Survival magic in hard times

Dear friends,

We're twenty-five days into 2026, and this year already feels both like a blessing and a curse. A lot of us are grappling with the paradox of sharing or feeling joy in the midst of all the hard things happening in the world.

These days, it's easy to wonder—is it OK to feel good? Is play frivolous? Is it naive or insensitive to talk about joy, about things going well?

I'll say it as many times as I need to: Trans joy is absolutely survival magic and resistance.

Every bit of joy marginalized folks experience in times of oppression is a reclaiming. It's saying no to narratives that would paint us as a pestilence or as pitiful victims. It's taking back our power over our hard-pressed nervous systems. And it's imagination work—something forward-thinking folks like Afrofuturist storytellers and artists have always utilized—to help us see a way forward where thriving can be our reality.

All forms of resistance work are necessary in times like these, and I hope you find the community-based and political praxis that works for you. But ultimately, the ability to safely experience joy, creative expression, and healing is what we're fighting for, for everyone we want to liberate.

How can we get there unless we keep reminding ourselves what everyday joy feels like in our bodies, on our skin, with each other?

Consider this your monthly reminder to lean into trans joy, for all of our sakes.

With care and solidarity,
Jin (he/him)

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Me: Being trans is like being a locomotive. When I was born, I was a diesel-powered Siemens Charger ALC-42 and very sad. But now I'm an electric-powered Siemens ACS-64 and much happier. HRT is the catenary that keeps me connected to my joy and euphoria.

The person sitting next to me at lunch: 😒

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Wearing the trans flag colors on my head feels like shouting "I'm here, I'm proud, and I'm not hiding anymore." This is my quiet rebellion and loud joy all in one.

Own your colors, babes! 🏳️‍⚧️✨

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I'm going to test out a vegan/gf puff pastry recipe this weekend with my friends, and they're gonna bake something up too. Thinking I'll do a savory like a pesto-and-cashew-cheese situation, maybe some caramelized onion too? Then something sweet—not totally sure on flavors yet. All three of us are trans so it'll be trans joy!

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i celebrated my solar return surrounded by sweet caring generous trans/nonbinary cuties ! in a forest ! with hot cocoa ! hot pot ! and HOT TUB ! grateful for life. <3

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Today is a good day!!!!!!! 🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊 Work is going amazing and i am going to go watch perks of being a wildflower at a new friend's place afterwards.

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One of the most delightful things I've ever gotten in the mail: Our friend sent us a lego set that looks just like my cat!

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When I started taking testosterone I didn't expect some of my biggest joys to be facial and body hair growth! My mustache hairs are now long enough that sometimes they stick up in a way that should be embarrassing, but instead I think is super cool. I can't wait to get my first facial hair products so I can keep it in the right direction. Also, idc what people say about 90s style, my soul patch is ADORABLE.

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it's fascinating. i grew up without any notion at all that i could be another gender than the one i was assigned at birth. i struggled so much with meeting the unwritten requirements, and i never felt happy. now that i'm not a girl anymore, i care so much less about these things.

and that's not to say that i now stress about being a guy either. because i'm not a guy. i'm just... me. and whatever gender expression i do is simply RIGHT because *I* decide what's right.

this little bit of trans joy brought to you by looking in the mirror and realizing i don't care anymore that my lashes are blond and don't naturally curl.

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Another day of my feeds being full of trans joy. You never see TERF joy do you? (Just four or five miserable bastards on a street or one alone in a mouldy bathroom, or on a yacht kidding herself she's having a good time.)

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Note: The favorites poll from December showed an overwhelming number of votes for this section! Thank you for voting, and know this part wouldn't exist without all the fantastic folks who generously share their joy moments with us each month.

Please consider sending in your trans joy via the contributor form!

Welcome back to TRANS-its with your astrologers Feebz (ze/zem/zer) and Rowan Oliver (they/them)! Enjoy your winter downtime when you can, because we are coming into a busy 2026.

1/18: ☀️ Sun ingresses into Aquarius, coming newly off of a New Moon in Capricorn🌙

1/21: ☿️ Mercury cazimi in Aquarius

2/1: 🌕 Full Moon in Leo

2/17:🌙 New Moon in Aquarius (Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate! 🧨)

No zodiac sign has seen such extreme differences in its conception throughout history than Aquarius. In early Mesopotamia, the Water Bearer was seen as the sign of Gula, a proto-Hekate witch healer god, then Aquarius evolved into Saturn’s fixed air sign in the Hellenistic era. In Jyotish (Hindu) astrology, Aquarius is an active sign representing Saturn’s craftsmanship aspect. In the 20th century, modern astrologers assigned Uranus as its ruler, calling Aquarius the sign of “revolution.”

Aquarius season kicks off with yet another planetary cazimi, this time with Mercury entering the heart of the Sun. In Aquarius, the opposite sign of Leo, the Sun finds its “detriment” or exile, a foreigner in the airy home of Saturn. This is why Aquariuses are often seen (or self-describe) as different, quirky, or antithetical to mainstream cultural norms. Meanwhile, Mercury in Aquarius has triplicity dignity, meaning that its goals and values are supported by the element (air) of the sign that it's in. On the 21st, you might have experienced a significant burst of clarity around the networks in your life or their underlying motives.

At the beginning of February, the Full Moon in Leo may bring some tension around where you feel the need to lead, possibly due to differing goals with others or some very loud restructuring. Surround yourself with those who aim for communal good and have conversations about what can be done to ensure protection and change sustainably.

This is the revelation, what follows is the seeding: On the 17th, the New Moon in Aquarius invites you to assess where the structures in your life are clashing with necessary comforts. Welcome preliminary thoughts on where you can separate the chafe from the wheat.

I love the cornicopia of different features we have this month—from visual art and comic books to a musician's new single and trans storytelling in reels!

First, we have Piper (they/them) of Piper Strange Art, whose work is like diving headfirst into a little burst of joy:

Piper says:

There's always so much negative stuff out there in the world about trans people, and our community is struggling so much that I wanted to create something that would be uplifting and showcasing how joyous being trans can be. I hope this illustration captures that vibe!

Check out Piper's website (they create all kinds of art), or you can look up @piperstrangeart on most social media platforms!

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For our next feature, writer Bijhan Agha (she/her) stopped me in my tracks when I came across her words on creating stories of resistance to "inspire the next generation to reject hatred and to use our collective power for peace."

Learn more about her incredible comic book series:

Bijhan says:

Time Wars: the Adventures of Ash Grey and Saturn Olympus is a comic book series about queer heroes in the 1880s working with time travelers to unravel a Vampire conspiracy.

Ash Grey is a white transgender Christian man with an alien device that allows him to teleport. Saturn Olympus is a black cisgender man who worships the Roman pantheon and who has robotic limbs. Together, they're a married couple and the 19th Century's greatest Vampire hunters.

Ash has become pregnant, at the same time that the local Vampire Warlord has put a price on their heads. They must confront and defeat the Warlord and his crony, Alice Hayweather, a deadly Vampire cyborg assassin—all before the baby comes!

This six-issue miniseries is an ongoing chapter in the Time Wars saga. The writing is inspired by Golden Age classics like the original Moulten/Peter run of Wonder Woman, and Bill Everett's Human Torch and Namor the Submariner runs. The art draws from rich traditions including 80s Japanese manga and 90s American indie comics.

We have a Patreon where supporters can get free comics, novels, music, and video games—or get them a-la-carte without signing up. All of our products are made by and for queer people.

Check out the Patreon, or learn more on the project's successfully-backed Kickstarter page and see some sample pages from the comic!

(Bijhan had sent us the first five pages of the book, but due to limited space, we unfortunately weren't able to include them. Please take my word that it's a stunning story!)

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Support wonderful trans musician Jamie (they/them), whose music project is babename, with their second single coming out this month!

Jamie shares:

I just released my second single with my band babename–Highlights–a song about the early days of transition.

It's kind of about my hair and the gender euphoria it gives me, kind of about coming out to family, kind of about aging...

But really it's about the moment before the big change–the moment you're starting to live in your truth and you don't yet know where it will take you. And it's a nod to all those who remind us that what we deserve is love, from the world and from ourselves. That the part of us that's scared of love is the part that needs it most.

I've had a lot of teary conversations with folks after listening to this song, so please engage ready for some feels–but I think it's ultimately joyful! It's certainly joyful for me to connect with other folks who have found meaning in this song, and it's a reminder of connection, self love, and possibility.

Listen and pre-order the album, which comes out on 2/27, or follow along on Instagram and Patreon.

If you're in the Seattle area, you can join babename for their celebratory album release show! More info and RSVP here.

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Wrapping up our January features is our very first social media maven! Reels might seem simple to make, but I suspect it's akin to running a one-person production studio. I have nothing but admiration for creators like Emoria (she/her) who are willing to step in front of the camera to bring us some joy!

Emoria says:

I've been uploading silly videos to my social media pages almost daily–not everything I create is about being trans, but a lot of it has been about finding some humor in how strange and challenging existing while trans in the last year has been. Hopefully, if you can relate to a post or it makes you smile, I've brought some joy into your life, at least for a moment.

Check out this gem:

Emoria Weidner on Instagram: “A Makeup Tutorial for Trans Women #trans #makeup #humor #actor #makeuptutorial”

333 likes, 10 comments - emoriaweidner on December 30, 2025: “A Makeup Tutorial for Trans Women #trans #makeup #humor #actor #makeuptutorial”.

Instagram

You can follow Emoria on Instagram, Tiktok, and Bluesky!

• Apps close 1/31 for the first writer's cohort with Kith Books!
• Need a meal or know someone who does? One author created the amazing Emergency Trans Meal Fund.
• "The kids let go of the binary"—recent article on a Portland youth soccer club inclusive of all genders!
• "Playing is an act of resistance"—recent article on trans student athletes speaking about the joy of sports. [Content warning: Trans sports bans]
• Support trans girl scouts by buying tasty cookies!
• The Trans Mag looks absolutely phenomenal (print media in this day and age!)

Calling cis allies! I would love to grow ATJ to be able to pay contributors, but I can't do it without your help. If you have a few bucks to spare for uplifting collective trans joy, please consider upping your subscription to just $5/month! You can also tip us at Buy Me a Coffee!

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

⭐ We’re always looking for trans projects & resources to amplify. If you know someone we should feature or are launching something, simply 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 lucky recipient of a forwarded copy? 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…

Keep cultivating that feral hope, friends. Till next time!