Hello everyone,
My name is JT Santana. I am an independent writer, LGBTQ+ advocate, and longtime member of the community. I am currently researching a long-form article (approximately 20,000+ words) about the physical, emotional, medical, and social realities of a transgender person’s transition.
I want to make something clear from the beginning:
I am not transgender.
I am a gay man whose life has been profoundly enriched by transgender friends—people I love dearly and who have trusted me enough to share parts of their journeys. Watching them experience moments of incredible joy alongside fear, rejection, discrimination, medical barriers, and emotional exhaustion convinced me that too many conversations about transgender lives are happening without listening to transgender people.
This article is my attempt to change that.
I am not interested in creating political clickbait or speaking for the transgender community. I want transgender women and men to speak for themselves. My role is to listen, learn, and accurately share those experiences with readers who may know very little about what transition actually involves.
I am looking for volunteers who are willing to share their experiences.
I would especially like to hear from:
- Transgender women
- Transgender men
- Nonbinary individuals who have medically transitioned
- Adults who transitioned later in life
- Young adults who recently transitioned
- Parents of transgender children
- Partners or spouses
- Individuals who have experienced barriers to care
- People living in rural communities
- People of color
- Individuals with disabilities
- Veterans
- Formerly incarcerated transgender people
- Anyone whose experience they believe deserves to be heard
No two transitions are alike, and I want the article to reflect that.
Topics may include
- Coming out
- Gender dysphoria and gender euphoria
- Hormone therapy
- Emotional changes
- Mental health
- Relationships
- Family support—or lack of it
- Intimacy and sexuality
- Fertility
- Surgery (or choosing not to have surgery)
- Health care access
- Insurance
- Politics and legislation
- Safety
- Employment
- Housing
- Community support
- Experiences with discrimination
- What you wish people understood
You decide what you are comfortable discussing.
Ways to participate
You may choose whichever method feels safest and most comfortable.
- Google Docs questionnaire
- Telephone interview
- Text messaging
- Written responses at your own pace
There is absolutely no pressure to answer every question.
Privacy
Your privacy matters.
You may choose:
- your real name
- a pseudonym
- first name only
- complete anonymity
You may skip any question.
You may withdraw at any time before publication.
Nothing will be published without your permission regarding how you wish to be identified.
If you would like, I will allow you to review your direct quotations before publication to confirm they accurately reflect what you said.
Why I am doing this
Every statistic represents a human being.
Every law affects someone’s real life.
De Every hateful headline reaches someone already wondering whether they are safe.
Stories have the ability to replace fear with understanding.
They can replace stereotypes with people.
They can replace assumptions with truth.
Whether someone ultimately agrees with every aspect of gender-affirming care is not the point of this project. People cannot have honest conversations if they do not first understand the human beings whose lives are being discussed.
Your journey matters.
Your story may help a parent understand their child.
It may help a spouse become more supportive.
It may help a physician become a better caregiver.
It may help lawmakers recognize the consequences of the policies they enact.
It may help another transgender person feel less alone.
Most of all, it may help preserve a piece of transgender history in your own words rather than allowing others to define it for you.
If you are interested in participating or simply want more information, please send me a message on the Contact jtwb768 page. From there, I can provide my email address and discuss whichever communication method you prefer.
Thank you for considering being part of this project.
— JT Santana
Babblings of JT
Independent Writer & LGBTQ+ Advocate
