In a recent national research study conducted by Hopelab and Born This Way Foundation with 696 transgender young people ages 15 to 24, researchers found that trans young people demonstrated resilience through community connection and pride in their identities amidst the interpersonal and systemic oppression that they are facing in the current sociopolitical climate. What is noteworthy is that trans young people relied more heavily on online spaces than their cisgender counterparts for resources, support, and community, perhaps due to concerns of safety and the shrinking of the already lacking in-person affirming spaces, especially with the Trump administration’s blatant erasure of trans people, fueling hate and fearmongering. The study highlights the resourcefulness of trans young people and the importance of community connectedness in promoting better mental health and self-concept, all of which point towards the critical understanding of “existence is resistance” when trying to persist through the hardships pitted against the community.

A Personal Journey of Hope and Longing

These study findings bring me, an Asian trans man, radical hope to see the trans community creatively use online spaces to give and receive resources for support. Similar to participants in the study, online platforms and communities have served as a foundation and stepping stone for me to challenge the cis-heteronormative standards set forth by society. I could not help but reminisce about the crucial role that the online trans community has played as I grapple with my trans identity — learning the language to express how I have always felt, celebrating my authentic self, and finding joy and euphoria when witnessing life-transformative and life-saving transition processes of others.

As I reflect further on the study results and my lived experiences, something feels missing. My experience with the online trans community has not been all sunshine and rainbows; there are times when I feel left out, excluded, and unable to relate. To combat these feelings and better integrate into the community, I often have to compartmentalize parts of myself, parts that I am proud of and wish to be recognized, such as my race and culture.

The Importance of Intersectionality

More research is needed to examine the complexities and nuances that young people with intersecting marginalized identities may encounter in online spaces. Sometimes, those who have multiple marginalized identities might become the minority within the minority and face additional stressors that are being disregarded by the majority/the more privileged of the minority group. For instance, transgender online communities often lack representations of people of color. This makes it hard for trans people of color to find deeper connections and resources for physical and appearance changes, coming out stories, and communication strategies, and also reinforces the “standard” of only those who are white, able-bodied, thin, and engaged in medical transitioning qualify as being transgender – also known as transnormativity. Gatekeeping begins to happen when the norm is enacted, with trans young people of color subjected to scrutiny, their legitimacy being questioned by their white counterparts, and expectations to act and perform in ways that were considered acceptable within the trans community. Moreover, trans young people of color may experience misunderstanding, microaggressions, and racism within the trans community due to it being predominantly white. They may have a hard time finding trans elders of color who can provide a complete understanding, support, and tips in navigating the challenges they are facing. The invisibility, disempowerment, and alienation experienced by trans young people of color from the trans community that they are seeking refuge from is extremely hurtful and is detrimental to their sense of belonging and community connectedness, which is critical in the current sociopolitical climate. It makes me wonder, if given the opportunity to reflect and elaborate, would trans young people of color in the study share the same sentiments that I hold regarding feeling unseen as a whole.

The Research Gap and the Path Forward

Unfortunately, as has been observed in the media and online spaces, the stories of trans young people of color are undertold in research, and that disparity poses a tremendous threat to their well-being (see Farvid et al., 2021). For example, the lack of understanding of trans young people of color’s experiences may lead to health care providers overlooking aspects that might not seem relevant to concerns that trans young people of color are bringing in, running the risk of invalidation and the formation of distrust. Most research to date is isolated and focused on documenting the challenges rooted in a single identity, which does not encapsulate the full human experience and the nuances created by the interaction of identities. Intersectionality, as conceptualized by Black feminist Kimberlé Crenshaw, highlights the importance of considering how interdependent social identities guide one to navigate the multiple and interlocking systems of oppression and power dynamics. Just like people cannot pick and choose what they would like to experience based on their identities, researchers are encouraged to examine identity-based experiences holistically rather than understanding them through a vacuumed or additive lens.

The increased inclusion of BIPOC participants seen in the report is a great start toward altering the predominantly white perspective seen in transgender and non-binary (TNB) literature and calls for additional studies on intersectionality to examine the nuances experienced by TNB BIPOC due to the integrative nature of their marginalized identities. Given the visible knowledge gap that still exists with trans young people of color, the funding support from private sectors, organizations, and foundations remains paramount to further our understanding of how to best support this next generation of young people and foster effective strategies, especially with the government cutting federal research funding for transgender-related research. Efforts from all levels should be pitched together to ultimately create safe spaces for trans young people, both online and offline.