Finding Hope

Hope means believing things can get better, even if the gender dysphoria is hard right now. It’s not about pretending everything’s okay, it’s about trusting that joy and self-love are still possible! (Hope significa creer que las cosas pueden mejorar, incluso si la disforia de género es difícil en este momento. No se trata de fingir que todo está bien, ¡sino de confiar en que la alegría y el amor propio todavía son posibles!)

Black and Latine therapeutic healers have proposed that hope is comprised of at least 3 components:

1. Understanding Past Oppression and Resistance (Entendiendo la opresión y resistencia del pasado)

Thinking of folks like Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Lou Sullivan, Miss Major, Cecilia Chung and events like the Compton Cafeteria and Stone Wall riots remind us that we are not alone. That our trans elders fought for us and their strength and resistance empower us now.

2. Embracing Ancestral Pride (Acogiéndonos en orgullo de los antepasados)

Much like our trans elders fought for our rights, they also paved ways for us to be proud of who we are and to be visible in society. Individuals such as Lili Elbe, Christine Jorgensen, Sandra Caldwell, and Candis Cayne who pioneered in news and film and made space for Laverne Cox, Indya Moore, MJ Rodriguez, Leo Sheng, and Elliot Fletcher. Our trans elders showed us how to be proud of ourselves in the face of adversity and anti-trans stigma.

3. Envisioning Possibilities (Visualizar las posibilidades)

Utilizing our knowledge of what our trans elders have resisted and achieved so that we can imagine what our own futures hold.

You can also find hope in your own story. Think about how far you’ve come and what you’d say to a younger version of yourself. Remind yourself that you’ve made it through tough times before—and you will again.

When the gender dysphoria shows up, ask: What would my future self say to me right now? (Cuando la disforia de género aparece, pregúntate: ¿Qué me diría mi yo futuro a mí en este momento?)

You don’t need to have it all figured out, you just need a little hope to keep going. (No lo tienes que tener todo bajo control, solo necesitas un poco de esperanza para seguir adelante.)