Stories

Four portraits of people in different settings

Images from Jess T. Dugan for To Survive on This Shore

Voices

Find links below to videos and written media featuring the stories of trans and gender-expansive folks.

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Gender affirming care means getting the quality of care that is representative of the person that I am, and being able to get care with the understanding that I need to be respected and recognized and validated for who I say that I am. [1/8]

I've been pretty creative in finding ways to access healthcare. And in speaking with the doctor, but not speaking with everybody involved in getting to the doctor, divulging just enough information to see the doctor and once I see them, then I go further with why I'm there and what it's all about, and who I am. [2/8]

I truly believe for everybody, whatever their situation is, there's not a one-mold-fits-everybody. And even if you have two people whose stories are about the same, it's still a different journey for each person. [3/8]

I started to realize that if I could get to the other side of suffering, then I would have learned something new, there would be something bigger there. [4/8]

That’s what I like about our community is just, the people are resilient. [5/8]

I’m going to advocate, you know, in any way that I can to show other people, especially people of color, that there's nothing wrong with them. [6/8]

Everybody is aging. And as much as you want for people to be well their whole life and never get sick, or never have any challenges, we don't get to control that. And you want them to have autonomy in their body for as long as possible. [7/8]

Be such a beautiful person in soul that whatever gender people perceive you to be, they will want you near them. (Gracefully Trans) [8/8]

Quotations shared by transgender and gender-expansive contributors to the SAFEage research project

Voices / Video and Audio

KrysAnne’s Story (Gen Silent)→

The story of a trans woman with end-stage cancer, featured in the documentary Gen Silent

A Chat with Nonbinary Elders

Interviews with nonbinary older adults, from Q+ EDU

Shoulders of Giants→

A video playlist of interviews with older trans activists

Trans Man Thought He Had It All—Until He Found His True Self→

The transition story of Criss Smith

Transgender Oral History Project 2015-10-29

Transgender Oral History Project→

(University of Minnesota Libraries)

Interview with Ash Scott on transitioning, PTSD, military healthcare, and other topics

Transgender Oral History Project 2016-12-01

Transgender Oral History Project→

(University of Minnesota Libraries)

Interview with Haylee Veazey on coming out and serving the community as a trans physician

Voices / Reading Material

Media Type /

Reflections / Books / Articles / Research

Reflections

“The bottom line is I feel like I need to be out there to be a voice for those who can't or don't want to. So, yeah, I can get on a pedestal once in a while about trans-gender issues or LGBTQ issues. But I try to do it in a good-spirited type of way. I'm happy to be alive. I'm happy to be complete. I wear this bracelet every day to remind me what happened when I was 31 years old. And it will never happen again. I came within probably, according to the doctor, three to four pills, and we wouldn't be talking right now. So, people can look at that and go, ‘Oh, well, you have some problems.’ It’s like, ‘No, I had a problem. It's been resolved, and life is good.’ And I'm moving on, and I'm making it worth every single moment that I was down at that time, to make myself better as well as hopefully make the world a better place. And I know I have 10, 15, maybe 20 years left. And so, I'm like, I'm not going to waste them. I love who I am, as I told my therapists and I told my doctors, I told just about everybody else. Once I was complete, I told my therapist, I said, ‘Look,’ I said, ‘I would rather live one year as myself than 100 years as my deadname.’ To be one full year of being completely me was worth the journey, instead of being my old self and living to be 100 years old.” [contributed by an older trans woman]

“My journey towards getting gender-affirming care was not an easy one because of intersectional identities. And from my own experience, which is not universal at all, somehow the primary care provider that I had decided that they're not going to send out a referral to my surgeon because I was experiencing housing instability. Usually, Medicaid pays for a recovery place if someone doesn't have a stable place to recover from a surgery. But I’ve had experience with the lack of resources and support for trans men, particularly in housing and other programs. Luckily, by the same time I was doing many different things simultaneously, with the advice of my housing case manager at a homeless shelter that I was at. I got on the waitlist to be seen by a different provider for the same care and to have referral letters. The PCP [primary care provider] called me about an in-person appointment to actually be able to send out referral letters. And the housing question came up as part of the general intake, not because of my particular situation. It's just that they asked the same question to everyone. And then the PCP's like, “We do have resources for you post-surgery, probably, and recovery, as well as general housing resources.” So, yeah, my experience with getting care is not great. My letters for these surgeons got really delayed, and then it was a total mess. And so, my experience wasn't good at all.” [contributed by a trans person of color]

“I have to say, I am not happy with the way that we are kind of pushed into surgeries. When I was at another clinic for a while, there was a surgeon, and he said, “Women have pointed chins.” Well, my partner, she does not have a pointed chin. And a famous model, Molly Sims, doesn't have a pointed chin. I actually had one incident where I said I was very depressed about things. And I was told, “Oh, well, you know, get your surgery and you won't be depressed anymore.” That's ridiculous. I do want to have top surgery, but that's not gonna be a cure for depression. So, I do think that we need to be more critical about our situation, and to be asking more questions. It's just being more critical as clients [patients], you know?” [contributed by an older trans woman]

Books

Little Star by Carmelita Estrellita, edited by Lauren Catlett

The memoir of Carmelita Estrellita, a trans woman with end-stage cancer whose words and artwork tell a story of suffering, wisdom, love, and forgiveness. Proceeds from the sale of this book support the hospice residence where Estrellita spent her final months.

Photograph of a transgender woman from the book To Survive on this Shore

To Survive on this Shore by Jess T. Dugan (Author, Photographer), Vanessa Fabbre (Author), Karen Irvine (Interviewer)

A collection of photographs and interviews with transgender and gender nonconforming older adults with complex lived experiences at the intersections of gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and state of residence.

Celebrating Trans Joy: Building Communities from ACLU Virginia

A zine featuring stories from 13 trans and nonbinary storytellers about love, family, and community to celebrate the humanity of the trans community in a holistic way.

Transcestors, Vol. 1 & 2 edited by Jude Patton and Margot Wilson

A collection of stories covering the diverse ways in which trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit people have come to recognize, signify, embody, and celebrate their authentic selves.

A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margins to Mainstream edited by Carolyn Wolf-Gould, Dallas Denny, Jamison Green, Kyan Lynch

A history of transgender medicine as told by 40+ scholars, physicians, psychologists, and activists from trans, gender-diverse, and allied medical communities.

Articles & Archives

Black & Brown Trans Legacies in the Collections: In Memory of Mother LaTravious Collins by Mia Bruner, Librarian, General Research Division, New York Public Library

A listing of materials in the New York Public Library collections on the legacies of New York-based transgender activists of color.

The Tretter Transgender Oral History Project from the University of Minnesota

A collection of oral histories that documents the life stories and experiences of transgender and gender diverse people, focusing on Midwesterners, people of color, older adults, and activists.

Research

Multilevel Factors Affecting Health Equity for Transgender and Gender Diverse Older Adults by Lauren Catlett, Ames Simmons, Ishan C. Williams, Virginia LeBaron, Charley Burton, Gracie M. Barker, Kimberly D. Acquaviva

A research article featuring the voices of transgender and gender-expansive adults over 50 years old. This research supported the development of Transforming Choices.

Co-designing an advance care planning resource with transgender and gender diverse adults by Lauren Catlett, Ames Simmons, Virginia LeBaron, Ishan C. Williams, Charley Burton, Gracie M. Barker, Tiffany King, Kimberly D. Acquaviva

A research article about how the Transforming Choices Starter Guide was developed.

Stay tuned! More stories coming soon. We also welcome recommendations! Feel free to contact us.