Jamie Diaz is an artist who just wants to be seen for her work. The 66-year-old Mexican-American trans woman has been drawing and painting since she was 15. She uses vivid colors, surrealism, and self-portraits to tell complex stories about queerness, love, and human suffering throughout her work. And much of that work has been created behind prison walls, with paint brushes constructed from donated human hair.

Diaz spent the last 29 years incarcerated in men’s prisons. In the new short film “Love, Jamie” from director Karla Murthy, we get to know Diaz, her artwork, and her story through letters and phone calls shared with Gabriel Joffe, a trans person on the outside who has become her closest companion over the past 10 years. Joffe first started corresponding with Diaz in 2013 when they received a letter from her while working with Black & Pink, the prison abolitionist organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ people and folks living with HIV/AIDS who are impacted by the prison industrial complex. Murthy’s poignant film — which is now streaming on PBS — traces Joffe and Diaz’s decade-plus friendship through letters and shared art, aiming to tell a story not about an incarcerated trans woman, but one about a trans artist.

“You know what I want people to feel when they see my art?” Diaz says over the phone to Joffe in the film. “I want them to know that we’re good people.” That “we” can be read as many things — trans people, incarcerated individuals, and especially trans women of color affected by the U.S. prison system.

TransLash caught up with Joffe and “Love, Jamie” producer and director of photography Andrew Fredericks over a Zoom call to talk about the new short documentary film. The two reflected on the significance of chosen family and trans elders, what they learned about the experiences of trans women impacted by the carceral system, and shared an update on Diaz, who is now finally free after being granted parole at the end of May. 

Note: This video is only available to view within the United States.

TransLash: So good to meet you both. I just watched the film this week and admittedly cried the whole way through. It was just so powerful and so meaningful. To me as a trans person, to watch this felt really, really amazing and important. So thank you both for your work.

Andrew Fredericks: Thank you.

TransLash: Andrew, I’d love to start with you and ask, as the producer and the DP, what was it really that drew you to telling this story?

Andrew Fredericks: Well, the first thing that drew me to it was when I saw Jamie’s art. Dan Cooney pulled out a drawer. I was at his gallery filming for a different project, and then I said, well, what shows do you have coming up? Because Dan always has great shows, people, unknown artists, but really great ones. And he opened up this drawer and started pulling out these paintings and drawings. And I was like, wow! And then he started telling me Jamie’s story, that she was incarcerated in Texas and what Jamie, what Dan knew about her. So that was initially what drew me.

I said, this is a great story. This really needs to be told. And at the time, I was very busy with a couple other projects and I thought, I don’t really have time, but I really want to get this story told. And that’s when I reached out to my longtime friend and colleague, Karla Murthy, who’s the director and editor of the film. So I kind of passed just the basics onto Karla. And then she started digging into it, and she was drawn to it too.

And if I can speak for her, because I heard her talk about this is, then what really cemented it, the story was good. Her art was good. It had an interesting angle of an incarcerated trans woman. But Dan Cooney shared a letter that Jamie wrote to him. And that letter was just so honest and so revealing and so full of compassion and love and understanding and honesty. And then that’s when Karla called me and she said, this, I know what to do now. And so then, then I said, well, I’m all in. If you’re all in, I’m all in. And then we contacted Gabriel and were properly vetted by Gabriel. And then with the blessing of Gabriel and Jamie talked about it, and I guess trusted us, Karla and I, enough to tell their story. And it really is to me, it’s not just the story of a trans woman incarcerated, an artist. It is about art. But to me what’s under it —it’s a story of love and friendship and what can happen if you just give yourself to someone else, wholly. So I would say that’s what drew me to do it.

TransLash: And that relationship Gabriel, I mean, to have a decade of sharing letters with someone is so profound. Can you tell me a bit about what that was like, especially for you as a trans person on the outside to be communicating with a trans person on the inside?

Gabriel Joffe: I think it was really a beautiful experience for me to just have an older trans person in my life. You know, it’s not every day you meet trans elders. It was nice to have someone who had such wisdom about life and lessons to impart on me. You know, she’s really serves as that figure in my life of a trans person [who] has gone before. And obviously our life experiences are so different, but just being able to talk about things and just hear her perspective. I think that’s something that is rare. Just even the larger LGBT community,  to have elders. 

And it’s kind of wild because until last week I just had all of Jamie’s letters, this 10 years of letters and correspondence. But she walked out of prison with all my letters, and we kind of, that first night, sat down and she showed me scrapbooks she had made with pictures I had sent her. And she had in the first page, the very first letter she had received from me. It was also this wild chronicle of like the past 10 years of my life. I have shoe boxes of her letters, she had these, and she wanted me to bring them back to Denver with me for safekeeping. So now I have kind of the second half of the collection. It’s wild to see 10 years of letters I wrote. So it just feels nice to kind of now be in like a new chapter of our relationship.

TransLash: That’s wonderful to have it so completed, your letters and her letters together.

Andrew Fredericks: You have to collatehem now, so it’s back and forth.

Gabriel Joffe: Oh my gosh. That’s a project for another day.

TransLash: Gabriel, you received so much art from her over the years. Were there any particular pieces of Jamie’s work that really stood out to you and spoke to you the most over that decade?

Gabriel Joffe: I mean, really immediately, I think of Worlds Within Worlds. That was the first large scale piece. You know, I had received the illustrated letters, but that was in 2013. And I have a picture of myself holding it up. And that was one that I don’t think I’ll ever part with. It was the first piece she sent me. And just the colors, that’s when I really realized how Jamie’s use of color and how incredible it is and depth.

And it is her more abstract piece. But I felt like there was so much captured. It’s one of the deepest pieces I feel, to me, of her work. And so, yeah, Worlds Within Worlds. I think I’ll always remember receiving that and just being blown away and I think fully understanding her capabilities as an artist.

TransLash: Andrew, I’m curious, as the DP and producer, it must have been an incredible challenge to make this film where you can’t access one of your leads, right? You can’t actually get footage of her. Can you talk a bit about what that process was like and how it challenged you visually? Was that a hindrance or did that sort of give you more artistic license to get creative?

Andrew Fredericks: Well, I think at first, because you think about the obvious ways to make something first and you think, well, we have to try and interview Jamie. And we started going down that road a little bit. We started making contact with TDCJ [Texas Department of Criminal Justice]. But then at a certain point — and we were working on that, we’re gonna do it — but Karla started editing some, and we really realized that the film wasn’t about incarceration. Jamie was an incarcerated person. But we didn’t want the film to be about incarceration. And if you saw Jamie incarcerated in prison, that would be the image one would have of Jamie. And we didn’t want that. Because that’s what Jamie wanted, to be seen for who she was, not where she lived. And that meant getting to know Jamie through her words and through her art.

So then we consciously decided we’re not going to try and show Jamie incarcerated. And that would’ve been the only way to show her, would [be]  to get an interview in some kind of visitation room or through the glass. So it was kind of fortuitous that it was a little bit of trouble because it made us realize too.

So as far as the challenges, we still needed visuals and Jamie’s art provided a lot of the storytelling. But there was also, we wanted to show the isolation of being incarcerated. So we needed some visuals. And luckily, I spent a year in Texas working on a film, another film at the same time. And I came across this abandoned Texas prison facility. And so I just started, whenever I had a chance, I would go down there and just make images. I imagined myself being inside of there and looking out at the world outside. So I tried to create imagery from that prison facility that showed what Jamie might see, you know, I could only imagine it. And sometimes there’s flowers just beyond the fence. So I tried to show something that’s right there, but just out of reach, just on the other side of the fence. 

And then Karla and I talked a lot about the visuals. There’s a section [of the film] where Jamie talks about being young and feeling almost trapped by her queerness and being afraid to come out at first. And so when we’re in Houston, we tried to shoot things from behind fences and behind, so it wasn’t direct. So there was this idea. And then once it got to New York and there was the gallery show, everything was out in the open. There was no more behind anything. There was a shot even of Gabriel talking about some of their early trouble and [I] shot from behind this fence where we saw Gabriel. So we tried to make the visuals kind of [gestures with hands pushing inwardly] and then open up at the end. And then with the birds in the sky at the very end [of the film] representing total freedom. What’s freer than a bird. So just to wrap back around, yes. Not showing Jamie, at first we thought it was gonna be a problem, but it ended up really being liberating.

TransLash: Yeah, that shot at the end of the birds flying is so beautiful. And for you both, I’m curious — I know Gabriel you worked with Black and Pink and probably had some sort of insight into what the experiences are like for incarcerated trans folks. But I’m curious if through making this film, and Gabriel through your communications and relationship with Jamie, were there things that you learned about the particular experiences of particularly trans women in men’s prisons that you hadn’t known? What did this experience open your eyes to that you didn’t know of before?

Gabriel Joffe: Yeah. As someone who has never been impacted by that system personally, I think my motivation to join as an organizer with Black and Pink back in 2012 was conversations I would be having with other queer activists or books. It was mostly through books I was reading, primarily “Queer (In)Justice [The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States]” was a really important text for me. 

So it was books, but then what really I think the biggest learning was as I joined Black and Pink and volunteered during their weekly mail processing and read hundreds of letters from all sorts of LGBTQ folks that are incarcerated across the country — those individuals and their experiences, I just started to learn so much more. And then when I connected with Jamie — and I didn’t know it’d be a 10 plus year, I didn’t know what it’d become. Because I feel like you never know what a relationship will turn into. But through her specifically of just what she would share, from mundane things — like she would describe in extreme detail what her cell looked like, and she’d say, I have a toilet over here and then I have the floor here and I lay out my paintbrush. She would just in such detail, especially if she moved, got transferred, she would say exactly what her cell looked like, what she was eating to things like commissary. 

Even in staying in touch with her, that changed from letters to then the electronic messaging system and you have to kind of buy digital stamps. So I got to learn the kind of ins and outs of the apparatus surrounding the prison, different companies you have to interact with, whether you want to write or visit. And even now in the film you see just a decade of letters and, about six months before Jamie was released, Texas moved to a digital mail system.

So there’s no letters going in anymore. The technology has changed. So Jamie would no longer, if she was still inside and up until her release, she was no longer able to receive physical mail from me. So I learned a lot about that, just the whole apparatus as well as Jamie’s personal experiences.

TransLash: Andrew, how about you? Is there anything that opened your eyes that you hadn’t known before in the process of making this?

Andrew Fredericks: Oh, so much. I mean, I grew up around, I guess you could call it criminal justice. My mother used to run, when I was a kid, ran halfway houses for men at that time, only, getting out of prison and transitioning in. So I had a basis from my mom about the troubles of reentry and also about treating everyone, even if they’re incarcerated, they’re human beings and they have their own problems. So I had a little bit of background, but as far as, like Gabriel says, the actual apparatus of prison, of being incarcerated, is just byzantine. And then there’s people always, companies looking to profit off of it, whether they’re the people you have to buy the stamps from or if you want to make a phone call.

But through Jamie, because once we made Jamie’s acquaintance, I started exchanging mail also with Jamie and doing calls. And I just got an inside view of what it was like to be incarcerated. And it really opened my eyes to what that experience was like from someone who was telling me about it. And it made me appreciate, number one, my own privilege and my own freedom. And how much just the tiniest things one takes for granted if you’re not incarcerated.

I’ll never forget the day when — and this happened to both Karla and I, we had a similar experience. — I was on the phone with Jamie and I was on my front porch and I live in the country. And I was complaining about how much it was raining. “Oh, Jamie, it’s been raining.” But Jamie said, “when I get outta here, the first thing I want to do is go out and stand in the rain.” And it just made me realize just the simplest thing like that, that she couldn’t do. And so that, and as a filmmaker, I hope to always create empathy for other people. I’d rather create empathy, then knowledge. And so if that made me open my empathy up, I’m hoping that the film does the same for all incarcerated people. 

But then Jamie shared the added being trans, you know, and the troubles that that brought to her sometimes within the system. It’s a dehumanizing place and it’s a macho place. So Jamie had to overcome even that. And it also brought me into a world of people who I didn’t know, a world of trans people. And it’s such a beautiful community. It’s such a beautiful, welcoming community and it’s so under attack. And so that’s the other thing we wanted to do, is be an ally. You know, I’ll never fully understand the inner, what it means to be trans. But I understand human feelings, and so we hope that the film opens up people’s empathy for people who are incarcerated, but also Jamie’s hope, to understand “we’re good, loving people.” So that’s what I learned.

TransLash: Gabriel, what do you hope audiences take away from this  story and from your relationship with Jamie?

Gabriel Joffe: You know, I think that’s changed over the past year of the film being out. But I think presently just, first of all, the incredible art that Jamie creates. She’s an artist. She wants to be known for her art. So just more people seeing her art, and I think there’s so much creativity and talent of folks that are incarcerated that we just miss out on in society. And so I think Jamie’s art stands on its own. She’s an incredible artist. And I think there’s other people whose talent we’re not able to see. So I’m just glad that the film gives Jamie’s art a platform. I think also just especially, I hope this film is an uplifting to the queer community, that they see that there are elder trans folks in the community and there’s love and connection and that chosen family is beautiful.

TransLash: Mmm. Definitely. I think we have time for one more question. Gabriel, I know that you had met Jamie when she was released last week. I read about it in a story from them. Can you talk a bit about what that experience was like to be there to receive her?

Gabriel Joffe: You know, my dear friend Spinney was there, who’s been part of this

journey from the beginning, lived with me when I received those first letters from Jamie. And so it was great to have them there. Because we were there waiting for about an hour and a half and I was kind of going through many stages of emotion. You know, at one point I was trying not to cry. And then another point I was like, thinking of all the things I forgot to bring. And then was just kind of cycling through all the emotions. And it was down pouring, thunder. But I think even up until even we left the entire compound, the apparatus of the prison was very present. We had to stay in the parking lot. There was even at one point when I saw her, I just started walking forward and they yelled at me to step back. You know, the apparatus was very present. It was an incredible moment. And it was clear we needed to — we didn’t have time or space to kind of linger. It was kind of, first order business was just leaving the property.

But one of the first things — Jamie sat in the front seat and I was able to hand her the copy of her comic book that recently was published and she saw it for the first time and held it. And just seeing her flip through the pages and see her art in that form within the first hour of her, the first 20 minutes of her release. That was just super meaningful for me to witness her just hold her art and see it and see evidence that it’s out in the world.

TransLash: That’s so wonderful that she got to receive that from you. Thank you both so much. It was such a pleasure chatting with you.

Andrew Fredericks: I just wanna add that as part of my education and my understanding about trans issues and stories, early on somehow I came across TransLash and it’s been one of my regular reads now. I love when I get the newsletter. It’s really been something. I feel so glad that we’re gonna be a part of TransLash because it’s been like, my link besides, you know, Jamie and Gabriel to understanding the stories and of that community. So thank you.

TransLash: Oh, that’s so wonderful to hear. Thank you!

“Love, Jamie” is now streaming and available to watch on all PBS platforms including PBS.org, the PBS app, and the PBS American Masters YouTube.

To view Jamie Diaz’s published art and support her re-entry through her Solidarity Fund and through purchasing her artwork, check out her website JamieDiazArt.com.

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation. Did we miss anything? Let us know!

The post The Powerful Story of an Incarcerated Trans Artist: A Q&A With ‘Love, Jamie’ Film Star and Producer appeared first on TransLash Media.

America, as I wrote in The Grio, has the highest numbers of killings of trans women on the planet  with the exception of two countries: Brazil and Mexico. Nine out of 10 those killed in the United States are African-American.  In nearly every case where there is a suspect, someone charged or convicted, that person is a Black man. The truth about the reality of Black men’s roles in the deaths of trans women is a deeply disturbing one.

Because TransLash is a growing news source for trans and gender non-conforming people, especially those of color, we simply had to begin with this issue.

From the beginning, my goal was to make this Lives at Stake conversation an authentic one. That’s why I deliberately chose two, cis, heterosexual men, in their 30s, from the working-class neighborhood of East Flatbush rather than well-known voices.  One, Randy Davidson, was trans skeptical while the other, Justin Freeman, trans supportive. Randy and Justin were asked to join me and Nala Simone, a trans activist who participated in the controversial The Breakfast Club trans roundtable with Malik Yoba, in a frank exchange. 

This desire for a forthright conversation was why I was so disappointed in Randy’s decision to exit the program just one hour before we were set to begin.

Throughout the Black community, we must engage those with different thoughts and perspectives if we are going to save the lives of Black trans women.  We can’t only be talking to those who feel the exact same way we do, because those who agree with us are not the ones causing the harm. 

However Randy’s absence from Friday night’s dialogue is a metaphor for the absence of Black heterosexual men from this discussion overall.  And it is why I chose to leave his chair empty on the set as a visual representation of this gap. 

Randy’s decision points out a larger dynamic at work cited by Justin on Friday. “For men checking your boys on transphobia,” he said, “could put a target on your back.” This means that men themselves are afraid to police each other on this issue, leaving very little cultural accountability for their actions against trans women. It also underscores the larger cultural backdrop for the crisis of masculinity at this moment.  

As long as manhood is grounded in patriarchy—with its essential emphasis on a hierarchy and the domination of others at its core—then Black trans women will continue to lose their lives at a staggering rate.   

Yet patriarchy doesn’t work along in this matter. It is twinned with racism. Our turn to the ways in which patriarchy and racism work together during Lives at Stake led Justin to emphasize the Hegelian, “master-slave” philosophical framework into the conversation.  Justin’s core point is that many people only feel whole when they control the life and death others. This leaves us in a dark place.

The good news though is that healing is possible.  It must begin with Black, cis, heterosexual men acknowledging the harm that they have caused.  As Nala put it, “Black cis men need to know that there’s hurt. My life must matter enough for you to say to me, ‘I see you , what is it that you need?’ Black cis men must step up.”

Nala is right which is why we are committed to continuing to have this conversation through Lives at Stake and throughout our channels.  Within the first hour, our conversation had garnered thousands of views which underscores that there is a hunger for more of these types of explorations. 

Our next Lives at Stake conversation will be a one-on-one interview with ACLU lawyer, Chase Strangio, to unpack the issues in three, October 8, cases before the Supreme Court.  Zarda v. Altitude Express, Bostock v. Clayton County and Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC will determine whether discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are unconstitutional. 

I hope that you can join us and spread the word.  

TransLash Episode 3 premiered April 12, 2019, at 12:30 PM ET on the TransLash Facebook page. Join the conversation; everyone is welcome to participate.

For the latest on TransLash, please subscribe to our newsletter and follow us Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Trans storytelling saves Trans lives. Help us make TransLash Episode 4: The Future of Trans with your monthly or on-time donation today. 

The post Lives At Stake: A Conversation Between Black Straight Men & Black Trans Women appeared first on TransLash Media.

By Adunni

Just the exact way you say it to remind us of outdoing the box, 

An imposing call to order,

reminding us that we might just be doing too much.

After all, we paid dues with our heads buried under the waters 

And dreams dying in thoughts.

Yet, we are advised to TONE IT DOWN!

Denying ourselves of existing at their comfort,

While we are made aliens in our birthplace, homes and even to ourselves.

They say, the more the normality, the better the acceptance.

We have been taught to

HATE who we are, 

BE AFRAID of what we’ve become

and BEAT DOWN at anything that takes our form.

They say you do not have to be out and loud

but you, you… While you stay flourishing in the regretful corner of your heart,

your freedom is to impose restricting opinions on our expression of self.

For what we love, who we are, brings us together and so that same…

the same is the joy to exist differently and free.

How so sweet to consider our safety

but it’s not in our position to apologize

when they are not close to comfort with our lives.

The post “Tone It Down”: Poetry By A Black Trans Femme appeared first on TransLash Media.

SXSW TRANSCRIPT: Responsible Reporting on Anti-Trans Violence for Journalists

INTRODUCTIONS

IMARA JONES: Welcome everyone to our panel today, which is going to be on responsible reporting on anti-trans violence. We’re thrilled to have this conversation with you at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, which of course is a focal point for not only anti-trans laws and anti-trans violence. And there’s a relationship between those things, which we can help unpack and discuss as well.

And also a place where, because of the way in which trans people are often portrayed, it contributes to the atmosphere of violence: physical violence, policy violence, cultural violence, and, all of the ways that that people can be attacked.

And we know that the media has a really important role in shaping the way issues are framed and shaping the way that people think [learn more about the #AntiTransHateMachine].

And it’s the feeling on every feeling, every single person on this panel, that if you can move those two things, that they can have a direct impact on increasing the safety and the strength of ability for us to live long, protected, and healthy lives.

Because trans people are only 1% of the population, it means that we have to be even more reliant on the ability of media and journalism in all of its forms to portray us in a way, so that people can get to know us and understand that we are human beings and deserve the same human rights as everyone.

So what we are going to do today is to show the way in which media portrayals of us and the way that we are reported on, in both the political mainstream entertainment press, directly impact our safety. And we’ll also talk about ways that we believe that the reporting on us in those various spheres of journalism can be improved, and what action people can take in order to help make us safer. We’re going to talk for about 35, 40 minutes, to kind of start the conversation and let you all know what we are thinking, and then move to questions from you all, which will be a really valuable and enriching part of this conversation.

So, we just want to thank you for joining us. I’m gonna start with introductions and then we’ll move to the conversation. My name is Imara Jones. I am the founder and CEO of Trans slash Media, which is a journalism and non-profit storytelling organization, which uses the power of narrative in order to center the humanity of trans people. And we do so with the very direct idea that the power of storytelling and centering our humanity as a way to decrease violence against trans people because we believe at TransLash that the ignorance about our communities is what contributes to our lack of wellbeing. And we do so in a variety of ways. We do so through video, including documentaries, short documentaries, animated films. We have three podcasts. One just launched on Thursday, just yesterday, called The Mess. It’s a political podcast.

We do so through zines. We do so through a variety of media, and at TransLash what we say is that we tell trans stories to save trans lives. And so it’s one of the reasons why I’m thrilled, as a part of my work, to be in conversation with everyone here. And I’m just going to tell you who all of these amazing people are. ‘Cause each of them could be a panel by themselves and in their own right.

The first person, uh, to my left is Serena Jazmine. Serena is a senior digital manager at Transgender Law Center. Serena is also a journalist, having been a correspondent at [redacted] where we first met, all those years ago. Who’s counting? Serena also has a TikTok, you know, on brand, which seeks to talk about the reality of trans people, both in terms of politics and what’s happening to us, and as well as centering our humanity.

Next to Serena is Eva Reign. Eva is a GLAAD and Peabody Award-winning actress, as well as journalist, having written for imprints like Vogue, Vice, as well as TransLash. And then Eva is also the star of anything Anything’s Possible on Amazon Prime. So for all of you Prime subscribers, you know, we get Prime video as a part of that. So it’s real easy to go there and type in Anything’s Possible where you can see Eva’s work. So we’re thrilled to have Eva here.

And then last but not least is Arielle Rebekah, who is a communications consultant at the Transgender Law Center. And also, I’m gonna get this very right, Ariel is the founder of Trans and Caffeinated––I mean, so many things you can do with that brand, right? It’s not my job, but I’m coming up with branding ideas––founder of Trans and Caffeinated Consulting, which offers communications and advocacy support to progressive organizations and anyone who wishes to inject those perspectives in their work. Please welcome our panelists today.

Misrepresentation of Trans People in Mainstream America

IMARA JONES: One of the things that I wanted to start you all with in terms of contextualization is to show just how much stereotypes, disinformation, and the misrepresentation of trans people has funneled into the mainstream ideas of America, and specifically mainstream journalism. And we know that if it’s there, it’s everywhere. It’s literally, as the pop culture collaborative says is, you know, the ocean that we are swimming in, it is the narrative ocean that we are swimming in. And it gives context to what we’re gonna talk about today.

At Trans Lash, we have a group of investigative journalists that since 2020 has been working to unpack the people, the money, the organizations, that are driving anti-trans hate, and subsequently anti-trans violence in the country. And their work is encapsulated in, a podcast that we have, an investigative series, that we have called The Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality.

And each season we take a different look at what’s driving the violence in these bills. And most recently, we had an entire season that was devoted to the media and to the media landscape, and the penultimate episode of that podcast focused on the New York Times and the way in which misrepresentations, disinformation, stereotypes about trans people have made their way into the New York Times. And how that is being weaponized against trans people.

For people who don’t want to spend an hour and 10 minutes with that episode listening to it online, we’ve also developed a two and a half minute animation, which encapsulates some of the main points.

What we show is how the New York Times has essentially decided to become a repository for anti-trans information by the conversations of pseudoscientific groups like the American College of Pediatricians by uplifting discredited, disgruntled Christian nationalist parents who say that their kids are being trans are as a result of social contagion. And also by listening to other various discredited voices, and I mean, discredited scientifically, who support these ideas about transness essentially not being real. And we know that those representations that are in the New York Times are actually being quoted in the various state capitals across the country as a legitimizing factor for anti-trans bills. And we know that in those states, that whenever those bills are discussed, that, that the calls to suicide hotlines of trans and other queer youth shoot through the roof, which means that there’s a very clear connection between the media landscape, these bills, and violence that trans people face.

And one of the most stark examples of that, that we have recently, although it is clearly not the only one, is Nex Benedict. And Nex Benedict lived in a state in which they have increasingly passed laws to erase and makes schools hostile to trans youth. And their murder shows the consequence of that. And that’s on top of the violence that trans people face overall. The fact that for several years in a row, we have record breaking years of murders of trans people in this country. And what’s most [muffled] about a lot of those murders is that the people who kill trans people don’t believe that they’ve done anything wrong, and they don’t believe that they’ve done anything wrong because they live in a world where they receive messages that trans people are fake, not real, and therefore not human, and don’t even deserve the basic ability to breathe.

In some of these cases, when you read about these murders, the men that commit them will literally wait for the police because they don’t believe that they’ve done anything wrong. And so what we want to do is to talk about the messages that people are receiving that allow them to commit these extreme acts of violence in all of the ways. So first I want to talk to you, Serena, who understands kind of the digital landscape in great detail, but also has been a reporter in newsrooms. Can you just give a sense of what the conversations are like about trans people that leads to some of these misrepresentations?

Serena Jazmine: Yes, absolutely. So I’ve been working in different newsrooms for a decade now, starting at the Huffington Post, Mic, Slate, Conde Nast. So I’ve gone from a period where newsrooms didn’t care at all about trans issues, and the trans community was under recorded on, and now what we’re seeing is a saturation of coverage about our community, right?

But as we all know, visibility without protection is a curse, and it’s ultimate, ultimately detrimental because we’re seeing, like you mentioned, legacy publishers, some of the most storied giants in journalism, like the New York Times, like the Washington Post, um, amplifying, anti-trans rhetoric that the data shows has a direct through line to acts of anti-trans violence being committed. So I think a lot of times when publishers like the New York Times are covering the trans community in this way, maybe they think that it’s a good business decision because for better, for worse, people are invested in our community right now, you know, across political leanings, across police.

People really want to read and consume news about the trans community. And so, in a way, these publishers are capitalizing on it, but they’re actually doing themselves a disservice in the long run because in order to build sustainable journalism around the trans community, you have to build a through line to the community. You have to develop trust. And what they’re doing is breaking trust, because we take notice of the publishers that are reporting sensitively and responsibly about a community, and we take notice about the ones who don’t, and we become more reluctant to speak to ’em when incidents happen. We tell our community members not to trust these journalists, uh, these reporters. And it erodes trust over time. And so, you know, as reporters, I think we should care about finding solutions to an anti-trans violence, because it’s the morally and ethically responsible thing to do.

But I know publishers don’t always care about that. So it’s also, if they don’t care about that, should be an incentive to them from a business model perspective to start responsibly reporting on trans the trans community. Because when they own trust, they’re basically building a wall between themselves and a community that they’re relying on right now to meet their KPIs, their page views, you know what I mean? So I think another issue is that legacy publishers like the New York Times are using their opinion sections as a way to just amplify and platform blatant anti-trans personal essays from people who just dislike trans people. And so they’re giving legitimacy to news that are completely have been debunked by science, by medical professionals. And so I think this is especially troubling in an era where we’re seeing publications that are actually reporting on the trans community in ways that are accurate, like Buzzfeed and, the Huffington Post and Vice being completely shuttered, their newsroom’s gutted.

So it’s like the space that’s being occupied by journalists who actually want to report on the trans community in ways that are beneficial is shrinking. And now it’s leaving this huge space for publishers who don’t care about our community to basically say whatever they want without any resistance. So that’s why encourage journalists who have been laid off, or who are looking to pivot in a different direction, to start a substack, to start a TikTok account, to start a podcast, to find ways to tell these stories in ways that circumvent the legacy media world, because they’re gonna filter our ideas and they’re gonna filter the trans voices. And so I ultimately think that’s going to be one of the long term solutions.

Trans Representation in Hollywood

IMARA JONES: Um, Eva, given your unique role as having been in the world of mainstream journalism and now in the world of, um, entertainment and Hollywood, I’m wondering what you see as the echoes between what you see, um, the way in which media coverage and mainstream press happens, and how it actually influences how Hollywood sees us and therefore, um, the roles that people are offered or the stories that get told?

EVA REIGN: That’s a good question. Um, I’m just kind of sitting with it. I’m like, Hmm. Well, you know, one thing that Hollywood does is Hollywood does chase the money, right? So pretty much anytime that Hollywood sees that there is a group of people that is “trendy,” you know, that’s like starting to pick up steam. That’s like, that is when we start to see that reflected back in shows and films, or even music. You know, I think one thing that, yeah, so with trans narratives, um, oddly enough, Hollywood was kind of one of the arenas that we started to see more positive representation. While that wasn’t always the case, you know, like, I mean, if you look back at like what was happening, um, pretty much anything like pre 2012 was pretty negative when it comes to trans representation, right?

The more we started to see different activists speak up and people slowly started to change their views on us, that is when we started to see more trans roles on television. Which, you know, they weren’t perfect. They were kind of clunky. And I think part of that is Hollywood saw that there was something that was eye catching about us, and they wanted to use that to garner more attention, to garner more views, um, to kind of have this like wow factor to all of their programs. We really suffered through all of that, and trans writers did also, uh, but, you know, thanks to people like Laverne [Cox] who were able to really like push through that, we then started to see this shift where, um, there was more positive representation of us. There was more holistic representation of us also, that kind of went beyond just like the coming out story and talk around like what body parts we have, but actually talked about who we are as people.

And like that led to shows like Pose that led to us seeing trans people just a part of people’s everyday lives on screen, whether that was Elliot Fletcher on Shameless or like Ian Alexander on Star Trek, and now we’re slowly starting to see more starring roles such as Tracy Ette and Monica, me with Anything’s Possible in Prime. You know, we’re starting to see this shift, but it is slow. I do think it’s steady. And I think that Hollywood is kind of like one of the few mediums that we have to like, show ourselves in a positive light, um, after, you know, yeah, like the shuttering of several newsrooms. Um, now that there are a number of trans people who do have strong platforms who are on talk shows, like going on there and talking about their lives, um, or on TikTok or on Instagram, you know, like, we have other ways to show our voices and show who we are.

But yeah, it gets tricky with Hollywood, you know. I think Hollywood, I think they don’t quite know how to always cast us in things because they don’t really understand who we are. They just know that they want to see trans people in different roles. But, you know, I mean, oftentimes when I get a breakdown for stuff, it’s not quite clear like what kind of trans person they’re looking for.

You know, it can be super broad. I mean, it’ll say they want like, you know, like a white guy with blonde hair who’s like really [muffled] or whatever. But then when it comes to trans people, it can just be as broad as like, um, like trans/genderqueer person ages 18 to 50.

And I’m like, what does that mean? You know, like, what exactly are you searching for? So I think, yeah, I think there’s a lot of ways in which people are slowly becoming educated on us. Even with like the negative, uh, the negative stories that we’ve seen from, you know, like, from the early 2000s, there’s, I mean, there’s lots of people who actually saw something positive in that, and it did shift how they viewed us. It made them think twice about how they interact with trans people. So every like, every little thing does count.

But I think the biggest thing that we can always do is to really make sure that we’re telling our stories accurately and make sure that the people who call themselves our allies, but they are also holding themselves to a higher standard on, you know, how they show up for us. Yeah.

IMARA JONES: Yeah. I think one of the questions, I mean, it’s interesting ’cause you’re saying that the roles are trickling in and they’re slightly getting better, but then you can get, have a situation where, you know, someone like Dave Chappelle is suddenly platformed and, you know, with anti-trans rhetoric, they have the biggest, streams of that year on Netflix. And so it’s the way in which like, even though there are these trickle of roles, you’re still contesting the images of trans people that still can garner huge audiences, right?

EVA REIGN: Absolutely. Yeah ’cause I mean, trans, I mean, transness is such a, it can be such a spectacle to different people, you know? And I think that is where a lot of the draw comes from. Especially when it comes to trans women. We have always been the most visible because people, um, people are very caught up on the whole notion of what makes a woman, what makes a woman appear attractive, what makes her appear not attractive, all these things.

And, and so, you know, even when we turn on very like far right media, likeFox News, they’re typically focusing on trans women, and they’re focusing on us and using the bathroom and us entering sports. And yeah, like when you go online, you see the major impact of, all these negative ideals and notions that are being output, with people very much focusing on this whole idea of like a man being in the bathroom, or a man being in a dress or whatever, whatever, whatever.

Um, it’s false. All of it is, you know, fueled by people who, probably don’t know us or maybe they do, or, you know, maybe they do know us in a very personal way, you know, I mean, we’ve seen that multiple times, but people who have the most to say about us are also the same ones who are hitting us up in our Instagram messages in the middle of the night, right? Um, you know, or they’re on Tinder or whatever dating app, you know, and they also are turning around and trying to save face by being so adamantly anti-trans.

And it is this big question of like, why are you so concerned with us? Um, why is there such a big spectacle of us in journalism? Because that is because that, that like gets clicks, right? That gets lots of clicks, that gets lots of traffic. Um, and, uh, you know, I think there’s….I think when it comes to the spectacle that sadly is what has, um, garnered more roles for us in, in Hollywood was, you know, that is also what has generated more storylines for us, and that also gives us so much more to push back against, you know?

And I think that’s why, um, you know, the fact that we all make our own media, that we all are showing our faces and being proud of who we are, that is such a powerful thing. Yeah. Because in this world with so much propaganda around our very being, it can be very easy for trans folks to feel that we can’t even walk outside our front door because we think that people are going to put this camera up to our face. You know, we see this on social media, we see it in the news.

Yeah, I think like the more that we just keep generating and the more that we keep showing up for our selves first and foremost, um, the more we will see a positive change in helping people like Dave Chappelle and all those other people who probably do have a fetish for us, we’re being totally honest, you know, the more we can get them to shut up and run their own damn business. So, yeah.

IMARA JONES: Yeah. I think as, um, as Trace Lysette said in her famous TikTok, um, framed Dave Chappelle as “it’s giving client,” yeah. So giving client.

Anti-Trans Violence Reporting in Local Newsrooms

IMARA JONES: Alright, Rebekah. I want you to help take us to two places where you know a lot about: the first is the way that anti-trans violence is reported in local newsrooms, and specifically in relationship to the murders of trans people, specifically Black trans women.

So take us into the things that they’re getting wrong and how those portrayals are harmful and what’s wrong, and then some of the thoughts you have about ways that, especially in local news, um, where and how things can change.

ARIELLE REBEKAH: Yeah, no, thanks for that question. So I think what’s so interesting about reporting on anti-trans violence is there’s basically this like one Facebook group called Trans Violence News, where all of the conversations, all of the initial reports about incidents of anti-trans violence, begin. And so it basically is like Sue Kerr of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents or a couple of other folks will post that they have heard about in the incident that happened somewhere in the U.S. or somewhere around the world. It is a global group, and basically all of the conversations of anti-trans violence start in that group.

Often what we will see is the way that folks in that group pick up on incidents of anti-trans violence in local media is by having something really awful Googled that was said. So like man in a dress, um, like, presenting as female, like all these things, but all these little buzzwords that we see in local newsrooms where we know that these are buzzwords indicating that generally transgender women, uh, or trans women broadly are being misgendered.

These are the buzzwords that folks in that group use to monitor local incidents of anti-trans violence, which is really freaking telling that that is how we pick up on these local incidents. And so to answer your question, you know, often there are all of these indicators that local newsrooms either intentionally ignore that indicate someone, a victim of violence was trans, or just lack the expertise understanding or desire to pick up on these indicators. And I think unfortunately, it is often this intentional lack of respect for transgender people because, you know, how I got my start in this work was reaching out to local reporters and saying, hey, you picked up on this incident with anti-trans violence. I have noticed that you have misgendered this person. I’ve noticed you called him [muffled]. I’ve noticed that you used a photo from before they transitioned. And as a reporter, you should care that this is inaccurate.

And that was sort of how I got my start in responding to anti-trans violence, was reaching out to journalists to get them to correct inaccurate reporting. And the reason I think it is intentional is because 9 times out of 10, they would respond to me if they responded at all and say, sorry, my local newsroom guidelines say that I have to report what was on this person’s ID. Or I have to report what the police are saying this person’s gender is. And no matter how many times I push back in this, no matter how many times I try to offer them guidelines for how to improve their strategy of reporting about trans people, there is very little shift.

And we’re starting to see some of that with progressive local news. Even in more right wing states, like even in Texas, there are a couple of local publications that are doing a much better job reporting on anti-trans violence.

IMARA JONES: Will you name them really quickly?

ARIELLE REBEKAH: Um, oh my God, I, it’s escaping me right now….but there, there are a number of local papers that have popped up, like dedicated to telling progressive stories within more right wing states. If I remember it, I’ll name it. But you know, by and large, it does seem like an intentional lack of respect for transgender people. And so there becomes this over reliance on people like Sue Kerr of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents to be the one to correct all of these stories. And, you know, there was a six week period of time where Sue was dealing with a personal problem in the fall, and there were like 10 incidents of anti-trans island that came up over that six week period of time that either weren’t reported on at all, or were reported on so disrespectfully without any regard for trans people’s lives. And because of this over reliance on this one Facebook group, that may be handling 20 of us active in it at any given time, unless people in that group are responding to it and doing this work, most of whom are doing it without being paid local news gets carte blanche to say whatever they want.

IMARA JONES: Yeah, I mean, I think that one of the things that is interesting sadly about local news reporting is not only do they do everything that you said, misgendering using the the wrong photos, all the rest of it, deadnaming, you know, all of the things that, I mean, should be utterly unthinkable in this age. But it is also the case that they rarely actually report on the people who have died as human beings.

So they talk about where they lived, how they died, what the police are doing about it, and quotes from local officials. They rarely have things about “this is where this person works, this is who loved them, this is what their friends and family are saying about them.” They don’t actually center them as human beings, which is kind of standard for other stories of people who were murdered. Like you center the person who was murdered as a––they’re human being. And then the other things are around that. And that’s one of the most glaring absences for me in the reporting on trans people and trans death.

ARIELLE REBEKAH: Yeah. And I think that this is so interesting that you bring that up. ‘Cause I mean that’s, and the, y’all all have these journalist guides on your seats and these, uh, the anti-trans one we just came out with in September and Serena and I worked on that together. Um, and that is, that is one of the things that we really see so often is this, um, this lack of recording on who trans people were in their lives. And what that leads to is a lack of inability of folks reading the stories, who actually comprehend that trans people are human beings, and this person that died was a person that had family, friends, loved ones coworkers, that they were a human being. And it just perpetuates the dehumanization that perpetuates anti-trans violence.

Because if you don’t see trans people as human beings similar to any other group that, you know, gets humanized — we are seeing this with Palestinians and Gaza right now — if we see the repeated dehumanization of a group of people over time, then it is very difficult to get the general public to become invested in finding solutions to the conditions that place them in harm’s way.

And so it feels, um, sometimes intentional or intentional lack of a desire to do it differently where local newsrooms are just not reporting on huge trans people where in life, probably because they aren’t personally invested in finding solutions to violence, they’re just like, well, this is a breaking news piece of a murder of this person that I don’t care about. And so I’m going to report on it as such, when the reality is one of the biggest indicators of, uh, one of the biggest factors that increases empathy for any group of people is portraying them as human beings with full robust lives and experiences. And we see when we tell trans stories to save trans lives, well, that increases empathy, empathy for transgender people and pushes the needle forward because more folks are invested in finding solutions to anti-trans violence and solutions to violence impacting all of our communities. Then we as a collective have the power to shift the narrative and to shift the conditions that places to harm’s way.

But if local media and media that by and large continue dehumanizing trans folks continue, you know, platforming groups like the freaking ADF [Alliance Defending Freedom] as “experts,” when their whole lane is targeting and increasing hate towards transgender people, then it becomes really difficult to push the needle forward, uh, in our fight.

IMARA JONES: Yeah it reminds me of…so, there was a gruesome murder, I think it was three years ago of Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, a Black trans woman in Philadelphia whose murder was among the most extreme that I’ve ever heard of. And if you read the details, I’m not gonna recount them, but they are almost in the realm of [Jeffrey] Dahmer, right? Like it’s wild what happened to her, in every single way. And I spoke to her mother about it. And one, her mother was never included in any of the articles that was written about her before she died, right? She was like “the world never knew that my daughter had a job, that she had a mom that loved her, that she had, a family that supported her, you know, the world never knew that about her.”

And the second thing I asked her was on this issue of humanity, I said, if you could be in a room alone with the person who murdered her, what would you say to him? And she said, “the thing that I would say to him is that my daughter was loved, right? That she was a person.” And that was so poignant to me. And that shows you what’s absent in everything that you’re saying.

What do you think are some of the solutions, before we kind of move the questions, what do you think are some of the solutions? ‘Cause you’ve also done a lot of thinking in terms of the guide that you all have worked on. Solutions in terms of reporting solutions. So what are the things you think the journalists can do to improve?

Tips for Improving Trans Reporting in Local Newsrooms

ARIELLE REBEKAH: Yeah, I mean, I think the number one thing is always talking to trans people. Always talking to family members of trans people. You know, the soundbite framing of nothing about us without us. Every story about trans lives, whether that is about anti-trans violence, anti-trans legislation, should always include trans voices and should always include the voices of those most impacted.

And so we know that poor and low-income families of trans youth are more impacted by anti-trans legislation because the ability to relocate out of state is significantly lower. We know that disabled trans youth face increased barriers to accessing healthcare. And so really thinking through not just about including trans people in general in reporting, but thinking through, okay, the issue that I’m reporting on is such and such thing. So, you know, if, if it is healthcare, okay, I know that ableism in healthcare, especially in the era of the Covid pandemic, prevents disabled and immunocompromised people in general from accessing healthcare because masks are not mandated in healthcare anymore.

How do I bring that angle into reporting on gender-affirming healthcare, knowing that disabled and immunocompromised trans youth can no longer access healthcare for now multiple reasons because of ableism in healthcare and because of transphobia in healthcare. You know, it is asking those questions of what the story I’m telling, who are those most impacted even with within the trans community, and how do I access those spokespeople.

And I think one of the recommendations that I would give is that Transgender Law Center, one of the things that we do is connect journalists with spokespeople who can speak on certain issues. And one of the series that we were launching in 2024 and 2025 is a series of webinars aimed at increasing familiarity with spokespeople around certain specific issue issue areas being anti-trans violence: medical band, athletics, disability justice and reproductive justice, and Christian nationalism to name [a few].

And so, you know, increasing familiarity with spokespeople who could speak on issues. And if you aren’t able to connect directly with a spokesperson or know someone offhand connecting with an organization like Transgender Law Center or your local Equality Federation representative organization or local ACLU to connect with spokespeople who can add the personal angle to the story you’re telling. Because as we’ve been talking about that personal connection, that humanization is what will push the needle for your readers in favor of solutions in regards to trans people. And not just like fatal anti-trans violence, anti-trans legislation, harassment. But you know, what happened to Nex Benedict, right? Like, these are the stories that we need to tell, including trans people to increase their empathy necessary to end violence towards our communities.

IMARA JONES: I would also add that like in addition to the TLC resources, that there are lots of other resources with regards to style guides for how people can write about these. So the Trans Journalist Association has a style guide. The NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists also has a style guide. I know that the New York Times, a lot of the journalists there were actually pushing for various parts of those to be incorporated into the way that the paper covers trans people. So the point here is that the things that journalists need to do are not a mystery, right? This is not like, you know, trying to figure out how to land on the polar axis of the moon, um, which is really hard. I dunno if you’ve seen the two things, but they both ended up upside down. So it’s a really hard thing to do, but this is not that hard.

Like, you actually, you actually have tons of resources to be able to tell you how to cover these things accurately. And so the point here is to urge people to actually use the things that are out there. This is not rocket science, and this is something that all of us have done in our jobs, all of us do routinely. It’s something that’s not that hard. Um, so I’m wondering if we can take time for questions. We may have 15 minutes or so for that. Um, if not, I can keep going.

ARIELLE REBEKAH: I’m pretty sure it’s Texas Tribune. I’m pretty sure that is what I’m talking about, but I can verify there.

IMARA JONES: So the microphone is here, please come up if anyone has any comments or reflections.

SXSW PANEL: AUDIENCE Q&A

Trans Journalism in The Future

AUDIENCE MEMBER 1: What are you hopeful about in regards to trans journalism in the future?

SERENA DANIARI: Sure, that’s a great question because I think it’s easy with everything going on right now to feel defeated. And I know a lot of us in media and journalism and comms are feeling that constant burnout, that fatigue of logging online and seeing a news alert about one of our brothers, sisters, or siblings being murdered again or being a victim of anti-trans violence.

I’m hopeful about creating a journalistic environment where the rules on reporting about anti-trans violence go beyond, “don’t misgender, don’t deadname.” Like these are table stakes, right? These are the bare minimum of what we need to be doing as reporters. Our goal is to find the truth, okay? And I think one of the biggest issues is that — and we talk about this in our journalist guide at Transgender Law Center — there’s a need to push the framing beyond individual incidents of violence. As journalists, we need to zoom out and we need to connect the dots and find the extrapolations, find the connections between the acts of violence that are happening because incidents of anti-trans violence don’t happen in a vacuum, right? There’s a context beyond that.

What are the conditions, the societal ills, the societal failings, the conditions that create an environment where violence against trans people is so pervasive. I’m talking about a lack of equitable housing, a lack of employment opportunities, a lack of accessible healthcare. These are the conditions and we need to name them. So I see a lot of anti-trans violence [reporting] very much fixated on numbers, you know, the 15th trans person to be killed in 2024. And while it’s important that we track the pervasiveness of the violence, we also to address the underlying occurrence that enabled this violence to happen so regularly.

Because unless we name those larger issues, those looming issues, then we’re not gonna really be able to guide readers towards the solutions. And I think that’s what the goal of journalism should be right now. I mean, it’s interesting because I’ve reported a lot of anti-trans violence in my career. And in 2020 I kind of went from reporting on the story to being the story because I was attacked on the subway in New York City, and like the very next day it went viral and it blew up. And journalists were hounding me to get a quote or some sort of blurb about a traumatic incident. And I felt like journalists were trying to sensationalize it, you know, speaking about what I was wearing, what I was saying, what I maybe had done to contribute to this act of violence happening.

So we also need to shift away from victim blaming narratives because when a non-trans person is killed, we [trans people] never, you know, go “what did they do to deserve that? What did they say? What were they wearing?” So I think when we’re able to focus on the systemic issues, instead of focusing on what the victim did to deserve this horrible attack, that’s when we’ll get to a place solid reporting around these issues.

IMARA JONES TO EVA REIGN: What do you hope about in regards to the future of trans reporting?

EVA REIGN: Sorry, I was listening to you. What am I hopeful about? I’m hopeful that even with like the rise in anti-trans rhetoric in media, it’s also a rise in trans people on social media, right? Like I think now we’ve never seen this many trans people visibly online talking about their lives, talking about what they go through. I mean, that’s like honestly how I got my start. Like I would post on Instagram and then people would find me through whatever hashtag, um, and I was able to connect to other people in media. I mean, that’s how I learned who you were. You know, I read all of your stories from like, from like way back when and, you know, like seeing you gave me a lot of hope and I thought, okay, I guess there is some kind of avenue for me to tell my own story, right? And at first I thought, oh, like, who cares about me? I’m just like some random girl Missouri.

But the more I shared, the more people did care. I mean, with that, it can be tricky because I do think there are a lot of trans youth who I think they’re sharing a little too much online. Um, I do want to just kind of like, you know, just like, turn off your phones at times. So I’m like, you’re saying too much, you know, and like the whole world doesn’t need to know, um, all these things about your life, you know, like you are like a kid and I think you should really try to hold on to, um, that youth and your own right to privacy. Mm-Hmm. Um, but the fact that we do have the power to be our own voice, that also makes all of this like legacy media that, I mean, that makes them think twice about what they say when they know that someone has the platform to totally call them out on it, right?

A lot of journalists who have been transphobic, they tried to push back by saying, oh no, you’re trying to weaponize your platform against me.” You know, I mean that’s what happened when, I think it was Piers Morgan who interviewed Janet Mock back in like, was it like 2014? Yeah. He like tried to go off on her and, he just kind of showed his own colors and the evidence was there, there was no denying what his true intentions were in that moment. And I think that’s, I mean, it is very sad what happened to Janet in that moment. She did not deserve to go through that trauma, at the same time, that is a great example of the power that we do have thanks to the Internet, and thanks to a growing number of people who actually have empathy for who we are and are seeking to really understand us as best as they possibly can. So I think that’s what has me really excited. We’re seeing more and more people with that power.

IMARA JONES TO ARIELLE REBEKAH Mm-Hmm. What are you hopeful about?

ARIELLE REBEKAH: Have y’all seen how trans Gen Z and Gen Alpha are? It’s a sight to behold. I think that, you know, we’re seeing these like old school journalists in the legacy publications, they still have this sort of like, stronghold on media and that will continue to fade, and that is going to fade as Gen Z and Jen Alpha enter newsrooms, gain more power in journalism because one of the biggest things we need is more trans and trans-friendly folks in newsrooms telling these stories. And because of the shift in values even from like millennials to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the shift is inevitable, right? Like, we are doing this work is important, and because we need to break the movable middle in our generations along, like we can’t like completely see the ground among folks that are telling great stories. Now, we can’t just like wait for, you know, Gen Z and Gena to come up into newsrooms. But I do think the shift towards support and affirmation for trans people in newsrooms is a tidal wave waiting to happen because of the young voices that are coming up in the newsrooms over the next five, 10 years.

IMARA JONES: Any other questions we have time for maybe one more before we wrap up?

AUDIENCE MEMBER 2: Hi, my name’s Anne and I am a liberal Austin photojournalist and creative portrait photographer. I am here to represent a story of someone that I’m working with who is trans-masculine and has gone through cancer, surviving through the discovery of top surgery. And I just am hoping to make a connection because there’s an amazing story.

I’ve been working with this person now for six months to document the visual side of body transformation. And in that time period I’m becoming more educated and I’m understanding this like huge impact that my photos have for them to reflect back what they’re going through physically and the physical changes. And so I don’t really necessarily have a question, but I’m in a room full of potentially journalists and people that can help propel this story forward. So I just wanted to point myself out and unfortunately Ashton can’t be here to tell this story. So I appreciate all that you guys are doing and understanding more and more.

As someone who is Gen X and a 50-year-old, it is so enlightening to understand this broad spectrum of humanity and then be able to work in that realm of storytelling, even though I’m not a writer, it’s, it’s the photo journalist side of storytelling that I’m doing that forward with. So thank you. Yeah, thank you for that. I think that, um, one of the most important things is that we, you know, look to all of the ways and that we can tell stories, of course in photojournalism is, um, one of them. Any thoughts or advice?

SERENA JAZMINE: Just want to say that I would love to connect with you after, because I think between the four of us, we have a lot of connections in LGBTQ media, and I know plenty of editors, video producers, who I think would be really interested in hearing a unique trans story about gender-affirming care, presented in a way that I think most folks don’t conventionally think about. So yeah, I would love to touch base with you later.

ARIELLE REBEKAH: Also, just like, I can’t think of anything more humanizing and beautiful than just like a photo essay on trans joy affirmation, especially like through the angle that you’re coming in through. I just think that, you know, it is hard to miss it when you see trans joy, it’s so infectious. And I love our joy for that reason, because you just, there is no denying it if you have a desire to see it.

IMARA JONES: Well, we have to end this panel at this particular time. But just wanted to thank all of you all for all of your powerful and experienced, informed insights, and also to everyone in the audience for joining us. Thank you so much.

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We’ve created this space to honor and remember the transmasc and nonbinary siblings we have lost so far in 2023 to anti-trans violence, intimate partner violence, oppression, and mysterious circumstances. TRIGGER WARNING: trans death.

Transmasc Deaths In 2023

By Daniela “Dani” Capistrano and Alex Guerra

As first reported by pghlesbian.com, we have lost 38 known TGNC siblings in the United States in 2023. Some mainstream news outlets continue to fetishize our deaths for clickbait and comments; deadnaming and dehumanizing our community. Transmasc people are often treated like an afterthought.

With this memorial page we remember the 7 known transmasc and nonbinary siblings who were taken from us this year. We say known because trans people are often misgendered and deadnamed for months and even years by mainstream media, our stories often going unreported for months and years after our deaths. Trans lives continue to matter even when the media erases us.

We thank HRC, Them, Advocate, Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, @TDORINFO, and others for their dedication to reporting on trans lives and deaths with respect and accuracy. We have linked to these sources below.

As you learn about our young trancestors’ lives and their deaths, please take the time you need to step away and care for yourself; these stories are triggering.

Dominic Dupree, also known as Dominic Palace

PRONOUNS: Dominic used multiple pronouns on publicly visible social media.

AGE: 25

WHERE HE’S FROM: Gary, Indiana

WHERE HE DIED: Chicago, Illinois

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: October 13, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: Shot

Dominic Palace Dupree was inside his vehicle in a Chicago alley around 10:46 p.m. when gunfire broke out, according to police. They were struck multiple times throughout the body and pronounced dead at the scene. Dominic was a graduate of Thea Bowman Leadership Academy and an accomplished entrepreneur who owned two businesses: Private Protection Division LLC in Gary as well as Hondo IV Lawncare & Snow Removal LLC.

“Dominic had an entrepreneurial spirit and was passionate about providing services to help others. Dominic was only 25, loved by so many people and surely had so much more to give.” – Tori Cooper, Human Rights Campaign Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative

Dominic’s family has set up a crowdfund for funeral expenses. The page uses their name assigned at birth and male pronouns.

SOURCE: HRC and Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

Luis Ángel Díaz Castro

PRONOUNS: He/Him

AGE: 22

WHERE HE’S FROM: Bayamon, Puerto Rico

WHERE HE DIED: San Juan, Puerto Rico

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: August 12, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: Intimate partner violence

Luis Ángel Díaz Castro’s mother knew her son was missing; she told police that Luis had recently reported his ex-partner Domingo Rafael Aquino Ubri for domestic violence. She gave permission for them to search his apartment. Police ultimately found Luis’ body decomposed in his ex-boyfriend’s closet.

Díaz Castro was killed the day after his abuser was released.

After graduating from Luis Muñoz Rivera High School, Luis Ángel went on to study at Universidad de Puerto Rico en Arecibo and was working for the Department of Education at the time of his death. 

His family remembers him for his love of music, with Hector Maysonet and Chema y JohnD as his favorite musicians.

For more information on the impact of intimate partner violence on the trans community, click here.

SOURCE: Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

Camdyn Rider

PRONOUNS: He/Him and They/Them

AGE:  21

WHERE THEY’RE FROM: Orlando, Florida

WHERE HE DIED: Winter Haven, Florida

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: July 21, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: Intimate partner violence

Camdyn Rider was shot and killed by their partner. Camdyn was pregnant with his first child at the time of the shooting. He had taken to social media to share just how excited they were about having a baby boy that was due in August. 

People remember Camdyn for his humor, wit, and wry observations as well as his love for traveling, concerts, camping, photography, art, music, and books.

Trans people are disproportionately likely to experience intimate partner violence (IPV), according to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey

SOURCE: Them

Jacob Williamson

PRONOUNS: He/Him

AGE: 18

WHERE HE’S FROM: Laurens, South Carolina

WHERE HE DIED: Monroe, South Carolina

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: July 4, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: Intimate partner violence

According to Union County sheriff’s deputies, in that last month and a half before his death, Jacob began an online relationship with Joshua Newton from Monroe. They said Newton picked up Williamson for a date on June 30, then brought Williamson back to a home on Bethpage Lane in Monroe, where they believe he killed Williamson.

At age 18, Jacob was the youngest trans masculine person taken from us so far in 2023. A month and a half before his murder, he had finally begun to experience his authentic life: socially transitioning and moving in with supportive friends after his own family failed to accept him. He had recently begun working at a local Waffle House restaurant.

“This world was so cruel to Jacob his entire life. I find peace in knowing that in the last month and a half, he found peace.”– Promise Edwards, Williamson’s close friend and coworker

SOURCE: Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

Banko Brown, also known as Banko Paso

PRONOUNS: He/Him

AGE: 24

WHERE HE’S FROM: San Francisco, CA

WHERE HE DIED: San Francisco, CA

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: April 27, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: Shot

Banko Brown was fatally shot by a security guard in a San Francisco Walgreens. He was the first transmasc death to be reported in the US this year.

The Young Women’s Freedom Center, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides support for young women and trans youth of all genders, identified Banko as a community organizing intern for the nonprofit. He had been involved with the organization since he was just 12 years old and was currently serving as a community organizing intern. His work involved street assessments during the pandemic.

People closest to him remember him as bold and funny. Julia Arroyo, the co-executive director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center said that Banko “was brilliant and made everyone laugh.” 

“He reached my heart, Arroyo said. “He really did reach my heart. He was so funny and he was bold too, he knew what he was striving for.”

Detectives with the San Francisco Police Department Homicide Department arrested a suspect on April 27, identified as 33-year-old Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony. He has been charged with homicide. In October, San Francisco supervisors unanimously passed a law that limits private security guards’ right to wield a firearm, drafted in response to Banko’s violent death.

SOURCE: SFNews deadnamed Banko in their reporting so we aren’t linking to them here. Additional source: Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents.

Tortuguita, also known as Manuel Esteban Paez Terán

PRONOUNS: They/Them

AGE: 26

WHERE THEY’RE FROM: Venezuela

WHERE THEY DIED: Atlanta, GA

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: January 18, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: Shot

Tortuguita was shot and killed in Atlanta, GA. They were the first nonbinary person and first Indigenous person to be reported shot and killed in the US in 2023. In August, NBC News reported that Tortuguita was a protester who opposed construction of a vast law enforcement training center near Atlanta. They were shot at least 57 times in a police confrontation, an autopsy revealed.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Tortuguita is alleged to have shot and wounded a state trooper, and then officers opened fire. Relatives and friends have insisted that Tortuguita had their hands raised and was no threat to police.

“We are devastated to learn that our child, our sweet Manny, was mercilessly gunned down by police and suffered 57 bullet wounds all over their body,” Tortuguita’s mother, Belkis Teran, said in a statement.

The family and its representatives said they still have too many unanswered questions.

“We cannot even begin to determine what happened on the morning of January 18 until the GBI releases its investigation,” family attorney Brian Spears said in a statement.

After attending FSU’s Panama Campus from 2016 to 2019, Tortuguita attended school in Tallahassee from January 2020 to April 2021. They later graduated in December 2021 with a B.S. in Psychology. Tortuguita divided their time between Atlanta and Florida where they helped build housing in historically marginalized communities. They were a passionate environmental activist and forest defender.

Tortuguita was a trained medic, loving partner, dear friend, a brave soul, and so much more, according to their closest friends. Their mom stated they “loved the forest, they meditated there, the forest connected them with God…I never thought that [Tortuguita] could die in a meditation position. My heart is destroyed.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family.

SOURCE: NBC News

Dacoda ‘Codii’ Lawrence

PRONOUNS: He/Him

AGE: 25

WHERE HE’S FROM: Steubenville, Ohio

WHERE HE DIED: Weirton, Brooke County, West Virginia

CONFIRMED DEATH DATE: September 5, 2023

CAUSE OF DEATH: car accident, with whisperings that Codii was not alone.

Dacoda ‘Codii’ Lawrence was struck by a vehicle on September 5, 2023, in Weirton, Brooke County, West Virginia. The driver responsible surrendered to the police immediately and is co-operating with the authorities.

Codii graduated from Indian Creek High School and most recently had worked as a cook at a Steubenville restaurant. Codii enjoyed music, tv shows, books, games, and hanging out with his friends.

Friends and family describe Codii as “the most genuine and caring human being” and said “his smile was contagious”. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family.

SOURCE: Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

Explore our guide to TDORR, which includes global trans deaths statistics. We will continue to update this 2023 Transmasc Memorial page; if you know of a transmasc and/or nonbinary person we missed, please let us know. We will confirm details and make the update, crediting you as the tip source with your consent. Thank you.

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The post Honoring the Transmasc Siblings we lost in 2023 appeared first on TransLash Media.

It’s been a difficult time to be transgender in the US recently. Republicans have turned our very existence into election fodder and the conservative media ecosystem is seemingly obsessed with us, our healthcare, and our demonization.

In a very short period of time, our society went from attempting to learn the etiquette around using trans peoples’ pronouns, to it being socially acceptable for numerous conservative media members to call for our elimination. Even some previously supportive liberal allies have decided that we’re expendable as long as our elimination helps them win elections.

It’s difficult to describe to outsiders who aren’t paying attention just how swiftly the political situation has shifted under trans people’s feet in this country. It feels like dark days are certainly ahead for American trans people.

But there are rays of trans hope poking their way through the ever-darkening cloud of conservative hate.

First and foremost has been a relatively unexpected boost from the federal court system, which had temporarily blocked anti-trans bills in Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee from taking effect. Though two of those laws have since been allowed to go into effect by circuit courts, even conservative judges have had difficulty justifying the worst bills conservative state legislatures managed to pass this past year.

In mid-June, Robert Hinkle, a Clinton-appointed federal district judge, made two important determinations in his written ruling granting an injunction temporarily blocking Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. He declared that gender identity is real, pointing out that even the state’s preferred doctor witnesses, who spoke during a seven-day trial, all admitted that gender identity exists as a concept. He also found that the law, which in recent weeks began affecting access to care for even adult Floridians, is likely to be found unconstitutional because it specifically targets a distinct minority without a viable state interest.

In a ruling that temporarily blocked a similar bill in Indiana, a Trump-appointed federal judge found that gender-affirming care for trans youth provides a positive effect on mental health. “There’s evidence that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy reduces distress for some minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria,” Hanlon said in his ruling in mid-June. “The risk or irreparable harm, therefore, supports a preliminary injunction.”

It’s not all good news on the legal front however, on July 8, a conservative-majority 6th circuit panel allowed the care ban in Tennessee to go into effect. A few days later, the federal judge allowed Kentucky’s ban to go into effect as well, citing the previous ruling in favor of the state of Tennessee. Even the Tennessee ruling favoring conservatives was tepid, with the majority openly declaring that they do not know if their own ruling is correct.

In the end, all of the federal court machinations over these laws will end up before the Supreme Court, where trans rights face a likely uphill battle. Even on that front, there is reason for slight hope. Despite the 6-3 conservative majority that represents the court’s current ideological makeup, there are still two conservatives, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch, who ruled in favor of LGBTQ employment rights in Bostock v Clayton County. Those two conservatives could potentially have a sympathetic ear and could join with the three liberal justices in further trans-related cases, however unlikely that scenario seems at first glance.

Beyond the current court situation, there are some state legislative developments that should encourage trans people and give us hope. At the forefront of that are the trans-safe refuge laws that have been passed by blue state legislatures.

These bills offer legal protection to trans people and caretakers of trans youth who move to the state to escape red-state persecution. In other words, if a family with a trans kid from Texas were to move to California, which passed a refuge law last year, California would not honor extradition or investigation requests from Texas law enforcement agencies who may be investigating the family for providing their trans child with gender-affirming care.

So far 11 blue states and the District of Columbia have passed such laws, and they’ve been key in facilitating the burgeoning internal trans refugee crisis in the US. According to a Data For Progress report, 40% of trans Americans have considered moving to a safer, bluer state to escape state legislature persecution.

While this type of legislation certainly won’t help every red state trans person, it shows that there are government officials at varying levels who aren’t ready to give up on us. Just this week, Wisconsin Democratic governor Tony Evers made a big deal on Twitter for vetoing a transphobic bill passed by the state’s gerrymandered state legislature.

Ultimately, political hope for trans people should come from the existence of politicians like Evers, or even in electing candidates who themselves are trans. Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride has perhaps the best shot in recent history to become the first-ever openly trans congressperson as she recently announced a run for the newly vacated seat in her state.

Electing more trans people would mean the GOP would be forced to work opposite people like us while they systematically try to legislatively stamp us out of society. But beyond just electing more trans people, there are early signs that the Republican obsession with trans people is backfiring electorally.

One early prognostication indicator for the election appetite of the country is how the parties perform in off-cycle special elections, and so far, it seems like Democrats are significantly overperforming expectations heading into the 2024 presidential election year.

Last week, in Wisconsin’s 24th Assembly district special election, Republican Paul Melotik won over their Democratic challenger by 7 percent. However, the district in question is historically very red. During the last election, it went Republican +23. That Democrats came within seven points of winning such a red district in a low-turnout special election is incredibly encouraging — and is a sign that Republican transphobia is an election-losing issue.

Historically, this has almost always been the case, despite many centrist attempts to tie Democratic losses to support for trans people. In 2016, in a red wave election that put Donald Trump in the White House, the patient zero of Republican transphobia, former North Carolina Governor (of HB2 bathroom bill infamy) Pat McCrory lost his election and Republicans haven’t been able to reclaim the governor’s mansion ever since, despite gerrymandering a vast majority in the state’s legislature.

In 2022, a whole string of anti-trans politicians saw their election campaigns falter and fail, with the notable exception of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who is now in the midst of one of the most pathetic runs for president from a legitimate contender in recent memory. Truly Jeb Bush vibes there.

Republican transphobia failing to land with everyday voters shouldn’t be all that surprising. Most voters don’t know a single trans person, which serves as a double-edged sword of its own. Not knowing a trans person helps the GOP lie about and demonize trans people for a wide audience, but at the same time, basing your party’s entire political agenda around a demographic that most people simply have no interaction with means your platform will have little to no relevance to voters’ everyday lives.

Ironically, it may be that our small numbers as a people that offers us the political salvation we’re all hoping for. None of these instances of hope are all-encompassing, after all, there are no magic bullets in civil rights struggles. But taken together, they all add up to hope for trans people. And we could all use a little hope right now.

Katelyn Burns (she/her) is a freelance journalist and columnist for MSNBC. She was the first openly transgender Capitol Hill reporter in US history.

The post Rays of Trans Hope Break Through the US Political Landscape appeared first on TransLash Media.

The ACLU is tracking over 450 anti-LGBT bills in the U.S. In some form, most bills focus on trans identity and claim to protect children from pedophilia. The premise of many of these proposals is that trans people are groomers or secretly cisgendered and broken from abuse. This mythology erases actual trans childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors, like myself. 

Ironically, anti-trans legislation creates conditions that will lead to more instances of CSA. There’s a paradox in legislation of centralizing CSA narratives as evidence while dismissing the most harmful parts of CSA survivors’ lived experiences. 

As someone who has been impacted by CSA, it was inherently isolating because nowhere, including my body, felt safe. The future seemed impossible — especially one where I felt whole, respected, and loved. Lastly, it took my language away. I stopped speaking and believed all traces of stability would be ruined otherwise. 

Trans CSA survivors are isolated even further on the political stage by the narrowing of our existence. The legislation diminishes our futures with healthcare bans. They erase our language by censoring schools. Each bill breaks down critical systems we rely on for information and life-saving care. 

For example, this year, Tennessee became the first state to sign a drag restriction, which “protects children from obscene, sexualized entertainment.” Last month, 14 proposals for drag show restrictions declared that visibly gender-expansive people are dangerous to youth. Labeling gender non-conforming adults as predatory and building laws around the visibility of our community further isolates both people who are and aren’t out as trans. Solitude is a primary reason people fall into abuse. It encourages us to accept any kind of love or care. In removing youth from community spaces, it’s more likely they’ll make unsafe decisions in desperation to belong. This sets youth up to blame when the system at hand creates conditions for loneliness. 

Meanwhile, nearly 80% of states on the ACLU’s tracker have bills advancing related to LGBTQ+ students. Many restrict conversations around gender and sexual orientation with clauses like duty-to-report to parents, schools, and/or Child Protective Services when flagging a student’s gender or sexual orientation. Involving these authoritative parties without a person’s consent is bad for survivors. Youth with unsupportive families could be punished privately by family in addition to state-level punishment. Youth with supportive families are now threatened with CPS or school suspension. 

It is harmful when a survivor lacks clarity about the repercussions of disclosing new information about themselves. This is both true for sharing with others the most beautiful parts of life, like a new name or the hardest parts, like being molested. 

Equating LGBTQ+ identity with abuse in schools is additionally damaging. To the legislators of these bills, child abuse is defined as a trans person simply existing: at home, at school, in media, in public, near children, or being a child at all. Without correct definitions of abuse, naming CSA when it happens is delayed. It already takes 17 years for most CSA disclosures to come to light. Removing words relating to our bodies and experiences and replacing them with misinformation creates another generation seeking language and thus resources.

Anti-Trans Legislation Is Abuse Masquerading As Protection

The second most common type of bill bans gender-affirming healthcare for minors, which has passed in Utah and South Dakota, and is advancing elsewhere under names like “Protect Children’s Innocence Act.” If youth seek gender-affirming care, authorities assume it’s because of home abuse and mutilation by doctors. Parents supporting their child’s journey are assumed criminals by law. With so much legislation mislabeling abuse, child welfare agencies are further limited in their ability to help actual survivors. Doctors are criminalized or lose licenses for these health practices. This upholds fascist rhetoric where politicians are experts and, like abusers, promise they’re doing what’s best for you. 

States are now expanding these bills to trans adults, revealing that anti-trans legislation was never about protecting children. Additional healthcare legislation, similar to SB 897 in Oregon, targets incarcerated trans adults. Trans inmates are more likely to be CSA survivors, and these bills make more survivors by placing them in facilities where they’re more vulnerable to being preyed upon. As anti-trans laws pass, more people will enter this pipeline. 

Perhaps the least obvious corruption of CSA narratives is bans on trans youth, especially girls, from sports. These claim we cheat to win, propagating we’re not trustworthy. Additionally, these bills experiment with proving athletes’ gender. In the case of Ohio, legislators hoped to put kids through genital inspections, which reminds us again this was never about protection. Quite the opposite.

Bills in other categories use backward abuse narratives; for instance, a recently proposed bill in Arkansas bars trans adults from using public restrooms in the presence of minors, naming it “sexual indecency with a child.” Or many states are establishing a “Women’s Bill of Rights” emphasizing biological sex which impacts all genders seeking domestic violence services that already narrowly support cis-women. 

It’s worth noting that it’s not only the far-right who believes in many of these myths that link abuse to transness. It is ever-present in liberal communities and even centrist publications. One of the most common misconceptions across the political spectrum is that domestic violence and sexual abuse underlie victims’ decisions to medically transition. 

My experience contradicts this. Abuse has delayed my coming out and transition process. The person who abused me as a child would cut my hair and held a very firm rule that anything above my shoulders was a “boy’s haircut.” A type of gender exploration so basic was a punishable offense.  

To this day, if a cis man asks me about my interest in medically transitioning, I soften my wishes, fearing they might hurt me. If a cis woman asks, I again shrink myself because I don’t want them to associate me with the men who may have hurt them. Ultimately, childhood sexual abuse stamped me with the question — is my body ever my own? To make the choice to explore my gender and transition requires a type of agency many of us CSA survivors are slow to come to. Amongst our local communities and the media at large, it is deeply unfair to speculate that the decision to become yourself is a result of weakness or victimization. Preventing people from transitioning or exploring their genders with legislation will never be the thing that will save them. 

Protecting survivors is listening to survivors. Legislating virtually every space, even a supportive home, promises that help is not for us. To tackle these bills, we need to honor that trans-CSA survivors exist and, at any age, deserve belonging, a voice, and a promise that tomorrow comes without punishment. 

Lexie Bean (they/he) is a trans multimedia artist from the Midwest whose work revolves around themes of bodies, homes, cyclical violence, and queer identity. They are a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, member of the RAINN National Leadership Council, and a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for their anthology Written on the Body. They have worked with sexual abuse survivors for nearly 15 years, maintaining a special focus on trans victims. They’ve served as a keynote speaker around the US, led over 100 panels and workshops, and collaborated with restorative justice group Hidden Water. Lexie integrated their personal experiences into the acclaimed The Ship We Built, the first middle grade novel centering and written by a trans boy released by a major US publisher. Their work has been featured in Teen Vogue, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Feminist Wire, Ms. Magazine, Them, Bust Magazine, Autostraddle, and more. Currently they are working on new book projects, film writing, and co-directing their first feature-length documentary, What Will I Become? Visit www.lexiebean.com for more info or follow them on Instagram.

The post Abuse Didn’t Cause My Transition, It Delayed My Transition appeared first on TransLash Media.