Through this journey of reading, writing and finding my own voice in writing, an unexpected question has repeatedly entered into my thoughts. Why are am I trans? For many the answer is simple: because I am. And this is a valid answer. A part of being trans is allowing the world to see you in a truer form than what societal standards allow. But for me (and speaking only for me. Transpeople aren't a monolith), being trans was a way for me to always stay grounded in my butch self. My butch self started materializing in college. I remember taking my first trip to the local Wal-Mart with my own money in my pocket. I left with a standard dyke getup: cargo shorts and a flannel zip-up. I felt like hot shit. Going to an all-women's college did nothing but boost my ego, something I was fortunate to experience. I could swagger across campus, dripping in masculine energy, and people would respond. Ladies would respond. All kinds of ladies. A reaction I never got as I was kno...
Ramblings of a Black trans dude obsessed with books, space and trees.