The Real Lives of Transgender and Nonbinary Humans by Publish Your Purpose Press

Author:Publish Your Purpose Press [Press, Publish Your Purpose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Lgbtq, Social Science, LGBTQ+ Studies, Transgender Studies
ISBN: 9781951591823
Google: NfR3zgEACAAJ
Publisher: Publish Your Purpose Press
Published: 2021-07-12T02:50:23+00:00

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Looking back at everything as I’m writing this, I can truly say that I’m happy now. I’m now about a year sober, and I feel confident in my body. I can actually look in the mirror, smile, and be happy at what I see. I mean, it’d be nice if I could lose a little weight and add some muscle, but that’s beside the point. I have an extremely supportive son, who accepts me and supports me throughout all aspects of my life, and I him. My son is now 18 and he is still my biggest supporter. He’s said that he accepts the fact that he has a transgender parent. My coworkers are accepting. I have a supportive dad and an enthusiastic mom. I’m able to support and be there for other people who are struggling with alcoholism and through their transitions.

A friend of mine and I are actually trying to educate more when we go to AA meetings. Unfortunately, being openly trans or LGBTQ+ is still “new” in the recovery community, so there have been times where people have said homophobic and transphobic things while we’ve been trying to educate and share our stories. In a way, we’re letting other people there know that, “Hey, LGBTQ+ people may be here,” and their stories and identities are just as valid as everyone else in the room.

Thinking about the experiences that I’ve had and talking with many other trans people, I know I’m one of the lucky ones. The people in my life are wonderful and accept me for who I am, but I know this isn’t the case for everyone. I read a blog for trans men who are my age, and I hear a lot of unfortunate stories where people have lost their families and struggle with addiction and alcoholism. Homelessness, poverty, suicide; all of this is very real in the trans community and happens far too often.

This is part of the reason why I want to do what I can for the trans and LGBTQ+ community. That’s why, as of writing this, I’m going back to school for my doctorate in educational psychology to become a licensed mental health counselor. I was fortunate enough to have a supportive therapist who worked with me and my family through transition, but I’ve also been put through conversion therapy with another. It’s a mixed bag; there are some really transphobic and homophobic therapists out there but there are some that are outstanding allies or have gone through similar experiences themselves.

My hope is that I can help LGBTQ+ people who need a therapist they can trust and relate to about what they are going through, and that I can help them be the person they are. I carry the same hope in sharing my story in this book: That it helps provide hope for anyone who has struggled or is struggling, to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and getting there is absolutely worth it.

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