The Transition Transcendence

Jamison Green, born in 1948. He was a pioneer for trans men after Lou Sullivan's death. He's still alive.

Carter Brown, a victim of workplace transphobia, and the founder of Black Transmen Inc.

Robert Eads, 1945-1999. Pictured with his trans female partner, Lola. I recommend watching Southern Comfort, which follows him throughout his final year of life. His story is a beautiful one, but also a tragic example of medical transphobia.

Loren Cameron, born in 1959. A photographer and artist, who curated exceptional and groundbreaking collections of trans photography.

Willmer Broadnax, 1916-1992. A black gospel singer who never medically transitioned, but lived his entire life as a male, in public.

Lucas Silveira, born in 1979. He is the first openly transgender man to have signed with a major record label. He is still alive.

Billy Tipton, 1914-1989. He did not undergo a medical transition, but raised multiple children, and had a successful musical career.

Jim McHarris, a black trans man born in 1954, who you can read more about here.

Reed Erickson, 1917-1992. You can read about his insanely important contribution to LGBT+ progress here.

Stop erasing trans male stories by leaving us out of Pride Month posts.

Trans men are not a footnote in history.

Trans men are not an afterthought.

We have always been around.

Erasure of trans men, and transmasculine people more generally, perpetuates the myth that queerness is inherently feminine. Butch lesbians, male impersonators, and trans men have always been central to LGBT+ progress and pride. I'm tired of people defaulting to anti-FTM mindsets, or at the very least, erasing trans men as their first instinct. I'm sick of the invisibility that we suffer. I'm sick of masculine lesbians, like Stormé DeLarverie, being treated as irrelevant. I feel so much solidarity with butches and lesbians who have been cut out of history, because the same thing is happening to trans men.

One baby goal at a time. ♡ This penguin is here to get through it with you.

“Breathe looks like a thin, cropped tank top with mesh panels to keep the user cool. While it’s normally tight fighting, Breathe contains a smart alloy material called Nitone that, when electrified, loosens the garment. It’s battery operated and can be adjusted with a remote controller, so the user can discreetly change how tight the binding is – there’s no need to change their clothing or go into a private space in order to take a break. There’s also an optional feature that will automatically loosen the device when the user is playing a sport.”

hiya! I figured id make an informational post about the little things ive noticed about being on testosterone that I found weren’t talked about a lot when I was starting my transition and even before when I was doing my research. I think that trans sexual health is an extremely important part of trans peoples lives (and that doesnt necessarily mean sex) seeing as the physical changes that happen during transition are often foreign to us. Sexual health keeps us healthy and comfortable in our bodies, so do your best to stay attentive to your body’s changes! As always, consult your doctor if you feel the need to. These are only tips ive learned from transitioning myself and from my doctor when I asked about certain things.

-give yourself more than enough time off work/school/life to recover. I spent the first week in bed and couldn’t do anything on my own. I was still uncomfortable and in pain during the second week. I didn’t have full mobility until 5 weeks.

-laying down/sitting up was very hard to do by myself. And laying down is the scariest trust fall you’ve ever done. I was crying as my mom lowered me down onto my back.

-I couldn’t hold a water bottle up high enough so you need straws to help you drink.

-You’ll need help washing your hair for the first 2 weeks. And it’s probably best to not shower until your drains are removed because your chest is scary to look at. When you do shower it’s hard to wash your armpits. I used a removable shower head but I needed help getting it down because I couldn’t reach high enough to get it.

-my drains used maxi pads under the binder and my mom had to change them while I closed my eyes because the one time I looked I almost passed out after seeing the blood.

-I couldn’t walk farther than the bedroom to the bathroom for the first week. You need someone to make and bring you food.

-nerve damage. My elbow got sharp pains when I put weight on it trying to sit up/lay down and at random times.

-your incisions will really hurt if you try to lift your arms before 2 weeks. When you do lift your arms, don’t put them higher than they can go. It took until week 5 to be able to reach directly above my head with a straight arm.

-don’t let anyone/anything hit your sides/back because there is blood clots/swelling there that will hurt a lot.

-follow the instructions your doctor gives you such as wearing the binder for 2 weeks so you heal nicely.

-I had a really hard time even writing/holding a pencil/moving my arm up to the paper for the first week. And I certainly couldn’t have worn a backpack so make sure you’re well enough before going back to school.

-When you start wearing t shirts again, put your head in first and then one arm at a time, making sure your arm doesn’t go too high because it will hurt.

It's okay if you didn't know from a young age

It's okay if you're only just now realizing who you are

There is no requirement to have things figured out, that comes with time

Social security card

Driver’s license

Passport

Birth certificate

Employer HR

Bank account

Credit card company

Car insurance

Health insurance

Utilities

Cell phone account

Voter registration

Your school

Professional organizations (for nursing, bar, teaching, etc.)

Doctor’s office & other health specialists

TV & internet

Paypal

Some states will allow the birth certificate to have info like name or gender corrected, so you can have a new one issued with the proper info.

Others will only allow you to attach an amendment to the original one with the updated info.

Whether changes or amendments require things like genital surgery also varies by state, meaning in some states you can’t get your documents corrected unless you have a prohibitively expensive surgery that you may not want or might not be able to have for medical or financial reasons.

It may not be obvious to cis people why it matters to update those documents, or why it would be a big deal to have an amendment attached versus actually having a new birth certificate issued with the updated info only, but it can put trans people at risk for discrimination or even violence if our documents out us as trans, and that’s exactly what happens when you have documents that don’t match.

A name change alone can be a hassle because if you have documents in two different names, you’ll need additional documentation to prove that those two names are the same people.

Inconsistencies in documents can result in a presumption that you’re engaging in identity theft or some other form of fraud, and that’s before you factor in that being trans is frequently viewed by cis people as a form of fraud or deception, as if we’re trying to hide our “real” gender for nefarious purposes.

And since not all your documents have the same rules attached, you can end up with a bunch of mismatches that create perpetual headaches.

My driver’s license lists a different name AND gender from my birth certificate, and I have basically no way to fix my birth certificate because my home state is a Republican dystopia, so if I’m doing something legal that requires my birth certificate be shown, I then have to bring along two different court orders to prove that my birth certificate is actually mine, rather than just being able to have a document with the correct info on it.

Plus cis people tend to fixate on the idea that our original birth certificate has our “real” info that it’s some sort of matter of moral principle that we should never be able to “escape” it, but in reality being trans means that our birth certificate info can be very easily weaponized against us, and we have an understandable interest in controlling who has access to that information.

Not only would an unchanged birth certificate out us as trans, thus increasing likelihood of discrimination or harassment, it would reveal our deadname, and for many of us that’s far worse than just misgendering.

One jackass with access to our original birth certificate could easily pass along that info and make someone’s work, school, or personal life hell just because they don’t like trans people.

Plus, many cis people act like changes to legal documents don’t themselves result in a legal record.

Image Reads:

Why Do Transgender People Need Passports?

1) For those who can’t afford or don’t want surgery: in many states the passport is the best (and sometimes only) way to have ID that accurately reflects their gender.

2) Passports count as two forms of identification: they are weighted more heavily than a license. You can use a passport as ID in place of a birth certificate in many cases, which in many states can be very difficult to change your gender on. They are good for 10 years from the date of issue. 

3) Currently you need only a doctor’s note to change your gender on a passport. Not even a name change is necessary. You absolutely don’t need surgery: this is a rule established by the outgoing administration’s state department and can be changed easily by the new appointee. No voting, just gone.

4) You can get a passport with your current legal name and get it changed (within a year) for free: once your name change is official, you can apply to have your passport corrected. The state department has a form that you can use to get the replacement fee waived as long as you’re within that one year window.

Below is a list of “informed consent” hormone providers, as posted here. Please contact these clinics to confirm their services.

CALLEN-LORDE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

COMMUNITY KINSHIP LIFE – BRONX LEBANON HOSPITAL TRANS CARE CLINIC 1650 Grand Concourse New York, New York 10457-7697 (718) 583-0542

CENTER FOR ADOLESCENT & YOUNG ADULT HEALTH, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK  1800 English Road, Suite 2, Rochester, NY 14616 (585) 225-2600 FAX (585) 225-2606

WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC, WASHINGTON, DC 

MAYRA CRUZ-POLANCO, BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS, JAMAICA PLAIN. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

FENWAY HEALTH, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 

ELLEN ROTTERSMAN, LICSW (CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK/THERAPIST) BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS 1131 Beacon Street Suite C1 Brookline, MA (617) 730-9417 [email protected]

HOWARD BROWN HEALTH CENTER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 

TGAP (TRANS GREATER ACCESS PROJECT) AT CHICAGO WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER, CHICAGO ILLINOIS 3435 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 935-6126

MAZZONI CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA  809 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5507 (215) 563-0663 [email protected]

DR. ANTHONY ZAVADIL, SOPHIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATES CLINIC, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA  603 Kenmore Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia (540) 368-9380

FAN FREE CLINIC,RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 1010 N. Thompson Street, Richmond, VA 23230 (804) 358-6343

FEMINIST WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER,ATLANTA, GEORGIA  1924 Cliff Valley Way, Atlanta, GA 30329 (404) 728-7900 [email protected]

DR. SCOTT PARRY, INTOWN PRIMARY CARE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA  730 Ponce De Leon Place, Atlanta, GA 30306 (404) 541-0944

DR. MARK EARHART, WINDRIDGE FAMILY MEDICINE, WATKINSVILLE, GEORGIA 1612 Mars Hill Rd, Ste. B, Watkinsvile, GA 30677-4889 (706)769-1100

DR. LAURA KIMBALL-RAVARI, BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA  2300 Hospital Drive Suite 360, Bossier City, LA 71111 (318) 212-7902

DR. KENNETH COMBS, MD.NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 501 Frenchman St., New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 948-4331

DR. RICHARD WYNN, COTSWALDFAMILY MEDICINE, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 309 S Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte, NC (704) 446-2360

KATE SWIFT-SCANLAN, PLANNED PARENTHOOD, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD, CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA 

DR. ERIC KLETT, UNC HIGHGATE ENDOCRINE CLINIC, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA  UNC Highgate Specialty Center, 5316 Highgate Drive, Suite 125 Durham, NC 27713 (919) 484-1015

GEAR (GENDER EDUCATION, ADVOCACY & RESOURCES)DALLAS, TEXAS Nelson-Tebedo Community Clinic, 4012 Cedar Springs, Dallas TX 75219 (214) 528-2336

FELESHIA PORTER, MS, LPC, DALLAS, TEXAS 3530 Forest Lane #188, Dallas, TX 75234 (214) 904-8222 [email protected]

ANDREA COZBY, LPC, DALLAS, TEXAS 3530 Forest Lane, Suite 189, Dallas, Texas, 75234 (214) 912-4872 [email protected]

DR. KAREN KING, DALLAS, TEXAS  9323 Garland Rd Ste 111, Dallas, TX, 75218 (214) 328-7400

DR. APRIL DAY, FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER, GARLAND, TEXAS 601 Clara Barton Boulevard, Suite 140 Garland, TX 75042 (972)272-6561

LEGACY MONTROSE CLINIC, HOUSTON, TEXAS 1415 California StreetHouston, Texas 77006 (Formerly at 215 Westheimer)

DR. HUNTER HAMMILL, HOUSTON, TEXAS 

DR. MELANIE CLOONAN-SCHULTE,CHANDLER, ARIZONA 595 North Dobson Road, Chandler, AZ 85224 (480) 821-0788

CAROL E. WILLIAMS, NP, PHOENIX, ARIZONA. McDowell Clinic: Internal Medicine, 1144 E. McDowell Rd suite 3000 Phoenix AZ 85006 (602) 344-6550

DR. RIXT LUIKENAAR, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. Greenwood Clinic, 7495 S. State St., Midvale, UT (801) 213-9400

STEPHANIE BRETZ, NURSE PRACTITIONER / DR. STEPHEN HINDS, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 300 E Hampden Ste 201, Englewood CO 80113 (303) 991-7700

DR. SHELLEY BLACKBURN, COLUMBUS, OHIO  Rivers Edge Family Medicine, 4626 Sawmill Rd., Columbus, OH (614) 538-9339

DR. ERIC MEININGER, MD, MPH, SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA 435 Phalen Boulevard, Saint Paul, Minnesota (651) 265-7308

RECLAIM INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CLINIC, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA  3217 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 235-6743

EMMA GOLDMAN CLINIC, IOWA CITY, IOWA  227 North Dubuque StreetIowa City, IA 52245 (319) 337-2111

AMANDA L STROSAHL, MD, LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN 4th Floor Medical Center, 1900 South Avenue, La Crosse, WI 54601 (608) 775-8388

DR. MARK SIKORSKI, DOFARMBROOKE FAMILY MEDICINE, MACOMB, MICHIGAN  48924 Hayes Rd, Macomb, MI, 48044 (586) 566-8270

JEANETTE LANIER, ARNP, WICHITA, KANSAS  1001 N. MINNEAPOLIS, WICHITA KS 67214 (316) 293-1840

DR. SHARON LEE, KANSAS CITY  Southwest Boulevard Clinic – 340 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, KS 66103 (913) 722-3100

BONNIE SPRAGUE, ARNP,BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON Bellingham Family Health Care302 36th Street Bellingham, WA 98225 (360) 756-9793

INFORMED CONSENT FOR ACCESS TO TRANS HEALTH, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON A. Canelli,MA LMHC (206) 424-4604 Calvin Burnap, MA LMHC (206) 395-5324 Talcott Broadhead,MSW LSWAA (360) 402-0240

LYON-MARTIN HEALTH SERVICES, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 

TOM WADDELL HEALTH CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 

DR. MADELINE (MADDIE) B. DEUTSCH, MD, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA  San Francisco Office: 3150 18th St., Suite #222Mailbox #503 San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 797-7136 [email protected]

DIMENSIONS CLINIC, CASTRO-MISSION HEALTH CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA  3850 17th Street, San Francisco, CA (415) 934-7700

TURK CLINIC, BAART PROGRAMS, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 433 Turk St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 928-7800

DR. SHAWN K. HASSLER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA  870 Market St., Suite 600 San Francisco, California 94102 (415) 397-0700

TRANS VISION,TRI-CITY HEALTH CENTER(HABLA ESPANOL),FREEMONT, CALIFORNIA 39184 State Street, Fremont, CA 94538 (510) 713-6690 ext 6121 [email protected]

DR. JENNIFER HASTINGS, PLANNED PARENTHOOD WESTSIDE HEALTH CENTER, SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA  1119 Pacific Ave. Suite 200 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 426-5550

DR. MARKI J. KNOX, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA 2121 Wilshire Blvd #303 Santa Monica, CA 90403 (310) 264-1777

DR. MADELINE (MADDIE) B. DEUTSCH, MD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1625 N Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7518

617 Riverside Avenue, Burlington, Vermont 05401

I’ve had to switch providers since getting on Medicaid last February, and only managed to get an appointment for July, and run into that problem at every single step.

I have severe hyperacusis and pain calls often trigger my migraines.

Some people are deaf.