Perpetual Fear

How Society Makes Queerphobia Acceptable and Everlasting

Part one: Where's the "T" in LGB: The gender binary explained

About a year ago a young man approached me at a conference for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth and their allies. While he wasn’t much younger than me he freely admitted he was new to queer activism and had a lot to learn. As an experienced activist I had over time raised my consciousness and tried to develop a full understanding of the issues, so I was surprised at the assumptions and bias that went into his question to me. But I understood his confusion at first encountering these complex issues.

His question was simple enough: Why do people consider transgender folks to be a part of the lesbian, gay and bisexual community? Read the feature here!

Queering Gender

INDICATE EVERYTHING USEFUL ABOUT YOU WITH ONE MARK:
__ MALE      __ FEMALE

Harper, a YouthResource peer educator, examines some of the assumptions we make about sex and gender. What exactly does "genderqueer" mean? The difficulty of defining genderqueer is that it still means something different to everyone. Read the feature here!

Welcome to our site for transgender, transsexual and genderqueer young people. Whether you're MtF, FtM, somewhere in between, or nowhere on that paradigm, we know you will find something here that will interest you.

If you think you may be transgender, check out this brochure for information about coming out, transitioning, and family and community.

Check out stories from other young people who talk about their experiences of being transgender.

You can also check out more information about being trans, including articles about therapy, health and trans youth, and transitioning.

Peer Educators

Ask Theodora
If you'd like to talk about gender identity, not knowing what you are, living in a place that is not a metropolitan area, queerness and religion, and/or balancing family traditions and queerness. Theodora!

Ask Devin
If you'd like to talk about coming out at school, setting up a gay straight alliance, and/or youth of color issues, visit Devin!

Resources

• Gender Education and Advocacy
  A transgender organization dedicated to both education and advocacy, which includes AEGIS.
• National Center for Transgender Equality
  NCTE is a social justice organization working to make transgender people safe from discrimation and violence.
• IFGE
  The International Foundation for Gender Education.
• Southern Comfort
  An excellent annual transgender conference.

For Transguys

• FTM International
  Possibly the most comprehensive site for FTMs out there.
• True Spirit Conference
  A conference for people on the transmasculine vector.

For Transwomen

• Transsexual Road Map
  A comprehensive guide on transitioning from male to female.

Books

My Gender Workbook: How to Become a Real Man, a Real Woman, the Real You, or Something Else Entirely
Kate Bornstein

Stone Butch Blues
A novel by Leslie Feinberg

Pomosexuals: Challenging Assumptions about Gender & Sexuality
Carol Queen

Changing Ones: Third and Fourth Genders in Native North America
Will Roscoe

The Last Time I Wore a Dress
A Memoir: Daphne Scholinski & Jane Meredith Adams

Self-Made Man
Paul Hewitt with Jane Warren

As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl
John Colapinto

Transmen and FtMs: Identities, Bodies, Genders, and Sexualities
Jason Cromwell

Dear Sir or Madam
Mark Rees

'O Au No Keia: Voices from Hawai'i's Mahu and Transgender Communities
Andrew Matzner