Being trans in 2023 means knowing deep in your bones that looking out to the world to confirm that you’re safe and that your needs will be met is simply not an option.
Author: TransActual Editor
There are times to sit back and relax and there are times to step up and do something. And we’re most effective when we work together.
The word “woman” has been understood to include trans women for many, many years. A common theme of feminism is that there’s more to being a woman than simple biology. […]
I heard stories of other trans people’s gender diagnosis appointments, and how a diagnosis of autism can work against the trans person as they may not be deemed to have sufficient mental capacity to understand themselves, or lack sufficient life experience to ‘know for sure’. I panicked.
The first time I approached a doctor about a medical transition, I was eighteen years old, and instead of listening to what I was saying, this cis, White, male GP instead questioned the validity of my gender dysphoria, prodding into whether I was ‘really sure’, as I was ‘still a young woman’
Throughout my twelve weeks as an inpatient, I found myself scared to be open about who I was or ask to be named and gendered correctly. The irony of this is that I work in a transgender empowerment programme. The reason I did not disclose my gender identity was that I was scared of backlash, prejudice and that I would not get the care that I needed