Despite being constantly ignored and vilified in the media and by politicians, the transgender community is making some strides toward greater recognition by the general (i.e., cis) public.

I recently wrote about the ongoing struggle by trans people in Great Britain. It came as somewhat a shock to me when I found out that a nation that is commonly thought to be progressive an open-minded such as GB, would have such oppressive laws and convoluted rules governing basic aspects of life that trans Brits have to endure. Even a name change is a years-long process that discourages that most affirming of legal changes for a trans person.

However, some slim beams of light shine through the darkness. The stodgy old bastion of British media, the BBC, has on its website, a page simply titled, "Transgender People." And befitting its title, this page provides links to stories of interest to the transgender community.

Some of the articles have been covered here previously, or you may have heard about them in passing in the American media. Others, though, are new--to me at least--and worth a read.

One concerns the banning of puberty blockers in Northern Ireland:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3l8pnld9o

Another, the groundbreaking case of Australian trans woman Roxanne Tickle, whose lawsuit against a cis female website that wouldn't allow her to join, was won in their Supreme Court. This case may have implications worldwide and you really should read this article:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07ev1v7r4po

Finally, there is a somewhat uplifting story about a lovely young British trans woman named Raya, who overcame all the obstacles placed before her by governmental regulations and clueless doctors, decided to pay for HRT out-of-pocket and found her way through the tangle of red tape required to change her name:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7v55e9079qo

It is hard to find positive stores concerning the trans community in mainstream (i.e., once again, cis) media. But I welcome any space we are allotted amongst their clickbait articles of celebrity divorces, wars, and political shenanigans.

Sometimes you just have to be happy with what you can get.

--- Anni