Tag: Trauma Healing
This project is becoming a book.
Explore more of these journeys in Northern Lights, Northern Lives.
→ Pre-order on Kickstarter with a late pledge to be part of bringing it to life.
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Unraveling the Rules: Ren’s Journey Through Gender, Neurodiversity, and Chronic Pain
Ren grew up surrounded by rules—about how to sit, speak, and exist—rules that never quite fit. Diagnosed as autistic at 28 and living with chronic pain, Ren has spent the past few years unlearning what they were taught about gender, identity, and worth. Through books, disability justice, and queer community, they’ve found the language—and the…
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Unboxing Trans Masculinity: Dr. Leo Taylor on Gender, Healing, and Freedom
Dr. Leo Taylor reflects on more than 25 years of gender transition, from surviving a strict evangelical upbringing and embracing a binary identity out of necessity, to ultimately unboxing masculinity and discovering freedom in fluidity. Leo’s story is a powerful testament to resilience, reimagination, and the joy of living beyond binaries.
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Giving Voices to the Voiceless: A Trans and Intersex Experience in Chinatown, Seattle
Celene, a hafu Japanese American and intersex transgender civil rights activist, highlights the importance of community in Seattle’s Chinatown. Despite facing extreme adversity, including losing their voice box and past violence, Celene actively fights for the rights of marginalized groups, promoting unity among diverse communities. Celene takes great pride in being a Maui otokonoko.
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Navigating Trauma in Today’s Political Climate: Abuse Survivors, LGBTQ+, and Trump Again
Jayme reflects on their struggles and PTSD symptoms in response to a second Trump presidency, particularly as a transgender, LGBTQ+ person and abuse survivor. They express safety concerns, trauma, and anger towards the erasure of LGBTQ+ people and abuse survivors in the midst of societal regression. The importance of visibility and shared experiences is emphasized…
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Bruised, Battered, But Free: Casey’s Journey of Survival, Identity, and Building a New Life
Casey, a trans fem individual from Charles Town, West Virginia, shares her journey of resilience after experiencing a tumultuous childhood marred by trauma and sexual assault. She reflects on gender as an irrelevant concept and emphasizes the significance of survival, camaraderie, and personal expression through her art and experiences.
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Alberta’s Divided Heart: Queer Life in the “Texas of Canada”
Edmonton, Alberta — sometimes called the “Texas of Canada” — is a place of contrasts for 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities. On my latest road trip, I explored the complexities of queer life in this Prairie city: from threats and protests to the resilience of transgender-owned businesses and queer joy in unexpected spaces. As Canada reckons…
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Hidden Barriers to Fitness for Queer and Neurodivergent Communities: Inclusive Fitness in Alberta
Physical activity isn’t reserved for one kind of body or identity. As a queer, neurodivergent person, I’ve often felt caught between stereotypes and the reality of my love for movement. In this post, I explore how fitness spaces can exclude or empower LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent people — and why creating inclusive, trauma-informed fitness communities matters…
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Gun Violence Normalized: My Queer Reflections on Gun Violence from Alaska to Virginia to Texas
After a Pride weekend in Soldotna, Alaska, a tense encounter with armed strangers outside a friend’s home triggers personal reflections on gun culture, safety, and violence across Alaska, Texas, and Virginia—revealing how gun trauma quietly shapes queer lives in America.