Anni Arbour
Anni, a transgender professional writer from Ann Arbor, moderates the Reddit subreddit, MI_Transgender_Friend.
Don't Call Me Trans: Why It's Time We Define Ourselves on Our Own Terms
We are fighting our fight all wrong. We have accepted the terms of battle, of our very existence, from those who seek to demean us, reduce us to insignificance, to erase us from society. It’s time to stop and it starts with the way we define [...]Read more about Don't Call Me Trans: Why It's Time We Define Ourselves on Our Own Terms
Where Are the Tears for Ava Cordero?
Transgender people have never been treated well by the mainstream media. Usually, whenever one in our community makes it into the news cycle, it is in a negative context. Certainly, whenever they are suspected of a major crime. More often, though, [...]Read more about Where Are the Tears for Ava Cordero?
But Am I Trans Enough?
Let's be honest. At some point in your transition journey, you've experienced the lingering feeling that you just might not be transgender. There is even a term for this: Trans-doubt.I know I've felt it at times — early in my [...]Read more about But Am I Trans Enough?
Jadzia Axelrod Has Created the Trans Superhero We Always Needed
I don't often cry while reading a comic book. But these words on the dedication page of "Galaxy: The Prettiest Star" brought me to tears: "For the girl who needed this book ages ago, and couldn't find it."It was as if [...]Read more about Jadzia Axelrod Has Created the Trans Superhero We Always Needed
Manufactured Outrage: Trans Athlete Complaint Reveals Coordinated Attack on Michigan Student
A cisgender girl who never saw a trans teammate in the locker room claims privacy violation, and Michigan's latest sports battle heads to court. I try hard to find positive stories related to our community. Some days I can, but many days I [...]Read more about Manufactured Outrage: Trans Athlete Complaint Reveals Coordinated Attack on Michigan Student
Is It Ever Too Late? Geriatric Gender Transitioning and the Race Against Time
I know. The thought of getting old makes you uncomfortable. If you're young, you try not to think of it at all. Consequently, gender transitioning late in life doesn't usually pop up in conversation.It hit home for me when I was messaging [...]Read more about Is It Ever Too Late? Geriatric Gender Transitioning and the Race Against Time
Inside the Trans-Welcoming World of Cosplay
Getting ready the morning of a convention has never gotten any less chaotic for C.J. Stiles. They wake up, find whatever source of caffeine they can and begin the long transformation process: skincare, makeup, getting into the cosplay, and finally [...]Read more about Inside the Trans-Welcoming World of Cosplay
Shopping for Trans Loved Ones This Holiday Season? Start Here
Scrambling to find the right gift for each trans person on your holiday list? Let me help.To start, let me suggest you check out the Transanta gift registry site. I happened onto this quite by accident while doing research for this post, and I have [...]Read more about Shopping for Trans Loved Ones This Holiday Season? Start Here
Hollywood Rallied to Save Jimmy Kimmel, But the Trans Community Faces Federal Erasure in Silence
Good for Jimmy Kimmel.He got his show back and with it, his bully pulpit from which he can continue battling Trump and his MAGA minions.Kimmel's triumphant return — which has resulted in his highest ratings ever — was the direct result of a [...]Read more about Hollywood Rallied to Save Jimmy Kimmel, But the Trans Community Faces Federal Erasure in Silence
As Michigan Republicans Advance Bathroom Bill, Florida Trans Student's Faith-Driven Protest Offers Lessons in Civil Disobedience
Twenty-year-old Marcy Rheintgen knew exactly what would happen when she walked into the women's restroom at the Florida Capitol Building on March 19. She had planned every detail of her act of civil disobedience, even writing advance warning [...]Read more about As Michigan Republicans Advance Bathroom Bill, Florida Trans Student's Faith-Driven Protest Offers Lessons in Civil Disobedience
The Latest School Shooter May Have Been Transgender — and We Will Get the Blame
Unhinged. Gun nut. Transgender. There was yet another horrific school shooting today, and all of these descriptors have applied to the presumed shooter. Which one do you think the media will use in its headlines? Mentally disturbed people are an [...]Read more about The Latest School Shooter May Have Been Transgender — and We Will Get the Blame
Even in Trans-Friendlier Michigan, Democratic Allies Are Failing Us
It is exhausting trying to keep up with the anti-transgender news, particularly when it's not just coming from the usual suspects. Living in Michigan, we're supposed to be in one of the more welcoming states for transgender residents, yet [...]Read more about Even in Trans-Friendlier Michigan, Democratic Allies Are Failing Us
How Michigan’s Bree Taylor Transformed Personal Struggle into Transgender Advocacy
From the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., Bree Taylor's voice carried across a crowd of over 1,000 people. The scientist-turned-activist spoke with the precision and assurance that had become her trademark, rallying supporters for [...]Read more about How Michigan’s Bree Taylor Transformed Personal Struggle into Transgender Advocacy
Skrmetti Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Trans Rights Nationwide — Including Michigan
Update: Since this article was published, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors in U.S. v. Skrmetti, with all six conservative justices joining the majority opinion that rejected arguments the [...]Read more about Skrmetti Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Trans Rights Nationwide — Including Michigan
America's Prettiest Girl: The Remarkable Story of Gender-Bending Trailblazer Lionel 'Iron Mike' Ames
In an era decades before "RuPaul's Drag Race" or political battles over drag performers, a University of Michigan student named Lionel "Iron Mike" Ames became a national sensation for his stunning performances in women's [...]Read more about America's Prettiest Girl: The Remarkable Story of Gender-Bending Trailblazer Lionel 'Iron Mike' Ames
What Is Going on With Sarah McBride?
U.S. Rep. Sarah E. McBride (D - Delaware), is the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress. A historic and groundbreaking achievement, especially in the anti-trans climate that we are experiencing.Since her election last November, [...]Read more about What Is Going on With Sarah McBride?
Respect Yourself: Why Using Terms Like 'Tranny' Is Not Empowering
Words can make or break a person. How you communicate with another informs their perception of you, and how you allow others to communicate with you also forms perceptions.I am sensitive to the use of words involving transgender people. Our community [...]Read more about Respect Yourself: Why Using Terms Like 'Tranny' Is Not Empowering
How a Michigan Trans Rights Rally Ignited Nationwide Solidarity — See Our Exclusive Photo Gallery
On Jan. 30, more than 100 transgender people and allies assembled at the steps of the Michigan Capitol Building on a cold winter afternoon to voice their solidarity in the face of the recent onslaught of executive orders targeting the trans [...]Read more about How a Michigan Trans Rights Rally Ignited Nationwide Solidarity — See Our Exclusive Photo Gallery
Today Is the Day: Rallies at State Capitols, Including One in Lansing, as Transgender Activism Comes Alive
Every revolution has a starting point, a historical touchstone that when looked back upon, people will say it was when anger and fear and ideologies coalesced into action. Today is that day for the transgender community.Until now, we have been a [...]Read more about Today Is the Day: Rallies at State Capitols, Including One in Lansing, as Transgender Activism Comes Alive
Discovering Janet’s Closet: Michigan’s Haven for Transgender Shoppers
Driving down Fort Street, you cannot miss the boxy, cinder-block building featuring an exterior that still feels like a testament to its first incarnation as a mid-century supermarket, with prominent characteristics recalling its evolution since. The [...]Read more about Discovering Janet’s Closet: Michigan’s Haven for Transgender Shoppers
For ‘Lara Croft Is My Family’ Comic Artist Carta Monir, Her Life Is Her Art
Anni Arbour is an award-winning, bestselling author and journalist. Based in Ann Arbor, Anni attended both Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan. She has recently been accepted as a member of the Trans Journalist Association. [...]Read more about For ‘Lara Croft Is My Family’ Comic Artist Carta Monir, Her Life Is Her Art
Michigan's Transgender Unity Coalition Rises Up in the Age of Trump
Despite the unseasonably balmy weather, a collective chill shivered through the Michigan transgender community on Nov. 6.Bree Taylor had climbed atop a wooden picnic table in the courtyard of Vertex Coffee shop in Ypsilanti, looking like an orator [...]Read more about Michigan's Transgender Unity Coalition Rises Up in the Age of Trump
The Martyrdom of Chanelle Pickett and the Birth of Transgender Day of Remembrance
Editor's Note: The author is using a pseudonym for safety. Martyrdom is a dying business. That is why nobody becomes a martyr willingly. At least, no reasonable person. It involves pain and suffering, and it never ends well.Surely, Chanelle [...]Read more about The Martyrdom of Chanelle Pickett and the Birth of Transgender Day of Remembrance