I live my life by two mottos: “Be an unapologetic, bad bitch,” and “Be the woman and person you’ve always needed in life.” I am a strong, confident, and bold Black trans woman who is not afraid to embrace the intersectionality of her identity; one who is unafraid to take the road less traveled and to be a trailblazer.…
“I’m always on my way to a rodeo,” says Arqueze Girdy. “Today, it’s Liberty.” The 27-year-old barrel racer graciously made time to meet me while traveling to east Texas for the next stop on her jam-packed weekend rodeo circuit. We hoist ourselves into the front seat of her Dodge dually pickup truck—which, by the way, is hooked to a 20-foot aluminum trailer carrying her beloved competition horses—and quickly dive into conversation. Her delicate voice is grounded in a steady, welcoming…
On a warm summer night in 2013, I walk by myself across the parking lot of the Montrose Center. My youth group peers have left me behind, chatting amongst themselves. Dee Dee Watters notices me walking alone, smiles, and waves a hand with long decorated nails. “I don’t know you, but I love you,” she says. “Have a good night. I’ll see you around.”…
It's now been several weeks since that historic election, the one that made me the first Black female governor of the Lone Star State. It also makes me the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards held the office from 1991 to 1995. The shock of election night has since worn off. The election is certified, the interviews are done, and I spend the runup to Inauguration Day learning the nuts and bolts of the position. I must be prepared to…
“It’s the last jam of the 2017 championship...two minutes left, your HRD Brawlers and undefeated Psych Ward Sirens are neck and neck...get on your feet, Houston!” veteran Houston Roller Derby announcer Scarlet O’Hurtya yells out with anxious enthusiasm. Wild cheers from fans vibrate Revention Music Center. My ears are ringing, my legs are throbbing from jumping up and down, and my homemade poster is ripped at each side from my clenched fists. Brawler jammer Arrak-Kiss and Siren jammer Black Lung…
When you meet Lea Córdova, MA, MS, you don't know what is more astonishing: the action-packed life she has lived as a Latina trans health advocate, or the fact that this irrepressible dynamo is in fact 76 years old. Lea and I have seen each other at LGBTQ and activist events around North Carolina for many years, and I've come to admire her as one of my elders. I caught up with her on a sunny September afternoon, shortly after she'd…
Jessica Zyrie, a Texas-raised trans model, aims to change the fashion uniform. Born in New Jersey, Zyrie grew up in San Antonio, where she transitioned her senior year of high school. Although some in her life rejected her for transitioning, Zyrie says she is still grateful. “There have been many highs and lows in my transition, but I have gained so much more than I’ve lost,” she says. “I’ve gained true happiness in knowing that I can be loved and…
Carina Magyar, a transgender standup comedian, uses jokes to educate and inform the masses. “I found my voice onstage, incorporating my transition and identity as a woman into my stand-up comedy,” she explains. And the message Magyar pushes the most when she performs? That she is a normal person with a normal life with normal problems.…
