Resources for transgender or questioning people. My resources tend to lean more towards trans feminine people as I am trans feminine, however many resources are applicatable to any trans or questioning person.
This is a work in progress. Please feel free to reach out with any suggestions or feedback.
There is no one who can approve you as being trans. There is no test or trans judge who can tell you. Only you can truly know. As daunting as this sounds, you don't have to figure it all out at once.
It is perfectly okay to explore labels/pronouns/names without any strings attached. You can come out as one thing to later discover you are another. There is no harm in exploring your identity.
You don't need dysphoria to be trans and there is no one right way to be transgender. Just be your best, most authentic self.
A starting place for many of the common questions. Reminds you that you are not alone.
A five step guide from a moderator of a 2000 person discord server who were questioning their gender.
There is no one way to explore identity. It is a unique experience for everyone. In truth, I have never met someone who was entirely 100% confident about their identity all of the time - especially right away. It is okay to be uncertain and explore things.
You can try on new labels or identities to yourself, with a partner, in a friend group, or with the whole world. There is no obligation to commit to any one thing. It is perfectly normal to not get everything 100% correct the first time.
Exploring your identity can be scary and difficult. But there are spaces to support you. Try to find the spaces and resources that work best for you.
A site where you can test out new pronouns and names.
Walks through the difficulties accepting oneself. Also gives grounding topics for you to focus on.
Coming out as trans is incredibly difficult and scary. Remember that there is no obligation to come out until you are ready to do so. You also don't have to come out to everyone at once. There is a huge trans community to support you through the process.
I recommend looking through the ally resource list to get an idea of what kinds of questions you might need answers to.
Runs through the basics and gives guidance for coming out. Has external resources for specific scenarios and questions about coming out.
Coming out to a conservative family or friends can be really difficult. In my experience, it helped to have more academic resources. You can see the ally resources, but also more specifically I have listed some below:
Community support from other trans people is a key part of many trans people's success. Below are just some resources. There are support groups and social scenes all over the world, some are just harder to find than others. Asking a therapist, other trans people, and looking on social media are great places to start.
A community for solidarity, support, and advice around being trans. Moderated by yours truly :). Started by Sydney Speaks from TikTok.
PFLAG has many resources: support, information, tools, etc. There are PFLAG chapters all over the United States where transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals and their families can get support.
A list of influencers and other internet users to add trans positivity to your feeds.
There is no one way to transition or be trans. But below are some common resources that might be handy for exploring your identity and finding a more comfortable sense of self.
List of resources for trans folx in general, as well as having affirmation, social transition, and physical transition information specific to transfeminine and transmasculine individuals in particular.
Passing is often the standard to which trans people are held to. This piece discusses some of the history and nuances around "passing".
Clothing can be a great place to express identity and feel gender euphoria. The best part is that clothes are not permament, so there is no harm in trying something new. I keep a running list of gender affirming clothing on this notion page.
Advice for exploring buying clothing as a trans or questioning person
Everyday, tucking free, compressive underwear for transfeminine people. My personal favorite, even if a bit on the pricey side. They do tend to lean towards children's designs though.
Tucking gaffs available in a variety of designs including lace.
Cheap underwear that works quite well for compression. I recently started purchasing these due to the high price of dedicated compression underwear options.
Gender neutral underwear, althleisure, and body glitter!
Gender neutral clothing. Noteably compressive tops and swimwear which are meant to be a safe alternative to binding when excercising and just living in general.
Transitional apparel, featuring lots of binders.
Binders and sports bras.
Binders and compression tops. Not marketed or made specifically for trans people, but many trans people use their products.
Feminizing hormones don't have an effect on vocal patterns. If you are interested in voice training below are some resources.
I briefly did voice training in the past, but grew tired of it and the activity made me dysphoric. Even without voice training, my voice has changed over time. As I have become more comfortable in my identity, I have expressed myself more and have developed a uniquely me voice with excitable, and traditionally "feminine" touches. My voice is not cis passing, but I have found real beauty in trans feminine voices.
I share this story as a perspective of hope for if you are frustrated by voice training. There is beauty in trans feminine voices and they are not male voices. Nonetheless, there is also no shame in doing voice training if that is what feels best for you.
Playlist of key training videos
Trans feminine person who gives tips for earlier transition trans people. Has a three part series on voice training and more content on other transition content.
A physical transition is by no means a requirement to be transgender, but for those of you who are interested (or just curious), here are some resources:
Contains information on feminizing and masculinizing hormones and their effects, complete with great visuals!
A great start to hormones, but not the be all end all as it is a lot of opinions (though many good ones imo).
A list of Planned Parenthood locations, many of which offer hormone care for transgender patients.
A list of clinics which specialize in trans health.
Contains information about the effects of pronouns and how to access them.
Lists the most common trans surgeries, including many which are left out of other lists.
If things get hard or seem hopeless, below are some resources you can reach out to for support. There are also resources for preventative safety measures for setting up for mental health success.
Support and Lifelines:
The leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Addresses the danger realities of being trans (especially trans feminine) and recommends defensive techniques.
A resource to create more trans-friendly barbershops and hair salons. Has a map with participating locations. There are also many places that participate in the "safe in my chair" program.
A guide to navigating the internet and using devices safely while trans.
A browser add-on that highlights transphobic and trans-friendly social network pages and users with different colors.
A browser add-on to automatically remove and replace deadnames.
TikTok by a trans women on why trans women aren't full of themselves, and that the confidence and security cis people are calling out is fought incredibly hard for and represents great hardship.
A list of resources you can use to debunk transphobia.
WARNING: This page provides exposure to highly manipulative anti-trans rhetoric. My target audience for this page is those who already had exposure to extremely transphobic rhetoric and are struggling to get it out of their heads.
Extensive resource site ran by a trans woman. Has lots of short TikTok videos categorized into different sections (allyship, transition, etc)
For students, athletes, coaches, and administrators to find information about trans inclusion in athletics at various levels of play.