Tag Archives: identity

One Year

Posted on January 8, 2015 by doesnthavetobethisway

One year ago today, I received my first injection of testosterone. I feel great. There is a well of gratitude and stability within me that I can touch and feel almost whenever I choose to check in with it that … Continue reading →

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The ‘Wrong’ Body

Posted on December 28, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

I am transgender, and I was not born in the ‘wrong’ body. My body is only ‘wrong’ in a binary-focused, cisnormative narrative that says being trans is only ok if you strive to assimilate to mainstream cultural ideas of gender and … Continue reading →

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Decoder Ring

Posted on October 15, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

In my entire memory, I have never liked anything feminine – at least, not for myself. At first, this made me feel defective, like I would never measure up to other women, because I didn’t like dresses, I never, ever … Continue reading →

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Nametags, Pronouns, and Lifting the Burden

Posted on July 19, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

Wintertime, about a week before I was to begin physical transition, I was at a Quaker retreat. At this point in time, folks who didn’t know me consistently and incorrectly presumed I was a cisgender woman, much to my dismay. This is … Continue reading →

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Visibility

Posted on June 25, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

Coming out of having lived life as a queer woman, one of the realities of physical transition coupled with cis-normativity is an inevitable disconnection from some of the queer spaces I used to feel affirmed and accepted in. While I … Continue reading →

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Reflections on the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference, 2014

Posted on June 15, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

This past week I attended the first two days of the three-day Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference (PTHC). What an incredible experience. PTHC is an annual, completely free conference for trans* folks, allies, and healthcare providers. There are tons of tables for various … Continue reading →

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On Being ‘Other’

Posted on April 6, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

I grew up in quite liberal, accepting environments. At one of the schools I went to for many years, the gay kids were the cool kids, not the outcasts. I later went to a women’s college, where there was a … Continue reading →

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How to Respect and Support A Transgender Person

Posted on March 19, 2014 by doesnthavetobethisway

Wikihow has some good guidelines on this topic, but I wanted to provide something a little more thorough. These are suggestions based on my own experiences, as well as a lot of reading I’ve done of others’ experiences. If you … Continue reading →

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