Gender Identity
What it's really like to access gender affirming healthcare as a young trans woman
In explaining her often difficult, frustrating and long journey through the healthcare system, Johanna Kirkpatrick dispels many of the myths surrounding gender identity clinics.
Written by: Johanna Kirkpatrick
In the UK, gender non-conforming people are in danger
Beyond the binary — From physical harassment to violent verbal abuse, the struggles faced daily by people outside the gender binary are rarely discussed – and our indifference is becoming a serious problem.
Written by: Travis Alabanza
The gender-fluid model queering the academic world
From Cambridge to the catwalk... — As a '21st century polymath', Jacob Mallinson Bird is using queer agency to disrupt the heteronormative – opening minds in unexpected places.
Written by: Michael Segalov
The queer tattoo artists reviving the craft's rebel roots
The power of ink on skin — When it comes to queer tattoo culture, the customer isn’t just another blank canvas. This is an empathetic exchange that allows non-conformists to express their identity on their own terms.
Written by: Amrou Al-Kadhi
A photographer's epic road trip from Scotland to Mongolia
Boys, bikes and bucket hats — It took 10,000 miles, 19 countries, 40 rolls of film, three deserts, two seas and a vintage car – but James Parker has pulled together a nuanced photo project around ideas of masculinity.
Written by: Cian Traynor
A conversation with Jenny Hval, musical provocateur and transgressive force
There will be blood... — Norwegian artist Jenny Hval has made an album inspired by female vampires and period blood. But as a shape-shifting musician who pushes against convention, her work is almost impossible to write about... and that's exactly what makes her so special.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Kiki: The wild dance movement formed out of radical resistance
Strike a pose... — The Kiki scene is blowing up out of New York. But veterans of the voguing community know it’s no passing trend. This is a subculture backed by some serious history – and it’s got the political bite to prove it.
Written by: Kieran Yates
Arabia Felix is using YouTube to transcend the boundaries of Kuwait
Gender stories — Arabia Felix first donned make-up aged ten in his bedroom, playing alone as children often do. Today, aged twenty-three, hundreds of thousands take joy in his artistry, through videos on YouTube and tutorials on drag enjoyed by adoring fans around the globe. An online community may revere him, but at home in Kuwait, this life remains a closely guarded secret. Kuwaiti legislation punishes "imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex" with imprisonment or fines. His art, drag alter ego, and sexuality are all outlawed, and yet Arabia remains defiant. His make-up may embody traditional Arabian beauty, but it’s also his armour - and he’s preparing to fight.
Written by: Arabia Felix / Michael Segalov
Gender Stories: Jacob Tobia knows that Mx is more powerful than Mr or Miss
“Nothing about me is weird; society makes me weird.” — Jacob Tobia has a stiletto collection rivaling Ivanka Trump and facial hair most men would envy. But this 24-year old Southerner turned Brooklynite is neither masculine nor feminine. Jacob is genderqueer – or gender neutral – identifying as a person who sees beyond having only two gender options. As an advocate, working for Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice by day and moonlighting as a writer and TV personality after-hours, Jacob pushes for non-conforming gender acceptance every waking moment. Whether it’s penning a piece for Huffington Post asking why “dressing professionally” can’t mean a clean-shaven man wearing pearls, or publicly criticising transgendered media-darling Caitlyn Jenner, Jacob is out to make equal rights for genderqueer people a reality no matter how uncomfortable it makes others.
Written by: Jacob Tobia / Megan Broussard
Transitioning gender in prison: finding the 'real me' in a high-risk environment
A Story of Self Re-discovery — Lauren was raised as a girl until the age of eight, when her father decided she should be a boy. The resulting confusion led to a life of crime and, ultimately, the need to find her true self while serving time in a male prison.
Written by: Cat McShane