THE NASHVILLE TRANS SOLIDARITY PROJECT PRESENTS
TRANSISTANCE
a roadmap to everyday practice
To all our gender diverse predecessors through whose love, pain and joy we have learned and lived.
To all our gender diverse predecessors through whose love, pain and joy we have learned and lived.
Practice trans solidarity.
To practice something is to actually apply or use an idea, belief or method. Practicing is active and lifelong - it requires consistency and dedication.
When we say trans we mean all those who identify as transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, gender fluid, two-spirit, intersex, agender, bigender, and third gender among others. We are using it as an umbrella term to cover anyone who is not cisgender, or someone whose gender identity corresponds with their gender assigned at birth.
Solidarity means supporting and advocating for the equal treatment of a community other than your own. It means you recognize the destructiveness of oppression to all of humanity. You acknowledge that our collective wellbeing is interwoven.
So, you know what it means to practice trans solidarity. Now, how do we turn your passive understanding into active community building? How do you actually put trans solidarity into practice? From forming a dynamic understanding of trans history to comprehending the interwoven layers of oppression to learning tangible acts of solidarity, our goal with this program is to provide information and tools that empower you to take a stand and have a hand in building an inclusive community. Liberation for some is a step toward liberation for all.
Show Your Support
As existing outside of the gender norms continues to be exceptionally challenging thanks to political, societal and economical obstacles, spaces that are known sanctuaries are indispensable. Identify your business, office or other public space with our PRACTICE TRANS SOLIDARITY poster - which links to this webpage to encourage further education. All proceeds go toward continuing the Trans Solidarity Project’s curriculum.
Trans history is everyone’s history.
Before we dive deep into transgender history, it’s important to understand that the mere concept of gender as we know and perform is relatively new when looking at the entirety of human existence. From gender crossing Sumerian priests to a she/her-preferring Roman emperor to third gender South Asians, the definition and performance of gender before European colonization was exceptionally variable. Today’s concept of gender came to be through the necessity of a multitude of power imbalances that reinforce and justify the capitalist colonial white supremacist cisheteropatriarchy. Gender can be so many things depending on if you are looking at it in its origins or looking at it from a contemporary co-opted point of view - it is undefinable.
Remember: this overview of trans history will contain a skewed interpretation of history for two reasons: the main contributors of this resource are white and the intended audience is those who reside in the United States South. Not all places where trans rights intersect on the web of total liberation are somewhere the authors have been. With such a focus on the immediate community, there are nuances and intersections not covered. Remember how we said practicing is active and lifelong? There will always be more to learn than what is contained in these pages.
PRE-COLONIAL
The cultures of the Native and First Nation peoples to whom the land on which we live’s history belongs includes a multitude of variation and fluidity depending on the region and community. Given that these cultures existed well before the colonial imposition of gender, it is both diminishing and unnecessary to frame the experience of Native and First Nations peoples in this context and language. It is nonetheless important to understand the contemporary Native and First Nations umbrella term frequently included in trans conversations two-spirit - a cultural and spiritual identity used to describe having both masculine and feminine spirits for some and a societal and spiritual role that people played within traditional societies for others.
PRE- TO EARLY-US
There is evidence of gender nonconformity at the earliest stages of this continent’s colonization with figures like Thomas(ine) Hall, an intersex person who presented both feminine and masculine in 1600s Virginia, and the Public Universal Friend, a genderless preacher in late-1700s Rhode Island. Early American examples of other such individuals continue to pop up through military records, like the well-known US Civil War soldier Albert Cashier, and criminal records, such as New York’s Mary Jones and Joseph Lobdell among others who committed an offense of gender nonconformity. Appearing in political records alike, formerly enslaved Frances Thompson is presumed to be the first trans person to testify before Congress after surviving the racially motivated Memphis Massacre of 1866.
EARLY 1900s
We see the creation of the US’s earliest known organization for gender and sexual liberation, the Cercle Hermaphroditos, at the turn of the century. It takes nearly fifty more years to see a pique in interest from the medical research community, with foundational studies coming out of San Francisco thanks to Louise Lawrence and her gender diverse network. Simultaneously trans public figures began to emerge like Christine Jorgensen who used the sensationalism of her unprecedented public medical transition to advocate for transgender acceptance and Virginia Prince who launched Transvestia featuring contributions from Lawrence.
MIDCENTURY
A string of riots, sit-ins and demonstrations mark the beginnings of a public battle for queer rights, led by members of the trans community. The Cooper Do-Nuts riots began after sympathetic patrons stopped the attempted arrest of five members of the LGBTQ+ community by bombarding the police car with donuts and coffee among other objects. On the other side of the country, queer Philadelphian youths with the Janus Society successfully organized the Dewey’s Lunch Counter sit-ins in 1965 after the restaurant staff refused to serve people they presumed to belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Just a year later, San Francisco trans women took a stand against police violence leading to Compton’s Cafeteria riot and their eventual arrest. The 1969 Stonewall Riots finally and famously became what many claim to be the definitive start of the modern Gay Rights Movement.
80s + 90s
The public fight quickly changed its tone thanks to the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s. The epidemic allowed for further division both within the LGBTQ+ community and the general public. While the most vulnerable members of the queer community, like trans people of color and sex workers, were affected to a greater degree thanks to facing layers of systemic obstacles, white gay men received public concern and support. However, such concern was minimal, and the lack thereof emboldened the US government to further legislate against queer rights. By the time the HIV/AIDS outbreak was named a public health crisis in 1985, thousands of people had died. While there has not been success in the creation of a vaccine, attempts have furthered the field and directly led to the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine.
FEMINISM
It’s around the HIV/AIDS outbreak that the feminist movement begins to see the necessity of trans inclusion. The historical exclusion of trans people goes back to the roots of feminism, whose first wave aligned with the abolition movements of the mid-1800s while disregarding prominent Black feminists like Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells and dismissing progress such as Black men being granted the right to vote as white cis women were not. The second wave once again centered white cis women with the objection to nuclear gender roles and expectations, leading to a call for reproductive rights as demonstrated by the monumental 1973 Roe. v. Wade decision.
Third wave feminism begins to see inclusion thanks to the works of Kimberlee Crenshaw, who identified the compounding nature of multiple marginalized identities, and Judith Butler’s exploration of gender theory which gives credence to the existence of transness. Of course, with the expansion of feminism to the non-cisgender community came those opposed to the incorporation with today’s fourth wave feminism. TERFs, or trans-exclusionary radical feminists, like J. K. Rowling and Bette Midler believe it to be an injustice to the overall feminist movement to include those not assigned female at birth. Fortunately, the majority of self-proclaimed feminists today do believe trans people and in one’s ability to be trans.
Tennessee is trans.
Underneath the South’s oppressive facade is a number of thriving communities rooted in radical existence. Tennessee’s rich queer history stands in opposition to the state’s historical characterization. Evidence of such history dates back to the Civil War with masculine-presenting Union Army soldier Albert D.J. Cashier, who fought in over 40 battles including the Battle of Nashville. Cashier was buried in Illinois with full military honor despite being outed in his late 60s.
Traces of Tennessee’s trans history are again evident throughout the 1900s. Actor Aleshia Brevard returned to her home-state multiple times throughout her life to attend Middle Tennessee State University, model in Nashville, and teach at East Tennessee State. Across the state, Memphis produced trans activist Jazzie Collins who dedicated her life to disability justice. Becoming the first known trans person in the South to be honored with a historical marker in 2024, well-known Black soul singer Jackie Shane, whose career was most prominent in the 60s, hailed from Nashville. Also spending time in Music City was Calpernia Addams, a decorated war veteran, actress, musician, activist, and author who was integral in getting more trans representation in Hollywood media.
Recent trans history in Tennessee includes a number of legal battles, typically focused on transgender youth like new laws allowing anti-queer parents to adopt children despite a child’s identity or preference and requiring schools to out children to their parents. While such bureaucratic obstacles have both dehumanized and spectacularized the trans experience, it has further deepened the need for organization, connection and representation. Olivia Hill is Tennessee’s first openly trans elected official after winning a position on Nashville’s Metro Council in 2023. Also a veteran, Hill represents Nashville and Tennessee’s present and future. Remember: the South doesn’t just have queer people - the South is queer.
Solidarity Starts Today
STEP ONE: LISTEN TO TRANS PEOPLE
The best way to understand what being gender diverse is like is to hear it directly from those with the lived experience.
+ listen actively with an open mind
+ hold space for understanding
+ accept feedback with grace
How ‘bout an example? A trans employee approaches you, their boss, and says that their coworker is making comments that make them uncomfortable or unsafe. Ask them if and how they would like action to be taken, respecting how they wish to handle the relationship between their identity and the situation. Take their concern seriously, and respect that you may not be able to relate to the experience but can still empathize and act to make it better.
STEP TWO: AVOID ASSUMPTIONS
The gender you perceive someone as may not correspond to the intimately experienced gender identity of that person.
+ don’t police restrooms
+ keep conversations appropriate
+ use correct pronouns and be aware of changes
+ be mindful of confidentiality, disclosure, and outing
To illustrate our point… Your sibling has recently come out as trans. Rather than assuming that this is public knowledge, ask them who they have already told and what their level of comfort is with you sharing information, such as if you should use different name or pronouns when talking about them to your parents or friends. Thank them for confiding in you.
STEP THREE: DEFAULT TO GENDER NEUTRAL
Making space for all gender identities, expressions, and presentations is better than making space for some.
+ skip gendered greetings and generalizations
+ recognize products and services are not gendered
+ facilitate gender neutral spaces and signage
Exempli gratia… Specifically in the South, “ma’am” and “sir” are traditional honorifics indicative of respect. However, these are gendered terms. Try thanking your cashier or waiter with language that is not gendered like “friend,” “gentle-person” or simply their name.
STEP FOUR: SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Non-verbal signs of support can be quick indicators that a space and its inhabitants are welcoming.
+ fly or don a pride flag
+ facilitate gender neutral bathrooms
+ identify safe spaces visually
For instance… Your favorite local coffee shop takes the initiative to practice what they preach and truly make the commitment to gender liberation. Over a few short days, they adjust their bathroom signage to “All Gender Restroom,” display a contemporary pride flag and add an anonymous suggestion box for compliments or criticisms from employees and patrons.
STEP FIVE: CHOOSE EDUCATION OVER TOLERATION