A Black trans non-binary person stands on a city street with the sunlight creating a halo of glowing light around their head.

10 Trans-Affirming Quotes

Incorporate these affirmations into your daily routine:

Leslie Feinberg (1949 – 2014)

Ts Madison (1977 – present)

Christine Jorgensen (1926 – 1989)

Marsha P. Johnson (1945 – 1992)

Gia Love (1991 – present)

Janet Mock (1983 – present)

Lee Mokobe (1995 – present)

Elliot Page (1987 – present)

Sylvia Rivera (1951 – 2002)

Marquise Vilsón Balenciaga (1981 – present)

Trans-Affirming Health & Wellness Resources

Dive into our selection of trans-affirming resources! Start exploring now and step into a new year of transformative growth and wellness.

Healthcare

• OutCare Health – A directory of LGBTQ+ affirming healthcare providers across various specialties, including mental health and counseling, family medicine, and more. Providers are vetted and OutCare certified.
• Transcend Legal – Provides assistance with transgender-related healthcare covered under insurance, helping clients to receive respectful, high-quality care.
• Jim Collins Foundation – Provides financial support for transition-related expenses for those without insurance or excluded by insurance.

Relationships

• TransLash Guide to T4T Love – Learn about the history of “t4t” and access related resources.
• Free State Legal Project – Provides legal assistance and support, which can be crucial in navigating relationship-related legal matters for transgender individuals. 
• 10 Tips for Couples During Gender Transition: Pamela D. Garcy Ph.D. – writes for Psychology Today, discussing the dynamics of relationships when one partner is undergoing a gender transition. She  offers practical tips and considerations for both the individual transitioning and their partner, emphasizing the importance of open communication, support, and understanding during this process.
• Dating A Trans Person 101 – A guide by Gender Minorities.
• Trans Safe Dating Tips – Staying safe while dating as a trans person.

Mental Health

• Trans-affirming Mental Health Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month – This guide covers a wide range of trans-affirming and trans-friendly mental health organizations and groups.
• Online Zoom LGBTQ+ Mental Health Peer Support Group – Hosted by The LOFT, this group offers a supportive space for LGBTQ+ individuals to discuss mental health and find community.
• The Tribe LGBTQIA Support Group – An online group focused on mental health within the LGBTQIA community.

Professional Development

• TransTech Social – A co-learning and co-working community created to empower, educate, and employ the LGBTQ+ community through accessible education programs, inclusive events, and equitable employment opportunities that teach practical career-ready skills.
• TransWork – Helping transgender and gender non-binary job seekers connect with supportive employers and business partners, providing resources for both employers and job seekers. 
• Trans Can Work – A nonprofit organization committed to advancing workplace inclusion through training strategies and workforce development. 
• Transgender District Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program – This program is for Transgender and Queer People of Color who aspired to start a business.
• Transitioning in the workplace: guide for trans employees: A guide by HRC to help transgender people navigate transitioning at work.
• NASW (National Association of Social Workers) – LGBTQIA2S+ Professional Development: NASW provides a range of professional development resources focusing on the LGBTQIA2S+ community. These resources include webinars, conferences, and continuing education topics tailored to support individuals and families within these communities.
• LGBTQ Business Week – A 7-day celebration of queer owned businesses that launched in 2023.

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation. Did we miss anything? Let us know and we’ll update the guide with your suggestion, crediting you as the contributor.

The post New Year, New Me: Trans-Affirming Quotes and Resources appeared first on TransLash Media.

What was first puberty like for you? Those of us who knew we were trans, queer, or gender-nonconforming probably spent our teen years actively raging against the process. Others deeper in the closet may have simply sensed that something didn’t feel right. 

Compulsory cishet* culture presents puberty as miserable, embarrassing, and extremely inflexible. For queer and TGNC people who are initially excited about their transition, they may begin to view their second puberty with the same negative outlook. Because of anti-queer violence and censorship, we have been deprived of a whole, healthy connection to generations of queer and trans elders. This means that whatever traditions of queer coming-of-age which used to exist seem to be lost to time. 

While we mourn that reality, we also are presented with an exciting opportunity to shake off what doesn’t suit us from dominant culture(s) with flamboyant agency, and embrace our second puberty with a wily, trickster joy. Whether you’re micro-dosing, seeking a full hormonal transition, or doing neither, I want to help my trans and queer kin sense our empowerment and potential for magic at this incredible turning point. The single story of transition as a traumatic medical slog that we hope may end with cis acceptance is not the only one. We can dare to feel the parts of second puberty that are actually wonderful, potent, and magical.

You Have Time and Wisdom on Your Side.

In first puberty, most of us were rocked by devastatingly low self-esteem. To suggest that this doesn’t happen to trans and queer adults in second puberty would be very misleading: we still struggle deeply once we come out and become invested in making changes to our gender presentation. The mirror may lie or hurt us, and we grow impatient to see our future self bloom. 

Thankfully, as adults in second puberty, we have a great deal more perspective on our feelings than we did as teenagers. We can schedule regular therapy and talk to other queer people who remind us of our worth and beauty at every stage in the journey. 

When you’ve faced fears around things like medical access, transphobia, and coming out to those you love, some of the challenges that stymied you as a disempowered 13 or 14-year-old will now feel like child’s play. You aren’t a kid anymore, and the life experience you bring to your second puberty lends you confidence that will help you navigate this time. (It helps that once we start HRT most of us begin to age backward for a time—so it’s hard not to feel yourself!)

You Get to Create Your Own Rituals.

It may not surprise queer readers to know that many cisgender kids grow up into adults who feel deeply uncertain about their identities. Many cis adults aren’t sure if they are “real” men and women, or if they have done enough to prove their gender identities. Trans and queer people also question our validity all the time—the push to be “real” feels so much more important when our survival may depend on “passing.”

The uncertainty we feel due to missing out on adulthood rites of passage can also lead to depression and misdirected anger as uninitiated teens grow older without fully transitioning into self-assured adults. 

In second puberty, we can harness this knowledge and forge meaningful initiation traditions that help us grow into grounded, confident adults. You could choose to be recognized by community in a traditional ceremony from your faith. You could set yourself a difficult challenge or goal and find a mentor to help you achieve it. Your initiation could be a private ritual of intention done in Nature. Whatever path you take, slowing down and honoring the spirit of this moment is something most teenagers don’t think about. Now’s your chance to honor your transition in ceremony and grow up into the version of yourself that you’ve always wanted to be.

You Can Seek Community that Celebrates Your Authentic Self.

The greatest treasure in our second puberty is undoubtedly our chosen family, community, and queer kin. If your parents had awful things to say about your changing body the first time, odds are you won’t want them commenting on this transition. If your friends in school thought your bold fashion choices were ‘kind of gay,’ now you can surround yourself with the *definitely gay* crowd who are going to cheer you on with every strut (and share their cute clothes to help you build your closet and your confidence). Seek out people who uplift you, who remind you you are worthy and loved. With the wisdom you’ve gained through the years, you have a better idea of who deserves to be close to you during moments of vulnerability and upheaval. You deserve for your transition to be serenaded by a cheer squad, not by your worst critics.

Second puberty is full of second, third, and fourth chances that bloom in sequence, enriching our experience of life in ways we never thought possible before. People around you may not understand why you are taking a positive outlook—and they are entitled to feel however they feel about their own puberty, but one of your greatest qualities is that you are a free thinker who desires a felt sense of authenticity. Your spirit’s striving for authentic grace and beauty means your true coming-of-age can only be a powerful expression that has never been seen on this earth before. 

There is a unique trans magic infused into every step of your path and you deserve to enjoy it deeply. 

The post The Unique Joys of Second Puberty appeared first on TransLash Media.