#transgenderfirst

[transinatrade]

Another One *Vine Boom*

I am not the only trans man in my class anymore. It is a little comforting. He's been offering me rides home since sometimes my partner is in an appointment or something similar and can't pick me up when we get out of class. For the sake of his anonymity I won"t go into a ton of detail. It is good to see however.

Our instructor was telling us about how the industry has been changing, and how much more diverse companies are trying to be now. I just hope he's right, and that what he said applies to me.

The biggest issue I'm having at the moment is I need to change my name, but I have the misfortune of living in a state where it is incredibly expensive. It's about $400 when everything is combined, and that's if the judge approves of the name change. If I get unlucky and get a judge that won't approve it, that will cost more. Thing is, that's a third of my rent. I don't have that sort of money. I was thinking of doing a gofundme or making art for people to raise the funds. I'm hoping having a legally changed name will save some awkward conversations and some headaches for whatever IT people would have to scratch their heads trying to change my name in a ticket system.

I found a company that has the early morning shifts I would want to work. I'm a morning person and like to get out mid afternoon. I'm also not trying to work a majority of my shift in the heat of the day. I'm going to apply but for the reasons I've listed above I'm hesitant. I'm also not sure how I'm going to manage two jobs and school. I'm sure I'll figure it out when I get to it.

#tradeschool #transgender #transgenderfirst #lgbt #trans #trans man #trans masc #transman #transmasc #hvac #hvac apprentice

[cripple-punk-dad]

I find it exceptionally frustrating that people don't realize just how many barriers there are in front of trans people and our access to college/university/higher education. I'm mainly talking about the United States here, but I know other countries are just as bad or worse.

There's the obvious bias present in the application process, but there's also things like systemically unequal access to well-paying jobs because of unchecked discrimination in the hiring/onboarding process (you getting outed because you have to show an ID that doesn't have the correct gender marker) which prevents us from getting enough money to pay for tuition without going into debt.

There's bias present in housing availability. Not just because of a lack of income, but because again you will, more likely than not, have to out yourself for identification. I didn't move out of my parents house until halfway through my first semester. That meant I was commuting an hour and a half on public transportation every single day, 6 days a week just to go to class.

There's the lack of access to trans-specific healthcare which negatively impacts mental and physical health, which seriously impacts our ability to focus on schoolwork. I know that here in Utah, there are two or three gender clinics IN THE ENTIRE STATE. It can take forever just to get an appointment, and then most insurances don't cover treatment which means you're paying out of pocket. HRT and surgery are often prohibitively expensive. That obviously goes hand-in-hand with able-ism, because god forbid you be trans AND disabled. Or trans and any other marginalized identity.

Along with that, there's the stress that comes from attending courses in an increasingly transphobic country that has a history of violent, life-threatening attacks on visibly trans people and college campus' in general. And, of course, there's the constant misgendering and micro-aggressions that come from fellow students and faculty, which also add to the seriously declining mental state of the average trans college student.

I'm stealth in most of my circles, meaning that as far as most people know, I'm a cis guy. But the amount of mental and physical energy that I have to exert in order to maintain that stealth status is exhausting, even without acknowledging that I am physically disabled. When half of your energy is going into survival, you can't exactly do well on your finals, can you?

Anyways, this scholarship is for trans people attending college. I encourage y'all to fill it out if you need the money.

#TransgenderFirst #trans community #trans people

[boyish-angel]

Okay, so this is a little out of the ordinary for this blog, but...

This isn't a sponsor or anything, I swear. I want to put this information out there for the people who need it. Going into college as a trans person can be intimidating. Not only are you already isolated from the world because of your identity, but college is expensive as hell for everyone. Most people can't afford it without taking out a loan - Which, if you've heard the stories about the horror of the jacked up interest rates, you probably don't want to do without trying other things first. Not to mention, for trans folks who are pursuing gender-affirming care, the increasing amount of laws preventing us from getting it and the subsequent deluge of healthcare insurance providers pulling out of covering this care is leaving lots of us to pay for it out of pocket, which is ultimately less money we can put towards our education. TFS (Transgender First Scholarship) is one of many new and upcoming scholarships made specifically for the purpose of financially assisting transgender and non-binary people. It helps people like me and many others afford post secondary education.

It's free to apply to, so I encourage any trans person who is thinking of attending college to take advantage of this opportunity. Here are some helpful links to this scholarship and others like it:

https://www.onlinedegree.com/transgender-first-scholarship/#apply

https://pflag.org/resource/chapter-scholarship-programs/

https://www.atrh.org/scholarship

https://gpchemist.acs.org/opportunities/diversity-and-inclusion/noglstp-out-to-innovate-scholarship-for-lgbtq-students-in-stem.html

https://pointfoundation.org/scholarships/flagship

#TransgenderFirst #college scholarship #scholarships #college help #lgbtqia #lgbt college #lgbt #lgbt scholarship

[188533241]

New College of Florida was a safe haven for me as a transgender student. I spent 19 years growing up in the conservative Midwest, constantly being reminded of how my differences made me less than others. My high school teachers would start class discussions about the legitimacy of transgender lives and bodies, almost always met by the students around me with disrespect for queer people. My doctor had come to my doorstep, my own home, telling me that I was wrong and sinful for trying to seek out gender-affirming care through him, which would be the catalyst for my suicide attempt at 16 years old. In the year of my high school German teacher's retirement, he targeted my trans peers by giving them letters explaining why they were Godless for their decision to transition, with each letter including candy and a DVD about religion. I knew two trans kids in school who would end up killing themselves from bullying. Throughout all of these injustices I've experienced, no one has faced repercussions.

When I finally graduated high school, I was excited about the possibility of leaving the state for somewhere more accepting. I found a sense of actual community at New College of Florida, where I was looked at and treated as an equal despite my gender identity. New College is known for its openly queer and outspoken student body, and after years of having no friends, New College is the place where I finally developed a friend group that I felt understood me.

Just as soon as I had found some semblance of community, it was ripped from me. Towards the tail end of my first year, the governor of Florida had begun to specifically target New College in hopes of changing the culture of the student body, both scared of Florida's honors college being associated with leftist ideas and wanting a college takeover as a chip to gamble in the upcoming presidential election. Ron Desantis has passed multiple anti-LGBTQ laws in Florida, has banned gender studies and critical race theory, and has openly made it clear that we -- queer students -- are no longer welcome on campus. From tossing dozens of books out of our campus library to painting over student-made murals, Desantis' team as our new administration is actively trying to push out queer students from New College.

New College offered both queer and non-queer students an alternative and accepting education that is hard to find anywhere else. Even with offers being made to help New College students such as the Hampshire tuition match program, many students can not afford to leave Florida, especially without the amazing scholarships, financial aid, and other general opportunities that New College has provided its students in the past. These types of anti-LGBTQ laws aren't just happening in Florida. Without active resistance to conservative education reform, there will be fewer and fewer spaces for transgender students to feel welcome and safe.

If you are interested in learning more about the disadvantages affecting transgender students pursuing education, please visit #TransgenderFirst.

If you're interested in learning more about New College and how you can help, visit Save New College.

#transgenderfirst #ncf #new college of florida #ron desantis #lgbt #trans activism #activism

[rangarlamamicado]

PLEASE READ FOR SOME KIND WORDS FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE!!!

I don't think it's said enough, but I don't take it for granted for a day that transgender individuals can be given the chance to seek higher education and move up the ladder. If I lived in a world where people like me were robbed of these opportunities, I don't know what I would do. And I'm so happy that, regardless of this, all my friends on this website or in my discord servers can all be happy with themselves. That said, I have never met a more generous group of people as the LGBT. They care so much for all the causes they are a part of, whether it adheres to them or not. I want to send all of them as much love as I can.

I live in a primarily Republican state where the county I happened to move to is the only one with a hospital that offers LGBT services. I am officially over 1 year on HRT, and it breaks my heart to think that there are people like me living in a state they aren't welcome in. Whether they are harassed or denied aid, I want to dedicate this post to all the people I love for showing me that I am happier this way than I ever have been. And furthermore, I want to dedicate this post to all the people along the way we have lost to the likes of suicide, hate-crimes, and acts of sabotage. I want to tell everyone who is LGBT, questioning, or even allies that I am thankful for them and their support.

Even strangers on the street saying a nice word about how you present yourself can do so much for your self-esteem. It's an honor to have friends and family who do their research and are sensitive to our culture's sensibilities. And that said, anyone who isn't that way may just need to hear that it's okay to compliment someone on something you're conflicted about being accepted for saying. Having a positive atmosphere and building a positive community can do so much to have a positive effect on LGBT individuals on a smaller scale as well as a larger one. Because I'm confident that, in another reality, there is a world where LGBT people are treated no different than non-LGBT individuals, and there is no fearmongering of whether we are trying to 'overthrow and replace cultural norms.' Most of all, I want us to survive.

So please, please support groups who are all about this kind of thing!

I'm applying for a scholarship through a group called TransgenderFirst, and I couldn't be happier knowing there are scholarships for people just like me. Go show them some love, donate for them, spread publicity, and be the person who you'd want to change your life in this way! It goes much farther than you think.

Use #Transgenderfirst if you wanna share the scholarship! It's just a great thing to do.

#transgender #transgenderfirst #lgbtq #trans rights #trans issues #trans #trans pride #pride

[puck-draws]

Being a trans person on the precipice of such a huge life change is incredibly hard. Going to college (which is already hard enough) is made 10x harder just due to the added complications of being transgender. I am blessed by the opportunity to attend a very queer art school but some of my transgender peers are going to trade schools or other colleges that may be less compassionate to their differences. This is without mentioning the stress that comes with paying for college. On its own, paying for college is also incredibly hard and expensive. Being transgender if you are seeking medical care is just another monetary burden to heap on to you. If your parents aren’t helping pay for it, it could be prohibitive to either. I know that the first time a trans person leaves home could be the first time the could express themselves to the fullest, for me thankfully I came out with no issue but for others it could not be that easy. Buying new clothes that fit your gender identity is another financial burden for a college bound teen, I know to a cis person it may seem frivolous but to trans people the need for clothing to help us pass and look like our true selves is a must. I salute every single trans person who is making the brave decision to peruse higher education. I have what some in the community would call passing privilege, I am two years on T and now have facial hair, a deep voice, and top surgery. It is an odd and foreign experience to pass in almost every situation I am put in, but for most trans people it is not that easy. I am also privileged to be white, if I were poc I’m sure that I would have a much harder time seeking both medical treatment and a college education due to both of those systems bias against poc.

This may sound a bit doomer to trans kids who may or may not read it but I promise you all this,

People out there love you and care about you and see you as you. Don’t stop fighting until you’ve found those people because I promise that you will.

#transgender #transgenderfirst

[sirdeeziii]

I don't really have any followers but here goes.

College is hard. Because of how much it costs, as a society we put extreme pressure on kids to make a single final decision quickly. Oftentimes before they even know what they want to do for a living. College is a competition, where you have to prove to them why you're a worthy investment. For scholarships, too. All within only a few months. It's a lot of pressure. Making the adjustment to leaving home (as is usually the case) is jarring, and you no longer find yourself surrounded by the people you went to school with for most of your life. For trans people, however, it gets a lot more complicated. More under the cut.

Most college dorms are split by gender. When you're trans, where do you go? Will they let you into the opposite "gender" dorms? Are you comfortable with a cisgender roommate knowing you're trans? If you're a trans man, are you comfortable being with cisgender men? There's undoubtedly an underlying fear of being taken advantage of or exposed. If you're a trans woman, are you comfortable being with cisgender women? There's undoubtedly an underlying fear of being wrongly perceived as a predator. Will people be disgusted? Will they hurt you? Will they misgender you? Will they harass you?

Living in your affirming dorm means you are surrounded by cisgender people. Most trans college students are pre-op, meaning there is an incredible likelihood of feeling dysphoric because you don't feel as "real" as everyone around you. In the event that you have no choice and must stay in the dorms of your agab, you would be battered everyday by the dysphoria of invalidation. And this isn't even including the pain nonbinary people face. There is no gender neutral housing option. You're forced to pick. It's an even bigger losing situation because you will experience dysphoria no matter where you stay. (These examples are mainly considering trans people who experience dysphoria, because not all do) (Also I know not all nonbinary people strictly identify as agender, but I'm trying to make a point).

Some colleges offer coed or single person dorms, but these options are not universally available (as far as I know) and often more expensive. Trans people already deal with having to pay extra for basic comfort, so going into thousands of dollars in debt is not ideal (or always possible).

Although there is a clear effort, most spaces are still not trans safe or accessible, and until they are, students like me will continue to struggle and suffer--not just in college, but out in the world as well.

Some terminology for the 5 people on Tumblr who aren't queer:

Transgender - an umbrella term for someone who identifies as something other than the sex they were born as

Trans - shortened form of transgender

Cisgender - someone who identifies with the sex they were born as

Nonbinary - an umbrella term for someone who does not strictly identify as a man or a woman

Trans man - someone who was born with female sex characteristics but identifies as a man

Trans woman - someone who was born with male sex characteristics but identifies as a woman

Agender - the complete lack of a gender identity; not identifying as a man, woman, or anything else along the spectrum

AGAB - stands for "assigned gender at birth", referring to the social gender identity automatically associated with an individual's sex when born

Dysphoria - the extreme mental discomfort and pain experienced by trans people when they are reminded of how they are perceived by others, how they perceive themselves, and/or the disconnect between their gender identity and their physical body (e.g. when a trans person is misgendered, when a trans person remembers that their body does not align with their identity, etc)

Pre-op - shortened form of pre-operation, meaning a trans person who has yet to receive gender-affirming surgery or hormones

A big thank you to TransgenderFirst for this scholarship opportunity. Hopefully they accept Tumblr and also ignore my blog name and username.

#trans #transgender #trans struggles #trans students #college #transgenderfirst #TransgenderFirst #dorm life #queer #lgbtq #lgbtqia

[calamitycontrolled]

Being a Trans Student

I consider myself to be very lucky to have a family that supports me through my development, but that is rarely the case for other non-binary and transgender people. The decision to be true to myself was not made lightly, and I find myself in a constant debate between doing what is easy and doing what is right for me. Transgender people are in a terrible position in (American) society today, as many states are adopting anti-trans legislation and conservatives are adopting transphobic rhetoric which has harmful effects on all levels of our society. Misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia are present on college campuses just as they are in the job market and in our government. Transgender students must first overcome the depression, the dysphoria, the anxiety, and the prejudices of society to even begin thinking about being themselves. College is a stressful time for everyone, and being trans is something that can be so threatening and life-changing that many of us repress it instead of letting it free. It takes so much courage to be true to yourself. Many trans or non-binary people find it hard to reach out and make connections with other LGBT people, making college a lonely experience.

It seems impossible to balance the high cost of college, the classwork, employment, and transitioning at the same time. Paying tuition does not even include parking, meals, or housing. College coupled with high costs of living, including rent, utilities, and food, ensure that if you can work, your paycheck is already spoken for. Medical and pharmacy bills are so expensive that you must be covered by insurance, which depends on your family situation. Being transgender means that you are immediately categorized into a group that many people view poorly, and unfortunately means that acceptance isn’t always guaranteed among friends and family. So many of my friends in the LGBT community fear coming out to their parents or have already been cut off for being queer. Without that vital support, transgender students cannot hope to access gender affirming care, mental health support, or even routine doctor’s appointments. Someone I love very much and hold close to my heart is scared to tell her parents of her identity because they have threatened to pull her out of school if she dated another woman. What makes this so difficult is that despite everything- the years of mental health struggles, slowly finding yourself, accepting it, and coming out- you’re left with more problems that need solving. As I said before, college is a difficult and expensive venture for most people. For trans people, this venture becomes a labyrinth.

To my fellow transgender and non-binary friends-

Keep going. Don’t give up! The road is long but there is something to look forward to at the end. Sometimes the wheel turns slowly- but it turns. The best thing you can do is be who you are, love yourself, and seek the support of those who accept you. There are people out there who will love and support you no matter what. Use every available resource at your disposal. College is full of them! Look for clubs that interest you, there might even be one for LGBT students. There is no greater feeling than being yourself, and your success will allow you to inspire others.

#transgender #mtf trans #transisbeautiful #transgenderfirst

[that-one-i-think]

Being trans and in college

I am in my first semester in college and it has been rough. Due to some mess ups in my financial aid it is really expensive. I am a trans man trying to enter a stem field and it is rough.

My first problem was dorms, my college has mandatory dorming on campus your first year so I was terrified that I wouldn't get a nice roommate. My trans friends were unable to afford to go to my college and I don't blame them, I am barely scrapping by myself, I wasn't able to bring my safety net.

Unfortunately for me, I did end up having to apply for a new roommate because my first one ended up not liking the fact I was trans. She couldn't stand the idea of rooming with me and neither could her parents so I had to put in all of the work to get a new room. That ended up being a major issue and instead of one of us simply having our rooms changes, the school tried to put me in a dorm by myself that would end up costing 2000+ more than my original dorm.

After getting continuous hate from the girl and her mother, I ended up having to report her and she got kicked out and I don't have to spend an addition 2000 more on my dorm. Trans people normally already have a really low income, hormones are not cheap and unfortunately, trying to find a safe place for us can be more expensive than the average person.

I am unfortunate enough to live in Texas and while I do go to a college that is excepting of trans people (with few notable exceptions) I can never truly be myself lest the transphobic hand of the law come down and try to tear my happiness away. I am constantly afraid that all of the money I have put into college will be stripped away because I have to leave the state. It is also almost impossible to find work and I am starting to lose hope that I will be okay and that it is all worth it. I am using a scholarship to hall me and I hope that other trans people who are aiming for college can also apply to this scholarship.

#TransgenderFirst #Transgender scholarship #trans college #college

[worm-sack]

The issue of transgender people in America being able to pay for the cost of living and trying to pay for college is rising. We are lucky enough that transgender people are being more accepted in society but we are not talking enough about the way that transgender people are treated in the school space and workplace. I am lucky enough to have been raised in Southern California which is generally more accepting and progressive, yet I still have faced discrimination due to my identity. Me and my friends have been called slurs ans have been bullied and made fun of all for identifying they way we do. And yet the schools don’t do much about it. And in the workplace I have experienced being treated less than my fellow employees seemingly for how I am making it hard for me to keep a job for long. And yes it is supposedly illegal to discriminate against people for gender identities, but any time I’ve ever put me being trans on a resume I have been rejected, and I have seen this happen to other trans friends as well. It seem like we got it good but there are still a lot of underlying issues that effect the way trans people live. I don’t understand how we are supposed to be who we are if we can’t get proper education or even find a job. I would love to be able to afford my gender affirming surgeries but it just doesn’t end up seeming plausible. Having to live in a body that is almost foreign to me is so hard. And the longer I have to stay in it, the longer my self gets broken down and I just want to give up. I want people to see and bring awareness to these issues in the United States. I don’t want to see so many transgender kids suffer their whole lives just so they can finally maybe get the health care they need to finally be themselves and thrive. It’s a tough world outside but there are people who seem to want to help. I just hope everything will get better and we can make this world better for everyone.

#transgenderfirst

[studywithpancakes]

Being a trans student

A big aprt of me not going back to school is due to the fact that The fact that I'm trans always has to be hidden and often affects me getting jobs in my community. Hate crimes against minority members especially are normal. The F word is used in everyday vernacular and I have to ride that I'm in college to avoid being robbed of financial aid or my laptop (I've had two MacBook pros stolen in the past two years). I'm afraid that this scrutiny will continue on campus so I take all classes online. I'm taking Theater this spring in person and I'm terrified.

#trans lives matter #Black trans student #transgenderfirst

[transinatrade]

Life Update (It's Good)

It got better.

It's been a hectic last couple of months so I'll try to keep it brief. First we'll start with what happened with the car. Since we settled I can talk about it. The man who hit us got full liability, he made a rolling stop at a stop sign which is not legal in our state. We got the value of the car plus our deductible back and our insurance did not increase. We were able to make a sizable downpayment on a really nice car for a good deal. It sucks that we're making payments now but honestly I believe this is the best outcome for this situation we could have gotten.

Using public transportation was not as bad as it could have been. Since I was going at odd hours (very early in the morning and about 2pm) there weren't a lot of people to be worried about. I did have a small confrontation at a gas station where I was waiting but the person left pretty quick when he realized I was not going to budge. Someone asked me for money, I told him I didn't have any but would get him some food and he called me some choice words. None of them transphobic, so I guess I have that going for me. I get approached quite a bit, maybe I look friendly. My issue is I am friendly, life sucks too much to add to it with a nasty attitude toward people.

What really sucked was the weather. It's been cold and rainy/snowy. The wait for the bus and the walk to it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the weather. Luckily a couple times school was cancelled for bad weather so I didn't have to walk in it, but for the days it wasn't cancelled I did not have a great time. You know what though? It is what it is. Sometimes life sucks but we get through it. That's how I've been viewing a lot of things, it doesn't make it easier in the moment but it makes the other side seem much more attainable. Maybe it makes me stronger, I wouldn't know.

I wanted to make this update post for anyone worried about the last one. Thankfully everything worked out with the car and I didn't get hate crimed on the bus.

#transgender #transgenderfirst #lgbt #tradeschool #trans #trans man #trans masc #transman #transmasc

[halfway-dxwn]

Hi- I'm Griffin. I have been struggling for a few years to get back to college after my first attempt was ended by a DV situation. Trans people are at an increased risk for these situations, and in addition to that, I do not have support from my parents in getting where I want to be. I believe this is something that a lot of transgender people have experiences with - violence from cisgender partners, unsupportive family members, and discrimination from your chosen school or from your state as a whole. These are all things that can bar trans folks from seeking higher education successfully. It's for all these reasons that I'm applying for the scholarship below - and I hope that other trans people seeing this know that some people believe in you, even if your family don't. I encourage y'all to use the link below if you are also planning to attend school.

#transgenderfirst

[newdaysinspired]

Being a Trans college student

I hope that whoever sees this that my post finds you well and you’ll care to indulge me for a second. Anyways on to the topic at hand. For context I’m Matthew, a trans guy working his way though college and I can firmly say now that being trans makes approaching college an even greater hassle than normal. I only have come out publicly just this past year, that was directly after I had graduated with my associates degree. While this is a major relief and I have received so much love from my peers I now have given myself a predicament. During my graduation ceremony in a few months I will be surrounded by my fellow students and loved ones who know me as one person while faculty and my diploma will know me as another. This is supposed to be an amazing experience but I feel nothing but stress thinking of how I am going to put on a happy facade and accept the branding of my deadname for hundreds to witness. Unfortunately my qualms go deeper as I have decided to further my education and applied to another school to pursue my bachelors degree. I had not anticipated for the task of simply inputting my name to be so harrowing a process. The school in which I have applied is enormously supportive and gave me many chances to be out and proud about my identity but the weight of it just felt so huge I admittedly submitted my forms pretending I wasn’t trans. I’m going to a new city with only a small handful of people who know me and that terrified me. Would I be safe? Would I be treated differently? My transness felt like such a burden I couldn't even think straight. For months I sat waiting and dreading to see the wrong name on all of my letters and emails from the school of my dreams. Only after I had been accepted did I even consider approaching the subject of telling admissions my truth. I eventually came to my senses and finally got my name changed in the system and I am actively looking forward to experiencing what feels like the start of my life as who I've always meant to be. I still get those small twinges of fear and uncertainty of my decision but I know in my heart this is exactly where I need to be. Truly, thank you for reading, have a wonderful day. This post is in support of the wonderful people at https://www.onlinedegree.com/transgender-first-scholarship/#apply

#transgenderfirst #college #transgender

[10-15-8-14-12-15-3-11]

Transgender First Scholarship

My gender legally is still female but my drivers license, and outward appearance, is male. This can pose some big issues when applying for colleges as many colleges just ask for my legal sex and don't give me an option to elaborate on my gender and even when they do let me elaborate it still makes me very dysphoric to have to mark female on forms. I also have to pay extra attention to the location, both state and specific area, to make sure that it is somewhere I will feel safe; many places do not fit my safety criteria. Also I really enjoy playing volleyball but most colleges will not allow me to play on a men’s team and I am extremely uncomfortable playing on a girls team. I am also not comfortable with having male or female roommates so I have to have the extra expense of getting a single person dorm.

#transgenderfirst

[hazellore]

Trans Liberation. Now.

Paying for college in this day and age is day and age is pretty outrageous to begin with, without also throwing in a government who wants you dead and a dysfunctional society who sees you as an oddity at best, or a dangerous, sociopathic predator at worst. We have to fight to be seen as less than equal. We are told that we should be thankful for the bare minimum. To be called the right name. To be referred to with the right pronouns.

It is absurd to me that people can claim things are equal, that transphobes can look at pride month and scoff. With the never-ending amount of anti-trans legislation being passed across the country, I don't feel safe here, in the deep south, nor would I feel safe in the north. The Supreme Court of the United States wants us gone. They have demonstrated it with their recent actions, as well as their outright refusal to grant protections.

It's well known that the only way to somewhat secure your future in this country is to graduate from college with a bachelor's degree, and that's just the floor, not the ceiling. This is harder for transgender people for countless reasons. For one, we are more susceptible to mental illness than most people. Make no mistake, gender dysphoria can be FATAL, and when untreated often leads to the development of many more problems (including depression, eating disorders, and in nearly all cases, anxiety disorders) It's hard to see yourself living another year when dealing with this, and the thought of planning for the future, paying for classes and committing yourself to the high-pressure collegiate environment is nigh impossible.

Ever notice how there are hundreds, if not thousands of scholarships dedicated to every denomination of Christianity you can think of, and mere dozens for LGBT students? It's just not possible to look at this and honestly think the system is not biased against the transgender populations (as well as all others under the queer umbrella.)

This does not even take into account the expenses associated with being trans. I am lucky enough to be near a pharmacy that sells HRT at-cost (Park West pharmacy in Little Rock - highly recommend!!) but even so, my expenses still tally up to wreck my savings account every quarter. There just aren't enough hours in the day to fund transition on your own and pay for college, and that's if you can even land a job in the first place, when employers refuse to hire you for your identity, and if they do hire you, will fire you at a moment's notice.

Stand up for trans liberation. Let's make a difference. Together.

The #TransgenderFirst College Scholarship- For Transgender Students (onlinedegree.com)

#transgender #trans rights #trans liberation #gay liberation #transgenderfirst