Gender can be a touchy topic. Ever since chopping off my hair I’ve been asked multiple times “when I’m transitioning”. I’m 100% confident in my identity as a masculine female. Hell, cutting my hair short, almost makes me feel even MORE female.
A big ambition of the LGBTQ+ community is to eradicate gender roles. My confusion lies in the fact that since I cut my hair, which enhances my masculinity, the only reasonable explanation must be that I am transitioning. However, it is perfectly okay for me to be a masculine female, just as it is to be a feminine male. It is also okay that I desire to look more like a man, without wanting to identify as one. I love having female body parts - yeah, I wish I had smaller boobs and narrower hips, but for me that’s just for aesthetics.
I feel as though we as a community have lost touch with those of us who fall in between the lines, and not even to the point of identifying as non-binary. Some of us may never find a label that fits us perfectly, and that’s fine, we’re all just somewhere on a spectrum. Someone’s identity should never be assumed or questioned - and it is entirely up to them to decide who they want to be. I’ve never felt more happy with myself as I have since cutting off my hair. Hopefully some of you can relate to this message and I’m always open to discussion in the comments.
I wish I knew about men like these growing up, I wish I knew that trans men could be successful after a lifetime of never seeing anyone ‘like me’ excelling in life. So here are some trans men - some that you may have heard of, some that you may not - that are successful in a range of careers. Never let being trans hold you back, never think you can’t do something, never think there is not a place for you.
Ben Barres American neurobiologist for Stanford University and advocate for women in science. Barre’s research on the interactions between glial cells and neurons changed the way that we understand the brain and opened up a whole new field of research.
Stephen Whittle Professor of equalities law. Founder of FTM Network in 1989 and Press for Change in 1992. Whittle has been heavily involved in trans activism since joining the Self Help Association for Transsexuals in 1979. His research and activism has been instrumental in ensuring the rights of trans people in the UK.
Michael D Cohen Actor, teacher and coach. Making his break in award-winning Nickelodeon sitcoms Henry Danger and Danger Force he was the first series regular actor to publicly come out as transgender. Cohen has a BSc in cell biology and a masters degree in adult education, teaching at his own acting studio and providing workshops.
Chris Mosier American triathlete and award-winning coach. Six time member of Team USA in both duathlon and triathlon, Mosier also won two national championships in racewalking and was the first transgender athlete to qualify for the Olympic trials to compete against other members of his gender.
Yance Ford African-American film producer and director. Ford received an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and was nominated for an Oscar for his part in producing and directing the documentary Strong Island which follows the death of his brother.
Kael McKenzie Canadian judge. Serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for several years, McKenzie later attended law school and and worked as a lawyer before being appointed as a judge to the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 2015.
Shane Ortega Native American former flight engineer in the US army, former marine and professional bodybuilder. Throughout his career Ortega has served in Iraq and Afghanistan in over 400 combat missions. He has a long history of advocating for the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the recent banning on transgender service members in the US army.
Drago Renteria Chicano photojournalist and deaf and LGBT activist. Renteria founded the Deaf Queer Resource and is CEO of DeafVision - a webhosting and development company run by deaf people and the founder of the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives. Renteria has been instrumental in both creating and hosting many online deaf/queer spaces online along with being heavily involved in real-world activism for decades.
Phillipe Cunningham Elected city councillor for ward 4 Minneapolis and previous special education teacher, Cunningham holds a masters degrees in Organizational Leadership & Civic Engagement and in Police Administration and is passionate about tacking inequalities in his community.
T/ERFs really love it when transmascs and transfems hate each other.
They want transmascs to see trans women as if they constantly speak over us, as if they control the narrative, and as if it’s transfems who are at fault for our erasure. It makes it really, really easy for them to convince us that transfems are “socialized male” and therefore love to speak over people & take the spotlight, holding “male privilege” even within the trans community.
Likewise, they love it when transfems see transmascs as upholding the patriarchy by betraying womanhood, taking up too much space, and throwing them under the bus rather than fighting with them against the system that oppresses both of us. It makes it really easy to frame masculinity as a poison; something that, once embodied, will eventually corrupt you and make you An Oppressor.
Both of these narratives contribute to transphobia & T/ERF ideology. It splits us up, it makes us more likely to buy into T/ERF rhetoric (part of why there are to many trans T/ERFs), and it perpetuates both ideas; that men are “inherently evil” and this is inescapable, that masculinity is is “inherently toxic” and should be punished. Both of these ideas hurt all trans people- and cis people, too, of a lot of different marginalized communities.
There are people who fall for it, and it’s important for us to recognize that these are people who have been mislead while trying to find a sense of community, acceptance, and belonging that we all struggle to find- even within the queer community. These are folks who are hurting, and looking for someone to blame.
Trans people are uniquely isolated and ostracized. Transmascs in particular lack a sense of community, and lack support systems due to erasure. Transfems come under fire from all sides due to hypervisibility.
Buying into this idea that we ourselves are the cause of our own community’s oppression & marginalization isn’t helping anyone, and we need to start recognizing the dangerous thought patterns- and narratives- within ourselves and our communities. We need to realize who the actual oppressor is, and start showing each other some compassion and understanding.
We encourage supporters who are able to, to make a purchase of our Pride Bundle. For every bundle sold, we will gift a TSER Bundle to a Black, Indigenous, and/or brown trans person while supplies last (limited quantity).
TSER is proud to announce that our scholarship program successfully supported nine $500 scholarships for trans students representing a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and genders this cycle.
TSER’s scholarship program is the only program of its kind exclusively serving trans students in need of financial aid.
This year, TSER’s@scholarship program received over 100 applications!
Are you a trans student? Click the link in our bio to sign up for TSER’s email list so that you can be up to date about TSER’s upcoming programs!
Our deadline for the only national scholarship program for trans students has been extended until Monday, April 12th!
Click link in bio to apply today!
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