In literature and media, trans narratives have exploded into the mainstream. Shows like Pose (which featured the largest cast of trans actors in history) and Disclosure (a documentary on trans representation in Hollywood) highlight how trans stories are no longer told by cisgender people about trans people; they are self-authored.

To be transgender in a cisnormative world is to navigate a labyrinth. Unlike sexual orientation, which requires no medical validation, being transgender often intersects with the medical establishment.

The LGBTQ culture’s response to this has been one of direct action. The , observed annually on November 20th, memorializes trans people murdered in acts of anti-trans violence—most of whom are Black and Latinx trans women. It is a somber counterpoint to the exuberance of Pride.

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