Cisgender gay men have long dominated the media representation of "gay culture." Trans men, who are assigned female at birth but identify as male, often feel invisible within gay male spaces. Meanwhile, trans women sometimes feel fetishized or excluded from lesbian dating pools. These are ongoing conversations about intra-community prejudice.
Stop congratulating yourself on including the "T" and start redistributing resources—fund trans-led shelters, center Black trans women in policy talks, and challenge transphobia within your own friend groups. The alliance works only when the most marginalized are not the last to be served.
The rates of fatal violence against transgender women—specifically Black and Latina trans women—are staggering. The Human Rights Campaign has tracked dozens of deaths each year, many of which go unreported or misreported by police. This epidemic is not experienced equally by LGB cisgender people. As a result, many Pride parades now hold specific vigils for trans lives lost, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20) is a solemn fixture on the LGBTQ calendar.
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