The past three months have been brutal for transgender people—but if there’s one thing our community knows, it’s how to travel through darkness to find spring.
“New activists are rising, new voices are joining us, and across the country, we are planting the seeds of a spring that cannot be stopped. No executive order can silence a movement built on truth.”
This post is an encouragement for the intersex. We haven’t been erased because we never reached the point of being out of the closet. Our bodies - our anatomy, physiology and life experiences remain largely unknown by the general public. Sex is not and never has been limited to only two absolutes - male OR female. But while sexual orientation was once called @the third sex” merely because ppl fell in love with, made love to ppl of the same sex, and the transgender had to correct THAT - we intersex are late to the party. And now we are in fear of our existence continuing to be denied, our liberty and freedom continuing to be denied and the worst - our right to bodily autonomy continues to be robbed. Intersex infants and children are still being genitally mutilated with forced sex assignments pushed onto parents before we hit kindergarten. I’m one of the ones who wasn’t cut up. I have been inspired by many Transpeople through my life and am grateful for all who have helped us to grow into our authentic selves when the world demanded we lie. Bind the wounds, cover the scars, pretend you were born this way and that you still have the genitals, organs, and feeling you don’t. While the trans have been denied access to help or sold crappy “help” the Intersex were being mutilated with NO say in what was done to them. Forced gender and sex assignments are a crime against humanity whether it is forced on infants and children as it is with the intersex or needed and good surgery is denied to the trans OR whether mutilation is forced on male and female infants and children as a “right of passage”. What kind of perversion celebrates sexual maturity with an amputation of 1/3 of a phallic organ or the total amputation of it? Today and ever day is a good day to say that there is more to being men, women, and inter gender than genital shape. It must become a universal right that all ppl have autonomy over their bodies. Our bodies are the only thing we actually own in life.
Thanks so much for this!! I so appreciate everything you've said!! Our bodies and the genitalia of our bodies should never ever limit us to live to our full potential!
I cried when my recently out trans daughter expressed that she considers her life a paradise now, even with all that is happening. You are all seen and validated and loved by this mom. 💕
This is beautiful, Erin. Thank you for sharing it. I'm not trans and even I have trouble appreciating the spring outside my window (glorious magnolia blossoms that are now starting to drop.) I don't see well in the dark (to continue the metaphor) but I won't abandon the path and my (fellow or not) travelers. May the light at the end of the tunnel not be a train (adapting a song from one of my favorite bands, Cracker) but a promise that we will all survive this.
Likewise. And I'm sorry for your loss -- had to get off FB before I got to say so but I know how hard it must be right now. Also, I have recently reconnected with several of our mutual acquaintances and it has been really great.
So nice to find a note of happiness and sunshine in a dark time. As I've said a few times since January 20, I'm not going to allow any government, any organization, any person to take away my trans joy.
My spouse and I moved to Maryland in late 2023 from Florida so that they could continue to seek gender-affirming healthcare. Erin, your reporting is what helped give us the motivation and context we needed to make that decision. I fell in love with the springtime here, and I agree that it has such a beautiful connection to the transformative and affirming power of trans joy.
Seeing you mention Maryland - and cherry blossoms - as a place of new beginnings brought me to tears. Thank you for everything you do, and for sharing a little bit about your journey. Wishing springtime and bountiful trans joy ahead for all of those who must suffer through this terrible winter.
This is a wonderful article Erin!! Thank you for writing it!!
For those of you that haven’t read the article by Gillian Branstetter that Erin references, I urge you to do so. It’s excellent, other than that I wish she would not use the term “transsexual” as it’s somewhat outdated, and I’d prefer “trans person” instead. Gillian’s article references the pure miracle of just existing (something you will deeply feel upon reading the article), and taking joy in transness - a joy that will see us through the current dark winter of political storms.
Erin, that is a beautifully written and very moving and powerful piece. Thank you for not only informing our community and so many others, but also for inspiring us with your perseverance and intelligence.
Perhaps I am almost moved to tears because I am at the MLK National Museum in Atlanta, where recordings f MLK echo around a space that tells the story of an earlier struggle for equal rights.
I followed in your footsteps six months later, for much the same reasons. I suspect that it is not unusual. I have been fortunate to have only lost one friend and he turned out not to be a loss at all. Vive la vie!
This is truly one of the most authentic, compassionate and loving refections that I’ve ever read. With much appreciation and love ~ thank you for making this world a better place.
So beautiful! I actually finished what I started a few months ago and came out to the rest of my family over the weekend! My older sister(Trumper) actually responded with I don’t really understand but I love and support you. So I decided to completely come out.
Such a beautifully-written piece, Erin!! 🩷🤍🩵
I especially love these lines:
“New activists are rising, new voices are joining us, and across the country, we are planting the seeds of a spring that cannot be stopped. No executive order can silence a movement built on truth.”
This post is an encouragement for the intersex. We haven’t been erased because we never reached the point of being out of the closet. Our bodies - our anatomy, physiology and life experiences remain largely unknown by the general public. Sex is not and never has been limited to only two absolutes - male OR female. But while sexual orientation was once called @the third sex” merely because ppl fell in love with, made love to ppl of the same sex, and the transgender had to correct THAT - we intersex are late to the party. And now we are in fear of our existence continuing to be denied, our liberty and freedom continuing to be denied and the worst - our right to bodily autonomy continues to be robbed. Intersex infants and children are still being genitally mutilated with forced sex assignments pushed onto parents before we hit kindergarten. I’m one of the ones who wasn’t cut up. I have been inspired by many Transpeople through my life and am grateful for all who have helped us to grow into our authentic selves when the world demanded we lie. Bind the wounds, cover the scars, pretend you were born this way and that you still have the genitals, organs, and feeling you don’t. While the trans have been denied access to help or sold crappy “help” the Intersex were being mutilated with NO say in what was done to them. Forced gender and sex assignments are a crime against humanity whether it is forced on infants and children as it is with the intersex or needed and good surgery is denied to the trans OR whether mutilation is forced on male and female infants and children as a “right of passage”. What kind of perversion celebrates sexual maturity with an amputation of 1/3 of a phallic organ or the total amputation of it? Today and ever day is a good day to say that there is more to being men, women, and inter gender than genital shape. It must become a universal right that all ppl have autonomy over their bodies. Our bodies are the only thing we actually own in life.
Thanks so much for this!! I so appreciate everything you've said!! Our bodies and the genitalia of our bodies should never ever limit us to live to our full potential!
Thank you, James. This is so important.
May our flag fly forever true 🏳️⚧️
I cried when my recently out trans daughter expressed that she considers her life a paradise now, even with all that is happening. You are all seen and validated and loved by this mom. 💕
What a beautiful piece to write on this day. Thank you once again for all that you and your wife do for our country.
This is beautiful, Erin. Thank you for sharing it. I'm not trans and even I have trouble appreciating the spring outside my window (glorious magnolia blossoms that are now starting to drop.) I don't see well in the dark (to continue the metaphor) but I won't abandon the path and my (fellow or not) travelers. May the light at the end of the tunnel not be a train (adapting a song from one of my favorite bands, Cracker) but a promise that we will all survive this.
Hi Paula--glad to see you here!
Likewise. And I'm sorry for your loss -- had to get off FB before I got to say so but I know how hard it must be right now. Also, I have recently reconnected with several of our mutual acquaintances and it has been really great.
So nice to find a note of happiness and sunshine in a dark time. As I've said a few times since January 20, I'm not going to allow any government, any organization, any person to take away my trans joy.
My spouse and I moved to Maryland in late 2023 from Florida so that they could continue to seek gender-affirming healthcare. Erin, your reporting is what helped give us the motivation and context we needed to make that decision. I fell in love with the springtime here, and I agree that it has such a beautiful connection to the transformative and affirming power of trans joy.
Seeing you mention Maryland - and cherry blossoms - as a place of new beginnings brought me to tears. Thank you for everything you do, and for sharing a little bit about your journey. Wishing springtime and bountiful trans joy ahead for all of those who must suffer through this terrible winter.
Thanks for pulling happy tears from my eyes ❤️ Happy Transgender Day of Visibility everyone!
This is a wonderful article Erin!! Thank you for writing it!!
For those of you that haven’t read the article by Gillian Branstetter that Erin references, I urge you to do so. It’s excellent, other than that I wish she would not use the term “transsexual” as it’s somewhat outdated, and I’d prefer “trans person” instead. Gillian’s article references the pure miracle of just existing (something you will deeply feel upon reading the article), and taking joy in transness - a joy that will see us through the current dark winter of political storms.
Erin, that is a beautifully written and very moving and powerful piece. Thank you for not only informing our community and so many others, but also for inspiring us with your perseverance and intelligence.
Perhaps I am almost moved to tears because I am at the MLK National Museum in Atlanta, where recordings f MLK echo around a space that tells the story of an earlier struggle for equal rights.
I followed in your footsteps six months later, for much the same reasons. I suspect that it is not unusual. I have been fortunate to have only lost one friend and he turned out not to be a loss at all. Vive la vie!
This is truly one of the most authentic, compassionate and loving refections that I’ve ever read. With much appreciation and love ~ thank you for making this world a better place.
So beautiful! I actually finished what I started a few months ago and came out to the rest of my family over the weekend! My older sister(Trumper) actually responded with I don’t really understand but I love and support you. So I decided to completely come out.
Thank you, Erin, for that lovely post. I transitioned in ‘93 and had surgery in ‘95. I’ve been happy ever since!
Thank you sweetie this has been my worst birthday yet and you added a little bit of hope to it.
Happy birthday, I hope it gets better!