Trans Murders: Examining the Politics of Death
What if we’ve been wrong to focus so much on the murders of trans people? In a nutshell, that’s the question Laurel Westbrook asks – and answers – in their new book Unlivable Lives: Violence and Identity in Transgender Activism (University of California Press, 2021)....
Finding Gender Euphoria and Healing Through Riotous Hair Colors and Growling Clippers
Perhaps like many trans and nonbinary survivors who felt dysphoric and triggered in their younger bodies, I grew up hating my long mane of curly hair. One of the first things I did upon leaving the house that haunted me was shave it all off at 3AM with tasteless music...
Healing through Harm Reduction
A paradox at the center of healing is that sometimes the way that survivors soothe their pain can also harm them. For example, substance use provides an escape from pain, but can harm bodily systems like the liver, areas of life like relationships; and pose dangers...
Searching for Our Past: A Review of Histories of the Transgender Child
As trans people, we are often hungry for the stories of other trans people, including those who came before us. We may be particularly attracted to stories of early resilience and successful living. It was those stories that I was hoping to find when I eagerly...
Seeing Ourselves Reflected in the Literature
Books about sexual violence very rarely mention trans and non-binary survivors, which is why Intersections of Identity and Sexual Violence on Campus: Centering Minoritized Students’ Experiences, edited by Jessica C. Harris and Chris Linder (2017), stands out. The...
I Stopped Meditating. Then I Watched Pebbles Meditation.
As COVID drags on, many trans and nonbinary survivors may find our mindfulness and meditation practices growing stale or agitated, or even outright abandoned. It can be difficult to find ways to stay connected with our body and breath “in these uncertain times,”...
