Becoming Me

Legislation is taking effect across the country that restricts transgender kids and their parents regarding gender-affirming healthcare How will these bills affect trans kids' long-term health? While we can’t predict the outcomes for these kids, we can look to the people who lived most of their lives without gender-affirming care to understand the repercussions. While access to trans-focused healthcare has increased in recent years, it is still very difficult for people to find, especially in rural areas. The cause of those difficulties isn’t simply geographic; stigma against gender-affirming care plagues rural areas in particular.

In this episode, we’ll hear two personal stories. In one, we’ll journey through the long life of a woman who didn’t transition until age 65. The high price of her gender-affirming care could never compare with the cost of living a lifetime in hiding. Ultimately, securing gender-confirmation care became an act of survival, her choice to continue living. We’ll also hear from a fourteen year old trans boy and his family who are being impacted by recent legislation in Kentucky and Tennessee. How does the law shape the life of a child who never wanted to be in the public eye?

Original artwork by Murray State University Art Student Jessika Davis.

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