Returning to Our Tribe After Gender Transition
I thought I finished transition, but my work has only begun
Previously, I discussed the dramatic psychological growth I experienced during gender transition, especially after gender-affirming surgery. All it took was acknowledging I am transgender and
Gender-Affirming Care Breaks Psychotherapy
The earthquake of gender transition releases the Titan inside
I've seen more than my fair share of psychologists and psychiatrists.
As a transgender woman, much of my life was experienced through a clouded window
10 Points of Anti-Trans Bias You Can Call Out (More or Less Gently)
Philip N. Cohen calls out anti-trans bias in 10 different ways in his recent essay discussing public reaction to gender-affirming care for youth.
Philip N. Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, wrote a great essay several days ago. It's called "Are too many children transitioning? That’
The Power of the Liminal Other
The magic and benefits of being transgender
The Universe knows I am different. I was marked Other from birth.
Perhaps in innocent eyes, I would appear as a white hound with red
The Effect of Physical Appearance on Identity
Discovering the inner through change of the outer
In 1994, I moved from Southern California to Northeast Georgia.
I had little desire to relocate; I didn't move for fun or profit. Instead, I
Gender-Affirming Care Is Not a Panacea
Stress from dysphoria is only half our trouble
When I traveled to Thailand for gender-affirming surgery, I never expected the best part of returning to the United States would be taking a cold
The Unexpected Peace of Gender-Affirming Surgery
How losing small parts of myself helped me gain vast insight into humanity
On 11 July 2024, I received gender-affirming surgery at Yanhee International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.
Although I never wanted to go to Thailand for surgery,
Choosing What You Won't Regret
Ask 'Will I regret not taking this step?' and feel confident you're making the best choice for yourself.
Thirteen years ago, as entry #71 for The Rumpus's advice column "DEAR SUGAR," Cheryl Strayed wrote "The Ghost Ship That Didn’t Carry Us." That
Amethysta and the Child of Destiny
When doing the right thing is still wrong
And...there's a penis. I'm a baby boy!
The words rang in my ears. A boy?
That was wrong. Obviously wrong. One hundred percent erroneous,
Trans Exiteration
I hear an -iteration with an ex- on it. I'm bad at moving forward. I'm a hanger-on to the past.
More than once, I've written my way through a narrow, thorny place.
I've narrated a life shift on the printed page. I continue to do
My False Step of Transgender Hope
I was never equipped to be an Alpha Male
The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 rocked United States society to its core. For the first time in recent US history, citizens felt unsafe
The Nonexistent Link between Autism and Gender Dysphoria
Two observations can be true and yet unrelated
A recent article in the Daily Mail claims a biological link between autism and gender dysphoria. I provided comments to the author of the article,
The Indispensable History of 'Sex Testing' in Sports
Waters keeps the book focused on the 1930s, with the history told in such a way that it's crystal clear how it's relevant today. The moral panic over trans people in sports continues not to be about sports.
Michael Waters has written this incredible book, The Other Olympians
There's a history book coming out very soon that I want to talk about all
I'm Sorry Mother… Transgender Regret
Have you faced ridicule and continuous coaching not to be who you are? If you are LBG_QIA, then yes, I believe you. If not, I won’t deny, but tell me how?
I’m so sorry that I am hurting you now, all these years after you passed. I have tried so hard to be the son
The Human System of Identity
We are both immutable and correctable - a contradiction in human experience
Two comments caught my attention recently. At first, they seem contradictory, but together, they expose a deeper-lying mechanism of human identity.
The first comment concerned
The Cheap Distraction of "Gender Ideology"
Public Service Announcement: your government isn't interested in helping you
I am very angry.
Last week, I discovered the gender-affirming surgery I scheduled for 01 May 2024 is not likely to occur. In short, I
The Process of Gender vs. the Result of Gender Identity
Pain can help you grow - and at times, more than just growing angry
A friend of mine mentioned his struggle to understand the distinction among sex, gender, gender identity, and sexuality. My friend isn't a fool - he
Geena Rocero's TED Talk Reveal
'Our spirits will always expand to fill whatever space we are given,' she says. She found her own face in the mirror, her own presence, emerging from nothingness.
In her memoir Horse Barbie, published earlier this year, model Geena Rocero tells us: “We are all of us works in progress, every draft of
2023: My Year in Mental Health Failures
It was the best of Ami, it was the worst of Ami
As 2022 drew to a close, I looked toward a bright future in 2023. I was a writer. I was seeing myself for the first
The Value of Doing Nothing
How much would you pay for absolutely nothing?
I did not enjoy last week. No, that description is simply too bland. Last week was horrid - worse than the little girl in the