Sylvie, my citizen action project partner, and I went to the High School to learn more about trans youth in New York City. We interviewed many of the GSA members to get more personal stories about trans people, and to get a better understanding about their perspectives on the recent gender affirming care bans. Since we’ve met with the High School GSA before, we knew what to expect, and they were extremely friendly and kind. We asked them many questions about their experiences and what they thought about being trans. Some of them responded by saying that they came out in Middle school but that they weren’t really accepted there, but that they felt like the High School was a much better place to be queer. Some talked about changing their names, their pronouns, and all about the coming out process. One person had even received puberty blockers, which temporarily stops puberty and is usually admitted by a shot. 

This made me feel extremely accepted, especially since seeing queer and trans people in their day-to-day life is not something I get to do all of the time. I find that listening to stories and personal experiences also makes me feel more humanized, since the media often portrays queer people as a certain way, when in reality, that isn’t always true. Seeing and interacting with people who reflect my identity is a really special thing for me, and this kind of representation is something that needs to be talked about much more.