It was 1988. I was a trans teen, also autistic, had trauma, had terrible shame from my sexual orientation, and had delusional/psychotic symptoms too.

You can imagine I was finding the shift from teen to young adult very hard. I was drowning. I ended up with a psychiatrist who referred me to a clinical psychologist. I came out to her, and saw her for four years.

It went nowhere, round and round. Just talking and talking, I don't really remember it. But I didn't go forward. Eventually I found a book that presented trans voices (this was 1990 now) and found a trans group and transitioned.

I saw the psychologist once after I transitioned. She said, "now I can see". She admitted I was referred to her with a diagnosis of Schizotypal Personality Disorder and that was what she had based sessions on.

The endless and aimless therapy seems similar to Gender Exploratory Therapy, which isn't directly converting but pushes the trans kid to "question" their identity.

She probably welcomed my self critical thoughts. She saw it as insight, not as me struggling to assert and accept my identity.

When I found that book, and I read about real trans people and their transitions, I knew what to do. I thought - this is what I have been looking for from her, why didn't she help me? I stopped seeing her shortly after.

I wanted someone in my corner, I was completely alone. But she never was. And if I was a Schizotypal Personality Disorder patient to her - there is no treatment for that anyway. At least, back then it was considered untreatable.

I had a lot of issues, I admit that. Terrible anxiety and depression, distorted thinking. It was a constant struggle to avoid dropping out of uni. I had this thing where I couldn't hand in my assignments. I would complete them, but I couldn't drop them in the box. It was like a wall. And I wanted to be a physics genius and become a literal god, but I couldn't handle the maths. So I had plenty of issues... I suppose she treated me for the other stuff and hoped the trans stuff would resolve.

It's like the holistic treatment they're pushing on trans kids now. They'll treat the autism, trauma whatever, but never get to the trans.

I feel protective of my shrink. She was my only emotional support. At least I could go there and say things. And she did use my name.

I don't want to have a negative opinion of her, but I think she may have failed me.

#trans #transHistory

#Trans & #Intersex #History #Africa — Digital Archive

"It is important that we as #African trans, #gender diverse and intersex people speak for ourselves" — #VictorMukasa

"This statement by one of Trans & Intersex History Africa’s (TIHA) founders, Victor Mukasa, speaks to the rationale behind the TIHA digital archive, the history of trans, gender diverse and intersex movements in Africa, and the importance of archiving our histories/herstories/theirstories.

Supporting advocacy and movement building through archiving

We document events and important moments in a digital archive in the form of a visual timeline, as well as audio and video interviews as experienced and remembered by activists on the African Continent and within the #AfricanDiaspora.

As is the case worldwide, the anti-gender, conservative, #TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist) rhetoric continues to gain strength and influences government policies, law and public sentiment, which impacts trans, gender diverse and intersex people’s lived realities and their fundamental human rights. We believe that the Trans & Intersex History in Africa (#TIHA) digital archive can contribute to the efforts of organisations, specifically those who cannot publicise their work due to threat of financial and legal consequences (which includes one of our founding partners), to ensure that trans, gender diverse and intersex existence and lived experience is recorded. This record will play a part in ensuring the collaborative strength of the African movements in combating the anti-trans, anti-gender-diverse and anti-intersex sentiment on the continent and in the African diaspora.

The TIHA digital archive acknowledges the existence of multiple movements, networks, groups and individuals and that the stories to be told are intersectional and carry various voices to form histories/herstories/theirstories. We are making a start with the information currently available but invite stories in whatever media to be submitted from across the continent and from the many places and voices not yet represented.

While we are in a continuous process of rethinking this important work, we invite you to engage with the information that the TIHA digital archive and Trans & Intersex Archival Conversations present. Get involved! Reach out! You can list your organisation/group, share your stories through the Timeline or through the Talk Show by getting in touch with us. We particularly invite first person stories and can facilitate the sharing of these in various languages."

Learn more:
https://transintersexhistory.africa/

#GBLTQ #LGBTQI #Transpeople #TransHistory #GenderQueer #Agender #Genderfluid #QueerHistory #Africans #RejectColonialism

The kakistocracy has been strong of late, resistance is difficult, it feels overwhelming. I get it. It's actual work to not give up.

How bout some cool history?

Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was a prominent figure in the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in NYC.

Johnson was an important advocate for homeless #LGBTQ+ youth, those affected by #HIV and #AIDS, and gay and transgender rights. She helped lead the resistance at The #Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969.

In 1970, she grew frustrated by the exclusion of transgender and LGBTQ+ people of color from the movement, actively speaking out about transphobia in the movement.

Johnson and Sylvia Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (#STAR), “an organization dedicated to sheltering young transgender individuals who were shunned by their families.” The two also began #STARHouse, a place where transgender youth could stay and feel safe.

Bravery comes in all shapes.

#womenshistory #transhistory #trans

Is this what we're doing today? We're going to fight?

https://piefed.social/c/historymemes/p/1832325/is-this-what-we-re-doing-today-we-re-going-to-fight

History tells us that trans people have always been around. St Marinos was a monk living in the medieval era. He was ejected from his monastery because he was thought to have got one of the local girls pregnant. However, he was later allowed to return to live in the monastery. When Marinos died, the other monks were surprised to discover that he had a vagina rather than a penis.

#Trans #Transgender #NonBinary #TransRights #TransHistory #LGBTQI #LGBTQ #LGBTI #LGBT #Queer

Manchester University Press has put out a call for book proposals on queer and trans histories for a new series.

#callforproposals #books #publishing #academia #lgbtqia #queerhistory #queer #transgender #transhistory

https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/series/queer-and-trans-histories/

this month on Assigned: no, I was not kidding at the end of last month's strip

this month, we're looking into the queer folk who helped bring the Nazis to their knees...as well as those of us they left behind in the camps and jails after the war was over.

only on @assignedmedia.org

check out last month's strip here: https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/clippings-albert-cashier-incivility-united-states

#transhistory #wip #writing