Adventures of a Little Fang

The newest wave of anti-trans bills intended to ban trans health care for minors and criminalize supporting trans youth are dangerous. These bills are making trans youth and their families feel unsafe and unwelcome in their communities, and if passed these bills could cost lives.

I believe that the authors of these bills are fully aware of this. The cruelty is the point. Endangering trans lives is the point.

We must #ProtectTransKids and fight these bills, wherever they appear.

In many cultures, ethnic groups, and nations around the world, hair is considered a source of power and prestige. African people brought these traditions and beliefs to the Americas and passed them down through the generations.

In my mother’s family (Black Americans from rural South Carolina) the women don’t cut their hair off unless absolutely necessary (i.e damage or routine trimming). Long hair is considered a symbol of beauty and power; my mother often told me that our hair holds our strength and power. Though my mother’s family has been American born for several generations, it is fascinating to see the beliefs and traditions of our African ancestors passed down. We are emotionally and spiritually attached to our hair, cutting it only with the knowledge that we are starting completely clean and removing stagnant energy.

Couple this with the forced removal and covering of our hair from the times of slavery and onward, and you can see why so many Black women and men alike take such pride and care in their natural hair and love to adorn our heads with wigs, weaves, braids, twists, accessories, and sharp designs.