Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Stephan Gaeth sings, “Two gay men and one bus travelling around the country with a baby and a doggo! Ba-bum, ba-bum, yeah!” This is how Gaeth, 27, sums up his future with fiancé Wyley Simpson, 27. He belts out their theme song so casually because, to him and…
Body Talk: An Argument for Trans Inclusion
Twitter is a cesspool of meme culture that one must immerse oneself in to fully understand. And I, like millions of others, have spent way too much time on the social media site taking in the online scenery. Something in particular that has been plaguing my feed as of late has been the “Fellas, is…
City of SA Stands Behind Trans Employees After AG Sessions Reverses Federal Job Protections
Officials from the City of San Antonio released statements in support of the city’s transgender employees after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo reversing a Justice Department policy that protected trans workers from discrimination under federal law. “Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination encompasses discrimination between men and women but does not encompass…
Texas Trans Wrestler Mack Beggs Speaks Out Against Bathroom Bill on YouTube
Mack Beggs, an 18-year-old trans boy on the wrestling team at Trinity High School in Euless, Texas has completed the voice-over for a YouTube video which pushes back on the anti-trans bathroom bills being debated during the state legislature’s Special Legislative Session. The video was produced by Athlete Ally, “a nonprofit organization that provides public…
Metro Health Hosts Trans Health Discussion
The City of San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District is hosting a transgender panel discussion which will seek to shed light on health disparities that affect the trans community in San Antonio. The event, which is co-sponsored by Pride San Antonio, will be held on June 30 at the San Antonio Garden Center. According to a…
Passing: How Transitioning Changed the Way I’m Perceived
“Some say you must look the part in order to play the part, but as much as gender can be performative, ultimately, it is derived from the individual’s self-determined identity regardless of appearances.” Recently, I visited my local sexual health clinic for a routine STI screening, and despite having gone to the same clinic for…
Texas Senate Approves Bill Disqualifying Trans Student Athletes on Hormone Therapy
State Senator Carlos Uresti of San Antonio was one of four Democrats who sided with Republican colleagues on the preliminary approval of a bill that lets the University Interscholastic League disqualify student athletes on steroids, including trans boys taking testosterone for gender dysphoria. Joining Uresti in approving Senate Bill 2095 on May 9 were fellow…
Texas Senate Approves Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
In what is called a “third reading,” the Texas Senate voted on March 15 to approve Senate Bill 6 which bars transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity and would prohibit local ordinances from protecting trans citizens from discrimination in public accommodations. The 21-10 vote include support from one Democrat, Sen.…
The Trans Teacher: Brandon Beck Educates Texas
When his kindergarten teacher asked the students to line up by gender, Brandon L. Beck was confused. Did he belong in the line for boys or girls? He was assigned female at birth, but preferred acting like the boys, despite the ridicule. It was the late 1970s, and very little was known about being transgender.…
The Pursuit of Love: Navigating Sexuality Through a Transgender Lens
The first time I ever “came out” as anything was in seventh grade. I had let a very, very small handful of friends know that I thought I was bisexual, as I had found myself developing crushes on people regardless of their gender. However, since these so-called friends coded me as a gay boy, most…