injection. For intramuscular injections, it is recommended to use needles between 1″ to 1.5″ in length and 23-25g gauge (needle thickness). Subcutaneous injections should use needles between 1/2″ to 5/8″ in length and 25-30g gauge.

    Planned Parenthood Injection Guide

    Transfeminine DIY

    For basic information about estrogen-related HRT and effects, read HRT 1.0 or check out these sources from Trans Hub, Healthline, FOLX, Rainbow Health Ontario, Mayo Clinic, UVA Health, and University of California San Francisco.

    Compared to transmasculine DIY, which usually only requires injecting and monitoring testosterone levels, effective transfeminine HRT requires both synthetic estrogen and testosterone blockers.

    Additionally, estrogen can be ‘homebrewed’ rather than purchased through a pharmaceutical company unlike testosterone (which cannot be produced at home). Within the DIY community, estrogen is commonly ‘homebrewed.’ Homebrewed estrogen is produced by individuals through raw estradiol ester/bicalutamide/etc powder. Pharmaceutical-grade estrogen is produced by legitimate pharmaceutical companies – these forms of estrogen are widely considered safer, but they are more expensive than homebrewed sources.

    The most common form of estrogen is pill-based – they’re the most prescribed by licensed doctors and also the easiest to DIY. Synthetic estrogen does not harm the body the same way testosterone does in pill form, which is why transmasculine folks opt for injection routes. Always use bioidentical estrogens such as estradiol hemihydrate or estradiol valerate. Never use non-bioidentical estrogens for HRT. Estrogen can also be taken as a gel, patch, or injection – pills are cheapest per month, while injections are cheaper annually or long-term.

    The most common testosterone blockers (antiandrogens) are pills that must be swallowed, which include spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, and bicalutamide. Spiro is the most famous, but is considered a weak (but much safer) antiandrogen. Cypro and bica are considered strongly effective but must be used with caution due to harsher health risks.

    DOSAGE

    The following guidance is considered a higher-than-average regimen than what most individuals may use. Adjust accordingly based on blood testing.

    REGIME 1Cyproterone acetate | 6.25-12.5 mg per dayEstradiol | 3 mg twice per day
    REGIME 2Bicalutamide | 50 mg per dayEstradiol | 3 mg twice per day

    For DIY cypro, you will need a pill cutter to create the above dosage. If your testosterone levels are not adequately suppressed, increase your estrogen dosage.

    Bica may cause blood testosterone levels to INCREASE slightly, so make sure your T is adequately blocked. 50mg is advised as generally adequate for testosterone suppression when combined with estradiol.

    For more info on dosages, mainstream providers have guides available online for informed consent purposes.

    Do NOT try to achieve a higher dose than what is needed. In addition to long-term health risks, high hormone doses are subject to the possible ‘spillover effect’ (clinically known as aromatization), where excess HRT will convert to your naturally produced sex hormone (aka testosterone).

    Sourcing & Supplies

    How do you find DIY HRT? Considering its legal status, it can be difficult to find – the following information and links are from major sources like r/TransDIY and the Directory. The Directory has not been updated in a few years, but r/TransDIY continues to be moderated – check its information for the most current verified distributors.

    Injection Supplies

    It’s fairly easy to get syringes and injection equipment – you don’t need a prescription to access them. Most countries allow you to purchase needles from any pharmacy, although you may need to speak directly with a pharmacist. Online, Amazon is the most popular source for American DIY users.

    Amazon states needles are ‘not suitable’ for human use – but this is untrue and put to skirt around American Amazon regulations that prohibit the sale of medical supplies.

    Medications

    Listed below are the most common and reputable pharmaceutical distributors for DIY HRT. Use extreme caution if using a source that is not listed below or on either r/TransDIY or the Directory. Most in the DIY community purchase legitimate pharmaceutical-grade medication from foreign companies that permit the sale of these drugs internationally. To use these companies, you will have to learn how to buy cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or utilize an international system like Zelle or MoneyGram.

    hrtcafe.nethrt.coffeediyhrt.market
    Alpha North LabsRoidBazaar IntSteroids UK

    When purchasing HRT internationally, it is best practice to buy small amounts in case it is confiscated by customs. Individuals are rarely prosecuted or arrested for attempting to order international HRT, but your shipment can be seized. By ordering in small amounts, you reduce the amount lost when seized. Domestic purchases are not screened like international shipments, so there is little to no risk of losing your order.

    Another route for DIY-ish HRT is stockpiling, which works well alongside informed consent and other methods of obtaining legal HRT. Since hormones are prescribed at an exact dose by providers, there are two ways to stockpile HRT from stockpile-adverse providers (although there is a growing number of providers that understand the volatile political climate transgender Americans are facing and why folks want to stockpile). Both methods described below are slow processes – you’re not going to be able to stockpile overnight through your provider.

    • By purposely taking less than your prescription in the days leading up to blood testing by your provider, your hormone levels will show up as low. In response, most providers will prescribe an increased dose to stabilize your levels. Once prescribed, individuals return to their former dosage regime and save the excess for future use.
    • Some individuals purposely take a lower dose regularly than their prescription to save the excess for stockpiling. This method is used when an increased prescription cannot be received but will result in slower transition, similar to the effects of low-dose HRT.

    If possible, do not travel with DIY HRT – especially testosterone. Testosterone is strictly regulated compared to estrogen, and unprescribed medication can be charged as possession of a controlled substance if found by airport security. If you MUST travel, clearly label your testosterone in a large clear Ziploc bag and throw in over-the-counter medication like aspirin and allergy meds alongside in the bag. Airport security will be less likely to hound you for a prescription. If you are arrested, do not say anything to the police and contact a lawyer as soon as the opportunity is presented.

    Blood Testing

    Especially when beginning HRT, blood testing is recommended every three months – although every six months becomes more common later on. For DIY, you should get a blood test after one month on HRT and then every three months. It is advised to find a healthcare facility local to your location for blood testing, although you may have to ask to manually see your results. For accurate results and monitoring purposes, ALWAYS get your estradiol (E2) and total testosterone (T) tested every time. Additional information from blood tests are useful for monitoring potential side effects of HRT, but not as mandatory.

    Transfeminine

    Testosterone levels should range at 50 ng/dL or lower and estradiol should range at 100 pg/mL or above.

    Transmasculine

    Testosterone levels should range between 300-1,000 ng/dL and estradiol should range between 10-50 pg/mL. Unlike transfeminine HRT, testosterone hormone therapy naturally lowers naturally produced estrogen more easily.

  • HIV: How can young people protect themselves?

    HIV: How can young people protect themselves?

    April 10th is National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day, also known as NYHAAD, a yearly observance by the CDC to promote sexual health programs within the United States. NYHAAD was proposed in 2013 through Advocates for Youth since approximately 19% of new HIV diagnoses are from individuals between the ages of 13 and 24 – which is also the age group least likely to get tested or be aware of their HIV status.

    Advocates for Youth has its own site on resources and national events related to National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Check out their website from ambassador highlights to film screenings for in-depth resources on youth-focused sex education.

    As many readers know, HIV also disproportionately affects LGBTQIA+ people – it was once referred to as the “gay plague” during its early years when thousands of queer people were being killed each year while government-funded research facilities pushed the harmful belief that HIV was a divine punishment ordained by God. All marginalized groups are at higher risk of contracting HIV, culminating from a lack of educated doctors, accessible testing, preventative medicine like PrEP and PEP, and public knowledge. Ultimately, this means that young queer people are at an exceptionally higher risk of HIV – especially transgender youth of color.

    Despite heightened rates reported by the CDC, they also found that only 6% of high school students had ever been tested for HIV. Most people are never offered an HIV test when visiting a healthcare provider’s office – there’s often very little signage and educational material present advertising HIV prevention and its risk and even fewer offices discuss HIV with their patients unless they believe they’re a ‘high risk.’ Unfortunately, this process is based on stereotypes even among healthcare providers well-educated on HIV versus reality – so lots of folks fall through the cracks. The CDC recommends all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, class, race, ethnicity, or background, be tested for HIV at least once in their life. Certain people are advised to be tested regularly based on their sexual activity – as a general note, the CDC says the following people should be tested for HIV at least once per year:

    • Men who have had sex with other men.*
    • Individuals who have had anal or vaginal sex with someone who is living with HIV.
    • Individuals who have had sex with more than one partner since their last HIV test.
    • Drug users who share injection equipment, like needles, syringes, and cookers.
    • Individuals who have had sex for money, drugs, or housing.
    • Individuals who have been diagnosed with another STD/STI, hepatitis, or tuberculosis.
    • Anyone who has had sex with someone who has done one of the above things or you’re unsure about their sexual history.

    In February 2025, the Trump administration tried to remove mentions of LGBTQIA+ people from official government websites – including the CDC. Federal courts have rebuked this decision as purposeful misinformation of scientific research and forced the administration to restore previous web pages, although they have altered some of the sites and added a political anti-science disclaimer stating the agency denounces transgender people alongside the Trump administration.

    All governmental information and research regarding HIV was targeted by this purge – I’m unsure whether the first statement was present before the restoration since it’s not aligned with current HIV advocacy and data. Most organizations disagree with blanket stereotypes for HIV and testing based on sexuality, instead pushing for non-discriminatory testing requirements based on sexual activity. This can be seen in the change in the Red Cross’s policies allowing queer men to finally donate blood after decades of permanently banning them for “having had sex with men” since data shows such practices do not effectively reduce HIV risk during blood donation.

    HIV 101: The Basics

    In today’s world, most people have a basic understanding that HIV exists, that it’s an STD, and it disproportionately targets queer men. Other than that, knowledge varies drastically since HIV isn’t covered in many public school sexual education programs (and several states don’t have sex ed) and most healthcare providers do not bring up HIV unless they believe they have enough reason to do so.

    As mentioned earlier, anyone can be affected by HIV – the virus doesn’t discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, class, education, religion, neighborhood, etc. There is no singular way to ‘tell’ if someone has HIV other than getting tested: most people don’t experience symptoms until HIV has developed into AIDS years later. Lastly, HIV won’t kill you – while living with HIV will greatly change your life, people live long, happy, and fulfilling lives with HIV when taking prescribed medication to treat the virus.

    Want to learn more about HIV? Read this post here or check out one of the sources below.

    CDC
    HIV.GOV
    UNAIDS

    How do we prevent HIV among young people?

    Education is crucial. Teaching youth about HIV and safe sex is the first step in reducing the spread of STDs, including HIV. Despite this reality, many schools, politicians, and religious figures argue that comprehensive sex education encourages young people to have sex. This is fallacious – data shows that folks will have sex regardless, but it is possible to reduce STDs and unplanned pregnancies by giving them the tools to have safe and healthy relationships.

    Accessibility is just as important. Most people know what they ought to do, whether it’s safe sex or recycling plastic. However, they’re unlikely to do it unless it is convenient – it’s human nature. Convenient testing is offered at regular healthcare visits, community centers, and even social events like local drag shows and pride events. Some organizations offer incentives for testing like free entry to an event, gift cards, vouchers, or coupons to engage folks in testing when they may otherwise be too hesitant. Making condoms free and easy to access discreetly without shame encourages people to practice safe sex. Preventative medicines like PrEP and PEP are most impactful when folks have access to those medicines when they need them – whether it’s by visiting a local pharmacy or getting it mailed directly to their house.

    Where do I get tested for HIV?

    You can only get treatment for HIV if you’ve tested positive, which requires you to get tested in the first place – so seeking testing is the first step to protecting your health. The earlier someone gets diagnosed, the sooner they can access life-saving treatments to manage their HIV.

    Greater Than (linked above) is one of the largest public health campaigns in the United States that provides detailed resources in partnership with the CDC. Click above to be redirected to their website, which locates HIV testing, PrEP providers, and support services locally by zip code. Greater Than also connects individuals to health insurance information to educate users on state laws dictating coverage.

    IRL testing isn’t for everyone – that’s why the CDC also sponsors the Together TakeMeHome program to ship free HIV tests directly to homes throughout the United States. These tests are done via an oral swab with saliva to give results within 20 minutes, and the program provides two free tests to individuals every 90 days. Together TakeMeHome has been providing free tests since early 2023, so click the button below to learn more about how to use their services.

    Together TakeMeHome is currently operating, although it can only do so through government funding. Due to the current political climate and attacks by the Trump administration on other HIV programs, it’s not impossible to consider the possibility that the program could be shut down in the future. Most LGBTQIA+ community centers also provide HIV testing for free, and many cities offer similar programs to Together TakeMeHome with mail programs to increase HIV testing in their area.

    Know Your Rights: Young People, HIV, and the Law

    In the United States, all individuals with HIV are protected by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which is enforced by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office for Civil Rights. These laws prohibit any anti-HIV discrimination by healthcare and human services agencies that receive federal funding, as well as any discrimination by state or local governments – including services, activities, or programs provided by state or local governments. Anyone can file a report with the Office for Civil Rights online or by mail.

    In all US states, minors have the right to consent to HIV and STD testing and treatment without a guardian’s permission. Generally, youth have the right to get tested (and receive HIV medication) without telling their parents. However, these laws vary on whether you have the right to access preventative services like PrEP without parental consent. There are no state or federal laws that explicitly prohibit minors from accessing PrEP, but you should search for laws specific to your state for details.

    Many states don’t have health confidentiality protections for minors, so it’s extremely likely for your guardian to find your status if you get tested at your primary provider – especially if your doctor bills your family’s insurance company for the test. For this reason, many LGBTQIA+ community centers provide free confidential HIV testing to encourage youth to get tested without fear that their authority figures will discover they got tested.

    While many US states and territories require you to disclose your HIV status, you’re only required to disclose it to certain people. At the time of this article, thirteen states require you to disclose your status to potential sexual partners, while four require disclosure to anyone you share a needle with.

    Depending on the state, failure to disclose status can lead to life in prison. You do not have to disclose to anyone else – including your family or friends. While most American employers have the right to ask about your health in certain fields, you don’t have to disclose it to your workplace in most cases. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects you from anti-HIV discrimination – which means hiring managers can’t ask you about your health and companies have to make reasonable adjustments as needed. These protections also apply within education, so you’re not required to disclose your HIV status to anyone at school unless you reside in a state requiring disclosure for potential sexual partners or needle sharing.

    The Fair Housing Act makes anti-HIV discrimination in US renting and housing entirely illegal. No one can be legally denied housing, harassed, or evicted due to HIV status.

    Also at the time of this article, people living with HIV cannot be denied healthcare in the United States. Healthcare insurance must cover pre-existing conditions like HIV and cannot cancel your policy because of a new diagnosis. The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) prohibits such discrimination within healthcare, and HIV medications, lab tests, and counseling have to be covered.

    Hotlines & Resources

    AIDS Drug Assistance Program@ adap.directory / Patient-centric project that provides HIV-related services and prescription medication to hundreds of thousands of people in the United States by linking individuals with their local state or territory agency.

    AIDS Healthcare Foundation @ aidshealth.org / 323-860-5200 / International nonprofit based in Los Angeles that operates a network of HIV services in over 40 countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

    Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team @ apaitssg.org / Grassroots AIDS service organization centered on Asian and Pacific Islanders with HIV, based in the United States.

    Bienestar Human Services @ bienestar.org / US community-based social services organization that caters to Latino Americans living with HIV, especially LGBTQIA+ Latino Americans.

    Black AIDS Institute @ blackaids.org / Think tank that aims to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black American community through awareness messaging, information, and robust programs.

    CDC-INFO @ cdc.gov / 800-232-4626 / Live support to help Americans find the latest and reliable science-based health information, including CDC guidance and resources.

    Global Network of People Living with HIV @ gnpplus.net / Network operated by people living with HIV for people living with HIV, regardless of geographic location.

    HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis C Nightline / 800-273-2437 / US hotline providing support for people living with HIV or Hepatitis C as well as their caregivers.

    HIV. GOV @ hiv.gov / Offers information about HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and resources for anyone in the United States.

    HIV.GOV Service Locator @ locator.hiv.gov / Location-based search tool managed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to allow anyone to find local HIV testing services, housing providers, health centers, PrEP, PEP, and other related needs.

    HIV Management Warmline / 800-933-3413 / Non-emergency telephone service for questions about HIV, antiretroviral therapy, HIV clinical trials, and laboratory evaluation in the United States.

    International AIDS Society @ iasociety.org / Research-based organization that develops holistic approaches to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.

    International Planned Parenthood Federation @ ippf.org / 202-987-9364 / Global healthcare provider that has been a leader in sexual and reproductive health for all since 1952.

    Latino Commission on AIDS @ latinoaids.org / Nonprofit organization in response to the critical unmet need for HIV prevention, treatment, and education in the Latino community in the United States.

    LGBT National Help Center @ lgbthotline.org / 888-843-4564 / Free and confidential peer support, information, and local resources where volunteers help connect you to other groups and services in the US. Also maintains a coming out hotline, youth talkline, and senior hotline.

    National AIDS Hotline / 800-243-2437 / Federal hotline to refer the general American public to relevant state and local resources.

    National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project @ natap.org / 212-219-0106 / Nonprofit corporation in the United States that educates individuals on HIV treatments on the local, national, and international levels.

    National Clinician Consultation Center @ nccc.ucsf.edu / 833-622-2463 / Teleconsultation resource that educates US healthcare providers with information and answers on HIV and Hepatitis C.

    National Minority AIDS Council @ nmac.org / Advocacy nonprofit that provides training and resources catered to marginalized communities in the United States.

    National Native HIV Network @ nnhn.org / Indigenous-led network that mobilizes American Indians, Indigenous Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians towards community action.

    NIH Office of AIDS Research @ hivinfo.nih.gov / 800-448-0440 / Confidential answers to questions on HIV/AIDS clinical trials and treatment in the United States.

    PEPline / 888-448-4911 / Hotline for individuals interested in information about PEP, especially those who have been possibly exposed to HIV while on the job in the United States.

    Perinatal HIV Hotline / 888-448-8765 / Resource hotline available 24/7 in the United States for pregnant people living with HIV to find answers and tools.

    Positively Trans @ transgenderlawcenter.org / Program through the Transgender Law Center to support transgender people living with HIV in the United States.

    Positive Women’s Network @ pwn-usa.org / Advocacy and resource organization for women living with HIV.

    PrEPline / 855-448-7737 / Hotline about how to start, continue, or manage use of PrEP for HIV within the US.

    Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program @ ryanwhite.hrsa.gov / National services and resources for low-income individuals living with HIV in the US.

    TheBody.com Hotline @ thebody.com / News site based in New York that centers on publishing HIV-related information.

    The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / 866-488-7386 / The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization centered on LGBTQIA+ young people in the United States. Offers 24/7/365 information and support to those ages 13 to 24 with trained counselors via call, text, or instant message.

    The Well Project @ thewellproject.org / United States nonprofit that primarily supports women and girls living with HIV/AIDS.

    Trans Lifeline @ translifeline.org / 877-565-8860 / Transgender-centered crisis organization that does not use involuntary intervention/forced hospitalization to provide support to transgender people through fully anonymous and confidential calls within the United States and Canada.

    UNAIDS @ unaids.org / 41-22-595-59-92 / International agency that seeks to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and has operated since 1996 to assist the United Nations in combating HIV and AIDS.

  • Trans History: Federalist Era

    Trans History: Federalist Era

    CONTENT WARNINGS: ⛓️ Slavery, 🚓 Prison

    After the civil unrest and turmoil of the American Revolution and following the confederation period, the United States settled into a more relaxed period from 1788 to 1801 referred to occasionally as the Federalist Era. The Federalist Party was in power under George Washington and John Adams, using nationalism and the failure of the Articles of Confederation to establish a strong central government.

    The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

    Olaudah Equiano, who was known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa, was an enslaved Black writer who was taken from present-day Nigeria to the Americas. In 1766, Equiano purchased his freedom and became a leading figure within the British abolitionist movement in London through the Sons of Africa – and his most notable work, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, became widely successful after publication in 1789. The Interesting Narrative sold so well that it contributed towards helping pass the British Slave Trade Act 1807 which officially abolished slavery in the British Empire.

    The Interesting Narrative also sold in the United States of America, even though Equiano is associated with the British abolition movement. Opposition to slavery existed before the founding of the United States, and Equiano’s work inspired many American abolitionists. However, The Interesting Narrative describes multiple same-sex relationships Equiano had with other men – although this was quickly edited in later publications to fit heterosexual ideals.

    “There was on board the ſhip a young lad who had never been at ſea before, about four or five years older they myſelf: his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received an excellent education, and was of a moſf amiable temper. Soon after I went on board he ſhewed me a great deal of partiality and attention, and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became inſeparable; and, for the ſpace of two years, he was of very great uſe to me, and was my conſtant companion and inſtructor. Although this dear youth had many ſlaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through many ſufferings together on ſhipboard; and we have many nights lain in each other’s boſoms when we were in great diſtreſs.” – The Life and Adventures of Olaudah Equiano

    Equiano lived a great deal of his life in the Americas, and his published work shows that same-sex relationships were not uncommon among enslaved people – especially since they were not allowed to marry or pursue formal relationships like their captors. If he had access to today’s language, Equiano would likely have identified as bisexual. We can also use Equiano’s experiences to cement the fact that queerness was purposely censored in the Americas and Britain since Mott later revised The Interesting Narrative to depict Equiano’s romantic love as purely platonic.

    America’s First Penitentiary: Queers Behind Bars

    The Federalist Era marks the beginning of ‘real’ America as its own nation, which includes the use of the American prison system. In 1790, Philadelphia established the first penitentiary while it served as the national capitol, offering a replacement for capital punishment for crime at the new Walnut Street Prison. However, solitary confinement was chosen as the primary punishment for crime – cemented when Reverend Louis Dwight began a campaign over the rise in queer sex in New England and an all-time low of sodomy arrests. Jen Manion writes in Liberty’s Prisoners: Carceral Culture in Early America, “Pennsylvania officials didn’t really care why men desired each other, especially while the entire prison system was in chaos. But they seized upon this critique, the idea that men – crowded together in cells – corrupted each other at night. These officials launched a full-scale campaign in favor of complete and total solitary confinement.”

    This abuse of solitary confinement against LGBTQIA+ people is an American tradition. In 2015, Black and Pink found that 85% of queer and transgender people behind bars were put in solitary – some out of choice for personal safety and others as an unjust punishment. In comparison, just 6% of the general prison and jail population is held in solitary confinement.

    AFAB During Federalism

    Queer women, as well as women as a whole, are left to the footnotes when discussing history. In 1793, Moreau de Saint Méry wrote about his experiences while living in the United States – breaking the historical belief that same-sex attraction didn’t exist among early American women: “Although in general one is conscious of widespread modesty in Philadelphia the customs are not particularly pure, and the disregard on the part of some parents for the manner in which their daughters form relations to which they, the parents, have not given their approval is an encouragement of indiscretions which, however, are not the result of love, since American women are not affectionate… I am going to say something that is almost unbelievable. These women, without real love and without passions, give themselves up at an early age to the enjoyment of themselves; and they are not at all strangers to being willing to seek unnatural pleasures with persons of their own sex.”

    It’s interesting that Méry is so stunned by this development – his homeland, France, is just as queer as the rest of Europe. While transness was not accepted, Méry lived during the same period as Chevalière d’Éon – so why did Méry find queer American women ‘almost unbelievable’?

    In 1799, Samuel Johnson was arrested for housebreaking and sentenced to three years in Walnut Street Prison. When Johnson was arrested, he was discovered to be assigned female at birth yet purposely dressed and identified as a man. Johnson “had accustomed herself to wear men’s cloaths for several years,” and while he was required to be incarcerated with the female population at Walnut Street, he was allowed to continue dressing as a man.

    W. H. Smith Performs in Salem

    Around the year 1800, Salem hosted the United Novelty Company in Massachusetts – a show that featured a number of performers, including female impersonator W. H. Smith. While the exact date of the show is lost, it establishes the very beginning of drag performances in the United States. While theatrical cross-dressing and impersonation existed for centuries elsewhere in the world like Britain and Japan, it hadn’t found its footing in the Americas.

    Smith likely performed in the early 1800s, during the rise of America’s circus obsession. Performances from impersonators like Smith would eventually lead to the true origin of drag culture and balls by the mid-19th century.

    The Adventures of Henry and Thompson

    Alexander Henry the Younger traveled with David Thompson throughout modern-day Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington in addition to his travels further north in Canada. His journeys would later be published as the Exploration and Adventures among the Indians on the Red, Saskatchewan, Missouri, and Columbia Rivers. Henry and Thompson dated an entry on January 2nd, 1801 when they met a Native American man who “pretends to be womanish, and dresses as such.”

    As mentioned in previous articles, Native Americans were well-versed in gender queerness – which disturbed the colonists who met them. During these early years of American expansion into the West, explorers were focused on documenting their travels rather than forcing Indigenous Americans to convert. They wrote the man’s “father, who is a great chief amongst the Saulteurs, cannot persuade him to act like a man.”

    Knowledge Check

    1. Philadelphia created the first penitentiary in the United States, which later established widespread use of solitary confinement against LGBTQIA+ prisoners, at _____.
      a. Castle Island Penitentiary
      b. Walnut Street Prison
      c. Joliet Correctional Center
      d. Sing Sing Correctional Facility
      –
    2. Olaudah Equiano was a Black bisexual enslaved man who purchased his freedom before living in _____ and publishing The Interesting Narrative.
      a. Richmond, Virginia
      b. Essaka, Nigeria
      c. Bridgetown, Barbados
      d. London, Britain
      –
    3. W.H. Smith was one of the first female impersonators to perform in the United States, appearing at a _____ in Salem, Massachusetts.
      a. Church Revival
      b. Art Exhibition
      c. Town Hall
      d. Circus
      –
    4. Fill in the Blank: Despite being discovered as biologically female, _____ was allowed to continue dressing as a man while incarcerated at Walnut Street Prison.
      –
    5. True or False: In Exploration and Adventures, Alexander Henry the Younger met a two-spirit man who he convinced to give up gender fluidity.
    ANSWER KEY

    1. B / 2. D / 3. D / 4. SAMUEL JOHNSON / 5. FALSE

    Further Reading

    DISCLAIMER: While the links below work at the time this article was originally published, they may not forever – especially when government officials are intentionally purging official-reviewed research and censoring mainstream media.

    Olaudah Equiano’s Bisexuality by 18th Century Pride

    Prison Sex and Solitary Confinement in Pennsylvania by Jen Mansion

    Same-Sex Desire and the American Slave Trade by Rich Wilson

    The Circus: American Experience by PBS

    The Federalist and the Republican Party by PBS

    Transgender History in the United States and the Places that Matter by Susan Stryker

    US History #8 and #9 and Black American History #9, #10, #11 by Crash Course

  • Beginner Reads: Anti-Fascism

    Beginner Reads: Anti-Fascism

    The current fascist movement can be traced before the 2024 election – far-right and authoritarian politics have been growing in United States politics for decades. Some trace recent events to President Ronald Reagan due to his administration’s dismantling of government programs in favor of creating a more ‘free market,’ since it is predominantly the ultra-wealthy that are moving into politics via fascist ideas to grow their wealth further.

    At its core, fascism seeks to consolidate power into the hands of a few select individuals and undermine the public’s ability to impact politics. Movements may have different ideologies – some favor nationalism, others use racism and populism to convince the general public that they are the right choice to hand power to. Historical fascism is defined by leaders of World War II, such as the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Axis powers. At the same time, newer influences are referred to as neo-fascists – but it’s all the same brand: a far-right political movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forced suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, and subordination of individuals for the ‘good’ of the nation or race.

    Words like fascism and neo-Nazis have a lot of weight – the majority of Americans have rolled their eyes when individuals like Trump are called fascists, chalking it up to polarizing politics. Due to the virtual echo chambers monetized by social media algorithms, the American public is unaware of the real dangers Trump and The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 pose to democracy. Like other nations that have succumbed to fascism, Americans are naturally more concerned with their own survival – we are more worried about affording groceries and job security, similar to the Germans who were radicalized while suffering from economic collapse and hyperinflation post-World War I. On top of this, Americans lack fundamental media literacy skills regardless of age – which is why fake news and misinformation spread so rapidly. Major American social media sites are incentivized by fascism and misinformation since it leads to higher engagement, even if it harms democracy and the general public.

    With that in mind, it’s not easy to learn about anti-fascism. The United States has been purposely built for the past several decades to make it difficult, jarring, and taxing. Works like The Communist Manifesto are dense reads – and we all have negative stereotypes about leftists obsessed with reading too much theory. The following is introductory material for Americans curious about what fascism is, how it applies to current events, and advice on how to become empowered enough to prevent the destruction of American democracy.

    Nineteen Eighty-Four / 1984 by George Orwell

    Probably one of the most talked about books right now – Orwell wrote both 1984 and Animal Farm, which became classics taught in nearly every American high school. His literature even created the term ‘Orwellian,’ referencing brutal situations that destroy free societies through propaganda, surveillance, disinformation, truth denial, and other repressive means as described in his novels.

    If you haven’t read 1984, do so. Like the other fiction books I’ll recommend, a book not being nonfiction doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. Through this book, Orwell invented concepts still discussed today – like Big Brother, Thought Police, and doublethink. It was published in 1949 and explored a future where fascist totalitarianism took control of previously free societies like the United Kingdom.

    Given how successful 1984‘s publication was, you can find it at nearly any library – and it’s also uploaded for free on the Internet Archive. If your local library doesn’t have an audiobook version available, there are also versions uploaded for free on YouTube.

    Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    Bradbury’s dystopian novel is commonly banned or censored due to its themes (including in the United States) – which is ironic, considering Fahrenheit 451 centers on literary censorship. Published a few years after Orwell’s 1984, Fahrenheit 451 imagines a future American society where books have been banned entirely – ‘firemen’ are employed to burn books similar to the real book burnings done by Nazi Germany.

    In his personal life, Bradbury had mixed politics – in his younger days, he was a strong Democrat but eventually became a stereotypical Republican staunchly against affirmative action and political correctness, which he said was an allegory for censorship within Fahrenheit 451. Ironically, Bradbury was a white man of substantial financial means who became the exact type of antagonist his main character in Fahrenheit 451 fought against – and it’s worth wondering what Bradbury would have said if he were still alive in Trump’s war on democracy, considering he deemed the American left villains despite Fahrenheit 451 and American book censorship during his lifetime was perpetrated by conservatives like today.

    Fahrenheit 451 is still valuable and a necessary read when learning about anti-fascism – while Bradbury’s politics further warped after its publication, it is still important to connect his personal ideology when reading the novel. He wrote in 1979, “Every minority, be it Baptist/Unitarian, Irish/Italian/Octogenarian/Zen Buddhist, Zionist/Seventh-day Adventist, Women’s Lib/Republican, Mattachine/Four Square Gospel feels it has the will, the right, the duty to douse the kerosene, light the fuse… Fire-Captain Beatty, in my novel Fahrenheit 451, described how the books were burned first by minorities, each ripping a page or a paragraph from this book, then that, until the day came when the books were empty and the minds shut and the libraries closed forever.” It centers on state-based censorship – similar to acts by President Trump to remove all mentions of transgender people from government-funded sites and literature. Bradbury later argued minorities were the cause of censorship, forgetting that Fahrenheit 451 centers on government censorship – and these minorities have never held power in the same way that Republicans have.

    Like 1984, you can find Fahrenheit 451 at any library. It’s also available for free in PDF format online in several places, although it’s not commonly uploaded as an audiobook for free – so visit your local library if you prefer alternative formats.

    It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

    Published originally in 1935, It Can’t Happen Here is a dystopian novel that predates 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 but it’s recently rejoined best-seller lists alongside other dystopian classics. While the other two novels are science fiction, It Can’t Happen Here is historical fiction and instead visualizes an alternative reality of 1930s America where the United States falls to fascism. Lewis uses the fictional character Berzelius ‘Buzz’ Windrip to portray real-life Adolf Hitler in Germany, who was rising to power overseas – but in this reality, Buzz becomes America’s first dictator through a self-coup through the same tactics Hitler and Mussolini did.

    Unlike later dystopian works, It Can’t Happen Here doesn’t try to imagine new technologies that aid totalitarianism or a far-away future. The point of the work is that fascism can very well happen in America – which Lewis was cautioning against in 1935. Even in Lewis’ time, American Nazis were a very real threat to democracy as they integrated into US politics. The Friends of New Germany, German American Bund, and other Nazi organizations purposely spread fascist propaganda as they infiltrated other parties and stormed American newspaper publishers. Several entities have been compared to the story, beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s forced relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII, potential presidential candidate Huey Long, Richard Nixon through the Watergate scandal, George W. Bush’s attack on individual privacy and the National Security Agency, and most recently Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

    Considering It Can’t Happen Here is such an old novel, you should be able to find it at any library – but it’s also available via PDF on the Internet Archive as well as an audiobook on YouTube.

    The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

    As a contemporary pick, The Hunger Games took the world by storm when it was released in 2008. No matter your age, I recommend giving it a re-read – the themes you’ll pull will likely vary since Americans have vastly different interpretations of the series depending on their media literacy level. The books focus on an oppressive American future controlled by an oligarchy that a populist movement strives to overcome – bringing up an interesting point that despite how Trump and other fascist leaders use populism, it isn’t inherently a bad thing since populism is a general movement by the common public against the establishment. Fascist rulers convince the public that they are the sole savior for the nation against the twisted government that hinders common folks – and since these rulers are well-versed in propaganda, they make it look convincing to their audiences.

    At its core, The Hunger Games centers on the social inequality that causes caste discrimination within American capitalism – but it also delves into the ethics of entertainment and war alongside mass revolution. I’ve seen many right-wingers try to compare the book’s inequality as an allegory to communism – but the series overwhelmingly describes the conditions caused by unchecked capitalism due to the wealth hoarding by the government creating painful conditions for the poor common class. Unlike Bradbury, Collins has remained politically silent – a wise move considering the fall of other authors like JK Rowling – but her novels’ political views mark her as not conservative. The Hunger Games is a good fictional read for anti-fascism because it explores oppression, governmental totalitarianism, the injustice of capitalism, and how dictators like Snow impact freedom.

    You will likely find a copy of The Hunger Games at your local library – although you might have trouble getting some of the newer releases like The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping. Read it online via the Internet Archive’s upload or as an audiobook on YouTube.

    Beautiful Trouble by Andrew Boyd

    The first nonfiction book on this list, Beautiful Trouble is a collection of ‘creative campaigns’ throughout activism’s history. Written as a handbook and guide, it details strategies, theories, and examples of demonstrations – successful or otherwise. Beautiful Trouble illustrates forms of protest beyond just marches and boycotts (although it does touch on them) and explains the philosophies that guided previous movements to action.

    Unlike the fictional novels I’ve included, you’re not inherently going to get some moral from Beautiful Trouble – but it’s a book that I readily recommend to any individual interested in social justice. It is a less dense read than similar books that aim to disrupt the current status quo in activism (ex. The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex) but makes you want to delve deeper and learn more. In oppressive regimes, most forms of protest are illegal – but it guides you through the risks and benefits in ways that Recipes for Disaster and The Anarchist Cookbook don’t. Beautiful Trouble also takes inspiration from beyond Europe and North America – it’s easy for people to focus on demonstrations that have taken place within the ‘first world,’ even though most campaigns happen elsewhere

    You are unlikely to find Beautiful Trouble or other nonfiction books I’ve included at your public library – it’s not impossible, but it will vary drastically based on what state you reside in and what library district you’re connected to. However, most nonfiction social justice books are available for free online – Beautiful Trouble and its tools are all hosted on its website with constant updates as well as its upload on the Internet Archive. These books are aimed at creating a better world, so there are fewer paywalls associated with them – even for newer releases, you typically just have to wait a few months before they’re uploaded somewhere like The Anarchist Library, Internet Archive, Library Genesis, or the Pirate Bay.

    On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

    It’s a short read, but On Tyranny is a fantastic introduction to breaking common individuals out of their isolated bubbles and understanding how fascism can still happen in places like the United States today like Germany, Italy, and other historical fascist governments. Snyder published the work at the beginning of the first Trump presidency, and the book’s lessons are even more important now as Trump’s administration takes a bolder turn towards authoritarianism.

    Snyder is primarily a historian – but history is political. On Tyranny is not an end-all book, but another good starting point and probably one of the best to recommend to non-political friends and family. He wrote the book intending to wake people up from the monotony of centralism since the failure of the political left and center in Germany led to the far-right’s rise in the 1930s. It includes fundamental ideas in just over 100 pages that, if spread to enough open minds, can prevent a fascist takeover of America. Do not obey in advance, remember professional ethics, believe in truth, listen to dangerous words, be a patriot – because there’s little less American than being anti-fascist, especially in service to democracy and the common good.

    On Tyranny is likely in a library near you, or at least an accessible district. However, the book is also uploaded for free on the Internet Archive and there’s an audiobook version available on YouTube.

    https://youtu.be/ViLZqh-_fHs

    Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook by Mark Bray

    This book is immediately next on my reading list – it was gathering dust until this most recent election but analyses contemporary anti-fascist movements throughout the United States and Europe. It was published at the same time as On Tyranny but takes a militant approach when considering how to handle the far-right. Whereas Snyder focuses on bringing people to attention to the signs of fascism, Bray moves people to take up arms as a reasonable and legitimate reaction to fascism.

    According to Donald Trump and other enemies of democracy, ‘antifa’ is a real political party – but as Bray explains, antifa (or anti-fascism) is merely the belief that fascism and authoritarianism are inherently wrong and is no more a political party than other political terms like ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative.’ In fact, anyone can be anti-fascist regardless of whether they identify as a Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Libertarian, or something else as long as they remain opposed to authoritarian rule. The reason why more leftists identify with anti-fascism compared to conservatives is because the far-right leans into power consolidation but anti-fascism is nonpartisan. In the face of fascism, everyone must be united to preserve democracy.

    Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook is less likely to be found in a public library, but it is commonly uploaded on the internet. Check the Internet Archive for a few uploads and YouTube for audio versions.

    Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat

    As one of the most recently published books on this list, Strongmen discusses the lengthy history of fascist leaders and the movements that opposed them – ranging from historical examples like Adolf Hitler to contemporary fascists like Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. It’s a great read if you’re interested in the personalities and egos that lead fascist leaders to assume power – but it’s a dense book. Ben-Ghiat is another historian, so Strongmen is just as much a history book as a political one.

    Ben-Ghiat’s book isn’t entirely gloomy, though – she makes it clear that while authoritarian rulers do terrible things to their countries, they’re awfully predictable since they are pushed by their egos and beliefs to forcibly move nations. That doesn’t alleviate the harm caused by fascist movements, but it does guide activists to understand their opponents and the movements that stand behind them. With current events, we’re seeing this play out between the extraordinarily public and fragile egos of Donald Trump and Elon Musk – while the two men publicly collaborate, it is also incredibly clear that they are competing against each other to be America’s sitting president.

    Strongmen is available in some libraries, as well as several places online via PDF – but you might have to do some digging since it does not have a centralized version on major sites like Internet Archive.

    Why Bad Governments Happen to Good People by Danny Katch

    Another book inspired and published right after Trump’s 2016 election, Why Bad Governments Happen to Good People explores the political system that enabled Trump to rise to power in the first place. Compared to other titles on this list, Katch’s book is lesser known, more humorous, and an easier read than books like Strongmen.

    Katch uses the current political system as an introductory point for socialism in the United States – most Americans dislike capitalism even if they lack the words to verbalize it after decades of pro-capitalism propaganda. He wrote it after his 2015 work Socialism… Seriously: A Brief Guide to Human Liberation to outline how the United States was capable of putting Donald Trump in the White House after the two-term presidency of Barack Obama. Can America turn back and restore democracy? Can Americans vote fascism out of power?

    Unfortunately, Why Bad Governments Happen to Good People isn’t broadly available – it’s unlikely to be in your local library and there are no full editions of the work online. At the time of this article, the only way to get a copy is to purchase it online either as an e-book or paperback.

    How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

    Levitsky and Ziblatt wrote How Democracies Die in 2018, also in response to Donald Trump’s rise within the Republican Party. Rather than focus on just Trump, they write about the long-standing tradition among political leaders to subvert democracy to further increase their individual power. Rooted in political theory, How Democracies Die pushes readers towards the center – in the grand scheme of democracy, political parties must tolerate and respect their opponents as legitimate even when they disagree to ensure fair elections based on the public’s interests. They also explain the dangers of abusing the various branches of government – but given the period, How Democracies Die isn’t able to hold up to the current reality of the Republican Party that wages war on democracy.

    Considered one of the most important books on political theory from the first Trump administration, How Democracies Die is not a guidebook for Donald Trump’s return to office – these periods illustrate the schism between advocating for moderate opinions and the paradox of tolerance since tolerating fascist parties will ultimately lead to the destruction of democracy. Yet, that doesn’t make the book null: Levitsky and Ziblatt explain how America got here and is a time capsule when tolerance was still an option. Even if tolerance is no longer able to defend democracy, How Democracies Die invites readers to think critically about the cost and benefits of such tolerance as they fight for a future.

    How Democracies Die was even read and carried by President Joe Biden during his term, which he occasionally read passages from – so it shouldn’t be difficult to locate a copy near you. If your library doesn’t have a version available, check out the Internet Archive.

    The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

    In 1991, Art Spiegelman published the final chapters of the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – the story uses the real-life experiences of Spiegelman’s father as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor, depicting Jewish people as mice, Germans as cats, and Poles as pigs. The entire series was published between 1980 to 1991, which makes up The Complete Maus today.

    Since Maus directly deals with the Holocaust, it’s been banned as ‘inappropriate’ in recent years. After being banned in a Tennessee district in 2022, the series skyrocketed as an Amazon best-seller as more school districts throughout the country tried to follow suit. Additionally, Maus‘s availability varies around the world since countries like Russia have banned the book due to its inclusion of the Nazi swastika. Most American schools have not successfully banned Maus, although the book is still aimed at youth ages 13 and older due to its violent content and depictions of the Holocaust.

    Most public libraries should have Maus, although it might depend on the state you’re residing in due to censorship laws and book bans. It’s available on the Internet Archive and as an audiobook on YouTube – but considering it’s a graphic novel, I recommend actually reading it over listening to the series.

    Banned Books

    As a general rule, any book that is banned is a book worth reading. Censorship grows alongside fascism, and book bans have been steadily climbing in number by Republicans through school boards and library takeovers.

    There is no singular database of the world’s banned books – but PEN International and PEN America have countless lists on their websites of the most banned books throughout the world. Barnes and Noble also have a database of banned books based on information available to them.