transgender

Transgender in America - Harvard College Panel Reviews

Image Credit: Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer

Image Credit: Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer

"What responsibility do schools have to educate students about trans and other gender issues, Harris asked the panel? Children are sexual beings and start experimenting and exploring and playing around with their gender when they are very young, Milan said. They need to have a good foundation for how to negotiate their own desires. They don’t need to be shamed for that, but they may not have had the information needed to negotiate their own desires by the time they get to college..." - via Harvard Gazette

“When I look at my masculinity, it’s not about the traditional trajectories,” he said. “I want to become a man of my own design and the man of my dreams.” He added that the narrow definition of masculinity poses problems for gender inclusivity. “Limitations that we have placed on masculinity has a detrimental effect on how we relate to each other as human beings,” he said. “It’s a constant uphill battle for me when it comes to asserting myself in my identity.” - via The Harvard Crimson

Op-ed: Looking Beyond Marriage to the Next Fight

We all don’t live in a liberal metropolis with resources and several organizations to sort out the legal aspect of transitioning. I have friends and colleagues in states like Texas, Georgia, and Florida who can’t get their documents changed due to high court fees or the mandatory stipulation that you must have specific gender-affirming surgery in order to qualify as a “real” trans person.  Having to discuss your private parts or medical history to authenticate your existence is unnecessary and undoubtedly humiliating....Now that marriage equality is here, we need a more intersectional and nuanced approach to the plurality of needs of our community. Marriage equality for some does not necessarily translate to equity for all.

Read more via The Advocate

#ThisIsLuv: They Loved Me as a Daughter, They Love Me as a Son

"I came out twice. Both times were met with a bevy of emotions: shock and awe, sadness and curiosity but ultimately, love and acceptance. 

...I would be a shell of the man I am today without the love, support, and protection of my wonderful family. This group of working class church going folks from the Rust Belt, have proven to be some of the most compassionate, progressive and caring people I’ve ever been blessed to know and our communities are filled with millions of people just like them."

Read more via Ebony.com