This transgender woman’s advocacy helped her lifelong dream come true. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. When Michelle Fox-Phillips first realized she wanted to be a girl, she was only two or three years old. She and her male cousin were very close, like brothers, and one day they […]

This transgender woman lived a double life for decades, but not anymore. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. To the rest of the world, it seemed like Becky Veal had a life anyone would want. She supported her wife and their three children, served in the U.S. Army, and […]

As the mother of a transgender child, she is a fierce advocate for transgender rights. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. Every parent hopes for a happy, fulfilling future for their children. Maybe they dream about what career they might pursue, or what their wedding day will be like. […]

This transgender woman soared into a brave new world and isn’t looking back. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. The day Ellie Webster decided to begin transitioning from the male body she was assigned at birth, she knew it was a leap of faith. But it was a leap […]

This transgender woman is on a lifelong journey to express her authentic self. This is part of a story series about the lives of transgender people. Read the introduction here. It was the summer of 1964. Char Davenport, who was eight years old, was sitting with her father on the front porch. At the time, she says, she didn’t think […]

As both acceptance and animosity toward the transgender community grow, personal stories are essential to education and advocacy. This story series began, like most ideas, with a confluence of inspiration. With transgender people increasingly in the spotlight, their lives have become more visible — but not entirely visible. Many Americans only see what the public eye will allow. Celebrities like […]

With the deadline to get insurance starting January 1 coming up on December 15 the time to act is now. Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), LGBT people faced significant discrimination in access to healthcare. That all changed with the passage of the law fondly known as Obamacare, and the uninsured rate for LGBT people has reached an all-time low. […]

Today, November 20th, is International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). TDOR was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The day is intended to bring awareness to the violence experienced by the transgender community on a daily basis. The trans community faces […]

Lawsuit seeks to make it easier for transgender people to change the gender marker on their state IDs. In a victory for fairness and anti-discrimination protections, on Monday a federal judge refused Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson’s motion to dismiss an ACLU lawsuit. The lawsuit challenges a state policy that makes it nearly impossible for transgender Michiganders to change […]

Transgender advocates are urged to be at U.S. District Court in Detroit to show their support. Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Secretary of State challenging a department policy that makes it impossible for many transgender individuals to correct the gender on their driver’s licenses and other […]

Saturday morning 20-year old transgender woman Amber Monroe was found dead in her apartment in Detroit, a victim of an apparent shooting. Details are sketchy at the moment but, according to transgender rights activist Julisa Abad, this was not the first time Monroe had been the victim of a shooting. Monroe was a student at Wayne State University but had […]