perfectly imperfect in every way

Dear friends,

Sometimes, I'm simply amazed by the generosity of our community and of the experiences folks have to share.

In this issue, you'll encounter mini love letters to trans kin, words spilling affirmations for growth and imperfect becoming, downright spectacular DIY creations, and an iconic trans survival guide to Mercury retrograde!

I see our joys as persistent beacons in the darkness. Trans joy is not just about surviving, keeping our heads up, or getting through hard times, even though sometimes it helps us do those things. With each issue of ATJ, I learn that trans joy is continuously evolving, where the f*ckery of the world is but wood to a flame, as we alchemize our unbroken experiences into new insights, connections, and creative explosions.

Happy Diwali, Halloween, and Samhain to those who celebrate. The trancestors are near, and they are holding us close.

With care and solidarity,
Jin (he/him)

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Trans joy is realizing that you've been staring at yourself in the mirror because you're just that pretty now.

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Yesterday, I drove my friend from the hospital for gender-affirming surgery and had a party in her home with other trans friends. Reminds me that no matter what happens, trans people will continue to choose to fucking live. I'm emotional.

This morning, my husband & I spent our time dreaming up our dream nursery, which we hope we will have a reason to create soon. We are dreaming of our trans futures regardless. This is how we hope: we will focus not only on the trans joy we have currently but also on the trans joy in the future.

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Weird bit of trans joy today. I'm tired as fuck. I'm having a bad day and I decide I'm going out just to have lunch on my own. I didn't try hard. My nails aren't painted. I have zero makeup on. I have severe stubble. Still getting ma'am-ed and people not correcting themselves. So... #transjoy.

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I have this intersex + trans sticker on the back of my car. After shopping on Saturday, I found a note under my windscreen wiper on part of a torn-off shopping receipt: “Love the sticker! Jade xxy”

People are the important thing folks <3

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Trans joy is so incredibly beautiful and powerful, and people who can’t see that are missing out on so, so much. To watch someone grow into themselves and experience such transformative happiness…there is simply nothing like it. We add so much to the world. I love us so dearly.

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I'm surrounded by amazing, loving, and supportive women.

I'm finding the reasons to celebrate the small things and the big ones.

I'm recognized for more than my accomplishments. I'm recognized for who I am. I'm proud of who I am, what I've done, how far I've come, and overcoming the adversities I've faced, especially those self-inflicted. I am informed by my past, but it does not define me. It does not limit me. It has made me stronger and softer, resilient and gentle, driven my thirst for knowledge and understanding of how little I truly know.

Most importantly, I celebrate the lives I have encountered and their successes. I am humbled by the chance to touch a life, knowing I can impact them, yet never knowing how.

I am imperfect, perfectly imperfect. The structure is sound with flaws that add character, making me one-of-a-kind: a work of art seen by many, yet appreciated by few.

Today, I am more than I have ever been before and know that I will be more tomorrow.

We begin to understand when we understand what we don't understand.

I am a gentle soul kicking life's ass.

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...I love us. If you're feeling inspired, the contributor form is open for your joy moments, reflections, and big feelings!

Hello hello again, folx! It’s Feebz with my friend Rowan (they/them) from Rowan Oliver Astrology taking you into these Trans-Its. We have a juicy Mercury Retrograde coming up—funny because Jin and I have been saying it's felt like Merc retro for months now—and Rowan and I want to present to you The Trans Survival Guide to Mercury Retrograde. 

The Trans Survival Guide to Mercury Retrograde!

Dates to know:

10.23: Sun ingresses into Scorpio

10.19–11.19: Mercury & Mars conjunction throughout Scorpio and Sagittarius

10.29: Mercury ingresses into Sagittarius

11.12: Mercury begins retrograde while exactly conjunct with Mars

11.19: Mercury re-enters Scorpio AND New Moon in Scorpio

11.21 onward: Mercury conjuncts Venus

12.1: Mercury goes direct

Signs to know:

Scorpio is the seedy Mars underbelly where all your subconscious and secrets dwell out of sight and sometimes out of mind, while still pulling strings behind the curtain. Sagittarius is the fiery, extroverted Jupiter journeyer that can mix fact and fiction a little too closely within its own narratives. Mercury doesn’t have any say over either of these signs, so it has to rely on its hosts—Mars and Jupiter—for what to do.

Our prediction: 

Your thoughts are going to burn and so can your words. Issues may come up around fighting for yourself vs. acknowledging that everyone else is doing the same.

The Mercury-Mars conjunction in Scorpio right now seems to indicate something dwelling under the surface that needs to be addressed. You might not know the deeper truths behind the big feelings yet. When these two planets move into Sagittarius, self-investigation takes a fiery turn and may shift from subtle undertones to sudden outbursts. There’s an urge to quickly blow up over something that was a miscommunication rather than intent to harm.

In Scorpio, this conjunction is a slow burn, while in Sagittarius, these two planets are ready to start problems quickly and end them just as fast, at least once more knowledge and context is acquired.

Once Mercury moves back into Scorpio during its retrograde, it starts hanging out with Venus (planet of love, harmony, and relationships) instead of Mars (planet of discord, war, and conflict). Venus isn't the most comfortable in Scorpio, but Mercury’s co-presence can help you find a resolution to these Big Feelings that might not be the medicine you deserve, but the one you need right now.

Our advice:

Don’t make assumptions. Remember that there might be more to the picture that you do not know! Ease back into interdependence and collaboration after arguments, even if it feels touchy at first. Just like how you can’t read anyone else’s mind—they can’t read yours. You need to use your words if you want to be heard. This might feel like an impossible task at times, but you’ve climbed bigger mountains before.

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Thanks, Feebz and Rowan!! Here's to self-clarity and active communication leading the way.

This month, I'm so excited to kick off our features with none other than our very own newsletter artist, tulani kiara (they/them)! They made the beautiful graphics you see on our home page and in the newsletter header.

Here's what they have to say:

i'm a Black nonbinary artist who brings soft magic to everything i create. you can see more art on my website or in my shop! (links below)

to me, trans joy is a form of magic. it's dedication to feeling at home in your body and this world. i see you and i know how hard it can be to show up sometimes. thank you for being here.   

🔗 you can see more of tulani's work at their website and kofi shop!

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Next, we have the multi-talented K. Brindle (they/them): indie author, therapist, and builder of really cool ship models!

They share:

To me, trans joy means being uniquely, unapologetically, and intensely oneself; inhabiting your life as fully and freely as possible. For me, that can include finding & wearing the perfect color of flowery shirt or obsessing over just the right tint of purple in the mix of metallic paint for a model.

The Book:

Common Accord is my 3rd novel and the first in an open-ended series of blue-collar space opera filled with adventure, tension, queer found family, and joy. If you enjoyed Firefly or The Expanse but wished they were more queer, you’ll love the universe of Common Accord.

The Model:

As an indie author, I have to do all my own marketing to get my books in front of readers. Last month, I was selling books at a local reader fair/market, and I wanted something for my sales table to draw the eye. I'm an avid scale model builder and scratch-builder; I decided to create a model of the hero ship from my 3rd novel.

It’s taken me about a month to build using machined foam, styrene, and resin. I think my main character Jes would approve that I built it entirely using hand tools and manual machine tools (turning handwheels—no CNC or 3d-printing!). You can find the build thread on bluesky or mastodon.

The Author:

Four years ago, having finally decided (at 47) what I wanted to be when I grew up, I quit my 20-year career as a software architect and went to grad school to become a therapist. As a trans agender person, I’d been through my share of not-great therapists, and thought the people in my community deserved better. Somehow, I managed to write my debut duology: A Memory of Blood and Magic and A Memory of War and Solace during grad school, in between papers and readings and internships. A month later I graduated with my Masters of Social Work, and now I have my own practice serving primarily queer and trans clients. 

🔗 Learn more about K and their writing at their website, or follow them on Bluesky and Mastodon!

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Lastly, we have Max Delsohn (he/him), whose debut short story collection is out this month! Congratulations!

"My debut short story collection, Crawl, exclusively focuses on transmasculine people living in 2010s Seattle. I am not sure it is a particularly happy book, though there are certainly moments of profound trans joy in these pages—a hard-won first kiss between friends, for example, or a queer nude beach finally ridding itself of straight people—amidst the loneliness, the awkwardness, and the sorrow.  That said, I thought a lot about pleasure while writing these stories. There's a lot of humor in Crawl, and I hope you'll find lots of reasons to laugh, but I also tried to make each sentence and paragraph beautiful in its own right; I crafted these stories so that they are, ideally, a joy to read. More than that, though, I'd argue that the sort of joy to be found in this book is the joy of recognition. My goal for Crawl was to rigorously and honestly depict transmasculine consciousness through each protagonist. I hope trans men read this book and feel they have encountered brothers on the page."

🔗 You can order a copy of Crawl, and learn more about Max at his website.

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Are you a trans creator working on something cool, or do you know of someone whose work we ought to celebrate in our next issue?

We'd love to see it—every month, we welcome contributions for art, writing, community projects, and more.

• An ode to the incredible legacy of Miss Major, trans elder, activist, and icon who passed this month.
• Jotería Crip Art Collective's open call for their inaugural zine on trans Latinx/é identities, healing, and dis/ability! Submissions due 11/14.
• An amazing piece about performing in the wake of transphobia. Content warning: mention of verbal abuse and potential violence.
• New research out of UCLA shows over 2.8 million Americans identify as trans!
• A trans pied piper retelling in the form of a game!
• Newly unveiled trans news source The Needle, on possibly the coolest academic article ever published! "Academia Slaying: 'What Puppygirls Know? The (in)Human Pedagogy of a Trans Feminine Style'"

Are you enjoying ATJ? It takes many hours, conversations, and collaborations to make this newsletter happen every month. I don't always hear back from readers, so it would be amazing to hear how this issue inspired you or made you feel, if you want to share. :)

If you're a cis ally and/or have a few bucks to spare for uplifting collective trans joy, you can also now upgrade your subscription to $5/month! You can also tip us at Buy Me a Coffee.

⭐ Do YOU have trans joy to share with us?? Check out Contributor Guidelines!

⭐ We’re always looking for trans projects & resources to amplify. If you make trans art of any kind, are launching something, or have a promising lead, please reply or fill out the form on this page.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please:

1. Drag and drop this email to your Primary inbox tab, and
2. Forward this email to someone you think would love to see it in their inbox! (Are you the person someone forwarded this to? Get your very own free subscription to Amplifying Trans Joy!)

You can also follow us on Bluesky where we share snippets of trans joy in between newsletters.

Thanks for supporting and reading!!!

I’ll leave you with this…

It's patently absurd, and everyone knows it. I'd like to think that the actual Christ would have appreciated a snazzy hat!

Stay silly, unapologetic, and cozy, my friends. 'Til next time!