Deja Moore (she/her/ella), Afro Hispanic woman of Trans experience

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Q: How do you show up in your community & how are you held by your community members?

A: “I feel like I'm really respected as a great advocate in our community and a lot of my sisters see me as the one that they can look up to or even they really appreciate that I'm really open and vulnerable.”

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Q: Why is it important that trans and gender-expansive people have access to gender-affirming health care?

A: “Gender affirming surgery has been so amazing as well. I had so much like, cognitive dissonance and seeing my body and it not representing how I feel as like a woman.” 

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Q: What one tip would you give someone looking into gender-affirming care?

A: “And what I would encourage other Trans folks or gender expansive folks to do is really seek like a Queer affirming doctor because I think that's so important to be able to find a physician that's really gonna advocate for your needs and make sure that you get the best care possible.”

Cass Daniels  (he/him/his), Queer social worker and Dad 

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your family?

A: "We were able to conceive our children via reciprocal IVF with one of my eggs and IUI with one of my wife's eggs, which is so incredible that we were able to do that and that science has the capacity to do something like that."
 

Q: How has your life improved since being a parent? 

A: "Having my kids, my life has just drastically improved. Growing up as a trans, queer person, I always knew that I wanted a family. I always knew that I wanted to be a parent. I just wasn't sure if that was something that was gonna be accessible to me." 

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Q: What’s the best thing about being a parent who is trans? 

A: "One of the things that's really awesome about being a dad who is also trans is that I recognize the importance of creating an environment for my children where they know they're unconditionally loved and that no matter who they are or what their sexual orientation or gender identity is or their interest or as they get older, I just always want them to know they're loved."
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Q: What one tip would you give to a trans individual thinking of starting a family?

A: "Believe that you are deserving of that, and you are capable. If you want to adopt or have your own kids or foster kids or whatever that looks like for you, you are so, so deserving of being able to have the family that you've always dreamed of."

Syre Klenke (he/him/his), Trans Man

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Q: How do you celebrate and affirm yourself?

A: "Some of the ways that I celebrate my authenticity and affirm myself is through celebrating the little things, like anniversaries of my T-day and the anniversary of my top surgery. I also do my best to surround myself with people who love and care about me and accept me for who I am and encourage me to be my authentic self."

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Q: Tell us more about you! How do you spend your time? What brings you joy?

A: "Oftentimes I spend my free time outdoors, either having fun in the park or going on a hike or participating in sports like soccer, wakeboarding, and snowboarding. I also enjoy spending my free time with my friends and my family members that are loving and accepting of me for who I authentically am."

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Q: Why is conversion therapy so harmful?

A: "Conversion therapy is extremely harmful. It tells people who are part of the  LGBTQIA+ community that they're not okay being themselves, and that's not true at all. It tries to shame people into changing and changing isn't possible. It's not possible to change your gender identity or your sexual orientation. And to try to force people to do so is extremely harmful."

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Q: What one tip would you give someone looking into gender-affirming care?

A: "If you're an individual that is aiming to seek gender affirming care, I would recommend that you surround yourself with people who love you and accept you for who you are and are encouraging of you being your authentic self."

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