By Marcus On Tuesday night, I’ll have ninety days clean. At my home group, that means I walk up to the front of the room, somebody hands me a red key tag, and everybody claps. Before I take it, I’m supposed to say what we always say: “Hi, I’m ___, and I’m an addict.” For
Ninety Days, Two Names Read More »
Kai is Native Hawaiian, a trans man, and houseless in Honolulu. Twice a week, under a monkeypod tree, he gives the best free fade in the camp.
The Encampment Barber: An unhoused Trans Man’s Powerful Gift Read More »
At 16, Danny found that drinking made his dysphoria go quiet. At 19, he woke up on a bathroom floor in his binder. A rural Kentucky trans man’s sobriety story.
Sober Trans Man: The Brave Truth About Dysphoria and Drinking Read More »
Bikash is a man, but Nepal will only give him an O. A trans man’s story of passports, paperwork, family, and fighting for legal recognition in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu Passport: A Trans Man in Nepal’s “Other” Category Read More »
At twelve, Owen knows he’s a boy. Getting his first short haircut doesn’t answer every question or stop people from using the wrong name, but it gives him something he’s wanted for a long time. This fictionalized story explores gender identity, family support, and the quiet joy of feeling like yourself.
Twelve and Sure: A Trans Boy’s First Short Haircut Read More »
At 62, Harold, a Black retired postal worker in Cleveland, starts testosterone and hears his voice change. This fictional story explores the quiet courage of transitioning later in life, the grief of years spent hiding, and the joy of finally hearing himself without apology, one ordinary conversation at a time.
Starting T at Sixty-Two: a Black Trans Man Begins His Journey in His Golden Years Read More »
Hank, a 44-year-old union electrician in Pittsburgh, has been stealth on job sites for fifteen years. In this reflection on blue-collar brotherhood, he explores the solidarity that sustains him, the jokes that make him go quiet, and his hope that belonging wouldn’t change if his coworkers knew he was trans.
Blue Collar Brotherhood: Hank’s Story as a Stealth Trans Man Read More »
Hiro is a 25-year-old trans man in Honolulu whose mother still sometimes uses his old name. This tender, complicated essay explores family, cultural memory, boundaries, and the small acts of effort that can keep love alive while acceptance slowly takes shape.
Mom Still Uses My Old Name: A Trans Son’s Story of Love and Acceptance Read More »
By Gabriel I am a trans man, and I still go to Mass. For some Catholics, that sentence is a contradiction. For some queer people, the word Catholic carries enough pain that they cannot understand why I would stay. I understand both reactions. I’m 45, Mexican American, and from El Paso. I grew up Catholic
Still Catholic: A Trans Man’s Journey of Faith, Identity, and Belonging Read More »
By Malik, 30 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I’m a Black trans man living with schizophrenia. I take medication, have people who show up for me, and live a life that doesn’t resemble the version of my diagnosis you see on television. I’m tired of people acting surprised by that. The first time somebody made a schizophrenia
Schizophrenia Is Not the Punchline. Read More »
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