The master blog! We’ve spent the past month answering common questions on trans issues – some 101, some a little further along – and it’s been an interesting ride. Many thanks to the panel, and everyone who contributed in the comments – and if you know anyone who might find it helpful, do pass it along.
The lovely panel
Natacha Kennedy
Natacha Kennedy has known she was a girl since a very young age, having the wrong gender written on her birth certificate. A former primary school teacher she now lectures at Goldsmiths College and her main research interest is trans children. In addition she is an activist who campaigns for trans rights, is co-chair of Camden LGBT Forum, a member of LGBT Labour executive and helps organize the London transgender Day of Remembrance. She is married, lives in North London, speaks several languages, loves Japanese food, travelling, photography and shoes.
Maeve
I’m Maeve, the cis female partner of a trans man. I’ve been with my partner for almost three years. He is active in the world of trans activism, both at grassroots and as a professional researcher, and I have been involved in some of his work. I have also been part of a regular group that meets in Edinburgh called “Me and T”; for partners, friends and family members of trans people. I recently trained as a peer supporter for people thinking about or just starting transition.
Roz Kaveney
I’m a queer lesbian trans woman in my 60s making a living in the arts. I knew I was trans from my middle teens and made contact with trans street workers then. I put decisions on hold until after university planning to transition when I did graduate work. In the event, I was persuaded not to by feminist and gay liberationist friends and had a breakdown in my mid-20s. I transitioned around the age of 30 and had some medical problems – nonetheless I lived pretty happily ever after.
Naith Payton
I’m a 24 year old writer, comedian and filmmaker. I’m a trans man who made a very gentle, casual transition that took many years in different aspects of my life. I have gone as far as I feel I want to in my transition right now, but I may change my mind in future. I’ve done plenty of trans activism, talked about being trans on stage (which is terrifying but incredibly rewarding), and I run a blog on sex, relationships, and feminism which uses my trans experience to inform a lot of my writing.
- 101 Recommendations
- “Why do we have to label people?”
- “How can you respect your body if you take hormones/have surgery?”
- “Will taking hormones change your sexual orientation?”
- “When’s the right time to start transitioning?”
- “What common insensitivities do you encounter, being trans?”
- “Where do cis people fit in the fight for trans equality?”
- “Why are people trans, and what does it really mean?”
- “Do trans people ever feel comfortable in their bodies?”
- “Why do you have to call me ‘cis’?”
- “Which trans books should I read?”
- “Is trans* the preferred term?”
- “What’s the best way of dealing with accidental misgendering?”
- “When should trans people disclose?”
- “How is being trans different from a delusion stemming from a mental health condition?”
- “Is there a generational divide in the trans community?”
- “Does it undermine a trans man’s identity for a lesbian to say ‘I like butches and trans men’?”
- “What kinds of meaning are attached to ‘transgender’ and ‘transsexual’?”
- “Should I speak up if someone misgenders a trans friend?”
- “Should cis people let trans people do the talking on trans issues?”
- “Is there a nonbinary manifesto?”
Filed under: trans Tagged: Trans questions answered
