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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

CoastLine: Queer in the Cape Fear III - Being Transgender

Chalk art during Pride month 2021 in front of Stillpoint Counseling and Wellness
TR Nunley
Chalk art during Pride month 2021 in front of Stillpoint Counseling and Wellness

When we talk about LGBTQ issues, it’s the T that we often leave out of the discussion. That’s at least in part because the Ts are a minority even inside the community. But are they small in number because they’re small in number – or because it’s a much harder road to take? On this third edition of Queer in the Cape Fear, we’re seeking to do a better job of understanding the T. What does it really mean to be transgender?

No one starts out hoping to be gay. No one chooses to be transgender. That’s according to a local psychologist who specializes in LGBTQ+ issues. There’s a lot of pain, said Nova Swanstrom, that goes along with being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

According to the Trevor Project, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24, and LGBT kids consider and attempt suicide at much higher rates than straight kids. Family acceptance plays a key role: those LGBT kids who come from families who reject their identity are more than eight times as likely to attempt suicide.

While gender identity and sexual orientation are protected classes under the Civil Rights Act, that protection only goes so far and, obviously, cannot and does not mandate social acceptance. But even the legal fight for equal rights is itself a work in progress. The Hill reports recently passed laws in Arkansas and West Virginia restricting transgender rights are unconstitutional. The Department of Justice argues the laws, which would exclude transgender girls from women’s sports and ban gender-affirming care, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

When we talk about LGBTQ issues, it’s the T that we often leave out of the discussion. That’s at least in part because the Ts are a minority even inside the community. But are they small in number because they’re small in number – or because it’s a much harder road to take?

On this third edition of Queer in the Cape Fear, we’re seeking to do a better job of understanding the T. What does it really mean to be transgender?

Guests:

Nova Swanstrom, (MA, LPA), Psychologist specializing in LGBTQ+ issues

TR Nunley, Program Coordinator, Wilmington Transgender Support Services; leader, activist and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community

Darlene, mother of a teenager who is transgender

Resources:

Wilmington Transgender Community

https://www.wilmingtontranscommunity.com/

Wilmington Transgender Support Services

https://www.wilmingtontranscommunity.com/support

The Trevor Project

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

https://www.onslowcountylgbtq.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pflagwilmingtonnc
https://www.frankharrfoundation.org/

Rachel hosts and produces CoastLine, an award-winning hourlong conversation featuring artists, humanitarians, scholars, and innovators in North Carolina. The show airs Wednesdays at noon and Sundays at 4 pm on 91.3 FM WHQR Public Media. It's also available as a podcast; just search CoastLine WHQR. You can reach her at rachellh@whqr.org.