This transgender teen knows he has the kind of support every trans person should have. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. At age 17, Hunter Keith has more confidence and poise than some people twice his age. Maybe that’s because he already knows who he is, and he has […]

This genderqueer person helps others better understand gender identity, including their own. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Ask yourself this question: What gender do you use to identify yourself? You may easily respond with “female” or “male.” But then ask yourself: What does that mean? Amanda Niven asked […]

I remember it like it was yesterday. June 21, 1996. My mom came home from work and asked me for a favor. Her boss’s son was going to be on TV, and since neither of them knew how to use the VCR to tape something she asked me to do it. Her boss (at the time) is the mother of […]

This transgender woman helps the community speak for themselves. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Bré Anne Campbell doesn’t want to see another trans woman of color murdered. It’s a sobering problem across the country, but especially in Detroit, where Michigan’s lack of anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people often […]

Having embraced who he really is, this transgender man uses his voice to advocate for others. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Until he came out as transgender at age 25, Jay Maddock felt trapped. He felt like a fraud for not presenting his authentic self to the world […]

This transgender woman’s advocacy helped her lifelong dream come true. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. When Michelle Fox-Phillips first realized she wanted to be a girl, she was only two or three years old. She and her male cousin were very close, like brothers, and one day they […]

The following guest post was written by my friend Chris Armstrong, Partnerships and Government Affairs Director for Small Business Majority. Chris was the former student body president of University of Michigan and experienced first hand the corrosive impacts of anti-gay bigotry at the hands of former state Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell who stalked and harassed him during his time […]

This transgender woman lived a double life for decades, but not anymore. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. To the rest of the world, it seemed like Becky Veal had a life anyone would want. She supported her wife and their three children, served in the U.S. Army, and […]

As the mother of a transgender child, she is a fierce advocate for transgender rights. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Every parent hopes for a happy, fulfilling future for their children. Maybe they dream about what career they might pursue, or what their wedding day will be like. […]

This transgender woman soared into a brave new world and isn’t looking back. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. The day Ellie Webster decided to begin transitioning from the male body she was assigned at birth, she knew it was a leap of faith. But it was a leap […]

This transgender woman is on a lifelong journey to express her authentic self. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. It was the summer of 1964. Char Davenport, who was eight years old, was sitting with her father on the front porch. At the time, she says, she didn’t think […]