Recently, I was interviewed in Allure. We talked about how selfies can help trans and nonbinary people reclaim their self-image and the pitfalls of living online.
I love this article! The author did a great job interviewing a wide range of trans and nonbinary people. The whole thing is worth a read, but here are some of my favorite excerpts:
Seeing other people have the courage to love themselves loudly and publicly online gave me the courage to start all of this.
- Robin Ford
Sharing a selfie feels like an act of personal assertion:
I am trans, this is my presentation, you will see me the way I wish to be seen.
- Foster Rudy
There is a huge amount of identity policing within and around the LGBT community. Queer communities find pressure to conform to standards set by their own groups — ‘to be queer, trans, lesbian, etcetera enough’ ... This is all bullshit, of course.
No one should feel like their identity is in a display case for others to rate and judge
- Kimberly Vered Shashoua, LCSW
[Taking a selfie is] a simple, accessible way to create solidarity and resist the forces in our everyday lives that try to erase our identities.
Proudly posting a selfie sends a message that we have a right to exist and be seen, and that we get to take control of our own narratives.
- Riley R. L.
<3 Vered
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Read more about our therapy for transgender teens or counseling for transgender adults. If you want more problem-solving and less therapy, see if a transgender road map session would be right for you.
Check out the Vered Counseling blog for more helpful tips, like what is gender therapy like, how to get a HRT letter in Texas or North Carolina, and what are puberty blockers.
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