Trans* Talk: Welcome!

This is a hard article for me to begin. I’ll be honest: I am tired of hearing about the Trans community—my community—on the news. I am exhausted. I am sick of hearing about our rights being called into question, about doctors dropping their Trans patients, about arrests and deaths of Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming individuals.

I know I’m not the only one who feels overwhelmed and burnt out these days. There is so much to keep track of and so much of it is heavy or rapidly changing, but I also cannot look away; the news is about me, about us, and now we must make sense of it.

When I brought the idea of beginning a new series to my managing editor, I had the intention to create an informative column. I would look at the news and digest it as best I could, making a one-stop place for Trans News. But, as I’ve said, the news is changing rapidly, court decisions are made every day, and new propositions and bills are entering the floors of city, state, and federal chambers at breakneck speeds.

There’s too much to break down and others work tirelessly to update the community on a national scale, so I’ve shifted the focus of our column to advice, local news, and uplifting stories for Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming people in the Puget Sound region. I write with the intention to keep us informed, sane, and hopeful. If you want a more global picture, however, I highly recommend beginning with Erin Reed of Erin In the Morning, V Spehar of Under the Desk News, and them for daily news about the Queer community on a national scale.

(For clarity: Moving forward in this column, the Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming Community will be referred to as Trans*, though Trans is a large and imperfect umbrella term.)

I also want to acknowledge that not all Trans* experiences are the same. As a white, transmasculine person living in a liberal area, with access to support and medical care, I carry a lot of privilege. Though I can only write from my own perspective, I want to be clear that we must stand in solidarity with and honor the perspectives of the most vulnerable of the Trans* Community. BIPOC and Transfeminine Trans* people face far more prejudice and hate than any other group, and the Queer and Trans* movement started due to the efforts of BIPOC and Transfeminine individuals, most notably Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvie Riveria, and several others who took part in and led the Stonewall Uprising.

Raised fist of resistance outlined in Trans* flag colors

The Evergreen Echo (with respect to Black originators of the fist graphic)

Let’s start with what we know: the Republican Administration has made Trans* healthcare a big part of its presidential campaign, with many Republican officials publicly arguing that there are only two genders (which is scientifically false), and that the Trans* Community is responsible for the “sexualization” and “mutilation” of children. This has led to Trans* people becoming a hot-button topic for political debate among government officials and the public alike; and now that Trump has taken office, the push for bans, limitations, and criminalization of Trans* healthcare and existence have amped up to an unprecedented degree. 

It’s scary for many of us, but there isn’t just bad news. All over America, the Trans* Community is organizing with marches, sit-ins, and other forms of protest, such as the cross-country protests that took place on Transgender Day of Visibility on March 30 of this year. And while some propositions move ahead, a lot of them are being stopped due to the hard work of Trans* officials and public voting. This is a marathon battle, but we are not losing. 

While hoping for the best outcome in all of this, I think it’s important to prepare for the worst-case scenario. So here is my advice moving forward, backed by other Trans* individuals in my network and content creators across the country, facts, and personal experience as a Trans* person living in the Puget Sound region.

First, if you are looking to update your passport in any way, but especially if you are updating your gender marker to X, now is not a good time to do so unless all other supporting materials match the change. Some Trans* individuals have reported their passports being held for long periods of time or their change being rejected. While Washington State (and King County specifically) have a fairly lax process for changing names and gender markers on State IDs and Driver’s Licenses (including Real IDs, also called EDLs and EDIs), passports move at a federal level. If you can wait to update your passport, I highly recommend it. 

Second, if you are medically transitioning using HRT and have a doctor you can trust, try to work with them to create a small stockpile of your medication. Some offices may also ask if you would like to change the pronouns on your medical record. I’ve also had a medical practitioner ask if I wanted to remove Gender Dysphoria from my medical record as well. This is up to your individual comfort, but it is something to consider. 

Third, connect with your community. This may be as simple as checking in with Trans* friends or as complicated as organizing a protest. We are stronger together, and having a support system around us is one of the most important things we need in crisis. 

As things change over the course of Trump’s second term, so too does how we prepare and adapt. The mission of this column is to adapt as best we can and update the community as things change.

The Evergreen Echo

Before signing off, let’s move into good news. A vote to ban trans people from sports was recently cast down by the Washington State Athletic Association. Also here in Washington State, the Lavender Rights Project continues to host events and offer support for the BIPOC Trans* Community. At the University of Texas Austin, students held a Day of Drag to protest against a ban of drag performances at UT. And Pedro Pascal recently made waves with a shirt saying “Protect the Dolls,” (‘Dolls’ being an affectionate and self-identifying term for the transfemme community), the sales of which have raised thousands of dollars for Trans Lifeline. 

With that, I remind you that trans joy is an act of resistance, and I’ll see you next time! 

---

Got some Trans* stories, local good news, tips, or questions? Email Parker and your thoughts could be featured in his next column!