trans joy is fierce creativity

Hello my friends,

Happy June, Happy Pride, and Happy Revolutions.

We're obviously in the midst of a global maelstrom that wants to keep us in distress. But we go on– we still go on experiencing joy, pleasure, and community care of all kinds.

Trans joy is not a passive act. Trans joy is not lightly won. When I consider trans joy, I see fierce creativity. I see Sylvia Rivera turning jeers and boos to cheers on the stage of Pride 1973. I see the ways my community shows up for each other even when we are imperfect and afraid. I see artists continuing to make art, musicians continuing to play and sing. I see solidarity protests and rainbow finery in the streets.

I hope you take heart from the joy and love spilling from each submission within this issue, and take refuge in the ways that trans joy continues to show up, no matter what.

This month and beyond - keep shining your light. Those around you need it now more than ever. And we can do this together.

With care and solidarity,
Jin (he/him)

P.S. Did you notice that ATJ has been touched by fairy dust?! A HUGE thank you to Tulani Kiara (they/them) for creating our new gorgeous newsletter banner/logo and the background you see on our home page!! Please check out their amazing creations & hire them pronto for all your illustration needs!

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At the end of April, I attended the free local Vision and Dental Clinic that happens once a year for folks who can’t afford care, and I was able to get new glasses for the first time in over two years!

I’ve had glasses since I was 8, I am 27 years old now, and this was my first time looking for frames completely by myself!! I was so excited!! It was wonderful. For the first time, I didn’t have to cater to what my abusive birth mother would approve of. I was able to ask for exactly what I wanted without having to worry about her, and I was even able to ask to only look at unisex and men’s frames!

Yesterday, I picked up my new glasses, and I am SO SO happy with them!!!! They are 100% me, and they are bringing me so much joy and euphoria.

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At the time of writing this, I am almost a month out from top surgery. I had moments of worry beforehand about whether this was right for me, but the longer I spend in my changed body, the clearer it becomes that I really did need this. I actually WANT to stand up straight now, and every time I try on a shirt I haven't worn since before the surgery, I get all giggly.

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A few days ago I came out to my first big group of people. It was this community who all did the same school activity and we mostly just hung out and talked about stuff I cared about, and they actually cared about me and who I was.

I don’t think I had finished saying the words before someone ran up and hugged me and said how proud they were to know me and they were glad I felt comfortable sharing. The teacher even stepped in to say how much they appreciated everyone being there for me. I left school that day so happy I was sobbing tears of relief and joy on the bus home.

While I can never say for certain if you’ve found the right people to say it to, I can assure you there’s no better feeling in any of the stars known to humanity than the feeling of being validated in being who you are.

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As I approach turning 38 soon, I finally started passing as male just under half a year ago and for the first time, I've been really enjoying expressing "femininity" in many of the ways assigned to my original socialization that I always detested before. Now, it feels on my own terms and in a very femmeboy/genderfluid way rather than a forced assigned womanhood way. I've been learning to apply mascara and eyeliner for the first time and I love it so much! Such a gay boy slay :)

I've spent my whole life being jealous of twinks and femme gay bottoms... and now... I am the girlboy of my own dreams by design uwu blushes manifest gender destiny unlocked!!

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Today was my undergraduate commencement ceremony, and so much of my absolutely BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL chosen family and precious community showed up for me. Up until 2 years ago, I didn't have much in the way of family or community - the little "family" I used to have and have since cut out of my life was toxic and abusive. Then I found this beautiful massive queer community in August of 2023 and within it I found my real family. So many of them showed up today, and they made me feel so loved and cared for. I'm still blown away and overcome with emotion <3

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I am sharing photos I took that demonstrate my love for photography and nature. I’m a transgender male with non-binary expression who wants to share more beauty in the world.

alt text not available for galleries: nature photos of train tracks, a turtle swimming, and a stormy sky with light breaking through

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Trans joy is being able to live each day as your authentic self.
Trans joy is not feeling alien in your own body and crying yourself to sleep at night.
Trans joy is having control over your own body autonomy.
Trans joy is being proud of who you are and celebrating it🏳️‍⚧️

#transjoy

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the first time i looked into the mirror after surgery 
soothed my brain in a way 
i didn’t realize was possible 
holy shit
i am me
or rather 
i look like me 
i would not trade it for the world 
i am now in the in between body 
the neither nor body 
i’ve started to love my softness
this is not gender euphoria 
this is gender enlightenment

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If you're feeling inspired, the contributor form for next month is open! Each & every one of your submissions is precious and needed!

☀️ Feebz is on hiatus this month due to recovering from a too-close encounter with the Sun, and does not recommend being so enthusiastic about planet exposure. Send some love to him!! Ze will be back in July. ☀

We're featuring some stellar trans fantasy artists & creators this month, starting with award-winning queer art comic The Fox Who Became A Girl by Orion Fern.

Orion says:

My trans joy this year comes from recently winning a second award for our queer fairy tale comic centering trans joy, titled "The Fox Who Became A Girl"! The Comics Advocacy Group mini grant made it possible to print another run, so the 2nd edition is available in print in time for Pride month!

You can order the print comic here; it ships internationally and comes signed by me! :3

Since we love our queer community, we also believe trans joy-related media should be made freely available for the sake of spreading hope during these difficult times. We have a completely free digital version of the comic that is PWYW here - 2nd edition is now available digitally too!

If anyone would like to keep up with my work, feel free to sign up for my newsletter - my next work is a large zine project titled 'THEY LIVE: A NON-BINARY BESTIARY' featuring pokedex-like entries for each type of non-binary gender(s) and/or lack thereof. The zine works to dispel myths and oversimplificiations of non-binary existence and uses sourced information from queer and trans history + a form we received over 270+ contributions to from non-binary people describing their experiences and defining their gender(s) and/or lack thereof in their own words. It will release by the end of this year after securing funding for printing! 😄

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OK, hold onto your hats for this one - tune into the sheer amount of rad joy and magic a-swirling that is BaddieBards!

BaddieBards is an all Black, Trans, Queer ass-throwin' actual play production studio weaving stories that explore these identities! We absolutely adore creating immersive worlds, memorable multifaceted characters, and hope it will leave people feeling seen and heard. We primarily make actual plays, which is nerd talk for we play TTRPGs (table-top roleplaying games) and record it for the world to hear! We started this adventure in August 2023 and have been having a damn good time ever since.

Our entire reason for starting BaddieBards is that while we saw some Black representation in the TTRPG space, we didn't see enough. Especially didn't see a lot of specifically Black Queer Trans representation in mainstream media. We started BB so other Black Queer Trans people would hopefully resonate with the stories we share. Every table features an all Black and Queer cast and one story is vastly different from the next. I like to think we have a little bit of everything for folx - we've got an isekai adventure, a chaotic space opera, cozy tales about adventurers turned tavern owners, and whimsical stories about a traveling fey circus.

This year, we've decided to celebrate Pride & Juneteenth by putting on Baddie Pride! Baddie Pride is a month-long event where the category is: Black Queer Trans Joy. We're celebrating all things Black, Queer, and Trans, with offerings like:

• Hearth & Holler every Friday at 8:30PM EST, a story about adventurers who have retired and are now tavern owners. We explore how the crew settles into a community not their own and discover who they are outside of saving the world from peril.
• Chasing Caspian! Showing every Saturday at 8:30PM EST, we follow The Midnight Menagerie, a fairy circus, traveling through the seasons' courts to find their missing friend Caspian!
• Lastly, on June 29th at 8:30PM EST we will host a panel with 6 other amazing Black, Queer, Trans icons in the TTRPG community where we chat about the Black Queer experience in the TTRPG community outside the lens of whiteness.

All of which takes place on our Twitch!

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If you're in Seattle, run don't walk to see this show's closing night at Trans Pride on Friday the 27th (it's entirely on me that this newsletter didn't come out in time for more advance notice - apologies!)

THE FACTORY PRESENTS: t4t— a Seattle-based group art show curated by @alpastries.

** Closing Show - Day of Trans Pride— Friday, June 27 3-8pm**

t4t— short for “trans for trans”— refers to relationships between trans people. The term originated as a way for trans people to find and connect with one another online for dating purposes. Today, t4t has grown into something broader. It signifies solidarity between trans people— a mantra of trans-centered love, friendship, community, and care.
t4t is an emotional safety net.
It’s where we feel truly seen in a world that so often wishes to erase us.
It’s trans people loving one another, despite the hate so frequently directed our way.
It’s trans people centering each other, in contrast to the marginalization we face.
t4t is an amplification of pure trans joy— a celebration of trans community, where we are stronger together.
t4t is trans people giving each other our roses.
t4t is a group art show made by and for our community, and is open to everyone who arrives with care, curiosity, and respect. It’s open to all who support and celebrate trans lives— and closed to anything less.

t4t is curated by Al Pastries and features artwork by Amanda James Parker, Anonymouse, Bubonicats, Erin Egg Hurley, Gemini Sister, Glitter, June September, Karl Cassel, Kevin Barrett, Kirby Stolzoff, M Dillinger, Madeleine, Margo, María Dolores A. Matienzo, Molly Vaughan, Oli Lommen Anderson Bigley, Oliver Hyde, Olivia of Liv Healing Arts, Puck Bartelby, Ralph Houser, Raqa Down, Red Angus, Rivka Clifton, Rowen Foster, Silver Barcohav, Swerv Wizely, Sarah Timm, Val (Valeria Espinal), Zander Salander, Al Pastries.

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Lastly, enjoy this portrait of pure trans joy by Bastart!

The artist says:

This is what trans joy looks like to me.

I’m proud of every ring I wear — each one represents a part of who I am: trans, nonbinary, ace and bi. I drew this self-portrait because sometimes joy means claiming space with a smile, a wink, and a fang out.

I used to hide. Now I pose, flex, and celebrate myself through art. My name as an artist is Bastart, and through my art, I embrace all the facets of my trans experience with joy and pride.

• Trans Pride Seattle 2025 is on Friday, 6/27 (yes, the day this newsletter is out!!). You can also livestream or catch the recording after!
• Published this month: an article on what it's like to begin medically transition in 2025 and a piece about choosing joy in a time of anti-trans hate.
• Magical bookish care packages for trans & nonbinary youth (and more).
• Trans Joy Generator by Campaign for Southern Equality with messages of support and love, dedicated to Trans Youth. I clicked & got instantly teary!
• Trans Equality Now made this uplifting "What do you love about trans people?" compilation for TDoV earlier this year.
• Behold the first-ever gender euphoria scale for researchers!
• Are you/do you know a Black trans woman who could use TSA-precheck? Check out the Black Trans Travel Fund. Anyone can also get cool swag to support trans futures with 100% of proceeds going to this org!

Do you have a piece of trans joy to share with us?? You can reply to this email with your submission for the next issue. Just check out the Contributor Guidelines first!

We’re always looking for trans projects and resources to amplify. If you have a lead that you think the ATJ community should know about, please reply to this email.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please 1) drag and drop this email to your Primary inbox tab if it's not already in there, and 2) support us by forwarding 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…

...a Pride collage made by yours truly, celebrating trans legacies of resistance and being defiantly, joyfully queer & trans at this time in history:

To centering our stories, this month and forever. 🏳️‍⚧️