B E K I N D

We’re seeing another wave of “trans women are reproducing gender stereotypes” discourse. Hell no. I didn’t transition to have long hair, wear dresses, or use makeup. I could have done all of that as a man. Trans women want to be able to dress in as many ways as cis women. It’s *cis* people that prevent us from acting upon our wishes. It’s so obvious that there’s even a noticeable difference in the amount of engagement my posts get between my feminine and masculine outfits. Frankly, I usually feel most comfortable in more masculine clothing, but am so socially rewarded for wearing more feminine fashion it becomes moot. Not to mention how trans women trying to embrace fashion designed for men are demonized and misgendered. This is the feedback loop that promotes hyperfemininity to trans women. Butch cis women often have the same experience and these struggles are more connected than we give them credit for. It’s difficult skirting the fine line between authenticity and practicality for trans folks. But I know that as we continue to unravel the limits placed on gendered fashion, we will finally be able to express ourselves more freely than ever.

If it were literally anything besides transgender surgery, the satisfaction rate would be held as a miracle of modern medicine.

Rare photos from trans history: Olympic runner and Zdeněk Koubek styles Cinda Glenn’s hair, 1936. Koubek was one of the first trans men to gain international fame after he transitioned in 1935.

As someone who’s found thousands of these articles, it’s much more complicated than it being simply better or worse 100 years ago. Many newspapers treated trans people wonderfully 100 years ago. Others were quite conservative and would call for our arrest for simply existing. Some would praise trans figures for their outspokenness and accomplishments. Most articles fell somewhere in between. Reports about medically transitioning people generally considered them “medical curiosities” at worst and “brave” at best.

I’ve hesitated posting this photo for a decade. Why? Because it’s at my most vulnerable. I was one of those scary transgender children that had gender-affirming surgery as a minor. I don’t talk about it often because it’s so personal. But, I feel incredibly lucky I could get it in high school so I could spend more time studying and less time feeling dysphoric in class! Forcing kids to defend their medical decisions is just plain wrong.Now, we’re in a moral panic over people like me. Trans people - especially children - should not have to talk about our genitalia to justify ourselves! Yet, this is what the far-right demands of us. It’s creepy, gross, and unethical. Inciting panic over trans kids means that children will suffer the most from these attacks.Trans children’s medicine is anything but coercive. In fact, many trans youth have to fight tooth and nail for it. That’s how I felt while forced to email teachers to get letters of recommendation and drive thousands of miles for hormones and notes. Trans kids know who they are and won’t be erased from history.